chapter 5 - The Heroine Insists on Being My Master

"Master... did I say something wrong?" Wen Jiayin twisted the fabric of her clothing, a telltale sign of her anxiety to those familiar with her. "No, of course not!" Xin Yun quickly composed herself, adopting a serious tone for the first time since their acquaintance. "Jiayin, the path of sword cultivation is a difficult one. Your constitution is somewhat lacking, and until I can enhance it, you will need to exert more effort than others. It will be arduous. Comparatively speaking, alchemy and other forms of cultivation might suit you better and bring quicker achievements." Xin Yun's words were the result of deep contemplation, carefully crafted for Wen Jiayin’s benefit, and indeed, they echoed Wen Jiayin's previous thoughts. But... the circumstances had changed! Whether it's alchemy or healing cultivations, Wen Jiayin chose them to avoid the protagonist's tumultuous life and to prevent becoming cannon fodder in the future wars between gods and demons! However, having now taken the female protagonist as her master, she found herself unable to avoid various melodramatic storylines that could end anywhere from an ancient battlefield to a secret realm. She had only two choices left: change her mentor or strive to increase her own strength. The former... As she looked into Xin Yun's concerned eyes, she couldn't bear to voice such a decision. Wen Jiayin couldn't bring herself to hurt someone who cared for her. Thus, she was left with the latter choice. In the world of cultivation, there was a consensus: among all professions, sword cultivation was a major cheat! They were the fiercest, often challenging beyond their means, unflinching in both melee and ranged battles—sword cultivators! Their sword intent was a headache for all cultivators. And standing before her was the top-ranked sword cultivator in the cultivation world. If she didn't seize this opportunity now, when would she? "Master, everyone says you're the best sword cultivator. I want to be formidable too, so can I learn swordsmanship from you?" Wen Jiayin tugged at Xin Yun's clothing, pleading. Of course! Absolutely! Not only could she teach swordplay, but Xin Yun was ready to give her life if Wen Jiayin asked. "Jiayin..." Xin Yun felt her throat dry up. "Do you truly wish to learn the sword?" "Yes, Master, I can endure hardship!" Xin Yun wasn't sure how she agreed to Wen Jiayin's request or how she soothed her to sleep. Sitting by Wen Jiayin's bedside in a daze, it was only after a while that she placed the toys—all bought from the mortal world—by her bedside, then absentmindedly exited. The reluctance to discuss sword training wasn't due solely to the physical challenges Jiayin might face. With the abundance of spiritual herbs she possessed, enhancing Jiayin’s constitution to a prime level wasn't difficult. Additionally, she remembered a South Sea secret realm would appear in a few years, containing ancient dragon's blood. With it, Jiayin's body could be refined to rival even her innate spiritual form. But there was a deeper reason—a mental blockade that had almost become a heart demon. "Pick it up." Even now, she seemed to hear her former cold voice. She remembered flinging the small figure across the ground, the child's sword accidentally slipping from her grasp. The child landed heavily, perhaps suffering internal injuries due to her lack of restraint. Yet, she showed no concern for the child, coldly demanding she pick up the sword and continue. A heart demon, exploiting her wavering state to replay scenes from a past life. Initially, she had not realized the traitor had swapped places with Jiayin. Inevitably, she harbored a trace of resentment towards Jiayin. "Uh…" The child tried to retrieve the sword, but her hands, bruised and trembling, could barely hold onto it, and she whimpered. "What’s the use of crying? If you can’t handle a few bruises, why pursue the sword?" Toward the enemy of her past life, Xin Yun had no mercy. But she couldn’t deny the child differed greatly from her past enemy. The child seemed truly broken, raising her voice for the first time against her master. "I never wanted to learn swordsmanship! You forced me to. I wanted to join the Alchemy Peak Master, or the Clear Stream Peak would have been fine. Who'd choose this place? I hate snowy days..." Here, it was snow all year round. Those words left Xin Yun bewildered, since she remembered in a past life Wen Jiayin kneeling and begging for her to be her master, insisting on learning the sword despite the mismatch. After that confrontation, master and disciple parted unhappily. Days later, Wen Jiayin apologized first, admitting her words were spoken in haste and seeking forgiveness. Were those truly unconsidered words? No, Xin Yun could discern truth from anger. Wen Jiayin spoke sincerely—she truly did not want Xin Yun as a master nor wanted to learn swordsmanship. "Why…" Xin Yun murmured outside her own reflection. "Why does Jiayin now want to learn the sword?" “Why? Why else?” Xin Yun’s heart demon mocked harshly: “Because she never disliked the sword—only you. She didn’t want to learn from you. Didn’t you see her looking away during the ceremony? You snatched her away! You, a half-failed master, stubbornly held onto her. Who knew you were so shameless!” Xin Yun shattered the ebony silhouette with one palm, sealing the heart demon back where it belonged, grumbling. Indeed, she had coerced Jiayin against her wishes once, but she swore it was only this time. If Jiayin joined another sect, adored another master, showed affection toward someone else... it was unbearable. Perhaps she was already in an obsessive state, but had she not entertained such a notion, the heart demon wouldn’t have emerged. "This once only, Jiayin..." Xin Yun murmured under the moonlit sky. The following day, Wen Jiayin awoke feeling rejuvenated. All the fatigue and pain since her transmigration had vanished, her body brimming with energy, enough to run laps around Ling Sword Peak! "What's this?" Wen Jiayin noticed a bundle beside her bed that hadn’t been there before. It must have been left by her protagonist master. Thinking it might be some treasure, she was shocked upon opening it. Kazoos, rattles, bamboo dragonflies, slingshots... and some trinkets her scant historical knowledge couldn’t name. The items she recognized collectively screamed one word: toys. It wasn't hard to guess these were prepared for her by her master, contradicting the strict disciple image her master was known for. Could her strict master actually give such frivolous items? Wen Jiayin twirled the rattle, producing a "dong dong" sound. She couldn’t equate her master to the character she read about, lest she continually faced surprising contradictions. By the way, what time was it? The radiance outside was quite bright. Was it already midday? Sleeping in on the first day at Ling Sword Peak was not ideal for her image! Unaware she spent nearly a day bringing spiritual energy into her body, and assuming it was the next morning, she dressed neatly and stepped outside. Fortunately, the sun wasn’t directly overhead, though without clocks, telling time precisely was tricky. Finding the courtyard empty, she called out at Xin Yun’s door but received no response. "Perhaps she's off practicing swordplay?" Wen Jiayin headed toward the bamboo forest. Indeed, before reaching the usual training grounds, she heard activity. Just arriving, she witnessed Xin Yun retract her sword, as frozen bamboo leaves in mid-air shattered like glass, their fragments dazzling in the sunlight. Had Wen Jiayin possessed advanced cultivation, she'd have noticed each fragment was equally divided. Yet, all she saw was the impressive spectacle. "Jiayin." Xin Yun sensed her presence near the bamboo grove, gesturing for her to come over. "Master!" Wen Jiayin scampered over on her short legs, "That move you did was amazing!" "You can accomplish it too, perhaps even surpass me someday." Xin Yun felt her heart flutter seeing Wen Jiayin's unabashed admiration. “I’d be content to be half as skilled as you!” Beating her master in skill? Hardly—her master was the indomitable protagonist yet to experience betrayal. Wen Jiayin had ambition, but she was no daydreamer. "By the way, Master, were those toys for me?" "Yes, I haven’t mentored anyone before and wasn't sure what children like. These were recommended by merchants in the mortal world. Do you like them?” Oh? It turns out these were bought from the mortal world! Wen Jiayin initially thought her master might have borrowed them from senior elders with disciples, but instead, she went out to buy them herself? The image of a grand Transcendence-stage expert struggling to pick out children's toys at a mortal market was... kind of cute! "I love them! Thank you, Master!" Seeing the anticipation in Xin Yun's eyes, even if she didn't like the toys, Wen Jiayin would lie through her teeth because her master was just that adorable. Ayin is truly delightful, her smile is so sweet that Xin Yun felt the voice of her inner demons almost healing away into silence. Of course, she never imagined the day would come when her little disciple would label her as cute. Author's Note: Xin Yun in Wen Jiayin's eyes: Adorable Xin Yun in others' eyes: A ruthless Dao-cultivating cold-hearted slayer, leaving rivers of blood with a single stroke. Wen Jiayin in Xin Yun's eyes: Adorable Wen Jiayin in others' eyes (in the future): A fiery-tempered older sister type, teaching everyone a lesson online. Summarized by others: I don't believe a word of it!