Chapter 11: He Would Have to Be Insane to Like Her

Forget it, I should just stick to the original plot. If the main storyline collapses, the death point established in the original book will shift, and I have already spent enough time on this lethal mission—one more day is pure torture.

Just wait for death. Wait obediently, keep the "white moonlight" persona firmly in place, and never break character!

When Jiang Yuanshan arranged the living quarters for Xie Lin, Jiang Lingyi naturally took over the conversation. She looked at Xie Lin with eyes as gentle as water. "A-Lin is new here and doesn't know anyone else in the sect, so I will take him to see his room."

Jiang Yuanshan curled his lip; she might as well have had "I like Xie Lin" carved onto her forehead.

Was that Xie family boy, with his icy expression and "stay away" aura, really that charming?

Unable to bear Jiang Lingyi’s eager gaze, Jiang Yuanshan helplessly compromised. "Fine, you..."

Before he could finish, Pei Zheng cut in. He threw an arm around Xie Lin’s shoulder with practiced familiarity and grinned at Jiang Lingyi. "Senior Sister, you’re mistaken! Young Master Xie knows me! There isn't a single place in the sect that I know better than I do, so I’ll take him there!"

Jiang Lingyi glanced at Xie Lin, who lowered his eyes without even looking at her. She feigned disappointment and retreated, reciting her lines from the original book. "Then I’ll leave it to you, A-Zheng."

Good. That segment of the original plot was complete.

If all goes as expected, because of the extra attention she showed Xie Lin, Pei Zheng will feel disgruntled and give Xie Lin a hard time that very night. That will spark their rivalry, and later, on the night before the monthly assessment, Pei Zheng will tamper with Xie Lin’s sword.

Jiang Lingyi had no further role for the moment. To ensure the success of her upcoming tasks, she returned to her courtyard after dinner to practice her swordsmanship. Although Xie Lin would go easy on her during the assessment, she couldn't afford to look too incompetent.

The mountain dusk deepened, and the night air was as cool as water. Jiang Lingyi changed into her disciple robes and stood in the courtyard, recalling the sword techniques she had studied.

Her spirit sword, Wujiang, cast a clear, moonlit glow. Sensing the surge of spiritual energy within its master, the blade hummed and rang.

Though her swordsmanship was unrefined, the spirit sword Jiang Yuanshan had forged for her was top-tier. It was made from ancient treasures; not only were the materials hard to find, but the forging process alone took five years. During that time, he had poured one-third of his own cultivation into it, just so that if Jiang Lingyi were ever in danger, Wujiang could unsheathe instantly to protect her from ordinary demons.

Such a fine blade paired with such a weak master—truly a case of a poor student having the best stationery.

She couldn't remember when she had last practiced. After just reviewing the second chapter of the Guiyuan Sword Technique, Jiang Lingyi was already panting and seeing stars.

...Her physical condition was truly abysmal.

Other inner-sect disciples had already reached the seventh or eighth chapter of the Guiyuan Sword Technique, and a few talented ones had even mastered it and moved on to the Zhewu Sword Technique. Only Jiang Lingyi remained behind.

It was as if her peers were preparing for university entrance exams, while she was still struggling with elementary arithmetic.

***

After a grueling night, she had barely managed to solidify the second chapter. At her current level, if she wanted to win a duel against Xie Lin, it wouldn't just be "going easy"—it would be like the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers overflowing.

Jiang Lingyi was exhausted from practicing. Calculating the time, Pei Zheng and Xie Lin were likely fighting right now.

Yes, in the original book, the "hard time" Pei Zheng gave Xie Lin was a sword duel, followed by a sneak attack to injure him.

It was common for disciples to spar, but since Xie Lin had just joined the sect, other disciples would inevitably report the injury to Jiang Yuanshan.

Jiang Lingyi had no part in that scene, so she went to sleep with a clear conscience.

Little did the soundly sleeping Jiang Lingyi know that at that very moment, Pei Zheng and Xie Lin were not only not fighting—they were nearly becoming sworn brothers.

Inside the disciples' dormitory, Pei Zheng lay back with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. The other two roommates hadn't returned, and Xie Lin lay on the other side of the shared bed.

"Do you really not like my Senior Sister? Not even a little bit?"

Pei Zheng found it impossible. His Senior Sister was beautiful as a fairy, gentle and kind—everyone loved her. How could anyone not?

"I don't."

Xie Lin replied without hesitation. In those cold, indifferent eyes, there was not only a lack of affection but even a hint of annoyance.

A noisy woman who approached him with ulterior motives, pulled annoying little tricks, and had terrible acting skills she insisted on showing off—he would have to be insane to like her.

"But I clearly saw Senior Sister..." Pei Zheng curled his lip and swallowed his words. "Forget it. Just stop bothering my Senior Sister. Her health is poor, and she needs rest."

His tone was much more polite than before. He called out toward Xie Lin, "Do you want to go practice sword later? You're participating in the monthly assessment in three days, right?"

Xie Lin didn't speak. He simply rose, picked up his sword from the table, and left the room first.

Regarding the monthly assessment, Jiang Yuanshan hadn't given his final word yet. If it was just because of his health, Jiang Yuanshan was being overly worried. Or was Jiang Lingyi involved in this as well?

...

The next morning, before dawn, the practice field was already bustling with the sounds of sword practice.

The Xuyang Sect held monthly assessments, which always made everyone’s skin crawl. Unlike academic tests where one could cram at the last minute and not lose too much face if the score was low, sword duels were different.

Sword skills couldn't be crammed. If one hadn't practiced diligently, they would find their sword knocked away and themselves pinned to the ground in front of everyone—a humiliation so profound it would make one wish they were dead on the spot.

Therefore, the closer the assessment, the more intense the training became. By the day before, many people wouldn't even eat or drink, practicing from dawn until dusk.

Jiang Lingyi was dead tired, but she gritted her teeth, kicked off her blanket, and got out of bed.

By the time she finished washing and headed to the practice field with Wujiang in hand, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Although inner-sect disciples had different masters, most were currently practicing the Guiyuan Sword Technique. Jiang Lingyi had only solidified the second chapter last night; her third chapter was still shaky, and she planned to practice it with the others today.

The light was still dim, and everyone wore the same disciple robes, so no one noticed Jiang Lingyi in the corner at first—until they saw her clumsy movements, which hardly looked like those of a sword cultivator, and she was practicing the third chapter of the Guiyuan technique?

It was like a primary school student reciting nursery rhymes in a high school classroom during morning study.

"Senior Sister?"

"It’s the Senior Sister! Why is she here practicing?"

"Is she going to take the monthly assessment? But her health has never allowed..."

The whispers spread quickly. Pei Zheng was momentarily distracted and was grazed by Xie Lin’s sword. He didn't seem to notice, pushing past him to run toward Jiang Lingyi.

"Senior Sister, why are you here?"

Surrounded by a crowd, Jiang Lingyi felt her toes curling in embarrassment, wishing she could just disappear. "I want to take the monthly assessment, so I need to practice with everyone these next few days."

She wanted to take the assessment?

Not just Xie Lin, but everyone present was stunned.