Jian Dan rested her cheek on her palm, gazing at the moon while sipping alone in the courtyard outside her cave residence.
"Sigh... Being too famous really is a burden." She had always lived by the principle of keeping a low profile, yet now the sect had pushed her into the spotlight. It seemed she'd have to reconsider her plans to venture out under a disguise.
Tipsy and in high spirits, Jian Dan began singing to the moon.
It was "Prelude to the Water Melody: When Will the Moon Be Clear and Bright?"
"When will the moon be clear and bright?Lifting my wine, I ask the sky.I wonder what season it would be in the heavens tonight?I long to ride the wind and return,But fear the crystal towers and jade palaces,So high, too cold to bear.Dancing with my shadow,It is not like life in the world below.
Turning to red mansions,Lowering to carved windows,Lighting the sleepless.Why must there always be sorrow at parting?People have grief and joy, parting and reunion,The moon waxes and wanes.This has been so since ancient times.May we all be blessed with longevity,Though thousands of miles apart, to share the moonlight."
As she sang, she drew the Mò Xī Sword and began practicing the "Autumn Waters" sword technique from the Primordial Chaos Art. She infused no spiritual energy, simply executing one smooth, flowing thrust. The nearby stream rippled gently. Turning, she drew a curved arc through the air, then reversed her grip for a slanted stab.
Yue Liang lounged on the jade couch under the banyan tree, eyes half-closed, digesting the spiritual wine. She watched Jian Dan's swordplay without interference, flicking her tail in contentment.
Meanwhile, the sword spirit grumbled internally: "This drunken lunatic always wants to practice swordsmanship when she drinks. I'm exhausted just watching. But I acknowledged her as my master, so I must endure..."
Jian Dan eventually stepped onto the stream's surface, walking lightly over the water. As she wielded the Mò Xī sword, the Autumn Waters technique stirred the current around her. Streams rose, forming floating swords that followed her blade—at times circling her, at times diving like fish into the stream, at times soaring like birds into the air, or reversing upstream like a dragon.
"The highest virtue is like water.Water benefits all things and does not contend.It dwells in places that others disdain.Thus, it is close to the Dao."
Water was soft, yet not without strength. Even when mountains layered upon mountains tried to block its path, water continued to flow. Waves shattered upon rocks, unafraid of destruction. One wave after another pressed forward, unrelenting. Like droplets from a cliff, falling day after day, year after year, even stone would wear away.
The sea accepts all rivers and becomes vast through tolerance. Jian Dan drew in moisture from all around, merging it with the stream. A ring of water formed around her. Inside that ring, all sorts of forms emerged—just as water had no fixed shape. It became round when met with a bowl, square when met with a box. It could be a straight line, or coil like a dragon.
Finally, all the water gathered into a single dragon. The water dragon coiled around her, then crystallized into ice. With a roar, it shot into the sky. As it rose, the ice dissolved into vapor and scattered into the clouds. The sword intent of water had fully taken shape.
The Mò Xī sword let out a hum, then returned to her dantian. Jian Dan didn't bother worrying about the disturbance she had caused in her drunken practice. She scooped up Yue Liang and went back to sleep in the cave dwelling. But before going inside, she casually cast a cleansing spell and cleaned up the entire courtyard.
The night passed in peaceful sleep. The next morning, Jian Dan awoke refreshed. She opened the formation outside her cave, planning to go to the Steward Hall to exchange for some supplies—she needed a better disguise for traveling.
As soon as the formation opened, she saw Lü Se waiting outside.
The moment he saw her, Lü Se brightened and hurried forward.
"Lü Se greets Shan Zhēnrén. Your cultivation has advanced with astonishing speed—we can hardly hope to catch up."
Jian Dan noted that Lü Se had reached Foundation Establishment. Still as agreeable as ever, she allowed him in.
"Have you stabilized your Foundation Establishment stage?"
"Rest assured, Zhēnrén. It's been consolidated. As soon as I received my uncle's message, I came straight here."
"You're sharp. I could use someone to manage the cave. Just day-to-day tasks—tending to the flowers and plants, cultivating a few mu of spirit fields with spiritual rice and herbs."
"That will be easy. Is there anything else you require, Zhēnrén?"
"You're still working at the steward's hall on the outer peak?"
"Yes, but I was planning to resign after receiving your assignment."
"No need. Just post a mission at the hall saying I'm hiring a part-time steward for my residence. Accept the task yourself. Spend most of your time there, and only come here when you're off-duty."
"Many thanks, Zhēnrén!" Two streams of spirit stones for one job—how fortunate.
"Don't celebrate yet. I need you to remain there to network and gather news. Any rumors or widely shared information—nothing involving high-level cultivators."
"Ah... Understood. So just gossip and open rumors?"
"Exactly."
"Lü Se understands."
"Good. Go take care of it. This is your payment."
Jian Dan tossed him a basic storage pouch. Inside were two hundred low-grade spirit stones and two bottles of mid-grade Gathering Pills to aid cultivation.
Lü Se accepted it with delight and was about to leave when Jian Dan called him back to ask about some acquaintances.
He replied:
He Jintang had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment and left the sect to seek his Core Formation opportunity. He had yet to return.
Kong Yu had remained at the outer peak, continuing his cultivation.
Cao Chenfeng, Zhang Xuefeng, Jin Liuli, and Wei Zhengrong—who had all participated in the Law Enforcement selection—had not been seen recently.
Tao Chengfeng was still within the Ascension Hall.
Hearing that everyone was occupied and unlikely to meet her soon, Jian Dan told Lü Se to relay a message: if any of them came looking for her, just say she had gone into training outside the sect.
Lü Se bowed in acknowledgment and turned to leave. But just then, the defensive formation of Jian Dan's cave was triggered