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From the sidelines, Tian Buyi watched with undisguised amusement. He sauntered over, grinning.
"Sister Shuiyue, your disciple is truly outstanding. No wonder you entrusted her with the Tianya Sword. I'm positively jealous."
Shuiyue inclined her head. "Thank you, Junior Brother Tian. Xueqi is indeed exceptional."
Her gaze flicked toward Zhang Xiaofan, intending to return the compliment about Tian Buyi's own disciple
only to think better of it. After all, she'd heard of his… peculiar mental state. If she praised him now, it might only remind Tian Buyi of his disciple's troubles.
But then her eyes narrowed.
Zhang Xiaofan was standing far too close to Xueqi, the two of them laughing together as if they'd known each other all their lives.
The sight made Shuiyue's chest tighten in irritation....almost as if the precious disciple she'd raised was about to be stolen away.
"Hmph!" She jabbed a finger toward Zhang Xiaofan. "Look at your disciple,
Tian Buyi. Still so young, yet already trying to charm my Xueqi....and you just let him?"
Tian Buyi chuckled. "First you accuse me of stealing your junior sister, and now my disciple's stealing your disciple? Careful, senior sister… keep saying it, and it might just come true."
Shuiyue's brows twitched dangerously.
"Tian… Bu… Yi!"
Her voice trembled with anger, and the air around her seemed to ripple faintly with restrained power.
.
The tournament was progressing swiftly. Some bouts between disciples were so evenly matched that they dragged on for nearly an hour each.
By the end of the day, the top sixteen contenders had been decided.
The rest of the matches would be fought tomorrow.
Nightfall
The moon was high over Tongtian Peak, its silver light spilling over tiled rooftops and silent courtyards.
Inside a cramped dormitory, Zhang Xiaofan lay on his bed, staring at the rafters. Sleep was impossible.
Part of it was the unfamiliar room; part of it was Song Daren's thunderous snoring in the bed beside him.
Tongtian Peak housed too many disciples for its quarters, and now...thanks to the Seven Clans Martial Arts Competition....six other clans had arrived, making the place even more overcrowded.
Zhang Xiaofan found himself squeezed into a single room with six of his fellow apprentices.
Meditation? Impossible. Sword forms? Impossible..
The rhythmic, booming snore next to him shattered all focus like a gong to the head.
He even caught himself imagining Senior Sister Wen Min trying to sleep beside Song Daren in the future.
Surely she'd collapse in exhaustion before the man's snoring could drive her mad. Then again… judging by her fondness for him, perhaps she'd endure it willingly.
With a sigh, Zhang Xiaofan gave up on rest entirely.
He slipped on his robe and wandered toward the Rainbow Bridge, hoping the night air might clear his mind.
---
Moonlight Encounter
When he reached the bridge, he froze.
A lone figure stood there, her crimson robe swaying gently in the mountain breeze. She was gazing up at the bright moon, her hair catching the silver light.
Tian Ling'er.
In the original story of his past life, she and Qi Hao would have been here together...meeting in secret under the stars while the original Zhang Xiaofan watched from the shadows, his heart aching in silence.
But that was a different path. He had already altered their fates.
Now, Qi Hao was nowhere to be seen.
So why was his Senior Sister here, alone, instead of sleeping?
Zhang Xiaofan stepped forward.
His quiet footfalls on the stone bridge echoed in the still night.
She turned at the sound....and when she saw him, her eyes brightened instantly.
"Xiaofan!"
"Senior Sister!" He smiled, joining her at the railing.
Tian Ling'er looked back at the moon, her voice soft.
"Time passes so quickly. When you first came to Xiaozhu Peak, you were shorter than me… now you've grown so tall."
Zhang Xiaofan reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Yes, Senior Sister… you barely reach my mouth now."
"Don't pat my head....it makes me feel like the younger one," she protested with a playful pout. "
Do you remember? Back then you cut black bamboo every day in the forest, and I was always the one keeping you company."
Zhang Xiaofan chuckled.
"Yes… and you'd tire yourself out playing, then fall asleep in the grass.
I always had to carry you home."
"Hmph! I didn't fall asleep that often!" she said, cheeks puffing slightly.
"I only stayed because you would've been lonely otherwise.
And when you couldn't fly with a sword, I always took you home using my Amber Red Silk. You'd cling to my waist as if you were afraid of falling."
"Heh… I wasn't afraid," he admitted with a grin. "It's just that you smelled so nice."
Her cheeks turned pink. She lowered her gaze and murmured,
"Do I… still smell nice now?"
He leaned closer, inhaling lightly, then smiled.
"Even more fragrant than before. A scent that's… uniquely you."
Tian Ling'er's blush deepened. Without warning, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.
Zhang Xiaofan blinked.
"Senior Sister… men and women shouldn't be too close. If Master sees us...."
She interrupted with a mischievous smile.
"Father adores you.
He's passed on all his true teachings to you...he might even make you First Disciple one day. If he saw us like this, he'd probably be happy."
Her voice softened to a whisper.
"Besides… don't move. It's warm here."
He hesitated, hands hovering in the air....until she gently guided them to her waist.
"Hold me," she whispered.
"Senior Sister… are you trying to tempt me?" he asked, half-joking, half-serious.
Her face flared red, and she shoved him lightly.
"Hmph! You really don't understand my heart at all."
He sighed inwardly. Of course I do. But you're still only sixteen…
---
The Water Qilin Appears
Just as she turned to leave, a sudden splash broke the night.
A massive shape surged out of the river beside the bridge—water streaming from scaled shoulders, lantern-sized eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
It stood over five feet tall, with the head of a dragon and the body of a lion. Cold fangs glinted beneath its snarling jaws, and its scales shimmered like wet steel.
The Water Qilin....Qingyun Sect's legendary guardian beast.
Tian Ling'er gasped, instinctively backing away, her legs trembling. She had grown up in the mountains, but had never faced such a fearsome sight.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xiaofan stepped between her and the beast.
"Senior Sister, don't be afraid."
His calm voice seemed to melt away some of her fear, though her eyes still darted to the creature's fangs.
"Xiaofan, you don't understand. Ling Zun has lived in Qingyun for a thousand years....its power is unimaginable!"
He shook his head.
"You are like family to me. And a man must protect his family."
The qilin's massive eyes locked on him.....then on the Fire Stick at his waist.
Its pupils narrowed. A low, rumbling growl filled the air. Murderous intent rolled off its body in waves, shaking the very stones beneath their feet.
Zhang Xiaofan's expression hardened.
"Ling Zun…" he said coldly. The Fire Stick began to glow faintly red in his hand.
He knew he could not truly defeat this ancient beast...not without revealing his hidden cultivation.....but he could fight long enough to escape.
And if all else failed, Taoist Master Daoxuan's Taiqing realm would surely overwhelm the qilin.
Still… the air between man and beast now crackled with danger.
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