"You—!"
Bai Ruxue snapped back to her senses, ready to scold Su Jue, only to find that he had already collapsed into her arms, lifeless.
"This unfilial disciple!"
She had been kissed — forcibly, no less.
Her teeth clenched in fury. Across the vast lands, everyone knew Bai Ruxue loathed male cultivators, never showing the slightest interest in them. Her heart belonged only to the sword.
Ever since she became known as the Sword Immortal Empress, her prestige soared higher still. No man dared approach her within three feet.
Forget being kissed — not even the brush of a sleeve had ever happened. She was, without exaggeration, a woman who had never known romance, a proud figure born for the sword.
And now?
This boy had stolen her first kiss.
"Could it be… what he said was true? That he liked me?"
Her voice faltered into silence. "Love comes without warning, and cuts deep… those were his words. Rather poetic."
Her expression grew complicated. Ten years together — Su Jue had never been the type to lie to her. If he said he liked her, chances were… he truly did. A strange warmth stirred within her chest, unfamiliar and unwelcome. She almost felt shy.
"Hmph. To think you'd dare kiss me and then die so easily. How could it end like that?"
Her jade-white hand flipped over. A crystalline green sapling appeared in her palm, shining with life.
At once, the withered trees around them revived, sprouting fresh shoots and blossoms. The parched ground at her feet grew tender grasses and flowers. Though it was autumn, spring surged across the land.
The Tree of Life.
An immortal-grade treasure. So long as one had not been dead for longer than a quarter of an hour, no wound was beyond its power to heal. Such a treasure would drive every sect and clan in Central Province mad with greed.
With a wave of her hand, the sapling dissolved into light and shot into Su Jue's brow. The gaping wound in his chest sealed rapidly. Within seconds, flesh and bone were whole. Only the torn robes and bloodstains remained to prove he had ever been pierced through at all.
…
It was unknown how much time passed before Su Jue stirred awake. A vast tide of life surged through his body. Compared to the brink of death, it was like heaven and earth had reversed.
"Ha! Finally! My script begins now!"
He leapt to his feet, spirit blazing, joy overflowing in his heart. Ten years of playing the villain, all for this moment.
Today, at last, he had crossed the threshold. Though he still felt reluctant to leave his Master, a man must look forward. The past could not be changed. Now he would walk the path of a Child of Destiny, forging his destiny with his own hands.
"'Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"
A cool, amused voice cut into his excitement.
"Hm? Where did that come from?"
The sound was familiar. He turned — and saw her. Bai Ruxue, alive, her gaze sharp, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"I must be seeing things," Su Jue muttered. "I must be missing Master that I'm hallucinating."
But hallucinations didn't speak so clearly.
"How much do you miss me?" she asked.
Su Jue froze.
"…What the—? You're alive?!"
His jaw dropped. Not a hallucination. Real. His Master stood there, arms crossed, eyes flashing.
"You've got a lot of nerve, Su Jue. To dare kiss me."
"I… didn't die?"
He lowered his gaze to his chest. The wound was gone. Only the torn cloth and dried blood remained.
"Explain yourself," Bai Ruxue said coldly. "Why did you kiss me? Didn't you also claim you liked me? If you can't give me a reason, then you really will die."
[Ding——Choice triggered.]
[1. Admit your feelings. Pursue your Master. Reward: unknown.]
[2. Make an excuse, remain a disciple. Reward: Heaven-tier sword art, Canglan Sword.]
[3. Leave your Master, wander as a rogue cultivator. Reward: Sword King's Legacy.]
(Note: The choices are optional. There is no compulsion.)
The System.
Su Jue's mind raced. He scanned the options once and already had his answer.
He straightened and spoke with calm resolve. "This disciple has nothing to hide. I do like Master."
The kiss, the confession — what he thought would be his final madness had instead saved his life. He wasn't sure rebirth would come again. Since he'd survived, he would live fully. Even if the System had changed, so be it. Better a bitter life than a wasted death.
"Impudent!" Bai Ruxue's eyes widened, her voice sharp. "Do you realize what you're saying? To harbor such feelings for me is unforgivable!"
Su Jue lifted his gaze, meeting hers steadily. "So what if I do?"
She faltered. His eyes — clear and bright, just as they'd been when they first met.
"I act openly," Su Jue said softly. "When I like someone, I don't hide it."
"Others only see your power and your position. They fear you. They respect you. But me? I remember only the warmth in your gaze. The kindness in your teachings. All the good you've shown me."
"I may be weak now, but I'll train hard. One day I'll stand by your side, protect you, and be your support."
His tone was calm, his bearing elegant. Though his earlier kiss had been born of desperation, Su Jue could not deny the truth — Bai Ruxue was an extraordinary woman.
No Dao companion, unmatched strength, Sect Master of the Sword Sect, worshiped as the Sword Immortal Empress. Who wouldn't be moved? Since fate had given him this chance, he would seize it.
Bai Ruxue stared at him, stunned. "Do you even understand what you're saying? Protect me? Be my support?"
"Yes." Su Jue smiled faintly, handsome as jade. "I know you stand at the peak of Central Province. But I want to stand beside you. To share your burdens. To carry them with you."
Her eyes grew cold again. "Then tell me, how should I punish you? You broke the sect's rules. You dared harbor thoughts toward me. Both morality and propriety condemn you."
"This disciple has spoken his heart. I'll accept whatever punishment Master decides."
"Good. Then you can die!"
Her sword rang free of its sheath, flashing white. A dazzling sword light split the air.
Su Jue did not move. He did not flinch. He knew that if she truly meant to kill him, there was nothing he could do. He wouldn't even know how he died.
The sword light screamed past, close enough to slice a strand of his hair. It drifted down as his throat tightened.
He had brushed shoulders with death itself.