Jian Dan had already been back in the sect for ten days.
Half of that time had been spent in the Law Enforcement Hall, and the other half taken up by her steward, Lü Se, who kept her busy with reports and sect matters. She hadn't even found the time to visit Yue Liang.
Fortunately, Lü Se was quick-witted. As soon as Jian Dan returned, he immediately reported the latest updates on the spirit pets and friends she cared about during her hundred-year absence.
Yue Liang had been in deep slumber, undergoing advancement due to Jian Dan's sudden leap in cultivation. The ancestor of the raccoon beast clan was personally standing guard over her. That gave Jian Dan some peace of mind. Once she finished dealing with her current affairs, she planned to visit Yue Liang on Medicine Peak.
Of her old companions, He Jintang had not returned since leaving the sect after reaching the Golden Core stage. Some said he had perished, others claimed he had vanished into a secret realm. Only Jian Dan knew he worked for the Law Enforcement Hall, likely off on a mission in some remote corner of the world.
Cao Chenfeng had reached the mid-stage of Nascent Soul. He had previously suppressed his cultivation at the Golden Core stage, so upon advancing, he experienced a powerful surge. Now, he was out seeking a breakthrough to Divine Transformation.
Kong Yu had also advanced to late-stage Golden Core. According to a rumor Lü Se picked up, his family had called him back for a matchmaking meeting.
When Jian Dan heard that, she chuckled knowingly. Kong Yu had a silver tongue when it came to charming female cultivators. He was probably about to enter into a promising marriage.
Tao Chengfeng had participated in the recently concluded sect-wide competition. He performed well, placing in the top ten among Nascent Soul cultivators. Afterward, with his cultivation barrier loosened, he entered closed-door cultivation.
Jin Liuli, Wei Zhengrong, and Zhang Xuefeng had all passed the Law Enforcement Hall's recruitment trial. They had each reached the Golden Core stage and now served in different halls, showcasing unique strengths in their respective duties.
As for other high-level cultivators, Lü Se had yet to develop the capability to investigate. Jian Dan didn't press him on it and was satisfied with his overall performance. She rewarded him with a storage pouch.
Lü Se was finally able to hold his head high. Who would have thought that in just a hundred years, Shan Yunzu Zhēnjūn would leap from Nascent Soul to Void Refinement?
Those who heard the news all sighed in awe. Jian Dan was clearly blessed by the Heavenly Dao, her fortune overflowing, which explained her rapid progress.
Once mocked for following a missing Zhēnjūn, Lü Se now had everyone scrambling to curry favor with him.
The Lü Clan even came forward to meet with Jian Dan, claiming Lü Se's early Nascent Soul cultivation made him unfit for the steward role, and that it might damage her prestige as a Zhūnzhǔ.
Jian Dan only offered a light response.
"As long as his cultivation improves, that's enough. Lü Se has done well. I'm satisfied and have no intention of replacing him."
That shut the clan elders right up. Lü Se, now even more motivated, put his heart into his work.
Jian Dan, too lazy to manage the affairs of her own residence, handed him a storage ring and told him to handle it.
Lü Se didn't disappoint. He set up Jian Dan's new cave dwelling atop Tianyue Peak just to her tastes. Everything was arranged with care, which made her even more pleased.
The first thing Jian Dan did upon returning was visit Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ at the Law Enforcement Hall.
Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ, rarely one to smile, actually looked quite pleased by Jian Dan's return.
Those familiar with the inner workings of the Hall knew how hard she had fought to reach this point. Everything she had now, she had earned with her life on the line.
Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ had even gone to his own master, Tian Hong Zhēnzūn, to request a title for her.
Her new dao name: Jian Lu.
Jian Dan protested. "Zhūnzhǔ, I'm still a fairy, you know. Isn't this dao name a little too... murderous? I was hoping for something softer, like Ting, Zhi, or Mei."
"Nonsense! This title was personally bestowed by Zhēnzūn. Besides, I think it suits your aura perfectly."
Jian Dan could only pinch her nose and accept it.
"You'll stay in the sect for a while now. When you're free, help me with some of the Law Enforcement Hall's affairs."
As Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ spoke, he handed her a jade slip.
"This covers the major events that happened during the ten years you disappeared at the entrance to the Ming Valley. Take your time going through it. If you don't understand something, ask me or Jian Wu."
"Alright, understood."
"One more thing. The killing aura around you is much lighter than before. Don't lower your guard just yet. I'll assign you a relatively peaceful sect mission. Take this time to rest and center yourself."
"Understood."
"By the way, how's your new cave residence coming along?"
"I had Lü Se handle it. Once it's ready, I'll invite everyone over for a drink. Zhūnzhǔ, about the sword pendant I handed you the day I returned, have you figured out whose it was?"
"Yes, and your guess was right. It belongs to a Void Refinement Zhūnzhǔ. Someone you know—Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ."
When Jian Dan returned to the cultivation world and saw that the insect race hadn't invaded, she relaxed slightly, but still handed over the sword pendant to Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ just to be safe.
She hadn't expected this answer.
"Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ ran into trouble?"
If that were the case, Jian Li wouldn't still be sitting here so calmly, let alone chatting with her like this.
"No, not yet. But after they passed through the Ming Valley and left the Lingyun Continent, we lost contact."
"And this sword pendant?"
"It was Jian Jun's message sent back to the sect. They're in a rather unusual location and have already clashed with the insect race."
Jian Dan frowned and thought for a moment before replying, "The spatial tunnel in the Dilin Kingdom has already been closed off by the Buddhist cultivators. I helped eliminate some insects that came through it.
Since that place was highly unfavorable for Dao cultivators, I forced my way back through Storm Sea. Before leaving, I warned the Buddha Son."
Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ nodded. "No need to worry. Jian Jun and the others can handle things for now. The spatial tunnel they found is connected to the Lingyun Continent, which is why they chose to send the message this way."
"So my whole trip to Dilin Kingdom was just to deliver Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ's message," Jian Dan quipped.
"You could say it was destiny. They actually sent out more than one message, but only yours made it back."
"It was my spirit beast who found it. I sent her out to train, and she came across the spatial tunnel. Thought there were treasures inside, so she scooped everything up—until a bug leg and that sword pendant dropped out."
As she spoke, Jian Dan retrieved a storage pouch and handed it to Jian Sheng, who had been waiting quietly at the side.
"I was worried a battle had already broken out here, or that the other side had been overrun by insects. The Buddhist cultivators in Dilin Kingdom aren't the strongest, so I stayed a while longer to make sure. I combed through every layer of their kingdom until I confirmed no new spatial tears had appeared. Only then did I settle everything and return."
Jian Li Zhūnzǔ nodded with approval.
"You were thorough. Even though it took ten years, at least you ensured the Dilin Kingdom wasn't breached. That means if a war breaks out on Lingyun Continent, we won't be fighting on two fronts. This was the best decision you could have made under those circumstances."
Jian Dan gave a helpless shake of her head.
"Zhūnzǔ, next time leave such important decisions to someone else. The pressure was unbearable."
"Well, now that you're back safely, take some time to rest."
He then turned to Jian Sheng and waved him over.
"Jian Sheng, give Jian Lu Zhūnzhǔ her new mission jade slip."
Jian Dan thought, "If I'd known I'd be handed a new mission right away, I would have stayed out playing a little longer."
But her expression stayed calm.
"It's nothing major," Jian Li Zhūnzǔ said. "The Heavenly Sword Sect has opened a 'Child Hall'—a training hall for children who haven't officially started cultivating. Some are recruited from the mortal world, others are disciples' descendants. Just guide them a bit."
Jian Dan examined the jade slip and quickly figured it out.
So they were asking her to be a preschool teacher.
===
About her Dao name (剑戮), Jiàn Lù)
Meaning the Character 戮 (Lù): Kill / Slaughter / Execute (often used in contexts like mass killing, execution, or war).
Such as:
杀戮 (shā lù) – massacre, slaughter
诛戮 (zhū lù) – execute, put to death
I think she got that dao name because she's the one who interacts with, deals with, or understands the insect race the most. She's also one of the people in this sect who most frequently confronts and exterminates those insects.
She is not a gentle cultivator—she fights decisively and has a fierce, unyielding nature.
Her recent battle in Ming Valley, for more than 20 years that make her have strong killing intent. Her previous actions also align with the meaning of 戮 (slaughter, kill mercilessly).
Jian Dan jokingly complains that she wanted a "feminine" Daoist name like "婷, Tíng" (graceful), "芝, Zhī" (fragrant herb), or "玫, Méi" (rose),