Two more days passed.
Xiyan's long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she slowly opened her eyes.
Before her were unfamiliar bed curtains in a simple, elegant light cyan color. The fabric was soft and carried a faint, reassuring fragrance of fresh leaves. She blinked somewhat dazedly, her vision gradually focusing as she took in her surroundings.
This was a simply furnished yet exquisitely elegant room. There was a table and a chair, a graceful green spiritual plant in a pot, an expressive landscape painting on the wall, and outside the window, the sparse shadows of bamboo swayed gently. Sunlight streamed through the windowpanes, casting warm patches of light on the floor.
Quiet and peaceful, it was completely different from the bloody, filthy, and perilous Demon Sect's main hall where she had lost consciousness.
"Huh?" She subconsciously moved her limbs and gently pressed against her chest.
There was no pain at all! Not only that, but the spiritual energy circulating throughout her body was smoother than ever, even more complete and vibrant than before she was injured. It was as if the bottleneck that had plagued her for so long in the Guiyuan realm had begun to loosen.
Her skin was flawless, with not a single scar to be found.
It was as if the piercing pain of being struck through the chest and the icy despair of her heart meridian being severed had all just been a vivid and terrifying nightmare.
"I'm not dead?" she murmured to herself, her voice still hoarse from sleep, filled with an unbelievable mix of surprise and confusion.
Just then, with a soft "creak," the door was pushed open.
A figure entered with light steps.
It was an extremely beautiful woman, appearing to be of a similar age. She wore a light yellow dress, her eyes were bright and lively, her glances were full of charm, and the corners of her lips naturally curved upward, carrying a lively and warm smile.
Her beauty was different from her own master's kind of detached and cold, stunning beauty. It was more like a stream leaping in the mountains, or a playful spirit deer in the forest, full of life and vitality—dazzling yet not harsh to the eyes.
When the yellow-clad woman saw Xiyan sitting up, her eyes lit up and her smile grew even brighter: "Oh! You're awake!"
Xiyan stared blankly at her and subconsciously asked, "Who are you?"
"My name is Chen Xingcai," the woman said cheerfully as she walked lightly to the bedside and sat down with familiarity. Her bright eyes curiously sized up Xiyan. "Jiang Che shixiong has a mission for the Heavenly Alliance and will be away for a few days. He specifically asked me to look after you for those days. How are you feeling? Is there anywhere that still feels uncomfortable?"
So that was the name of the man who had kicked down the door and later saved her (though she felt she could have saved herself without him). His name was Jiang Che.
And this bright and lively young woman before her was his junior sister, Chen Xingcai.
"So it's that person's junior sister," Xiyan nodded, subconsciously about to say "I'm fine, thank you for your care, I'll be on my way now." She hadn't forgotten that she had come here with an undercover mission. Although her master's plan was rather outrageous, she couldn't really just stay at someone else's place.
However, before the words could leave her mouth, her keen senses suddenly caught a word in Chen Xingcai's words.
The Celestial Alliance?
You're from the Celestial Alliance!?
Her eyes widened as she belatedly remembered that in that demonic sect's hall, when Jiang Che kicked open the door, the first majestic thing he had shouted was—
"The Celestial Alliance is handling this. Where is your Xuanming Sect's leader?"
Yes! That's it! At the time, she was too nervous and scared, and then his infuriating words threw her off track, so she didn't pay any attention to it at all!
At this moment, this phrase struck her like lightning, instantly piercing through the fog in her mind.
The Celestial Alliance! Wasn't the Celestial Alliance the target her master had told her to infiltrate?!
Her eyes lit up instantly, and her heart beat slightly faster with excitement.
Truly worthy to be my Master! To have planned everything so perfectly! All that talk about obscuring heavenly fate and being guided by destiny... it was all true! This wasn't throwing her into a den of demons, but a precise airdrop! It allowed her to naturally and without suspicion directly contact the core members of the Celestial Alliance as a "savior" (though the process was a bit complicated)! And she was "invited" back by them!
Without any effort! Truly without any effort to get in here! Long live the Master!
So then... what should I do next?
Xiyan's excited expression suddenly froze, revealing a hint of genuine distress.
Master only said to get in here, and then... "just live according to your own heart's desire"?
What kind of mission instruction is this?! Shouldn't an undercover agent be stealing secrets, sowing discord, and coordinating from within? Living according to my own desires? Does that mean I'm supposed to just eat, sleep, and laze around in the Celestial Alliance? Go shopping, drink tea, and read storybooks?
How was she supposed to live according to her own desires now? She was completely bewildered.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Chen Xingcai watched as the young girl's expression rapidly changed—from confusion, to realization, then excitement and agitation, and finally to a worried frown. The spark of gossip in her heart was now a raging wildfire.
All these years, while several of her father's direct disciples were still single, at least they didn't seem opposed to the idea of romance—it was just that they hadn't met the right person or were solely focused on their cultivation. Only the third senior brother, Jiang Che, treated love like a plague, giving off an aura that screamed "Keep away, romance hinders the Dao."
Now, the sun must have risen from the west! He had actually brought home a seriously injured, breathtakingly beautiful girl, and was nervously asking his youngest junior sister to take good care of her! This was absolutely unprecedented!
How could she not be curious? She was burning with curiosity!
So, Chen Xingcai couldn't hold back anymore. She leaned in a little, her voice filled with suppressed excitement and inquiry: "Um... Miss Xiyan, right? Senior brother only briefly mentioned that you were injured. What exactly happened? How did you get so badly hurt? And how did you end up with senior brother? Tell me all about it!"
She blinked her big eyes, an expectant expression that clearly said "I really want to know, please tell me!"
Xiyan had been wondering what to do next, and when the other person asked, she didn't see any reason to hide anything (except about her master and her undercover mission). She briefly recounted what had happened in the Xuanming Sect: how she had fallen, what the demonic cultivators had planned, how Jiang Che kicked down the door to save her, how he was later ambushed, and how she had impulsively rushed forward to take the hit...
As Chen Xingcai listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
If Jiang Che had just been acting on justice by drawing his sword to help someone, she would have thought his sense of justice was off the charts, but she wouldn't have been too surprised. After all, that was just his daily routine.
But! This girl! Actually risked her life to take that fatal blow for him?!
That was completely different!
She knew her third senior brother too well! No matter how decisive and ruthless he seemed when handling official duties or dealing with demonic cultivators, making him appear intimidating, he was actually the most upright and honest person, even a bit stubborn, with an extreme sense of justice and vengeance!
What kind of chemical reaction would this heavy, life-saving "debt of gratitude" create in his already frozen heart, which had long refused to let anyone get close?
Chen Xingcai could almost foresee that Jiang Che's heart must be in utter turmoil right now—confused, overwhelmed with guilt, and filled with a touch he absolutely refused to acknowledge.
"How interesting... this is just too interesting..." Chen Xingcai muttered softly, her gaze on Xiyan as if she were looking at a priceless treasure, a magical artifact capable of prying open a thousand-year-old iron tree.
She took Xiyan's hand, her smile growing even warmer and more intimate, with a touch of "one of us" camaraderie: "Sister Xiyan! You've just woken up, and your body surely hasn't fully recovered. Don't be in such a hurry to leave! Just stay here and rest well! If you need anything, just let me know! Treat this place as your own home!"
She decided she must help her senior brother...
Yes, "take good care of" this Miss Xiyan! A chance this good couldn't be allowed to slip away!
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