A Master Who Has My Back

"Xiao Jin…" Ye Danxia's lips trembled. "Why… why would you say such a thing? I… I…"

She choked on her words, then simply covered her face and began to sob.

There was no need to say more. The moment she wept, Zhao Wujie's expression turned cold, and Ruan Jun's face twisted with barely contained distress.

"Yun Jin!" Ruan Jun stepped forward and shielded Ye Danxia with a flash of anger. "Apologize! I want you to apologize right now!"

Yun Jin's lips curled into a faint smile. "Oh? And what exactly should I apologize for? For stating the obvious? For speaking truths that some people can't handle, so they hide behind their tears and try to cloak their betrayal and ingratitude? Very well. Consider what I said earlier my apology, then."

Ye Danxia's heart lurched. She wiped her tears away, eyes rimmed red as she said, "Xiao Jin! We've been close friends for so many years… how could you think of me like this?"

"Friends? No, I believe it was you who said it yourself. That in the Yun clan, you were nothing more than a servant. That the clan treated you poorly. And me? I was the legitimate daughter of the Yun clan. So tell me, why would someone like you be qualified to be my friend?" Yun Jin replied with a cold laugh.

Her words struck like a slap.

If the Yun clan had truly treated Ye Danxia poorly, how could they have been friends for so many years? But if the Yun clan had saved her and treated her well, then her earlier words… were slander. The crowd's gazes toward Ye Danxia began to shift. Suspicion and discomfort flickered in their eyes.

Ye Danxia opened her mouth, struggling to form a rebuttal, but her face was already flushed purple with embarrassment.

Ruan Jun, seeing her like this, only felt more protective. He barked, "Yun Jin! Junior Sister was just speaking in the heat of the moment. Why must you cling to it so tightly? And she even said she was willing to take you in! Isn't that enough to repay the Yun clan's kindness? Or are you so petty that you demand even more in return?"

Yun Jin gave him a blank look, her voice calm. "So you're telling me I should be grateful for her taking me in? I'm supposed to give up my dignity, abandon myself, and become her lapdog? All because of a few words of false kindness? Oh wait, maybe you just like being a dog. You do look quite good at licking boots."

Ruan Jun didn't know what a "bootlicker" was, exactly. But it clearly wasn't something good.

His face turned bright red. "You're talking nonsense!"

Zhao Wujie narrowed his eyes. "Lin Ya. Your disciple is this insolent, and you say nothing?"

Lin Ya took a leisurely sip of wine. "I don't think she said anything wrong."

He stood up. "Speaking of which, my disciple has already mastered the Mystic Codex and earned her place in the sect. Meanwhile, Ye Danxia hasn't even passed the entry trial, and she's already demanding my disciple serve her as a maid? Does she… deserve it?"

His tone was laced with contempt. Ye Danxia's face paled visibly.

"Junior Sister is a Heavenly Spirit Root! Joining the sect is a given!" Ruan Jun argued.

"Oh? Then why bother with the second round of testing? If I were her, I'd focus on mastering the Mystic Codex first. If a Heavenly Spirit Root can't even make it into the top ten, she might as well bash her head against the hall's pillars and die."

Lin Ya then smirked at Ruan Jun. "By the way, didn't you say earlier that if my disciple could cultivate the Mystic Codex, you'd bash your head in? Why don't the two of you make an appointment and die together?"

Yun Jin glanced at her new master, a faint smile playing on her lips.

It seemed she had chosen the right teacher.

Ye Danxia glanced back at the square. While she had been arguing with Yun Jin, the other disciples had shut out the noise and focused on cultivating their Qi.

A flicker of panic crossed her face.

She was a Heavenly Spirit Root—destined for greatness! She couldn't afford to fall behind.

Seeing Ruan Jun still fuming on her behalf, she quickly tugged his sleeve. "Senior Brother, thank you for defending me. But Peak Master Lin is right. I haven't officially joined the sect yet, so it's no wonder Xiao Jin doesn't trust me."

She turned to Yun Jin and said gently, "Xiao Jin, don't worry. I'll work hard and form my qi stream soon! I'll show you that I truly do have your best interest at heart."

With that, she hurried back to the testing grounds, clearly afraid of being humiliated again, and sat cross-legged to begin cultivation.

As Ye Danxia retreated, Yun Jin cast her a bland glance.

There was no way someone like Ye Danxia would give up so easily. Even if it was only for the ancestral ring she had her eyes on, she would keep coming back.

But Yun Jin didn't mind.

If Ye Danxia didn't come to her, she would go find her anyway.

After all, without a female lead, her entourage, and the future male lead's drama, where was she supposed to get emotional value from?

[+1500 Emotional Value.]

A satisfying start.

"Sect Master, I've already accepted my disciple. I won't be watching the rest of the test. I'll take Xiao Jin back to Tianjian Peak now." Lin Ya said.

Zhao Wujie's face was stone-cold. "Suit yourself."

Lin Ya acted as if he hadn't seen the man's sour expression. He turned to Yun Jin and said, "Come. Let's go meet your disappointing senior brothers and sister."

"Yes, Master." Yun Jin responded crisply.

And just like that, the master and disciple left the square, completely at ease.

Zhao Wujie watched their backs retreating into the distance, a dark look flickering across his face.

After a long pause, he sneered.

"A mere Five-Spirit Root, even with some talent—what waves could she possibly make?"

For now, sect rules and the fact that Lin Ya's injuries were sustained for the Tianxing Sect's sake prevented him from acting directly.

But…

Once the three-month grace period was up, and Lin Ya lost his position as Peak Lord…

Heh. Whether it was Lin Ya or his new disciple, wouldn't they both be clay in his hands, ready to be kneaded however he pleased? To him, they were no more than grasshoppers in late autumn. A few more hops, and they'd be done.

With that, he withdrew his gaze, no longer concerned.

—

Upon a flying sword high above the mountains,

Lin Ya and Yun Jin drifted leisurely through the sky. He explained casually, "Today's a recruitment day for the Tianxing Sect, so a few disciples were sent to help out. The rest should be cultivating. It's past noon now, around the time of Shen hour [3–5 PM]. Your senior brothers and sister are usually quite diligent. They're likely training at the sparring field. I'll take you to meet them."

He added as they flew, "You have two senior brothers and one senior sister. Eldest, Yue Zhao, is honest and dependable. He's the big brother type. Second is your senior sister, Si Wanning. She's a bit hot-tempered but very protective of her own. Third is Yu Songnian. He's introverted, doesn't like talking to strangers, but if you spend time with him, you'll warm up to each other."

Yun Jin quietly committed their names and traits to memory.

Soon, the two landed at Tianjian Peak.

Currently, the peak only had five members in total: Lin Ya, his three disciples, and now Yun Jin.

"No need to check the other places. They're definitely at the sparring field," Lin Ya said confidently. "They train diligently."

He led her toward the field with a steady pace.

But when they arrived…

There wasn't a single soul to be seen.

Not even an ant.

Lin Ya: "???"

His face stiffened. After a beat, he muttered, "They… might be practicing swordplay behind the mountain."

Yun Jin blinked.

Seriously?