Gu Minglang left the valley in search of a thousand-year-old bodhi wood to repair the Chiyang Sword. The sword remained behind in the valley with Liu Baijian, requiring daily ritual refinement to delay the encroachment of its Demonic Energy.

Sword spirits were generally ill-tempered—not out of malice, but due to the inherent nature of blades. Most possessed cold, aloof personalities that made them hard to approach. Many sword spirits also exhibited personality mutations, often influenced by their masters, as the saying goes: Like master, like sword.

The Chiyang Sword Spirit’s character mirrored Gu Minglang’s own: rigidly formal, upright, and stern. Yet compared to Gu Minglang, the sword spirit was even colder and sharper. Such personalities were Liu Baijian’s greatest challenge, as they rarely fell for his antics—both the man and the sword spirit were utterly uninteresting.

But Liu Baijian himself was the kind of guy who was unbearably cheeky. The more rigid and unyielding you were, the more he enjoyed teasing you—a real pain in the neck. As Liu Yanzhen would say, he inherited his father’s traits, but only the bad ones.

So these past days, he hadn’t stopped teasing the Chiyang Sword Spirit. Each time, he’d dance on the edge of provoking the spirit to the brink of fury, often making the Chiyang Sword Spirit think, “How is he still alive? Why haven’t I killed him yet?”

Later, the Chiyang Sword Spirit concluded that the only reason he hadn’t killed Liu Baijian was that Liu Baijian was the only one in the world capable of repairing his physical form.

You’re just banking on that!

The Chiyang Sword Spirit’s icy gaze fixed on Liu Baijian, who grinned at him with reckless confidence. His eyes alone conveyed a murderous intent.

Liu Baijian, catching the meaning behind that stare, only widened his smile into something even more brazen and arrogant. Good to know!

Every day, the Chiyang Sword Spirit silently prayed for Gu Minglang’s swift return. He feared that if Gu didn’t come back soon, he might lose control and choose mutual destruction with Liu Baijian.

Why must this kid be so frustrating!

Today, the Chiyang Sword Spirit gnashed his teeth inwardly once more, seething with resentment.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The fifth day since Gu Minglang’s departure.

Early in the morning, Liu Baijian rose and fetched a bowl of pure water from the back mountain. He pricked his finger with a needle, squeezed out a drop of blood, and let it fall into the water.

He used this bowl of water, now mixed with his blood, to wash the blade of the Chiyang Sword Spirit. Wherever the pure water touched, the dark, malevolent energy dimmed and weakened.

This was the ritual Liu Baijian had described to Gu Minglang for refining the Chiyang Sword Spirit.

The Chiyang Sword Spirit, clad in its scarlet robe, stood silently beside him, watching Liu Baijian’s actions without a word. His gaze fixed on Liu Baijian’s cheek, he finally asked after a long while, “Why?”

“Hm?”

Liu Baijian’s hands continued washing the Chiyang Sword Spirit without pause, responding instinctively without lifting his head.

Hearing his voice, the Chiyang Sword Spirit pressed his lips together before saying in a deep tone, “Why do this? Why go to such lengths?”

“Is it worth it for me?” the Chiyang Sword Spirit asked, his gaze fixed on him.

Hearing his three consecutive questions, “Hold on a moment. “ Liu Baijian said without looking up. ”Wait until I finish this task, then I’ll talk to you.“

”…”

Hearing this, the Chiyang Sword Spirit’s expression grew even colder. His thin lips pressed together as he stared intently at the youth cleaning the blade. A burning sensation seemed to ignite within his chest, raging fiercely and causing him profound discomfort.

It was as if something heavy pressed upon his heart, causing him profound sorrow.

Because of Liu Baijian’s words, the Chiyang Sword Spirit stood motionless and silent, his gaze fixed intently on Liu Baijian without blinking, as if observing some utterly incomprehensible creature.

“Done!”

Liu Baijian called out, “Today’s maintenance is complete!”

“How does it feel?” he suddenly turned and asked the Chiyang Sword Spirit before him.

“…What? What are you asking?” Meeting the youth’s gaze—bright and sparkling like a luminous star or precious jewel, filled with expectation—the Chiyang Sword Spirit stuttered, its voice faltering as it asked.

“When I was… maintaining you—no, refining the blade—did you feel anything?” Liu Baijian’s gaze held pure academic curiosity, devoid of any other meaning.

“…” The Chiyang Sword Spirit.

Then, under Liu Baijian’s gaze, the cold, angular face of the sword spirit—handsome and sharp—slowly flushed red. He turned his head away to avoid the other’s eyes, his tone icy as he replied, “Nothing. Not a single sensation.”

“Oh!”

Liu Baijian’s voice immediately betrayed disappointment. He said regretfully, “Though I’m an Artifact Dao practitioner, I rarely get to see an Artifact Spirit. I’m just curious about the connection between a sword spirit and its blade.”

“…” The Chiyang Sword Spirit.

After a long pause.

The Chiyang Sword Spirit finally lifted its head to meet his gaze, its tone calm. “You’re an Artifact Dao Master. If you’re so curious, why not forge a sword yourself?”

“I can’t,” Liu Baijian waved dismissively. “Repairing sword bodies like this is manageable for me, but forging spirit swords? That’s beyond my skill.”

Hearing this, the Chiyang Sword Spirit’s brows furrowed. He looked at the youth before him with puzzlement, inwardly wondering: How could an Artifact Dao not know how to forge spirit artifacts? Was an Artifact Dao Master who couldn’t forge spirit artifacts still an Artifact Dao Master?

“Besides, I’m destined to become the world’s foremost Dao Cultivator. Why would I bother forging spirit artifacts? That’s not my true calling!” Liu Baijian declared with righteous indignation.

“…” The Chiyang Sword Spirit.

Hearing this, the Chiyang Sword Spirit’s eyes widened in astonishment. He stared at the youth before him, utterly incredulous. “What!? A Dao Cultivator!”

This was the first time Liu Baijian had ever seen such an emotionally exposed expression from him. He blinked in surprise, thinking… The usually cold, upright, and unfeeling Chiyang Sword Spirit displaying such a startled, emotional expression was… kind of… cute.

Cute contrast!

“Yes.” Liu Baijian said matter-of-factly, “I’m a man determined to become a Dao Cultivator. If you hadn’t suddenly barged into the valley, I’d be at the foot of the Wendao Sect’s mountain right now, preparing for their disciple recruitment ceremony.”

“…”

Hearing the youth before him speak with such righteous indignation, as if they had disrupted his life’s most important mission, the Chiyang Sword Spirit’s expression became indescribably complex. The gaze he cast upon Liu Baijian grew even more baffling. “You… aren’t you an Artifact Dao Master?”

“Who says an Artifact Dao Master can’t be a Dao Cultivator?” Liu Baijian countered.

“…” The Chiyang Sword Spirit.

No one said that, but… but no one does it this way!

After a long pause, the Chiyang Sword Spirit frowned and, speaking as an elder, cautioned the youth before him, “Dao cultivation demands focus. Dedicate yourself wholly to the Dao. Only by concentrating on one thing can one achieve mastery. Greed leads to nothing in the end.”

“Who said I’m trying to do two things at once?” Liu Baijian met his gaze immediately, his tone earnest. “You’ve misunderstood me. What I mean is that I’m solely focused as a Dao Cultivator, dedicating myself entirely to the Dao. As for Artifact Dao, it’s merely a family craft passed down through generations that I can’t abandon. Once I find a suitable successor, I’ll pass on the lineage to them. That way, I can fulfil my duty to our ancestors.”

“But I myself have no interest whatsoever in the Artifact Dao,” Liu Baijian stated. “Don’t misunderstand me.”

“…” The Chiyang Sword Spirit.

Hearing Liu Baijian’s words, the Chiyang Sword Spirit’s brows furrowed deeply. His gaze fixed on the indifferent, unconcerned youth before him, his inner confusion deepening. What could be driving this young man to utter such words and make this decision?

Clearly, this youth possessed talent more suited to becoming an Artifact Dao Master than anyone else. He also held a heart more tender and sincere toward them, the non-human Artifact Spirits, than anyone else. Yet, he uttered such words.

This was a secret about the youth, one only an Artifact Spirit could perceive, a secret even Chiyang Sword Spirit had never been privy to.

“Oh, right! What do you want for lunch?“ Liu Baijian suddenly asked, interrupting his reverie.

Snapped out of his thoughts, the Chiyang Sword Spirit snapped back to reality. The moment he realised what Liu Baijian had asked, his anger flared. ”You know perfectly well I can’t eat human food, yet you ask me this every single time!” Frequently teased by Liu Baijian, the Chiyang Sword Spirit predictably flew into a rage today!

Watching the furious, bristling Chiyang Sword Spirit, Liu Baijian felt thoroughly satisfied. His quota for teasing the spirit today was complete!

He smirked at the enraged spirit and said, “I ask precisely because I know. I just love seeing that look on your face—clearly craving it but unable to eat it because you lack the means, so you get angry and embarrassed.”

“…”

“It makes the food in my mouth taste even more delicious, even more blissful!” Liu Baijian said with a particularly smug tone.

“…” The Chiyang Sword Spirit.

Are you a demon?!

The Chiyang Sword Spirit was instantly overcome with rage, forgetting what it had originally wanted to ask.

And just like that, Liu Baijian brushed him off.

Why?

Why would you willingly harm yourself, using your own essence blood to purify the Demonic Energy within my soul, for a stranger like me, someone who isn’t even your fellow human?

The Chiyang Sword Spirit couldn’t comprehend it.

And it puzzled him.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Night.

Outside, pitch darkness reigned, save for the twinkling stars overhead, casting scattered points of light across the inky world.

Seated indoors, Liu Baijian illuminated the night with a night pearl, carefully reading a letter in his hand.

This letter came from his little companion, his pen pal, his letter friend.

The story of this friend’s origin was a long one. Liu Baijian had lived in seclusion in this valley since childhood with his grandfather, Liu Yanzhen. The vast valley housed only Liu Yanzhen and Liu Baijian—not even an extra dog was present.

Worried his grandson might grow up friendless and isolated without peers, Liu Yanzhen devised a clever solution: finding him a pen pal. The two had never met, relying solely on written correspondence.

To facilitate this, Liu Yanzhen even established a special, lightning-fast mail route. Letters sent in the morning would arrive by evening, no matter the distance.

To honour his grandfather’s thoughtful gesture, Liu Baijian took the pen pal relationship seriously, writing daily. At first, however, the other party rarely replied—or rather, the responses were infrequent. Often, Liu Baijian would send four or five letters before only to receive a single, leisurely reply days later. The content was always brief, and the tone was so cold it seemed uncharacteristic of a child his age.

Most people would have ended the friendship long ago, but Liu Baijian was clearly not most people. He didn’t mind the other’s cold attitude at all; in fact, he thought it was perfect. What did coldness mean? It meant this person had no friends! A tight-lipped person.

A person with a tight-lipped mouth and no friends? Isn’t that the perfect confidant!

He had absolutely no worries about outsiders finding out what he said.

So Liu Baijian steadfastly sent his confidant a letter every single day. He detailed everything that happened that day, what he did, his cultivation insights, and his complaints and rants about Liu Yanzhen… all the mundane daily stuff.

Liu Baijian was the type who could entertain himself perfectly well alone, so he found great joy in writing these letters by himself. He never expected replies—after all, he’d already learned from that brief initial response that the recipient was an unusually cold and mature child.

Then one day, Liu Baijian realised something. He noticed that the cold letter-friend’s response frequency had changed—from replying every four or five days at first, to every two or three days later, and now to daily replies. Even!

Even the letter-friend would proactively mention things about him.

This instantly sent chills down Liu Baijian’s spine. Holy crap! Could it be… Could I have unknowingly tamed (conquered) my pen pal?!

Without realising it, Liu Baijian had conquered an unknown pen pal. He gained a cold, mature, and incredibly cool pen pal—one whose name, age, and appearance remained a mystery. This pen pal seemed to come from a prominent family, explaining their extraordinary precociousness and sharp intellect, easily outshining peers their age. Moreover, he possessed remarkably reliable intelligence, seemingly connected to some special information channel. He frequently wrote letters to Liu Baijian, sharing major news and gossip about the cultivation world.

As a result, Liu Baijian passively learned many hidden secrets of the cultivation world. He always felt that one day, knowing too much might get him silenced.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

But enough of those bygone tales. This time, Liu Baijian took the liberty of asking his friend in a letter about the details of Gu Minglang’s battle with the White Bone Demon Lord’s demonic spear.

The very next day, he received his friend’s reply.

True to form, this friend—the one who once made Liu Baijian wonder if he controlled all the cultivation world’s intelligence and gossip— in his reply, he detailed the entire sequence of events surrounding Gu Minglang’s battle with the White Bone Demon Lord. In short, the White Bone Demon Lord, seeking to temper his demonic spear, had secretly slipped away to a remote city in the cultivation world. He planned to slaughter its inhabitants en masse, using their lives as offerings to forge his weapon. As fate would have it, that very day, Gu Minglang happened to be pursuing a Demonic Cultivator to this remote, forgotten city. He stumbled upon the White Bone Demon Lord’s massacre.

As a righteous sword cultivator, especially one radiating noble spirit, how could he stand idly by witnessing such Demonic Cultivator evil? Without hesitation, Gu Minglang entered the city, determined to act as heaven’s agent and slay the demonic fiend.

But Gu Minglang arrived too late. By then, the White Bone Demon Lord had already completed the forging of his demonic spear. Possessing late-stage Golden Core cultivation, the demon lord stood one minor realm above Gu Minglang. Only by leveraging the formidable combat prowess of sword cultivators to fight above his level could Gu Minglang barely hold his own against the White Bone Demon Lord.

Ultimately, wielding his demonic spear, the White Bone Demon Lord sought to exploit Gu Minglang’s ignorance of the spear’s true nature, aiming to wound his soul with it and deliver a crushing blow. Though Gu Minglang himself remained unaware of the spear’s secrets, his sword spirit keenly sensed its terrifying power and danger. Thus, the Chiyang Sword Spirit, protecting its master, sacrificed itself to block the strike for Gu Minglang.

Seizing the opportunity, the White Bone Demon Lord fled, leaving a threat: “My cultivation is unstable now, allowing you to gain the upper hand. But you wait! Once I restore my power, I will take your worthless life!”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Later, Gu Minglang travelled far and wide with the Chiyang Sword, seeking an Artifact Dao Master to repair his Bonded Sword. Yet all he found was helplessness. Eventually, he sought out Zhenjun Qingshui, who pointed him toward a clear path: to find Liu Baijian.

At the letter’s close, the friend emphasised: “The White Bone Demon Lord likely forged that demonic spear to obtain soul-slaying power. According to demonic realm intelligence, he’s sought methods to harm souls for years.”

“…Gu Minglang is with you. Separate from him immediately. The White Bone Demon Lord is now frantically searching for Gu Minglang’s whereabouts, claiming he seeks revenge. You were planning to travel to the Wendao Sect to become a disciple, weren’t you? Then don’t delay—depart at once.”

After reading the letter, Liu Baijian folded it neatly and sighed inwardly. His friend was still so full of concern. But was the White Bone Demon Lord actually serious? He’d thought that last threat was just idle talk, yet here he was—a man of his word, coming to seek revenge on Gu Minglang.

This is bad!

The White Bone Demon Lord was already one minor realm above Gu Minglang in cultivation, and he wielded the Demon Spear. Last time, Gu Minglang had caught him off guard, likely because the Demon Lord’s cultivation was unstable while refining the spear.

This time, the tables were turned. The White Bone Demon Lord had healed his wounds and restored his cultivation, while Gu Minglang’s Bonded Sword was damaged. He probably wouldn’t stand a chance. No, I must warn Gu Minglang to avoid the White Bone Demon Lord.

Liu Baijian calculated in his mind—today was the fifth day.

Gu Minglang would likely return on the seventh or eighth day.

Just as Liu Baijian had predicted, on the eighth day, a dust-covered Gu Minglang rushed back carrying the thousand-year-old bodhi wood.

“Faster than I anticipated!” Liu Baijian remarked, observing Gu Minglang’s pale, haggard yet handsome face. He knew the young man had likely journeyed nonstop these past days.

Gu Minglang solemnly handed the thousand-year-old bodhi wood to Liu Baijian. Looking up at him, he said, “I’m counting on you.”

Hearing this, Liu Baijian glanced at him before reaching out to take the wood. He smiled, “You can trust me to handle this.”

“But before that, shouldn’t you get some proper rest?” Liu Baijian remarked, his gaze fixed on Gu Minglang’s gaunt, pallid face. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the young man might collapse and die at any moment.

Gu Minglang refused, “No need. The urgent task now is to repair the Chiyang Sword Spirit. I’ll guard you.”

Seeing the resolute expression on his face, Liu Baijian frowned. He stared at Gu Minglang for a long moment, realising he wasn’t the type to change his mind or take advice. After a brief pause, he said, “Fine.”

“But first, let’s eat,” Liu Baijian added, flashing a shy, embarrassed smile at Gu Minglang. He rubbed his stomach and said, “I’m a bit hungry. You can’t work on an empty stomach. Let’s eat first.”

Hearing this, the Chiyang Sword Spirit—who had been silently watching Gu Minglang with concern—suddenly turned its gaze toward Liu Baijian. Based on its experience interacting with the boy these past days, it knew that whenever he wore that particular expression… he was up to no good.

This was a hard-learned lesson through blood and tears for the Chiyang Sword Spirit!

But this time, the Chiyang Sword Spirit, contrary to its usual self, remained silent. It could roughly guess what Liu Baijian intended to do. Glancing at Gu Minglang’s pale, bloodless face, the Sword Spirit sided with Liu Baijian this time. Thus, it said nothing and kept quiet. He watched helplessly as his sword master was charmed by that kid’s smooth talk, sitting down at the table. Then he watched as his master reached out to accept the soup bowl offered by the kid, sipping the contents without a hint of suspicion, even praising it with a “Delicious.”

Hearing this, Liu Baijian grinned and said to him, “If it’s good, drink more.”

Deeply moved, Gu Minglang couldn’t help but say, “Thank you.”

The moment he uttered those words of gratitude, Gu Minglang felt his vision suddenly darken. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his body lurched forward, and he instantly collapsed unconscious.

“…”

Watching this tragic scene unfold, the Chiyang Sword Spirit felt a pang of conscience. That brat was truly despicable, treacherous, and cunning!

He swore he saw a triumphant smirk flash across the boy’s lips when the Sword Master, tricked into drinking the drugged soup, collapsed unconscious.

“Enough, enough! Instead of wasting time cursing me in your heart, why not carry your Sword Master to the bed and let him get some proper rest?” Liu Baijian rolled his eyes at the Chiyang Sword Spirit. He couldn’t be bothered to guess what the spirit was thinking—it was far too obvious. This spirit truly knew nothing of concealing its emotions. Its thoughts were transparent, which was precisely why it was so easily deceived, constantly being led astray by Liu Baijian until it lost all sense of direction. It wasn’t because Liu Baijian was cunning, despicable, or treacherous—it was simply because the sword spirit was utterly foolish! Liu Baijian silently justified himself in his mind.

Upon hearing this, the Chiyang Sword Spirit lifted its head, its gaze fixed silently on Liu Baijian. Then it walked over, reached out to lift Gu Minglang, who had collapsed at the dining table, and turned to head toward the inner room.

“After you’ve settled him in, come back immediately. I’ll mend and treat you,” Liu Baijian called after his retreating figure.

The Chiyang Sword Spirit, supporting Gu Minglang as they moved forward, paused upon hearing this. He responded with a single word: “Mm.”

Hearing his reply, Liu Baijian stood up and turned toward the forge, not forgetting to instruct the Chiyang Sword Spirit, “Just come straight to the forge to find me later. You know the way since you’ve been here before.”

The Chiyang Sword Spirit listened to his words without answering.

But Liu Baijian knew he had heard.

Moments later.

The Forging Room.

The Chiyang Sword Spirit returned. Upon entering the forging room, he saw Liu Baijian, unusually not clad in his wide-sleeved robe, but instead wearing a sharp-cut top and pants that exposed his arms and lower legs.

This rare sight drew the Chiyang Sword Spirit’s attention, prompting him to glance twice. He noticed that despite the youth’s slender frame, his arms bore beautifully defined muscles, hinting at immense power.

It struck him: Of course! This was only fitting. After all, he was a Master of the Artifact Dao.

Without immense strength, how could one wield the heavy hammers and tools of forging? The reason for Liu Baijian’s unusual attire soon became clear to the Chiyang Sword Spirit.

“You’re here.”

Upon seeing the Chiyang Sword Spirit arrive, Liu Baijian greeted him before immediately summoning the Spiritual Fire within his body. The flames surged into the massive Forge, and with a thunderous roar, the entire Forge erupted into blazing heat.

Instantly, the forging chamber became unbearably hot.

As a sword spirit, the Chiyang Sword Spirit felt no temperature, yet he sensed the rising heat from the profuse sweat instantly beading on the youth’s forehead and face. The boy’s cheeks flushed bright red, a sight that was particularly endearing.

“You.”

Liu Baijian turned his gaze toward him and said, “What are you still standing here for? Get in there! Return to the sword body!”