Chapter 607 - 494: Xiao Mo, I’m Amazing, Aren’t I?

Seeing Xu Chu’s earnest and resolute expression, Tushan Jing Ci finally understood. Her best friend’s beloved was truly a man worthy of her trust.

Tushan Jing Ci couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief for Bei’er. She felt much more at ease, and a reassured smile graced her features.

After all, if Bei’er had made such a great sacrifice for a man who was unworthy, she truly wouldn’t have known what to do.

"If you ever need my help with anything in the future, send word to me at once. As long as it’s within my power, I won’t refuse," Tushan Jing Ci said, looking at her best friend with a sincere and gentle tone.

"Of course. You know I won’t stand on ceremony with you."

Xu Bei’er stepped forward and gently took Tushan Jing Ci’s hand, clasping it in her own. She spoke softly.

"But Jing Ci, you need to make an effort too. Now that you have someone you fancy, you should be a bit more proactive."

The moment she finished speaking, Xu Bei’er burst out laughing and tapped her own forehead.

"Listen to me run my mouth—Jing Ci, you’re so beautiful, what man could possibly resist you? I just wonder what kind of person could actually catch our Jing Ci’s eye. When I get back, you have to tell me everything about him."

"Bei’er... Stop teasing..." Tushan Jing Ci murmured, her gaze lowered. Her long lashes fluttered as a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Hehe, alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing you." Xu Bei’er smiled and reached out to gently stroke Tushan Jing Ci’s long hair, her gaze softening. "Jing Ci, I’m leaving now. You have to take good care of yourself. Please be well."

"Mm," Tushan Jing Ci nodded. Her eyes were filled with reluctance, but she still managed a smile. "Be careful on your journey."

Xu Bei’er took a step back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Xu Chu.

Together, they gave Tushan Jing Ci a solemn bow.

After bidding Tushan Jing Ci farewell, they turned and walked away, hand in hand.

Tushan Jing Ci remained where she stood, silently watching their two figures recede into the distance. She watched until they disappeared deep into the bamboo forest, her gaze lingering long after they were gone.

「Three months passed in a quiet flash.」

On this day, a Flying Sword streaked in from the distance and landed steadily in Tushan Jing Ci’s hand. It was a message delivered by Xu Bei’er’s Flying Sword.

Unfurling the letter, Tushan Jing Ci read it word by word. It recounted in detail all that had happened to Xu Bei’er and Xu Chu after they returned to the Haiyue Sect.

It turned out that the first thing they did upon returning to the Sect was to pay their respects to Xu Bei’er’s father—the Sect Leader of the Haiyue Sect.

As it happened, her father wasn’t the sort of man who cared about a person’s power or status.

But as a father, he had to think carefully about his daughter’s future. He had to consider every angle, as he didn’t want her to end up suffering with some young man.

What’s more, Xu Bei’er was the daughter of the Haiyue Sect’s Sect Leader. With her exceptional looks and talent, she had attracted the admiration of quite a few Saint Heirs from other Sects.

In other words, in the eyes of the Elders, Xu Bei’er was a prime candidate for a marriage alliance.

Therefore, the Elders of the Haiyue Sect were not about to let the matter of her marriage go so easily. They began exerting considerable pressure on her father.

As the leader of a Sect, her father couldn’t possibly ignore the future of the entire Sect.

However, when he truly felt the unwavering conviction in his daughter’s heart, he began to waver.

Furthermore, in his opinion, this young man named Xu Chu was, upon closer inspection, truly extraordinary—

Both his innate talent and his temperament were of the highest caliber.

For a Sect, what mattered most in the long run was having worthy successors.

Otherwise, no matter how powerful and prosperous a Sect was, it was doomed to decline if its successors were not up to the task.

Conversely, if a person was outstanding enough, they could make a name for themselves, even as a Loose Cultivator!

And so, her father finally persuaded the Sect’s Elders and preserved his daughter’s engagement to Xu Chu.

However, the Elders of the Haiyue Sect did not relent without conditions. They demanded that Xu Chu must reach the Nascent Soul Realm within two hundred years.

Reaching the Nascent Soul Realm within two centuries was a tall order for most people, and Xu Chu was no exception.

But Xu Chu accepted the condition without the slightest hesitation, his gaze resolute.

For now, Xu Bei’er and Xu Chu were still at the Haiyue Sect, in no hurry to return.

The main reason was that Xu Bei’er, having finally returned home, wanted to spend more time with her father to show her filial piety.

After some time, Xu Chu would take Xu Bei’er to meet his own father. Following that, they planned to travel for a while before returning to Cold Mountain Academy.

After reading the letter and learning that her dear friend was well, the weight on Tushan Jing Ci’s heart was finally lifted.

She was genuinely happy for Xu Bei’er, and a faint smile touched her lips...

And yet...

Tushan Jing Ci slowly lowered the letter, her gaze drifting unconsciously in one direction—toward a dense bamboo forest.

’That fool, Xiao Mo... when is he finally going to wake up?’

Outside the courtyard, a spring breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, the sound like an echo of the question she had held in her heart for so long.

...

「In the blink of an eye, spring arrived, heralding a new year.」

The "Virtuous People" examination at Cold Mountain Academy was about to begin.

In fact, Tushan Jing Ci could have taken this examination last year.