A sword pierced through the water, making a swish sound, cutting the waterfall in two. The momentum of the sword died down, and a beautiful face emerged. It was smooth, though now coated with a light sheen of sweat due to exertion. Lu Yan flicked the sword, and the water droplets that clung to the blade vanished with another swift motion. The sword was sheathed gracefully. Despite practicing for ten days in the valley, she still hadn't made any progress with her sword skills. The bottleneck in her cultivation was evident. Every time she swung her sword, she felt that something was missing, something profound still out of her reach.
She sighed and flew down to the ground. As she looked around the valley, she saw Elder Su flying toward her, something firmly clutched in her hands. From the nervous expression on her face, Lu Yan could tell that something bad had happened.
Elder Su hurriedly approached her Young Miss, bowing respectfully as she presented the letter. "Young Miss, our spies in the city have sent this letter. I didn't want to disturb your cultivation, so I delayed giving it to you."
Lu Yan glanced at the letter's contents, and gradually a disdainful smile spread across her lips.
"Yang Han, what's that trash doing here? Is it not enough that I beat him in the capital? Why did he travel all the way here just to get beaten again?" Lu Yan knew Yang Han from the capital. He was the young master of the Yang Clan, a prestigious family in the capital. But even that status didn't make him worthy of walking beside her. He was a scheming, insidious man—someone who would smile at you and then stab you in the back.
One day, he came to her, wanting to court her. She beat him so badly that his family didn't even recognize him afterward. What surprised her was that he didn't give up and instead followed her here to the countryside. She waved her hand, dismissing the news, and was about to return to her training when Elder Su interrupted her again.
"He didn't come here specifically for the Young Miss. He's been staying in the city tower and has visited the Yun and Zhang Families. I think he's plotting against the Li Family."
Lu Yan turned back around and studied the letter again.
"Oh? He wants to eliminate the Li Family with the tournament? How interesting. But naïve."
A confused expression crossed Elder Su's face as she carefully asked her Young Miss, "Why would Yang Han target the Li Family? It's not even worth destroying in front of him. But he came all the way here and plotted this much. What is he thinking?"
Lu Yan gazed into the deep valley in front of her, and a smile spread across her lips.
"My cousin's brother is behind all this. Yang Han is simply a pawn in his game. His true goal is not the Li Family."
The smile faded from her face as she continued, "What my cousin's brother wants is to avoid a direct conflict with the Li Family elders. Though the Li Family isn't strong, the guards of my cousin's brother are even weaker, so he can only scheme against them."
She paused, her expression thoughtful. "The first part of his plan is to weaken the Li Family—he used the Alchemist Association and the two families to create pressure. Once the Li Family is embarrassed and loses resources in the tournament, Yang Han will contact them, offering the valley as a bargaining chip. The likely condition will be exclusive rights to the valley and its secrecy."
Elder Su's eyes widened as she listened to the detailed plan laid out by her Young Miss. Her respect for Lu Yan deepened. She couldn't help but be relieved that such an intelligent woman was part of their family. But imagining this sharp mind as an enemy made her shudder.
However, their conversation was interrupted by a soft chuckle from behind them. They turned, their vigilance raised. Approaching them was a familiar face: a handsome young man with jade-like features, dressed in white robes that swayed in the wind. In his hand was the same blue-gemmed sword.
As he walked toward them, Lu Yan could see the appreciation in his eyes. It was not a lustful or impure gaze, but one of genuine respect for her intelligence.
"Oh, what brings this young master to us?" Lu Yan asked, her tone laced with sarcasm. "If I remember correctly, you said I was disturbing your rest?"
Li Yang smiled as he walked toward her. "Aye, this woman holds grudges. That's why I always stay away from women; they're so hard to please." He stopped in front of them and smiled, his gaze meeting hers.
"How about helping the Li Family this time? With your connections in the city, it would be a piece of cake for you."
Lu Yan smirked, sizing up the boy in front of her. For someone with no cultivation, he was unusually calm and confident—he acted like the world was at his feet. But why would she help the Li Family without any benefit to herself?
Li Yang laughed, sensing her thoughts. "Are you wondering why I'd ask you to help the Li Family if there's no benefit for you?"
Lu Yan took a step back, her eyes widening. "How do you know that?"
Li Yang casually walked around her and toward the valley, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He picked up a stone and dropped it into the valley below.
"If you help the Li Family, I can lead you to your inheritance. What do you say?"
Li Yang snapped his fingers, and the sword in his hands rotated effortlessly. He turned and met Lu Yan's gaze once more.
Lu Yan stepped back, drawing her sword. "How do you know about the inheritance? Only a handful of people know about it. Who are you really?"
Li Yang shrugged and leaned against a tree, his demeanor nonchalant. "I'll tell you if you decide to help me. Help me, and I'll help you become strong enough to crush the enemy's plans."
What she didn't know was that this was just the first step for the boy who had disappeared three years ago after massacring an entire village. The gentle smile on his face hid a cruel past.