The setting sun cast long shadows, the dusk red as fire.

Throughout the courtyard, the jujube trees’ leaves rustled in the wind. 

As soon as she stepped into Su Yi’s residence, Wen Lingxue couldn’t help but say, “Brother-in-law, actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you.” 

Her voice was sweet and delicate. She wore a simple, elegant dress, and beneath the light of the stars, her petite figure looked vibrant, pure, and utterly beautiful.

Su Yi was stunned. “What is it?” he asked gently.

Wen Lingxue suddenly looked ashamed of herself. “Brother-in-law, seven days ago, me, my parents, and my uncles all saw Big Sister off. I wanted to notify you, but Mom wouldn’t let me….” She trailed off and hung her head guiltily.

Su Yi suddenly understood what had happened.

Seven days ago, Wen Lingzhao had begun her journey to Heaven’s Origin Academy. The entire Wen Family had been there to see her off, but they’d “overlooked” him, her husband, the live-in son-in-law.

This didn’t surprise Su Yi at all. 

He and Wen Lingzhao were barely even strangers to each other.

They’d met for the first time on their wedding day.

A year passed before they met for the second time, the night she returned home.

They were husband and wife, but they hadn’t exchanged so much as a single sentence.

No, they hadn’t said so much as a single word to each other.

What did surprise Su Yi was that Wen Lingxue carried such guilt over this.

Her willowy eyebrows knit together. “Also, I heard how hateful that Wei Zhengyang is, and that he made some absurd, over-the-line comments. Brother-in-law, whatever you do, don’t lower yourself by arguing with the likes of him.

“I know my sister better than anyone. She’s a bit cold, but there’s no way she’d cross any lines.” She sounded concerned, and her tone was comforting.

Su Yi looked right at the girl’s fair face and beautiful features. For a moment, he was stunned. Then, he sighed with emotion. “Who knows how many Bodhisattvas I’ve seen in my life? Yet hardly any have been as kind-hearted as you.”

For the first time in many years, he felt warm inside.

In his past life, he’d sought the Dao with single minded determination. He killed decisively, reaching the pinnacle of the Wilds’ Nine Provinces by climbing over a mountain of corpses and wading through a sea of blood. 

Even his nine inheriting disciples both respected and feared him. 

Yet in this life, he was the son of a concubine, born into the Su Family of the Great Zhou’s Jade Capital. He’d been neglected from a young age, and he’d developed a withdrawn, gloomy disposition. 

Even during the three years he spent cultivating at Blueriver Sword Manor, his personality was too dark and too solitary to make many friends. 

At the time, losing his cultivation and marrying into the Wen Family was no different from falling into the abyss; the shock was too much for him to overcome. He lived like a walking corpse, as if his heart had died.

His circumstances were already so dire, but on top of that, the entire Wen Family looked down on him. Only Wen Lingxue treated him with sincere kindness.

She’d once taken great pains to plant sunflowers in his courtyard in hopes that when he saw their vibrant yellow petals in bloom, it would boost his spirits.

She’d once stuck attentively to his side, gently whispering the grand truths she’d read in books, all in an attempt to comfort him, encourage him, and help him overcome his anguish.

She knew he practically never went outside, so she’d taken it upon herself to prepare all kinds of delicacies and deliver them to his door. 

…..but then, the man he’d been before regaining his memories had never paid her concern any heed.

It was different now. After remembering his past life, he recalled everything Wen Lingxue had done for him over the past year. Of course he was moved! How could he not be?

She wasn’t just bright and beautiful; she had a pure and kind heart too!

“Brother-in-law, you…. Really aren’t angry?” Wen Lingxue looked up, and her clear gaze bore into him. She sounded a bit uncertain.

“You! You’ve overthought this! It’s completely understandable that your sister would resent and oppose our wedding arrangement. As for everyone else, well, if I cared about their opinions, I would have died of anger a long time ago,” Su Yi said with a smile.

Wen Lingxue finally let out a long pent-up breath. She smiled, her eyes narrowing like crescent moons as she laughed approvingly. “Brother-in-law, you’re so big-hearted!”

Big-hearted? 

Su Yi’s expression went a little strange. Back in the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, everyone knew Su Xuanjun was unwilling to suffer the slightest loss and that he was quick to avenge even the tiniest of grudges.

But this little sister-in-law of his really was lovable!

He couldn’t help but ask, “Lingxue, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you. After marrying into the family, everyone has looked down on me—everyone except for you. Tell me, why do you care about me so much?

Wen Lingxue responded without hesitation, “I’ve never believed the man my sister married was worthless. I…. I don’t believe my brother-in-law is a good-for-nothing!”

As she said this, the young woman’s exquisite features filled with staunch determination. 

Su Yi laughed. “Why don’t you believe it?”

Her big, bright eyes stared intently at him for a moment. Suddenly, she giggled.

“You’re so good-looking,” she said as if it were obvious. “How could you possibly be a good-for-nothing?”

This answer was entirely beyond his expectations. Despite himself, Su Yi was momentarily stunned. Shortly afterward, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter and give her a thumbs up. “You’ve got good taste!”

Wen Lingxue giggled, her laughter pure and picturesque. 

“Lingxue, I heard that a month from now, Pinecloud Sword Manor is hosting their end-of-year competition?”

“That’s right.” She nodded, but the smile disappeared from her face. “With my current cultivation, I’m afraid it’ll be difficult to enter the top ten. After all, it’s only been a year since I started cultivating at Pinecloud Sword Manor.”

Those who made it into the end-of-year competition’s top ten could enter Pinecloud Sword Manor’s “First Court.”

And becoming a disciple of the First Court meant you were qualified to proceed to Blueriver Sword Manor and continue cultivating there!

Pinecloud Sword Manor’s influence was limited to Guangling City, while Blueriver Sword Manor’s influence extended throughout Cloudriver Prefecture’s nineteen cities!

The two academies were on completely different levels!

“Two days ago, I forgot to prepare your birthday present, but it’s not too late to give it to you now,” said Su Yi. He took a scroll out of his sleeves and whispered, “This is a breathing technique. It’s not the highest level out there, but it’s the best-suited for your current cultivation. If you keep at it for a month, it’ll be enough to get you into the end-of-year competition’s top ten.” 

Wen Lingxue’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Su Yi smiled and handed it to her. “Would I lie to you? Right, don’t mention this to anyone else. Once you’ve memorized the incantation and understood its profundities, remember to burn the scroll immediately.” 

As he spoke this last bit, his expression turned serious.

There was nothing for it! The breathing technique he’d given Wen Lingxue was called the “Abstruse Spiritual Essence Pearl Incantation”!

Although he’d only recorded its “Blood Circulation Realm” cultivation techniques, the complete incantation was ranked within the top ten on the “Miraculous Arts of the Imperial Realm Leaderboard”!

Years ago, he’d taught it to his youngest disciple, Qing Tang. It was thanks to this very incantation that her cultivation had soared, reaching the Imperial Realm in a single bound and making her the world-renowned “Empress Qing Tang”!

If a miraculous incantation of this level leaked, even just the Blood Circulation Realm section, it would bring Wen Lingxue no shortage of trouble. 

Su Yi didn’t want to see that happen.

Wen Lingxue instantly grew serious. She carefully put the little book away, then nodded firmly. “Brother-in-law, I’ll do as you say.”

She still had no idea she’d just inadvertently obtained a stroke of good fortune grand enough to send the world’s cultivators into a mad frenzy.

Had she known, she couldn’t possibly have remained so calm.

Su Yi didn’t explain any further. He had plenty of comparably miraculous methods at his disposal.

In his past life, everyone knew of Su Xuanjun “countless miraculous arts and supernatural powers.”

“If you’ve got time to spare, come visit me once every seven days,” instructed Su Yi. “I’ll instruct you in the profundities of the Martial Dao’s Blood Circulation Realm.”  

Wen Lingxue’s eyes lit up with wholehearted delight. “For sure!”

She knew that, although he’d since lost his cultivation, her brother-in-law had once been the Sword Chief of Blueriver Sword Manor’s outer sect, famed throughout Cloudriver Province.

With him to guide her, there was no need to worry about failing to make the end-of-year competition’s top ten!

“You should hurry back. If your mom discovers you here, she’s sure to explode,” said Su Yi. He couldn’t help but laugh.

His mother-in-law’s temper was fiery as could be.

Wen Lingxue glanced to both sides, as if guilty, then stuck out her little tongue. She immediately said, “Okay, Brother-in-law, I’ll be on my way.”

Her graceful figure turned, and she skipped away. It was clear she was in high spirits.

Su Yi watched her disappear from his courtyard. Only after she’d gone did he return to his room.

Although it was already twilight out, the Wen Family matriarch’s banquet was still going strong. 

But it had nothing to do with Su Yi anymore.

Wen Lingxue didn’t participate any further either. When she returned to her room, she took a bath, covered her slender frame in a bathrobe, then sprawled lazily on the bed. From time to time, she raised her legs into the air and kicked the bed, the snowy white of her calves coming in and out of view.

Fresh out of the bath, she had a graceful elegance and pure beauty as she lay there, flipping through the scroll Su Yi had given her with the utmost haste. 

The scroll was thin, with only ten or so pages worth of text. The characters were full of vigorous sweeps and fine strokes. They were timelessly elegant, and just looking at them was calming to the eye. The sight was calming and tranquil.

Brother-in-law’s handwriting is just as good-looking as he is! Wen Lingxue inwardly complimented him, but shortly after, the incantation inscribed within the swooping lines of text drew her attention. 

Although this tome only recorded the Abstruse Spiritual Essence Pearl Incantation’s Blood Circulation Realm method, it was mysterious and obscure, each character and pause rife with profound mysteries.

Never mind Wen Lingxue; even the most experienced cultivators of the Great Zhou couldn’t possibly have comprehended its profundities in a short period of time. 

Fortunately, alongside the cultivation method were Si Yi’s handwritten annotations. This meant it wasn’t overly difficult for Wen Lingxue to comprehend.

Soon, it was dawn, and the moon declined toward the west.

Wen Lingxue had finally read through the entire cultivation method. Her beautiful face was filled with bewilderment, but more than that, undisguisable astonishment.

She was young, but even if she were younger, she wasn’t ignorant of cultivation.

There was no way she’d fail to realize just how mighty the incantation Su Yi gave her was.

By comparison, both the Wen Family’s ancestral cultivation techniques and those taught at Pinecloud Sword Manor were crude and full of omissions!

No wonder Brother-in-law told me not to reveal this incantation to anyone! Mm, he was undoubtedly worried that it would bring me unnecessary trouble….. She was stunned, but she could dimly discern his good intentions. The thought made her feel warm inside, and she was both happy and moved.

Before long, she took a deep breath, and her expression turned serious.

She silently told herself, Lingxue, Lingxue, no matter how hard it is or what obstacles you have to overcome, you have to find a way for Brother-in-law to cultivate again. He’s currently…. He’s pitiful enough already…..