“Heh… What a world—searching high and low with iron shoes worn thin, only to find it without lifting a finger…”

  Before she could finish speaking, Palace Master Jieyou unleashed a flash of white light from her bosom, swift as lightning. Though she later kept tight-lipped and refused to admit she had released Miss Jiu, how could anyone believe her? How easily did they take her for a fool?

  The white light blazed like lightning, like a divine dragon, striking with thunderous force—seen in head but lost in tail.

  “Jiu~”

  A phoenix cry split the sky.

  Sharp eyes caught splendid, colorful ripples within that chain-like white glow. In an instant, a black-cloaked figure plummeted from the air—a thief. He crashed from a great height, long dead, his bones shattered at vital points.

  In the blink of an eye, Jieyou looked down. Miss Jiu had returned to her, placing the withered stalk back into her palm to consume.

  Palace Master Jieyou chewed the dry twig right there in the street. As expected, it pricked her mouth painfully. The crowd swarmed around the thief’s corpse. Only when they saw Jieyou swallow the thing did Miss Jiu relax, gesturing for her to inspect the body.

  The palace master stepped forward, adjusting her lotus crown. The crowd naturally parted. This madman had dared to attack her—he deserved his fate. From that moment, the crowd saw Miss Jiu in a new light: this little black-feathered creature was far from useless.

  Many valuable items and trivial weapons were found on the thief. Jieyou kept the bulk and shared the rest with the onlookers—everyone got a share. She prepared to leave.

  But Miss Jiu chirped, shook her head, and signaled her to flip the body over. She did, yet found nothing unusual. Miss Jiu made a slicing motion, up and down.

  Jieyou acted on instinct, sending a crescent golden light that neatly split the cloth without harming the flesh—her control was immaculate. Still nothing. Miss Jiu shook her head again.

  “Continue?”

  “Jiu~”

  What followed was rather graphic.

  Jieyou swung her right hand again, launching another crescent light that split the corpse vertically in two. The crowd scattered in shock—not only was the sight horrifying, the stench was devastating. The two halves lay on the ground like slaughtered pork, blood and rot steaming into the air.

  “I thought he didn’t eat anything… why does he still smell this bad?”

  Jieyou covered her nose, holding Miss Jiu at her side, struggling to maintain her dignified bearing. The crowd looked away, but Miss Jiu poked her head out and examined the body carefully, her expression almost humanly delighted.

  At last, Miss Jiu spotted a worm along the spine: half an inch long, pointed at one end, round at the other, snow-white, nine-jointed—a bone-burrowing maggot chrysalis.

  “Jiu~”

  “What? You want me to pick it up?”

  Miss Jiu clearly wanted nothing to do with the blood and filth, urging Jieyou to retrieve it, firm and unyielding. Jieyou had no choice but to pinch the chrysalis.

  Damn it—it was alive. She could feel it wriggling like a maggot, over and over.

  “What is this thing? A treasure?”

  “Jiu~~”

  “What?! You want me to eat this?!”

  “Jiu~”

  “No! I’d rather die than eat it!”

  Swallowing a bone-burrowing maggot alive was too much for Jieyou. She was a young lady, after all. She hesitated, and the two fell into a standoff.

  The valley had its own cycle: corpses like this would be collected and put to good use, even the cloth recycled. All they needed was for the palace master to leave. But their palace master was now arguing with a maggot.

  She knew eating it would benefit her, and that it was linked to the withered stalk earlier. Thinking of that dry, scratchy feeling left a terrible lump in her throat.

  “What even is this… do you really make sister eat it?”

  “Jiu~”

  “I’ll do it! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

  The crowd cheered, eager to watch the palace master swallow the maggot. Jieyou’s face darkened—she was about to embarrass herself beyond repair.

  She closed her eyes, hardened her heart, and tossed the worm into her mouth. Before she could swallow, it slid down smoothly on its own.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Cold. Dizzy.

  Palace Master Jieyou’s vision went black. She collapsed, unconscious.

  Miss Jiu in her arms would never let her fall.

  The moment Jieyou tilted, Miss Jiu revealed her true form and lifted her away, flying southeast.

  Sadly, Jieyou never saw the Colorful Sky-Soaring Red-Crowned Phoenix.

  If she had, she would have been overjoyed.

  This phoenix had been hiding as a tiny, chubby, cute little ball, refusing to show her real shape. For some reason, the phoenix carried Jieyou with ease; her black claws were just a disguise. Half the city saw it. Jieyou did not.

  Southeast was not the direction of Yiyun Palace.

  Southeast was Yiyun Valley—Miss Jiu’s birthplace.

  She carried Jieyou there and placed her inside a tiny nest. It was so small that Jieyou lay inside like someone passed out on a toilet seat.

  Miss Jiu shrank back into her little white form.

  Jieyou slept peacefully, not quite unconscious. Before long, her body twisted unconsciously, scratching at her back. Visibly, her back began to swell, taking shape.

  Miss Jiu, worldly and unimpressed, only worried Jieyou might fall. After watching for a while, she narrowed her eyes like a master chef waiting for a premium dish to finish cooking.

  Crack.

  Jieyou’s crimson robe tore open.

  Her flawless, smooth back was exposed. Yet no one could appreciate the sight—for a square bulge was rising from her spine, splitting the fabric. Starlight shimmered within it. The bulge grew larger, stretching her skin thinner, until it looked like a hidden case, dark light surging inside.

  Miss Jiu shifted slightly, still not opening her eyes.

  Only this expression could show how experienced and extraordinary she was.

  This state lasted for days and nights.

  Yiyun Palace descended into chaos over their palace master’s disappearance. Everyone searched southeast, deep into Yiyun Valley, but found nothing. They were helpless, praying that feathered creature wouldn’t do anything reckless. If it could fly, who knew where it would take her?

  Only the State Master looked calm, repeatedly offering congratulations.

  But the servants lacked his wisdom and could not share his peace.

  The case on Jieyou’s back flickered for days before settling.

  Jieyou returned to a soft, girlish sleep.

  “Jiu~”

  “Mmm… Miss Jiu, I’m so tired… Where… am I? A tree?”

  “Jiu~”

  Jieyou realized she was in Miss Jiu’s birthplace. Memories returned in fragments. Then she felt a cold, itchy sensation on her back. She touched it—her robe was torn, skin exposed. She scratched, then reached deeper and grabbed something foreign.

  She pulled it out.

  Heaven and earth dimmed.

  “Whoa!”

  “Jiu~”

  “What the hell?!”

  “Jiu~”

  “A giant… sword? Inside me?!”

  “Jiu~”

  Miss Jiu’s eyes blazed with excitement, fixed on the sword.

  Jieyou pulled it out with one hand, then had to hold it with both. The blade was nearly as tall as she was. Mystic patterns covered it; the hilt was simple, unadorned. The blade shone brightly.

  Jieyou pressed her face close—it was like a mirror.

  Could this have been formed from the chrysalis and the withered stalk? Did she have to learn swordsmanship now?

  She had no idea how to use it, yet when she swung it casually, sword light exploded, tiger roars and dragon cries echoing. The treetop was sliced clean away.

  “Jiu!”

  “Ah… sorry, Miss Jiu… I ruined your home…”

  “Jiu!”

  It meant: Didn’t you want to wander the world with a sword? Now you have one.

  “Hahaha, but I need to learn how to use it. Does it have a name? Where do I put it when I’m not using it?”

  “Jiu~”

  Miss Jiu shook her head. Jieyou understood.

  She fumbled behind her back, tried a few times, and finally sheathed the sword.

  Her back was smooth again, without a trace.

  But what was its name? It must have one, right?

  Xiao——

  “Wow! The sword roars too! That’s amazing! You really do have a name. What is it? Will you travel the world with me?”

  “Jiu~”

  After its cry, the sword fell silent, like an ancient elder who had lived through countless years, weathered and wise.

  Miss Jiu was telling her she could give it a new name.

  “I’ll call you Dragon Chant… no… Two Dragons… nah… I’ll call you Little White!”

  Miss Jiu snickered.

  She was a majestic Sky-Soaring Red-Crowned Phoenix, yet Jieyou called her Miss Jiu. Now this ancient greatsword, which had crossed the tides of time to reach the Six Netherworlds, was named Little White, also known as Two Dragons—since it was second-born, and Miss Jiu was clearly the elder sister. She was quite pleased.

  How much helplessness and amusement hid in that tiny laugh? It was all quietly ignored by Jieyou.

  “Sister, how did we get up here? How do we get down?”

  Jieyou hoped Miss Jiu would show her true form, but Little White was eager to perform. It circled in midair, showing her she could fly with the sword.

  Compared to the cheap “Earth-Traversing Golden Light” she’d bought on the black market, sword-flight was far cooler and more useful.

  If that was the case, did Little White come with sword skills? Jieyou wished she could learn just a few moves. With a thought, Little White spun in the air, weaving sword flowers—unbelievable, for such a massive blade to move so nimbly.

  “Ah! I forgot to memorize the moves!”

  Little White performed again.

  If not for the Colorful Phoenix (Miss Jiu) backing her up, Jieyou would have feared this power was unholy.

  She began practicing basics: grip, one-handed, two-handed, how to avoid hurting herself or others. Then basic forms: stab, slash, lift, cut, chop. She tested them on trees, upgraded to full sets, learned defense and counterattacks. She practiced releasing and absorbing sword aura, moving fast, posing cool.

  Most importantly: unity of human and sword—not sword and human, as she’d mistakenly said earlier.

  After days of training, everything within hundreds of meters was chopped, broken, or burned—except Miss Jiu’s (Black Sister’s) little home. Luckily, Black Sister had sealed the area, so no one outside noticed.

  But outside, the servants were terrified, convinced their palace master had been kidnapped forever. Where else would they find such gentle, kind, innocent, beautiful young mistress?

  Just as they despaired, the seal lifted.

  The palace master appeared elegantly: holding Miss Jiu, wearing a backless dress, Little White hidden on her spine, only a thumb-sized totem visible—the sword hilt’s mechanism.

  Little White’s hilt held a universe within it, or so it seemed. It could store an astonishing amount of things.

  Now, Jieyou’s dream of wandering the world with a sword was finally complete.

  Palace Master Jieyou smiled at her servants.

  “I lost track of time in the mountains. I’m sorry I worried you all.”

  The servants wept in relief, bowing and thanking the heavens.

  Jieyou made a mental note: she must have the tailor add an opening at the back of her robe. She couldn’t let Little White tear everything apart—she’d end up exposed. Even if this world didn’t shame nudity, only those with the right grace could pull it off. Otherwise, it would just be embarrassing imitation.

  Enough chatter. They returned to the palace.

  “Palace Master, congratulations.”

  This State Master only ever seemed to say that.

  Saying “congratulations” over and over…

  There was definitely something strange about him.