April nineteenth was a suitable day for release.
Qi Nianyi left the prison early in the morning, and there were many people on Prison Peak in Canghuan.
Some had come to welcome her release, while others were there to escort her for interrogation.
A month on Prison Peak had barely changed her. She still wore the elegant, simple robes of a Canghuan inner disciple, her hem untainted by dust. Her wrists, as white as jade, emerged from her sleeves, revealing long, distinctly jointed fingers. Her entire person was unadorned; only an ebony hair ornament could perhaps be considered a decoration.
A black silk blindfold covered her eyes. Under the sunlight, the black fabric seemed to shimmer with countless stars, making Qi Nianyi stand out in the crowd.
Those who had come to welcome her wore Canghuan disciple robes in various shades of blue. Among them, one person stood out, dressed in black.
The black-haired youth in black robes was named Chu Sinian. He carried a greatsword, also black. Standing amidst the crowd, he and his sword seemed to merge into one, a solitary, cold black sword-shadow.
He looked towards Qi Nianyi. Upon seeing her figure, his eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward to greet her: “You’re out.”
Qi Nianyi clearly heard the breathing of the surrounding senior and junior sisters.
She also heard the true thoughts hidden behind those four words, “You’re out.”
[Money again.]
Qi Nianyi glanced at him. Before she could open her mouth, her mind was already flooded with various voices.
[Someone as cold as Daoist Chu, yet the way he looks at Senior Sister is so gentle it could melt, so sweet!]
Qi Nianyi thought impassively, Chu Sinian’s gaze was clearly the look a dog gives a bone, or a poor sword cultivator gives money.
She was about to walk past him when she heard the thoughts of another bystander.
[Not only was Senior Sister’s spiritual power sealed and her treasured sword confiscated, but all her protective artifacts were also taken. To live in a harsh place like Prison Peak for a month and still emerge with such grace—truly worthy of being Canghuan’s Senior Sister.]
Qi Nianyi didn’t care whether she had grace or not, but one sentence struck a chord with her.
Her sword had been confiscated for exactly one month.
For a sword cultivator, this was unacceptable.
Therefore, she retracted her step and turned back to face Chu Sinian.
Seeing this scene, the surrounding senior and junior sisters wished they could immediately slip them a Mê Hồn Dan and send them to the bridal chamber.
[No, I still need to give them some Xian Yuan Xian.]
All sounds ceased. Qi Nianyi held out her hand to Chu Sinian: “Where is my sword?”
Chu Sinian maintained his cold expression, betraying no hint that he had been waiting there since early morning to borrow money. He was silent for a few seconds, then, living up to everyone’s expectations, he replied: “Which one are you referring to?”
A sword was considered a sword cultivator’s companion.
For Qi Nianyi, her companions were perhaps a bit numerous.
Her release day should have been a cause for celebration—that is, if she hadn’t just discovered today that she was the white moonlight supporting female lead in a melodramatic romance novel.
…In her seventeenth year living in the perilous cultivation world, on her thirtieth day imprisoned on Prison Peak, Qi Nianyi was accidentally struck on the head by a strong gust of wind.
She wasn't injured at all, merely having been struck and knocked unconscious for a moment. Suddenly, a book appeared in her *qihai*.
The book's cover bore several large characters, shimmering with golden light: "Substitute Lover: The Runaway Favored Concubine of the Foremost Immortal Venerable." One look was enough to know it wasn't a proper book.