A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.

This day, Ye Shu got up early.

The sky was still dim, the sun had not yet peeked over the mountain peak, and Lin Qingxue's boudoir was still somewhat dark. Ye Shu bathed and burned incense, then changed into his cleanest set of clothes.

No matter what, a sense of ritual was necessary.

"Not easy, huh."

Ye Shu let out a sigh of emotion.

After a whole fifty or so chapters, with over a hundred chapters of buildup, he was finally about to see the true form of this Azure Profound Sword.

Just thinking about it made him a little excited.

He took a step forward and strode toward the door.

Before he could push it open, he suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from behind him. It turned out that Lin Qingxue had already woken up. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, and when she saw that Ye Shu was about to leave, she snapped wide awake in an instant.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're leaving without even saying a word?"

She hastily threw off the blanket, not even bothering to put on shoes, and pattered barefoot over to stand in front of Ye Shu.

"I just wanted to let you sleep a bit more,"

Ye Shu said with a smile. "After all, you were busy until so late last night. Sleeping in a bit longer would do you good."

Lin Qingxue's face immediately flushed red.

Wasn't it all because she was afraid that this heartless man would betray her, which was why she had to stay up until the middle of the night?

This bastard... she absolutely hated him!

"Hmph! At least you have a bit of a conscience."

Lin Qingxue let out a coquettish snort, crossed her arms, and circled around Ye Shu, giving him a once-over from head to toe. She stared at him until his heart started racing, then extended a delicate jade-like hand.

"Hand it over."

"Wh- what?"

Ye Shu was stunned for a moment. "I don't know what you mean?"

"Oh?"

Lin Qingxue narrowed her eyes.

"You'd better not force me to take matters into my own hands."

"This... I've been found out after all?"

Ye Shu's face darkened. In the end, he let out a sigh, tremblingly pulled a pair of slightly yellowed socks from his sleeve, placed them in her hand, blinked his large, innocent Cazilian eyes, and said with a clueless expression, "What if I said I actually found these? Would you believe me?"

Lin Qingxue stared at the socks in her hand, her cheeks burning with shame. "You wretched man! No wonder I kept missing socks—it turned out this bastard was the one stealing them!"

"No, that's not the point!"

She shook her head vigorously and threw the socks to the ground.

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

"Hand it over!"

"........"

Ye Shu was silent for a moment, then tremblingly pulled a red embroidered bellyband from his hand and placed it in hers.

Looking at the bellyband in her hand, Lin Qingxue's face flushed with anger.

Just how many things had this bastard stolen?!

"That's not what I'm talking about either!"

Lin Qingxue flung the bellyband to the ground as well and said urgently, "What about that stinky snake? You're not allowed to take her to the back mountain!"

Ye Shu was taken aback, then asked,

"Why not?"

"No reason! It's just not allowed!"

Lin Qingxue's fair face was bright red. Was she supposed to tell him that in her past life, that snake had seduced her heartless man in the back mountain?

What a joke!

"I'm afraid I can't obey that order."

Ye Shu gently shook his head. "I promised her that I would help her restore her cultivation."

"Haji-Shu, you...!"

Lin Qingxue gritted her teeth.

She knew it. This bastard Ye Shu would pull this on her. And she just had to fall for his whole 'keeping promises and being reasonable' act. But when this kind of thing happened with someone else, it obviously wasn't so enjoyable anymore.

"Then you have to promise me—no fooling around with any woman. No, you can't even have physical contact! And don't force yourself on anyone either."

"Swear it!"

Lin Qingxue puffed out her cheeks, glaring at him with an indignant look, as if ready to burst into tears if he didn’t agree.

“Or else I’ll... I’ll... I’ll hate you forever!”

Ye Shu was speechless.

Was he really that kind of person?

“Fine, I swear.” He raised his hand.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Lin Qingxue hurried back to the bedside, pulled out a huge stack of papers from the cabinet—all the rules she’d written late into the night.

They included, but were not limited to—

No forcing yourself on others.

No having relations with anyone else.

No ambiguous dealings with any woman.

No...

Line after line, column after column—it covered everything.

Seeing the thick pile of paper, Ye Shu’s mouth twitched. “So you spent all last night on this?”

“Exactly. Sign them, and you can go.”

Lin Qingxue raised her chin pridefully.

Hmph!

This time, there’s no way things will go wrong.

Clever as she was, how could she ever be taken advantage of?

After Ye Shu signed a series of pledges, Lin Qingxue finally pocketed them with satisfaction, keeping the evidence safe. Then she stood on tiptoe and gave him a light peck on the cheek.

“That’s your reward for being obedient.”

Lin Qingxue muttered softly, her face red.

Ye Shu touched the side of his face where she’d kissed him, then ruffled her hair with a smile. “Wait for me to come back.”

With that, he turned and left.

Lin Qingxue watched his retreating figure anxiously, instinctively clutching the pledges in her arms, feeling like something bad might happen.

It’s just... just a feeling, right?

Right?

At the back mountain of Qingxuan Sect.

Before coming here, Ye Shu had always been curious about everyone’s talk of the “back mountain.”

But Qingxuan Sect was practically surrounded by mountains everywhere.

It wasn’t until an elder brought him here, pointing to a towering, majestic mountain—steep in front and flat in back, with the words “Back Mountain” carved at the entrance—that he finally understood: the back mountain was literally a mountain in the back.

An ancient, withered old man sat at the mountain’s base.

The elder guiding him bowed respectfully. “Elder Mo, this is the champion of this grand competition.”

Ye Shu also clasped his hands and bowed.

Based on Einstein’s general theory of relativity, Ye Shu figured that old relics guarding places like this were all former legendary powerhouses—and the kind who’d whip you into shape without mercy.

The old man gave him a faint glance and tossed a token his way.

“Not bad. Go on in.”

“...”

Ye Shu froze.

Wait, that was it? No flash of brilliance from the elder’s eyes, recognizing this kid as extraordinary? No silent observation, followed by awe, and a critical moment of protection?

This guy was acting like a gate guard.

“What are you waiting for?”

The old man’s impatient voice came again. “I have a lot to do. Don’t just stand there.”

Alright.

No directions, no guides. Very enigmatic, indeed.

Ye Shu helplessly took the token and walked deeper into the back mountain.

Once they were farther away, the young Medusa poked her head out.

She glanced back nervously. Ye Shu’s cultivation was too low to notice, but she could clearly sense a deathly aura from the old man.

No wonder Qingxuan Sect had remained so dominant for so long—it was full of hidden tigers and crouching dragons.

Halfway along the path, Ye Shu suddenly stopped.

“Why aren’t you moving?”

Medusa asked, confused.

“Nothing. I just suddenly remembered something very important.”

Ye Shu replied.

Just now, a thought had struck him.

That is...

This Azure Spirit Sword... couldn’t have a sword spirit.

And then, as luck would have it, that spirit is female.

And then, as luck would have it, she gets reincarnated.

And then, as luck would have it, Xiaobai forgets everything.