Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 201 - 200: The Secret Qing Yueqiu Can't Tell Her Master

"Killing?"

Qing Yueqiu frowned slightly.

Seeing this, Bei Lingyin said with theatrical exaggeration, "My dear sister, you're a Sword Cultivator who can cut down all enemies before you with a single strike.

Not to mention, the blood of our most bloodthirsty Rakshasa Race flows in your veins. Don't tell me you're afraid to kill! If you don't kill, what's the point of holding a sword and practicing with it?"

"I don't practice the sword to kill people."

Qing Yueqiu said, shaking her head.

"If you don't practice the sword to kill, then what kind of sword are you practicing? No matter how beautiful your Luminous Shadow Sword is, it'll still be blood-red when you plunge it into an enemy's stomach, you know~"

Bei Lingyin paused abruptly.

"You're not going to say you practice the sword just to please your master, are you?"

"..."

Seeing Qing Yueqiu's flushed, silent face, Bei Lingyin was speechless and covered her own face with her hand.

'Damn it!'

'Why did the kinswoman I finally managed to find have to be turned into a love-struck fool by some bastard?!'

Bei Lingyin was filled with bitter regret, developing a deep resentment for the Cold Sun Sword Immortal, Pei Yuhang.

'The Rakshasa Race descendant I worked so hard to find, a natural-born killer, was turned into *this* by you?!'

Bei Lingyin refused to accept it. She was determined to lead her kinswoman back to the "right path."

"Sister Yueqiu, I don't believe you have no interest in slaughter. You can fool others, but don't try to fool your big sister. The Rakshasa Race is naturally bloodthirsty; it's in our nature.

Can you honestly say you've never once felt the impulsive desire to kill, not since you were a child?"

Bei Lingyin suddenly took a step forward, staring into Qing Yueqiu's scarlet eyes.

The immense Power of Divine Thought from her Heart Eye Divine Abilities was released without a sound, causing Qing Yueqiu to start recalling memories that had been sealed away in her mind.

...

...

"Yueqiu, from now on, this is your home."

The Sword Immortal, dressed in white, led a tiny, silver-haired girl who only came up to his knee to the gates of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.

Pei Yuhang vigorously ruffled the little girl's head, messing up her smooth, silver hair.

"Y-You… stop messing up my hair like that!"

Little Yueqiu shook off Pei Yuhang's hand and bolted into the mansion, hiding behind a pillar to watch this strangely, unnaturally handsome "master" with caution.

Looking at Little Yueqiu, who was still so wary of him, Pei Yuhang felt a little hurt and defeated. He couldn't believe that after all this time, he still hadn't managed to make his disciple feel close to him.

But considering this was the first disciple he had ever taken, some frustration was to be expected. Pei Yuhang was confident he could build a good relationship with Little Yueqiu in the future.

"Come on, Little Yueqiu. I'll take you to see your room."

"My… room?"

Little Yueqiu murmured, seemingly in disbelief that she would have a room all to herself.

"That's right, your very own room. From now on, even I, your master, will need your permission to enter, okay~"

Pei Yuhang smiled and held out his hand to Little Yueqiu, trying his best to offer a gentle and approachable smile, hoping she would come and take his hand on her own.

Little Yueqiu's large, scarlet eyes were still filled with caution, but after a moment's hesitation, she reached out and took Pei Yuhang's hand.

However, her other hand subconsciously reached for the small of her back...

There, she had hidden a knife. If she saw Pei Yuhang make any strange moves toward her, she would draw it immediately.

Back when she wandered the Jianghu, that was the knife she had relied on to survive, and with it, she had slit the throats of all the filthy men who had coveted her!

However, Little Yueqiu's movement, which she thought was seamless, was seen clearly by Pei Yuhang.

"Pfft—AHAHAHA~~"

"W-What are you laughing at!"

"Nothing. It's just that from now on, you won't be needing that knife anymore. I already took it from your clothes a while ago."

As Pei Yuhang spoke, he flipped his hand over as if performing a magic trick, and a small, rusty knife appeared in his palm.

Little Yueqiu's hand flew to her waist, and sure enough, she felt nothing.

Without her weapon, an immense sense of panic gripped her heart like a giant hand, causing Little Yueqiu to tremble.

Just then, she felt a cold, hard touch against her cheek.

Pei Yuhang smiled, gently poking Little Yueqiu's cheek with the hilt of a sword before handing it to her.

"From now on, this sword is yours. It's much better than that shabby little knife of yours, right?"

Little Yueqiu touched the exquisite hilt and scabbard. As she slowly drew the blade, a flash of cold light illuminated her surprised eyes. She looked up at Pei Yuhang:

"Is… is this for me?"

"You traded your shabby little knife for it. If you don't want it, you can give it back."

Little Yueqiu shook her head frantically, hugging the sword tightly to her chest like a mother protecting her calf, afraid that Pei Yuhang would snatch it away.

Pei Yuhang smiled knowingly. He reached out and ruffled Little Yueqiu's hair again, and this time, the little girl didn't resist.

And so, Qing Yueqiu's life at the Cold Palace Sword Mansion began.

After Little Yueqiu officially became Pei Yuhang's disciple, it was only natural for him to begin teaching her Swordsmanship.

But very quickly, Pei Yuhang discovered a rather troubling problem.

"Yueqiu, your sword carries too much Killing Intent."

"What's wrong with having too much Killing Intent? Isn't a sword for cutting down bad people?"

Little Yueqiu said nonchalantly.

Her small hands lifted the sword, which was taller than she was, and with one strike, she sliced a nearby sapling in half, a smug grin on her face.

Pei Yuhang frowned and shook his head. "No. We are Sword Cultivators, not soldiers or assassins."

"Is there a difference?"

"The difference lies in the word 'Cultivator.' We use the sword to cultivate the heart, seeking to clarify the mind and attain the Dao through it. The swords in the hands of soldiers and assassins exist only to accomplish the goal of killing the enemy."

Little Yueqiu tilted her head, seemingly not understanding.

But she noticed the dissatisfied look in Pei Yuhang's eyes. A sudden fear gripped her—the fear of disappointing him and being thrown out of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.

She had only just managed to escape the Hell-like suffering of her past. Little Yueqiu absolutely would not let herself be kicked out!

From that day on, she began to earnestly follow Pei Yuhang in cultivating her heart, learning to read, and studying books... She hid her feral side, doing her best to be a well-behaved, rule-abiding child.

But despite all this, she kept an unmentionable secret from Pei Yuhang.

It was something her pure and flawless master could never know—

She had a suppressed craving for blood and excitement.

In the past, when she was wandering, she couldn't avoid killing every day—beasts, and people...

Back then, forced by circumstances to eat raw meat and drink blood, Little Yueqiu hadn't yet realized her peculiar fondness for blood, believing she only did it out of necessity.

It wasn't until she came to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion and began to live a stable life with no worries about food or clothing that she finally discovered her life was missing a crucial part, leaving her feeling muddled and listless every day.

That part was blood.

It had been too long since she had seen blood. She had a sword in her hand, but it was only used for striking wooden posts, completely lacking the exhilarating feeling of slicing through flesh and blood.

Fortunately, for the sake of practical combat training, Pei Yuhang soon began raising a pack of wolves on the back mountain of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion for her to practice on.

The hot, fresh blood of the wolf pack was what finally eased Little Yueqiu's addiction.

By day, she remained the good disciple who followed Pei Yuhang, diligently learning etiquette and cultivating her character. But at night, she would shoulder her sword and head to the back mountain for a night of slaughter, not stopping until her craving was satisfied.

This was Little Yueqiu's secret, one she could never tell her master. She had to keep it from him forever... using obedience and discipline as her disguise.