Yun Juan, Yun Shu, Ting Feng, and Wang Yu were the new attendants recruited by Lü Se. Their main responsibility was to handle the mundane tasks in Jian Dan's residence.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu were a pair of sisters, while Ting Feng and Wang Yu were brothers. All four had made it through rigorous screening before finally becoming the personal attendants of the newly promoted Void Refinement-stage Zhūnzhǔ, Jian Lu.
Their cultivation levels had all reached the late-stage Golden Core realm, and they were each under three hundred years old. With clean backgrounds and no hidden ties, the four had steadily climbed up from the secular world, step by step. Given their potential, they were well worth cultivating.
Following Jian Lu, who also came from the mundane world, gave them a sense of grounding. They trusted her.
On this particular day, it was Yun Juan and Yun Shu's turn to be on duty. Early in the morning, Jian Sheng-jūn from the Law Enforcement Hall had arrived to visit Jian Lu. About an hour later, Jian Wan Zhūnzhǔ arrived as well. She approached the sisters with a commanding presence.
"We greet Jian Wan Zhūnzhǔ," they both said respectfully, bowing.
Yun Juan stepped forward to announce the visit, while Jian Wan—clearly intending to assert herself—remained unhurried. She followed Yun Shu at a leisurely pace toward Jian Dan's cave residence.
"That was fast," Jian Dan murmured after glancing at Jian Sheng.
Jian Sheng sipped his wine silently, concealing his reaction.
"I understand. Yun Juan, prepare some tea."
"Yes, Zhūnzhǔ."
Yun Juan withdrew quietly. Jian Dan turned to Jian Sheng with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Watch for my signal later. Don't ruin this for me."
Her smile looked pleasant enough, but Jian Sheng found it inexplicably chilling. He nodded quickly in agreement.
Yun Shu led Jian Wan Zhūnzhǔ into the cave.
From the moment she entered, Jian Dan could tell at a glance that Jian Wan was in the late stage of Void Refinement. However, her progress had clearly stagnated—she was stuck just before Unity and couldn't break through.
Jian Sheng stepped aside and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Jian Wan Zhūnzhǔ."
Jian Dan, still smiling, gestured warmly. "So it's Jian Wan Zhūnzhǔ. I regret not welcoming you sooner. Please, have a seat."
Jian Wan nodded stiffly. She hadn't expected Jian Dan to match her in presence. She had assumed Jian Dan's cultivation was rushed or artificially boosted.
Seeing her in person now, she realized how solid Jian Dan's foundation truly was. That soft-spoken composure reminded her of someone—Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ.
Jian Wan had always feared Jian Jun the most.
Back when they were at the same cultivation level, Jian Wan had entered the sect later and was a female cultivator. Many of their senior brothers treated her with leniency, openly or in secret. She became arrogant.
During her Nascent Soul stage, Jian Wan had developed feelings for Jian Jun and even considered forming a Dao companion bond. But after only the faintest hint from her, Jian Jun had maneuvered things so that Jian Wan ended up exiled to the Reflection Cliff.
Enraged, Jian Wan came back down from the cliff and tried to confront Jian Jun. Yet the other woman had smiled gently the whole time, unaffected. Not long after, Jian Wan found herself punished again—sent back to the Reflection Cliff. To this day, she still didn't know what she had done to upset their master.
The second time she was released, Jian Wan had learned her lesson. She approached her clan elders, hoping they would stand up for her.
But just five days later, the Bian Clan—known allies of the Fu Clan—were charged with embezzling a mid-grade spirit stone mine belonging to the sect. The entire family was arrested by the Law Enforcement Hall, their cultivation sealed, and they were sent to mine for three hundred years.
Coincidentally, Jian Jun had disappeared around that time. The Fu Clan's patriarch immediately summoned Jian Wan home, sealed her in closed-door confinement himself, and warned her:
"Do not provoke Jian Jun again. Or the Fu Clan will follow the Bian Clan's fate."
The shock of that warning had taken Jian Wan years to digest. She had buried herself in cultivation and finally broke through to Divine Transformation, shattering the seal.
But by the time she saw Jian Jun again, the other woman had already reached the Divine Soul stage and was serving as acting head of the Law Enforcement Hall. From then on, Jian Wan stayed far, far away.
Now, sitting across from Jian Dan, Jian Wan noted her elegant and unworldly demeanor. Her black eyes sparkled with intelligence, and she wore the standard robes of a Zhūnzhǔ, covered by a layer of white gauze. At her waist hung the sword token of the Heavenly Sword Sect. A silver-edged pendant rested on her chest, glowing faintly in harmony with her five-colored forehead ornament. On her wrist was a simple storage bangle, and in her hand, she held a delicate round fan, fanning herself in an idle rhythm.
To Jian Dan, Jian Wan looked like someone who had thrown every visible token of status onto herself. She was pretty, certainly, but her severe expression ruined any natural charm.
"Jian Wan Zhūnzhǔ, may I ask what brings you here today?"
Jian Sheng remained where he was, while Yun Juan quickly brought in tea and refreshments for the three of them.
Jian Dan didn't mind being scrutinized and simply asked her question with a smile.
Jian Wan retracted her gaze and spoke.
"I heard that Junior Sister has accepted a sect mission. You'll be leading a team on behalf of the sect for the upcoming grand competition. Is this true?"
"Senior Sister, your sources are accurate. The mission token was just delivered by Jian Sheng."
Jian Sheng promptly presented the green Zhūnzhǔ-level mission token. Jian Dan held it up briefly for Jian Wan to see, then tucked it into her storage bangle.
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. This is my first time accepting a Zhūnzhǔ-level mission. Do you perhaps have any advice? I'm all ears."
Jian Wan knew she had no authority to force Jian Lu to give up the task. Her only hope was to make Jian Dan step aside voluntarily. So she tried a softer approach.
"You only just returned to the sect, and your cultivation doesn't seem fully stabilized. Taking on such a heavy mission right now might be... too much."
"You're right, Senior SIster. That's exactly why I asked Jian Sheng to stay and brief me thoroughly on the mission details."
Jian Sheng's expression didn't change, but inwardly he muttered, "Senior, you were navigating the Heavenly Demon Palace like a fish in water. Your status there was even higher than here. You've already gone to war twice in the Ming Valley, and now you're worried about leading a simple competition team"
Thinking she had found an opening, Jian Wan pressed further.
"To be honest, Junior Sister, this mission was originally assigned to me. But due to pressing matters within my clan, I was summoned back and missed the deadline. I made extensive preparations for this task."
"Oh..."
Jian Dan hesitated slightly, then gave a troubled smile.
"I wasn't aware of that when I accepted the task, Senior Sister. I hope you won't hold it against me. As you know, I've only just returned to the sect. I'm not exactly plugged into the grapevine."
Jian Wan's eyes flickered. That aligned with the information she had uncovered—Jian Dan had no backing or background. She had only been promoted because of her rapid advancement in cultivation and had been pulled up by Jian Li.
"In that case, Shimei, would you consider handing over the opportunity to lead the team to me?"
"I have no objection to letting Senior Sister take it," Jian Dan said, smiling. "But this is the first time Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ has entrusted me with an important mission. If I simply give it away, how would I explain it to him? And besides, I'm still a Void Refinement-stage cultivator. If I give it up so easily, where would that leave my reputation?"
Jian Wan found her reasoning sound. After all, once a mission was officially assigned, it couldn't simply be swapped on a whim. There was no precedent for it. And Jian Dan's current rank meant she had the right to accept and keep the task. Abandoning it without cause would indeed damage her standing.
"Senior Sister," Jian Dan continued, "maybe we can think of a win-win situation. One where you get the mission, I fulfill the expectations of my superiors, and neither of us loses face."
Jian Wan lowered her gaze in thought. It seemed Jian Dan was being genuine. She hoped to find a mutually acceptable solution.
Jian Dan stayed unhurried, fanning herself slowly.
"Junior Sister," Jian Wan eventually said, "what if you challenged me for the mission and we used the token as the wager? Would that be acceptable?"
A flicker of light passed through Jian Dan's eyes. She let her expression harden slightly, then said with just the right touch of offense, "Senior Sister, are you implying I should throw the match on the stage? That's something I cannot agree to. Not only is that insulting to me, it also demeans you."
Her words brought a flash of awkwardness to Jian Wan's face. Clearly, she hadn't thought that part through.
"Senior Sister," Jian Dan said gently, "as I said, I'm willing to give you the mission. But since you've brought up a challenge, let's do it properly. You challenge me. If I lose, it proves I'm not qualified to take on the mission. If you win, you naturally deserve the token."