Chapter Twelve: The Mystery of the Jade Pendant

We returned to the Tianxuan Hall, and only then did Daxian let go of my hand.

My arm, which had been tightly gripped, felt numb and painful. With a few more signs of discomfort on my face, I rubbed my arm and asked irritably, "Daxian, why did you just help your junior sister? Aren't you afraid that by shielding her, she'll become even more unscrupulous in the future?"

"She's still your elder, after all. If you push things too far, won't you suffer more in the future? Besides, she might become your martial aunt someday." He reached out to help massage my arm, but I dodged him.

"Hmph, you're not my master anyway," I muttered.

Sitting down, I tried to pour myself some tea, but a sharp pain from my abdomen made me clutch my wound and squat down in agony.

Daxian hurried over with a worried look, asking if my wound hurt. I bit my lip and nodded. He helped me to the bed to heal my injury.

Daxian's internal energy felt cool, like gentle ice and snow flowing from his palms into my body. Soon, the pain in my wound subsided. He withdrew his hands and asked how I felt. I sat cross-legged, turned my back to him, and ignored him.

"Lingluo must have her reasons for doing what she did. Why are you taking it so seriously?" he asked.

It would've been better if he hadn't defended Lingluo. His words only made me feel even more aggrieved. His junior sister had been constantly hostile towards me, trying to harm me, and I couldn't even hold her accountable?

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Unable to hold back, I turned around and slapped his shoulder, beginning to recount my grievances. "Daxian, three years ago, it was your junior sister who captured me and locked me in a cave with monsters. It was also because of something she said that you persuaded me to stay at Qiongyun, right? And now, she smeared Fire Scale Powder on the sword hilt, causing me to lose the match. I really don't understand what she's up to."

Daxian seemed to ponder for a moment, then asked, "Do you remember Gui Li Mountain?"

I nodded. "Of course I remember. That village was full of monsters. I even got bitten by a snake there, but it turned out I'm immune to all poisons. The venom didn't affect me at all."

"The Gui Li Mountain was filled with resentment and evil energy. Ordinary mortals entering would surely die, but you emerged unscathed. I thought you had great potential."

He poured me a cup of tea and continued, "Actually, you're not immune to all poisons. The toxins you encountered were absorbed by the Moon Spirit Jade you wear. If you took it off, you would be poisoned just like anyone else."

So, it seemed I wasn't just an ordinary person after all. But why couldn't I remember anything except my name?

Could it be that my archenemy tricked me, causing me to lose my memory with a single blow?

This Moon Spirit Jade really was a treasure. It seemed I should explore its other uses in the future. Wait a minute, could my memories be sealed inside this jade?

Thinking this, I took a sip of tea and nearly spat it out. I handed the cup back to Daxian and coughed several times.

"Cough... Cough... This... this wretched pendant."

I jumped off the bed, took off the jade pendant, and placed it on the table, then slammed my palm down on it.

Ow, ow, ow, it hurts! Clutching my hand, I hopped around in pain, wailing.

I had clearly used my internal energy in that palm strike, yet the pendant remained unscathed while my hand felt nearly shattered.

It seemed this treasure wasn't so easily dealt with. But perhaps Daxian, with his profound powers, could help me break it?

I looked at Daxian. He seemed to be holding back laughter, his face turning red. As I turned towards him, he couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

He laughed while saying, "If the Moon Spirit Jade could be destroyed so easily, it wouldn't be considered a rare treasure of the celestial realm. How could you be so foolish?"

"How am I foolish? I just wanted to see if I could break the jade. Maybe my memories are sealed inside," I retorted, rubbing the pendant and flicking it with my finger. The sound it made wasn't any better than knocking on a stone.

I said, "This is just a pretty, translucent stone. Jade stone, jade stone—it seems that if a stone is born looking good, it gets the name jade. That's really unfair. Pretty jade stones are more fragile than ugly stones. If you ask me, the people who treat impractical jade as a treasure are the real fools."

"Your reasoning is... something else. Alright, I won't laugh at you anymore. Wait here for a bit," Daxian said, shaking his head with a hint of resignation. He left the room with a mysterious air and returned as if by magic, holding a plate of pastries.

"Here, eat," he said, sitting down beside me and trying to place the plate in my hands.

I pulled my hands behind my back and asked suspiciously, "Where did these come from? If Lingluo made them, I'm not eating."

He picked up a pastry and stuffed it into my mouth, then took my arm and placed the rest in my hands. "I made these myself. Why are you being so picky? Didn't you enjoy the ones Lingluo made before?"

I mumbled through the pastry, "Times have changed. What if she poisoned these?"

He opened a book and flipped through it, then patted my head reassuringly. "Don't worry, I just tried one. Besides, don't you still have the Moon Spirit Jade?"

What did he mean by that? Were these pastries actually made by Lingluo? Or did she send them?

Pretending not to hear Daxian's comment, I contentedly grabbed two or three more pastries and stuffed them into my mouth. With my cheeks puffed out, I leaned over his shoulder to look at his book, accidentally spitting crumbs onto the page he was reading.

Daxian brushed the crumbs off with his sleeve, frowning slightly. "Where did you learn such bad habits?"

I struggled to swallow the pastries and tilted my head to the side, saying, "Who told you to deceive me?"

"...Can't you just be more proper? You're nothing like a disciple of the Qiongyun Sect."

"I'm not one of your Qiongyun disciples anyway. And you don't seem like an immortal. People say true immortals are detached from worldly affairs, free from joy and sorrow, either mature and steady or kind and amiable. But you got so mad just because I picked a flower last time."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Immortals merely become indifferent to the seven emotions and six desires, not completely detached from them. Besides, you almost got yourself killed last time. How could I not..." Daxian abruptly stopped, as if he had choked on his words.

Curious, I asked, "Daxian, were you worried about me?"

He stood up, tapped my head with his book, and muttered a barely audible "Hmm" before trying to leave.

I shakily stood up from the bed and asked, "Daxian, where are you going?"

"To read, of course. You should stay put and rest these next few days. Don't run around aimlessly."

He was clearly worried about me but wouldn't admit it directly. How awkward! I made a sound of disapproval, curled my feet back under the blanket, and continued to eat the pastries.