Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

"She has a cool and aloof demeanor. Just by standing there, she exudes an air of unapproachable elegance. None of the elders or disciples in the Pill Tower are afraid of her, but none of them disrespect her either."

He paused, a helpless yet indulgent smile playing on his lips.

"As for her personality... she's a bit stubborn and can't tolerate any flaws. Once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it. Sometimes she speaks bluntly, like a knife, but she has a soft heart; she's a typical example of someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

The corridor was quiet, with only Su Baichen's voice echoing softly. Cai Die and Zi Yan listened intently, their breathing unconsciously becoming softer.

“Most importantly, she is deeply in love with me. This love… is no less than your sister’s.” Su Baichen’s voice deepened, carrying an unmistakable weight of affection.

After he finished speaking, he unconsciously straightened his back, a small, barely concealed hint of pride flashing across his face, as if to say: Look, although my backyard is a bit complicated, it only attracts women who are so deeply affectionate and loyal.

Zi Yan burst out laughing, rudely interrupting his smugness.

"Having said all that, between her and Sister Cailin, who do you prefer?"

This question is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

The butterfly immediately opened its eyes wide, holding its breath and waiting for the answer. Even the shadow at the corner of the corridor seemed to freeze for a moment.

Su Baichen did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes, his thick eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyelids.

Time seemed to stretch out, each breath becoming distinctly audible. The soft light of the luminous pearl bathed his profile, illuminating his slightly pursed lips.

After a long while, he opened his eyes again. Those eyes, which always held a smile, were now as calm as the night.

He didn't turn around, but simply strode forward into the dimly lit corridor, his voice as calm as if he were recounting an old story unrelated to himself.

“Xuan Yi almost gave up everything to come with me once.”

His steps were unhurried, and his voice sounded clear and distant in the empty corridor.

“She was willing to give up her status as Elder Danta and the reputation and position she had built up over half her life. At that time, I was all alone and my future was uncertain. She said, ‘Wherever you go, I will go.’”

He paused, his voice devoid of emotion, yet it inexplicably made one's heart tighten.

"And your sister..." When he mentioned Cai Lin, his tone changed slightly, like a faint ripple on a lake.

“I understand her. She can’t let go of her people. The responsibility of Queen Medusa is etched into her bones. When we were together, she certainly had feelings for me, but she was also thinking about finding a way out for her people.”

He stopped talking after that.

The answer is self-evident.

Cai Lin's love may not be any less profound than Xuan Yi's, but it is destined to be unlike Xuan Yi's, which is pure to the point of being unreserved and giving everything.

One is the resolute commitment to entrust one's entire being, body and soul, and all future to him alone; the other is the entanglement of seeking balance between deep affection and responsibility.

Both are important, but that "purity" ultimately differs at some indescribable level.

Cai Die opened her mouth, wanting to say, "My feelings for you are also true," but she swallowed the words back.

She recalled her sister's gaze as she looked alone late at night toward the direction of the Serpent Clan's holy city, and the occasional heavy and lonely air she exuded as a queen.

What Su Baichen said was true. Cruel, but real.

Zi Yan also fell silent, the amused expression on her face fading, replaced by a complex understanding.

She glanced at Su Baichen's straight yet inexplicably lonely back, then at Cai Die beside her with her eyes lowered, gently pursed her lips, and said nothing more.

Just then, Cai Die suddenly raised her head, her sharp gaze fixed on a huge stone pillar at the back of the corridor, and said in a clear voice, "Sister over there, can you come out now?"

As soon as Su Baichen began describing Xuan Yi, Cai Die keenly sensed a gaze.

The gaze initially carried a cold scrutiny as it swept over her and Zi Yan. Especially when Su Baichen described Xuan Yi, a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation crept into that scrutiny.

When Zi Yan asked that fatal question, his gaze instantly tightened, becoming almost tangible, and locked firmly on Su Baichen's back.

Su Baichen, who was walking at the front, turned around in surprise upon hearing the sound.

Not far away, beside a stone pillar, a tall and slender figure had been standing there quietly for some time.

She wore a black cheongsam with gold patterns, over which she wore a matching light gauze long gown, her figure as upright as bamboo. Her hair was styled in a high bun, revealing a section of her fair and graceful neck.

Her appearance was as Su Baichen described, a breathtaking beauty honed by time. At this moment, her calm eyes were gazing at them indifferently, their gaze cold and unreadable.

It was indeed black clothing.

"Black robes?!" Su Baichen was genuinely surprised and took a few steps over.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to wait for me in my room?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi raised his chin slightly, with an arrogant curve.

"This is the Dan Tower!"

Her voice was clear and melodious, with an innate sense of distance.

"This is my home. I can be wherever I want. It's none of your business."

Su Baichen was momentarily speechless, then touched his nose: "Uh..."

Xuan Yi stopped looking at him and turned her gaze to Cai Die.

She moved gracefully to stand before Cai Die, so close that one could clearly see the intricate and exquisite embroidery patterns on her cheongsam.

Her gaze was extremely imposing, scrutinizing Cai Diezi carefully and without any politeness from top to bottom and from left to right.

That gaze wasn't like looking at a person, but more like examining an object, assessing its value and threat.

As for Zi Yan, who looked displeased, Xuan Yi merely glanced at her and then ignored her.

She was short, had no curves, and her face still had a childish look. Overall, she looked no different from a little girl who hadn't fully grown up—in her eyes, she posed no threat whatsoever.

The silent scrutiny lasted for several breaths, and the air in the corridor seemed to freeze.

Finally, the woman in black robes parted her red lips slightly, and her clear, cold voice broke the silence.

"Is this the woman you found outside?"

As soon as she finished speaking, her gaze returned to Cai Die's face, waiting for a response, and also waiting to see how this "younger sister," or rather, "the rival's younger sister," would deal with her first direct scrutiny.

Chapter 261 Turn Enemies into Friends!

Faced with Xuan Yi's undisguised scrutiny and slightly sharp words, Cai Die was not intimidated by his cold and domineering aura. Instead, she blinked and a sweet smile bloomed on her face.

She seemed oblivious to the subtext in his words, or perhaps completely unconcerned, as she stepped forward and, with remarkable naturalness and intimacy, grabbed Xuan Yi's arm.

"Hello, Sister Xuanyi!"

The girl's voice was clear and melodious, carrying an unguarded intimacy that instantly broke the tension in the air.

"My name is Cai Die, and I'm my brother-in-law's... oh no, I mean Su Baichen's sister-in-law!" She tilted her head back, her smile as bright as the early spring sunshine, without a trace of gloom, and then she started chattering away.

"Sister, you're even more beautiful and elegant than my brother-in-law described! This cheongsam really suits you! This Dan Tower is so big and grand, I was dazzled when I came in..."

She spoke quickly and lightly, praising everything from Xuan Yi's attire to the grandeur of the Pill Tower, and from Su Baichen's occasional musings to her own curiosity upon first arriving, all with the excited expression of "I've finally met my idol."

They were so familiar with each other that it was as if they were long-lost sisters, rather than rivals or relatives meeting for the first time with a complicated relationship.

Xuan Yi was caught off guard by her series of "combined punches".

She had anticipated the other party's wariness, hostility, and even deliberate attempts to please, but she had not expected this unreasonable and direct "affectionate offensive."

The warm touch on her arm and the fresh scent emanating from the girl made her body stiffen slightly.

This guy...how come he's so outgoing!

Xuan Yi muttered to himself, a crack appearing on his cool mask.

[They have no manners at all! Who comes in and immediately hugs your arm and calls you "sister"?]

She tried to pull her arms away, but found that Cai Die was holding her tightly, but not in a way that made her feel offended. Her bright eyes were looking at her with pure affection and curiosity, which made her momentarily unsure how to deal with the overwhelming enthusiasm.

The words that had been prepared, with a hint of criticism, seemed to be stuck in his throat.

Oh well, never mind...

Looking at Cai Die's innocent (but actually scheming) smiling face, Xuan Yi's subtle hostility and scrutiny towards Cai Die, which arose because of Su Baichen, faded away considerably.

Arguing with such a naive and innocent girl seems a bit beneath me, doesn't it? Besides, she's "that person's" sister...

In the blink of an eye, the frost on Xuan Yi's face melted a little.

She subtly adjusted the arm that was being held, making herself appear more natural. She cleared her throat, and although her tone still carried its usual coldness, it had softened considerably: "Alright, alright, stop fooling around."

She looked up at Su Baichen, who was standing there stunned, and Zi Yan, whose face clearly said, "I want to watch the show too," and said, "You're new here and not familiar with this Pill Tower. Perfect, I'll show you around."

After saying that, she turned to Su Baichen, raised her chin slightly, and said in a tone that was both "disdainful" and subtly affectionate, "Hey, you deadbeat who's been out there wild for who knows how long before finally remembering to come home, I'm taking your little sister with me!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she gently broke free from the butterfly, turned around, and walked gracefully to the other side of the corridor, her steps unhurried, as if she were not the one who had been "ambushed" and was a little dazed.

Cai Die immediately followed with a grin, and Zi Yan blinked and started walking as well.

Cai Die followed half a step behind Xuan Yi, watching his tall and elegant back. Her heart was already bursting with joy, and a ecstatic shout almost burst from her chest:

[Haha, plan in action! I'm so clever!]

[As expected, when dealing with a woman who's outwardly cold but inwardly warm, and whose tsundere personality is off the charts, a direct approach is the best strategy! All that probing and defensiveness is utterly ineffective against sincerity (and tactics)!]

[Once I win over this woman in black, I'll be second only to her and her sister Cai Lin in power! My position will be secure!]

As for who will compete between her and her sister for the position of the first wife...

A sly glint flashed in the butterfly's eyes.

That's their business, I'm not getting involved!

[Maybe while they're locked in a fierce battle, I can actually benefit from it all and quietly increase my standing in my brother-in-law's eyes! Hehe!]

As for whether my brother-in-law will have other women in the future...

Butterfly's smile grew even brighter, tinged with a hint of smugness.

[Hehe, do you even understand how valuable my two older sisters are to Su Baichen? One is his beloved (or perhaps one of his many), and the other is a devoted lover who would give up everything for him. With these two "big shots" protecting me, my position as the third-in-command is unshakeable! It's secure!]

Hehe! (∩_∩)

Xuan Yi, walking in front, naturally couldn't hear Cai Die's inner "grand plans." He only thought that the girl had a sweet smile and clear eyes, and was much more pleasing to the eye than he had imagined.

Meanwhile, Su Baichen, who was left behind, was staring at Zi Yan, who was also out of touch with him, with no idea what to do.

Su Baichen: [What's going on between them?]

He had imagined all sorts of scenarios that might occur when Xuan Yi and Cai Die met: cold indifference, witty banter, or even rivalry... but he never expected such a harmonious scene of "instant friendship" and the two calling each other "sister" so affectionately!

When did that girl Cai Die become so good at handling things?