Chapter 53: The Polished Spokesman

Zora and the others went to Floating Cloud Valley, handed in their mission, and returned.

She spent her days cultivating at the December Sect, though occasionally, Zora would stare intently at her friends' faces.

She stared until Yiling Ke felt a strange unease; Song Zhihuai sat with his back even straighter; and Turi Qi’s smile deepened. However, since Zora had received Vane's explanation, she stopped asking further questions about it. Yiling Ke simply chalked it up to a sudden whim of her genius friend.

Every time, Vane would stand to the side holding his long spear, watching quietly.

While Zora stared at others, he would discreetly glance at Zora.

Finally, unable to contain her curiosity and fearing she might hear some soul-crushing explanation from Zora herself, Yiling Ke gave it some thought—at least Vane knew how to talk! He could spin black into white and make it sound pleasant. She quietly approached Vane and asked, "What has Zora been up to lately?"

Vane paused.

The words rolled around in his throat; for some reason, he didn't want to say them.

It wasn't just jealousy.

It was a mixture of joy that only he could understand her actions, threads of envy, and various other emotions tangled together, climbing and intertwining so complexly that even he had no heart to decipher them.

"..." Vane appeared normal on the surface. He paused for a moment before speaking. "It’s because Zora thinks you all look better than before. She wants to know if your looks have truly improved, or if her own heart has made you more beautiful."

"Is that so? To think Zora would think about that. Well, she is a stoic, but she's not a block of wood—" Yiling Ke's expression shifted to surprise, then she looked as triumphant as if she had been awarded a prize.

"She should have said so earlier! I'll let her look her fill!"

She dashed off toward the Falling Rock Forest without a moment's delay.

Vane watched her back peacefully before withdrawing his gaze.

Even if he didn't want to speak, he had to tell the truth. Because it would make her friends happy, which was good for her. Doing so was the mark of Zora's best servant.

Vane lowered his lashes, looking at the reflection of his own face in the tip of his spear. His features looked fierce, his brow slightly furrowed; he seemed to be in a poor state.

Since no one was watching, he had no intention of adjusting. He locked eyes with his reflection for a moment, then looked away.

That night, while he was reading in his room, the door was suddenly pushed open.

It was Zora. She glanced at a slightly startled Vane and said, "I'm going to read here."

Without waiting for Vane's reaction, she walked straight to the couch by the window. Vane had replaced it with a more comfortable one recently and cleaned it regularly so she could lie on it at any time.

Though she had never come until now.

As Zora curled up on the couch with a book, Vane seemed to snap back to his senses. He instantly lowered his gaze, withdrawing the fixed stare he had been giving her.

The youth read two more pages, then in the silence, he suddenly stood up and moved the bright candle to the small table beside her couch.

Zora felt her vision brighten. Without turning around, she lay prone on the couch, propping her face in her hands, reading word by word.

Vane waited until she finished the volume before asking her about it unobtrusively.

Zora, without any guard, said in confusion, "Yiling Ke insisted I look at her. She was so excited she was like meat sizzling in a pan, talking non-stop. She even wanted to sleep with me at night, but she kept talking even after falling asleep, so I came here."

Vane: "...I see."

Zora: "Did you tell her?"

She didn't specify what, but he knew exactly what she meant. He said, "Mhm."

Vane paused, then suddenly added, "Apologies. I should have asked for your permission before speaking."

He was usually skilled at reading expressions and knew Zora didn't care about this, yet for a moment his heart was in turmoil. He restricted himself and lowered his head to admit fault.

Huh?

Zora tilted her head to glance at him.

If he needed her to decide on such trivial matters, wouldn't she be exhausted?

Zora suddenly felt he was very useful and said happily, "No need. Besides, I'm in a good mood. Do it this way from now on. If I don't want to explain, you do it. Don't ask me, it's too much trouble."

"...Yes."

In the dead of night, as the candle flickered low, Vane remained seated by the table. After finishing his book, he looked up to find Zora already curled up and asleep.

He stood up to pull the quilt over her.

Even as a cultivator, she was still afraid of the cold and chilled easily; such was her constitution.

The faint candlelight intermingled with the moonlight, making her look as if she were lying in a soft bed woven from the night itself. Her features were harmless and soft.

He watched for a long while before blowing out the lamp.

She said she was in a good mood; presumably Yiling Ke's behavior had made her happy. This was normal. Zora didn't understand the meaning of "friend," she only knew she was pleased and didn't probe for the reason.

Vane watched her in the darkness for a few more moments, then sat back at his desk, silently looking over the missions Zora had recently accepted.

She had asked him to come along. There were many tasks, and Vane naturally had to plan the best and most comfortable route based on the locations.

It was completely different from the blunt and efficient way he handled missions on his own.

As he looked, he suddenly gave a small smile.

The displeasure caused by jealousy during the day receded entirely while he was alone.

She was happy because of it.

She wanted him to follow her on the missions.

She was sleeping right now on the couch he had prepared.

The youth was like an animal being smoothed over, slowly relaxing.

A month passed in quiet unawareness.

Zora received another mission from Floating Cloud Valley. She took Vane along, finished the tasks on the way, and headed to Floating Cloud Valley again to hand them in.

The relationship between Floating Cloud Valley and the December Sect was indeed excellent; in any crowded area, you could see that half the people were from the Valley and half were cultivators from the Sect.

"Here, this is your reward." A medicine cultivator handed a coin bag to a sword cultivator and smiled. "And thank you for your help."

"No need, no need! Just doing my part, just doing my part!" The sword cultivator repeated himself twice, smiling like a flower.

"No, no, without your December Sect, our Floating Cloud Valley wouldn't be able to stand against those monsters. They've been getting stronger lately."

"Oh, it's nothing! Without your Floating Cloud Valley, we wouldn't have such good pills and herbs."

"Still, the December Sect's contribution is greater."

"No, no, it’s Floating Cloud Valley’s."

"No, no, it's the December Sect's."

...

It was a scene of total harmony; one could hardly tell these were the same sword cultivators who would issue dueling challenges at the slightest disagreement back at the sect.

Zora watched with interest for a moment until Vane returned with the payment.

"Excuse me, can the reward be raised a bit more?"

An overly humble female voice reached Zora's ears.

"We categorize rewards based on the monster's strength. The monster in your village really only reaches Rank C," the disciple receiving and posting missions said apologetically.

Monster mission ranks were generally divided into A, B, C, D, and E—a very blunt classification that matched the rough sect systems of the cultivation world.

"But... what if something happens to the disciples who come..." The woman looked to be in her early twenties. Her cultivation seemed to have just entered the late Foundation Establishment stage, but a keen observer could see she had stayed there for a long time and reached her limit.

There was a heavy aura of mortality about her that she had no power to hide; it was the state of a person in the mortal realm who was about to die of old age.

"It'll be fine." The disciple had a professional smile; he had worn it all day, and the expression was fixed.

He comforted her, "If someone dies after accepting the mission, we won't trouble the employer. Since the monster in your village is indeed Rank C, if the disciple who takes the task dies, we will raise the rank as appropriate."

After all, there were only so many cultivators; mission ranks had to be restricted by regulations.

"Well... alright then..."

Liyu murmured, handing him the mission description parchment.

Thinking of the matters in her village, she stared blankly as the disciple posted the mission on the wall, mixing it in with a crowd of Rank D and E tasks.

Who knew how long it would take to be accepted... the reward was so low, and the location so remote.

Liyu hesitated to leave, still bearing the dust of her long journey.

In the next moment, she saw a girl walk straight to the mission wall, look up at her mission parchment, and tear it down expressionlessly.

Liyu froze. "..."

The girl was young with a cute, spirited face. She was a sword cultivator, yet lacked the typical killing intent.

The girl walked toward a youth in black. That youth was the one surrounded by a faint coldness, appearing like someone not easily approached.

But when he smiled, that sense of distance vanished.

After the youth spoke a few words to her, he looked up at Liyu in a leisurely manner. Liyu was startled; just as she was about to approach, she saw him lower his head to whisper something to the girl.

The sword cultivator looked toward her after hearing him.

They must be coming to coordinate with the employer...

Liyu steadied her heart, but before she could take a step, the sword cultivator nodded at her as a greeting and then left.

Liyu instinctively nodded back in response.

"...?"

They're just leaving?

The party only left behind the youth in black to register the mission.

Liyu was left standing there, not knowing what to do for a moment.

"..."

The registration process at Floating Cloud Valley was more tedious. When Vane finished and came out, he saw the employer was still there and raised a brow slightly.

He approached and smiled. "Pardon me, are you the employer who posted the mission for Daoshi Village?"

Liyu nodded slowly. "...Yes."

"Apologies. Because your mission stated that the cultivator only needs to arrive at the destination within three days to coordinate with you, Zora—the one I was with just now—wishes to speak with you once we reach the destination."

It was magical. A moment ago the youth had a cold look, yet as soon as he interacted with others, he became as pleasant as a spring breeze.

"I see. That is perfectly fine." Liyu breathed a sigh of relief and responded.

Vane continued to smile. "Is your mission urgent?"

Liyu said hurriedly, "Arriving within three days is fine. The monster is still in its incubation period."

Vane pondered for a moment. "We will be as quick as possible."

"Thank you..." She had naturally seen their sect emblems. "I didn't expect disciples from a major sect to take it."

They exchanged a few more words about the mission. The youth’s brief sentences instantly smoothed over Liyu’s earlier confusion and surprise; she even felt she had misunderstood the sword cultivator from before.

Because the mission was agreed upon that way, she seriously followed the agreement without considering anything else? What a strange and cute personality.

Liyu thought.

Liyu: "My name is Liyu. May I ask your names?"

Vane: "I am Vane. Her name is Zora."

It wasn't until after Vane left that Liyu slowly remembered she seemed to have heard Zora's name before.

The memory was fuzzy because she stayed in her village year-round; it was rare for outside news to reach her.

Zora... Zora...

On Liyu's way back to the village, when the wind blew through the woods making a rustling sound, she suddenly remembered.

—

Isn't that the rising star of the sword cultivators? Her master is the once-famous Zhou Shijin who could stand alongside the Sword Sovereign. She has a top-tier dual spiritual root, and I hear her state of mind is incredibly stable.

There are few geniuses in the cultivation world. As long as a few appear, they are sung of by the world as figures with limitless futures, though how the future unfolds depends on their own destiny.

Liyu felt a bit more settled.

The monster should be successfully eradicated.

Zora truly had no concept of coordinating beforehand because she saw the requirements written on the mission sheet.

She also didn't place much importance on the coordination itself.

Zora’s ideal coordination scene in her mind was:

The employer points directly: "Kill this one. It comes out at this time and stays in at that time. Its traits are these."

Zora gives a hum, unsheathes her sword, and fights. After the fight, she hands in the task and collects the pay.

That’s it.

Very simple.

However, reality was different every time. Missions that didn't require coordination and just allowed her to rush at the monster were fine, but once coordination was needed, she found it troublesome. Just like with the Master from last time, Zora had learned a new solution recently.

—In these troublesome moments, it was best to bring Vane along.

When talking was needed, she deployed Vane, and he was exceptionally obedient.

Vane steps forward: "We are from the December Sect..."

The employer weeps: "You've finally come!"

The two exchange pleasantries. The employer treats them with the etiquette reserved for honored guests, which is naturally tedious.

Vane smiles, handling it with ease, using a few words to calm the person: "May I ask the location of the monster..."

Vane extracts key information from a pile of emotionally charged nonsense. In the next moment, he lowers his head to give Zora a brief, concise summary while she is spacing out.

Only then does she perk up her ears to listen. After listening, she fights. After fighting, she releases Vane again to handle the employer's tearful gratitude and endless speeches. Some even have ulterior motives, using schemes to try and make them their own tools.

He handles all of that too.

—

He's very useful.

Zora had said so sincerely after completing a mission the day before yesterday.

"This is praise."

She had even added that sentence solemnly.

Upon hearing that, Vane had looked away with a calm face, but his ears had turned a mysterious crimson.

Then the youth looked back steadily and gave a smile.

The smile was just right, causing Zora to stare at his face with great interest.

He looked at her and said, "Thank you."