When Yun Jin and Yu Songnian descended the mountain, Lin Ya never mentioned anything about the Yuehua Sect.
If Lin Ya had known in advance, he certainly would have warned them.
But he didn't say a word.
That could only mean the matter between Yuehua Sect and the Yu family hadn't spread beyond Lin City. Most likely, Yuehua Sect wanted to avoid drawing too much attention to the Sword Domain, so they kept the news under wraps.
But this time—
Yuehua Sect seemed fully confident. They intended to seize this once-in-ten-years opportunity, when the Sword Domain opened, to make a grand show of force and break through it completely.
Since they were clearly trying to promote Ma Yuanwu, even though Tianxing Sect was remote, the news would likely reach them soon enough.
Yun Jin quickly caught up to Yu Songnian.
Yu Songnian's face was grim. He walked forward without a word.
Yun Jin quietly followed him.
After a while, Yu Songnian suddenly stopped. He looked at Yun Jin with a trace of guilt. "Little Sister, I…"
Yun Jin was as gentle as ever. "Senior Brother, there's no need to explain. I understand."
Yu Songnian nodded. His voice was heavy. "Father worked so hard to build up the Yu family."
To many within the clan, the current Yu family might seem better than ever.
But to Yu Songnian, everything his father worked for had been destroyed.
Yun Jin spoke softly. "Then let's change the Yu family."
Change?
Easier said than done.
Yu Songnian gave a bitter smile.
Now the Yu family had Yuehua Sect as their backer. They were riding high, basking in success.
And him? Just a useless man. What could he possibly change?
Yun Jin looked at him earnestly. "Honestly, Senior Brother, you are the true direct heir. If you hadn't been pushed out back then, the position of clan head would rightfully be yours. Since you dislike what the Yu family has become, take back the position, then change everything from the top."
Yu Songnian trembled.
He stared at Yun Jin.
Words that sounded like a fantasy had come from her lips so naturally, as if things were simply meant to be this way.
"Is there a problem?" Yun Jin tilted her head, confused by his reaction.
Yu Songnian kept looking at her, then suddenly burst into laughter.
How could he have forgotten?
In front of his Little Sister, there was no such thing as fantasy. She was the one most skilled at creating miracles. If she were the one in this situation, Yu Songnian had no doubt she could reclaim the Yu family and change it completely.
But…
He was just a failure. He was already struggling to even maintain his Golden Core stage cultivation.
How could he possibly accomplish such a thing?
Yu Songnian spoke slowly. "Little Sister, we came here mainly to complete a sect mission. The Yu family was just a stop along the way. Now that a super sect is involved, getting further involved is dangerous. We should finish the mission and leave Lin City immediately."
It wasn't that Yu Songnian feared danger. But this was Yun Jin's first time away from the sect. He didn't want her exposed to risk.
After all, that was a super sect. For Yun Jin, and even for all of Tianxing Sect, they were a behemoth.
Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "We'll finish the mission, and I'm going to the Sword Domain too. Just because Ma Yuanwu says he can break through it, does that mean he definitely can? Yuehua Sect has made such a spectacle of this. A crowd is bound to gather. If I break through the Sword Domain in front of everyone, what can they possibly do to me?"
In truth, Yun Jin hoped the news of Ma Yuanwu breaking the Sword Domain would spread as far as possible. The more people came, the less room Yuehua Sect would have to play dirty. And if something unexpected happened, she still had the token given by Ji Wusi to call for help from the nearby Demon-Slaying Alliance.
Not that Yun Jin wanted to use the Demon-Slaying Alliance to pressure others. She just wanted a fair competition. No one would have grounds to complain about that.
Besides—
Her Senior Brother's condition could no longer wait. If they didn't resolve the situation here, her Senior Brother would be left to die. Even if it involved some risk, she had to break through the Sword Domain and use it to make demands of the Yu family, to uncover the truth of her Senior Brother's origin.
These thoughts, Yun Jin didn't say aloud. Saying them would only add pressure to Yu Songnian. But she had already made up her mind.
Yun Jin's resolve was firm. Yu Songnian wasn't surprised at all.
Retreating in the face of difficulty had never been her style.
A faint smile slowly formed at the corners of his lips. "Alright, Little Sister. Then I'll go with you and stir up some real trouble."
"That's more like it! I knew it. You people connected to stone are never ordinary," Yun Jin said, patting Yu Songnian's shoulder.
The last one connected to stone had been Sun Wukong, after all.
Yu Songnian didn't understand, giving her a puzzled look.
Yun Jin chuckled but didn't explain. "Senior Brother, let's wait for the Sword Tomb to open and the Sword Domain to activate. When the time comes, I will take the treasure from the central area."
Yu Songnian nodded. The two of them concealed their presence and soon vanished into the night.
—
Yu Family.
The Yu family patriarch wore a dark expression as he stared at the seven people kneeling before him.
They had brought that damned recording stone all the way back and completely disgraced the Yu family. If he hadn't destroyed the wretched thing himself, it would have kept playing.
"Father," said a young man standing to the side with a smile. "That worthless waste actually came back. You should be glad."
This young man was Yu Lin's treasured son, Yu Liangping, who had been accepted into Yuehua Sect.
Yu Lin's frown eased slightly. He said calmly, "After the Sword Domain matter is over, I planned to visit Tianxing Sect and deal with that little bastard. Since he came to us of his own accord, we'll just eliminate the threat a bit early."
Yu Songnian was, after all, a legitimate heir of the Yu family.
Though he had forced Yu Songnian out back then, some of the old fossils in the clan still obsessed over bringing him back.
What a joke.
Just a useless good-for-nothing.
Yet just because of his so-called legitimate lineage, there were actually people hoping he would replace Yu Lin.
Utterly ridiculous.
Very well then. In front of those old fools, he would kill Yu Songnian and crush their delusions once and for all.
"The one who acted in the recording must be that Yun Jin," Yu Liangping remarked.
Yu Lin narrowed his eyes. "It should be her."
Word about Tianxing Sect had started to spread, though the rumors were exaggerated and not many believed them.
This Yun Jin might have some talent, but how exceptional could anyone from Tianxing Sect really be? It was just a backwater place full of people who had never seen the wider world, prone to exaggeration.
"She's said to be a sword genius. If she's come to Lin City, it must be for the Sword Domain," Yu Liangping continued.
"How laughable. A mere Tianxing Sect sword genius?" Yu Lin sneered. "With your Senior Brother Ma here, she'll soon see what a true genius looks like."
Yu Liangping laughed as well. "Senior Brother Ma arrives tomorrow. This time, he will surely break through the Sword Domain. If Yun Jin shows up, Yu Songnian will no doubt follow. On the day the domain opens, we can eliminate them both."
"Perfect," Yu Lin said with satisfaction. He looked at Yu Liangping with a proud smile. "Liangping, I'm so fortunate to have a son like you."
If Yu Liangping hadn't joined Yuehua Sect…
When Yu Feng died, those stubborn old fools demanded an investigation. When Yu Songnian was forced out, they wanted to bring him back.
But once Liangping earned Yuehua Sect's favor, those voices grew quieter and quieter.
The most obstinate ones were locked away. Without his word, they would never be released.
At last, he could enjoy some peace.
And in a few days, once Yu Songnian was removed, he could finally rest easy, with no more threats hanging over him.