Following behind Fan Xin, Yang Kai asked, "Senior Sister Fan Xin, why does the Pavilion Master wish to see me?"
Fan Xin smiled. "The Master's affairs, this disciple does not dare to inquire."
She had only come under orders — how could she possibly know why the Ice Heart Pavilion Master wanted to meet Yang Kai? After a brief pause, she added, "However, the Master rarely meets outsiders. Even we disciples haven't seen her for a very long time."
As she spoke, a trace of melancholy crossed her face, along with a hint of envy — as if she envied Yang Kai, an outsider, for having the fortune of being summoned by their Master.
"When you meet the Master, don't look at what you shouldn't look at, and don't say what you shouldn't say. If you anger the Master, no one on this island will be able to save you," Fan Xin warned uneasily, worried that Yang Kai might be discourteous before the Master.
"I'll keep that in mind," Yang Kai replied solemnly. But after Fan Xin's warning, he inexplicably felt a bit nervous. He had a growing feeling that this Ice Heart Pavilion Master was not an easy person to deal with — quite possibly an ill-tempered old woman.
"Oh, right — my junior sister, these past few days…" Yang Kai suddenly thought of Liu Qianyun. Ever since taking shelter in the Ice Heart Pavilion, he hadn't seen her and had no idea how she had been faring.
Fan Xin said, "As for Junior Sister Liu, please rest assured. She has a gentle temperament and gets along very well with our sisters. She even volunteered to help us, so I've had her lending a hand around the pavilion."
"That's good to hear." Yang Kai let out a sigh of relief. Liu Qianyun was not someone who liked to cause trouble — that much he didn't need to worry about.
While they talked, they had already arrived at the sixth floor of the Ice Heart Pavilion. Just as Yang Kai had expected, the extraordinary Ice Heart Pavilion Master resided on this very floor.
Standing before the door, Fan Xin said, "Alchemy Master Yang, please go in yourself. The Master is waiting inside for you."
"Thank you!" Yang Kai gave a slight nod and pushed the door open.
After stepping onto the sixth floor, Yang Kai had barely begun to take in his surroundings when the door behind him slammed shut with a clatter. He remained composed, calmly scanning the area.
The sixth floor was not particularly large, but every piece of furnishing radiated an ineffacious spiritual vitality, as though these inanimate objects possessed lives of their own. It made one feel inexplicably at ease and filled with a quiet sense of pleasure.
Yang Kai marveled inwardly as he walked further in. Everything he saw was simple yet elegant, and a faintly natural fragrance drifted through the air, giving him the surreal impression of having wandered into a young maiden's boudoir.
"Are you the new alchemist?" A pleasant, melodious voice suddenly came from the side. The voice was incredibly clear — gentle yet serene, untainted by any worldly air, as if it descended from the highest heavens, ethereal and traceless.
Yang Kai's expression shifted. He quickly turned toward the source of the voice.
He had not detected anyone nearby whatsoever, yet the voice had suddenly reached his ears — which meant its owner's cultivation far exceeded his own, making her completely imperceptible to him. Had this person intended him harm, he would have already been struck down. The moment that thought crossed his mind, cold sweat broke out across his back.
What met his eyes was a girl in a palatial gown, standing quietly. She regarded him with an expression of tranquil detachment. Just like her voice, the girl exuded an air of ethereal grace, like a white lotus in full bloom, unsullied by the slightest speck of dust.
Yang Kai's first impression upon seeing her was purity — purity as flawless as a lake with not a single impurity. He could hardly believe that such a pristine, unblemished woman existed in this world.
The next moment, Yang Kai felt a sense of familiarity.
It wasn't just the girl's pure aura that felt familiar — her appearance did as well. He had the nagging feeling that he had seen this girl somewhere before. A distant image flickered through his mind, there and gone in an instant. He tried to grasp it, but couldn't recall where or when he had seen it.
Seeing Yang Kai staring blankly at her with a lovestruck expression, the girl furrowed her elegant brows slightly and raised her hand, intending to teach him a lesson.
She knew the kind of impact her appearance had on men. Since she had begun her Cultivation, she had seen this scene countless times. She knew what depraved thoughts ran through those men's minds as they gazed upon her.
She assumed Yang Kai was the same.
But she quickly noticed something amiss. Though Yang Kai stared at her without blinking, there was not the slightest hint of lechery in his eyes. What she saw instead was wonder, nostalgia, and puzzlement.
Wonder she could understand — but nostalgia and puzzlement? The girl clearly saw the confusion filling Yang Kai's eyes, as though he were puzzled by something, and at the same time reminiscing about someone. The expression on his face was extraordinarily tender.
She lowered her jade-like hand and let out a soft, contemptuous hmph.
Yang Kai jolted awake, his face flushing red. He realized that staring so intently at someone was terribly rude — and this person was very likely the Ice Heart Pavilion Master. Cold sweat beaded his forehead. He bowed his head and clasped his fists. "That is correct. May I ask… are you the Ice Heart Pavilion Master?"
He still couldn't believe that this flawlessly pure girl was the master of the Ice Heart Pavilion. He had assumed she would be a temperamental old woman! The contrast was almost too great.
"I am." The girl gave a slight nod.
"This junior Yang Kai greets Senior. For any discourtesy, please forgive me," Yang Kai hastened to say.