Chapter 65.2 What’s happening now?
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The beautiful scenery of the maple forest in Shu Peak during the evening was captivating, with flowers and leaves interwoven and the starry sky radiant. At the end of this path, illuminated by a silver-red dim fire, was the Repository Tower. At this time, the lights were still on. As the largest library in Yunxiao, it wasn’t tall but occupied a vast area.
The moment Pei Jing saw the Repository Tower, he thought of Elder Lou’s fierce and terrifying appearance, followed by the Celestial Pavilion.
On a whim, Pei Jing suddenly turned his head and said to Chu Junyu, “I’ll take you to a place! Just follow me!”
Chu Junyu lazily glanced at him and walked behind him.
Elder Lou, in his old age, besides his fondness for worldly elegance, had also taken up the practices of mortals, focusing on personal cultivation and surrendering to fate. At this hour, he would usually have returned, leaving only a female cultivator from Shu Peak flipping through ancient books. Pei Jing, not seeing the Elder at the moment, smiled and said, “Heaven truly helps me.”
The female cultivator guarding the area wore the spring attire of an Inner Peak disciple. Her dress fluttered in the wind, creating a water-like flow of blossoms. At this moment, she rested one hand against her cheek, propped on the table, while the other hand flipped through dry herbs, yawning.
Without Elder Lou, there was no need to bother with those secretive matters. Pei Jing walked directly towards the upper floor, which startled the drowsy young woman.
Upon hearing the commotion, she abruptly set down her hand and said, “Going upstairs is not permitted at the moment!”
Pei Jing turned back at the staircase and asked, “Why not?”
The female cultivator froze, her face turning red, but she remained earnest and responsible. “Elder Lou said that without his presence, no one is allowed on the second floor.”
Pei Jing sneered, confirming that the old man’s rules only increased year by year.
Feeling mischievous, he winked at the female cultivator. In the semi-darkness of the staircase, there was an intriguing atmosphere.
“Just don’t tell him, alright?”
Unable to clearly see his appearance, the female cultivator could only make out his silky black hair and immaculate snow-white robe, exuding an aura similar to orchids and jade.
In a blink of an eye, her mind was filled with exploding lava, leaving her stiff all over. She was momentarily tempted to nod, but the image of Elder Lou’s furious face, capable of reducing anyone to tears, brought her back to reality. Shaking her head, she said, “No, no, no, it’s not allowed.”
Pei Jing lazily responded, “Well, then tell him that Senior Brother Chen Xu insisted on going upstairs.”
Chu Junyu, who had been silent all along, suddenly remarked, “It’s him again.”
Upon Chu Junyu’s reminder, Pei Jing couldn’t help but feel amused. Chen Xu was indeed an expert at taking the blame for him. But to be fair, it wasn’t really taking the blame because Elder Lou would never believe that young Chen Xu had the audacity to make him cry due to glaring. Yet, in the end, the grudge was still held against Pei Jing.
“Well, let’s spare Chen Xu from taking the blame this time.” Leaning on the railing, Pei Jing turned to the female cultivator and said, “You can directly tell Elder Lou my name, he will understand.”
The female cultivator was taken aback. She had a faint name in her mind, but she didn’t dare to confirm it. “May I ask, Senior Brother…”
Pei Jing didn’t let her finish and smiled, saying, “Tianqian Peak, Pei Yuzhi.”
As the dream of countless girls and a perennial occupant of the top spot on the cultivation world’s most handsome rankings, his natural charm was undeniable. Normally, he carried an air of aloofness and coldness in front of his Master, but now, with this smile, his brows revealed a touch of elegance.
The female cultivator blushed, instantly awake from her drowsiness. Before she could regain her senses, Pei Jing had already ascended the stairs. She held a book against her flushed face, filled with excitement. After a while, she sighed, “No wonder they call him the heart thief of Inner Peaks. Senior Brother is just too captivating. But it seems like he doesn’t show interest in women, sigh.” With a mix of sourness and regret, the female cultivator suddenly realized something—wait, who was that person standing next to Senior Brother just now? The person was in the darkness, but his figure was tall… and his clothes were pitch black, giving off an extraordinary aura… as the moonlight shifted at the staircase, his… his hair seemed to be white.
“Black hair and white clothes, white hair and black clothes…” The girl, who had always been teased by her friends, widened her eyes in surprise. “Senior Brother is experiencing a change of heart? He’s no longer interested in the Phoenix Emperor?”
Just as Feng Jin wouldn’t know why he received sympathetic looks when he arrived at Yunxiao, Pei Jing wouldn’t know how the rumor about him enjoying a secret affair in Tianqian Peak’s hidden chambers would spread throughout Yunxiao.
The second floor was purely reserved for Golden Core cultivators.
Yunxiao had a vast collection of books, containing various mysterious and profound martial arts. Pei Jing had boredly flipped through a few in the past, such as the “Authentic Compilation of Qianyuan,” “Jinyu Immortal Scripture,” and “Hunyuan Technique.” However, during his time at the Institute of Celestial Ascension, his Master had explained to him that he should focus on one path. Those techniques were meant for disciples who were not proficient in swordsmanship. After all, the Great Dao consisted of fifty, while the Heavenly Manifestation had forty-nine, leaving only one for human exploration. He had already advanced his swordsmanship to the seventh level, so there was no need to bother with those techniques.
Apart from techniques, there were also some odd skills, like threading needles and cultivating plants and livestock. What surprised people even more was that Pei Jing had once stumbled upon techniques specifically designed for female cultivators, related to dual cultivation arts. It truly encompassed a myriad of approaches.
However, this time, he came not for those techniques.
Just as in the past, when he went upstairs out of boredom to play in the Celestial Pavilion.
Inside, he pushed open the door, and the magnificent sight of mountains of books and seas of paintings greeted him. Every character emitted a faint golden radiance, descending from above, slowly rotating, and transforming in the blink of an eye. At the center of Celestial Pavilion, the ink, brushes, paper, and inkstone had been put away, leaving only a table and a cushion. Back then, he had sought answers here regarding his return to basics, so with a sweep of his finger through the air, traversing the countless volumes, he summoned the scene from his past.
“My Master once instructed me to return to basics, but at the time, I couldn’t fully comprehend it, and he severed contact with me. So, I came to the Celestial Pavilion seeking answers.”
How does one return to basics?
Different from the messy handwriting in his diary, these lines were concise, resolute, and carried the spirit of a youth’s elegance.
The grayish ink marks beneath still remained.
—Let’s see how one can achieve a return to basics. If it’s due to encountering inner demons, then counter them with poison as a means to eliminate the root cause. If it’s because of insufficient experience and an inability to comprehend the Dao, then immersing oneself in the mundane world becomes the path back to basics.
—It’s not necessary to wash away memories and enter the mortal realm. Amidst the countless worlds, wherever there are people, the mortal realm exists.
Chu Junyu’s gaze swept from top to bottom, and then he spoke in a calm tone, “So, you assumed a hidden identity and arrived at Yinghui Peak.”
Pei Jing rested his hand on the table, exuding a graceful and refined aura, like a wealthy young master in the mortal realm, and smiled, “One of the reasons, as I told you before, was to select disciples.”
Chu Junyu: “Select whom?”
Pei Jing met his gaze with an open and honest expression, “To select you.”
Chu Junyu averted his eyes, leaving Pei Jing with a glimpse of his pale and distant profile, seemingly keeping people at a distance.
With a tap of his finger on the table, Pei Jing continued, “Did you recognize me back then on the suspension bridge?”
“Hmm.”
Pei Jing, no longer feeling awkward, became intrigued instead. “What did you think of me at that time?”
Chu Junyu: “Unnecessary trouble. Your methods of assessment were foolish.”
Pei Jing had anticipated this response and couldn’t help but laugh. He admired how Chu Junyu had played along with him, holding the umbrella and offering support, displaying such gentleness.
Pei Jing swiftly scanned the remaining contents, pausing at the answer that had once piqued his curiosity.
—According to the dialogue between you and the first respondent, your notion of returning to basics and immersing oneself in the mundane world is perhaps to experience the full range of human emotions and desires. It’s quite simple, actually. In the thirty-three heavens, there is a realm of utmost longing, and the four hundred and four ailments include the torment of lovesickness. Fellow cultivator, find someone who captivates your heart and embark on a romantic journey. It will enable you to experience all kinds of emotions and grant you a profound understanding of this mortal world.
His gaze lingered on those words, lost in a trance.
Why did he encounter a breakthrough bottleneck and trigger the emergence of demonic energy after asking that question? This question had weighed on Pei Jing’s mind all along, but he chose not to voice it or seek an answer. Breaking through to Nascent Soul after achieving the Golden Core stage meant that the only thing lacking was a moment of enlightenment.
To seclude oneself for several decades, comprehending the heavens and earth, or to have a sudden realization… in matters of love.
Pei Jing couldn’t bring himself to smile.
Without any expression on his face, he thought, “Big Brother, your words truly had foresight.”
However, Chu Junyu’s words held some truth. When the master asked him to “return to basics,” it never referred to the seven emotions and six desires. Otherwise, he should have reached the stage of breaking through Cangsheng by now. With a flick of his finger, Pei Jing destroyed the questionnaire. The ink-scripted characters created by his spiritual sense dissipated into the air, leaving a lingering fragrance. The evening breeze swept in, causing the paper to rustle, and when he looked up, he saw a golden glow surrounding him, as if he had stepped into the Nine Heavens and Ten Realms, amidst the myriad voices of a thousand people.
At this moment, Chu Junyu also reached out and intercepted a sheet of paper.
From his pale fingertips, the topmost sentence was written: “One Sword Soaring through the Frost of Wuwang Peak, how does it feel like?” This had become a popular thread within the Celestial Pavilion, with numerous replies overlapping, requiring continuous scrolling. As the one who posed the question, Pei Jing read it for the first time and found it amusing, even greatly satisfying his vanity.
The pages were still filled with various sects’ discussions and debates.
“One person, one sword, slaying an entire peak, with the delicate snow bearing witness,” a celestial prodigy living within the realm of spoken words.
Pei Jing noticed Chu Junyu’s earnest scrutiny of each word, and an inexplicable sense of pride welled up in his heart. However, he maintained a composed and indifferent demeanor as he casually remarked, “Why are all the questions in the Celestial Pavilion so boring? Honestly, I think these young cultivators should ask more about cultivation matters.”
Chu Junyu calmly asked, “You haven’t seen this thread before?”
Could Pei Jing really say that he not only saw it but shamelessly pretended otherwise? He cleared his throat and replied, “Nope.”
As he continued scrolling down, among the gray characters left by countless divine senses, there was a prominently written passage in ink.
—Thank you for the invitation. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy, just a slight chill. The snow was quite heavy, so I suggest those who try to imitate it to dress warmly.
Chu Junyu laughed, not his usual cold and sarcastic laughter, but rather a genuine amusement.
Pei Jing: “……” In truth, Elder Lou’s regulations did make some sense at times.
Chu Junyu’s eyes seemed to hold a teasing smile. “Thank you for the invitation, hmm?”
How could Pei Jing admit it? He replied, “So, there are others like me who dislike using divine consciousness.”
Chu Junyu nodded. “Yes, indeed. The handwriting even looks exactly like yours.”
Pei Jing: “……”
It was a simple statement, but the air of pretentiousness permeated the paper, filled with the arrogant confidence of the writer.
Pei Jing tugged at the corner of his mouth and muttered, “Actually, that’s how I truly feel.”
Chu Junyu turned his head to look at him, and his blood-red eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement, softening even the moonlight.
“I believe you.”
One Sword Soaring through the Frost of Wuwang Peak. Each word and sentence depicted the splendor of his youth. In an era of brilliant talents, he was the most outstanding. The subsequent answers, like another form of proof, whether self-mockery, praise, or banter, hinted at the brilliance of that young man.
He once rode his sword against the wind, dressed in white, unparalleled.
He once commanded great fame. With each stroke of his sword, mountains and rivers paled, and heaven and earth retreated.
Pei Jing felt a little embarrassed under his gaze.
Chu Junyu softly said, “The snow on the Wuwang Peak is truly cold.” He laughed to himself and continued, “You asked me, what do I think of you now?”
Pei Jing froze. What?
Chu Junyu said, “You’re doing well now, better than I expected, not as annoying as I thought.”
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