Chapter 17: Everything’s Lovely
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Meng Xueli pulled Yu Qishu aside and whispered, “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Yu Qishu asked, “Why not?”
“Just a gut feeling.”
Yu Qishu explained, “I’m trying to turn an enemy into a friend. Once he joins us, no matter what others say, he won’t compare himself to Ji Xiao Zhenren anymore. Just now, you were counseling me not to be biased against him.”
Meng Xueli looked slightly embarrassed.
The idea of forming the “Pro-Ji Party” faction was originally just a joke among friends, but now it had really turned into a joke.
This Xiao Tingyun had already embarrassed himself last night, and now he might be secretly thinking: “So Elder Meng is actually crazy.”
Yu Qishu remarked, “You don’t look too good.”
Meng Xueli waved his hand, “Just forget about it! With his exceptional talent and promising future, he wouldn’t even consider us.”
But then they heard the person behind them say, “Senior Brother Yu, Elder Meng, I’d like to join.”
“Good choice!” Yu Qishu said with a proud smile at Meng Xueli, then turned to the person behind him:
“We are the most qualified to form the ‘Pro-Ji Party’ faction. This person here is the lifelong beloved Dao companion of Ji Xiao Zhenren, and I, to be honest, am the great-grandson of Daoist Lingxu, the grandson of Daoist Chongyuan, the son of the Lord of White Egret City, the future heir of White Egret City, Yu Qishu. My great-grandfather was friends with the Sword Sovereign and even had a close friendship.”
Ji Xiao pondered for a moment, unable to recall this person, so he simply nodded silently.
Yu Qishu continued, “In the future, you’ll enjoy the good life with us, and if you perform well, we’ll even make you a deputy leader.”
Meng Xueli’s expression remained calm, but his eyes were filled with despair.
Ji Xiao was originally worried that Meng Xueli would form cliques and cause trouble, which would be difficult to handle for the Hall of Legal Principles. That’s why he decided to follow them to see the situation.
Did the junior disciples offer various snacks to Meng Xueli every day as an initiation fee?
“Dare to ask the leader, how large is our faction now?”
Meng Xueli, feeling frustrated, sneered, “Quality over quantity. We have three people including you!”
He saw Xiao Tingyun’s mouth curling up, with the same smirk as last night under the candlelight.
Meng Xueli felt annoyed, “Joining the faction requires sincerity. Before sunset today, you must write a thousand-word essay praising Ji Xiao Zhenren. It must be well-structured and full of emotion. I will personally inspect it.”
Ji Xiao’s smile vanished.
In the end, Ji Xiao Zhenren still hadn’t finished writing his autobiography.
Today’s rest day was bound to be eventful. Before, there were senior disciples coming to see Meng Xueli, and now there was the Head Attendant coming to see Xiao Tingyun, reportedly at the request of the Sect Leader.
The junior disciples were all peering out the window, watching as the Head Attendant’s flying sword suddenly soared into the sky, piercing through the clouds and transforming into a streak of light beyond the heavens. They couldn’t help but marvel repeatedly.
“When will I be able to control a sword and fly through the clouds, roaming the heavens and earth?”
“Is Sect Leader Zhenren going to take Xiao Tingyun as his disciple?”
“I doubt it. That wouldn’t be in line with the rules.”
Meng Xueli thought of the three possible identities of Xiao Tingyun that he had considered last night, feeling slightly weighed down by his thoughts.
If Xiao Tingyun wasn’t a hidden piece arranged by Han Shan, then Meng Xueli’s suspicions would naturally extend to other matters, given Han Shan’s profound considerations.
But Yu Qishu misinterpreted Meng Xueli’s mood, “You’ve been off ever since those four senior disciples left.”
Meng Xueli smiled, “You’re overthinking it. Why would I care about them?”
He regarded himself as Ji Xiao’s Dao companion, looking at the disciples of Han Shan as if they were juniors.
Even the naughty ones were just children.
Yu Qishu couldn’t understand this sentiment. Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Elder Meng, are you going to the Sword Training Platform tomorrow morning? It’s just before morning practice. Why don’t you take me with you to broaden my horizons?”
The Sword Training Platform was where inner disciples practiced swordsmanship. Outer disciples didn’t have swords and could only occasionally pass by, gazing longingly at the swirling sword aura.
Someone immediately peeled a chestnut and handed it over. “Elder Meng, if it’s convenient, could you take me too?”
“Count me in. I also want to broaden my horizons.”
Yu Qishu, considering himself extraordinarily clever, said to Meng Xueli, “Let’s go together. No matter what tricks they have, how dare they bully you in front of so many people?”
…
The flying sword swiftly soared, and the Hall of Legal Principles and the green pine forest at the foot of the mountain quickly shrank. The vast mountain range gradually revealed its full appearance.
Ji Xiao stood on the flying sword, looking down.
Amidst the snowy mountains, a hint of green was visible—the Changchun Peak where he and Meng Xueli resided.
Amidst the changes of the world, only the wind and snow remained boundless. The mountains remained as before, and the rivers flowed unchanged throughout eternity.
The Head Attendant saw him silent and reassured him, “Don’t be afraid, child. The sect has high hopes for you. The Sect Leader has specially invited a senior expert to divine for you. In your future path of cultivation, you can follow the divination to seek good fortune and avoid calamity. This is a good thing.”
Ji Xiao nodded. It turned out to be his Senior Brother who had arrived.
No wonder they had to take the flying sword. He looked into the distance, where in the sea of clouds, a crimson giant ship resembled a red sun, faintly visible.
This cloud ship usually moored in Tianhu, but now it was hovering above the main peak of Han Shan.
The cloud ship obscured the sky, casting a heavy shadow over the main hall and the square in front of it at Han Shan.
It would have been disrespectful for a flying magical instrument to remain airborne when guests arrived. However, since the guest was Ji Xiao’s Senior Brother from the same sect, it was understandable.
After Xiao Tingyun ascended the mountain, the Sect Leader convened the peak masters for discussion.
“The descent of the innate sword spirit, what do you all think?” Sect Leader Jian Wei inquired.
Ziyan Peak Master spoke up, “I feel like something is off about this, just a gut feeling.”
It’s not a woman’s intuition but rather a cultivator’s intuition, referring to the subtle sensitivity to the qi of heaven and earth in the depths of one’s consciousness.
Liulan Peak Master asked, “When you say there’s something fishy about him, do you mean he’s a spy from another sect?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s just that Ji Xiao fell not long ago, and with the upcoming Great Competition in the Hanhai Secret Realm, there are too many eyes on Han Shan. It’s wise to be cautious during this special period.”
Sect Leader Zhenren pondered for a moment. “When he ascended the mountain, I watched him from above the clouds for a long time and saw nothing unusual.”
Chongbi Peak Master suggested, “Let’s think of a solution. Since we can’t see through him, why not find someone who can?”
When it came to the skill of divination and assessing people’s characters based on observing qi, the Wuyin Sect Leader was considered the strongest. However, the Wuyin Sect had always maintained a close relationship with the Mingyue Lake.
As for the ‘expert’ who had a good relationship with Han Shan and was proficient in the art of observing qi, naturally, it was the realm master of Tianhu, hidden deep within the clouds and mist above the South Sea.
The realm master was named Hu Si, who had sworn never to set foot in Han Shan again in his lifetime.
This oath was truly formidable. After Ji Xiao’s fall, representatives from various sects in the mortal realm gathered at the Han Shan’s Ancestral Hall to pay their respects, yet he did not come.
Today, in response to the Sect Leader’s invitation, while the cloudship remained suspended, it did not technically count as ‘setting foot in Han Shan’.
Hu Si hadn’t severed ties with Han Shan entirely; it was only with his Master Uncle, the current highest-ranking elder in Han Shan.
The senior elder was five hundred and sixty years old this year. Some people become more wise and insightful as they age, while others, conversely, stop caring about the personal affairs of young people, as if they’ve lost interest in a certain aspect of life. In mundane terms, it’s akin to an old man urging the neighbor’s children to get married.
When Ji Xiao had the companionship ceremony, the senior elder summoned the Sect Leader to listen to his instructions: “Ji Xiao has been devoted to the Dao since childhood. Who would have thought he would become entangled in worldly affairs? Otherwise, he could have had the chance to advance further and become the first to ascend in this realm.”
Clearly criticized of Meng Xueli as a “worldly affair” implied that Ji Xiao’s chances of ascension were already doomed. However, Ji Xiao’s cultivation level was slightly higher than his, so he wouldn’t say such things in front of Ji Xiao.
Over a hundred years ago, Hu Si didn’t have such good fortune. He didn’t practice swordsmanship; instead, he immersed himself in various esoteric studies such as alchemy, artifact refinement, and divination. On the day he achieved enlightenment, there were no sword shadows at Han Shan, only a sky filled with splendid red clouds, resembling the fire of a furnace.
The senior elder arrived accompanied by the clouds and reprimanded him: “So what if you advance rapidly? Han Shan relies on swords. Since you don’t use a sword, you are not worthy to be a disciple of Han Shan. If your master were still alive and knew about today, he would surely regret accepting you as a disciple!”
At that time, Hu Si was young and rebellious, with a strong personality. He immediately made a solemn vow and left in anger. By the time Ji Xiao returned from vanquishing demons, the situation had been settled.
After leaving Han Shan, Hu Si became even more unruly and reckless. At one point, he even cultivated the “Dao of Romance,” keeping numerous beautiful men and women in the vast domain of Tianhu, reveling day and night.
Although he deviated from the orthodox path, his cultivation level was profound, and he cared little about worldly matters. Many people still sought him out for elixirs and artifacts, which contributed to the enduring prosperity of the Tianhu realm.
The Head Attendant manipulated the flying sword to approach the cloud ship, and a group of beautiful maids came forward to guide them. The vermilion treasure ship shone like the sun, with colorful skirts fluttering like clouds, presenting a picturesque scene. Ji Xiao recalled his senior brother’s demeanor and felt a slight headache.
He boarded the ship with the maids, bathed and burned incense in the lower deck cabin, and changed into a new brocade robe. Then, new beautiful attendants escorted him to the upper deck of the cloud ship. They walked barefoot on bamboo mats, passing through several ink-black curtains.
Inside was a spacious and quiet room. The guiding maids remained silent with bowed heads. In the silence, only the faint rustle of long skirts brushing against the bamboo mats could be heard.
Walking into the inner chamber, two latticed doors slid open before him.
The Sect Leader and the Peak Masters were seated cross-legged on white brocade cushions, each with a low table in front of them, attended by maids serving tea and snacks.
However, everyone’s expression was uneasy, clearly not accustomed to the hospitality here.
In front of the guest seats, there was an empty brocade cushion.
Further ahead, a gauze curtain separated the hosts from the guests.
Behind the veil, a faint figure could be seen, sitting upright with a dignified posture.
In stark contrast to him was another figure, with loose robes hanging off his shoulders and his bare chest exposed.
He addressed Xiao Tingyun, saying, “Sit.”
Ji Xiao complied, sitting across from him separated by the light veil. With just one glance, it was evident that the person’s fate was not that of a cultivator, but of a deity. Cultivators of divination needed to communicate with heaven and earth and make intricate calculations.
As time passed, the incense burner extinguished and then reignited, the eastern sky began to lighten, yet the master of the realm remained motionless.
Facing the scrutiny of the master of the Tianhu Vast Realm in front and the appraising gazes behind him, Ji Xiao remained unmoved.
Just as the most irritable Yueque Peak Master began to show impatience, the master of the realm raised his hand.
Two beautiful maidservants parted the veil, revealing his face as radiant as the moon.
Finally, Hu Si uttered two words: “Junior Brother.”
As his words fell, the expressions of the peak masters changed drastically, and they rose abruptly. The table overturned, and cups and dishes scattered.
Sect Leader Jian Wei Zhenren, fixed his gaze like lightning directly on Xiao Tingyun.
Ji Xiao merely raised an eyebrow, showing a faint hint of confusion.
The master of the realm continued, “Junior Brother, today our sect has obtained such a talented individual, ensuring the continuation of our legacy. If you were aware in the afterlife, you should rest assured!”
The peak masters were speechless, choked with emotion.
The master of the realm turned to Sect Leader Zhenren, “This child is destined for great things, but there is one taboo.”
“What taboo?”
The master of the realm uttered two more words: “Avoid snow.”
Liulan Peak Master objected, “We are sword cultivators, facing all challenges with our swords. What taboo do we need to avoid?”
Chongbi Peak Master frowned, “There is snow everywhere in the mountains. Where can he avoid it? Spend his whole life at the foot of the mountain in the Hall of Legal Principles?”
Ziyan Peak Master waved his folding fan and suggested, “Why not let him become my disciple and practice the Thunderfire True Sword? In the future, the purple fire will protect him, keeping snow away!”
The peak masters argued incessantly.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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