Chapter 23: Deep Affection Does Not Fade
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Meng Xueli spoke to Yu Qishu with a slight sideways glance, using his peripheral vision to observe the person in the back row.
He thought to himself that he was calm, but since he hadn’t taken the initiative to apologize, Meng Xueli had no intention of speaking to him. Let him understand the serious consequences of angering the elder.
After the morning lesson, the younger disciples gathered around Meng Xueli, chatting and offering him snacks, but only Junior Brother Xiao remained silent.
Meng Xueli thought that Yu Qishu must be curious about what Xiao Tingyun was doing instead of attending the early morning reading session. It would be better to wait for Yu Qishu to ask first.
However, as the day went by, Yu Qishu focused on his reading and writing, seemingly forgetting about the matter.
When the evening bell rang to signal the end of classes, half the disciples rushed out of the study hall. Meng Xueli heard the rustling sounds of people packing up their papers and pens behind him and turned around, speaking coldly:
“Where is your thousand-character essay?”
Ji Xiao was taken aback. “Do I really need to write it?”
Meng Xueli turned back. “Forget it!” He hadn’t meant to start a conversation anyway.
Meng Xueli leaned forward, resting a hand on Meng Xueli’s chair. “I’ll write it right now. Is that okay?”
He seemed to remember something and lowered his voice. “I was inappropriate yesterday, speaking without restraint. I apologize to Elder Meng.”
Meng Xueli felt his ears heat up, instinctively turning away, but it was too late; his earlobes had already turned slightly red.
Yu Qishu finally noticed something was off. “Did you two have a quarrel?”
Ji Xiao quickly replied, “It was my fault.”
Yu Qishu gave him a look that said ‘You’re quite reasonable.’ The party leader would never be at fault; if there was a mistake, it must be the fault of the party members.
When Ji Xiao submitted his essay, Meng Xueli saw that he had taken it seriously, with neat and beautiful handwriting that seemed somewhat familiar. It was likely he had practiced imitating a famous calligrapher.
Ji Xiao said, “Please give me your guidance, Elder.”
Meng Xueli was satisfied, though he said, “No matter how you try, you can’t write even a fraction of the unparalleled grace of my Daoist companion. I’ll reluctantly consider you qualified.”
He grabbed a handful of pine nuts and placed them on Ji Xiao’s desk, unilaterally declaring the cold war over.
Ji Xiao covered his mouth and coughed softly.
Meng Xueli looked at Ji Xiao’s expression and couldn’t help but smile inwardly. Just a handful of pine nuts made him blush; he was really just a child.
—
Outside the law hall, the special attention given to Ji Xiao’s Dao companion by the Han Shan disciples did not last long.
As night fell and the peaks were lit, a faint moonlight quietly spread, illuminating the golden tiles of the main peak’s palace, the cold pool on the Sword Training Platform, the desk by the window in the library, and the doors of the cave residences in the valley.
The moonlight came from the distant south, accompanied by the moon in the west, creating a dual moonlight effect.
Cultivators above the Xiao Sheng level sensed a dramatic change in the natural energies, feeling a sense of awe. Even ordinary people gazing at the sky felt inexplicable emotions of fear and reverence.
The real moon was in the west, and what illuminated the southern night sky was not moonlight, but sword shadows.
On this night, the sect master of Mingyue Lake’s lineage, the Supreme Elder of Mingyue Lake, Gu Qing, achieved sainthood.
The celestial phenomena changed, and the entire world witnessed it through the night.
Mingyue Lake finally saw the bright moon. However, Han Shan Sword Sect to the north was shrouded in heavy clouds.
The two sects were in a north-south confrontation, with the momentum shifting between them.
Now that the Supreme Elder of Mingyue Lake had become a saint, while the Supreme Elder of Han Shan was still in seclusion to extend his life, the contrast was evident, making the timing delicate.
The next morning, the Hall of Legal Principles was buzzing with discussions.
“I heard that observing the celestial phenomena of becoming a saint can help understand the true meaning of the Dao. But I stayed up all night watching and didn’t gain any insight.”
“You’re so foolish. Mingyue Lake is thousands of miles away. The sword shadows there reach the heavens and the earth, but by the time they reach us, they’re just a streak of light. How can one gain insight from that?”
“Did Gu Qing Zhenren really become a saint? Doesn’t that mean he is the same as Ji Xiao Zhenren?”
Yu Qishu arrived a bit late and excitedly said, “Did you all know? Gu Qing Zhenren became a saint last night!”
The disciples fell silent for a moment before the buzz of conversation resumed.
Yu Qishu, seeing that Xiao Shidi was still reading, was shocked and pounded on his desk. “Gu Qing has become a saint!”
Ji Xiao put down his book and said “Oh, really?”
Gu Qing was already over five hundred years old; if he didn’t achieve sainthood soon, he wouldn’t have many years left to squander.
Yu Qishu: “What kind of expression is that? Aren’t you surprised?!”
Ji Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, trying to sound interested. “Oh? Really?”
Yu Qishu: “Forget it.”
Yu Qishu: “Gu Qing Zhenren is going to become the new ‘Invincible in the World.’”
Ji Xiao shook his head. “No.”
Yu Qishu muttered, “Ah, you don’t understand these things, it’s hard to explain to you.”
‘Mahayana stage’ can be called Daoist Teacher, ‘Nascent Soul Stage’ can be called Daoist Revered. Beyond that is ‘Sainthood,’ just a step away from ascension.
In the same realm, sword cultivators are generally stronger than law cultivators, Buddhist cultivators, or beast tamers.
When Ji Xiao was at the Nascent Soul Stage, he was already invincible in the world, hence he was called ‘Sword Sovereign.’ This title remained until Ji Xiao broke through to the ‘Sainthood.’
Now that Gu Qing has achieved sainthood, he has replaced Ji Xiao as the only ‘Sainthood’ in the human realm. The disciples of Mingyue Lake have started calling Gu Qing the ‘Sword Saint.’
Yu Qishu thought Junior Brother Xiao lacked common knowledge of cultivation and didn’t understand the seriousness of the matter. He turned to Meng Xueli, only to see the usually smiling Elder Meng staring expressionlessly out the window.
The regular elder had not come today, and the Hall of Legal Principles took a temporary day off. With such a major event occurring, the elders gathered at the main peak to discuss, creating an odd atmosphere throughout Han Shan.
A month later, one evening, as the wind and snow gradually eased and the lights began to shine, a crimson glow appeared in the sky above the South Sea. It was not a beautiful sunset but a boundless red light like blood.
This celestial phenomenon happened not in the dead of night but in the evening, making it clearer and more shocking for everyone to see.
Ji Xiao Zhenren’s Senior Brother, the master of Tianhu Vast Realm, had become a saint.
The strong figures of Han Shan sighed in relief, though their emotions were more complex.
Within a month, two great figures had astonishingly achieved sainthood, making this era unparalleled in the history of human cultivation.
The era of Ji Xiao Sword Sovereign’s unmatched dominance had come to an end.
—
For the younger disciples in the Hall of Legal Principles, although this major event was shocking, it still felt distant. The changes in the cultivation world’s structure were not something they needed to worry about at the moment.
In the study hall, the students were more concerned about the upcoming year-end exams.
To ensure a smooth entry into the inner sect, everyone practiced day and night, asking the elders or Meng Xueli questions. While sainthood seemed far off, memorizing the Daoist scriptures was within their reach.
Meng Xueli had been in a bad mood recently, but he remained patient when answering the young disciples’ questions.
Yu Qishu was also in poor spirits; he still dressed in his elegant attire but lacked the spirited aura he usually had.
The only one remaining calm among the three factions was Xiao Tingyun.
When Meng Xueli, surrounded by a crowd, looked a bit weary, Xiao Tingyun suddenly said, “I can answer this question.”
He answered well, and other disciples came to ask him questions.
The dejected party leader and deputy party leader took the opportunity to slip away, strolling through the pine forest paths and breathing in the fresh air.
Small animals darted among the green pines, and birds hopped from branch to branch. Any of these creatures seemed more lively than the two of them.
Meng Xueli suddenly stopped and sat down on the ground, leaning against an old pine tree. Yu Qishu, feeling too lazy to keep walking, joined him, and the two sat under the tree, eating pine nuts.
Meng Xue: ” You know, I have this feeling that my Dao companion isn’t dead. He’s right beside me.”
Yu Qishu was shocked, but seeing that Meng Xueli wasn’t joking and instead looked serious and calm.
He began to worry. Was this an illusion caused by excessive longing? Such deep affection, yet unable to be together—no wonder people say that extreme wisdom leads to sorrow and deep feelings shorten life… His heart ached, and tears began to fall.
Meng Xueli, flustered and confused, exclaimed, “Why, why are you crying?!”
Yu Qishu wiped away his tears and said, “Knowing that no one will bully you puts me at ease to take up duties in the Hall of Executors.” He had always seen the gentle side of Meng Xueli and thought he was soft and without a temper.
Meng Xueli was puzzled. “Why do you want to take up the administrative duties? You’ve been acting strange lately. Don’t you want to become a disciple?”
Yu Qishu smiled. “Why wouldn’t I? On my way to Han Shan, I thought about many things. Back then, when Ji Xiao Zhenren was still alive, I dreamed that he praised my extraordinary talent, took me as his disciple, and I became the senior brother of Changchun Peak. A hundred years later, I achieved sainthood, returned home in glory, and White Egret City was lit up in celebration. My mother held my hand, saying she was proud of me, and my father apologized to me in tears…”
Meng Xueli was dizzy from all this. “You have a lot of thoughts.”
Yu Qishu sighed. “White Egret City originally intended to ally with Han Shan, so they sent me here as a disciple to show their sincerity.”
Meng Xueli, remembering the string of titles attached to Yu Qishu’s name, was surprised. “Aren’t you the son of the city lord of White Egret City?” Given what he said, it seemed less like he was a young lord and more like he was being sent away or abandoned.
“My father has twenty-four sons. I don’t have the best talent, nor the highest status, and my mother isn’t favored. If not me, then who?” Yu Qishu said quietly. “Father said that when I return from Han Shan after achieving sainthood, he would make me the young city lord. I know he was lying to me. Even if I do achieve sainthood, that will be hundreds of years from now. Will White Egret City still be around then?”
Meng Xueli thought, that promise is as empty as telling a child in the market, ‘When you grow up and become emperor, I’ll buy you candy.’
But having never experienced the bonds of family, Meng Xueli didn’t know how to comfort him. He could only pat Yu Qishu on the shoulder and say, “Coming to Han Shan isn’t so bad. The Dao is vast and boundless; you can cultivate anywhere.”
Yu Qishu sighed again. “I used to think the same. I thought maybe coming to Han Shan, I’d get to meet Sword Sovereign. But who knew that not long after, before White Egret City could even form an alliance with Han Shan, Sword Sovereign would fall? Now that the Supreme Elder of Mingyue Lake has achieved sainthood, White Egret City, already hesitant, will likely turn to Mingyue Lake… Given the situation, it’s actually better for me to take up administrative duties.”
Meng Xueli fell silent. If White Egret City were to become enemies with Han Shan in the future, Yu Qishu would be in a very difficult position—caught between his family and his sect.
He now clearly realized that with Ji Xiao’s death, many things had changed.
In the human realm, there were countless small and medium powers like White Egret City, once allied with or intending to ally with Han Shan, that might now turn to other major sects.
This shift could lead to countless conflicts and sacrifices, entirely unpredictable.
Yu Qishu: “Let’s not talk about these things; they only make us more anxious. Let’s just eat pine nuts…”
Suddenly, Meng Xueli had an idea. “I’m an elder; I should be able to take on disciples, right?”
Yu Qishu was stunned by his train of thought. “I think, you really can.”
Meng Xueli had the title of elder, received offerings as an elder, and had Changchun Peak as his dwelling—why couldn’t he take on disciples? But because he usually attended classes with the young disciples and didn’t put on any airs, people tended to forget that he wasn’t a student, but rather, an examiner.
Yu Qishu stared blankly. “This… this could work? Would the Sect Master agree?”
“I’ll ask for the Sect Master’s permission to attend this year’s examination. I’ll only take you as a disciple, which won’t interfere with the other elders choosing their disciples, nor will it hinder anyone else from becoming a disciple. Why wouldn’t it work?”
Yu Qishu’s eyes suddenly brightened, and he clapped his hands in joy. “Dao Ancestor bless us, that’s wonderful!”
What had seemed like a difficult and bleak path suddenly opened up with new possibilities.
Meng Xueli, however, found the idea of a friend becoming a disciple a bit odd. “So if you become my disciple, I’ll outrank you?”
Yu Qishu naturally said, “You are the Sword Sovereign’s Dao companion, your status is naturally high.”
He murmured to himself, “In that case, Ji Xiao Zhenren is my brother-in-law. I am the great-grandson of Daoist Revered Lingxu, the grandson of Chongyuan Daoist Teacher, the son of the White Egret City Lord, and the senior brother of Changchun Peak. I am Yu Qishu. This is worth it!”
Meng Xueli said, “During the big exam, we’ll just go through the motions. Don’t worry, Senior Brother of Changchun Peak.”
Having solved his friend’s problem, he was in a good mood, unaware that fate had much more in store for him than just the twist of ‘friends becoming master and disciple.’
Author’s Note: Ji Xiao: I’ll write, I’ll write, isn’t that enough qaq?
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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