Chapter 25: You’ve Lost Weight Again
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As the year drew to a close, the isolated and lofty Han Shan naturally had no festive atmosphere. For the outer disciples of the Hall of Legal Principles, the end of the year only meant the upcoming major exams.
The critical turning point that would determine their future was approaching. No matter how lively the annual festival in the town of ‘Hanmen City’ at the foot of the mountain was, with its fireworks and firecrackers, the disciples had no mind to sneak out and play.
Only Yu Qishu seemed to be in high spirits, smiling at everyone he met, his face practically glowing with the words “Happy New Year.”
Fine snowflakes drifted down from the vast sky. Meng Xueli, dressed in a thick cloak and holding a hand warmer, made his way to the main peak to visit the Sect Leader.
Ever since Meng Xueli had fought on the Sword Training Platform, the “Daoist Companion of Ji Xiao” was no longer just a vague figure who hadn’t left Changchun Peak in three years. Many inner disciples now recognized him, and as they met him on the mountain path, they would proactively greet him with respect.
Sect Leader Zhenren was in a side hall, reviewing and approving letters. When he saw Meng Xueli, he smiled kindly.
“Xueli, you’ve come at the right time. I’ve been so preoccupied lately that I nearly forgot to call for you.”
The matter of Gui Qing Zhenren from Mingyue Lake ascending to sainthood had indeed caused some headaches for Han
Shan. However, as the saying goes, when soldiers come, they are blocked, and when water comes, it is channeled. Life had to go on.
The Sect Leader assumed Meng Xueli had come regarding the upcoming competition in the Hanhai Secret Realm.
“Don’t worry about the secret realm journey. I’ve rearranged the disciples to accompany you. They’re the three from Zhongbi Peak, all with steady temperaments and reliable actions. There won’t be any more mistakes.”
Meng Xueli quickly put down his tea and said, “I can go alone! I was able to defeat Zhou Wu, so I can definitely protect myself. This was my idea to begin with, so how could I burden others?”
The Sect Leader waved his hand. “It’s not a burden; they volunteered. For the sake of safety, it’s better to travel together. It will also put us old folks at ease.”
Meng Xueli’s ability to fight across realms demonstrated his remarkable strength and talent. But given his young age and his early marriage to Ji Xiao, he likely had little experience traveling or facing adversaries. The Hanhai Secret Realm was a complex environment, full of treacherous human intentions—not the straightforward, one-on-one, honorable duels like on the Sword Training Platform. This was what the Sect Leader thought.
After hearing this, Meng Xueli understood that this decision had been made after a discussion among the peak masters of Han Shan, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to refuse. He nodded in agreement and then brought up the matter of wanting to take Yu Qishu as his disciple.
The Sect Leader sighed. “So, it’s him. White Egret City’s wavering stance makes his identity rather delicate, which indeed makes it difficult to place him.”
He had seen many such pampered sons from noble families.
If they were born in peaceful times, they would have lived lives of idleness, unaware of the world’s dangers. But now, with the undercurrents surging in the cultivation world and a storm looming, these young descendants, still ignorant and unknowing, had become pawns in their families’ exploration of the future, sacrifices in the power struggles.
The Sect Leader thought for a moment. “If he is willing to become your disciple, that would be fine. But the formalities cannot be omitted. You must attend the year-end exams, and he must perform the disciple’s ceremony.” This was to prevent any gossip.
Meng Xueli replied, “Everything will be done according to the rules. After the disciple ceremony, I will take him back to Changchun Peak.”
The Sect Leader nodded in satisfaction.
He didn’t expect Meng Xueli to truly become a teacher and guide Yu Qishu to success in cultivation. He just wanted to find a companion for Meng Xueli, to prevent him from sinking into grief over his deceased husband and one day deciding to follow Ji Xiao in death.
Changchun Peak was spacious—whether it housed one person, two, or even three, it made no difference.
…
No matter how the disciples of Hall of Legal Principles feared or anticipated it, the day finally arrived.
On the night before the New Year’s Eve, the disciples bathed, burned incense, and meditated throughout the night. At the first light of dawn, they gathered and headed towards the main peak’s grand hall.
This year, Hall of Legal Principles had over two hundred disciples from six houses, forming a grand procession as they walked along the winding mountain path.
It was rare that the snow and wind had stopped, and the clouds and mist had dispersed, revealing the true appearance of Han Shan’s many peaks—some towering and perilous, others graceful and picturesque.
The disciples watched as the pine forest at the foot of the mountain grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared from view.
The plaza in front of the grand hall was vast, with neatly arranged tables and chairs, each seat spaced a zhang apart, occupying only a tenth of the plaza’s area.
Over twenty attendants were already present, arranging the disciples into their seats. Behind the plaza, the grand hall’s doors stood wide open, but the hall was empty, as the elders had not yet arrived.
Each year, the elders who wished to take on disciples varied, and the Hall of Executors had to arrange the seating order in the hall according to the elders’ status. This year, because of the presence of a rare innate sword spirit physique, many elders were eager to come and see for themselves.
Meng Xueli’s cultivation level wasn’t high, but his seniority was. His seat was second only to the Sect Leader and the various peak masters. The other elders were ranked behind him.
When the news spread from the Hall of Executors, some inner disciples who didn’t like Meng Xueli started to gossip:
“Out of respect for the late Sword Sovereign, we call him ‘Elder,’ and he really thinks of himself as an elder? He’s only at the ‘Foundation Establishment’ stage, and he dares to take on disciples? He’s just misleading people!”
“Does he think he’s amazing just because he beat Senior Brother Zhou once? But who would want to be the disciple of someone still in the Foundation Establishment stage? Let’s see what he does when no one’s willing to be his disciple.”
Some disciples who liked Meng Xueli defended him:
“Elder Meng is patient and kind. Being his disciple would mean you wouldn’t get scolded, plus you’d have access to the magical tools and pills left behind by Ji Xiao Zhenren. Even if you don’t reach the Dao, you’d live a comfortable life. Elder Meng isn’t forcing anyone to be his disciple, so what’s wrong with that?”
Meng Xueli knew nothing of the different opinions circulating among the inner disciples. Yesterday evening, before leaving the Hall of Legal Principlesl, he was surrounded once again.
A few younger disciples, who often came to him with questions, had heard that he would attend the exam this year and wanted to become his disciples.
Meng Xueli shook his head. “That’s not appropriate. You’re here to learn swordsmanship, but I’ve never practiced swordsmanship. I’m only taking your Senior Brother Yu as my disciple.”
The other disciples cast envious glances at Yu Qishu, who was dressed in new, luxurious robes, standing tall and radiant.
Suddenly, someone asked, “Who do you think Junior Brother Xiao will choose as his master?”
A disciple immediately answered, “Isn’t that obvious? The Sect Leader is attending the exam this year; he’ll definitely choose the Sect Leader as his master!”
“But I heard from a senior brother at Ziyan Peak that Junior Brother Xiao is suited to practicing the Thunder Fire Sword, so he should become a disciple of the Ziyan Peak Master.”
“Your information isn’t accurate! I saw a senior brother from Zhongbi Peak looking for Junior Brother Xiao just the other day. He’s definitely planning to join Zhongbi Peak.”
As Meng Xueli listened, he thought to himself that Xiao Tingyun had indeed become quite sought after. Well, with his talent and aptitude, who wouldn’t want to have a genius disciple to bring glory to their peak?
He still kept the thousand-word essay that Xiao Tingyun had written, but the childish game of ‘Pro-Ji Party’ should indeed come to an end.
It wasn’t known which peak Xiao Tingyun would soon go to, where he would have a good master and start the monotonous life of sword practice and arduous cultivation, while Meng Xueli himself had to prepare for the Hanhai Secret Realm. They probably wouldn’t cross paths again.
The thought of no longer having anyone lean over from the back row, placing a hand on his chair to chat with him, left Meng Xueli with a faint sense of loss.
…
The morning bell echoed through the mountains, startling the birds from the trees.
Meng Xueli, accompanied by a young disciple, walked into the grand hall, where the attendants led him to his seat and offered him fruits and snacks.
The exam had not yet begun. When he passed by the square earlier, he had seen the disciples seated at their desks, laying out paper and grinding ink. Some were calm and composed, while others had trembling hands. A few familiar young disciples quietly greeted him.
Meng Xueli whispered, “Do your best on the exam, don’t be nervous.”
He glanced around and found it difficult to distinguish among the more than two hundred people, as their attire was quite similar. He did not spot Xiao Tingyun, but he did see Yu Qishu from afar.
The two exchanged a look and shared a knowing smile.
Before long, more than twenty elders entered the hall one after another, doubling the number present compared to previous years.
Behind the other elders stood their personal disciples, ranging from two or three to as many as seven or eight. The disciples, with swords at their waists, carried themselves with an impressive air.
By contrast, Meng Xueli had only one young, somewhat childish attendant standing beside him, who was not even as tall as the back of a chair, making the Changchun Peak seem weak and pitiful.
Seated next to him, Ziyan Peak Master waved a fan and gave a motherly smile. “You’ve lost weight again.”
Meng Xueli looked confused. “What?”
Ziyan Peak Master pointed to the fruits and snacks on the table and said quietly, “Help yourself if you want. We didn’t have these things in previous years.”
Meng Xueli: “…Thank you.”
The other elders engaged in casual conversation, discussing the current state of their respective peaks. The Changchun Peak elder was eating sunflower seeds.
The bell rang again outside the hall.
The Head Attendant stood on a high platform in front of the hall and announced loudly, “On the topic of entering the state of meditation and overcoming obstacles—”
In the square, the disciples collectively drew in their breath.
The term “obstacles” refers to illusions or delusions. When one begins their cultivation practice, meditation requires unwavering focus, with one’s spirit concentrated on the breath, absorbing the essence of the heavens and the earth.
However, thoughts are difficult to control. During this process, if one’s mind begins to wander, illusions may appear.
Some people see mountains of gold and silver piled before them or beautiful immortals descending from the sky. Others see themselves ascending to the heavens in broad daylight, soaring through the universe. These illusions vary from person to person, driven by either desires or fears.
The topic of this examination required the disciples to discuss what their personal illusions were and how they usually transcended these illusions to achieve a state of calm meditation.
As the water clock dripped and time passed, everyone buried their heads in writing, their pens moving swiftly across the paper.
Ji Xiao sat there with a helpless expression, unable to write a single word.
He had never encountered such an issue before. He neither knew what these illusions were nor could he fabricate a lie. So, he could only wait to hand in a blank sheet.
Over two hundred years ago at Han Shan, the examinations did not involve writing essays; they only tested the recitation of Daoist scriptures and basic sword techniques. The rules were quite strict—if a student failed to be accepted as an apprentice and did not wish to become an attendant, they were considered abandoned and immediately expelled from the mountain. They were also forbidden from using the sword techniques they had learned in the Hall of Discussions.
Later, Ji Xiao personally revised the rules of the Hall of Legal Principles. The exams no longer tested sword techniques but instead assessed the understanding of Daoist scriptures or the articulation of personal cultivation insights.
In this way, even if someone had slightly less innate talent or their progress in cultivation was slower, if their essay revealed good character and understanding, they had a high chance of being accepted. If they failed the exam in one year, they could choose to return to the Hall of Legal Principles to study and take the exam again the following year.
At that time, Ji Xiao had never imagined that one day he would return to the examination hall himself.
The way of heaven truly comes full circle.
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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