Chapter 36: Watching You, You Look Pretty
Meng Xueli chuckled and said, “I was just saying that casually, and you actually dared to agree.”
There were only two months left until the opening of the Hanhai Secret Realm. Such a short time was only enough for him to study *Introduction to the Dao* on his own.
However, he had confidence in the defensive formations of Changchun Peak. As long as his two disciples stayed within the peak without stepping outside, they should be safe.
Ji Xiao replied, “I wasn’t speaking casually.”
Meng Xueli said, “Alright then, study it seriously. I’ve already memorized this book backwards and forwards. I hope that one day, you’ll be like me and teach your Junior Brother Yu. Now, let’s start with the first volume of *Introduction to the Dao*: *The Beginning of Heaven and Earth, The Evolution of the Three Realms.* Come, recite this passage after me…”
At first, Ji Xiao endured it with patience, forcing himself to listen to the lecture. But after a moment’s thought, he realized that this might not be such a bad thing. After all, he had written this book in his past life. It was his first attempt at compiling a text, and it wasn’t well written. His new insights after revisiting the material hadn’t made it into the original version either.
So, he began asking questions and engaging in discussions to spark new thoughts in his young Dao companion.
Meng Xueli often found himself stumped. “I never thought about that before. Let me ponder it tonight and give you an answer later.”
The two of them lived next door to each other, separated only by a low courtyard wall.
During the day, Meng Xueli returned from the tea gathering in the peach grove. At night, he would sit on the rooftop ridge, resting his chin on one hand, lost in thought as he absentmindedly bit the end of his brush under the moonlight.
Ji Xiao stood on the rooftop next door, watching him.
The moonlight flowed like water, casting a gentle glow over his young Dao companion. Ji Xiao thought to himself that this human form had been crafted well—its bone structure was delicate, its skin and flesh perfectly balanced.
Meng Xueli’s voice carried through the night breeze as he called out from afar, “Hey! What are you looking at so late at night instead of sleeping?”
Ji Xiao answered honestly in a loud voice, “Watching you. You look pretty.”
Meng Xueli was momentarily stunned. Instinctively, he reached up to touch the back of his neck and muttered, “Nonsense.” Then, without another word, he jumped down from the rooftop and disappeared.
And so, more than ten days passed. Meng Xueli believed he was fulfilling his duty as a teacher, racking his brain to answer his disciple’s questions, completely unaware that he was actually the one being tested and guided.
—
After Meng Xueli broke through to the Condensed Spirit Realm, Yu Qishu felt distressed about the damage to the observation platform. Wielding the same shovel used for planting peach blossoms on Changchun Peak, he diligently filled in the deep trenches across the meadow.
He missed the awe he had felt when he first saw this place. This was also where he had listened to Meng Xueli and Ji Xiao discuss the Dao and had vaguely reached an epiphany.
“Sigh, damn it…”
Fortunately, the climate on the peak was favorable. Within three days, a fresh layer of delicate green grass had sprouted from the ground.
Feeling a deep sense of accomplishment, Yu Qishu invited Meng Xueli to spar again. He believed that he had been practicing diligently and wanted to test whether he had improved.
Just as Meng Xueli was about to agree, Ji Xiao interjected, “How about you defeat me first before challenging Master?”
Yu Qishu asked, “Are we still sparring without using true essence, just focusing on technique?”
Ji Xiao nodded. “Yes.”
Meng Xueli said, “It’s good for you two to spar with each other.” If I were to completely overpower you, it would feel like no progress was being made.
Yu Qishu thought for a moment. Xiao Tingyun’s talent in cultivation far surpassed his own, but his body was frail, afflicted with a chronic cough. After coming to Changchun Peak, his condition had clearly improved, and he rarely coughed now. Even so, in terms of physical strength, he was still no match for Yu Qishu.
Since they weren’t using true essence, Yu Qishu thought, I might not be able to defeat thw Sword Sovereign’s Dao companion, but surely, I can handle you?
Feeling confident, he grinned and said, “No problem. If you lose, will you call me ‘Great Senior Brother’ in private?”
Ji Xiao thought the young man had quite the nerve—he even wanted to be addressed as ‘Senior Brother,’ with an extra ‘Great’ in front, as if he were Senior Brother Hu Si’s too. Amused, Ji Xiao smiled. “Sure.”
The two struck a deal without hesitation.
Meng Xueli watched them walk off with satisfaction. Before long, Ji Xiao returned.
“Done already?”
Ji Xiao: “Yes, we finished. He wants some time alone.”
Meng Xueli didn’t immediately understand.
Ji Xiao chuckled. “From now on, I’ll spar with my junior brother, so you won’t have to worry about it anymore, Master.”
Yu Qishu returned to his quarters from the observation platform, urgently needing to calm his battered and shattered emotions. A golden coin rat perched on his windowsill leaped into his arms. He reached out, caught it effortlessly, and gave it a vigorous rub.
Today, he had finally come to terms with his own combat abilities—on Changchun Peak, the only one he could defeat was the young disciple, Xiao Huai. Being the junior disciple wasn’t so bad after all.
The golden coin rat’s fur became a complete mess from the rubbing. “Squeak squeak?”
Yu Qishu lifted the little rat and sighed. “You really have it easy. You don’t have to think about the vast gap between ordinary people and geniuses, nor do you have to wonder about the meaning of cultivation for someone average. You just eat, sleep, and grow fat and fluffy.”
The golden coin rat tilted its head and nuzzled his fingertip.
From that day on, Yu Qishu became even more diligent, practicing to the point where his muscles ached and exhaustion overtook him daily. His only comfort was rubbing the golden coin rat.
Meng Xueli’s golden coin rats fed on fallen peach blossoms and were naturally clean creatures, often washing themselves by the stream. He only checked on them occasionally to see if any of them were sick.
That morning, Meng Xueli picked up one of the rats from its hay nest. “What’s wrong with you? Why do you have a bald patch on your head?”
He parted its fur and found that the little rat carried an unfamiliar scent, one that didn’t belong to him.
Furious, Meng Xueli stormed off toward the observatioin platform, cradling the rat.
At that moment, his two disciples had just finished their morning duel—or more accurately, Ji Xiao had finished his morning guidance session.
Meng Xueli held up the rat. “Xiao Huai is even more timid than a mouse. It couldn’t have been him. That leaves just you two. Who’s been secretly plucking my rat’s fur behind my back?”
Ji Xiao looked at Yu Qishu. Yu Qishu looked up at the sky.
“No one’s admitting to it?” Meng Xueli bent down and let go of the rat. “Go ahead.”
The golden coin rat eagerly scampered toward Yu Qishu, tugging at his robe and climbing up his boot. Embarrassed, Yu Qishu scooped the rat into his arms.
Meng Xueli sneered. “So, the truth comes out.” With deep disappointment, he lamented, “You have seven of them, but instead of switching between them, you kept plucking the same one? Look at it—it’s gone bald!”
Yu Qishu hung his head in shame, meeting the round, beady eyes of the rat.
“Xueli,” Ji Xiao called softly.
Recently, Ji Xiao had improved a lot. He had even learned the complex social skill of diffusing tension, though he was still a bit stiff at it. He said, “We have a lesson to study today—Chapter Six of *Introduction to the Dao*.”
Meng Xueli thought that was quite considerate—befitting a senior disciple. So he let Yu Qishu off the hook and instead scolded the rat, frustrated. “Do you have any dignity at all? And you still want to play with him? Just wait—you’ll keep going bald at this rate. It’s going to be *ugly*. I’m leaving. I don’t care about you anymore!”
Halfway through his departure, a thought struck him, and his heart sank. He suddenly remembered—since he had reincarnated into a human body, technically, he had lost all his fur as well. In that sense, he was balder than the rat.
Meng Xueli turned to Xiao Tingyun, hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t resist asking, “That night… when you said I looked good, you weren’t lying, were you?”
Ji Xiao smiled. “You really do look good.”
Meng Xueli glared at him. “Be serious.”
But inside, he felt delighted. Even bald, he still looked good.
—
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, another festival arrived.
Meng Xueli gave his disciples the day off. The three of them left Changchun Peak and headed down to Hanmen City for a hotpot meal.
On major holidays, restaurant seats were hard to come by. Their table by the window had a perfect view of the street parade of lanterns and the fireworks bursting in the night sky. It was thanks to Qian Yuzhi’s help that they secured the reservation.
According to Qian Zhenren, the sale of golden silk peach blossoms had just started and was going well. If they promoted it further, sales would only improve.
Yu Qishu relayed Qian Yuzhi’s words. “Some customers are funny. When they come with friends, they act like buying it would be embarrassing. But then, the next day, they secretly send their servants or maids to buy it.”
With income in his pockets, Meng Xueli felt rich and extravagant, ordering a whole table of premium dishes.
The red broth simmered, releasing waves of fragrant, spicy steam.
He said, “The money from selling golden silk peach blossoms isn’t part of the Sword Sovereign’s inheritance. This is what *we* earned.”
Yu Qishu dipped a slice of lamb into the broth. “We earned it, so we spend it however we want. Feels great!”
The restaurant was lively. At the next table, people played drinking games, laughing boisterously. In the sky, large and brilliant fireworks exploded.
Ji Xiao leaned close to Meng Xueli’s ear and murmured, “What belongs to the Sword Sovereign is yours.”
Meng Xueli smiled slightly and whispered back, “Then it’s yours too.”
And so, the three of them continued their daily lives at Changchun Peak—calm, with occasional small disturbances.
Beyond Changchun Peak, the world of cultivation seemed like a completely different realm.
As the festival passed, the weather warmed. A grand event that occurred once every twenty years was approaching. News spread from various sects about disciples breaking through realms, emerging from seclusion, or obtaining powerful weapons. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Even the endless snowfall over Han Shan had lessened compared to midwinter. In the pine forest near the Hall of Legal Principles, fresh green shoots sprouted. The ice covering the Cold Pool on the Sword Training Platform began to melt.
Disciples’ eyes shone with anticipation as conversations about the secret realm grew more frequent.
That day, while feeding the fish by the pond, Meng Xueli was interrupted by a young disciple who came bearing a message. Saying the Sect Master had summoned him to the main hall for a meeting.
According to Han Shan’s customs, all disciples preparing to enter the Hanhai Secret Realm had to attend a grand assembly at the main hall.
Meng Xueli’s two months of leisure were about to come to an end.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
