Chapter 47: Delicate and Charming
Now that the leader had sobered up, the five-member team, composed of elite disciples from the five great sects, was ready to set off.
The array master stowed away his formation plate, while the alchemist extinguished his pill flame. The beast tamer let out a sharp whistle, summoning back the gray-striped white tiger that had gone hunting in the forest. He mounted the tiger in one swift motion. But suddenly, his face turned pale, his body swayed, and he nearly fell off the tiger’s back.
The medical cultivator quickly stepped forward. “What happened?”
The beast tamer’s expression was grave. “My white falcon just died!”
When a spiritual beast died, its master wasn’t physically harmed, but they would feel a strong sense of loss. The tamer had raised over ten spirit beasts, and the white falcon wasn’t a combat beast—it was merely used for scouting and gathering information. This type of creature had very little spiritual energy in its body and looked almost identical to an ordinary bird, making it hard for cultivators to detect.
The alchemist frowned. “This isn’t good. The two sides haven’t even engaged yet, and we’ve already lost the first move…”
The array master tried to console them. “Let’s think positively—it might not have been a person. Could’ve been a ghost.”
But the beast tamer didn’t feel the least bit reassured. He took the wine jar handed to him by Jing Di, drank two big gulps, and finally steadied his breath.
Jing Di didn’t need to say much in this team. His mere presence acted like an anchor, giving everyone confidence that no matter what trouble came their way, they’d overcome it.
Many thought Jing Di was absurd and arrogant in his ways. Compared to stunts like “pawning his sword for wine,” or “getting drunk and skipping the ancestral ceremony at Mingyue Lake,” his incident of “dressing as a woman to trick disciples into joining the sect” was considered minor and almost forgettable.
But those who truly knew Jing Di—who had wide connections—trusted and supported him wholeheartedly. Just like the teammates with him now.
The five-person team took off, heading for Flying Sword Gorge on the Heishui River.
……..
By the banks of the Heishui River, near the campfire, bird bones were scattered across the ground.
Han Shan’s three disciples were still savoring the taste. “That was amazing.”
To make Meng Xueli stay vigilant—and knowing full well how shameless Mingyue Lake could be—they took the chance to share more stories.
That was how Meng Xueli learned that Jing Di had once made a fortune through “Hengtong Juyuan.”
Once, Jing Di had spent all his money and couldn’t afford good wine. Coincidentally, there was a pawn shop next door, so he pawned his sword for money to buy alcohol.
“Hengtong Juyuan” wasn’t used to handling such transactions, and the shopkeeper was in a dilemma.
Jing Di’s sword was named Ice Mirror Jade Wheel, a masterpiece crafted by the best artificer of Mingyue Lake. As the eldest disciple of the sect leader, the sword held special meaning—it couldn’t be valued simply by spirit stones. While Han Shan and Mingyue Lake didn’t get along, “Hengtong Juyuan” had always been open for business and didn’t want to offend Mingyue Lake.
Jing Di said he wasn’t selling it outright—it was just a temporary pawn, and he would redeem it later. But how should they set the price?
The shopkeeper had no choice but to escalate the matter up the chain. When the message reached Qian Yuzhi, he tapped his folding fan and said, “What’s there to worry about? This is a great opportunity!”
Instead of valuing the sword with spirit stones, they placed Jing Di in a private room at the inn and gave him as much good wine as he could drink.
The Ice Mirror Jade Wheel was put on display under a glass dome. For just five spirit stones, anyone could enter the hall to admire the sword for the length of a tea cup. Soon, a long line formed outside the pawn shop—curious cultivators who had heard about the spectacle. “Hengtong Juyuan” assigned people to maintain order and guard against thieves.
Technically, Jing Di could redeem the sword for just three hundred spirit stones. But he didn’t have a single coin on him.
Coincidentally, during that period, he had just reached the late stage of the Barrier-Breaking realm and was at the peak of his fame. Young sword cultivators constantly came to challenge him.
Jing Di said, “You want to duel me, but I’m unarmed. Can you really strike an unarmed man? Even if you win, it wouldn’t be honorable. How about this—you redeem my sword. If you manage to beat me, the Ice Mirror Jade Wheel will be yours!”
“You swear on that?”
“Of course!” Jing Di turned to the other wine drinkers in the hall. “You all heard that, right? If he wins, the sword is his!”
Dueling was meant to build reputation—no one wanted to gain notoriety. So his opponent paid out of pocket to redeem the sword. If it wasn’t Jing Di himself redeeming it, the price shot up to a sky-high number. Some challengers even had to scrape together funds or get support from their sects.
Once Jing Di had the sword in hand, he’d win a match, then turn around and pawn it again for wine. But within a few days, someone else would show up for another duel.
And so the cycle repeated—redeemed, pawned, redeemed again. Whenever the shopkeeper saw a young sword cultivator walking in with a clenched jaw and furious expression, he knew exactly what they were there for: to pay Jing Di’s tab.
This all happened before Jing Di’s infamous cross-dressing incident and also involved these three Han Shan disciples.
Li Wei: “He has no reverence or care for his sword. He doesn’t deserve to be a sword cultivator.”
He Ming: “I hate that I was young and foolish then—I even redeemed his sword once!”
Zhang Suyuan: “And I lent you fifteen hundred spirit stones for it. Master scolded me like I was a dog…”
Chongbi Peak Masterhad fumed, “I worked so hard painting and writing to earn this family’s fortune, and you kids squander it like that!” Many senior cultivators from noble sect families felt the same way—furious but too proud to personally confront a junior. After all, it had been a fair duel and wager, witnessed by many.
Before things escalated further, Jing Di had drunk his fill, waved his sleeve, and returned to Mingyue Lake to lie low. Meanwhile, “Hengtong Juyuan” had made an absolute fortune.
Meng Xueli had felt indignant with the three just moments ago, but on second thought, he suddenly saw things differently.
Ji Xiao had spent his life wielding a sword for the mortal realm. He sacrificed himself to bring peace, establish a new world, and create rules that gave this new generation the freedom to choose the kind of life they wanted.
To have the luxury to engage in such frivolous, pointless antics outside of cultivation—that in itself was a privilege. If the world were still harsh, then life would be nothing but plunder, struggle, and slaughter.
Ji Xiao was truly wonderful, Meng Xueli thought happily.
……
The Heishui River roared and surged. Cliffs towered on both sides, as though giant axes had cleaved them from the heavens.
Only in one stretch was the forest dense and the terrain slightly gentler. Most competitors crossed the raging river here by flying sword, and thus it became known as Flying Sword Gorge.
It was early morning. Mist swirled, and steam rose into the air. As they moved through the forested section of the gorge, the thunderous roar of the river drowned out all other sounds between heaven and earth.
As they neared the “haunted zone,” the five-person squad grew wary, listening intently for any sounds beyond the flow of water. Even the white tiger beneath the beast tamer lightened its steps.
That day, as usual, Meng Xueli played the part of a plump, unsuspecting sheep. The three disciples from Han Shan guarded him closely, posing as if they were about to cross the river.
The young man had a slender figure and wore luxurious robes. Four storage pouches hung from his waist.
Meng Xueli sensed something and sent a voice transmission to the three: “They’re here.”
No sooner had he spoken than there came a rustling from deep within the forest. Five figures in black cloaks emerged.
The scene was all too familiar. Zhang Suyuan immediately shouted, “Who goes there?!”
Han Shan’s three disciples pretended to panic. Li Wei cried out, “Protect the Elder!”
Just then, the one at the front of the cloaked group stopped and revealed his face.
Jing Di chuckled. “Well, well, look who it is—we’ve run into old acquaintances!”
Hearing their leader say this, the other four also pulled back their hoods. The beast tamer leapt down from the white tiger with a light step.
The Han Shan trio froze for a moment. This secret realm was eerie enough; they had just mentioned these people last night, and now they met them face-to-face.
He Ming shouted angrily, “Who are you calling an acquaintance?!”
Zhang Suyuan hurriedly sent a voice transmission to explain things to Meng Xueli.
Meng Xueli quietly sized up the five-person team before him. All five were in the late stages of barrier-breaking—not bad at all.
Right then, Jing Di’s gaze shifted and landed on Meng Xueli. The young man wore robes of pale snow-blue. His dark hair and red lips, the soft dimples on his cheeks, and his exquisitely expressive eyes all gave him the look of a frightened little animal. He truly looked delicate and pitiful.
“So this is Elder Meng? Up close, he’s quite the beauty,” Jing Di said with a smile, stepping forward. His voice turned gentle. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Jing Di—Jing as in thornbush, Di as in reed.”
Zhang Suyuan barked, “Watch your mouth!”
Normally, had someone spoken so forwardly, the Han Shan trio would have drawn their swords to intimidate.
But over the past few days, they had grown used to taking Meng Xueli’s lead. Not knowing what sort of act the Elder intended to put on today, they dared not speak rashly, afraid to ruin his plan.
Then Meng Xueli said, “Thanks. You’re quite good-looking yourself. I bet you’d look even better in women’s clothing.”
The Han Shan trio burst into laughter. It felt like vindication. Even the beast tamer across from them laughed. “Hahaha! Did you hear that? He said you’re pretty!”
Jing Di was momentarily stunned. He raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
“How did a person like you end up as Ji Xiao’s dao companion?”
Meng Xueli replied, “He proposed a ceremony of companionship. I agreed. And that’s how it happened.”
Jing Di: “……”
Meng Xueli added, “Everyone has their fate. You don’t have that fate, so don’t be too envious of him.”
The five-person team fell silent. This was nothing like the rumors they’d heard about Meng Xueli.
They exchanged voice transmissions to discuss a plan. Should they go their separate ways and keep the peace, or fight and try to steal the other side’s jade talisman?
The beast tamer was in favor of fighting. The alchemist wanted peace. The four looked to their leader to make the call.
But Jing Di suddenly said, “I’ve changed my mind. This Meng Xueli is really quite adorable. I think I’d like to…”
The array master turned pale. “Are you still human? He’s the widow of Sword Sovereign Ji Xiao! Where’s your moral bottom line?!”
Jing Di: “I don’t have a bottom line. It’s not like you just met me yesterday.”
The beast tamer asked bluntly, “Be honest with your brothers—are you after the Sword Sovereign’s relics?”
“Even if I’m not after the relics, not after ‘Weary of Rain’ or ‘Tired of Wind,’ why can’t I pursue him?” Jing Di said with a laugh. “Someone this delicately pampered, naive to the world, yet with a bit of a thorny edge—how could that not be attractive?”
The medical cultivator rolled her eyes fiercely. “Beast! Shame on you!”
The array master scolded, “You’ve got some nerve! Aren’t you afraid the Sword Sovereign’s spirit in the heavens will strike you with divine lightning?”
Jing Di: “The Sword Sovereign has already passed. He only has Han Shan behind him now. Is Han Shan going to tell him he can’t remarry with a dowry in tow? Just you wait. When this secret realm ends, he’s coming back to Mingyue Lake with me.”
He had always lived a smooth and easy life, never faced hardship, and was now at the height of his confidence, convinced there was nothing he couldn’t do.
On the other side, Meng Xueli and his group were also exchanging messages.
Meng Xueli said, “Everyone, stay calm. Follow my lead. Let’s give him a taste of his own medicine.”
Zhang Suyuan: “At your command, Elder Meng.”
Meng Xueli thought about how his three young disciples had served him diligently, massaging his shoulders and pounding his back. Since they held a personal grudge against this man, he figured he might as well help them get some payback.
Voice transmissions were faster than speaking aloud. Before long, both sides had finished discussing and finalized their plans.
Jing Di smiled gently. “Elder Meng, are you planning to cross the river to the east? You may not know, but in recent days, no one has returned after crossing the river at Flying Sword Gorge. As it happens, we’re headed east as well—why don’t we escort you?”
The array master added with a mysterious tone, “There are ghosts in the river.”
The beast tamer patted his chest in assurance. “We deeply admire Sword Sovereign Ji Xiao. We would never harm Elder Meng.”
Meng Xueli gave a soft smile. “Alright.”
His smile was delicate and innocent.
Author’s Note:
Friends, Ji Xiao will appear in the next chapter! Light a candle for classmate Jing in advance!
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
