Chapter 68: Judging Others by One’s Own Standards
Meng Xueli and Ji Xiao walked side by side. Though silent, the atmosphere between them was full of unspoken understanding.
Jing Di’s squad walked ahead, joking and chatting with the “independent brother Que,” their voices loud. In truth, the chatter was a way to bolster courage. It was their first time experiencing something like this—they dared not dwell on the conspiracy behind it. If anyone claimed they weren’t nervous, it was pure bravado.
Most people in the cultivation world still did not know about the dangers hidden deep in the Hanhai Secret Realm. They could only imagine the situation in the secret realm’s grand competition based on information brought out by early or mid-stage dropouts.
What everyone gossiped about most eagerly was always Sword Sovereign’s Dao Companion, Meng Xueli. Meng Xueli had always been famous. In the past, his reputation had been infamous; now it was celebrated.
In the past, people said of him, “Handsome, yes, but alas, a commoner at heart.” Now they said, “Originally a perfect match, a pair of ideal partners, but… unfortunately…” Unfortunately, Ji Xiao had already passed into immortality.
Previously, people said he was lucky: two excellent disciples had fallen into his hands—one born with an innate sword spirit, the other famous for swordplay at Han Shan’s Sword Training Platform. Once they matured, they might continue the glory of Changchun Peak and even Han Shan. Now, people said Yu Qishu and Xiao Tingyun were lucky, because Meng Xueli no longer relied on the sword. When he won the grand competition and obtained the “Endless Sky Sword” sword, he might pass it to one of his sword-training disciples in the future.
Even Han Shan’s youngest disciples enjoyed recalling Meng Xueli teaching in the Hall of Legal Principles, answering their questions and clarifying doubts.
“I always knew Elder Meng wasn’t ordinary. His explanations were thorough yet easy to understand, turning difficulty into simplicity—he’s truly capable.”
“The rarest thing is that he’s kind and humble. Senior Brother Yu is really fortunate.”
When Meng Xueli’s former teammates, sent back with messages by Ziyan Peak Master—Zhang Suyuan and two others—returned to Han Shan, discussions like these peaked.
They entered the main peak hall and met with the Sect Leader, carefully reporting what they had seen and heard.
Finally, Zhang Suyuan spoke cautiously, “Elder Meng is not in danger, he only worries for the sect.”
The Sect Leader gestured solemnly, “I have already received the message from Ziyan. You all may return to rest and recover.”
He sent a communication talisman to Ziyan Peak Master, ordering her to guard the secret realm’s exit and be ready to receive Meng Xueli at any moment, then summoned the other peak masters for consultation.
Chongbi Peak Master sighed, “Xueli is remarkable. Even ambushed in the secret realm, he still worries about the sect. If he weren’t Ji Xiao’s Dao companion, he could have done well on his own. Since joining Han Shan, he has ignored worldly affairs for three years, content to remain anonymous, unconcerned with criticism—it shows his detached nature. Had Ji Xiao not died unexpectedly, he would never have left Changchun Peak. Now, because of his special status, he is caught up in disputes…”
Liulan Peak Master frowned. “His concerns are not unfounded. If we rushed to the secret realm upon hearing of the grand competition’s upheaval, Han Shan would be left unguarded, making it vulnerable to enemies.”
Yueque Peak Master snorted coldly. “What enemies? Besides Mingyue Lake, who else could be scheming behind the scenes? Targeting the young is no skill at all. Let me make it clear, Gu Qing—supposedly the saint senses heaven and earth, discerns the eight directions—can you hear me cursing you?”
The Sect Leader’s expression was conflicted, his gaze complex, and he did not correct him. Meng Xueli was not a junior, but their peer.
With Ziyan Peak Master absent, the four agreed on how to inspect and repair the mountain-protecting array and arrange disciples to patrol the peaks, then returned to their own peaks to make preparations.
Within the sect, the Sect Leader Zhenren felt Meng Xueli worried too much. After the secret realm’s grand competition began, Jingsi Valley reported: Supreme Elder Tai Heng would enter long-term seclusion. His descendants and nephews were summoned to the valley to study, copy scriptures, and offer prayers, not to roam outside. This eased tensions between the five-peak faction and the Supreme Elder’s faction, filling Han Shan with lively spring energy.
The Sect Leader thought, “Recently, there has been frequent news from the secret realm. It’s good for the young disciples to hear it. Experiencing the grand competition and confronting outsiders will let them witness the cultivation world’s harshness and understand the importance of sect unity in the face of enemies.”
As thought often manifests, not long after seeing off the peak masters, the main hall received another visitor: Zhou Yi, Supreme Elder Tai Heng’s senior disciple.
The last time he had entered the hall was the day of the Hall of Legal Principles’s disciple assessment, when he had been ordered to take Xiao Tingyun as a junior brother. Yet Xiao Tingyun had joined Changchun Peak, leaving him empty-handed.
The Sect Leader greeted him, “Junior Brother Zhou, how has the Daoist been lately?”
Zhou Yi nodded. “All is well. My master’s seclusion aims to extend his life; he may not emerge for twenty or thirty years.”
The Sect Leader was slightly surprised. “So long?”
Zhou Yi nodded. “He has matters he cannot leave unresolved and wishes to speak with you directly, inviting you into the valley.”
The Sect Leader’s expression gradually softened. Over the years, Zhou Yi had treated the five-peak faction with extreme coldness, often frowning, speaking with a mocking tone. It was rare to see him so polite.
“Very well, I will go with you.”
In the past, while Ji Xiao was alive, the Supreme Elder had secluded himself in the valley, avoiding the world. If matters arose in the sect, the Sect Leader and peak masters were summoned to the valley to receive instruction. The Elder enjoyed displaying authority and lecturing on the Dao.
The Sect Leader thought: they would not see him for twenty or thirty years, so letting him display his seniority now and agreeing along his words would suffice. Perhaps the Supreme Elder, in his long seclusion, finally wished to let go. It would be the perfect chance to help him release old grudges against Hu Si and Ji Xiao. With the entire Han Shan united against outside enemies, there would be no internal factional disputes… With that thought, he proceeded to the “Skyline Path” passage in Jingsi Valley, connecting to the outside world.
Unfortunately, people always made the mistake of judging others by their own standards.
…
After Zhang Suyuan and the other two left the main hall, Yu Qishu prepared golden-thread peach blossom pastries and tea sweetened with peach blossom honey to entertain them as guests on Changchun Peak. No matter how many stories he heard about how brave and invincible Meng Xueli was, he still could not feel at ease.
Yu Qishu held a money mouse in his arms and said, “Three senior brothers, you traveled with my master on the same team, looking after each other all the way. That must have been hard on you.”
The three quickly waved their hands, repeating, “We wouldn’t dare, we wouldn’t dare. It was entirely thanks to Elder Meng’s care on this trip.”
Yu Qishu asked eagerly, “So, how was my Brother Meng—cough, I mean, my master—in the secret realm? Was it really like the rumors say, that he set up some kind of ‘moral test’ for others?”
The three, afraid of making him worry, instead picked out lighthearted anecdotes from the secret realm to tell him: the rogue cultivators from Biyun Valley who tried to rob others but ended up being robbed themselves, leaving behind a ground full of pine nuts; Elder Meng disguising himself as easy prey by the Heishui River, and poor Jing Di getting struck by lightning… Yu Qishu laughed so hard his stomach hurt, secretly envious, regretting only that he had been born at the wrong time and had no chance to take part in the Hanhai Competition. Absentmindedly, he stroked the fur of the little mouse in his hands.
But happy times were always short. Before he realized it, dusk had fallen, cups and plates were scattered in disarray. After sending the guests off, Yu Qishu let out a small breath of relief, tidied up, and as usual went to the pond to feed the fish.
The evening breeze was gentle. Peach blossoms and little mice thrived naturally on Changchun Peak, and only the three koi fish required his care.
Talking to the fish had somehow become a habit that seemed contagious. Standing by the pond, Yu Qishu muttered, “Eat more. I promised my senior brother in seclusion, and my master traveling in the secret realm, that I would take good care of you. Eat plenty, grow big and fat…”
After a while, the koi lashed their tails violently, shattering the moon’s reflection in the pond. Water splashed like strings of crystal pearls, drenching Yu Qishu’s face and body.
The night wind suddenly turned cold. He shivered, wiped the water from his face with one hand, and wondered how it could be cold on Changchun Peak, where it was spring all year round. As he focused his senses, he realized the chill was drifting over from the direction of Jingsi Valley.
Uneasy, he leaned over the pond and said, “What are you jumping around for again?”
But as he peered into the water, he froze. The three koi were head to tail, forming a ring as they swam rapidly in circles, trapping the moon’s reflection inside their loop. The strange sight left him stunned and speechless.
Yu Qishu’s eyes widened. “Heavens above…”
The koi swam faster and faster, the ring instantly turning into a spinning whirlpool. Air currents whipped up layers of mist, carrying with them fallen leaves, water grass, and moss from the pond’s edge, flinging them upward with tremendous suction.
In the blink of an eye, the ground of Changchun Peak shook violently.
When the spray hit his face, Yu Qishu was half sprawled on the pond’s edge. He had no time to gather his true energy before the waterspout sucked him straight into the pond.
“What’s happening!”
His breath seized as he plunged into the depths of the water.
Cultivators could last long by relying on their true energy to circulate and sustain life underwater. He swam desperately, but watched helplessly as the waterspout surged skyward while his own body sank like a stone, with nowhere to gain leverage.
Something was wrong. This was supposed to be a clear, shallow pond beneath a sunny sky—how could it be this deep?
The faint light of the moon on the surface was already gone. Cold currents pressed against him on all sides; darkness surrounded him. He could only gauge the depth by the mounting water pressure. He didn’t know how long he had been sinking, but he estimated he was already more than a hundred zhang underwater, when suddenly a streak of golden light drifted past, illuminating a corner of the depths.
Still sinking, he flailed both hands toward the light. It turned out to be a flat, thin piece, faintly fishy, slick to the touch. Though it looked flimsy, it was incredibly hard, as large as a bowl’s mouth. Yu Qishu clutched it and studied it closely. Something about it felt familiar, and a terrible thought flashed through his mind: if this was just a tiny piece of some beast, how unimaginably enormous must the creature itself be?
After a moment, he finally realized what it was. His heart sank, and his body trembled slightly.
It was a scale—the scale of the “koi” in the pond.
“Aoooo——”
Yu Qishu heard a muffled, drawn-out sound echoing from the farthest depths below.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
