Chapter 7: The Frail Young Boy
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Outside of Han Shan, the wind and snow ceased. Three thousand miles to the south, the temperature gradually warmed.
The mountain range in the clouds resembled a natural barrier, dividing the continent into north and south.
As dusk approached, weary birds returned to their nests, and wisps of smoke rose from the foot of the mountains where a small town lay.
The food shop in the town usually did brisk business, with hunters heading into the mountains and merchants traveling between the north and south often stopping by to rest, have some hot soup and rice, and drink a few bowls of invigorating wine.
But at this moment, the town was quiet, with only a table of customers sitting in the corner. They were a group of four: three young men in white robes accompanying a clothed youth.
The youth had a pale complexion and coughed softly from time to time.
The young men were dressed in spotless robes, with swords hanging from their waists, unmistakably cultivators.
At the border between the north and south was a lawless territory where ordinary people avoided encountering practitioners.
The three cultivators sat upright, neither drinking tea nor wine, patiently waiting for the mundane youth to finish his meal.
Suddenly, one of them frowned as if sensing something, his expression turning angry. “Senior Brother Zhang, those people are still following us!”
“Good!” He smirked at the round-faced cultivator opposite him. “They’d better follow us back to Han Shan!”
For days, the three men had been traveling with the youth, switching between waterways and mountain paths, and exchanging flying tools for walking. However, no matter the change, there were always a few presences lingering not too far behind.
The young man addressed as Senior Brother Zhang, with a gentle demeanor, interjected, “Once we cross this mountain tonight, we’ll be in the northern region. They won’t follow us anymore.”
The round-faced cultivator was about to speak when he noticed the youth drinking soup lift his head. “Who are they?”
The three cultivators exchanged glances. Since the youth had joined them on the road, he had been reticent, showing little curiosity or excitement even when they talked about the wonders of the cultivation world. This was the first time he had asked a question.
Senior Brother Zhang replied, “They are from the Mingyie Lake.”
“Since you’ve agreed to join our Han Shan Sword Sect, you’re considered our junior brother. To be frank, they’ve all come for you,” Senior Brother Zhang decided to elaborate a bit more. “You possess the innate sword spirit, akin to Ji Xiao, the Sword Sovereign, a once-in-a-century rarity. Mingyue Lake is also a sword sect, naturally wanting to recruit you.”
Due to the significance of the Hanhai Grand Competition, various factions in the human realm attach great importance to the cultivation of young disciples, with this competition even influencing the process of recruiting disciples.
Given the prestige of the Han Shan Sect, tens of thousands of people ascend the mountain every spring to test their aptitude, making it akin to finding a needle in a haystack along the immortal path.
In addition to this, prominent cultivation families in the north affiliated with the Han Shan Sect send their outstanding descendants to the sect. Furthermore, when elders and senior disciples from various peaks of the sect travel down the mountain, they may encounter talented children or youths during their travels and bring them back to Han Shan.
Each of the six major sects operates similarly, with each holding its own territory and following similar recruitment practices.
The Mingyue Lake and Han Shan, situated in the north and south respectively, stand in distant opposition. Sharing similar criteria for selecting talent, conflicts over recruiting disciples have occurred multiple times in the border regions between the north and south.
The round-faced cultivator spoke to the young man in plain clothes, “In our cultivation world, the recruitment of disciples is based on mutual consent. As long as you are unwilling, they will have no way to force you. The Mingyue Lake is known for its cunning schemes and deceptive tactics, so don’t be fooled by them!”
The young man nodded, but secretly pondered: Both the Southern Lake and Northern Mountain hold their own sword techniques in high regard, considering the other side as non-orthodox and incompatible for a long time. However, listening to the three cultivators’ impassioned tone, it didn’t sound like a dispute over orthodoxies, but rather a clash of personal pride.
When did the young disciples of the two sects start to harbor grievances against each other?
Perplexed, he asked a few more questions.
The two cultivators slammed the table in anger, and the most steady of the three, named Zhang, explained, “It’s understandable why everyone is angry. Two years ago, when we were traveling down the mountain, we passed by West Liang Town and happened to discover a talented child with remarkable aptitude. Although slightly inferior to you, he was still a rare talent for sword cultivation. When that child learned of his potential for immortality, he immediately requested to accompany us back to Han Shan. Everything seemed settled…”
The round-faced cultivator interjected anxiously, “I don’t know where the Mingyue Lake came from, but they managed to deceive the person with just a few words! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that our Han Shan is inferior to the Mingyue Lake; it’s that they used deceitful tactics!”
The young man furrowed his brow slightly, “What deceitful tactics?”
“Mingyue Lake’s senior disciple, Jing Di, relies on his male appearance to dress up as a woman, wearing skirts and hairpins. Pity that naive child, following along with his ‘gentle and beautiful senior sister,’ he’ll surely regret it later! A dignified swordsman resorting to such shameless tactics…” He wanted to curse some more harsh words, but found himself at a loss, so he repeated, “Truly shameless!”
“Yes, shameless! I could have exposed him then!” Another cultivator said angrily, “But he disguised himself too well, I… I didn’t recognize him…”
The round-faced cultivator lamented, “In any case, when you become successful in your cultivation and travel down the mountain, always remember: aside from demons and monsters, the worst are those from Mingyue Lake. They have no bottom line, they can do anything.”
“Cough, cough, cough, cough.”
The youth coughed weakly upon hearing the conversation.
He thought, this might be unfair to Mingyue Lake. With Yun Xuzi’s rigid temperament, he wouldn’t order his disciples to cross-dress, it must have been those disciples’ own idea.
At that moment, the three cultivators’ expressions turned cold, and they stood up abruptly.
Suddenly, six or seven people walked into the eatery, dressed in green robes, swords strapped to their backs.
“What are you following us for all this way? What do you want?”
The leader, surrounded by his followers like stars around the moon, strode forward confidently, laughing heartily. “Is this the road only for disciples of Han Shan? Why can’t I walk on it too?”
“Jing Di! You’ve gone too far!” the round-faced cultivator was about to draw his sword.
But the person just smiled and greeted them generously, “Oh, it’s Daoist Li Wei, Daoist He Ming, and Daoist Zhang Suyuan. Long time no see, I hope you’re all well.”
Li Wei reluctantly let go of the hilt of his sword.
Zhang Suyuan nodded in a reserved manner, “Daoist Jing, it’s been a while.”
A Mingyue Lake disciple brought over chairs, Jin Ddi adjusted his robe and sat across from them, getting straight to the point, “Congratulations to your sect for finding such a talented individual.”
Zhang Suyuan responded calmly, “I wonder what advice Daoist Jing has for us?”
“Don’t be so tense, everyone, please sit,” Jing Di smiled. “It’s said that the innate sword spirit is a once-in-a-millennium encounter. I couldn’t resist my curiosity and wanted to see for myself how extraordinary it truly is. Where is the young brother? Would he be willing to show himself?”
This question was clearly asked knowingly.
In fact, although the three seemed to have angrily stood up, they had discreetly blocked the young man from view, shielding him from prying eyes.
He Ming retorted angrily, “Who is your little brother? He’s a disciple of our Han Shan Sect.”
Jing Di refused to back down. He was confident in his own talents, believing them to be unparalleled. With time, he dared to compare himself with Ji Xiao. However, with the Sword Sovereign having passed away, he wanted to see for himself what made this fortunate young man stand out.
Just as the standoff seemed unyielding, a violent cough erupted from behind the Han Shan cultivators, causing them to quickly turn around.
Jing Di felt a twinge of surprise, wondering if the legendary innate sword spirit was actually a sickly boy?
Before him stood a slender youth, his lips covered by a handkerchief, his complexion pale, and his cheeks flushed with unhealthy redness due to the severity of his coughing.
Despite his illness, his demeanor remained remarkably calm, as if the suffering was not his own.
Jing Di, seeing the youth afflicted by illness, shook his head inwardly: “So this is the innate sword body.”
The Han Shan cultivators patted his back supportively. The youth thanked them in a low voice before lifting his gaze, locking eyes with Jing Di.
Jing Di was taken aback.
The youth had pale eyes, thin lips, and a prominent nose. Due to his thinness, his facial features were sharp and angular.
Although his gaze wasn’t sharp or imposing, it seemed to possess a strange and captivating power, momentarily blanking Jing Di’s mind. By the time he regained his senses, the youth had lowered his eyelids.
Li Wei, fearing the youth might cough his lungs out, reassured him: “Don’t worry, once you join Han Shan, the elders will surely have miraculous medicines to treat your illness.”
Jing Di chuckled: “Young friend, do you know that Han Shan remains frozen throughout the year? Your cough cannot endure the cold. In contrast, our Mingyue Lake is warm and humid, like spring all year round. It would be a better place for you…”
He was interrupted by He Ming: “What’s so great about that? My sect’s Changchun Peak also enjoys spring-like weather all year round!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake and showed a look of annoyance, knowing that he had given Jing Di an opening.
Sure enough, Jing Di seized upon it immediately. “Changchun Peak? After the passing of Sword Sovereign Ji Xiao, Changchun Peak is now left with only his Dao companion. How can it endure for long? My friend, I advise you to broaden your horizons and choose another path.”
Before he could finish speaking, the youth turned to the three from Han Shan, furrowing his brows. “His Dao companion, how is he now?”
Thinking that he admired Ji Xiao Zhenren, Zhang Suyuan sighed and replied, “Elder Meng is young and impulsive. He actually announced at Zhenren’s memorial ceremony that he would participate in next year’s Great Competition in the Hanhai Secret Realm. Now the entire cultivation world knows…”
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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