Chapter 8: An Inch Of Time Spans A Thousand Miles. Clouds And Mountains Stretch Endlessly
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At this moment, several disciples in the hall, all from the two sects, had witnessed the mourning of Meng Xueli in the Han Shan’s ancestral hall.
They exchanged words, each describing the events surrounding Meng Xueli and his relationship with the departed.
Some spoke of Meng Xueli’s fierce temperament, his deep emotions and strong sense of loyalty, while others criticized him for being too naive.
The young man listened in silence, and finally muttered softly, “Nonsense.”
His voice was hoarse due to coughing, making it difficult for others to catch his words clearly.
As the evening sun dipped, casting a golden glow through the window, the young man sat amidst the fading light, lost in his thoughts, his pale face tinged with a faint blush.
He was Ji Xiao.
Ji Xiao experienced a great ordeal of life and death, his physical body was completely destroyed. He had no choice but to leave his soul and wander thousands of miles at night, seeking out a dying young man, and then seizing the opportunity for reincarnation.
In the practice of taking over another’s body, righteous cultivators must seek out someone who has no relatives and whose life is on the verge of ending, in order to avoid karmic consequences. This body was compatible with his own destiny, and it was already in a state of terminal illness that fateful night, making it a perfect match. However, his soul was too powerful, and the weak body struggled to bear it, like a sharp blade being sheathed in a fragile scabbard, inevitably leading to friction and collisions.
Ji Xiao used the power of his soul to refine his body, creating the physique of a sword Spirit, much like sharpening a sword. The pain endured during this process still lingers until now. His lungs felt as if they were being cut by a knife, unable to suppress the coughing.
However, compared to the ignorant and oblivious state of death, experiencing pain was indeed a unique aspect of life.
While the others continued discussing Meng Xueli, Zhang Suyuan, seeing that they couldn’t contain themselves, had to take the initiative to steer the conversation back:
“These matters have nothing to do with you; just listen casually. You certainly won’t join Changchun Peak. Besides, there are still five peaks in the Han Shan, and the masters of each peak are all strong cultivators in the Mahayana realm. I heard that this year, the Sect Leader is interested in taking disciples. You might even become the Sect Leader’s direct disciple.”
He patted the young man’s shoulder and joked, “If you happen to catch the Grand Elder when he comes out of seclusion to take disciples, that would be even better. Then we’ll all have to call you ‘Master Uncle’ in the future.”
In fact, according to the rules, before entering the inner gates of the Han Shan, one must pass the examination in the Hall of Legal Principles. The peak masters also don’t only consider aptitude when taking disciples. But with Mingyue Lake lurking nearby, he tried hard to paint a rosy picture, attempting to deepen the young man’s fondness for the Han Shan.
Li Wei added, “Even if you don’t go to the main peak, our Chongbi Peak is also very good. Don’t you admire Ji Xiao very much? My master has a special relationship with the Sword Sovereign! In the main hall of our peak, hangs the ink masterpiece of the Sword Sovereign. After you come, you can admire it every day. It’s really a good word, two good poems—’An Inch Of Time Spans A Thousand Miles. Clouds And Mountains Stretch Endlessly’. Something about swords…”
He was speaking enthusiastically when his voice suddenly weakened, cursing himself for not having visited the main hall a few times and forgetting the second half of the sentence. Under the scrutiny of the Mingyue Lake people, his face turned bright red.
“The essence of the sword is unintentional; its actions reside in me,” Ji Xiao interjected to bail him out.
“R-Right!” Li Wei exclaimed, “How did you know?”
“…I heard about it.”
“If you’ve heard about it, it proves you have a deep connection with our sect. You should become a disciple of the Han Shan!” Li Wei insisted.
Ji Xiao could only sigh inwardly, that those two lines of poetry were not written by him.
Your master imitated my handwriting, stole my seal, but he’s young, so I didn’t want to argue with him…
Feeling a discomfort in his chest again, he couldn’t help but cough softly.
Seeing that the young man could recite the poems of the Han Shan sect so fluently and effortlessly, Jing Di realized that there was no possibility of him switching allegiance to the Mingyue Lake. Continuing to insist would only damage their reputation and achieve nothing. He felt a sense of regret but maintained a smiling facade, saying, “It’s getting late, so we won’t disturb you on your journey any longer. Farewell.”
The three disciples of the Han Shan Sect wished that the Mingyue Lake would disappear instantly, fearing that they might linger and produce another “gentle and beautiful senior sister” to deceive the naive young man.
This time, they could finally feel relieved about recruiting disciples, and the Han Shan disciples smiled brightly.
“Farewell, Daoist Jing, we won’t see you off. If fate allows, we shall meet again!”
Jing Di wasn’t angry and led his disciples to the door, turning back to smile and say, “There’s no need to rely on fate. We’ll meet again at the Hanhai Secret Realm. Let’s see where the ‘Endless Sky’ will lead us next spring—.”
As soon as the words fell, the figure had already walked away.
Li Wei and He Ming angrily slammed the table.
Zhang Suyuan didn’t think much of it and turned to the young man with a smile. “It’s been a rush these few days, and you’ve worked hard. If you’re too tired, don’t push yourself. We can rest for the night in the town.”
Ji Xiao shook his head. “It’s not hard. Let’s just return to the mountain as soon as possible.”
After hearing this, the three men secretly thought that despite the young man’s frail health, he had endured the hardships of the journey without complaining, enduring the wind and rain. With his outstanding talent and resilient character, his future was limitless.
Fortunately, the Mingyue Lake had returned empty-handed, thanks to the blessing of Ji Xiao’s spirit in the heavens!
Ji Xiao, however, was unaware that he was being thanked by others. As he listened to others talk about the sword he used, the realms he opened, and the Dao companions in his peak, it all felt like listening to a story.
It was all like a big dream, fleeting and transient, starting over from scratch.
But something seemed off about his nominal Dao companion, Meng Xueli.
He had left the Endless Sky Sword at Changchun Peak to suppress the formation. As long as Meng Xueli stayed within Changchun Peak, no one could harm him.
Why then fabricate a set of “last wishes” in the ancestral hall and insist on going to the Hanhai Secret Realm?
Was someone pressuring him? Or was someone bullying him?
In Ji Xiao’s mind flashed many scenes. Sometimes he saw Meng Xueli losing the protection of the “Eternal Spring Formation”, shivering in the midst of swirling snow; sometimes he saw Meng Xueli being expelled from the Han Shan, only to return a hundred years later, filled with resentment and wreaking havoc in the world.
His attitude towards Meng Xueli was quite complex. He feared others bullying his Dao companion, yet he also feared his Dao companion bullying others.
While other cultivators regarded the joining of souls as a major event in life, Meng Xueli only occupied one-thousandth of Ji Xiao’s attention throughout his long cultivation journey.
Encountering a dying demon on the road, he felt compassion and extended a helping hand. It was a simple act, but one-thousandth was enough.
There were far more complicated matters in the world, and until his spiritual body was completely destroyed, he believed he had fulfilled his duty to the sect and had no regrets in his interactions with the mortal realm.
But what about Meng Xueli?
Once he had promised to protect him for a lifetime, ensuring his safety and well-being.
Having made a promise but unable to fulfill it naturally brought guilt.
Thus, that one-thousandth became a variable.
Walking under the desolate evening sun, Ji Xiao recalled the day he first met Meng Xueli.
Author’s note:
PS: “An Inch Of Time Spans A Thousand Miles. Clouds And Mountains Stretch Endlessly” is from the Song Dynasty poem “Fish Swimming in Spring Water”.
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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