The Whole Sect Is Acting Strange Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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In the back and forth journey, Pei Yunshu hadn’t yet seen his master, and the daylight had already faded into dimness.

He dismounted from the overflow heavens beast, thanked the massive and formidable-looking creature, and then walked to the door. Respectfully, he called out, “Master.”

There was a muffled sound from inside the room. Shortly after, the deep voice of Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master resonated, “What do you want to do by going to the affairs bureau?”

Pei Yunshu remained silent.

Both inside and outside the room fell into silence for a moment. However, after a while, the overflow heavens beast suddenly approached, and its enormous head nudged Pei Yunshu’s waist, pushing him into Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master’s room.

Once Pei Yunshu entered, the door closed with a gust of wind. The dim light from outside vanished, and the room was left in complete darkness, plunging into obscurity.

After a while, once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Pei Yunshu saw a figure sitting upright in the center of the room.

Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master’s voice emerged from the darkness, and he repeated, “What do you wish to accomplish?”

Pei Yunshu kept his head lowered and softly replied, “Disciple has encountered a bottleneck in cultivation and wishes to leave the mountain for training.”

“The tasks at the affairs bureau are of no use to you,” irritation crept into Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master’s voice. “What you need to do now is meditation and cultivation. Leaving the mountain for training is just a waste of time.”

“You haven’t reached the Golden Core stage yet, so how can you leave the mountain?”

“Master, I…”

“Chao Yan,” Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master interrupted him, his voice cold, “escort him back.”

He had been inscribing talismans for Yunwang’s painting, aiming to maximize the effect of the symbols. He needed to complete them in one go while the spiritual energy was at its peak. Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master wasn’t entirely satisfied with each talisman, but he received a voice transmission talisman from the elder at the affairs bureau during this time.

The tasks at the affairs bureau were designed for outer disciples. With Pei Yunshu on the verge of reaching the Golden Core stage, his advancement was only a matter of time given his aptitude. It would be a waste of time for him to leave for training before properly cultivating. Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master’s expression grew cold; he would not agree to such a pointless endeavor.

The beast named Chao Yan let out a roar, and Pei Yunshu closed his eyes, retreating from his master’s room.

The sunset at Shanshui Sect was exceptionally beautiful, especially when viewed from Wuzhi Peak. As Pei Yunshu gazed at the distant colorful clouds, he was at a loss for words. The massive overflow heavens beast lazily sprawled beside him, showing no intention of rushing him.

Pei Yunshu’s black hair had taken on a beautiful reddish hue. When Yunwang emerged from a side room, he saw the image of Pei Yunshu’s face tinged with the colors of sunset.

“Senior Brother,” Yunwang’s voice was very soft, as if he were afraid of startling Pei Yunshu, “Why have you come here?”

His gaze lowered, and he looked at Pei Yunshu’s waist. It was clean and empty; Senior Brother hadn’t brought the red jade his master had given him.

Yunwang’s voice grew even more gentle and tender. “Is Senior Brother feeling unwell?”

The overflow heavens beast’s shining vertical pupils shifted its gaze between Yunwang and Pei Yunshu.

Pei Yunshu shook his head and drew out the Qingyue Sword. Its blue glow expanded as the blade grew larger. He stepped onto the sword’s edge, but suddenly Yunwang spoke up, “Senior Brother, Master’s place lacks many things. Wu Wang has nothing of his own. Could Senior Brother spare some things for him?”

Pei Yunshu asked, “What do you want?”

“Handkerchiefs,” Yunwang’s face turned a rosy hue, and his ethereal appearance carried a hint of charm, like the moon of mid-autumn, radiant and captivating like flowers at the dawn of spring, “Junior Brother is running short on handkerchiefs.”

This was not difficult at all. Pei Yunshu casually pulled out a few silk handkerchiefs from his storage pouch and handed them to Wu Wang. He then said, “Junior Brother, Senior Brother has other matters to attend to and needs to leave.”

Yunwang obediently nodded. “Alright, Senior Brother.”

Once Pei Yunshu left on his flying sword, the overflow heavens beast leaped and followed suit. In the blink of an eye, the duo disappeared from sight.

Yunwang withdrew his gaze, looked at the handkerchiefs in his hand, and after a while, neatly folded them and placed them in his pocket.

***

Returning to the courtyard, Pei Yunshu found the overflow heavens beast hadn’t left. Its luminous vertical pupils, glowing like wild beasts’ eyes in the night, remained fixed on him. It seemed as though it might pounce on him and devour him in the next instant.

Master’s beast was known for its untamed nature. After Pei Yunshu stepped into his room and closed the doors and windows, he heard a low growl from the overflow heavens beast. It then leaped into the air and departed.

Pei Yunshu lit a candle inside the room and headed to the bathing area with his clothes.

Although he knew the Cleansing Technique, after experiencing it once, he fell in love with the sensation of soaking in hot water. The water on Wuzhi Peak was drawn from the clear springs of the rear mountain. After undergoing fire enchantments, even if he soaked for an hour each day, the water was still pleasantly warm.

Pei Yunshu got into the water and laid by the edge of the pool. His face was flushed from the hot steam rising from the water. He closed his eyes and thought about his master’s words from earlier in the day.

His desire to leave the sect wasn’t solely for the sake of reaching the Golden Core stage. Rather, he wanted to break free from this limited world. No matter how vast Shanshui Sect was, and no matter how splendid Wuzhi Peak appeared, to him, these sights were no different from the small courtyard that had confined him for a decade.

Clearly, several senior brothers were allowed to leave the mountain for training at will, so why was he denied the same opportunity?

As his thoughts spun back and forth, the sound of water dripping accompanied him. Suddenly, there were a few sounds from the window. Pei Yunshu turned his head sharply to look, but all he saw was tranquility.

He said, “Who’s there?”

Pei Yunshu remained still, and the room was now devoid of any sound. The water’s surface was calm, and the mist rising from the steaming water blurred everything. He extended his hand outward, and the Qingyue Sword by the side of the pool trembled a few times before flying into his hand.

However, as he gripped it, he realized it felt slippery and greasy.

Subconsciously, Pei Yunshu looked at what he was holding. What had flown into his hand wasn’t a sword but a black snake of similar length to the Qingyue Sword. The snake’s body was soft, and its eyes were blood-red. It slithered up his wrist.

The cold scales touched Pei Yunshu’s arm, sending a shiver through him.

His hand trembled, and he instinctively threw the black snake away.

With a “plop,” the sword-like black snake fell into the water.

Pei Yunshu hurriedly stood up, about to step onto the edge of the pool, but before he could take a step, the snake in the water had grown several times in size. Its tail wrapped around his feet, rendering his attempts to cast numerous attack spells upon it futile.

The snake’s tail pulled him into the water, submerging his nose and mouth. Pei Yunshu’s eyes turned crimson at the corners, and the snake was all around him—on his body and beside him.

Even though his legs were still there, he couldn’t move. He was utterly helpless.

But in the next moment, a force pushed him to the edge of the pool.

The sound of water filled the air as the hot water sloshed around, spilling over from the turbulence and dampening the dry ground.

A strong pair of hands pressed him against the water’s surface. Black hair, which wasn’t his, hung down from above, coldly brushing against his neck.

Fresh air entered his lungs once more, and a tear unconsciously rolled down the corner of Pei Yunshu’s eye.

The snake’s vermilion tongue licked the tear away, and Pei Yunshu’s eyelid twitched. He opened his eyes and met a pair of blood-red eyes, so dark they almost seemed black.

The owner of those blood-red eyes possessed an exquisitely handsome face. His eyebrows resembled ink brushstrokes, and his gaze was as deep as an autumn moon. Sinister markings extended from his face to his neck, emitting a terrifying authority. Those eyes that stared directly at Pei Yunshu were as fierce and cold as a savage beast.

Droplets fell from his face and into the water, the pool’s surface undulating.

Pei Yunshu held his breath for a few moments before tremblingly asking, “Who are you?”

The snake demon lowered his head, getting close to Pei Yunshu’s shoulder. He sniffed the fragrance on his hair, akin to a fierce tiger smelling a rose, exhibiting a cautiousness typical of wild beasts.

“…” Pei Yunshu said, “Get away.”

He gritted his teeth, his hands clenched tightly, and the boundless crimson at the corner of his eye teetered on the edge of collapse.

In the next instant, the snake demon that had pressed him against the poolside disappeared, and the illusory realm truly dissipated.

The water’s surface remained calm, and Pei Yunshu surveyed his surroundings. Finally, he looked at the Qingyue Sword in his hand. As he stared, the sword trembled slightly and emitted a soft hum.

The snake with two small bulges on its head had actually vanished.

***

The sound of birdsong filled the air as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the room. Pei Yunshu laid snugly in the soft bedding, slowly opening his eyes.

This sleep was inexplicably deep. He sat up, about to get out of bed and dress, but suddenly felt that something was amiss.

He furrowed his brow and lifted the blanket. Pei Yunshu froze as he saw a jet-black egg resting on the pristine white sheets before him.

The egg was about the size of an adult man’s palm and gleamed on the bed. Pei Yunshu controlled his emotions, staring at the egg for a long while before hesitantly reaching out to touch it.

The warmth beneath his fingertips sent a tingling sensation up his hand. The egg swayed slightly before regaining its balance. Pei Yunshu withdrew his hand, burned by the sensation. His gaze remained fixed on the egg’s smooth surface. He noticed that, although the eggshell was jet-black, it lacked the light-absorbing darkness of the large snake he encountered the previous night.

He had no idea where this egg came from or what it represented. After much hesitation, Pei Yunshu got out of bed, dressed himself, and picked up the egg, intending to seek advice from his knowledgeable third senior brother.

Third senior brother enjoyed traveling and had been to many places, encountering numerous unusual things. If even he didn’t know the origin of this egg, then… Pei Yunshu’s eyes flashed with determination. He decided to check if the egg was poisonous, and if not, he would cook and eat it.

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