Chapter 13: Ripples And Waves
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Early the next day, after practicing swordsmanship on Yuxu Mountain, Xi Guxing was informed by the white crane of Fanjiang Residence that Shen Gurong had gone to Zhibai Hall to attend a lecture on the “Tranquil Heart” early in the morning.
Xi Guxing was somewhat surprised; he thought Shen Gurong was joking when he mentioned attending the morning class yesterday. He didn’t expect that being such an adult, Shen Gurong would shamelessly join a group of children for an early class.
Feeling a chill, Xi Guxing returned his sword to his residence and quickly headed to Zhibai Hall. The usually lively Zhibai Hall was now silent, with only the sound of cicadas coming from the depths of the forest.
Xi Guxing peered inside through the window lattice and saw Shen Gurong sitting cross-legged on the last row cushion, his chin resting on his hand as he dozed off on the desk.
Due to his presence, all the disciples of Zhibai Hall were sitting upright with a solemn demeanor, looking numb. Cold sweat covered their foreheads, afraid that the slightest movement would unleash a ferocious beast behind them.
Xi Guxing: “…”
What kind of behavior was this?
The disciples of Liren Peak were also very afraid of the Sect Leader and Xi Guxing knew that. That’s why he rarely came to Zhibai Hall to add pressure to the disciples, as it was of no benefit to their cultivation and would only incur unnecessary displeasure.
However, Shen Gurong seemed different. Despite knowing that everyone avoided him like a snake or a scorpion, he boldly approached, seemingly eager for others to fear him, with a mischievous sense of amusement.
The elder who was conducting the class also had beads of sweat on his forehead. Shen Gurong’s presence had clearly shaken him. The teaching itself became stuttered and awkward.
Elder: “Calm your mind, stabilize the hundred meridians, strengthen the spirit.”
Disciples mechanically repeated, “Stabilize the hundred meridians, strengthen the spirit.”
Elder: “…”
Xi Guxing: “…”
Meanwhile, while following the instructions to stabilize the hundred meridians and circulate spiritual energy, Mu Zhe heard his own master laughing heartily in his mind.
[Ha, ha, ha!]
Mu Zhe: “…”
He turned his head and happened to collide with Shen Gurong’s pair of eyes filled with a playful smile.
Shen Gurong’s ice silk was very thin, allowing a faint glimpse of his long and narrow light-colored eyes. Just waking up, the slightly drooping eye corners revealed a touch of blush, enchantingly alluring.
Mu Zhe was momentarily stunned.
Shen Gurong lazily supported his head, gently curling his lips as he met Mu Zhe’s gaze.
Mu Zhe immediately shifted his eyes away, refusing to look at him.
Shen Gurong clicked his tongue, finding it quite challenging to establish a good relationship with the protagonist.
It seemed like a long and arduous journey ahead.
Seeing the serious-looking Xi Guxing outside the window, Shen Gurong’s lips twitched slightly. However, witnessing the unprecedented obedience of these disciples and deciding not to drag Shen Gurong out, he simply left, leaving the disciples to continue their challenging lesson.
The days felt like an eternity for everyone, and when the morning class finally ended, all the disciples were drenched in sweat. Hastily bidding farewell to the Sage and the elders, they scattered one after another.
Yu Xinghe was probably the only disciple unaffected by Shen Gurong. After class, he shyly ran to Shen Gurong, his face all red, and said, “Will Master continue to attend morning classes with us in the future?”
Shen Gurong supported his chin and looked at him. “Do you wish for Master to come?”
Yu Xinghe nodded foolishly, “Mm-hmm!”
The disciples who hadn’t left yet: “…”
Tomorrow, they would definitely kick out this carefree and heartless little black-hearted dumpling from the sect! Didn’t he see that the senior brothers were about to be scared to tears?!
The little black-hearted dumpling was still unaware that his senior brothers, who usually doted on him, were now secretly plotting how to torment him. He continued to squint his crescent eyes, unable to hide his joy.
Shen Gurong couldn’t resist the smiling onslaught from Yu Xinghe. He raised his hand and ruffled his bun-like hair, “Is everything packed?”
Yu Xinghe nodded, “Yes, me and Mu….Senior Brother have already moved our things back to the side courtyard.”
Shen Gurong pinched his chubby little face, “Hmm, so obedient.”
Yu Xinghe let him pinch away, so happy that he felt like he was about to bubble with joy.
Meanwhile, in the not-so-distant vicinity, Mu Zhe was slowly packing up the scrolls and neatly organizing the calligraphy left scattered on the desk by Yu Xinghe. He finished all the tidying up and turned his head to find Yu Xinghe still acting cute in front of Shen Gurong.
Mu Zhe’s gaze darkened as he sat there in silence, watching Yu Xinghe’s antics.
Yu Xinghe continued to babble happily, unaware that his usually indifferent Master showed no signs of impatience. Instead, Shen Gurong looked remarkably gentle, like a warm spring breeze. This discovery made Yu Xinghe even happier.
Shen Gurong, seeing that most people from Zhibai Hall had left, stood up and looked down at Yu Xinghe, “Let’s go back?”
Yu Xinghe clapped his hands happily, “Yes, let’s go back, go back with Master!”
Shen Gurong’s heart melted, and he lifted Yu Xinghe into his arms.
Little Yu Xinghe exclaimed, then blushed again. He didn’t dare to put his arms around Shen Gurong’s neck, so he timidly reached out, hooking his fingers around the edge of Shen Gurong’s robe, looking incredibly well-behaved.
Shyly, he said, “Thank you, Master.”
Shen Gourong thought, Ah, so adorable.
Holding and kneading.
Shen Gurong carried Yu Xinghe in front, while Mu Zhe, holding two small packages, ran behind. The disciples who hadn’t left yet observed and thought that Shen Gurong really disliked disciple Mu Zhe, coming up with ways to torment him again.
If Shen Gurong knew their thoughts, he would definitely plead his innocence. Knowing that Yu Xinghe was a bit jealous, he had already decided to treat both of these kids equally. If there were treats, both would get some; if there were punishments, both would bear them together, completely impartial.
As they left Zhibai Hall, Shen Gurong tried to carry Mu Zhe, but Mu Zhe flatly refused, radiating an invisible aloofness. Shen Gurong sighed, “Is your leg healed?”
Shen Gurong refrained from mentioning the leg incident. As soon as he brought it up, Mu Zhe immediately recalled being pinched at the ankle and forcibly embraced by Shen Gurong yesterday, coupled with the mocking for not knowing how to read. This deepened his resistance.
Shen Gurong had no choice but to carry Yu Xinghe.
Yu Xinghe lay on Shen Gurong’s shoulder, looking back and making faces to Mu Zhe, indicating: Master just carried me again!
Mu Zhe remained silent.
The three returned to Fanjiang Residence, and Shen Gurong placed Yu Xinghe at the entrance of the side courtyard, instructing, “Tell me if you need anything.” Yu Xinghe looked up at Shen Gurong and sweetly responded, “Okay.”
Mu Zhe nodded slightly, waiting for the two to finish their greetings. Shen Gurong knew that Mu Zhe didn’t like him to linger, so he patted Yu Xinghe’s head and walked away.
Once Shen Gurong left, Mu Zhe handed Yu Xinghe’s small cloth bundle to him, turned, and went back to his own room. Yu Xinghe was in a very good mood, happily following along and chattering, “Master seems different from before. He hugged me several times today, and he smells so good.”
As Mu Zhe opened the book borrowed from the library, he didn’t lift his eyelids, treating Yu Xinghe as if he didn’t exist. Yu Xinghe spoke for a while, but noticing Mu Zhe’s lack of interest, he felt a bit disappointed and lowered his little head.
“Senior Brother, I’m sorry,” the little dumpling said hesitantly. “Did I say something wrong?”
As soon as Mu Zhe opened the first page and found a bunch of characters he didn’t recognize, he suddenly heard this statement. He looked up at him and calmly asked, “Why do you think that way?”
Yu Xinghe whispered, “It seems like… I shouldn’t have talked about Master in front of you.”
After all, Mu Zhe had suffered a lot under Shen Fengxue’s hands. Although Yu Xinghe felt heartbroken every time he saw those scars, he couldn’t truly empathize with Mu Zhe. After all, that pain wasn’t inflicted on his own body.
Yu Xinghe joined the gate of Shen Fengxue, the number one figure in the Three Realms, and had always held admiration and reverence for this saint-like Master. Even after a year of being treated coldly, his anticipation and warmth towards his Master remained undiminished.
Whenever Shen Gurong showed him a bit of special attention, Yu Xinghe, who hadn’t experienced much of the world, instinctively felt closer to him.
After a moment of silence, Mu Zhe spoke softly, “You’re right; he is really good to you.”
Yu Xinghe still wore a troubled expression, feeling that he shouldn’t have praised his Master so much in front of Mu Zhe. Empathizing, he thought that Mu Zhe must feel uncomfortable hearing such praises.
Mu Zhe, seeing him with a pitiful look as if he could cry but chose not to, contemplated for a moment. Eventually, he sighed in his heart and said, “Help me with something.”
Yu Xinghe, feeling a bit guilty due to his unfiltered mouth, perked up at the request, “Sure! Leave it to me! Whether it’s setting up camp or roasting meat, I can do it all for Senior Brother!”
Mu Zhe glanced at him, “That’s called going through fire and water. Come back and copy it ten times as a punishment.”
Yu Xinghe wilted a bit but reluctantly agreed.
Mu Zhe went to the desk, pinched a pen, wrote a line of characters, and handed it to Yu Xinghe giving him a task, “Go ask Master what this sentence means.”
Yu Xinghe patted his chest, “Alright!”
He held the paper and ran to the main courtyard. Shen Gurong was holding a bamboo flute, pondering how to play it without causing discomfort. When he saw Yu Xinghe coming, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Yu Xinghe, with a reddish face, tiptoed and handed the paper to Shen Gurong, asking with anticipation, “Master, what does this sentence mean?”
Shen Gurong glanced at it, raising an eyebrow slightly. It was Mu Zhe’s handwriting.
After a quick analysis, he guessed that Mu Zhe must have sent Yu Xinghe to inquire due to his peculiar temperament. Shen Gurong, feeling a bit excited, perked up, thinking that an opportunity to showcase himself had arrived.
He went through the line of characters and his expression froze.
Yu Xinghe tilted his head.
Shen Gurong remained expressionless, thinking, “Damn it, I can recognize each of these characters, but why can’t I understand when they’re strung together?”
Is this some kind of cryptic scripture or secret technique?
Shen Gurong furrowed his brows, his expression becoming increasingly solemn. Yu Xinghe, sensing the tension, became a bit frightened and cautiously asked, “Master?”
Shen Gurong took a deep breath, handed the paper back to Yu Xinghe, and pretended to be calm as he said, “Xing He, these are not something people of your age should learn.”
Yu Xinghe thought he had stumbled upon some forbidden technique and turned pale with fear.
Seeing his fear, Shen Gurong softened his tone, squatted down, and patted Yu Xinghe’s head, saying gently, “When Xing He grows a bit older, Master will teach you, alright?”
Be good, give Master some time to learn, and when I’m ready, I’ll teach you.
With that, Yu Xinghe became happy and ran off with the paper, overjoyed. Shen Gurong immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had successfully deceived him.
After returning, Yu Xinghe told Mu Zhe what Shen Gurong said. Mu Zhe paused in his copying and furrowed his brows slightly. “But… this is just a basic cultivation method we learned today.”
Yu Xinghe tilted his head, “Huh?”
Mu Zhe fell silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but chuckle.
***
Mu Zhe, who had a lonely and difficult childhood with very little kindness, naturally developed a cold and indifferent demeanor. He rarely smiled, and after enduring Shen Fengxue’s torment for over a year, he had forgotten how to laugh.
But this time was different.
Unlike the previous smiles that were either indifferent or mocking at Shen Gurong, Mu Zhe’s laughter this time was genuinely uncontrollable. Laughter sparkled in his eyes, like ripples spreading across a crystalline pond.
This was the laughter a child should have.
Liren Peak, Yu Xu Mountain.
As one ascended towards the summit, the wind and snow intensified. The elder of the library, clad in a black robe, walked step by step into the biting wind. His robe fluttered loudly in the cold breeze.
A faint blue protective barrier surrounded him, allowing him to move slowly through the howling winds and heavy snow, which could easily strip a person down to the bone. After a while, he finally reached the mountaintop.
The elder bowed slightly, showing respect to the empty summit.
“Lord Nan Yang.”
A gust of wind swept in, swirling the willow-like snowflakes around him in several layers. After a few breaths, the wind and snow transformed into a man with an indistinct face.
As soon as the man appeared, the whistling wind and snow around him instantly ceased. The oppressive aura he exuded caused the clouds and mist in the sky to forcibly dissipate, allowing rays of sunlight to pour down.
Chilled to the bone, he coldly spoke, “What is it?”
The elder knelt on one knee, nodding, “The Sage has come to the library in search of the Map of Kunyu.”
“Give it to him,” Lord Nan Yang commanded, “Whatever he desires, give it to him. There’s no need to specially seek my approval.”
The elder sensed the impatience in Lord Nan Yang’s words and bowed even lower, “The Sage emerged from seclusion with severe injuries a few days ago. Shortly after waking up, he came to the library inquiring about the Map of Kunyu, wanting to find… the city of ‘Huitang,'”
Lord Nan Yang was momentarily stunned.
After an unknown period, he spoke again, “Inform Xianyun City to prepare medicinal herbs; I will come out of seclusion as soon as possible.”
The elder responded, “Yes.”
Once he raised his head, the wind and snow howled again, swiftly dispersing the man’s form, crafted from wind and snowflakes, into drifting willow catkins, floating downward.
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