Chapter 34 Genius

Guan Yuenan had a spacious courtyard prepared, consisting of a main house and two side rooms on either side.

The courtyard was picturesque, with a gently flowing stream. Because Guan Xiaoxian loved lotuses, there were numerous ponds throughout the Shen Shu Tian Ji Sect, all with flowing water and connected by man-made waterways. At this time, the lotuses were in full bloom, creating a shimmering pink scene everywhere.

Most martial arts sects in the world are built on mountains, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack. There are also some Yin-based martial arts techniques that require underground caves, such as those of the once-powerful Wuma family.

The same applies to the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Gate. Backed by two springs, one hot and one cold, on the mountaintop, it is an ideal place for healing, practicing internal energy cultivation, and restoring health.

Before he could even take off his clothes, Lin Chengye, who was nearly unconscious, felt himself being shoved into a pool of warm spring water, washing away the icy coldness of falling into the lake.

Leaning against the smooth, water-worn rocks, she sat on a natural stone bench at the bottom of the hot spring. Something was placed behind her head, soft and comfortable.

It seems like she barely has any lucid days. Lin Chengye almost wanted to laugh; she had just gotten out of bed a few days ago, and now she had to go back to bed.

"...Do you need your injury treated?"

"Actually, it's alright. It didn't break any bones or penetrate any bones."

"You're really... really ruthless to yourself."

"There was nothing I could do. I wasn't thinking straight at the time. If I had been any later, Chengye would have been dead."

"...I've never had a chance to ask, what exactly is Chengye to you? He doesn't seem like a child you just picked up casually."

"Ah...yes. I can't hide it from you, Chengye is my senior sister's orphan."

"Senior Sister? Azure Phoenix Medicine Valley? Besides you, there are actually..."

"It's a long story. Her mother's identity was special, and she only had a short time to study at Qingluan Medicine Valley. But Chengye is truly like my own flesh and blood; right now, the most important thing is..."

"I just want to see her grow up well and keep her safe."

Vaguely, she heard what sounded like Bian Yi and Fang Yanzhou talking. The last person's footsteps faded into the distance, indicating they had left. Only the wind and the person's soft breathing remained.

Then a hand gently rested on her forehead, stroking a few strands of her damp hair. It was that same hand that had pulled her from a mountain of corpses and seas of blood, and saved her from danger countless times.

She was incredibly peaceful, as if she were still in her mother's womb. Lin Chengye quickly fell asleep and slept soundly.

She felt as if she were back in the Lin residence, and was about to reach for a sweet cake on the table when Lin Chengtong tapped her chopsticks in displeasure, telling her she had eaten too much today. Lin Daiqiao, however, took pity on her and said that since it was New Year's Day, she was allowed to have one more piece.

Inside, the candlelight was warm and inviting, while outside, the snow formed a blanket. She unusually indulged herself in this moment, but in the end, she put down her chopsticks and walked into the swirling snow.

"Where are you going?" Lin Chengtong called out to her from behind.

"Ah, I have to... wake up, there's still so much to do."

Lin Chengye didn't look back, he just kept moving forward. Looking at the long trail of footprints left in the snow, he murmured to himself.

"Bian Yi is still injured; I didn't even notice. Also... we need to deal with Sect Leader Guan; I feel like she loves me and hates me too."

"I'm not staying anymore, I'm not staying anymore."

As soon as he finished speaking, the snow-white world crumbled. Lin Chengye slowly opened his eyes, and in the pitch blackness, swaying branches and leaves gradually emerged, along with a pale silver moon behind the clouds.

"Are you awake?" she asked, her voice a little hoarse.

The soft, warm pillow behind her head shifted, and she heard Bian Yi's gentle voice.

"Yeah, I'm not asleep. I guess you'll wake up soon."

"Does it make your legs go numb from using it as a pillow?"

"It's just leaning against it, it doesn't feel numb."

Lin Chengye suddenly fell silent. She didn't know what to say, or rather, she didn't understand why Bian Yi didn't say or ask anything.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Bian Yi." Lin Chengye pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't expect you to be so badly injured, but I did take advantage of you..."

"Everyone has their own destiny, Chengye. I've already told you I don't care, and I hope you'll use me."

Bian Yi suddenly interrupted her.

"I died when I was seventeen, when the Azure Phoenix Valley was destroyed. It wasn't until you appeared that time seemed to start flowing again, and things really took a turn for the better. That's why I sought out old friends and stories."

“I was not dead at that time, and it must be because of this that I lived another twenty years in a daze.”

"Then I am guilty of heinous crimes, for you were born before I was born."

These words were too heavy; any response would be too light. Lin Chengye could only touch the tip of his nose.

"I, Lao Jun, am young, just right."

Bian Yi lay sprawled on the rocks beside the hot spring, his black hair unbound, his face shrouded in the warm mist, only his hand could be vaguely seen supporting his chin as he chuckled softly.

“These past twenty years haven’t been wasted. You created Jiang Jinmeng, became Doctor Bian, and are loved by many people,” Lin Chengye said earnestly.

"You may have done it unintentionally, but those seeds you casually scattered did indeed grow into a forest."

Bian Yi paused, seemingly never having considered this possibility before. Her fingers twirled around her temples, wrapping them around and around, before she finally spoke after a long while.

"What did you see in the illusion?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I just scolded myself."

Lin Chengye awkwardly rubbed her fingertips. She couldn't bear to be hit by the mirage sand again; even tears and snot would be better than this state of being both crying and laughing. Lin Chengye asked in return.

"And you?"

"...Many people: Master, Senior Sister, your mother, His Majesty. And it seems like A-Sui is also here."

Bian Yi counted on her fingers and then said.

"Actually, they are just fellow disciples and old friends."

"When I shattered the nine-layered formation with the final sword strike, I dared not open my eyes. My senior sister was right in front of me, smiling at me. Although I knew it was all fake, but... but..."

“My master said I’ve grown up. I told him that twenty years have passed and I could take on apprentices now.”

Also, I saw Chenchen. She's safe and sound. Please don't hit me when I go down to see you next time.

Bian Yi talked on and on, while Lin Chengye listened without saying a word. She seemed to hear the sound of rain falling into a hot spring, falling in the forest, falling into the clouds.

Drip, drip, drizzling, until finally pouring down.

...

Bian Yi escorted Lin Chengye back to the main house and settled him in, then extinguished the candles. Instead of returning to his own room to rest, he went to the courtyard and leaned against a tree for a while.

Suddenly, she covered her mouth, bent over, and quietly vomited a mouthful of bright red blood.

Bian Yi's face was almost deathly pale in the moonlight, as if all the blood in his body had been drained, and even the tips of his fingers were bloodless.

The Ninefold Formation was not so easy to break through. The sword strike she inflicted on herself was the least serious of all her injuries. Bian Yi gave a bitter smile.

Spring breezes and gentle rains aren't magical healing techniques; their healing power is limited. This injury will take a while to heal. Bian Yi clicked her tongue, feeling it wasn't worth it.

I wonder if she... will be able to witness the moment when her great revenge is fulfilled. If not, to whom should Cheng Ye be entrusted? Life is unpredictable, and she is not as confident as she was at the beginning.

Bian Yi suddenly looked up and stared at the moon for a long time, almost turning into a lonely stone statue. Finally, she shook her head, shaking off those overly empty thoughts.

Live a few more days, live a few more days.

...

Two days later, with half an hour left before the appointed time, Lin Chengye was already waiting outside the Hundred Faces Building.

Double-eaved roofs and upturned ridges rest on a stone base, while dark lacquered nanmu pillars stand amidst the water. Lin Chengye couldn't help but marvel at how wealthy and powerful the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect truly was, with meticulous attention to detail in every aspect.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Guan Xiaoxian finally appeared, unhurriedly. She immediately saw Lin Chengye waiting outside the door, and her tense expression relaxed considerably.

She gestured for Lin Chengye to follow her. The two crossed the white bridge over the water, and Guan Xiaoxian once again drew her two-handed sword from her waist as a key, inserting it into the mechanism lock on the vermilion gate of the Hundred Faces Building.

Do you know why I summoned you here today?

The heavy wooden door slowly opened, and Guan Xiaoxian stepped inside, followed by Lin Chengye.

The air inside the building was filled with the astringent smell of ink mixed with insect-repellent and moisture-proof herbs. Lin Chengye looked up and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, momentarily speechless with shock at the sight before him.

This Hundred-Faced Building is actually the library of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect.

The entire library was filled with books, like dark, imposing mountains, with layers of yellowed and green books cascading from the sandalwood shelves, almost overflowing the beams. Occasionally, a breeze would blow, but the displayed bamboo slips remained silent, with only the soft rustling of pages being turned by later copyists, like a sigh from a century of slumber.

Anyone standing here would feel as insignificant as dust. Yet, the next moment, they would involuntarily feel a surge of emotion, yearning to explore further.

"This junior was unaware. I have come to apologize for my narrow victory over you last time when I tried to outmaneuver you." Lin Chengye forced himself to regain his composure, stopped three steps behind Guan Xiaoxian, and bowed.

"Glib talker." Guan Xiaoxian scoffed. She stood with her hands behind her back, looking up at the same time, her expression quite complicated. It seemed that through these pages and bamboo slips, she saw a more distant and ancient time.

"This Hundred-Faced Building is the foundation of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect for a hundred years. The former sect leader, who is also my master, once said that no matter what the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect goes through, as long as these books exist, the Heavenly Mystery Sect will live on forever."

"It can be said that this is the most important place in the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect."

Guan Xiaoxian suddenly sighed, her tone becoming nostalgic.

"This book, this word, occupied most of my childhood days."

Most of the disciples of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, like me, spent their youth immersed in books. But very few achieved true mastery; most were already fortunate enough to learn blacksmithing and sword-making, which guaranteed them a comfortable life. Therefore, most of them left after reaching adulthood and went down the mountain to seek their own livelihood.

Guan Xiaoxian paused for a moment, then turned to look at Lin Chengye.

Ever since the Tianji Sect intentionally spread the news that it had no successors, countless people have been scrambling to visit her to prove their intelligence and try to learn her true teachings.

Unfortunately, Guan Xiaoxian was once considered a genius among geniuses by her master, able to discern the true worth of those people at a glance, finding them to be nothing but mediocre talents.

"Few people in the world deserve the title of genius, but you are one of them."

The general principles and theories about mechanical arts that Vietnam sent you were indeed superficial, but it's enough that you've grasped so much from them.

Guan Xiaoxian abruptly changed the subject, suddenly gritting her teeth and tapping Lin Chengye on the forehead.

"However, I still have to say that the reason you got through the illusion this time was because of your understanding of people's hearts. You know that Divine Doctor Bian too well."

"I was indeed lucky," Lin Chengye said, touching the tip of his nose and giving an awkward smile.

"What is your background? You don't seem like someone from the martial arts world."

Guan Xiaoxian was too lazy to respond to Lin Chengye's flattering words and glanced at her helplessly.

“I really can’t tell you the details, and I’m afraid it will cause you trouble. My family suffered a sudden disaster, and the whole family perished. Fortunately, Bian Yi saved my life. Now I am all alone, and even during the Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival, there will be no graves to pay respects to.”

Lin Chengye's hands were clenched tightly under his sleeves.

Guan Xiaoxian knew that she must have had a difficult time to end up with her meridians severed, but she never expected it to be so tragic. As a mother herself, she naturally felt compassion, and her voice softened as she asked.

"Then let me ask you, are you interested in this..."

"The position of Young Master of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect!"

Author's Note: Oh my god, Xiao Ye's martial arts skills are finally going to recover! Our Xiao Ye's weapons will be so cool! Writing this brings back so many emotions...