Chapter 36 Invites to Spar and Settle Old and New Grudges with a Fight
By the time the letter was delivered to Ruan Luoying, the storm had passed, and only the four immortals and Lin Yuxian, who had been left beside Chi Yueying, remained in the hall. Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen arrived with Tang Huairou, several hours earlier than the time agreed upon with Yan Xueya.
The three young disciples were extremely anxious, but Ruan Luoying simply lit a cluster of ghostly flames with her fingertips and burned the letter. "No need to be nervous, I have already passed it on to the sect leader."
As if anticipating someone's question, she proactively explained before Qiao Yanshen, who had been watching the spirit fire until its last moment of disappearance, could speak: "Those in the Nascent Soul stage have already begun to comprehend the Great Dao of Space and possess certain techniques for leaping. Therefore, someone devised an improved method, which ultimately enabled them to communicate using the spiritual energy and coordinates left behind by each other."
"Aren't the immortal venerables going to provide support themselves?" Shen Lixia asked cautiously.
Upon hearing her question, the red-clad female swordsman sitting on the seat snorted coldly, her tone quite unfriendly: "The four of us combined probably wouldn't be enough to withstand a few moves from her."
Sitting next to her, Yan Xueya frowned. "If you're not good with words, you can simply remain silent. It's been hundreds of years since we last saw her. Do you feel that you haven't improved at all?"
Yi Xiaohan seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and he reached for the long knife in his bosom, but was stopped by the woman in green behind them.
“You two should go outside and fight.” Ruan Luoying sighed, rubbing her temples. “The sect leader is more than capable of handling this alone. If we go, we’ll only disturb her mind. The higher one’s cultivation level, the greater the difference between realms. The Void Refining Realm is beyond the reach of the Nascent Soul Realm.”
This was a tacit admission that they were indeed struggling against the Flowing Flower Sword Master. Shen Lixia understood and stopped asking questions. Her gaze tentatively swept towards Yan Xueya, just in time to meet that clear, silvery-white, snow-like color. The other party immediately narrowed his eyes slightly, clapped his hands, cleared his throat, and said, "Alright, since all the inner disciples are here, let's start the apprenticeship ceremony now, rather than earlier?"
Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen exchanged a glance, then looked around at the empty seats. The hall doors were not fully closed, and a wisp of cold wind occasionally blew in, making the hall seem even more desolate. The bloody atmosphere in the air had dissipated, and the elders and other disciples had all left. There were truly only direct disciples here—and Lin Yuxian, who was standing next to Chi Yueying for some unknown reason.
Master, isn't this a bit too shabby?
The boy didn't dare say those words aloud. After muttering a couple of curses to himself, he and Qiao Yanshen obediently performed the apprenticeship ceremony, bowing their heads firmly. After bowing, she propped herself up and was about to stand up when a long sword was placed against her neck, its cold aura surging, aimed directly at her throbbing lifeline.
She looked up without changing her expression. In the dim light of the hall, her golden eyes gleamed like two flames that burned not fiercely but never ceased. There was no fear in her pupils, only the silhouette of the person in front of her holding a sword.
A sharp pain shot through her, and blood instantly seeped out. Qiao Yanshen, who had been tacitly allowed to stand up, saw this and couldn't help but turn to look at Yan Xueya, wanting to tell her to stop. Before she could speak, Shen Lixia transmitted her thoughts through spiritual power: "Senior Sister, don't worry."
Just as she expected, Yan Xueya sheathed her sword, a smile appearing in her eyes.
“This is the instruction,” the sword turned into white light and disappeared, Yan Xueya waved his hand, “I don’t like to talk too much.”
Even with her throat gripped, no fear showed in her eyes; she remained calm in the face of danger. The sword emanated a chilling aura, yet she showed no tremor, demonstrating extraordinary composure. This sword was her natal sword, which had slain countless evil spirits alongside her. Its silence indicated that the person before her was not a demonic cultivator.
Unless it's extremely well hidden.
But if one were to be so meticulous about everything, one might end up making a mistake and killing a thousand innocent people. Yan Xueya had long known the unpredictability of life, and now that the other party had not revealed anything strange after thorough examination, there was no need to go to the trouble of investigating further.
"If you wish, you may move to Frostblade Peak in the future; if not, I will not force you, as I will reserve two empty rooms for you. If you find a place you like on other peaks, you may discuss it with me."
As she spoke, she looked towards Ruan Luoying.
"If Li Xia and Yan Shen have a deep affection for Huai Rou and want to live together on Gu Yu Peak, I believe True Lord Cang Ling will agree."
Ruan Luoying chuckled, "Of course, after all, we have a deep friendship, and Cang Ling would not want to go against Mingji Zhenjun's wishes. Besides, Guyu Peak is always short of people to test the medicine, so if the two of you want to stay, it can solve this problem."
Shen Lixia felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively moved closer to Qiao Yanshen. The latter sighed helplessly and said calmly, "We appreciate Master and True Monarch Cangling's kindness. However, the mountain courtyard is quiet and comfortable, with no drafts or leaks, so there's no need to change. If Master needs anything, just call us to Frostblade Peak, and we'll be there in time."
Everything was settled, but Chi Yueying had not yet explained why she had kept Lin Yuxian. Seeing that everyone in the hall had quieted down and the apprenticeship ceremony had been completed, the woman in black who had been silent finally raised her hand and gestured for her disciple to go to the place where Shen Lixia and the others were standing, which was the center of the hall.
Shen Lixia led Qiao Yanshen a step to the side, glancing at Lin Yuxian who was walking over. Seeing that the back of her hand was covered in sweat, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened earlier. Before she could ask, Chi Yueying's voice reached their ears. Although it was soft, it was enough to echo in the huge palace, revealing the power of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
"Top five in the competition. If you achieve one of these rankings, I will take you as my personal disciple and return the place that was taken from me to you double."
Even after Lin Yuxian and Shen Lixia left the palace and descended the main peak, this sentence remained in her mind.
The top five in the small competition.
She ranked eighth in the last competition, successfully defeating the inner disciples who were eliminated and placed in the bottom five to qualify. Whether she has the ability to guarantee the same result next time is still hard to say, but Chi Yueying is asking her to jump into the top five, which is undoubtedly a challenge.
The position of a direct disciple is unlike that of an ordinary inner disciple. If nothing unexpected happens, they are almost guaranteed to be the next generation's pillar of the sect and the peak master of the four sacred peaks, waiting only for their own strength to reach the required level and their master to ascend to the upper realm before succeeding to the position. For example, Tang Huairou, a disciple of True Monarch Cangling, has been jokingly referred to as Peak Master Tang by many of her disciples.
Chi Yueying's offer of such conditions was partly out of compensation, and partly...
Could it be that they valued her abilities?
Besides this, Lin Yuxian couldn't think of any other reason. The elders of the sect were dead, and many cultivators in the Lin family had failed the examination and could not enter the sect, so there was no benefit for her to gain.
Thus, the goal becomes clear—just as a sword takes ten years to hone and awaits its unsheathing, her array techniques have also accumulated over several years and await their display. She is bound to make a name for herself and gain the favor of the Nine Branches True Lord.
With a burning sensation in her hands and a surge of intense fighting spirit in her heart, Lin Yuqian strode forward toward Jingzhe Peak.
An unsheathed iron sword was placed in front of her, blocking her path, and then she heard a boy's laughing voice.
"That debt from before hasn't been settled yet. You don't think you can settle it by doing me a favor, do you?"
Fifteen minutes later, the three of them sat in a restaurant in the outer town of Waimen. Steam rose from the rice and dishes on the table, and the aromas mingled together.
The stew was made with pan-fried chicken that had been simmered until tender, topped with a sauce of honey and sesame oil. The sauce had thickened and reduced, and the vegetables were fully cooked, bursting with a sweet and savory flavor. Two side dishes of cold appetizers, mainly root vegetables, were served alongside. Lettuce and carrots, in a perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce soaked in ice, created a refreshing summer dish. Before we even touched our chopsticks, dessert arrived: a bowl of mung bean soup glistening with tiny droplets of water.
With her sleeves rolled up and her long hair tied up high, the shopkeeper proudly said after serving the dishes, "The idea of adding ice was my own, and diners all say it's very refreshing. I hope you enjoy your meal."
During a break from eating, Shen Lixia picked up a piece of cold dish with her chopsticks and put it into her bowl, watching the sauce on it soak into the rice. "Speaking of which, don't you live on Jingzhe Peak and have elders to take care of you? How come you are so familiar with this town?"
During the days she spent farming, she often visited the small town and heard complaints about which shops were fraudulent and which were cutting corners. It was like college students opening blind boxes for takeout, only to find that each one was expensive and tasted terrible.
The chances of encountering a bad experience are at least 80%, if not 100%. Lin Yuqian, however, ignored everything else and led them directly to a seat, skillfully refusing the promotional offers from the surrounding vendors, clearly indicating she had been there many times before.
Lin Yuxian paused in her work and mumbled, "My elders at home... don't care about me much. I often come here to buy materials, and the same goes for meals."
Qiao Yanshen heard the bitterness in her words and couldn't help but look up. He saw the young man pursing his lips and lowering his eyes slightly, with many complex emotions surging within him.
It wasn't that the neglected child longed for love, but rather that he felt resentful for not being able to receive what he deserved from birth.
“That’s biased enough.” Shen Lixia shrugged. “Now that these two have also disappeared, the family’s atmosphere is corrupt. Why don’t you just become the head of the family and clean things up? Kill all the disobedient ones, or to prevent problems from arising, just execute all the men in the family and leave only the women. There will definitely be no more trouble.”
Lin Yuxian was surprised by how directly she spoke, yet she couldn't help but agree after listening, leaving her momentarily conflicted and unsure how to respond. Sensing her inner turmoil, Shen Lixia changed the subject.
"Since you didn't leave directly, I'll take that as tacit consent to my settling of scores. Although you helped me kill Lin Fenghua, you've also done your share of aiding and abetting evil in the past. So, I have two conditions—first, come with me to Wanjian Peak for a sparring match; second, Senior Sister Tang said she was entrusted by Aunt Ruan to rectify the sect's atmosphere, and you'll come with us to help Senior Sister Tang, and also apologize to those disciples who were previously bothered."
Lin Yuxian nodded, then asked in surprise, "I'm an array cultivator, and you are...?"
She glanced at the iron sword Shen Lixia had placed beside her. "Sword cultivator? You won't learn anything from sparring. Why make this request?"
Shen Lixia remained noncommittal, "You agree, we'll go after we finish eating."
After saying that, she smiled and called out, word by word, "Junior Sister Yuqian."
Lin Yuxian was already younger than the two of them, and now that she was ranked one level lower, she had no choice but to accept it and called out "Senior Sister" in a huff. Shen Lixia's braids almost stood on end when she heard this, and she was as smug as a bird with its feathers ruffled.
After a moment of silence, the boy finally couldn't help but ask curiously, "Speaking of which, why did Senior Sister Qiao remain silent from the beginning?"
Shen Lixia glanced at Qiao Yanshen and quickly replied:
"My senior sister has a natural ability to keep her mouth shut, which used to take effect whenever she ate or slept. Recently, she's only broken half of it, and now she can only refrain from speaking while eating."
Qiao Yanshen heard this and couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong—
Isn't this subtly telling the other person that they live and sleep together?
However, Shen Lixia obviously didn't think that much about it and just wanted to joke with her. Lin Yuxian was someone who had never been involved in matters of love, so she naturally didn't notice anything amiss. Only Qiao Yan swallowed the subtle feelings in her heart and remained silent for a while.
-----------------------
Author's Note: It seems like there are suddenly more people here. Is it because everyone's finals week is over? Anyway, thank you for the comments, the nutrient solution, and all the support!
I'm a bit busy, but there's a ranking this week, so I might finish updating the story the next day after meeting the word count requirement!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com