45. Nagatomo (Part 3)
◎How could Songxue possibly understand romance? ◎
Ran Qinghe gave a muffled "oh," and then continued:
"Lou Tinglan... haven't you noticed that you're becoming more and more of a busybody?"
Whether I stay or leave is my own choice, and it has nothing to do with you.
For no apparent reason, Mingyu was sent to test her, and she was even waited for at the Second Elder's residence. Then, she was brought to the academy and told all sorts of random things, trying to sway her choice.
Lou Tinglan replied in a deep voice, "No."
For him, this was no trivial matter.
However, although her tone carried a hint of reproach, she clearly meant she agreed to stay.
Lou Tinglan was right. Yunya Academy not only provides top-notch cultivation resources, but also helps her guide the spiritual energy fluctuations in her body.
Perhaps because the night was as dark as ink, the cold expression she usually wore towards him was hidden in shadow. Lou Tinglan could only see her bright eyes reflecting the moonlight.
He felt a sudden, inexplicable impulse and continued:
"Do not rush into cultivation, and it is best not to let others know about your innate spiritual body."
“I know that those born with spiritual bodies can cultivate extremely quickly, so if possible, you can learn the Spirit Breath Technique of Yunya Academy to conceal your cultivation level.”
The Spirit Breath Technique is a Taoist cultivation method used by practitioners to conceal their spiritual power and prevent it from leaking out. Practicing the Spirit Breath Technique allows spiritual power to circulate within the body without overflowing, thus concealing oneself.
Advanced spiritual energy techniques can even suppress one's cultivation level, making it impossible for others to detect their true cultivation level.
She curled her lips into a smile: "Like you?"
Lou Tinglan's expression remained unchanged. "I didn't understand what you meant."
She thought to herself, "He's unwilling to tell the truth."
She had already discovered from the ruins that his physical body was completely inconsistent with the realm he revealed.
Despite being only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he was able to single-handedly withstand the spiritual power attacks of two Golden Core cultivators and two Nascent Soul cultivators, and even had the strength to deal with Hua Jin's Heavenly Rank spirit beast.
She had been puzzled and racked her brains for a long time but could not find a solution. Now it seems that it was because of the Spirit Breath Technique, a secret method of Yunya Academy.
Upon closer examination of the clues, she realized that there seemed to have been signs all along that he had been hiding his cultivation level.
When he returned from the mortal realm, he claimed to Lou Yi that he had just broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm in order to enter the Tower of Babel. However, when they were in the Mirror of Past Lives, they were almost inseparable. There is no reason why Lou Tinglan would be completely unaware of Lou Tinglan's breakthrough.
The same was true inside the Tower of Babel. When he was controlled by resentment, even though her cultivation level was only one rank lower than his, he still managed to suppress her completely.
She said casually, "Forget it, everyone has their own secrets. We don't have a deep relationship, so there's no need to be so familiar with each other."
Lou Tinglan, however, missed the point and asked in return, "In your eyes, our relationship is shallow?"
She asked, puzzled, "Isn't that right?"
Lou Tinglan repeated, "We are friends." So it's not that our relationship is shallow.
She replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, we're just friends." So their relationship was superficial.
Lou Tinglan looked at her quietly and asked, "In your opinion, what kind of relationship can be considered as deep affection and friendship?"
She thought for a moment and said, "Probably... parents, relatives, children... or a Daoist partner or something."
Lou Tinglan followed her train of thought. Parents? He wasn't one. Relatives? He wasn't one either. Children? He certainly wasn't one. As for a Daoist partner, the thought of that word suddenly sent a burning, itchy pain through his chest. A Daoist partner… even more impossible.
Therefore, according to Ran Qinghe, they really don't have any real relationship.
He suddenly didn't want to talk to her anymore, and turned around, replying with a hint of defiance, "You're right."
To her, Qi Feng, Hua Jin, Fu Ji, Shui Rong'er, and even Ming Yu were all her friends, and he was just one of them.
However, seeing that Lou Tinglan was a little angry and was about to leave, she suddenly had the urge to tease her.
"So you don't want to be friends with me, or do you want to be something else?" she asked in a flirtatious tone. "Then tell me, what kind of relationship do you want? It can't be a Daoist couple, can it?"
"Hiss, after all, with my beauty, even the Immortal Lord in the Mirror Realm hesitated to kiss my clone?"
Lou Tinglan was then provoked and became somewhat angry: "Yes."
Ran Qinghe's heart skipped a beat. She looked directly into his eyes, then casually looked away: "What...is it?"
"Yes, your beauty is like the bright moon. I have indeed never seen a female cultivator more beautiful than you," Lou Tinglan explained.
Ran Qinghe's heart pounded even faster. Did he know what he was saying?
Lou Tinglan continued, "But in the Mirror Domain, I have never done anything out of line with 'you,' and as for a Daoist partner, I have not had any extra thoughts about it, so you don't need to worry about it."
He spoke plainly, but Ran Qinghe's smile suddenly froze, her heart skipped a beat, and after a long pause, she raised her lips again: "I was just joking with the Immortal Lord..."
Lou Tinglan, however, said earnestly and almost stubbornly, "The path I cultivate is the path of ruthlessness."
This statement seemed to both reiterate his thoughts and remind himself of them.
*
The following day, Yunya Academy.
The academy has very few disciples. Only five disciples are selected every five years. In addition, if a disciple graduates, he can leave Yunya Academy and go to work in one of the five sects or stay in the Discipline Hall.
Therefore, in the spacious lecture hall, there were only five new disciples this year.
The first lesson, "Basic Sword Cultivation Techniques," was taught by Elder Lou Zhen, who, unfortunately, was the same Elder who had imprisoned Ran Qinghe.
Although he looks young, his speech and mannerisms are exactly like those of an old man.
"The sword is the essence of heaven and earth, and the foundation of sword cultivation lies in the natal sword within the dantian..." Lou Zhen paced back and forth between the seats, quoting classical texts.
Ran Qinghe sat by the window, tapping her fingertips idly on the table. These theories were useless to her now; her natal sword had already disappeared, and listening to these mental cultivation theories obviously wouldn't bring it back.
She couldn't help but drift off into thought, her gaze wandering to the window, where she happened to see a familiar figure standing quietly in the distance under the corridor, talking with an elder from an outer sect.
Lou Tinglan.
He seemed to sense something, his gaze sweeping lightly across the window of the lecture hall.
Ran Qinghe immediately withdrew her gaze, sat up straight, as if she hadn't spared a single glance at him.
Just then, Lou Zhen called out, "Ran Qinghe."
She stood up casually and replied, "Disciple is here."
He seemed to have noticed her subtle movements, and his face turned serious: "You answer the question I just asked."
Ran Qinghe froze. What problem? How come she didn't know?
She looked down ahead, and Shui Rong'er and Ming Yu also looked astonished.
Ran Qinghe: ...Didn't anyone listen to the lecture? She then looked at Hua Jin and Fu Ji sitting to her left, and the two of them shook their heads slightly.
How strange! These two people didn't know either; it must have been some kind of tricky question.
Therefore, she replied, "Reporting to the Third Elder, this disciple is foolish and asks the Third Elder for guidance."
Lou Zhen was even more furious and sneered, "Stupid, that's for sure. I didn't ask you any questions, so how could you answer them?"
Ran Qinghe: ...So that's what their head-shaking meant.
Lou Zhen said, "You are simply incorrigible. Since you don't listen to the lessons carefully, then go to the Discipline Hall and receive ten rods."
Although she had never experienced the punishment of the ruler before, she knew Lou Zhen well. She knew that if she were hit by ten strokes of the ruler, her hand would probably be injured for ten days or half a month.
She straightened up and retorted, "It's not that I don't want to listen to the lectures, but the content taught by the elders is useless to me, so I can only sit quietly and regulate my breathing."
Upon hearing this, Lou Zhen was even more furious. "All the sword cultivators in the realm are eager to learn this mental cultivation method. This mental cultivation method is the foundation of sword cultivators' cultivation. Tell me, how is it useless? If you can't give a reason, then add another twenty strokes of the cane."
Ran Qinghe said unhurriedly, "If a disciple does not have a natal spirit sword in their dantian, how can they talk about cultivating any sword cultivation techniques?" She spoke casually, as if she were talking about something insignificant.
Lou Zhen was stunned: "No natal spirit sword? How is that possible? Aren't you from Qingxiao?"
She seemed to laugh at herself, "It is precisely because I was born in Qingxiao that my natal spirit sword in my dantian disappeared."
She said all she had to say, unwilling to dwell on the past. "If the elders don't believe me, they can investigate directly."
Lou Zhen understood immediately and took a deep breath: "This is the last time."
Even though Ran Qinghe didn't say it explicitly, Lou Zhen could guess what it was. It was nothing more than related to that former Qingxiao Elder Xi Shu. No wonder Tinglan sent a message to Headmaster Qian, asking him to deal with it.
Ran Qinghe bowed and sat down calmly amidst the mixed gazes of the crowd. However, when she looked out the window again, it was empty.
As soon as Lou Zhen left, Ming Yu leaned over with a solemn expression. "Junior Sister Ran, I had no idea that old bastard Xi Shu was so outrageous. My master only took away his elder position, which was really too good for him."
Ran Qinghe glanced at him: "It's nothing."
If Lou Zhen hadn't brought it up again today, she would have forgotten about it long ago, since she's already gotten used to it.
She should be asked to compare whether using a sword or a whip is more convenient.
Hua Jin carefully put away the cultivation manual and then hugged the raccoon dog, moving closer to her. The raccoon dog couldn't resist snuggling into her arms whenever it got close, but each time she would grab it by the scruff of its neck and pull it back.
Hua Jin habitually caught the raccoon dog that she tossed to him and suggested with a smile, "Qing He, I've heard that the academy has a trial tower that can change illusions according to the cultivator's realm for them to practice. Why don't we go and take a look together?"
Before Ran Qinghe could agree, Shui Rong'er chimed in, "Count me in too."
Hua Jin tried her best to maintain a smile: "Why aren't you with Fu Ji?"
Mingyu chimed in, "Exactly, exactly. If you're not saying he's your dog, then you should just stay with your dog. Why are you meddling here?"
From the moment Mingyu met Shui Rong'er, he couldn't get along with her because of her spoiled princess temperament. Later, when Shui Rong'er saved his life, his tone softened a bit, but it was still sarcastic.
Shui Rong'er sneered, "If a dog dares to bite its master, of course I'll replace it." As she spoke these hurtful words, she couldn't help but glance at Fu Ji out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that Fu Ji was still tidying up the table with an unchanged expression, she became even angrier.
Ran Qinghe replied, "You guys go ahead, I have something to do."
Mingyu looked knowing: "Is it because you have an appointment with Lou Tinglan?"
Ran Qinghe glanced at him, then stood up without answering.
Seeing her reaction, Mingyu understood most of it, flicked her folding fan, and softly recited a line:
"Pine and snow have never understood romance, yet today they diligently protect the green crops."
Ran Qinghe stopped in her tracks without turning her head. "Say one more word and I'll tear your fan apart."
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