Chapter 51#
Drizzling Rain#
On the Xuantian Continent, cultivation is divided into five realms. Starting from the second realm, the Shouyi Realm, one can fly on a sword. However, to use a flying sword to transmit messages, one must reach the Guiyuan Realm.
Xiao Man had reached the Guiyuan Realm, so he could naturally use a flying sword to cross the peaks and ask if the master of Xingyun Peak had returned.
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, he immediately flew over on the wind.
Yan Wushu was left in the Dao hall. Shen Jiankong stood up and gave up his seat, and Shen Juan gestured for him to come over.
A new game began on the chessboard, with black and white stones testing each other, not yet reaching a state of confrontation. Shen Juan held the black stones, and it was his turn to move. He picked up a black piece and placed it seemingly at random, but Yan Wushu saw the danger of the move at a glance.
After a bit of thought, Yan Wushu placed his piece.
Pata.
Pata.
The only sound in the hall was the sound of the game. Shen Jiankong sat beside Shen Juan and watched for a while, then turned to brew tea.
Finally, there were other sounds in the hall. However, after the tea was brewed, he only poured a cup for himself and Shen Juan, ignoring Yan Wushu.
Yan Wushu didn’t treat these two grandmasters as outsiders and poured a cup for himself. At this time, he heard Shen Juan ask: “Good grand-disciple, last time you told me you would coax my disciple. Has there been any progress?”
“…I’m still working on it.” Yan Wushu looked at the face reflected in the tea soup, his tone a bit heavy.
“Then you’d better hurry up.” Shen Juan smiled. “Don’t think that just because your fate is decreed by the Heavenly Dao, it won’t be broken. Fate is something that will slip through your fingers if you don’t hold it tightly.”
Yan Wushu looked up, his eyes fixed on Shen Juan without blinking: “Grandmaster’s words have deep meaning.”
The person opposite him still spoke with a smile: “Isn’t that what you said yourself in front of the Liangyi Hall—‘Fate is such a thing, who could have guessed’?”
Yan Wushu couldn’t help but frown. He said those words perfunctorily and unintentionally, but Shen Juan definitely meant something by them. Shen Juan should be hinting at something, but before he could think deeply, he heard him say:
“In a while, we will go to other places to wander. While we are away, you must do your best to protect him.”
“Naturally.” Yan Wushu hurriedly agreed, then asked: “Where are the two grandmasters going?”
Shen Juan: “Places beyond the Xuantian Continent.”
Yan Wushu’s eyes lit up, and he felt quite a yearning in his heart: “There will surely be some extraordinary sights to see.”
“Bring a gift when you return.” Shen Juan took a sip of tea and said with a smile.
His timing was excellent. Not long after he spoke, Xiao Man returned from Xingyun Peak, holding a snow-white, translucent egg about the size of a goose egg with silver markings.
Xiao Man came before Shen Juan and Shen Jiankong and said politely: “Master, Senior Uncle.”
After speaking, he handed the egg to Shen Juan.
Yan Wushu was used to his coldness toward him. He stood up from his seat and stood with him.
Shen Juan held the egg, looked at it from left to right, and sighed: “Indeed, it’s exactly the same as when I gave it to him back then.”
“What does Master want this egg for?” Xiao Man asked, feeling a rare curiosity.
“Doesn’t that Fuzhu deer of yours have no body? Put it inside, hatch it for a while, and see if there’s any effect.” Shen Juan looked at him and said with a smile.
These words truly surprised Xiao Man, and he couldn’t help but remind him politely: “Master, deer don’t come out of eggs.”
“Don’t think of it as an egg; think of it as a host.” Shen Juan corrected him. “A place to nurture life, no different from a mother’s body.”
“…Master is right.” Xiao Man had to nod, then turned and called softly: “A’tu.”
Before long, a translucent soul-body bounded lightly out from the depths of the Dao hall. It was still the same as back then, with its fur thin and not particularly beautiful.
Xiao Man remembered that at the beginning of his seclusion, he had completely forgotten he had such a little deer, and naturally wouldn’t feed it soul grass. It was A’tu who couldn’t stand the hunger, came out of the Buddhist beads, and howled at Xiao Man. Xiao Man simply took out the entire box of soul grass and let it feed itself.
The Fuzhu had originally intended to stay by Xiao Man’s side, but later found it too cold there and couldn’t bear it. So it took the soul grass outside and was discovered by Shen Juan and Shen Jiankong when they came to see Xiao Man, and brought back to the Dao hall. They had been together for ten years, and it was very familiar with these two.
Shen Juan beckoned to it and explained his intention. A’tu showed a look of joy and eagerness, and in an instant, it turned into a speck of light and entered the egg.
Xiao Man felt the spiritual power fluctuations emanating from the egg and asked: “How do we hatch it?”
“I see birds hatching eggs; they keep the eggs under their bodies and use their body temperature to nurture the small life inside the shell. Perhaps you can do the same.” Shen Juan placed the egg in Xiao Man’s palm and patted the back of his hand, speaking solemnly.
Xiao Man: “…”
Was he to hatch it like other birds? Reveal his phoenix true form, put the egg under his belly, and cover it with his wings?
He imagined such a scene, and his expression was suddenly indescribable and complex.
Yan Wushu was amused and reached out to him: “Let me, let me.”
Xiao Man didn’t give it to him.
Yan Wushu made a seemingly serious suggestion: “Otherwise, should I call that mountain sparrow over for you?”
Xiao Man recalled the size of that mountain sparrow and refused: “It’s not even as big as this egg.”
“So let me do it,” Yan Wushu said with a smile.
Shen Juan looked at the two of them with amusement. Seeing them gradually reaching an impasse, he said earnestly: “Disciple, don’t do everything yourself. Now that you have juniors, you should leave some things to them.”
“Grandmaster, could you please stop emphasizing seniority?” Yan Wushu moved his gaze to Shen Juan, his teeth gritting slightly.
“It’s a fact.” Shen Juan smiled slightly.
Xiao Man looked down at the egg in his hand. Thinking of the path he was now practicing, he might no longer have any warmth to give it. Finally, he handed it to Yan Wushu.
“Disciple, take this jade.” Shen Juan took out an object. “In a while, your senior uncle and I are going to take a look elsewhere. If anything happens, use it to contact us.”
Xiao Man took it: “Alright.”
Shen Juan stood up from his seat and rubbed Xiao Man’s head: “I’ll bring a souvenir, don’t miss us too much.” He then turned to look at Yan Wushu: “You’ve got the egg, why aren’t you leaving yet?”
“I like Tingyun Peak very much; I’m going to stay.” Yan Wushu spoke seriously, as if it were true.
“No matter how much you like it, the position of peak master will not be passed to you.” Shen Juan flicked his sleeves, his tone urging. “Go, go. Do I have to send you personally?”
Shen Juan’s “sending off” meant directly swatting the person out of the mountain with a sleeve. His realm was so high that it wasn’t something an ordinary person could withstand. However, Yan Wushu’s realm was also not low. Being “sent off” like this wouldn’t actually do anything, but it would be extremely embarrassing.
Especially embarrassing in front of Xiao Man.
Yan Wushu was unwilling and had to bow and take his leave.
The wind on Tingyun Peak never stopped day or night, and it had become ordinary to Xiao Man’s ears. With Yan Wushu gone from the Dao hall, he only felt it was more peaceful.
Shen Juan had been observing his expression and guessed what he was thinking. His mood was a bit complex: “There’s a Qingfei Pavilion on Mingguang Peak that belongs to me. If you get tired of living on Tingyun Peak, you can go there for a walk.”
He handed a waist token to Xiao Man.
“Alright,” Xiao Man nodded.
Then he saw Shen Jiankong place a slightly larger jade box on the low table and say to Xiao Man: “Sword manuals, pills.”
It was a gesture of giving. Xiao Man hurriedly bowed: “Thank you, Senior Uncle.”
Shen Jiankong: “Not giving you dharma tools is so that you don’t rely too much on them.”
Xiao Man lowered his eyes: “Yes.”
Shen Jiankong reminded him: “You practice the Heartless Dao. The only thing you can rely on is yourself.”
“I will follow your teachings, Senior Uncle,” Xiao Man said. After a moment, he asked: “How long will Master and Senior Uncle be away?”
“We don’t know yet,” Shen Juan said, patting Xiao Man’s head. “Go on.”
“Take care on the road, you two,” Xiao Man said.
Shen Juan laughed lightly: “It’s not like we’re leaving right this second.”
Xiao Man left the Dao hall with the jade box and went to the mountainside.
Shen Juan walked from inside the hall to the outside, watching Xiao Man’s figure as it receded and eventually disappeared. He asked Shen Jiankong: “He’s clearly my disciple, so why does he resemble you more and more?”
“He’s learning my sword,” Shen Jiankong stood behind him, his tone indifferent.
Shen Juan was expressionless: “Heh.”
His hair was blown by the fierce wind, constantly tumbling and rising. Shen Jiankong raised his hand and slowly combed through it with his palm, saying: “You don’t want him to take that path.”
“It’s too cold.” Shen Juan lowered his eyes, his voice very low and soft.
“It’s the only path he can take,” Shen Jiankong said, thought for a moment, and added: “He won’t feel it himself.”
On Xueyi Peak, although Qu Hanxing had suffered a severe beating, he had also learned something from it. He was practicing his sword by the Luoyue Lake.
Yan Wushu walked over and asked: “What were your thoughts when you were being beaten by those people from Qingyun Peak?”
Qu Hanxing said: “That person’s strikes were too ruthless.”
“What else?”
“He was very quick-tempered, and used fierce moves right from the start. Although some of the other senior brothers and sisters also used moves like that, I always felt he was doing it to hit me, not to win the match.” Qu Hanxing thought for a while and said.
Yan Wushu: “In front of the Liangyi Hall, I asked you how many times he hit you, and you answered thirteen times.”
Qu Hanxing nodded: “Yes.”
“Remember this number, and in the future, hit back several times over,” Yan Wushu said, then gave Qu Hanxing a few pointers and went back to the Dao hall.
As soon as he sat in the rocking chair, a streak of light flashed in the void, and a transmission talisman appeared.
This was a high-level talisman. Through it, people at both ends could speak directly. A weak voice came from inside: “Old Yan…”
“Oh, Old Yuan?” Yan Wushu laughed when he heard this voice and said, “Listening to your voice, you don’t seem very energetic.”
“If it were you coming to the Western Barrens to look for a clue that simply can’t be found, you wouldn’t be energetic either—I’ve almost dug up all the dirt here!” He was Yuan Qu, an elder of Mingguang Peak who had been sent by Sect Leader Shen Yiru to investigate the Western Barrens after the Buddha Niche incident. Hearing Yan Wushu’s laughter, he was immediately a bit exploded.
However, after exploding, his tone became entreating, full of longing and expectation: “Quickly, talk to the Sect Leader for me, let her send someone else to investigate. I’m truly powerless.”
Yan Wushu was slightly surprised: “You’re still in the Western Barrens? Why don’t you say it yourself?”
Yuan Qu went back to his previous weak tone: “Do you think I haven’t said it?”
Yan Wushu looked up at the transmission talisman in mid-air, propped his chin with his hand, and remembered Shen Juan’s hinting on Tingyun Peak and the harsh treatment the Qingyun Peak disciple gave Qu Hanxing during the competition in front of the Liangyi Hall.
Qu Hanxing was someone who was quite smooth in his dealings, able to talk to anyone and make friends. When he was training in Shenjing City back then, Yan Wushu had observed that among Xiao Man’s group, only he was familiar with the people of the other small team.
With a personality like his, he had no old grudges with Qingyun Peak, yet Qingyun Peak took the opportunity to vent their anger. The reason for that was obvious.
Yan Wushu asked Yuan Qu: “Has there been any abnormality with Lin Wu during these years?”
“Hey, hey, Lord Lingguang, we’re talking about me now, not that junior brother of yours!” Yuan Qu was greatly dissatisfied, then thought of something and chattered on and on, his tone filled with ups and downs, like an eighteen-bend mountain road.
“It’s truly strange. In the past, you wouldn’t ask about Lin Wu, but now in just ten years, you’ve asked twice. Listening to your tone, it’s not like you still have feelings or an old flame relit… Hey, did he do something?”
“It definitely wasn’t done to you; he doesn’t have the capability—did he do something to the little phoenix? Right?”
Yan Wushu closed his eyes, tapping his palm with his folding fan every now and then, patiently listened to this long piece of his, and said faintly: “You spent ten years and only figured out this much?”
Yuan Qu was quite angry at this: “I figured it out in just a few words, okay!”
“So, has he had any unusual movements in these ten years?” Yan Wushu asked again.
“No, all day he’s either killing beasts or in deep meditation. The Western Barrens has almost been plucked bald by him!” Yuan Qu replied.
Yan Wushu: “What about his cultivation realm?”
Yuan Qu: “His realm has been steadily in the Middle Taixuan Realm.”
He then remembered something and said: “Oh, a few years ago… about three years ago, an immortal’s cave appeared in the Western Barrens, with some ruins and inheritances inside. But I didn’t have the luck; I went in once to explore and didn’t get anything.”
Yan Wushu’s folding fan paused: “What about him?”
“Probably the same as me, otherwise his realm would have advanced long ago.” Yuan Qu seemed to be shaking his head over there. “What exactly did he do to the little phoenix? You’ve got me very curious.”
“Guess for yourself.” Yan Wushu threw out these three words.
Yuan Qu gave a flat “Tsk.” “Want me to guess? It’s probably just those stories from storybooks… love and emotion, truly hindering one’s cultivation.”
“What do you plan to do about Lin Wu’s move against the phoenix?” he asked.
Then he answered himself: “You can’t do anything. The person has been in the Western Barrens all along and has never left. Moving against the phoenix was surely done through a confidant on Gushan.
Unfortunately, even someone like me, who is secretly watching him, hasn’t seen any abnormality in him. You are far away on Gushan, and the person who helped him will never speak, so you can’t produce evidence and are powerless—that’s what you’re troubled about right now, isn’t it?”
Yan Wushu was silent for a moment and said: “I don’t particularly like the word ‘powerless’.”
Yuan Qu gave a snort and asked: “What about the person who moved against the phoenix?”
“Dead.”
“You killed them?”
“They were dead by the time I arrived.”
“Whoa! Was it the little phoenix who killed them? He’s quite capable!” Yuan Qu was first surprised then laughed, then shook his head and sighed: “Once a person is dead, you can’t use the Soul-Searching Art. In that case, unless Lin Wu moves again, moves harshly, and in a way that allows you to trace it back to him and pull him out, otherwise, based on a few deductions, if you rashly go to punish him, Qingyun Peak and those who have a good relationship with him won’t rest until they’ve skinned you alive!”
During these ten years, he probably hadn’t spoken much with anyone. Once he started, it was in long stretches. But what he said was very right. That was why Yan Wushu couldn’t do anything about Lin Wu ten years ago and couldn’t give Xiao Man an explanation, and the same was true ten years later.
Yan Wushu was thinking about things and didn’t speak for a while. Yuan Qu got anxious and said:
“Old Yan, Yan Wushu, Peak Master Yan, Lord Lingguang! I’ve told you everything I know. Could you please say a few words for me in front of the Sect Leader?”
“Senior Sister Shen asked you to go; there must be a reason. Speaking of which, she didn’t limit where you could investigate. If you can’t find a clue in the Western Barrens, why not go elsewhere?” Yan Wushu thought about the problem Yuan Qu was facing and replied.
Yuan Qu: “I’ve dug up the dirt of the Chan Sect as well.”
“Then change to another place again.”
“Where?”
Yan Wushu lifted his eyelids, looked at the flocculent white clouds in the sky, and said: “Perhaps you can check on the Star-Plucking Travelers (Zhaixingke). Lin Wu is in contact with that organization.”
“Star-Plucking Travelers? Aren’t they somewhat related to the royal city of the Cang Kingdom? Good, I’ll go tomorrow.” Yuan Qu thought for a bit and said joyfully, “If this matter is accomplished, I’ll give you all the wine I’ve hidden!”
“Ahem?”
“I mean it!” Yuan Qu guaranteed, “If Lin Wu makes any move, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.” Yan Wushu’s eyebrow raised slightly.
Tingyun Peak.
Xiao Man had only been out twice, and a building had appeared in that peach blossom forest on the mountainside. A bird flew over and told him that Shen Juan had built it for him.
He stepped inside.
The interior was fully furnished, with all the necessary items provided, even snacks and food. There was an extremely spacious study, with bookshelves half-filled with various cultivation techniques, and no lack of miscellaneous books and storybooks. Xiao Man understood his intention: it was to let him not forget to rest while being diligent.
Pushing open the back window, he could just see the stream water channeled by bamboo joints flowing into a clear pond. If it were summer, it would surely be fresh and cool.
For Xiao Man, living in a pavilion in the peach blossom forest was no different from being in the jagged rock array. Anyway, he was always practicing his sword. Whether it was blooming flowers or withered stones, they were all external things that didn’t need to enter his eyes.
Still, he bowed toward the summit and moved in.
He continued to practice the “Seeing the Mortal World” mental technique and the nameless sword technique, and began to adapt to the “Seeing the Mortal World” sword inherited from his senior uncle. When he stopped, he also flipped through other books and found that some things were personally written by Shen Juan, with quite novel explanations.
On the day of the Qingming Festival in April, the people of Gushan set out for Guangling.
They took the sect’s Cloud Boat. In addition to the ten people representing the sect in the Guangling Trial, there were dozens of disciples going to watch, five elders, and one peak master accompanying them.
Among the twelve peaks of Gushan, Tingyun Peak didn’t care about sect matters. Besides that, Xueyi Peak had the fewest miscellaneous affairs, so the accompanying peak master was Yan Wushu.
There were many rest rooms on the Cloud Boat. Yan Wushu had the highest status in this group and could naturally enjoy a room alone, but he refused and insisted on squeezing into one with his disciple.
It was naturally because Xiao Man and Qu Hanxing were together.
Everyone gathered around the table to eat the “Full of Fortune” pot packed from the Fuqiman Restaurant in Huaman City. Yan Wushu sat beside Xiao Man, not eating himself, but helping Xiao Man pick up food and serve soup.
Yan Wushu had changed his appearance. The face that appeared before everyone was not his own. He again used the surname “Wu” and suppressed his realm to the Upper Guiyuan Realm, creating an identity as a Xueyi Peak disciple. Only Qu Hanxing and Xiao Man knew it was him.
Xiao Man didn’t care much for eating now. The food in his bowl was piled up as high as a mountain, yet he had only symbolically used his chopsticks once when Qu Hanxing called for everyone to start.
He used his gaze to signal Yan Wushu to stop. Yan Wushu estimated he had a poor appetite and obediently put down his hand.
That day in front of the Liangyi Hall, the Upper Guiyuan Realm who had fought Xiao Man was also there, calling him “Little Grand-Senior Uncle” at every turn:
“Before, my vision was shallow. It was only after seeing Little Grand-Senior Uncle’s sword that I understood that a sword, no matter the material or form, even if it’s a tree branch or a chopstick, in the hands of a swordsman, must not be underestimated.”
“Back then I was truly muddled, but from now on, I will learn from you, Little Grand-Senior Uncle.”
This person was surnamed Song, given name Ci. He had a round face and showed sharp tiger teeth when he smiled, looking quite cute. Song Ci’s attitude was very good, and Qu Hanxing’s prejudice against him had vanished. He was very willing to talk to him and asked: “What does Senior Brother Song plan to learn?”
Song Ci stood up from his seat, took out a low-grade iron sword and held it before him, saying resoundingly: “One day, I also want to be like Little Grand-Senior Uncle, able to cut through a high-grade steel sword with an ordinary iron sword!”
The statement shocked everyone.
Yan Wushu couldn’t help but speak up, advising this junior who seemed about to enter a misunderstanding again, “There’s no need for that. You have your own strengths; you don’t need to deliberately conform to others.”
Song Ci stepped on a stool with one foot, holding the sword in one hand, and reaching out with the other, palm open toward Xiao Man, and facing Yan Wushu, he refuted him righteously: “Senior Brother Wu, these words are wrong. We should all follow Little Grand-Senior Uncle’s example.”