Chapter 8#

All of a Sudden#

Yan Wushu said he had been here for a long time, which Xiao Man found very strange. Yan Wushu had no real friendship with Baihua Peak; in the hundred years of his previous life, he had never set foot here except when absolutely necessary.

However, based on Xiao Man’s understanding of Yan Wushu, he was someone with a heavy sense of curiosity and playfulness. Could it be that because he had run to Baihua Peak to practice for two consecutive days, Yan Wushu had followed and become interested?

It wasn’t impossible. After all, this person’s identity in the secular world was special. After revealing his talent for cultivation, he was directly taken in as a personal disciple by his master, skipping the experience at Baihua Peak.

But if that were truly the case, the famous Lord Lingguang would be a bit too childish.

Xiao Man couldn’t figure out the reason, so he simply stopped thinking about it and repeated his previous question: “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing.” Yan Wushu closed his folding fan, walked towards the eaves, and stood in front of Xiao Man.

Xiao Man didn’t believe him at all, but by now he didn’t want to investigate Yan Wushu’s behavior anymore, so he stopped asking, pretending to accept the answer.

Yan Wushu glimpsed something from the slight change in Xiao Man’s expression and raised an eyebrow irritably: “What, Tan Wenzhou can accompany you here, but I can’t?”

“…” Xiao Man felt somewhat helpless.

The grievances between Xingyun Peak and Xueyi Peak were entangled and unclear, and Yan Wushu and Tan Wenzhou disliked each other even more. Xiao Man didn’t want Peak Master Tan to be noted down by Yan Wushu because of this, so he explained: “Peak Master Tan came out of good intentions.”

“I can’t have good intentions too?” Yan Wushu snorted lightly.

“I still have things to do, I’m going in now.” Xiao Man was too lazy to argue with him over these trifles. Currently, his time was extremely precious and should be spent on cultivation rather than talking to Yan Wushu.

Xiao Man turned around after speaking. Yan Wushu’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he flicked open his folding fan again.

Just then, an exclamation rang out in Chaoyu Tower.

—Someone had tried to combine a wind talisman and a fire talisman, but unexpectedly, something went wrong, and the entire table caught fire. The person next to him grabbed a water jug and splashed water over, but it had the opposite effect, and the flames exploded with a bang.

Seeing the fire about to spread, many people began to draw water and earth talismans, but they were all in a flurry, with some even smudging ink on the talisman paper.

Xiao Man walked quickly to the window and reached out his hand towards the building. However, Yan Wushu was one step faster; with a press of his folding fan, he extinguished the fire.

“Children this age really are troublesome,” Yan Wushu said leisurely as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Man, looking through the window at the panicked low-level disciples in Chaoyu Tower.

“I am about the same age as them.” Xiao Man gave him a cold glare, flicked his sleeves, and walked back into the building.

The table that caught fire was barely saved; it was just slightly scorched on the surface and had a heavy smell, which would probably be fine after being smoked with some incense or left in the wind for a few days.

The expressions of the group of disciples could be described as having survived a disaster.

Just now, many people had seen Xiao Man act, and the source of the spiritual energy that suppressed the fire was indeed from his direction. Thus, as soon as Xiao Man stepped over the threshold, he heard the collective voices of everyone converging like a flood, echoing to the sky:

“Thank you, Senior Brother Xiao!”

Xiao Man didn’t dare to step in with his other leg and shook his head on the spot: “I didn’t do much.”

“Brother Man, there’s no need to be so modest; this is a life-saving matter!” Qu Hanxing patted his chest and said with lingering fear, “That fire, bolstered by the wind talisman, flared up too fiercely. If Chaoyu Tower had burned down, Instructor Yang would have punished all of us by having us copy the sect rules and ‘Introductory Talisman Techniques’ at least a hundred times!”

“Why everyone?” Xiao Man was quite puzzled.

Qu Hanxing: “Though the person who drew the talisman is the one most to blame, if the rest of us couldn’t extinguish the fire in time, it shows we are incompetent and haven’t mastered these wind, water, and earth talismans well. Naturally, we would be punished by copying books.”

The disciple who failed the talisman drawing wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve and bowed to Xiao Man with apology and gratitude: “Really, thank you, Senior Brother Xiao!”

Xiao Man returned the gesture: “Just as Hanxing said, it was my duty. There’s no need for thanks.”

He sat back in his seat and straightened the food box that had been kicked over by someone unknown. Mo Juntian leaned over and asked: “Xiao Man, I just saw that person from yesterday outside the window again. Didn’t you say you didn’t know him?”

“Yesterday?” Xiao Man tilted his head.

“The one in black,” Mo Juntian said.

This was referring to Yan Wushu.

What Yan Wushu used was not an invisibility spell—he didn’t come to Baihua Peak for anything sneaky, so there was no need for invisibility. He had simply restrained his aura, making it difficult for those in lower realms to notice him. Xiao Man could discover his presence because he was familiar enough.

Mo Juntian’s sharpness surprised Xiao Man, and he couldn’t help but glance out the window. Yan Wushu was gone. He lowered his eyes and said softly: “I just got to know him.”

“What is he doing here?” Mo Juntian asked curiously.

Xiao Man hesitated for a split second: “He was delivering ingredients to Wugu Tower and happened to pass by, so he came to take a look.”

“So that’s how it is.” The youth surnamed Mo showed a look of surprise. “I saw his extraordinary temperament and thought he was some senior from one of the peaks. Turns out he’s a vegetable delivery man!”

Wei Chuyun, hearing their conversation, showed a disapproving expression: “Junior Brother Mo, you shouldn’t speak like that. Even a vegetable delivery man deserves our respect.”

“Senior Brother Wei is right.” Mo Juntian scratched his head sheepishly.

The four gathered again to discuss talisman techniques, and time passed very quickly, arriving at noon in the blink of an eye. Instructor Yang returned to Chaoyu Tower, saw the scorched table, and scanned the crowd. Seeing no one was injured, he said nothing and waved his hand to dismiss everyone.

Inside Wugu Tower, the dishes were as rich as ever. The head chef had specially made some heat-relieving soup and sweet cakes. Those cakes were very much to Xiao Man’s liking, and he took quite a few with him when he left.

Cultivation on Baihua Peak went on day after day. Life couldn’t be called unchanging because the morning classes were different every day, but overall there wasn’t much difference.

Time moved sometimes fast and sometimes slow. In a daze, half a month had actually passed. The autumn chill replaced the summer heat, wild geese flew away from the forest, and the water in the mountain streams fell.

Xiao Man had practiced the introductory Gushan sword technique until he was extremely proficient, and his heart method had reached the eighth level. One more level and he would reach completion.

On this holiday, Xiao Man rarely didn’t get up at the hour of Maoshi (5-7 AM).

Rong Yuan still got up before Maoshi. He had already become accustomed to Xiao Man’s newly formed habits and had set up a stove in a corner of the Qiyin Residence courtyard, starting to cook food early.

Xiao Man had mentioned wanting to eat wontons yesterday, so he had caught some shrimp, peeled and deveined them, chopped the meat, and prepared the shrimp filling.

In autumn, the sky dawns late. After Rong Yuan had been busy for a long time, a sliver of light finally appeared in the east. The aroma of wontons wafted through the air. He filled a bowl with an iron ladle and sprinkled some green onions on top. Just then, Xiao Man pushed the door open and came out, dressed in plain white, his black hair simply tied up like ink. His steps were neither fast nor slow, and as the wind passed, his robe fluttered, making him look like an immortal from the heavens.

Then he caught the scent and turned to find it, his nostrils twitching slightly.

Rong Yuan quickly placed the wontons on the table and asked as Xiao Man approached: “Your Highness, are you going out today?”

Xiao Man shook his head. Today was a holiday, and all the buildings on Baihua Peak—except for Wugu Tower—were closed. There was no point in going.

“Then where does Your Highness plan to cultivate?”

“Luoyue Lake.”

Rong Yuan said “oh” and asked Xiao Man what he wanted for lunch and if he wanted to have lotus root and pork rib soup. He had recently got a new clay pot, which was very suitable for stewing soup.

Xiao Man nodded in agreement and then recalled what he had eaten at Wugu Tower, naming a few dishes.

By the time he reached Luoyue Lake, the morning sun had completely risen in the east. The clear dew among the grass on the lakeshore slowly dissipated, and the surface of the lake reflected the sunlight, shining as if it were melted gold.

Xiao Man looked around, his gaze lingering on the lakeside pavilion for a long time. With a light tap of his feet and a swift movement of his body, he landed on the roof of the stone pavilion, flicked his robes, and sat down.

The wind was just right. Xiao Man formed a meditation seal, silently recited the heart method’s mantra, and began to regulate his breathing.

He wasn’t fully concentrated in meditation, always keeping a portion of his divine sense on the outside to prevent any sudden changes.

This was something he had learned from Yan Wushu. That person’s seclusion was like this; if something happened, calling out from outside the door would get a response, or he would simply walk out, as casual as if he had just taken a nap.

Gushan’s heart method was mysterious. Following its unique rhythm, every inhalation and exhalation became a melody. The sunlight, temperature, and the breeze brushing past were all changing. Xiao Man perceived these changes, understood the subtleties within, and slowly and steadily circulated his spiritual energy along his meridians and acupoints, completing a small cycle.

Gradually, the sensation of Qi disappeared, his mind unified with heaven and earth, and all things became quiet. He began to circulate the large cycle.

The circulation of Qi in the large cycle was natural and took longer than the small cycle. Xiao Man’s current body had not been on the path of Dao for long, so it was even more slow and steady. After a long while, his brow furrowed slightly, and he opened his eyes.

—An extremely familiar uninvited guest was standing in front of him.

The noon sunlight was no longer gentle. He had silver hair and was dressed in black, his folding fan swaying lightly, a smile in his eyes. Even the sword scar on his forehead seemed to melt with warmth.

“Why have you become like a cat, liking to run to high places?” Yan Wushu sat down cross-legged across from Xiao Man. The post protruding from the center of the pavilion roof was only a few inches large, and since Xiao Man occupied it, Yan Wushu couldn’t squeeze on. Therefore, to be at the same eye level as Xiao Man, he hovered in the void.

Xiao Man gave him a faint glance, his gaze falling on the food box placed between them.

“Rong Yuan finished the food, and I’ve brought it over for you, while also checking your injuries,” Yan Wushu said.

“The injuries have healed,” Xiao Man said as he put away the food box, but his attitude towards Yan Wushu remained cold.

“Injuries to the soul, how could they heal in just half a month?” Yan Wushu’s tone was quite disapproving.

Xiao Man: “My constitution is different.”

“Little Phoenix, you’re not allowed to be too stubborn on important matters.” Yan Wushu didn’t say much more to Xiao Man and raised his hand to touch the space between his brows.

Xiao Man hesitated for a moment but didn’t slap the person’s hand away.

During this period, Yan Wushu had come every day to heal Xiao Man’s injuries. Xiao Man couldn’t drive him away, couldn’t beat him, and couldn’t find a better “healing ingredient” than him, so he let him be.

Yan Wushu’s appearance was extremely outstanding. His phoenix eyes were narrow and long, and the fine creases at the ends of his eyes were somewhat sharp, yet because he was accustomed to smiling, the coldness was diluted. Back when he was young and adventuring in the world, every time he passed through a city, the girls in the city were willing to wear red for him.

At the beginning, Xiao Man had liked Yan Wushu immensely, naturally including this face. Back then, he would even be shy, but now, after staring at him for a long time, his expression was exceptionally indifferent: “It’s just because I was injured in your territory, and your pride and authority were challenged.”

“You’ve even learned to be caustic towards me.” Yan Wushu laughed, unconcerned.

Xiao Man was also unconcerned, lowering his eyes to look at his palm. The lines on his palm were very fragmented, filled from beginning to end with ups and downs.

The injury to his soul was indeed almost healed. Yan Wushu didn’t spend much effort before withdrawing his finger.

The midday sun was at the zenith, reflected in the lake, and shattered into pieces when blown by the wind. Those rays of light turned into bits and pieces of stars, floating and jumping lightly.

Yan Wushu turned his head to look at the shimmering light for a while and said to Xiao Man: “Little Phoenix, there’s no need for you to be in a hurry to cultivate. You already possess a long lifespan; there’s no need to chase every moment like a mortal. Moreover, you were born with a weak constitution. Going a bit slower at the beginning is better for the future.”

“I know what I’m doing.” Xiao Man was unmoved.

Yan Wushu had said the same thing in his previous life. At that time, he was extremely submissive to Yan Wushu; if Yan Wushu told him to slow down, he would truly slow down.

But what happened later?

Later, several Gushan elders joined forces to extract his Primordial Core. The strongest formation in the world, the Gushan Sword Formation, pressed down on his head. His cultivation level was low, his foundation weak, and he couldn’t even breathe.

All of a sudden, Xiao Man realized a problem.

Was it possible that from the very beginning, when Yan Wushu said those things to him, that was his intention? If his level were too high, reaching the Taixuan Upper Realm or the Taiqing Saint Realm, the Primordial Core would not only be difficult to extract, but human cultivators would also be unable to easily absorb it.

One mistake, and all efforts would be in vain.

Xiao Man suddenly lifted his eyelids, his pitch-black eyes like ink, staring steadily at Yan Wushu.

He said nothing. Yan Wushu raised an eyebrow, showing a puzzled expression, and then, sensing something, he looked towards the west.

A sword flew from the west, stopping several feet in front of Yan Wushu, and a voice came out: “Elder Lin Wu has returned from the Western Barrens and brought back a Buddhist shrine.” The person speaking was Yuan Qu.

“What does that have to do with me?” Yan Wushu flicked his sleeve.

The sword body swayed left and right in the void, as if shaking its head: “The person has come back from so far away; at least go welcome them.”

Yan Wushu said “oh”.

“I’ve delivered the message; do as you please!” Yuan Qu wasn’t very willing to get involved in the affairs of these fellow disciples. As soon as he finished speaking, the sword turned around and flew away.

There were several elders in Gushan with the surname Lin, so they were all called by their full names to distinguish them.

This Lin Wu was Yan Wushu’s junior brother.

According to the memories of his previous life, Lin Wu shouldn’t have returned at this time. Xiao Man remembered that this junior brother had been in the Western Barrens for several decades, and by the time he returned, the ceremony for his and Yan Wushu’s union had already been held for many years.

Oh, of course, it was also possible that he had returned in the middle, but he just didn’t know about it.

Xiao Man had no expression, opened the food box prepared by Rong Yuan, pinched a piece of sweet cake, and slowly began to eat.

Yan Wushu sat opposite him.

After a while, another flying sword arrived at Luoyue Lake, its tip pointing towards Yan Wushu, and the voice of the Gushan Sect Leader, Shen Yiru, came out: “Lin Wu brought back a Buddhist shrine that is extremely evil. You are the only one in Gushan who is familiar with the Buddhist sects. Come quickly.”

“Yes, Martial Uncle.” With the Sect Leader speaking, Yan Wushu had no choice but to stand up and, following the flying sword, turned into light and headed towards Mingguang Peak.

Xiao Man didn’t even lift his eyelids, flicking away the cake crumbs on his fingertips. Carrying the food box, he moved from the top of the pavilion to inside the pavilion, and laid out the three dishes and one soup on the table.