Chapter 20#
The sky was clear and bright, and looking out, vegetation flourished with lush green, rustling softly in the dancing light.
In front of the Wanshi Hall, ten disciples stood in a line, respectfully waiting in the courtyard.
An ancient tree stretched its branches diagonally from inside the courtyard, its canopy shading the crowd below.
Jiang Chengyi stood beside Xue Jingci, smiling as he spoke: “Congratulations to you. This time you obtained the token from the secret realm, and when you return, you can become an outer sect elder.”
Xue Jingci nodded: “It should be you who congratulates me. You’re going to become an inner sect elder.”
Jiang Chengyi examined him carefully, admiration evident in his eyes. “You’ve only been here a short time, yet you’ve managed to catch up in merit points. You’re truly pushing yourself too hard. Qian Zhuo mentioned you to me—you barely rested for the first three years.”
At these words, a cold snort came from the other end.
The person who spoke wore an unmistakable look of discontent.
Perhaps remembering his own many years without accumulating such merit points, Feng Yi raised his voice: “What kind of world is this, where anyone can become an elder?”
“Heaven is watching from above. Whether one can obtain the token is still uncertain, yet you’re already congratulating him. I suspect…”
Before he could finish, Chen Zhao beside him rebuked him: “Be silent. That’s disrespectful.”
Everyone quieted down, and the courtyard gate finally opened.
A black-robed elder came out looking haggard. Seeing everyone was present, he rubbed his eyes: “Come in.”
As he spoke, he put on his outer robe, without even straightening his collar, his sleeves hanging askew.
Once everyone entered the courtyard, they saw several other elders all wearing the same drained expression.
Song Jue pulled Yin Xinyao aside and complained quietly: “How come everyone in the Wanshi Hall looks so strange?”
His voice was very soft, yet still reached the leading elder’s ears.
The elder turned to glare at him: “Do you know why you all can stand here? The Immortal Sect Convention had over eight thousand disciples selected. We have five days to compile the list, and we nearly went blind from exhaustion!”
A round-faced man poked his head out from a nearby building and said good-naturedly: “Elder Su, don’t be angry. Why not think about what to eat for lunch?”
Yin Xinyao also looked toward Elder Su and apologized on Song Jue’s behalf.
Recognizing her as the daughter of the Medicine Peak Master, Elder Su finally let his anger subside and went back inside to sleep.
“My brother has this temperament. After becoming an outer sect elder, he’ll definitely have to go to the Punishment Hall,” Lin Heng said quietly to Chen Zhao, stealing a glance at Lin Su. “You won’t come to the Wanshi Hall in the future, will you? I think you’d be better suited for the Etiquette Hall. Those elders there are most concerned with propriety, all refined and proper.”
Chen Zhao’s temperament had always been gentle. Hearing this, he smiled lightly and nodded: “I was thinking the same thing.”
Everyone entered the house and immediately saw a large desk piled high with documents and scrolls.
Seated behind it was a man dressed properly and neatly—finally looking like a respectable immortal sect cultivator. This was Xun Cang, the master of the Wanshi Hall.
Xun Cang pushed the scrolls on the desk aside and laid out a life-and-death contract before everyone.
“I heard everything you said just now. I can see you’re quite confident about becoming elders. But don’t forget, our sect hasn’t had a new elder for over a decade. This secret realm is not easy to traverse. Don’t take it lightly.”
“Once you sign the contract, if you truly die inside, the sect won’t be responsible for collecting your corpse.”
Hearing this, everyone’s expressions immediately turned serious, no longer casual as before.
“Among you ten, only Jiang Chengyi, Song Jue, Lin Su, Xue Jingci, and Chen Zhao have the qualifications to bring out tokens and exchange them for elder tokens. The remaining five are here for training only.”
Xun Cang’s expression softened slightly: “If anyone wishes to withdraw now, there’s still time.”
Everyone seriously examined the contract, and no one spoke.
Feng Yi’s eyes showed mockery as he unconsciously glanced at Xiao Xun.
Among those present, Xiao Xun had the weakest cultivation. Now seeing this terrifying contract, who knew if…
Unexpectedly, Xiao Xun didn’t look away. Instead, he was the first to step forward and sign the contract.
Xun Cang praised him: “Good, you have courage.”
After everyone had signed the contract, they returned to their own quarters to rest.
Xue Jingci called out to Xiao Xun and specifically instructed him: “When we go to the secret realm, remember to think carefully before acting. Don’t be impulsive.”
Xiao Xun listened seriously and promised obediently: “I’ll stay close to you, Master. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”
Xue Jingci took out a magical artifact from his storage bag and handed it to Xiao Xun, carefully explaining how to use it.
“This item can save your life. Keep it close to your body.”
Xiao Xun accepted the artifact, feeling the residual warmth of Xue Jingci’s fingers on it. He held it tightly to his chest and smiled softly: “Thank you, Master. I will remember this.”
Xue Jingci wanted to say something but stopped.
He had meant to keep it in the storage bag.
Early the next morning, ten people gathered at the mountain gate and passed through the clouds toward the lower realm.
The white clouds rolled and tumbled, looking soft and harmless, yet everyone in the upper realm knew that within these clouds lay the most dangerous place.
This time, Xue Jingci was more careful and deliberately released his spiritual sense to probe ahead.
Without anyone noticing, Xue Jingci’s spiritual sense quietly slipped into the cloud sea.
But the moment he entered, his entire soul was pulled by an unknown force and fell directly into the clouds.
Xue Jingci heard the sound of weapons clashing and the smell of slaughter surrounding him, as if he stood on a smoke-filled battlefield.
The sensation was extraordinary. Just as he wanted to move closer, he heard a familiar voice by his ear.
“Master, are you alright?”
When Xue Jingci opened his eyes again, he saw Xiao Xun’s face filled with panic.
Xue Jingci lowered his head blankly, his entire body covered in sweat.
His soft black hair was now disheveled, clinging to his collarbone, making his face appear even paler.
Xiao Xun couldn’t help but reach out to brush back his hair, a hint of tenderness in his eyes. He spoke in a tone completely different from usual, gently coaxing: “Don’t be afraid.”
Only then did Xue Jingci recover from his state of spiritual separation.
He lifted his head and saw that the cloud sea had already drifted far away. He said lightly: “It’s nothing.”
The system meowed anxiously and burrowed into Xue Jingci’s embrace, saying nervously: “Host, you shouldn’t look at the cloud sea anymore. Something’s strange about it.”
Xue Jingci hadn’t expected the power of the clouds to be so strong, and his curiosity only grew. He rubbed the small cat’s head.
“I won’t look next time.”
The system was about to breathe a sigh of relief when it heard Xue Jingci say: “I’ll just go directly in.”
It gave a whimper and fell over on its back, legs in the air.
After crossing the clouds twice, Xue Jingci had already confirmed—there must be something inside!
There was no time to dwell on it as everyone had finished resting and was ready to head to Nanzhou to board a ship.
The upper realm had an agreement with the imperial families of the mortal realm. Such large groups of cultivators descending together were not allowed to travel by flying sword, lest common people see them and become panicked, neglecting their farming.
At first, the disciples were somewhat dissatisfied, thinking the water route was too slow, nothing compared to the freedom of flying by sword.
But after boarding the ship, they all changed their minds.
Nanzhou was prosperous, with developed waterways crisscrossing the region. The great river ran from east to west, and the canals connected north to south.
Now that evening had fallen, pleasure boats dotted the river. Music girls plucked their lutes, singing charming ballads in sweet voices.
Dance girls rode on small painted boats, weaving between the various vessels.
Whenever someone called out, a dance girl would step out from behind the flowing silk and gauze hanging from the boat canopy, leaping gracefully to the bow to dance.
On a large boat nearby, many cultivators excitedly jostled each other, tossing flowers and silver coins toward the painted boats in imitation of the common folk.
Whichever boat received the most, the boatman would pole it closer, sparking countless quarrels over generosity.
Lin Heng, visiting the lower realm for the first time, couldn’t help but sigh: “This is truly a place of pleasure. Brother, since the lower realm is so good, why is everyone so eager to suffer through cultivation in the upper realm?”
Lin Su slapped him on the forehead: “In the upper realm, we cultivate. Besides, don’t talk such nonsense again, or I’ll throw you overboard to dance with them.”
Lin Heng shrank back, muttering: “I was wrong, Brother. If they really made me dance with loose hair, I’d never show my face again!”
Xiao Xun, hearing the exchange, felt his eyes darken.
Lin Su watched for a while, found it boring, and looked away while holding a wine jug: “Nothing worth watching. That’s a place of debauchery—frivolity leads to ruin.”
Lin Heng dodged his brother’s hand and turned to leave, nearly colliding with Xiao Xun. He couldn’t help but cry out: “How do you walk without making a sound? You scared me half to death!”
Xiao Xun tilted his head slightly, his gaze dark and unclear: “My apologies.”
The boat’s lanterns swayed with the wind, their light dim and bright in turns, casting Xiao Xun’s face alternately in shadow and light.
Lin Heng wasn’t particularly clever, but he had the instincts of a small animal. He unconsciously took a step back, feeling his gaze unsettling, and turned to leave.
The deck wasn’t spacious, and with so many people, he stumbled about like a headless fly before being caught by Lin Su.
Lin Su noticed his strange expression and was about to ask, when he saw Xue Jingci emerge from the cabin.
So that was it—the boy had been scared by Xue Jingci again.
Lin Su sighed helplessly in frustration and left the boy to go meditate inside.
Outside, the wind was gentle. Xue Jingci stood by the ship’s railing, holding the small cat, his nose twitching.
He had been meditating inside when he suddenly caught a sweet fragrance.
Unfortunately, the boat was moving too fast. By the time he came out, he could no longer smell it.
Xiao Xun saw Xue Jingci staring at the water, seemingly watching the dance girls on the painted boats. His fake smile faded, and his expression turned cold as he asked: “Does Master find the dance girl beautiful?”
Xue Jingci said seriously: “She’s very skilled.”
Xiao Xun was stunned: “How so?”
Xue Jingci explained: “Those people keep throwing things at the boat. With varying weights, the boat easily could capsize. But she constantly shifts her position, perfectly balancing the boat’s weight while gracefully kicking everything into the cabin.”
Xiao Xun didn’t expect that after observing for so long, Xue Jingci had only noticed this. He couldn’t help but laugh.
Lin Heng, standing nearby, didn’t know what Xue Jingci and Xiao Xun had discussed, only that Xiao Xun’s smile was now genuine and completely without the coldness from before.
He scratched his head, thinking he must have been overthinking things.
That night, most of the cultivators didn’t return to their cabins to sleep. They felt the mortal realm’s wealth and beauty were endless to behold, only reluctantly heading back when a heavy rain began falling at dawn.
But this plum rain season didn’t stop. It continued pouring down the entire journey.
The boat rocked in the wind and rain, with water dropping on the canopy making an annoying noise.
People couldn’t sleep well, and once they closed their eyes, their ears filled with the sound of rain, making many irritable and quarrelsome.
Only Xue Jingci remained calm and undisturbed, doing what needed to be done each day.
After finally enduring the long water journey, the group switched to carriages and headed west.
But the further west they went, the less developed the roads became. The carriage jolted, dust flew everywhere, making everyone feel nauseous.
After nearly half a month more, the carriage finally stopped in a desert.
At the end of the road was where heaven and earth met.
A red sun sank along the flat horizon line, staining the sand below in crimson red.
A single column of smoke rose straight up, while the distant sound of camel bells and wolf howls rose and fell, stirring the slumbering Gobi.
Jiang Chengyi, holding a map to navigate, finally found an inn before the sun completely sank into the sand.
Many sects had come for this secret realm, but the inn was small and couldn’t accommodate everyone, inevitably causing conflict.
When the Lingxu Sect disciples arrived, the crowd fell silent, allowing them first choice.
The Five-Tone Sect disciples showed discontent. As the second sect, they were accustomed to special treatment. Now that Lingxu Sect had arrived first, who would notice second place?
Besides sect disciples, families like the Xiao and Wen clans had sent many people as well.
They didn’t fear the second sect, but treated the first sect with respect. They quietly waited aside, letting the Lingxu Sect disciples choose rooms first.
Xiao Xun, following behind Xue Jingci, recognized the Xiao family members and pulled out a face cloth to cover himself.
Seeing Xue Jingci look toward him, he coughed and explained: “The sand and wind here are too harsh.”
The group quickly selected rooms and settled in successfully.
Having been confined for too long, everyone wanted to wander around rather than stay in their rooms.
Xiao Xun also came to knock on Xue Jingci’s door, asking if he wanted to go out for food.
The two walked out of the inn together, feeling the cold seeping into their bones.
In the desert, the days were extremely hot, but the nights were bitterly cold, as if walking between ice and fire.
The town had meager resources and few places selling food.
After wandering around, they returned to the inn. Xiao Xun went to the kitchen and brought back some naan bread.
Xue Jingci took a bite and found it unpalatable, chewing slowly.
Even worse than food from the upper realm.
The inn was full of immortal sect disciples, most of whom couldn’t stomach such rough food and put it down. But then a dirty black hand snaked out from under the table, swiftly snatching the naan from Lin Heng’s plate.
The innkeeper rushed over immediately, grabbing the filthy child by the ear and dragging him out, about to call someone to beat him out.
Lin Heng couldn’t bear it: “It’s just one piece of naan. If he wants to eat it, let him.”
The child didn’t look like a local. The innkeeper was silent for a moment, then told him to take the bread outside.
Lin Heng asked curiously: “On my way here, I saw many people like this. Where do they all come from? Have they suffered from a disaster?”
The innkeeper nodded but was called away by others, too busy to explain further.
Xue Jingci spoke flatly: “It’s common. Don’t give to them in the future.”
Lin Heng was bewildered and didn’t dare contradict Xue Jingci. He turned to Lin Su and asked: “Brother, why can’t we give?”
Lin Su remained silent but didn’t object either.
Xue Jingci glanced at Lin Heng: “You’ll see soon enough.”
Lin Heng, puzzled, couldn’t help but crouch by the door to wait. Soon enough, he saw a large crowd of refugees surge toward the inn’s entrance.
Lin Heng was shocked. He saw the ragged common folk kneeling and kowtowing, crying and begging for food. His heart ached.
The innkeeper hurried to drive them away, sending a boy to find officials. The disciples saw this and wanted to stop them, but a sword light from Xue Jingci blocked their way.
Though Lin Heng feared him, he had a good heart. Xue Jingci’s sword enraged him, and he found courage: “It’s just food! How can you be so heartless?”
The innkeeper was sweating profusely. He shut the door and said: “Immortal Lords don’t understand. There was a flood to the south. Many people have come to our western region. If we help one person today, we can’t help thousands tomorrow. Please, don’t make things difficult for us…”
The inn’s few boys were no match for the large crowd of refugees. The gate was pounded repeatedly, the sound making everyone’s hearts race.
Xue Jingci’s sword remained unsheathed, its cold blade glinting, for a moment no one dared speak.
At this critical moment, official guards finally arrived.
Xue Jingci sheathed his sword and sat back at the table, slowly continuing to eat the naan.
After driving the refugees out, the official entered to apologize: “A hole was broken in the north wall, letting these troublemakers through and disturbing you immortal lords.”
Lin Heng frowned: “They can’t even eat, and you’re driving them out? In this cold, won’t that be deadly?”
The official replied calmly: “There are temporary shelters set up outside the city. With so many refugees, it’s not easy to resettle them all.”
Lin Heng was about to argue further when Lin Su pulled him aside.
Jiang Chengyi woke from sleep, hearing the commotion. He came out of the room and Xue Jingci suddenly handed him a heavy bag of gold.
Confused, he saw Xue Jingci point at the official.
Jiang Chengyi was clever and quickly grasped the situation. Understanding Xue Jingci’s intent, he bowed to the official.
“Forgive my junior brother’s harsh words. He’s inexperienced and spoke rashly. But seeing them in such dire circumstances, we felt uneasy.”
He then added another bag of silver: “Please accept this as our contribution to the government. We trust you’ll handle this well.”
Lin Heng, seeing this, rummaged through his own money pouch: “Count me in.”
Once they started, the other disciples eagerly contributed their silver.
The official, not expecting such respect from upper realm immortals, said hurriedly: “Of course, we’ll do our utmost!”
After the official left, the inn finally quieted. Everyone stared at the naan before them, moved by what had happened. For the next few days, no one complained about it being unpalatable.
Just as they thought the matter was resolved, two days later the official returned.
Lin Heng saw him and immediately spoke: “I didn’t do anything this time!”
The official laughed heartily: “I’ve come to thank you. With your help, we’ve set up additional shelters outside the city. The townspeople learned of this and decided to hold a celebration tonight. There will be lots of good food, free to eat as much as you like!”
Xue Jingci became interested and carefully stored the naan in his storage bag, waiting eagerly for the celebration.
That night, bonfires blazed throughout the town, their jumping orange-red flames reflecting against countless stars, illuminating a vast crowd.
The town’s simple folk brought out grape wine from their homes, telling everyone that drinking it would keep them warm.
Disciples from various sects used the opportunity to socialize and network, while family disciples sat separately, the two groups clearly divided.
In the festivities, only Xue Jingci concentrated on eating roasted lamb, occasionally feeding some to the small cat beside him.
His appearance was too striking, and the sight of him blocking everyone with his sword had been eye-catching. Many wanted to approach and befriend him.
Xue Jingci found it bothersome and simply took some good food and the small cat to quietly climb the city wall.
Outside the wall, some refugees had set up simple tents from animal hides to keep warm, densely spread across the sand. From a distance, one could only see shadows and many fires.
Xue Jingci ate while listening to footsteps behind him.
Jiang Chengyi had come to invite him to drink but was drawn to the refugees below, working to set up tents.
They lived so bitterly, yet with just a bonfire, they could hold hands and sing and dance, their eyes filled with hope for life.
Jiang Chengyi sighed: “Before, when I was in the upper realm, I only read about the mortal realm in books. I thought it was all beautiful like the night scenery of Huai River. Now that I see it, it’s somewhat different…”
Xue Jingci turned to look at him: “Only somewhat?”
Jiang Chengyi took a sip of the harsh desert liquor and coughed from choking. “No wonder the people here love drinking such strong liquor. It’s so cold after sunset, without this, how would they survive?”
Seeing Xue Jingci feeding the cat wine, he tried to stop him: “Can it drink this?”
Xue Jingci nodded seriously: “It won’t die from it.”
Jiang Chengyi was about to say something, but seeing the cat stretching out its tongue to lick, he said nothing more. He just watched curiously for a while.
Neither spoke again, with no inclination to play. They returned to the inn.
The secret realm would only open during specific times. For now, everyone could only wait quietly in the town.
Time dragged on miserably, and this place was short of water and food. Open your mouth and it’s full of sand.
Xue Jingci wasn’t in a hurry. He hid in his room experimenting with different ways to eat naan, breaking it into pieces and soaking it in meat broth. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
He opened it, and the innkeeper handed him a food box: “An immortal asked me to pass this to you.”
Xue Jingci opened it curiously, and a sweet fragrance wafted out.
He was stunned, remembering the scent he had smelled in Nanzhou.
So it was qingtuan—a green rice cake.
Xue Jingci thanked the boy and asked: “What did that person look like?”
The innkeeper recalled: “They were wrapped entirely in black robes, face unclear. But their bearing was different—clearly an immortal.”
Xue Jingci thoughtfully closed the door and immediately reached to put a qingtuan in his mouth, but the small cat’s paw stopped him.
“Host!”
The system waved its tail: “That person dressed strangely. They don’t seem like a good person. You dare eat something from unknown sources? Aren’t you afraid it’s poisoned?”
Xue Jingci pinched its face and stuffed a qingtuan in the cat’s mouth: “Then you eat it first.”
Meow!
—Murderer!
The kitten smacked its mouth, and its eyes suddenly brightened.
Delicious!
It swallowed the qingtuan in two or three bites, meowed, and wagged its tail: “I misjudged this person. Clearly a good person.”
Seeing the kitten praise him so sincerely, Xue Jingci smiled lightly and also took a qingtuan to eat.
Soon after, there was another knock at the door.
Xue Jingci’s eyes lit up. He stood and opened it, but saw a stranger instead.
The man immediately bowed, introducing himself: “I’m Zeng Xuanlang. I owe you a great debt for saving my fiancée before…”
Xue Jingci was initially startled, then recalled the name—the Young Master of the Medicine Sect.
The doorway wasn’t a place to talk. He looked around and brought the man inside: “Come in.”
Once the door closed, Xue Jingci asked: “Who is your fiancée? When did I save her?”
Zeng Xuanlang answered earnestly: “I don’t know if you remember, but many years ago in the mortal realm, you saved a female cultivator who was being harassed. Her name is Zhou Ruqing.”
Xue Jingci’s mind went blank. He couldn’t remember at all.
Zeng Xuanlang smiled: “Originally, she wanted to thank you in person, but she wasn’t selected. Seeing your name among those chosen, she knew you’d come to the upper realm. She specifically instructed me to thank you.”
The gentle young master’s face flushed slightly, his eyes bright: “We’ll be married soon. After this is over, we’ll send an invitation to the sect. Please honor us with your presence.”
Xue Jingci thought about the Medicine Sect Young Master’s wedding feast—surely it would be delicious—so he nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Chen Zhao happened to pass outside the room. Hearing the words “Zhou Ruqing,” his face suddenly turned deathly pale.
He never thought that an act of drunken foolishness years ago had become a permanent stain. Every time he saw Xue Jingci, he couldn’t sleep at night.
For these years, he and Xue Jingci had gotten along peacefully, and he’d become somewhat reassured. Now, hearing this, he panicked completely.
He hoped Xue Jingci didn’t recognize him, that perhaps so many years had passed, he’d forgotten…
Just then, he heard footsteps inside the room. In sudden panic, he hastily avoided the path, nearly colliding with someone from another sect.
That night, Chen Zhao couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning with an unsettled expression.
But Xue Jingci slept soundly after eating the sweet qingtuan.
However, as dawn approached and people hadn’t yet woken, a tornado suddenly rose on the desert.
Yellow sand shot toward the sky, the earth trembled, and all the buildings shook violently.
Crows circling in the air shrieked miserably and flew away. Camels and yaks screamed piercingly, breaking their bonds and fleeing.
Wind and sand howled, sand and dust blocked out the sun, making direction impossible to discern.
The innkeeper and staff shouted in panic: “A great storm is coming! Hide quickly! Run!”
Hearing the commotion, the townspeople immediately fled into underground shelters. Officials hurried the refugees outside, forming lines to descend underground.
But the disciples staying in town suddenly became energized, running against the panicking beasts and people without hesitation, flying swords directly into the tornado.
—The eye of the wind was the entrance to the secret realm.
They had waited so long—the realm was finally open!
Xue Jingci, holding the system, rushed into the tornado with the crowd.
In the chaos and confusion, he vaguely saw a familiar shadow, but before he could look closely, he was sucked into the eye of the wind and lost consciousness.
The sensation was very similar to when he’d experienced spiritual separation in the cloud sea before. No one noticed that Xue Jingci’s dharma form suddenly appeared—a dark, indistinct, massive shape behind him, vanishing in an instant.
But in just a moment, Xue Jingci awoke.
He looked left and right, discovering everyone else’s eyes were tightly closed.
Xue Jingci was about to reach out to wake Xiao Xun closest to him.
But the moment his hand extended, Xiao Xun’s eyes suddenly snapped open, his gaze sharp.
Seeing it was Xue Jingci, his gaze softened immediately. He asked quietly: “Master, are you alright?”
Xue Jingci was somewhat surprised.
Though Xiao Xun’s cultivation was low, his spiritual essence was very strong. He had actually awakened before the others.
However, a disciple with high cultivation was a good thing.
Xue Jingci shook his head and didn’t dwell on it. He instructed: “Go to the side and wake all the Lingxu Sect disciples.”
Then Xue Jingci reached out to push Yin Xinyao, who was closest to him.
Lin Heng awoke from confusion, vaguely sensing someone touching him. Opening his eyes, they met Xue Jingci’s quiet gaze.
“Ah!!!”
Lin Heng was so startled he shrieked, instinctively wrapping his arms around himself and backing away.
But the next second, he saw Xue Jingci withdraw his hand and move on to push the next person.
Lin Heng hugged himself, feeling conflicted. Before he could recover, Lin Su slapped the back of his head: “What’s all the noise about!”
Xue Jingci was quite satisfied.
Because Lin Heng’s scream had directly woken everyone else in the tent.
Jiang Chengyi covered his head and looked around, noticing he couldn’t find his senior sisters, only some unfamiliar disciples from other sects. He immediately stood up.
“Let’s find people first.”
Everyone hurried out of the tent and saw a city standing in the distance.
As they approached the gate, they quickly saw Song Jue protecting their senior sister, walking inside while looking around, clearly searching for others.
Just as they were about to call out, several soldiers blocked them: “Why are you still here? The city lord and the general are waiting for you at the military headquarters.”
Xue Jingci tapped Jiang Chengyi’s shoulder: “Let’s go to the military camp first.”
Jiang Chengyi understood his meaning. The group headed toward the military camp in a grand procession, finally meeting Chen Zhao and the others.
After the chaos, everyone gathered in the military camp, waiting for orders from the commander.
Lingxu Sect’s reputation was unquestionable. Among this generation, Jiang Chengyi had the highest seniority and strongest cultivation. As an inner sect disciple, he naturally became the leader.
He went to negotiate and learned they were currently in an ancient battlefield from five hundred years ago.
The first task was to assign personnel to various strongholds to stand watch alongside the defending soldiers, guarding against demon attacks. They would return to the city to report after two days.
Disciples from each sect naturally grouped by sect, leaving in small teams.
Xue Jingci examined Jiang Chengyi carefully for a moment.
Such negotiations were simple, but this young man could quickly analyze the situation, assigning strongholds to all without anyone objecting.
With just a glance at the map, he dispatched people according to each sect’s strengths, already showing military genius.
To be honest, Xue Jingci couldn’t do such things. He wasn’t good at social interaction. Fighting was fine, but strategy was not his strength.
This Jiang Chengyi was interesting.
After everyone left, Jiang Chengyi led them toward their assigned stronghold.
Perhaps because Xue Jingci stared at him too long, Jiang Chengyi felt a bit embarrassed: “Why are you looking at me like that, Junior Brother?”
He seemed bashful, completely losing his earlier composure.
Xue Jingci considered: “I just think you’re well-suited to this environment.”
Jiang Chengyi didn’t deflect modestly, nodding: “Grandfather said if I’d been born in the mortal realm, I’d surely be a general commanding armies. But the upper realm is peaceful, so there’s no use for such talents.”
Xue Jingci heard the hint of regret in his tone and asked curiously: “Isn’t peace better than war?”
Jiang Chengyi thought for a moment, then smiled: “You’re right. That’s a good thing.”
The two talked as they arrived at the stronghold.
The stronghold assigned to Lingxu Sect was naturally a good one, located on the eastern side in a mountain valley. It was mostly garrisoned with winged guards coordinating with infantrymen to intercept demon scouts.
Everyone negotiated with the captain and accepted their duty to defend the stronghold, but this meant they couldn’t stay in the village and had to set up their own military tents.
Lin Heng looked at the worn leather tent with holes and ran to Yin Xinyao’s side, concerned: “Senior Sister, the conditions here are dirty and terrible. Why don’t you stay at a nearby farm instead? It would be safer.”
But Song Jue laughed lightly: “You should worry about yourself. Can you get used to living like this?”
Yin Xinyao smiled and patted Lin Heng’s head: “Don’t worry, I still have snacks. Come find me if you get hungry.”
Lin Heng grinned and ran back to Lin Su’s side, ready to help. But he saw Lin Su had already neatly set up the tent on his own.
Lin Su glanced at him: “Have you learned how?”
Lin Heng’s eyes shifted away, not daring to admit he hadn’t even watched the steps. He noticed their tent was right next to Xue Jingci’s and felt nervous.
Only now did he realize that Xue Jingci, despite his fair and delicate appearance, was as quick and efficient as his brother, setting up his own tent rapidly.
The small kitten stepped on Xue Jingci’s shoulder: “Host, that boy keeps staring at you. I wonder what trouble he’s planning.”
Xue Jingci rubbed its little head: “Don’t worry. He doesn’t have the guts.”
But Xiao Xun’s expression darkened. Xue Jingci was planning to share a tent with Jiang Chengyi.
Their earlier conversation had been quite pleasant, and Father had shown appreciation, making his heart feel like it was boiling in hot oil.
But he was just a new disciple, and this wasn’t the time to act childish. He could only suppress it for now.
Xue Jingci looked at the mountains and asked Yin Xinyao: “Senior Sister, will you come gather medicine with me?”
Yin Xinyao’s expression showed some caution.
“For what?”
Song Jue also came over, both their eyes fixed on him with equal confusion.
Xue Jingci spoke quietly: “Just to be prepared. If Senior Sister doesn’t wish to, I can go alone.”
Yin Xinyao caught the hidden meaning in his words. This seemingly simple task was actually dangerous. She nodded in agreement: “I’ll go with you.”
Song Jue naturally followed. After letting Jiang Chengyi know, the three ventured into the forest, disappearing into the mountains.
Yin Xinyao had learned medicine since childhood and had no trouble finding medicinal herbs.
The three quickly gathered quite a lot. Yin Xinyao noticed Xue Jingci was collecting mostly hemostatic and wound-closure herbs and asked suspiciously: “Cultivators have strong bodies, unlike mortals. Why do you worry?”
“Senior Sister thinks cultivators are strong, but don’t forget, the conditions here are different,”
Xue Jingci said calmly: “I’ve been to a place where spiritual energy was extremely thin, similar to here. If we don’t replenish spiritual power in time, we’re no different from mortals.”
Yin Xinyao nodded, then grabbed some herbs and asked: “Why only collect these types?”
Xue Jingci explained: “When I was at the military headquarters, I checked the supplies. There aren’t many medicines. We can manage, but those soldiers can’t. If they’re injured, winning this battle will be difficult.”
Yin Xinyao suddenly understood.
In truth, they all knew this was just an illusion, so they hadn’t really considered the soldiers as living people. But now Xue Jingci’s words made her realize—they would ultimately have to rely on these soldiers in actual combat.
Song Jue listened quietly, then locked eyes with Xue Jingci and raised his hand in a bow: “I’ve learned something valuable.”
The small kitten wagged its tail, sighing: “Not completely foolish after all.”
The sunlight was strong, passing through the leaves, the ground steaming with heat, waves rising from the sand.
Xue Jingci’s skin had been heated pink, making him look somewhat less cold than usual.
He reached up to wipe sweat from his face but just smudged dirt on himself instead, looking like the little cat on his shoulder.
Yin Xinyao, staring at his face, couldn’t help but giggle and handed him Song Jue’s handkerchief.
“Wipe your face, little spotted cat.”
Xue Jingci then realized and took the handkerchief, turning to wipe his face clean. He complained to the system: “Why didn’t you remind me?”
The system was laughing so hard it rolled on the grass: “Because it’s so funny!”
Xue Jingci decided to ignore it and not share good food with it tonight.
But at that moment, none of them noticed a few demon wasps suddenly swarming from the forest, silently attacking Yin Xinyao!
Xue Jingci’s ears twitched instantly. His form flashed, and he blocked her in an instant.
Yin Xinyao saw sword light and felt like she was in a storm, immediately setting up protection. Her fingers flipped, revealing a jade ruyi scepter.
The scepter gleamed, releasing several streams of poison gas that covered the demon wasps with their glinting stingers, transforming them to ash in an instant.
The two hadn’t even reacted when Xue Jingci’s figure had already moved again, his long sword sweeping, blood and flesh scattering. Two wolf demons were already decapitated.
The remaining demons scattered in retreat. Xue Jingci shouted: “Capture them alive!”
He immediately chased one direction, while Song Jue and Yin Xinyao split off to pursue others.
The forest was thick with vegetation, difficult to traverse. Xue Jingci chased over a hundred meters before that slippery demon managed to escape.
He noted which direction it fled, about to return when he suddenly sensed something watching him from above.
Xue Jingci’s eyes changed instantly, and a sword light flew to cut away most of the branches, causing them to crash down with a rumble, scattering birds everywhere.
When he looked along that line of sight, he saw a figure with a slender build wearing black clothes, lying carelessly on a branch.
“How ferocious.”
The two locked eyes. Pei Huang lazily sat up, dropping a half-dead sparrowhawk.
—It was the demon that had just escaped.
Before Xue Jingci could speak, Pei Huang’s expression suddenly changed. A pitch-black bow was fastened to his arm.
The bowstring was fully drawn, bristling with killing intent, aimed directly at Xue Jingci’s head.
But Xue Jingci simply stood in place, looking up at him calmly.
Pei Huang’s mouth curved. With a “whoosh,” a cold arrow flew past, grazing Xue Jingci’s ear.
The demon behind him was pierced through instantly, struggling briefly before crashing down heavily.
Time seemed frozen. Pei Huang pouted, saying it was boring. He jumped down from the tree and landed in front of Xue Jingci.
The system belatedly reacted, meowing at Pei Huang in warning.
Pei Huang made a face at the little cat before asking Xue Jingci: “You didn’t even dodge. Are you not afraid I came to kill you?”
He had changed quite a bit. Though still in black clothes, they were now made of fine silk—a proper dharma robe. Xue Jingci looked him over and said flatly: “You couldn’t hurt me.”
Just then, the demon corpse behind Xue Jingci suddenly exploded.
Instantly, blood mist filled the forest. Pei Huang immediately pulled Xue Jingci into his embrace, raising his sleeve to shield him and block the splashing blood.
His wide sleeve gently brushed past Xue Jingci’s ear, seeming to isolate all the slaughter and gore outside.
The blood was filthy and reeked. Fearing it would dirty Xue Jingci’s white clothes, Pei Huang stepped back two paces and flicked the blood droplets from his sleeve.
Seeing Xue Jingci still spotless, he felt relieved and asked carefully: “Were the qingtuan good?”
“So it was you.”
Xue Jingci blinked, looking up at Pei Huang.
He suddenly realized that the child who once reached only his waist had somehow grown to be half a head taller than him.