Shi Qing couldn’t help but feel that, compared to Gu Yan, Xie Ciyou was being excessively gentle.
“No more fighting!” Xia Chan parried another strike from Chen Ji with his sword. He had already spotted Shi Qing in the crowd. Using the momentum of the block, he pushed off and leaped toward Shi Qing’s side. However, Chen Ji did not stop; instead, he pressed his advantage and pursued Xia Chan as he retreated toward Shi Qing.
Sparring was one thing, but excessive persistence was becoming annoying.
Shi Qing’s mood was currently sour. He glanced at the relentless Chen Ji behind Xia Chan with an impatient expression. If he weren’t reluctant to reveal his skills, he would have tied up this martial arts fanatic long ago.
Bang! A chorus of cries erupted behind Shi Qing. He turned instantly to see a row of spectating disciples had fallen over. Suddenly, a powerful wave of energy struck toward his face. Shi Qing hurriedly raised his hands to form a seal. There was an even louder bang.
The energy crashed against his barrier. Immediately following, several streaks of sword qi cut through the night, all aimed solely at him. Shi Qing frowned; the area was packed with people.
In a lightning-fast flash of decision, golden light appeared beneath his feet, carrying him swiftly out of the crowd. He left behind a single command: “Xia Chan! Disperse the sword qi!”
“Understood!” Xia Chan had moved to Shi Qing’s side the moment the latter formed the seal to block the attack. Seeing the multiple streaks of sword qi, he met them head-on and dispersed a few of them.
Seeing this, Chen Ji changed the direction of his saber and helped Xia Chan disperse the remaining sword qi. “Who dares to use such underhanded tricks at the Qingyun Sect? Show yourself!” Chen Ji roared. The direction the sword qi came from was crowded, and everyone looked at each other in confusion.
Shi Qing landed and frowned at the dark spot where Lu Zhui had been standing. Not a trace of his aura remained.
Shi Qing lowered his hand, which was trembling slightly. That strike had been exceptionally powerful. Had he truly been an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, he would have been knocked back and injured. But the attacker had suppressed their cultivation; it wasn’t a lethal blow, but rather… a test!
“What is the cause of this commotion?” A stern voice rang out.
Shi Qing turned with the crowd. The meeting in the Qingyun Hall had ended. The sect representatives were walking out, including Sect Leader Bai Ye and the two men flanking him: Xie Ciyou and Gu Yan.
Xie Ciyou looked cold and detached. His frigid gaze swept across the crowd, making people afraid to look him in the eye. Gu Yan was solemn, radiating the authority of a leader—a presence that naturally inspired awe.
Under the gaze of these two, the involved parties lowered their heads in silence.
Shi Qing stole a glance at the group, lingering on Xie Ciyou’s face for a moment. The other man didn’t look at him; instead, his gaze swept past the crowd and landed on Shi Qing’s hand, which was still trembling uncontrollably at his side. Shi Qing silently hid his hand behind his back, only to see Xie Ciyou’s brow sink as he looked up at him.
Shi Qing lowered his head, avoiding his gaze.
Chen Ji had already moved through the crowd toward Gu Yan. From a distance, Shi Qing saw him bow and report something to Gu Yan and the others.
“Are you all right?” Jiang Xue and Xia Chan ran over to ask.
“I’m fine,” Shi Qing shook his head.
Shortly after, Chen Ji returned to their side and said, “Immortal Venerable Zhanyue requests your presence.”
Shi Qing took a silent breath and obediently followed him to stand before the gathered “heavyweights” outside the hall, keeping his head down and looking timid.
“Why have you become so cowardly?” It was Sect Leader Bai Ye’s voice.
Shi Qing knew he was speaking to him and maintained his trembling act. “After encountering danger repeatedly, I have truly lost my nerve,” he said, his voice sounding quite aggrieved.
“Sigh. It has been hard on you. It’s a good thing the Morning Mist Pavilion intervened in time.” With that, Sect Leader Bai Ye bowed to Xie Ciyou. Xie Ciyou glanced indifferently at the disciple below the steps but said nothing.
Gu Yan’s gaze shifted between Xie Ciyou and the disciple. After confirming that Xie Ciyou was treating this person with his usual indifference, he said to Shi Qing, “Raise your head. How can someone so timid and shrinking enter my sect?”
Shi Qing felt helpless. Just as he was thinking of what to say, a cold voice rang out: “You certainly aren’t picky when it comes to taking disciples.”
Shi Qing: …
Gu Yan: …
The crowd: …
Chen Ji: ?
There was a moment of silence. A soft gasp echoed among the waiting sect representatives.
Gu Yan’s expression was displeased. He clearly didn’t want to deal with Xie Ciyou’s mockery. He said to Shi Qing, “Come forward.”
Shi Qing obeyed and approached Gu Yan. Without a word, Gu Yan gripped his wrist. Shi Qing’s hand was still shaking, looking as though he were trembling from nervousness—a very unimpressive sight. Gu Yan’s brow furrowed deeper, his eyes showing dissatisfaction.
Then, Shi Qing felt a sting in his spiritual meridians, followed by a wave of pain. He had taken the Life-Giving Creation Pill, which worked on the principle of “destruction before creation.” The meridians would first shatter into dust before Xie Ciyou helped him expand and repair them.
However, it couldn’t be done all at once. Xie Ciyou was much more meticulous than Shi Qing had been in his past life. Except for the night he took the medicine, Shi Qing hadn’t suffered much, but the progress was slower, requiring daily repairs.
His meridians currently looked both weak and severely damaged, appearing entirely unsuitable for cultivation.
Gu Yan was unaware of his condition. Furthermore, the cultivation technique he practiced was exceptionally fierce. As he poured his spiritual energy in to investigate, the pain made Shi Qing knit his brows and break into a cold sweat.
His hand shook even more violently.
Shi Qing couldn’t help but reflect that, compared to Gu Yan, Xie Ciyou was being excessively gentle.
Seeing this, Gu Yan did not hold back at all. His face grew darker as he questioned, “How can you form a Core with your meridians shattered like this? How did you do it?” In a threatening manner, he didn’t withdraw his energy, but instead increased the pressure to investigate more clearly.
Shi Qing’s face turned deathly pale. He tried to pull his hand back, crying out, “It hurts, it hurts! Immortal Venerable, have mercy!”
“Answer me!” Gu Yan barked.
Xia Chan, who was already worried, suddenly looked up at his Pavilion Master on the steps. Xie Ciyou gave him a cool glance. Xia Chan immediately stepped forward and said, “It was I who gave him a spiritual pill from the Morning Mist Pavilion to allow his cultivation to break through. Don’t let the Golden Core fool you; it’s all due to the pill.”
“You?” Gu Yan finally withdrew his hand.
Shi Qing was shaking from the pain, his lips turning white.
“Indeed. Fellow Daoist Fang was caught up in my troubles and was heavily injured by demonic energy. Feeling guilty, I took him back to the Morning Mist Pavilion and gave him our medicine. Although he forcibly formed a Core, the damage to his meridians remains irreparable.”
“Oh? Is what he says true?” Gu Yan asked Shi Qing coldly.
Shi Qing nodded weakly. “Yes.”
“The Qingyun Sect has plenty of spiritual medicines. Once you return, I will have Elder Baiyun check on your condition. With a Golden Core piled up by pills like this, it’s no wonder you were unable to resist a sneak attack just now.” His tone hid neither disdain nor disgust.
It was clearly a sneak attack, yet he blamed Shi Qing for insufficient cultivation. Shi Qing could only lower his head and agree. Taking the opportunity, he said, “I am fortunate that the Immortal Venerable is willing to take me as a disciple.” He stole a glance at Gu Yan, whose expression was quite sour. It seemed Gu Yan was regretting his decision. Shi Qing decided to add fuel to the fire. “But I know my cultivation is low and my body is broken. Forget the Immortal Venerable’s extraordinary and fierce techniques; I couldn’t even lift a saber right now.”
Shi Qing looked ashamed. “The Immortal Venerable is kind and generous and surely won’t mind my useless body, but I truly…” He adopted a look of cowardly fear. “I truly cannot endure the hardships of cultivation anymore!”
With that, he began to weep. “I have encountered disaster several times. I am truly afraid. Now I only want to stay at the Qingyun Sect and do odd jobs. I only ask that the sect doesn’t abandon me; I’m willing to shovel manure or chop wood!”
Gu Yan’s face was already displeased, but hearing about not being able to endure hardships made it worse. By the time Shi Qing mentioned shoveling manure, it was as black as could be.
“Then why are you participating in the Grand Competition?” Gu Yan stared at him, seemingly trying to see into his soul, as he asked in a deep voice.
“The competition is for sparring and doesn’t involve risk to life. And,” Shi Qing gave a foolish grin, “I heard the Qingyun Secret Realm has many spiritual herbs, and any herbs found belong to the disciple. I just wanted to go and see, to gain some experience, hehe.”
He looked both cowardly and lazy, as well as greedy and foolish.
The disgust on Gu Yan’s face deepened. He likely wouldn’t take this disciple after all.
Sect Leader Bai Ye, who was good at reading the room, quickly changed the subject. “By the way, weren’t we speaking of a sneak attack? Did any of you see who it was?”
“No.” All three shook their heads.
Sect Leader Bai Ye asked a few more questions, saying he would investigate the people present, then waved them away.
“Immortal Venerable Ciyou, I will lead you back to Qingxiu Peak first. As the overseer for this competition, I will report the detailed arrangements of the Qingyun Sect to you tonight.”
Xie Ciyou followed him away. Before turning, his gaze seemingly inadvertently swept over the retreating figure walking away with Xia Chan.
“You were with them just now. Did that person act strangely?” Gu Yan asked.
Everyone else had left, leaving only Chen Ji by Gu Yan’s side. Hearing this, Chen Ji pondered for a moment. “I was sparring with Xia Chan and didn’t notice. But the attacker was clearly aiming for him. The sword qi was suppressed in cultivation level, showing nothing special. It was at the Golden Core level; the area was too crowded to find the culprit. If it weren’t for his low cultivation and unstable Core, he wouldn’t have fled so miserably.”
“It seems his cultivation truly was piled up by spiritual pills. To think such a waste obtained his inheritance.” Gu Yan flicked his sleeves and put his hands behind his back. “He returned with Xie Ciyou today. How is their relationship?”
“He rode in the same carriage as Immortal Venerable Ciyou, but they got out one after the other and did not speak. The Immortal Venerable’s attitude was also quite cold.”
“Xie Ciyou let him ride with him?” Gu Yan looked thoughtful. “Keep an eye on him. See who he associates with, and while you’re at it, see who intends to harm him.”
With Xia Chan’s help, Shi Qing returned to Jiang Xue, who was waiting at the original spot. Jiang Xue was surprised. “You were fine when you left; why are you so weak now?”
Shi Qing shook his head. “I’m going back to rest. Let’s save the welcome feast for next time.”
Shi Qing was taken back to his room on Medicine Peak by Xia Chan. Elder Baiyun arrived shortly after; Gu Yan must have messaged him.
Elder Baiyun stroked his beard, his hand on Shi Qing’s wrist as he investigated.
Shi Qing wasn’t afraid of him finding anything. Because the ingredients of the Life-Giving Creation Pill were so extraordinary, he was the only person in the world who had ever taken it, thirty-two years ago.
At that time, he had taken it alone with no one else present. Later, he had expanded his own meridians. No one knew what happened after taking it, and no one would imagine that a weak “waste” like him could take such a celestial pill.
“Hmm…” Elder Baiyun stroked his beard with curiosity. “The meridians are damaged. Does it not hurt when you circulate spiritual energy?”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
It only hurt when Xie Ciyou helped him expand them; it didn’t hurt during regular circulation.
“Strange,” Elder Baiyun murmured.
“Is that strange?” Shi Qing had never thought about why it didn’t hurt. In his past life, he had been ruthless with himself, gritting his teeth to forcibly expand his meridians, which caused him to faint several times. Later, when the meridians began to recover, he had tried circulating energy, and it had indeed hurt.
It didn’t happen this time. Could it be that Xie Ciyou had done something?
“Yes. Logically, if the meridians are damaged, not only will there be energy leakage making cultivation difficult, but circulating spiritual power should also stimulate the damaged areas and cause pain. Could it be that the Morning Mist Pavilion’s medicine also has the effect of numbing pain?”
Xia Chan looked away and didn’t join the conversation. Elder Baiyun assumed this was a secret medicine of the Morning Mist Pavilion that couldn’t be discussed. After all, the Pavilion was mysterious, and it was normal for them to have medicines he didn’t know about, so he suppressed his curiosity and didn’t probe further.
After seeing Elder Baiyun out, Xia Chan stayed in the room.
“It’s a good thing the Pavilion Master sent me a voice transmission just now to help you out,” Xia Chan said.
“Your Pavilion Master told you to say that?”
“Yes! I was so worried seeing you in such pain. Immortal Venerable Zhanyue truly doesn’t know how to ‘show tenderness to the fair sex’.” Xia Chan said with dissatisfaction.
“Xia Chan,” Shi Qing said helplessly, “that’s not how you use that idiom.”
“I don’t care. Anyway, it’s our Pavilion Master who is worried about you. He told me to keep a good watch on you tonight and not leave your side for a single step.”
Shi Qing wanted to say there was no need for such a fuss, but as the words reached his lips, he realized something. “Is he not coming tonight?”
“Oh, did you two have an appointment for a ‘private meeting’ tonight? No wonder he said he had matters to attend to and might be unable to get away,” Xia Chan said earnestly as he remembered.
“Xia Chan.”
“Yes?”
“Private meeting…” It didn’t seem entirely wrong, so Shi Qing could only ask, “Who taught you your education?”
“Ah? I was eight when I entered the Pavilion. I was illiterate before that,” Xia Chan scratched his head sheepishly. “There was a lot of turmoil in the Pavilion then. They only had me memorize mental techniques every day and didn’t have time to teach me. I only learned to read and write after the Pavilion Master ended his seclusion and ordered Zhong Ling to teach me. He also says I always misuse words.”
He gave an embarrassed laugh.
Shi Qing asked curiously, “Turmoil in the Morning Mist Pavilion? When did you enter?”
“I was brought in the year the war between immortals and demons ended. Zhong Ling said the old Pavilion Master retired that year and Pavilion Master Ciyou took over, but he was in seclusion for a long time due to heavy injuries.”
The year the war ended. At that time, when the seal on the passage was falling and he entered the Abyss alone, Xie Ciyou had been fine. What had happened afterward to cause such turmoil in the Morning Mist Pavilion?