“Second place, Ning Jinyu. The Sword Storage Peak Peak Lord wishes to take you as his Personal Disciple. What do you think?”
Ning Jinyu subconsciously looked toward her old master, who nodded at her.
She then glanced at the Peak Lord of Elegant Bamboo Peak. To be honest, she still preferred to go to Elegant Bamboo Peak, but it seemed he hadn’t taken a liking to her.
Well, this was just great. She had just escaped the wolf’s den of Second Senior Brother Pan Zheng on Sword Seeking Peak, only to be thrown into the tiger’s den of Third Senior Brother Zhou Zhetian on Sword Storage Peak.
However, she was his junior sister now, so it should be fine. Besides, he was still laid up in bed.
But there were the other two senior brothers.
First Senior Brother was out on an experiential training trip, and then there was Second Senior Brother, Xiao Jing. She had no idea what kind of person he was.
“Your disciple, Ning Jinyu, pays her respects to Master.”
Zhang Guoyi cheerfully handed her a Palace Gate Key, smiling as he said, “Later, I’ll have your Second Senior Brother come help you move your things. You can go to Sword Storage Peak now and pick a room you like. You don’t have a Sword yet, do you? You can go to the storeroom and pick one out then.”
“Thank you, Master.” Ning Jinyu accepted the key and stepped back into the crowd.
Ming Lu excitedly grabbed her and shook her arm. “Damn, Jinyu, you’re so awesome! Second place! The first place winner is the only Personal Disciple this year, and he’s under the Sect Master himself! The fact that you got second means you’re better than all of us.”
“Does this mean you won’t be coming to class with us anymore?” Qi Mu had hit upon the main point.
Ning Jinyu nodded. “We can’t attend class together anymore, but if you need anything, you can come find me at Sword Storage Peak.”
“Waaah, so sad. Yu’er, you’re leaving us.”
Ming Lu raised a fist. “Zeng Rui Wen, will you die if you don’t act so dramatic? You’re so disgustingly sissy.”
Ning Jinyu looked at the three of them and, after some thought, said, “How about this? Tomorrow, after I’ve packed my things, why don’t you all come to my peak for a meal?”
“Deal!” The three of them exchanged glances and broke into smiles.
One of the perks of being a Personal Disciple was being able to order the Outer Sect Disciples of one’s own peak to run errands. She would no longer have to walk to Elegant Bamboo Peak to get her food; all three meals would be delivered to her.
To put it nicely, Outer Sect Disciples were disciples. To put it bluntly, they were servants, but they could get free food and lodging in the Sect and secretly learn skills.
…
At dusk, Ning Jinyu met her new Second Senior Brother, Xiao Jing. He was tall and handsome, the very picture of a gentle and refined man.
Indeed, comparisons were odious.
“Junior Sister, give me your luggage.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Xiao.” Ning Jinyu hugged her rabbit and followed closely behind Xiao Jing.
His new junior sister was truly beautiful and had a soft, sweet disposition. He had also heard that her skills were quite good.
Xiao Jing was happy to chat with her. “The rabbit you’re raising is just like you, Junior Sister. Very cute.”
“Hehe, I’ve long heard that Senior Brother is as graceful as an orchid and as noble as a jade tree. Seeing you today, it’s certainly true.”
“Hahaha, you little rascal, are you trying to flatter me?”
“And wasn’t Senior Brother doing the same?”
Ning Jinyu fiddled with the rabbit’s ears, making idle conversation.
“I was speaking the truth,” said Xiao Jing.
“Then I was speaking the truth, too.”
She chose a quiet and remote room close to the path leading down the mountain, not next to the other three.
Although Xiao Jing didn’t understand why, he didn’t press the matter. “Junior Sister, when you have time tomorrow, you can come find me. I’ll take you to pick out a suitable Sword.”
“Okay, thank you, Senior Brother. Goodbye, Senior Brother.”
The next day.
Ning Jinyu attended class with the other Personal Disciples.
After class, she had lunch with her three good friends as promised.
Right after seeing them off, she went to find Xiao Jing.
She really needed to find a good Sword, one that was easy to handle and convenient.
Ning Jinyu spent a long time in the Sword Storage Room, but she never felt the kind of connection she had read about in wuxia novels. In the end, she simply chose the one she liked best—the prettiest one.
The body of the blade shimmered with a cyan hue, like glistening water, and the hilt was inlaid with a blue gemstone. It would surely look even better with a sword tassel.
After helping her pick a sword, Xiao Jing walked her back to her room and then left.
It was only then, as she sat in her new room admiring her sword, that Ning Jinyu remembered what she had forgotten.
She had promised “No-Talk” that they wouldn’t see each other for the three days of the competition and would have a meal together afterward. Between treating her friends and picking a sword, she had completely forgotten.
She sat up and looked around, feeling quite guilty. She didn’t have anything good to offer as an apology.
By the time she got to the Kitchen, the Outer Sect Disciples of Elegant Bamboo Peak were already cooking. As expected, “No-Talk” wasn’t there. Now that she was a Personal Disciple, getting a meat dish was as simple as asking for it. She requested a roasted chicken and had it charged to Sword Storage Peak’s account.
She still didn’t know what position “No-Talk” held on his peak.
Ning Jinyu felt her way toward the bamboo forest. Having walked the path several times at night, she was even less afraid during the day.
When she saw the small wooden cabin, she tiptoed over with the wrapped roasted chicken and knocked on the door.
After a long moment, the door opened.
Song Qingyan gestured for her to come in.
Ning Jinyu entered the house with the roasted chicken, closing the door behind her.
The wooden cabin was very clean. There was a bed with a quilt and a pillow, a table with a few stools, and several bamboo carvings on the windowsill.
This cabin didn’t look like it belonged in the Sword Sect. Ning Jinyu played with a bamboo carving and made a bold guess, “No-Talk, don’t tell me you built this cabin yourself?”
“Yes, I did.”
“You’re amazing! And this bamboo carving, it looks just like my little rabbit.”
“The roasted chicken is an apology. Did you go to the Kitchen today?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe, I went to treat my other friends to a meal and forgot about you. That was my fault. You’re not mad, are you?”
The youth ate the roasted chicken elegantly and shook his head.
Ning Jinyu gazed at his beautiful side profile, suddenly remembering what she wanted to ask.
“Oh, right, I still don’t know your name. I’m Ning Jinyu. What about you?”
After finishing the roasted chicken, he slowly said, “Song Qingyan.”
The name sounded so familiar. Ning Jinyu narrowed her eyes, feeling a sense of strangeness.
“Are you an Outer Sect Disciple on your peak? What are you in charge of?”
“Yes. We choose our own chores on the peak. I chose to guard this bamboo forest.”
“I see. You’re so strong, why are you only an Outer Sect Disciple?”
“I don’t have a Spiritual Root.”
“…Okay. I’m sorry.”
Ning Jinyu played with the bamboo rabbit carving, then looked at the youth who had finished eating and asked, “Can you give this to me?”
Song Qingyan nodded.
“Why didn’t you speak before?”
“I didn’t want to.”
Alright, what a simple and blunt reason.
Why did the name Song Qingyan fill her with a trace of worry? Could it be someone from her past memories?
“Qingyan, are you new to the sect this year? Have you met the Saintess, Su Qingyue? She’s the Sect Master’s daughter.”
The youth shook his head, quietly watching the falling leaves outside the window.
He probably wasn’t an important character. Otherwise, how could he not even know Su Qingyue and be living in such miserable conditions?
“Song Qingyan, I haven’t told you yet, but thanks to you, I’m a Personal Disciple now! Come visit me at Sword Storage Peak when you have time, okay?”
“Okay.”