Sister Disciple on the Mountain, Junior Sister Below the Mountain

The Book Immortal Peak is crisp and refreshing, with pine trees rustling like the sea and clouds swirling around the mountain path.

Walking along the mountain path of Book Immortal Peak, it seems as if you can hear mysterious Buddhist chants with every step you take.

Fairy Lu had rosy lips and a fair complexion. She wore a white dress with gold trim and a gold crown adorned with tassels on her forehead, making her look noble and unapproachable.

She walked ahead with a brisk pace, leaving behind a lingering fragrance that seemed to carry the elegant scent of ink. It was a pity that this refined Fairy, known for her gentleness, remained silent as she faced You Su.

You Su didn't want to make a fool of himself. He remembered that when he defeated Shi Yan last time, it was this Fairy Lu who came to stop him. So he followed closely behind the Fairy without saying a word.

Soon, Fairy Lu led him to their destination, an elegantly laid-out little academy with the three beautiful characters "Bamboo Shadow Residence" prominently displayed above the gate.

Bamboo Shadow Residence is surrounded by a dense bamboo forest, where the bamboo leaves rustle in the breeze. Whenever sunlight filters through the sparse bamboo leaves, dappled light and shadow dance on the ground, adding a touch of mystery and tranquility to the academy, hence the name Bamboo Shadow Residence.

What makes it even more famous is not its tranquil environment, but rather that it was the villa used by the renowned Fairy Lu for her studies and teaching.

Fairy Lu is a steward of the Book Immortal Peak, a rank higher than Gu Yao, an outer sect steward, and second only to the junior elders. Coupled with her beauty and high talent, her classes are even more sought after than some junior elders'. In particular, her insistence on quality over quantity in teaching makes her chosen students extremely proud, and many Xuanxiao Sect disciples use visiting Bamboo Shadow Residence as a source of pride.

At this moment, she stopped in front of the Bamboo Shadow Residence, quietly turned around, her jade-like face stern:

"Did you deliberately create this momentum to force Book Immortal Peak to let you up the mountain?" Fairy Lu asked bluntly.

You Su frowned, sensing that Fairy Lu harbored great malice towards him, or rather, towards Lotus Peak.

"You Su had no such intention. If I could, I wouldn't even want them to know I came here to take the postgraduate entrance exam."

The noble female cultivator clearly didn't believe it. "Regardless, you've achieved your goal. Actually, all the elders and deacons of Book Immortal Book Immortal Peak are working together to compile a new law today, and no one has time to proctor the exam. If it were someone else taking the exam, they would just say so directly, but it was you. In order to prevent those with ulterior motives from thinking that Book Immortal Peak lacks tolerance, I still made time to leave. I hope you won't waste my time."

"May I ask, Fairy Lu... is there some grudge between Book Immortal Peak and Lotus Peak?"

You Su didn't understand why, if no one at Book Immortal Peak was available, they would force himself to be their examiner.

"Are you asking this on purpose?" Fairy Lu's voice was icy.

"I wouldn't dare."

Fairy Lu stared at You Su for a few moments, then deftly turned around and said coldly, "Come in."

She could tell that You Su was genuinely unaware of that past event, but she didn't want to waste her breath explaining to You Su.

She had admired Book Immortal Peak since she was a child, but when she was ten years old, that woman cut the most majestic mountain of the Xuanxiao Sect in two with her sword. Ironically, that woman, who acted so roughly, was favored by the sect leader at the time True Lord Yujing, and was exceptionally made the Thirteenth Elder of the Xuanxiao Sect.

True Lord Yujing paid a heavy price to appease Book Immortal Peak, and beautified the half of the mountain that had been brutally cut off as a voluntary gift to Way of the Sword, which became a popular story. Therefore, the truth of the matter was only known to some senior elders and some disciples of Book Immortal Peak.

As someone who experienced it firsthand, Fairy Lu naturally disliked Lotus Sword Venerable, and consequently, she came to loathe the entire Lotus Peak. Even though the Tenth Elder had already hinted to her that True Lord Yujing's true purpose was not to recruit the Thirteenth Elder, but to curb the dominance of Book Immortal Peak.

"Sit."

Fairy Lu sat cross-legged on the seat of honor, her white dress forming an elegant circle on the wooden board.

You Su did as instructed and waited patiently for the study and exam to begin.

"Did you write 'On the Love of Lotus'?" Fairy Lu suddenly asked.

In calligraphy, she specializes in prose. Everyone asks her for her opinion on this passage, but the only reason she refuses to comment is because the author is from Lotus Peak.

You Su honestly shook his head, "Non-Self written by me, but by a scholar surnamed Zhou from the mortal world."

Fairy Lu was first taken aback, then frowned and said, "If it wasn't written by you, why would you deceive the world and steal someone else's name?"

"Non-Self my wish. If possible, I would like to ask Book Immortal Peak to clarify the true name of this Mr. Zhou Dunyi. You Su is merely a propagator of his teachings." You Su was very frank.

Fairy Lu hadn't expected You Su be so sincere, which made her lose even the thought of continuing to press the matter.

However, she was most skilled at prose, and of course she knew all the prose writers, both in the celestial realm and the mortal world, but she couldn't recall any great writer named Zhou Dunyi no matter how hard she tried.

He was probably some frustrated and unsuccessful wandering scholar, casually expressing his feelings, which were overheard by this blind man.

"If this article wasn't written by you, what gives you the confidence to participate in the study exam? Let me make this clear: the study exam is not a game. The failures will be announced, and if the score is too low, it will be considered as deliberately disrupting the order of Book Immortal Peak and you will be punished." Fairy Lu stared into You Su's eyes and added, "The standards for the exam will not be lowered just because you are blind."

You Su, however, was not intimidated at all, remaining calm and composed. In the past three days, he had been studying and researching exam-related content in his spare time between cultivation. He already had an excellent memory, and with the influence of those fragmented memories from his childhood, he had plenty of confidence in himself.

"Fairy Lu, let's begin."

Fairy Lu raised her eyebrows slightly, astonished by the composure of this eighteen-year-old boy. To dare to participate in the study exam at such a young age was something few arrogant young literary talents in the mortal world would be so brave about. Not to mention that even on her Book Immortal Peak, there were very few calligraphy geniuses who took the study exam at such a young age. However, firstly, because the disciples of Book Immortal Peak did not need to teach others, and secondly, because there were other more suitable exams to prove their talents.

"The examination is a test for scholars to prove their qualifications to be teachers. It is divided into five aspects: rites, poetry, literature, history, and natural history. Which aspect do you want to take?"

"Poetry," You Su said decisively.

With a gentle flick of her jade-like hand, Fairy Lu produced a white silk scroll that appeared on the table. As her hand gestures changed, words slowly appeared on the scroll.

"These are questions that were prepared in advance and randomly selected. You cannot see anything, and I will read them to you. Remember, do not let your Divine Sense spread, or you will be severely punished for cheating."

Seeing You Su nod, Fairy Lu glanced at the questions in the exam paper and her expression became noticeably more serious.

None of the questions on this list were easy, which made her question You Su's confidence.

But so be it. She didn't believe these brutes who only knew how to brandish swords could actually pass the advanced examination at such a young age. A young man famous for his swordsmanship who could also teach people to write poetry? She didn't believe such a thing existed. This rather difficult exam paper was proof of the advanced examination's value.

"The exam will last one hour and consist of three questions. If all three answers satisfy me, you will pass. If two answers are satisfactory, the paper will be submitted to other stewards for review before a response is given. If only one answer is satisfactory, or even none at all, you will fail. Understand?"

You Su nodded.

Fairy Lu then rang the ancient bell beside her, signaling the start of the exam.

"Phenomenon, diction, meaning, meter, and rhyme. Rank these five criteria for evaluating poetry and prose in order of importance to you, and explain your reasoning."

"Shao Hua's poems, Eight Immortals' paintings, Zuo Ru's biography, Ming Dynasty immortal history, Qiong Tao's stationery, Hua Ge Jing, Bei Mang Fu, the elegant prose of a thousand years, all placed by my mountain window. I write the next line."

"Not seeking glory, a shelf full of books becomes my secluded retreat; finding it hard to associate with worldly affairs, a courtyard of wind and moon accompanies my solitary chanting." Understand the meaning of this couplet and compose a poem that aligns with its sentiments.

The three questions were progressively more difficult than the last.

The first question tests the candidate's understanding of poetry and prose; the second question tests the candidate's familiarity with these famous writers from around the world and their skill in parallelism; and the third question tests the candidate's ability to analyze the topic, refine the meaning, and compose a poem.

What's even more difficult is that you need to provide an answer within one hour.

You Su silently. Unable to see, he simply closed his eyes, completely shutting himself off, and focused intently on his answer.

Time passed slowly, Fairy Lu silently watched the young man, shaking her head slightly.

In her opinion, You Su for most of the hour without answering a single question, so he was clearly not going to pass.

Her only thought now is to make the answer sheet public so that others won't misunderstand that Book Immortal Peak is deliberately making things difficult for You Su.

But at that moment, You Su suddenly opened her eyes, and her clear, unfocused eyes seemed to come alive.

"Fairy Lu, You Su is blind. Could you please give her the answer orally?"

For a moment, Fairy Lu was taken aback. She casually picked up a brush from the brush basket and tossed it onto the table. The brush stood upright on the white silk by itself, as if it would automatically write as soon as You Su spoke.

"Alright," Fairy Lu replied.

"For the first question, my answer is that they are equally important. Some people prioritize rules over meaning, which is the corpse of poetry; others prioritize meaning over rules, which means they have lost the form of poetry..."

You Su recounted her story, Fairy Lu raised an eyebrow in surprise. You Su's answer to the first question wasn't particularly unexpected, but it was still quite good. What truly surprised her was that You Su hadn't expected her to answer all three questions at once.

"The second question: Sunrise over the vast sea, rosy clouds over the western wilderness, snow on the empty plain, clouds hanging high above, the moon in a jade ring, smoke from Penglai, rain from Nanyang, a cosmic wonder, painted on the wall of my study."

Fairy Lu immediately sat up straight. She hadn't expected that You Su would use the magnificent and beautiful scenery of the Five Continents to match the outstanding cultural treasures in the history of the Five Continents. The sentence was smooth and fluent, which was enough to show that You Su's knowledge was not shallow. Especially the last sentence, which made people feel that You Su, this blind man, wanted to take in all the wonders of the Five Continents one day.

"The third question..."

"How is it?" Fairy Lu asked curiously, seeing You Su's hesitation.

You Su hesitated for a moment, then slowly recited. "Do not listen to the sound of rain pattering through the forest, why not chant and stroll leisurely? A bamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than a horse, who's afraid? Let the rain and mist of life take its course."

A chilly spring breeze awakens me from my drunken stupor; a slight cold, yet the slanting sunlight on the mountaintop welcomes me. Looking back at the desolate place I came from, I return, where there is neither wind nor rain, neither sunshine nor gloom.

As soon as the word 'sunny' was uttered, Fairy Lu stood there dumbfounded.

Although You Su responded with a poem, poetry and lyrics are inseparable. You Su perfectly understood the literati's desire to find joy in hardship and seek spiritual sustenance, and even elevated this open-mindedness to such an unprecedented and unparalleled height that Fairy Lu could no longer comment on the poem, feeling ashamed of her own knowledge in its presence.

Even more subtly, Fairy Lu felt that she had grasped something, and even her lower realm of the Feather Transformation stage began to loosen.

"Fairy Lu, I must admit that this poem Non-Self original work either. It was written by a mortal scholar named Su Shi. To my shame, I myself have not written a poem that fits the theme," You Su confessed.

Fairy Lu's gaze swept uncertainly over the handsome young man. She had never heard of the scholar named You Su Shi that You Su mentioned, and at this moment she could not tell whether You Su's words were modesty or the truth.

All that's known is that if this young man had stayed at Book Immortal Peak, he would have become a dazzling new star in the literary world. It's just a pity... he's that woman's disciple. Could it be that she deliberately sent him to humiliate Book Immortal Peak?

Does this poem have a title?

Impressed by the poem, Fairy Lu had no intention of investigating the truth of the young man's words.

"Calming the Tempest," You Su, emphasizing each word.

Fairy Lu suddenly tossed over a jade seal, feeling ashamed of her earlier thoughts. Someone who could comprehend this poem shouldn't do something like deliberately humiliating others.

She seemed to have shed all her haughtiness, and sighed softly:

"You've passed. From this day forward, you are a certified student of Book Immortal Peak, authorized to teach poetry and prose."

You Su deliberately avoided the crowd and returned to Lotus Peak.

However, his name quickly appeared on the stone tablet inscribed on the Book Immortal Peak by those who had taken the postgraduate entrance examination.

This shocked many in the Xuanxiao Sect, yet also seemed perfectly natural. Many female cultivators fantasized about getting close to You Su under the guise of learning poetry, but this had nothing to do with You Su anymore. After all, his only purpose in taking the exam was to make his senior sister happy.

Fortunately, his senior sister returned the day after he was granted study status.

No need to see or communicate; just the sound of the girl's running footsteps is enough to feel her joy and eagerness.

You Su also waved her arms in response to her senior sister's enthusiasm.

"Junior brother!" the girl called out from afar.

"Are you alright, Senior Sister?" You Su asked with concern as soon as they met.

The girl with white hair and blue eyes, whose face was covered by a mask, had not changed at all. Even the Snow Fox Fur around her neck was not stained with a speck of dust. She was still that otherworldly and graceful Fairy.

"I have something to do."

The girl seemed eager to get closer to You Su, but fearing that her junior brother would use that old-fashioned excuse to move aside, she could only cautiously shuffle her feet in place, testing You Su's 'bottom line'.

You Su noticed his senior sister's subtle actions. Unable to accept her overly intimate behavior, he leaned back quietly and asked:

"Is that evil spirit very powerful? Could it have injured my senior sister as well?"

Wangshu said apologetically, "The reason I said I had something to do is because I missed my junior brother very much, so I quickly killed the evil spirit. But the First Elder's task was to capture it alive... so I was criticized by the First Elder."

You Su felt a pang of envy for his senior sister, who could express her feelings so directly. Encouraged by this, he also sincerely said:

"I miss my senior sister too."

"Really?" The girl blinked her bright blue eyes.

You Su smiled nonchalantly, unwilling to get entangled with the girl on the issue of evil spirits, after all, it was not something she wanted to do, especially since she had ruined the mission for her.

"Since I caused Senior Sister's mission to fail, I will use this to apologize to her." You Su took out the seal symbolizing the study at Book Immortal Peak from his Universe Bag. "Senior Sister, now I can teach you openly and honestly, and the Third Elder can no longer say anything."

Wangshu Fairy looked at the red seal with delight, grasped You Su's hand, and said happily:

"Great! I can continue learning the grip technique!"

At the foot of the towering sacred mountain, a young girl in a green dress, travel-worn, wiped the sweat from her brow and gazed expectantly towards a place hidden among the clouds.

She smiled radiantly, completely satisfied, and murmured:

"Senior brother, don't be too surprised to see me..."