It had been six or seven days since everyone had decorated the Cloud Dwelling Courtyard.
May was gradually drawing near.
In three days, registration for the New Student Competition would begin.
But though Chen Qinglin was a new student, he had lost all interest in participating.
Their batch had produced several disciples with outstanding talent, not to mention Xiao Muyu, a genius of exceptional talent.
They were truly the most gifted batch of disciples Qingfeng Mountain had received in the past twenty years.
It was just that they had never appeared in front of everyone.
Rumor had it that if Mo Yunhua of Green Lotus Peak hadn't snapped her up first, the Sect Master had also intended to take her as a disciple.
But that was all just rumor from who knew where. The one who was truly upset was Xie Jingyun's master, Meng Yunling.
She had arrived a step too late that day and hadn't gotten to meet Xiao Muyu.
Afterward, whenever she ran into Mo Yunhua, she could barely bring herself to smile.
In the past six months or so, some disciples who had resources to spare had broken through to the Inner Qi Realm.
But those truly devoted to the martial path—like the five talented disciples Xiao Muyu, Hua Yunqing, Liu Yunsheng, Chu Jingxiong, and Yan Kexing—
were all training their control over their Blood Qi.
They planned to wait until they reached ninety percent or higher before attempting a breakthrough.
Getting ahead for a little while didn't mean much.
As for Chen Qinglin, the first disciple to break through to the Inner Qi Realm, most disciples thought he had been unable to hold back and wanted to show off.
Those so-called geniuses of Qingfeng Mountain didn't think much of him, believing he wasn't worthy of being their opponent.
Only Su Yuexing, Xie Jingyun, and a few others knew Chen Qinglin a little better and understood how formidable this junior brother was.
To Su Yuexing, this junior brother Chen was always like a flower seen through fog, his true form impossible to make out.
He seemed like a wind drifting between heaven and earth, impossible to fathom.
Today, at last, he had more or less satisfied all his senior sisters.
When Chen Qinglin returned to the courtyard, he saw a group seated among the Flower Forest. As soon as he came back, eleven pairs of eyes fixed on him.
That was right—eleven pairs. Chen Qinglin had seen the owner of that extra pair of eyes before.
It was Hua Yunqing, who had entered the sect at the same time as him. She was Xie Jingyun's junior sister, the disciple Meng Yunling had taken in that day.
He hadn't expected her to come along with Xie Jingyun today.
Her eyes were full of curiosity as she looked at him.
The other senior brothers and sisters, meanwhile, looked at him with such reproach that Chen Qinglin jumped, thinking he'd done something terrible to offend them.
"Ahem! Senior brothers and sisters, why are you all staring at me?" Chen Qinglin rubbed his nose, utterly baffled.
"Oh my! Junior Brother Chen, you do remember to come back!" said Senior Sister Chang Yan of Qingzhu Peak, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Wasn't I unnecessary? With all of you here, I figured you'd have things well in hand."
"So it was our fault, then, for not leaving you any room to show off," Su Yuexing chimed in with Chang Yan.
"...Ah! I... that's not it..." Chen Qinglin wiped at his forehead, though there wasn't a bead of sweat there. He still felt drenched in cold sweat.
One remark after another made Chen Qinglin feel as though he had committed some unforgivable crime against all creation.
Seeing their junior brother in such a predicament, Ji Yangchun and Feng Xiaoge immediately brightened up.
But their amusement didn't last long before a few senior sisters spotted them and gave them a thorough scolding...
"Hahaha... Don't give Junior Brother Qinglin such a hard time. At least everything went well in the end." Ling Ling burst out laughing, finding her junior brother's expression hilarious.
"Oh my! We only said a few words to Junior Brother Chen, but you look as if we hit a sore spot."
Shui Qingqian teased Ling Ling.
"Ah! That's what you get for saying that!" Ling Ling flushed crimson and rushed over to cover Shui Qingqian's mouth.
Shen Yutao and the others laughed so hard at the sight that they could barely catch their breath, their figures shaking...
And so the teasing continued...
Ji Yangchun and Feng Xiaoge exchanged a glance, silently declaring that all the hardship they'd endured over the past few days had been worth it.
"Senior Brother is here too. Could you lot please show some restraint?"
Yun Yue watched them helplessly as she spoke.
Only then did the girls disperse and sit properly.
Hua Yunqing looked as though she was about to cry. She hadn't said a word, and somehow everyone had ended up picking on her.
Once everyone stopped teasing him, Chen Qinglin finally went over to discuss the Cloud Dwelling Gathering with his senior brothers and sisters.
Junior Sister Ling Ling often stayed at Qingyun Peak, so Chen Qinglin had given her permission to use the formation in his courtyard.
That way, she could keep the gathering going when Chen Qinglin wasn't at the sect.
They also settled on the twenty-seventh of every month as the day for everyone to meet, drink tea, discuss swordplay, and chat.
On that day, anyone on Qingfeng Mountain would come here of their own accord.
Anyone who wanted to join later would need everyone's consent.
Chen Qinglin added a few words about the nature of the Cloud Dwelling Gathering.
It would be relaxed and free, not rigid or compulsory;
it would be about swordplay and tea, with no division of interests;
it would be equal and harmonious, not a place of strict hierarchy.
Everyone agreed with Chen Qinglin's suggestions.
They also put forward ideas of their own, and the group began to discuss them.
Chen Qinglin and Xie Jingyun discussed the cultivation of sword techniques, while Hua Yunqing listened nearby;
Ling Ling, Shui Qingqian, Su Yuexing, and Shen Yutao gathered together and chatted about what had happened since they came to Qingfeng Mountain;
Ji Yangchun and Feng Xiaoge sparred with their swords, while Yun Yue and Zhu Zhu sampled pastries and commented on their swordsmanship.
The Exotic Flowers and Strange Trees, lavishly watered by everyone with Spirit Stones ground into powder, competed in beauty and fragrance at that moment.
Falling Blossoms filled the air, and flowers bloomed in profusion; even those that remained shut added a touch of green to the dazzling scene.
In this picture, everyone laughed, teased, and chatted to their hearts' content;
their treasured swords were sharp, their sword techniques superb;
they drank tea and talked, living as they pleased;
cups and bowls clinked until no one noticed night falling.
The bright moon rose above the green mountains, while clouds drifted and swelled over Qingyun Peak.
No one minded. If anything, they grew more spirited.
Yun Yue and Shen Yutao played the zither, Ji Yangchun blew his Dongxiao; Feng Xiaoge and Chen Qinglin danced with their Long Swords, while the rest kept the beat or hummed nameless tunes...
Joy and laughter filled the gathering. Moonlight shone down on them, and the stars kept time.
Their teacups were empty, their Delicacies all gone...
Dawn broke, and the eastern sky turned white.
After tidying up together, everyone went home, satisfied, and agreed to meet there again next time.
After everyone left, Chen Qinglin felt a sudden emptiness. So he leaped onto a treetop and fell asleep among the peach blossoms.
(.-ω-)zzz
Over the next few days, gatherings of every size began springing up across Qingfeng Mountain.
But most turned into get-togethers for the sect's various factions, large and small.
The remaining disciples found them boring and disbanded on their own.
In the end, only two or three genuine gatherings remained.
The grand movement that had swept across Qingfeng Mountain on a whim came to an end in a way no one had expected.
Then the New Student Competition arrived, gradually drawing everyone's attention and making them selectively forget all about it.
After sleeping for a whole day, Chen Qinglin felt refreshed and full of vigor.
He returned to his usual cultivation routine, spending each day training.
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