The Cottage of Quiet Contemplation

The Cottage of Quiet Contemplation

The tragedy that had unfolded in the Black and White Divine Palace that day shook the entire sect.

Li Baidao had died a gruesome death, and the Inspection Hall had been ambushed and badly damaged. The whole sect was shaken. That evening, even worse news arrived: Inspection Hall steward Luo Qiuzhen had been ambushed and succumbed to his injuries.

Compared with that string of disasters, Ning Ye's encounter at the market was just a minor incident, not worth mentioning.

When he heard that Luo Qiuzhen was dead, Ning Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With that rival gone, he could put his plan to steal the Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment into action.

Early the next morning, Ning Ye went to see Xu Yanwen, and the two headed together for the palace complex on Tianxiu Peak.

Xu Yanwen was so excited to see Chi Wanning that he didn't even notice Ning Ye was injured. Ning Ye couldn't help thinking that the arrangements he'd made the day before had been a bit of a waste. But that was how things went: not everything you did was bound to pay off. From the perspective of staying safe, in fact, it was better not to be noticed.

The Cottage of Quiet Contemplation was in Green Wood Hall. After handing over their access tokens, they entered the hall. The instant he stepped through the gate, Ning Ye sensed movement within him.

Just as he'd thought!

Ning Ye was delighted.

The Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment was close by.

Though it was still some distance away, and the feeling was vague, Ning Ye could tell roughly where it was. He had no choice but to follow the maid. As they went along, the sensation grew weaker and weaker.

Ning Ye knew the fragment had to be in the opposite direction.

He kept his face still and strolled along as though casually, all the while feeling around here and there.

The maid ahead glanced back. "Please don't touch things at random, guest. Some places have mechanisms and formations. It would be troublesome if you accidentally set one off."

"I was careless." Ning Ye withdrew his hand and smiled apologetically.

Of course he knew formations had been laid all over the place. His seemingly casual movements were precisely a search for an opening.

Even the finest formation could be breached from within, and Green Wood Hall was a residence for cultivators. Any mechanisms that were easy to trigger would surely not be placed where people came and went.

As he apologized and walked on, a pebble quietly slipped from his sleeve, rolled into the ground beside them, and disappeared.

The Cottage of Quiet Contemplation stood on the eastern side of Green Wood Hall. They passed through a winding corridor, skirted a clear pool and a narrow stream, and reached a place filled with birdsong and blossoms. They entered a small, three-courtyard residence with red brick walls and green tiles. An apricot tree grew in the courtyard.

Chi Wanning was beneath the tree.

Several people were with her. One wore purple robes and a tall crown, with two ribbons hanging down from either side. He was handsome and refined. At that moment, his fingers rested on the Burnt-Tail Night-Light Zither, coaxing music from its strings. As the immortal melody rang out, apricot blossoms drifted down from above. They danced in time with the tune, twirling in midair without ever landing.

The people around him shook their heads and swayed as though entranced by the music. Yet somehow, it all looked more like they were putting on airs.

The Black and White Divine Palace had suffered a major calamity just the day before, but the people beneath the tree seemed entirely untouched by it. Cultivators were masters of minding their own business and keeping out of trouble. Those invited to Fairy Niaohua's banquet were especially distinguished, and didn't take yesterday's events seriously at all.

As for the man playing the zither, there was no doubt he was Zither Scholar Yang Ziqiu.

Seeing Yang Ziqiu there, Xu Yanwen clearly paused in surprise. Then he laughed heartily and went over. "So Senior Brother Yang is here too. It's been a long time!"

Yang Ziqiu's fingers never stopped moving on the strings. He murmured, "Wan Ning is hosting a banquet today and has invited all her friends. I knew you'd be coming today, Brother Xu."

The music flowed on, but it couldn't drown out his words. His tone was gentle, yet it couldn't disguise the sharp provocation beneath them.

He was plainly saying: there are things you don't know that I do; in the end, Wan Ning and I are closer than you are.

Xu Yanwen seethed and was about to retort, but Chi Wanning spoke first. "Enough. Today's banquet is nothing special, just a gathering of a few friends in our spare time. We can chat about anything, from poetry and romance to the past and present, or even the Dao and the path to immortality."

As she spoke, she invited the two men to sit. The song ended just then, and everyone finally noticed Ning Ye. They were all startled, unable to understand why Chi Wanning had invited someone so ugly to the banquet.

Ning Ye knew a thing or two about the habits of immortals.

Cultivators spent their days meditating and training in combat arts. With nothing to do in their spare time—and no trade to occupy them—they often held banquets and gatherings.

Lower-ranked disciples mostly focused on arduous cultivation and rarely met up. Those who could truly sit around drinking tea in their spare time had generally already achieved some success in cultivation.

People like Chi Wanning and Yang Ziqiu were born geniuses. They learned everything quickly, even the airs and graces of the upper echelons. They often held gatherings every so often.

Today it was Fairy Niaohua's banquet; tomorrow, perhaps, it would be Lady Heartbreak's; the day after that, some scholar, young lord, or prodigy might host one...

Once everyone was seated, Chi Wanning said, "I haven't introduced everyone yet. This is Ning Ye, the newest disciple of the Seven Kill Heavenly Blade."

Hearing he was a disciple of the Seven Kill Heavenly Blade, Yang Ziqiu and another man, who had a broad brow, a high-bridged nose, and a cold expression, said nothing. The other three, however, all nodded to Ning Ye.

From their reactions alone, Ning Ye could already tell where each of them stood.

Sure enough, Chi Wanning introduced them to Ning Ye. "Ice Soul Yang Pole Hand Zhong Rihan, Zither Scholar Yang Ziqiu, Wuchangzi Ye Tianshang, Indeterminate Wheel Si Yuetang, and Wuzi Buluo Rong Cheng."

So it was them.

As expected, none of the people invited to Chi Wanning's banquet were ordinary.

Ice Soul Yang Pole Hand Zhong Rihan was a disciple of one of the Black and White Divine Palace's Grand Elders. The palace's three Grand Elders were senior figures whose status surpassed even the sect leader's. They had not taken on disciples for centuries. Zhong Rihan's being an exception showed just how peerless a genius he was. No wonder Chi Wanning had introduced him first.

Among the Black and White Divine Palace's disciples, Zhong Rihan could be called the number-one genius. It was a pity he had such a terrible appearance. Ning Ye had been disfigured, but on closer inspection his features were still regular. Zhong Rihan, on the other hand, had truly been born ugly. He could have bleached his skin eighteen times over and it still wouldn't have helped.

Yang Ziqiu was a disciple of the Thousand Hands Ancestor. His status was on a par with Xu Yanwen's, but most importantly, he had joined the sect earlier and was also more powerful.

The other three were equally renowned.

Wuchangzi Ye Tianshang was a disciple of Ghost Fire Divine Lord, who cultivated the ghost path and had made himself half-man, half-ghost. Ye Tianshang was much the same, with a livid face and only fangs missing. Indeterminate Wheel Si Yuetang was a disciple of Reincarnation True Lord. He cultivated the Indeterminate Wheel technique; the fact that he could use its name as his title showed how deeply Reincarnation True Lord favored him. Wuzi Buluo Rong Cheng had an even more distinguished background: he was a disciple of East Chess Envoy, one of the Four Directions Chess Envoys. By rights, his status should have surpassed Yang Ziqiu's. Unfortunately, he had once committed a grave mistake and been expelled from East Chess Envoy's tutelage. He was no longer his disciple, yet, strangely, had still been allowed to remain in the Black and White Divine Palace. Thus, despite having come from a renowned school, he was still only an outer sect disciple—a peculiar situation. But this outer sect disciple was far more powerful than many inner sect disciples, even direct disciples. It was no wonder he was qualified to sit here.

Since all three had the character "Wu" in their titles, they were known as the Three Wus of the Divine Palace. Their shared moniker had brought them together as friends.

By comparison, Ning Ye was only a disciple of the Seven Kill Heavenly Blade who hadn't even finished his probationary period. His status was pitifully low.

Sure enough, Zhong Rihan said, "What's so special about this fellow that he caught Fairy Chi's eye?"

He might not have meant to bully anyone. A man of his status could summon countless people with a single glance; he had no need to pick on anyone in particular. But for the same reason, he said whatever came to mind, with no need for tact or restraint.

A disciple of the Seven Kill Heavenly Blade might not even be qualified to sit here.

Chi Wanning smiled before she spoke. Her gaze was gentle, and every slight change in her expression was captivating. She charmed everyone first, then said softly, "The last time I met Junior Brother Ning, we had a long talk about the broader state of the Immortal Sect. I found him insightful, with a mind full of grand ideas, and came to regard him as a kindred spirit. That's why I invited him today."

As she spoke, she recounted what Ning Ye had said the last time they met.

After hearing Chi Wanning's explanation, Zhong Rihan lowered his eyes in thought, but Yang Ziqiu gave a cold laugh. "All empty talk, without a shred of substance. He's nothing but a show-off."

Ning Ye had come with Xu Yanwen, so Yang Ziqiu instinctively counted him as an enemy.

Xu Yanwen's brows shot up. "Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that even something Wan Ning admired was just empty talk?"

Yang Ziqiu hadn't expected Xu Yanwen to drag Chi Wanning into the argument, and he immediately grew flustered. "Don't twist my words! This man has a hideous face and hasn't even been in the sect a year. What could he possibly know about the broader state of the Immortal Sect?"

Chi Wanning gave a soft cough. "Ziqiu, don't judge people by their appearance."

Yang Ziqiu paused, then stole a glance at Zhong Rihan.

Zhong Rihan snorted.

Yang Ziqiu knew that glance had angered Zhong Rihan. The man might be ugly, but that didn't mean he was willing to admit it. More importantly, he was strong and high-ranking; Yang Ziqiu was no match for him, so he could only lower his head, sullenly.

The others had already begun chatting merrily with Chi Wanning, though they spoke of little more than poetry and romance.

Ning Ye's thoughts weren't here. They had drifted back to the western side once more.

To the west, Xuanyu Pavilion.

On the pavilion's arched eaves, a small beast-head ornament suddenly opened its eyes.