Calm After the Waves (2)

Bamboo Retreat at the summit of Spirit Pool Peak was true to its name in name only.

There was not half a stalk of emerald bamboo in the courtyard. Only a few pear trees had been planted by the cliffside, their bare branches stretching toward the sky, with scarcely even a fallen leaf in sight.

The cold wind had long since swept away the leaves. Taking advantage of the wind, the clouds and mist below the cliff drifted upward and tangled among the pear branches. In the haze, one could almost mistake them for tufts of cloud growing from the boughs, or take that pale white mist for blossoms blooming too early.

Shen Yuxi sat by the window, a wolf-hair brush pinched between his fingertips. Before him lay a yellowed tome, and beside it was a sheet of plain paper. The ink had long been ground, waiting for him to write down his annotations and insights.

Just as the brush tip was about to touch the paper, he suddenly paused. Two familiar fluctuations of spiritual power drifted through the air—one crisp and cold as a frigid spring, belonging to his Ninth Martial Uncle, Yu Xiao True Person; the other heavy as a boulder, belonging to his eldest martial brother, Chu Shihan.

He lifted his eyes and glanced outside the courtyard, but his gaze met only a vast sea of cloud and mist.

Bamboo Retreat had been built at the highest point of the peak, separated from the paths below by layers of mountain rock. Though spiritual perception could catch traces of the two men, the naked eye simply could not pierce through the clouds, mist, and stone to see even the slightest glimpse.

Before long, he withdrew his gaze and focused on setting down his annotations.

At that moment, Yu