A Brief Respite (1)

After finishing his lesson, Shen Yuxi returned to Spirit Pool Peak.

He left behind a group of disciples staring at one another in bewilderment, their eyes full of confusion and helplessness. Clearly, they had been left completely lost by the lesson and understood nothing at all. When class ended, they instead felt the relief of being reborn.

They gazed pitifully at the elders, silently begging for help. Naturally, the elders knew that the disciples had essentially attended this lesson for nothing.

It was not as though they could not simply cancel the classes originally assigned to Shen Yuxi, or arrange for other senior brothers and sisters with slightly lesser cultivation but more stable teaching styles to teach in his place. But making such a change without any reason would far too easily arouse everyone's suspicions. Shen Yuxi in particular—once doubts took root in his mind, even more trouble might arise. That was precisely the outcome they most needed to avoid.

Thus, upon noticing this thorny situation, True Person Yu Qing frowned slightly, a trace of contemplation flashing through his eyes. Then, without drawing attention to himself, he conveyed a message to the disciples with a look: solve it yourselves.

The disciples all sighed mournfully, as though the mental cultivation classes they had missed over the past several years had been forcibly made up for by their second senior brother. Left with no choice, they could only quietly adjust their mindsets and brace themselves for the coming "trial."

After class, dusk gradually descended. A faint, elusive fragrance drifted from the spirit plants, swaying gently with the evening breeze and flowing along the bluestone path.

Zhou Wen and Li Ming walked side by side, slowly making their way back to their residences as they discussed what had happened in class. Their shadows were drawn long and thin by the setting sun.

Li Ming casually rested both hands behind his head and looked up at clouds burned scarlet by the sunset. Suddenly, he let out a low laugh. "Heh, I really never expected it. Our second senior brother usually seems so steady and composed, but deep down, he's actually such a chatterbox.

"Just look at all the things he said praising eldest senior brother in class today. If they were all compiled into a book, it would probably be even thicker than the scriptures in the Scripture Pavilion. The contrast with how he usually presents himself is just too huge."

Zhou Wen frowned faintly at that. His fingers unconsciously smoothed out wrinkles that did not exist on his sleeve—this little compulsive gesture revealed his inward disagreement.

"Do you truly think those inner thoughts are second senior brother's real face?" he asked softly, his voice carrying a trace of inquiry.

Li Ming turned sideways, recalling the scene from class, his tone certain. "Isn't that the case? Those wildly extravagant praises and unconstrained comparisons couldn't possibly have been faked, right? Who would put on an act even when speaking their own thoughts?"

He looked entirely matter-of-fact, as if the question did not need doubting in the first place.

Zhou Wen stopped walking, his expression turning serious, his gaze earnest. "That isn't what I mean. I merely think that when it comes to knowing someone, the most reliable thing is still what they do."

He paused. Though his voice remained soft, it carried an unshakable firmness. "Inner thoughts are ultimately just fleeting currents of the mind; they cannot be taken as certain. Second senior brother's focus and seriousness when teaching, his guidance for us during the Outer Sect Grand Competition—those tangible actions are what truly show who he is. Even if his thoughts are a little unrestrained, that does no harm to his character."

After hearing that, Li Ming scratched his head. After pondering for a while, he seemed to have been awakened by Zhou Wen's words. He heavily slapped Zhou Wen on the shoulder and said loudly, "You're right! What a person mutters in their heart is their own business. What matters is whether they can be relied upon when it counts!"

The corners of Zhou Wen's lips lifted slightly as he quietly shifted half a step aside—Li Ming's slap had been too heavy and had knocked his neat collar crooked.

As he methodically straightened his robes, he said earnestly, "No matter how others judge him, in my heart, second senior brother will always be someone worthy of my admiration."

"Speaking of which, I really didn't expect second senior brother to admire eldest senior brother so much," Li Ming remarked, a hint of curiosity unconsciously appearing in his eyes.

"Eldest senior brother has always been outstanding, exceptional both in cultivation and in how he conducts himself. It is only natural for second senior brother to look up to him."

Zhou Wen chuckled, his fingers still carefully arranging his collar. "Come to think of it... eldest senior brother was probably the one who heard second senior brother's inner thoughts most clearly."

"Ha ha ha!" Li Ming suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter. "Did you see eldest senior brother's expression then? His face was fairly calm, but his ears were red clear through! It felt like eldest senior brother wanted nothing more than to dig a hole on the spot and bury himself in it!

Zhou Wen laughed along with him and asked, "If it were you, wouldn't you feel embarrassed too?"

"Me?" Li Ming immediately straightened his back, his face full of pride. "I'd definitely be overjoyed. I'd even turn around and praise second senior brother to the heavens."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Zhou Wen teased, "Then perhaps second senior brother would be the one blushing."

"Right? That's what I think too!"

The two exchanged smiles, startling several spirit sparrows resting by the roadside into flight. Dusk deepened, and lights lit up one after another in the disciples' quarters, gently blending their shadows together.

Chu Shihan truly could not calm his turbulent emotions. He wished he could immediately enter secluded cultivation and not emerge until he could steadily handle his second junior brother's fanatical declarations. Yet at this moment, the one more troubled was True Person Yu Qing.

Originally, suddenly learning that his eldest disciple, Chu Shihan, was Heavenly Dao's Son should have been a tremendous piece of joyous news, something worth celebrating extravagantly. After all, Shen Yuxi's strange and unfathomable predictions had never been wrong so far. After verification time and time again, the elders had come to believe seven or eight parts out of ten in his prophecies.

Moreover, True Person Yu Qing knew very well that all the strange happenings surrounding his beloved disciple Shen Yuxi were inextricably linked to the magical treasure, the Heaven-Peeking Treasure. For that very reason, he trusted Shen Yuxi's words even more deeply, treating them almost as a settled conclusion.

Yet before he could savor that joy in his heart, another headache-inducing problem came crashing in after it like surging waves.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not have imagined that Shen Yuxi, the disciple he had always doted upon, had already given his heart to someone—and that person was none other than the sect's eldest disciple, Chu Shihan.

He weighed the matter over and over in his heart, trapped in deep indecision. He truly could not decide whether he ought to bless this unusual and troublesome relationship.

Though he was conflicted over Shen Yuxi and Chu Shihan's relationship, the fact that the sect's eldest disciple possessed extraordinary fortune was indeed cause for celebration for the entire Profound Heaven Sect. When the elders learned the news, none could conceal their smiles, as though they had already seen an even more glorious future for the Profound Heaven Sect.

As the elders listened to Shen Yuxi's inner voice, their emotions rose and fell involuntarily with those utterly outrageous remarks. At times they were so astonished their eyes went wide; at others, they could not suppress their laughter. Yet just as everyone's emotions churned like rolling waves, True Person Yu Qing noticed something unusual about True Person Yulan, the seventh elder.

Faced with Shen Yuxi's inner thoughts, which were so outrageous and packed with shocking revelations this time, True Person Yulan's emotional changes were not obvious. Even the entire process of his shifting emotions seemed stiff and unnatural, clearly half a beat slower than everyone else's.

True Person Yu Qing's heart abruptly skipped a beat, and he immediately became wary.

On the surface, his expression remained perfectly normal as he chatted and laughed with the other elders in a harmonious atmosphere. Yet in truth, his gaze swept toward the seventh elder from time to time, attempting to catch even the faintest trace of a clue in that slightly unnatural expression.

True Person Yu Qing pondered inwardly: Why was his junior brother acting so abnormally?

From then on, every day Shen Yuxi taught became a thrilling test of mental fortitude for the disciples. And those inner sect disciples who loved prying into fresh news and craved the first bite of gossip naturally would not miss such excitement. One after another, they joined the listeners under the banner of "wanting to improve."

In order to keep second senior brother from noticing their true intentions, these disciples went to great lengths. They even attended the lessons of the other senior brothers and sisters as well. Though revisiting the basics was not entirely without benefit, concentrating fully on class while also pricking up their ears to catch gossip from Shen Yuxi's chaotic inner voice was truly no small test of their spiritual strength.

Just when everyone in the sect had been worn to exhaustion and left mentally drained by Shen Yuxi's inner voice, which flowed on without end like the surging Yangtze River, a piece of news exploded among the disciples like a thunderclap suddenly bursting in spring—fifth senior brother was returning!

The news was like a ray of dawn piercing the darkness, making everyone feel as though they had found a savior in an instant.

After all, listening to Shen Yuxi's inner voice was indeed much of the time like being in hell. Those unrestrained thoughts, rushing forth without the slightest concealment, came down like a tide covering heaven and earth, leaving people with no time to respond and no way to withstand them.

Yet the occasional explosive revelation that surfaced in those inner thoughts was like tempting honey, radiating an irresistible allure. How could anyone not be delighted by it?

Thus, the disciples endured the torment while also enjoying those occasional "surprises," suffering and rejoicing at once. No matter how miserably they were tossed about, they stubbornly insisted on staying near second senior brother, all to catch even more jaw-dropping, earth-shaking revelations.

But now, the situation was entirely different. Fifth senior brother was returning!

What sort of person was this fifth senior brother? Allow me to explain in detail—

This fifth senior brother was named Lin Huaixu, the outstanding disciple of the late eighth elder. From a young age, he had indulged himself between gambling dens and flower houses, developing a carefree and romantic temperament. In gambling dens, he was a figure of great renown, skilled in cards, chess, dice, and fortune sticks alike. In flower houses, he was also a rather famous storyteller. With his clever tongue alone, he had captivated countless listeners.

However, what truly made his name known far and wide was his extreme passion for gossip. Within the Profound Heaven Sect, he could be called the "Little Prince of Gossip." From the lofty sect elders above to the big yellow dog silently guarding the gate below, there was no gossip about them that Lin Huaixu could not uncover.

At the same time, anything he learned would grow wings within half a day and spread through every corner of the sect, from the towering main peak to the remote side chambers, leaving nowhere untouched.

For that reason, with him around, the disciples would never miss a single amusing piece of gossip even without deliberately clustering around second senior brother. The disciples even joked that when it came to gossip, fifth senior brother possessed divine powers like a deity; nothing under heaven could escape his eyes and ears. There was nothing he did not know.

At that time, the afterglow of the setting sun coated the entire sect in a soft golden hue. Lin Huaixu was humming a tuneless little melody as he sauntered leisurely back toward the sect. A few blades of grass, picked up from who knew where, still clung to the hem of his moon-white robes, swaying gently with his steps.

At that moment, he was pondering the fresh tidbits he had gathered during this trip outside, thinking of sharing them with his fellow disciples when he returned, when the sect master's familiar voice transmission suddenly sounded by his ear:

"Qingyang, come to the meditation room immediately upon your return."

Lin Huaixu halted, and the folding fan in his hand struck his palm with a snap. He raised his brows slightly and muttered to himself, "Strange. I haven't even entered the mountain gate yet. Why summon me in such a hurry?"

His eyes rolled, then he casually flicked the grass bits from his robes and started up the mountain, still muttering nonstop, "Did they find out about the trouble I caused before?"

Though a trace of doubt flickered through Lin Huaixu's heart, he had always been carefree and easygoing, so he did not take it too seriously. The sect master occasionally summoned him in ordinary times to assign miscellaneous sect affairs, so he simply assumed this time was no different.

Before long, Lin Huaixu arrived at the meditation room. Inside, sandalwood incense curled through the air, its elegant fragrance spreading all around and giving the place a tranquil, peaceful feeling.

Yet after hearing True Person Yu Qing's account, Lin Huaixu's peach blossom eyes widened further and further. Disbelief first appeared on his face, then he let out a snort of laughter and beamed with delight. "I was only gone for a while, and I never expected something so marvelous to happen to second senior brother. What excitement—"

As he laughed, he slapped his thigh. Before he could finish, True Person Yu Qing swept his sleeve, and a streak of golden light sank into Lin Huaixu's throat.

"Silencing Spell. I strengthened its effect. Do not act recklessly."

True Person Yu Qing understood Lin Huaixu's gossip-loving nature all too well. He truly could not rest easy, afraid that Lin Huaixu would spread Shen Yuxi's affairs throughout the world and create a host of needless trouble.

Lin Huaixu touched his throat and blinked, a crafty gleam flashing through his eyes. Suddenly, he revealed a wicked grin and whispered breathily, "Sect Master~ Then it's fine if I tell the spirit cranes at the mountain gate, right?"

He looked exactly like a mischievous child, knowing full well that something could not be done yet insisting on testing the waters.

"Qingyang!" True Person Yu Qing made as if to knock him on the head, his face full of helpless exasperation.

Lin Huaixu nimbly jumped away, the smile still on his face. He hurriedly cupped his hands in salute and put on an earnest expression. "This disciple knows his mistake! I guarantee I'll keep my mouth shut!"

With that, he darted outside like a cheerful little deer, utterly unconcerned that a spell had just been cast on him to his face.

I can't tell outsiders, but surely I can chat with my own junior brothers... Lin Huaixu schemed inwardly. Now that he knew there was excitement to see, how could he possibly miss it? Without another word, he lifted his foot and hurried toward Spirit Medicine Peak.

The moment Lin Huaixu left, True Person Yu Qing watched his retreating figure and suddenly felt his temples throbbing. An inexplicable unease surged into his heart, leaving him unable to settle.

He knew Lin Huaixu's temperament too well. For the sake of preventing his beloved disciple's inner voice from leaking out, he had specially improved the Silencing Spell so that it would only affect outsiders to the sect and Shen Yuxi himself, and he had even strengthened its silencing effect. But Qingyang had always been exceptionally clever and full of crafty ideas; there was no guarantee he would not find a loophole.

"No, I need to keep an eye on him." With that thought, True Person Yu Qing pondered briefly, swept his sleeve to put away the tea set, and gradually faded from sight as though merging into the air. In the end, he decided to secretly follow behind Lin Huaixu, just in case, to ensure matters would not spiral out of control and become beyond saving.

Meanwhile, Lin Huaixu had already skipped his way to the mountainside. He was in no hurry, asking about all the recent gossip in the sect as he walked. When he passed the foot of Spirit Martial Peak, he even gave a mysterious smile to some passing outer sect disciples, frightening them into quickening their pace and hurrying away.

Stroking his chin, he calculated, Should I go find second senior brother first, or tease eldest senior brother first? Ah, what a sweet dilemma~