Chu Shihan strolled leisurely along the winding mountain path. When he reached a bend and happened to glance up, he saw Shen Yuxi standing alone on the path ahead.
Shen Yuxi gazed up at the bright moon hanging high in the ink-dark sky. Moonlight, like a veil of gauze, drifted softly down and gently wrapped around his entire body, while completely shutting him away from the clamor of the world, creating a quiet realm all his own. His entire person exuded a cold solitude, as though he stood apart from the world.
Chu Shihan's heart stirred faintly, and an inexplicable feeling quietly took root within him.
To be honest, he had not particularly wanted contact with his second junior brother lately. The wild and disorderly thoughts in Shen Yuxi's mind always disturbed Chu Shihan's once-calm state of mind, leaving him eager to avoid Shen Yuxi whenever possible.
Yet Shen Yuxi in this state was truly a rare sight. The madness of recent days had nearly made Chu Shihan forget that his second junior brother ought to be like this: a snow-blossom one could admire from afar, but not approach to play with.
Tonight, however, was different as well. Though Shen Yuxi was close to the image he had always shown others, there seemed to be a little more sorrow and nostalgia in him, making this ice-carved man feel more alive, more human.
Driven by some hidden impulse in his heart, one he could neither name nor explain, Chu Shihan paused slightly before his feet unconsciously quickened. In several strides, he came forward and asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"
Hearing him, Shen Yuxi came back to himself and slowly turned his head. Seeing that it was Chu Shihan, he froze briefly before saying, "The moonlight is fine. It is time to admire the moon."
Though he said so, his eyes seemed somewhat vacant, with not the slightest hint of a smile in their depths. It was as if a faint haze had clouded them over; his gaze was colder than ever before.
Chu Shihan instinctively felt that Shen Yuxi was in a poor mood. Yet he had never been good at comforting others, and for a moment, he hesitated, unsure how to speak.
In the pause of that silence, Shen Yuxi had already turned away and continued looking at the quiet mountain forest beneath the moon.
Moonlight spilled over the forest. Dappled shadows of trees swayed in the wind like a flowing ink-wash painting, yet Shen Yuxi looked listless, his attention clearly not on the beautiful scene.
Looking at Shen Yuxi's profile, Chu Shihan found that sharply defined outline unexpectedly lonely. He unconsciously clenched his fist, pressed his teeth together for a moment, and suddenly had an idea.
"It has been several days since I emerged from seclusion. That day, I promised you, Junior Brother, that I would share my insights from this retreat. But recently, trivial matters have tangled around me, and I have never found the time."
At those words, Shen Yuxi's attention was finally drawn over.
"Today happens to be the right opportunity. I can fulfill that promise." As his voice fell, a clear, crisp shing rang out. The treasured sword at his waist burst from its sheath like a Flood Dragon breaking through water.
The sword's body gleamed with chilling light. Beneath the pure moonlight, soft as water, it resembled a pool of deep, frigid autumn water, radiating a cold, sharp aura that seized the soul.
"Junior Brother, would you like to compare swords and spar?"
Scenes of their past immersion in swordsmanship flashed through Chu Shihan's mind. Back then, both of them had devoted themselves wholly to it, their swords following their hearts. All troubles and stray thoughts would be cast behind them amid the sweep of their sword moves.
How was shifting someone's attention not a good way to comfort them?
Had Lin Mumu been here, she would likely have already reproached Chu Shihan for being utterly unromantic. In such a quiet and somewhat poetic atmosphere, compared to a sword-drawn spar, a tender heart-to-heart talk was clearly more fitting.
Yet at his words, Shen Yuxi's eyes lit up in an instant. In those previously dim eyes, a blazing fighting spirit suddenly flared to life.
Without a second thought, he readily agreed. "Exactly what I wanted! Swords only?"
"Good!" Chu Shihan answered loudly without hesitation.
Shen Yuxi flicked his wrist, and a long sword abruptly appeared in his hand. The blade rang, as if it too sensed its master's surging battle intent and was challenging its opponent.
They each assumed their stances. The night wind swept through, rolling several blades of grass in circles between them and making their robes snap loudly.
"Please."
"Please."
The next moment, sword cries rose sharply, startling roosting birds into flight.
Two figures crossed like phantoms. Sword shadows crisscrossed, weaving into a dazzling yet razor-sharp display of light, like two immortal cranes dancing beneath the moon, graceful in form yet concealing their edge.
Neither used spiritual power. They competed only in swordsmanship.
Chu Shihan's swordsmanship was plain: simple chops, slashes, sweeps, glides, and blocks. Yet great skill appeared artless. Every move contained unmatched, fierce power; his sword momentum surged like a great river, and what looked like a clumsy horizontal slash sealed off every route of retreat.
Where Chu Shihan's sword wind passed, fallen leaves on the ground were swept into it and ground to pieces. Shen Yuxi suddenly leaned backward, his Cold-Iron Sword brushing past the tip of his nose as it parried One-Inch Heart. The sword spines scraped together, scattering strings of sparks.
The instant they passed each other, Shen Yuxi's sword move abruptly changed. From below, he swept upward in the shape of a crescent moon. Sword light poured forth like a spilling Milky Way, striking directly at Chu Shihan's vital points. Before the sword tip arrived, Sword Qi had already stirred ripples across Chu Shihan's robes.
"Good!" Chu Shihan growled. He swiftly drew back his sword, and a string of crisp clang clang clang sounds rang out, every strike precisely blocked. On the final clash, Chu Shihan's force surged suddenly, numbing Shen Yuxi's tiger's mouth and forcing him to retreat to dissipate the force.
Shen Yuxi's swordsmanship followed a nimble, elegant path. In terms of strength, he was far inferior to Chu Shihan.
His footwork abruptly changed. His body moved like a spirit fox darting through the woods, lightly and nimbly evading Chu Shihan's every attack. His sword moves were even more unpredictable—at times like a spring breeze brushing willow branches, gentle and winding; at times like thunder bearing ten thousand tons of force, swift and fierce. One simply could not tell where his next attack would come from.
For a time, the two traded blow after blow, locked in an inseparable battle. Beneath the moonlight, sword flowers flashed and Sword Qi streaked through the air. Every collision of blade against blade sent dazzling sparks flying.
After several exchanges, sweat had already appeared on Chu Shihan's brow, while Shen Yuxi's breathing gradually became hurried. Yet the battle intent in both their eyes only grew stronger, and their sword moves became increasingly fierce.
As the sparring reached its finest point, Chu Shihan's deeper foundation in swordsmanship and richer experience gradually gave him the advantage. He steadily gained the upper hand.
His swordsmanship became increasingly calm and seasoned. Every strike and move was measured perfectly, like a dense net that fit together without a single crack, tightly suppressing Shen Yuxi's sharp offense and leaving him almost no room to catch his breath.
Suddenly, Shen Yuxi took an unorthodox path. The Cold-Iron Sword slid upward along One-Inch Heart's spine like a spirit serpent, cutting toward Chu Shihan's sword-wielding wrist. The angle of the strike was tricky, its speed astonishingly fast, catching one completely off guard.
At that critical moment, Chu Shihan suddenly released his sword. He raised his leg and kicked the hilt fiercely, sending One-Inch Heart into the air, while the heel of his other foot struck the ground as he rapidly retreated.
Shen Yuxi pursued the opening, but Chu Shihan spun on his feet and turned sharply. The pitch-black longsword traced a beautiful arc through the air. As it flipped, Chu Shihan steadily caught it with his left hand and, with a backhand motion, blocked Shen Yuxi's fierce thrust as he changed moves again.
Chu Shihan used his full strength in this frontal clash. The impact made Shen Yuxi's body stall briefly, and his sword momentum could not be withdrawn in time. His heart tightened abruptly as he cried inwardly, Not good.
Opportunity could not be missed. Chu Shihan did not hesitate. His longsword became a streak of black light, closing in on Shen Yuxi in an instant with unstoppable force. It was so fast that the eye could barely follow, leaving almost no time to react.
Shen Yuxi hurriedly dodged, trying to evade the fierce strike, but it was already beyond salvation. With a shing, a lock of dark hair was severed and drifted slowly down, while the sword edge stopped steadily only an inch from his throat, cold light glimmering.
—Severing the Worry Strand.
"Thank you for letting me win."
Shen Yuxi was convinced in his heart. Sheathing his sword, he said sincerely, "Senior Brother's skill is superior. I concede."
Chu Shihan also slowly sheathed his sword, a gratified smile appearing on his face. "Junior Brother, you are too modest. Your swordsmanship has improved greatly these past days. I merely happened to seize a flaw just now. Had that not been the case, the outcome would still have been uncertain."
Hah! The harem king's mouth—ghosts that deceive people. Shen Yuxi thought, but he did not embarrass Chu Shihan. He merely said flatly, "Senior Brother overpraises me."
The two sheathed their treasured swords.
A gentle smile appeared on Chu Shihan's face. Raising a hand, he patted Shen Yuxi's shoulder and said warmly, "It is getting late. Go back and rest early. Today's spar was truly exhilarating."
Shen Yuxi nodded faintly in response. "Thank you, Senior Brother. This junior brother has benefited greatly."
They wished each other good night, then turned and gradually walked farther apart along the winding mountain paths in different directions. The mountain wind brushed softly past, bringing threads of chill.
The trees lining the path were shadowy beneath the moonlight, like silent guards. Now and then, a chirp of insects sounded, only to be instantly swallowed by the endless stillness.
Their footsteps echoed along the mountain path. At first, they could still clearly hear their footsteps mingling together, but as the distance stretched, the sound gradually faded until it could no longer be heard.
Only moonlight remained, quietly spilling over the place where they had just sparred, as though it too were still immersed in that brilliant contest.
The next day, warm sunlight softly filtered through the thin bed curtains and quietly fell upon the young man still lying in bed.
Lin Huaixu's eyes were tightly shut, his brows unconsciously furrowed into the character for "river." The dull ache of a hangover came in waves like the tide.
Usually, the direct disciples were each occupied with their own cultivation. Since their paths of cultivation differed, their residences were also far apart, so they rarely had the chance to gather together.
It had been rare for them to gather last night. They chatted about everything under heaven until the middle of the night, and once their spirits were up, they all raised their cups. Cup after cup passed between them, and before they knew it, everyone had drunk quite a lot.
As the organizer of this gathering, Lin Huaixu had borne the brunt of it. No one knew how many pots he had drained before drinking himself utterly blind drunk.
Now that the sun was already high in the sky, he still felt muddled and dizzy, as if heaven and earth were spinning. His entire body was limp, and even lifting a finger took effort, much less getting up.
Wen Jian had always been an extremely self-disciplined person. Seeing Lin Huaixu drink without restraint and refuse to listen no matter how he was persuaded, he grew secretly annoyed. He was a petty man by nature, so in a fit of pique, he deliberately refused to offer any hangover remedy, intent on making this greedy drinker suffer a little.
As for the other senior and junior brothers, most had some sense of restraint. Those with good tolerance naturally did not fear drinking too much; cup after cup, their expressions unchanged, they laughed and chatted freely. Those with poor tolerance also knew when to stop, tasting only lightly before setting their cups aside.
Only Lin Huaixu had middling tolerance. After three cups, his eyes were hazy, his ears hot, and his face flushed red. Yet he was obsessed with drinking. Whenever he raised his cup, he displayed an air of boldness, putting on the manner of a gallant hero, though in truth he was terrible at drinking and loved it all the same.
Lin Mumu, meanwhile, had been wandering beyond the clouds. She had been thinking about how her fated person was still an egg and had paid no attention at all to how much wine she drank. By the time she realized it, she was already drunk senseless and had collapsed face-first onto the table, unconscious.
When True Person Yulan learned of this, his nose nearly twisted crooked with anger. Angry yet helpless, he could only stare at his two drunken disciples and sigh again and again.
There was no need to mention Lin Mumu. She was a girl to begin with, and his only direct disciple, whom he had doted on since childhood. He was unwilling even to say two harsh words to her.
As for Lin Huaixu, he had been the disciple of the late Eighth Elder. After the Eighth Elder passed away, True Person Yulan believed it was his own responsibility and felt guilty, so he took Lin Huaixu under his wing to raise and teach him. Toward Lin Huaixu, he could neither bear to hit nor scold him. He truly had no way to handle him.
The youngest junior sister was young and rarely had chances to drink. Seeing everyone drinking so merrily last night, her heart itched, and she developed the thought of secretly trying a little.
While no one was paying attention, she carefully lifted a wine cup and took a small sip. The wine's spicy burn instantly stabbed her throat like fire. The youngest junior sister was immediately choked to tears and could not help coughing violently.
That fit of coughing naturally exposed her little stunt. Zhou Wan had sharp eyes and noticed at once. After that, she kept a close watch on the youngest junior sister and would not let her touch another cup. Because of that, the youngest junior sister escaped disaster and did not become dead drunk like the others. The next day, she could still be as lively and energetic as usual.
At the Profound Heaven Sect, there was no explicit ban on disciples drinking. After all, moderate drinking to relax during leisure time was not unacceptable.
However, this time the direct disciples had actually taken the lead in drinking themselves into a blind stupor. The impact of such conduct was truly terrible, and all the disciples received more or less a scolding.
True Person Yu Qing had originally planned to strike while the iron was hot and summon Lin Huaixu to discuss the matter of sounding him out in detail.
After all, Lin Huaixu had always been a clever little fox, full of crafty ideas and twists and turns. He could always think of unusual tricks when facing thorny problems, and his relationship with Shen Yuxi was fairly close in ordinary times.
Regarding this matter, True Person Yu Qing was certain that Lin Huaixu could play no small role.
But when he heard that Lin Huaixu had gotten thoroughly drunk the night before and was now sprawled in bed, unable to rise, he could not help sighing inwardly. He shook his head helplessly, and his already tightly furrowed brows creased even more deeply.
Though True Person Yu Qing was anxious beyond measure and wished he could immediately begin advancing the plan to sound Lin Huaixu out, reason told him that this was truly not a good time to discuss matters with Lin Huaixu.
Helpless, he could only suppress the urgency in his heart and temporarily set aside the matter of sounding Lin Huaixu out. He thought to himself that there was no rush; once Lin Huaixu sobered up and recovered some spirit, it would not be too late to speak with him in detail.
Having made his decision, True Person Yu Qing immediately devoted all his attention to reviewing the sect's recent records. On the desk before him, jade slips were piled like mountains, each emitting a soft, serene glow, as if silently recounting the sect's many affairs.
These jade slips bore detailed records of matters large and small within the sect, from the disciples' daily cultivation assessments to the sect's dealings with the outside world, even the allocation and dispatch of all manner of resources. Nothing was omitted; everything was recorded within.
Most had already been handled by the various elders, so True Person Yu Qing only needed to review them once more. A few important matters, however, required his personal consideration.
Suddenly, a message talisman on the desk trembled slightly and gave off a faint spiritual glow. True Person Yu Qing's gaze shifted. He raised a hand, gently picked up the letter, and unfolded it. Lines of writing immediately leaped into view like lively sprites. It was a message from the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley—
"Old friend Yuqing, time flies. Since our last parting, it has already been a long while since we met. The Three-Heavens Vine in the valley will bloom in the coming days. As the saying goes, 'Three Heavens are easy to obtain, but its flower is hard to find.' A Three-Heavens Flower bloom is a sight not encountered in a hundred years.
"Thinking that such a splendid sight should not be enjoyed alone, I am specially holding a Flower-Appreciation Gathering and sincerely invite my old friend to bring disciples from your sect to attend the grand occasion, that we may together appreciate this peerless and exquisite beauty of the world."
In the message, the Valley Master seemed afraid that True Person Yu Qing would fail to grasp his sincere intentions. Between the lines, he emphasized repeatedly, "You must bring disciples from your sect. It does not matter even if you bring several more. I hope, old friend, that you will not refuse. You must honor us with your presence."
When True Person Yu Qing first received this message, he found it rather troublesome. He had not wanted to join in such festivities, as the sect had countless affairs and he truly could not spare much energy. Yet after thinking it over, he felt this might be a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.
Speaking of Medicine King Valley, it was indeed renowned. Within the Heavenly Domain, whenever someone suffered from an intractable illness or grievous injuries beyond cure, the first place that came to mind was Medicine King Valley.
As for Gu Yinchen, the Valley Master, outside opinions of him were divided. His reputation was half good and half bad, and his strange temper was known far and wide.
Some said his medical skills were extraordinary, that he often used miraculous healing hands to save cultivators from all sides, proving that he possessed great kindness in his heart. But others complained that his disposition was eccentric and irritable; one small misstep might offend him and bring trouble for no reason.
Yet True Person Yu Qing understood that this was merely the appearance Gu Yinchen displayed when nervous.
Whenever Gu Yinchen interacted with others, the tension inside him surged like a tide, causing his face to tighten unconsciously, as though he were angry at every moment. His whole body emitted a cold aura that warned strangers to stay away.
In truth, Gu Yinchen's nature was not as inaccessible or difficult to get along with as outsiders claimed. True Person Yu Qing had held several deep and candid conversations with Gu Yinchen. Though this seemingly aloof and eccentric Valley Master was clumsy with words, he possessed a sincere heart.
It was precisely because of his mixed reputation that True Person Yu Qing expected not many people would accept the invitation to Medicine King Valley's Flower-Appreciation Gathering. Yet upon careful thought, this was not an excellent opportunity he could only hope for but never obtain.
First, he could use this relatively quiet environment with its limited number of people to further test Shen Yuxi's Heart Voice leakage and observe whether this strange phenomenon manifested differently in different settings. Second, he could take the chance to investigate the exact scope of that mysterious Heaven-Peeking ability that had long troubled him.
Ever since learning of the prophecy, the matter of Heaven-Peeking had occupied the foremost place in True Person Yu Qing's heart. In comparison, though the sect's daily affairs were also complicated, they could still be entrusted to several reliable senior and junior brothers. But Heaven-Peeking was too mysterious and important to allow the slightest mistake. He had to personally oversee it.
Mini Theater:
Feng Yue: You two sparred behind my back?
Shen Yuxi: Weren't you having plenty of fun next door too?
Feng Yue: I was the one being played with, weren't I?! Stop changing the subject! You two actually secretly sparred behind my back! And did not even let me watch!
Shen Yuxi: It would not be easy to spar with three people!
Feng Yue: I get it. A story of three people is still too crowded, right? I knew it—I should be under the carriage while you two are inside it.
Shen Yuxi: ???
Chu Shihan: ...
Before you continue