A Brief Respite (4)

Chu Shihan strolled leisurely along the winding mountain path. When he reached a bend and casually lifted his eyes, 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 separating him from the clamor of the world. He seemed to inhabit a tranquil realm of his own, emanating an aloof chill and solitude that set him apart from the world.

Chu Shihan's heart stirred faintly, and an indescribable feeling quietly took root within him.

To be honest, he truly had not wanted much contact with his second junior brother lately. The wild, disorderly thoughts in Shen Yuxi's mind always disrupted Chu Shihan's originally tranquil state of mind, leaving him lately eager to avoid Shen Yuxi at all costs.

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 that seemed near yet remained distant, fit to be admired from afar but not approached for enjoyment.

Tonight, however, was different. Though Shen Yuxi was close to the image he had always shown others, he seemed to carry a little more sorrow and longing. It made this ice-carved man more vivid, more human.

Driven by some hidden impulse in his heart, one he could neither explain nor name, Chu Shihan paused slightly before unconsciously quickening his pace. In a few steps, he approached and asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"

Shen Yuxi came back to himself at the sound of his voice. He slowly turned his head, paused faintly upon seeing Chu Shihan, then said, "The moonlight is lovely. It is the perfect time to admire the moon."

Though he said so, his gaze was somewhat vacant, and there was not the slightest smile in his eyes. It was as if a faint haze covered them, making his gaze colder than ever before.

Chu Shihan instinctively felt that Shen Yuxi was in a poor mood. But he had never been good at comforting others, and for a moment, he hesitated, unsure how to speak.

In the gap of that silence, Shen Yuxi had already turned away and resumed looking at the quiet forest beneath the moon.

Moonlight spilled through the forest, and mottled tree shadows swayed in the wind like a flowing ink-wash painting. Yet Shen Yuxi looked listless, his attention clearly not on the beautiful scenery.

Chu Shihan looked at Shen Yuxi's profile. That sharply defined outline now appeared somewhat lonely. Chu Shihan 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. Unfortunately, trivial matters have kept me occupied lately, and I have never found the time."

At those words, Shen Yuxi's attention was finally drawn over.

"Today happens to be a good opportunity, so I may as well fulfill that promise." The moment he finished speaking, a crisp shing rang out. The treasured sword at his waist shot from its sheath like a flood dragon breaking through the waters.

The blade gleamed with biting cold. Beneath the clear moonlight, fluid as water, it resembled a deep and frigid pool of autumn water, radiating a chilling sharpness that struck straight at the soul.

"Junior Brother, would you like to compare swords and spar?"

Scenes from the past flashed through Chu Shihan's mind—times when they had immersed themselves in swordsmanship. Back then, they devoted themselves wholly to their blades, their swords following their hearts, and every worry and distracting thought would be cast behind them amid the sweep of sword forms.

How was redirecting 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, poetic atmosphere, compared with a sword-drawn sparring match, a tender heart-to-heart conversation would obviously have suited the occasion better.

Yet when Shen Yuxi heard this, his eyes brightened in an instant. A blazing fighting spirit suddenly ignited within his previously dim gaze.

Without a second thought, he gladly agreed. "Exactly what I wanted! Swords only?"

"Good!" Chu Shihan answered without hesitation.

Shen Yuxi flicked his wrist, and a longsword abruptly appeared in his hand. The blade rang as though it, too, sensed its master's surging battle intent and was provoking its opponent.

They each assumed their stances. The night wind swept past, rolling several blades of grass into spirals between them and making their robes flap loudly.

"Please."

"Please."

The next moment, sword cries erupted, startling roosting birds into flight.

Two figures crossed like phantoms. Sword shadows crisscrossed and wove into a dazzling yet fierce blaze of light, like two immortal cranes dancing beneath the moon—graceful in form, yet concealing deadly edges.

Neither used spiritual power. They relied solely on swordsmanship to determine superiority.

Chu Shihan's swordsmanship was plain: simple chops, cleaves, sweeps, slides, and blocks. Yet great skill appeared unadorned. Every move contained peerless, fierce strength; his sword momentum surged like a great river in flood, and even a seemingly clumsy horizontal slash sealed every route of retreat.

Where Chu Shihan's sword wind passed, fallen leaves on the ground were swept into it and crushed to pieces. Shen Yuxi suddenly leaned back, his Cold-Iron Sword parrying One-Inch Heart just past the tip of his nose. The sword spines scraped together, scattering strings of sparks.

The instant they passed one another, Shen Yuxi's sword forms abruptly changed. He carved an upward crescent, and sword light poured forth like the Milky Way spilling down, striking directly at the vital acupoints around Chu Shihan's body. Before the sword tip arrived, its Sword Qi had already stirred ripples through Chu Shihan's robes.

"Good!" Chu Shihan cried deeply, swiftly drawing back his sword. A rapid series of crisp clinks rang out, each strike precisely blocked. On the final blow, Chu Shihan suddenly increased his force, numbing Shen Yuxi's tiger's mouth and forcing him to retreat and 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 shifted, his body like a spirit fox darting through the forest. He lightly and nimbly evaded every one of Chu Shihan's attacks, while his sword forms changed without warning—at times like a spring breeze brushing willow branches, gentle and winding; at times like thunder carrying the weight of ten thousand jun, swift and fierce. No one could possibly tell where his next attack would come from.

For a time, the two traded blows back and forth, locked in an inseparable battle. Beneath the moonlight, sword blossoms flickered and Sword Qi swept in all directions, every collision of blades spraying dazzling sparks.

After several exchanges, sweat had already appeared on Chu Shihan's brow, and Shen Yuxi's breathing had grown hurried. Yet the fighting spirit in their eyes only intensified, and their sword moves grew sharper and fiercer.

As the sparring reached its finest point, Chu Shihan's deeper foundation in swordsmanship and richer experience gradually showed their advantage, allowing him to firmly gain the upper hand.

His swordsmanship became increasingly steady and seasoned. Every move was measured to perfection, like a dense, seamless net that tightly suppressed Shen Yuxi's fierce offensive, leaving him scarcely any gap to catch his breath.

Suddenly, Shen Yuxi took an unorthodox path. The Cold-Iron Sword slid up One-Inch Heart's spine like a nimble serpent, its target Chu Shihan's sword-wielding wrist. The angle of that strike was tricky, its speed astonishingly fast, catching him completely off guard.

At the critical moment when a thousand jun hung by a thread, Chu Shihan suddenly released his sword. He kicked the hilt hard, sending One-Inch Heart into the air, while the heel of his other foot struck the ground as he rapidly retreated.

Shen Yuxi pursued him with the momentum. Yet Chu Shihan spun beneath his feet and turned sharply. The pitch-black longsword carved a beautiful arc through the air, and as it flipped, Chu Shihan steadily caught it in his left hand. With a backhand motion, he blocked Shen Yuxi's fierce thrust as Shen Yuxi changed his move again.

This frontal clash used all of Chu Shihan's strength. Shen Yuxi's body stalled slightly, and he could not halt his sword momentum in time. His heart suddenly tightened, and he inwardly cried, Not good.

An opportunity could not be lost. Chu Shihan did not hesitate. His longsword became a streak of black light, instantly closing in on Shen Yuxi with irresistible force. It was so fast that the eye could scarcely follow, leaving almost no time to react.

Shen Yuxi hastily dodged, trying to evade the fierce strike, but it was already beyond saving. With a shing, a strand of dark hair was severed by the sharp blade and drifted slowly down, while the sword edge stopped steadily only an inch from his throat, cold light flickering.

—Severing the Worry Strand.

"Thank you for yielding."

Shen Yuxi was inwardly convinced. He sheathed his sword and said sincerely, "Senior Brother's skill is superior. I concede."

Chu Shihan slowly returned his sword to its sheath as well, an pleased smile appearing on his face. "Junior Brother, you are too modest. Your swordsmanship has improved greatly these days. I merely happened to seize an opening just now. Otherwise, the outcome would still have been uncertain."

Heh! The Harem King's mouth is full of lying ghosts, Shen Yuxi thought. Yet he did not embarrass Chu Shihan and merely said, "Senior Brother overpraises me."

The two sheathed their treasured swords.

A gentle smile appeared on Chu Shihan's face. He raised a hand and patted Shen Yuxi's shoulder, saying softly, "It is getting late. Go back and rest early. Today's sparring was truly exhilarating."

Shen Yuxi nodded slightly in response. "Thank you, Senior Brother. I have benefited greatly."

The two wished each other good night, then turned separately and gradually walked farther apart along the winding mountain path in different directions. The mountain breeze brushed past softly, bringing threads of chill.

The trees lining the mountain path stood indistinct beneath the moonlight like silent guards. A chirp or two from insects occasionally sounded, only to be swallowed at once by endless stillness.

Their footsteps echoed along the path. At first, they could still clearly hear their steps intertwining, but as the distance widened, the sound gradually weakened until it could no longer be heard.

Only moonlight remained, quietly spilling over the place where they had sparred, as though it, too, were still immersed in that splendid exchange.

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, and his brows unconsciously furrowed into the character for "river." The dull pain of a hangover came in waves like the tide.

Ordinarily, the direct disciples were each busy with their own cultivation matters. Since their paths of cultivation differed, they lived far apart and seldom had opportunities to gather.

They had rarely gathered last night, and they chatted about everything under heaven and earth until well past midnight. As their spirits rose, they all lifted their wine cups. Cup after cup passed between them, and before they knew it, they had all drunk quite a bit.

As the organizer of this gathering, Lin Huaixu bore the brunt of it. No one knew how many jugs he emptied before drinking himself into a dead stupor.

Now that the sun had risen high, he still felt groggy and dizzy, as though heaven and earth were spinning. His whole body was limp, and even lifting a finger took effort, much less getting out of bed.

Wen Jian had always been an extremely self-disciplined person. Seeing how Lin Huaixu had drunk without restraint and refused to listen no matter how he was urged to stop, Wen Jian had secretly become annoyed. He was quite petty by nature, so in a fit of pique, he deliberately refused to offer Lin Huaixu any hangover medicine, intending to make this greedy drinker suffer a little.

As for the other senior and junior brothers, most had at least some sense of moderation. Those with good alcohol tolerance naturally did not fear drinking too much; cup after cup went down without changing their expressions as they laughed and chatted freely. Those with poor tolerance knew when to stop and merely tasted a little.

Lin Huaixu alone had mediocre tolerance. After three cups, his eyes had grown bleary, his ears hot, and his face flushed red. Yet he was obsessed with drinking. Whenever he raised a cup, he displayed a heroic air and put on the manner of a bold wanderer, though in truth he was terrible at drinking and loved it anyway.

Lin Mumu was even more lost in thought. She had been mulling over the fact that her fated person was still an egg and had not paid attention to how much wine she had drunk. By the time she realized it, she was already muddleheaded with drunkenness and collapsed headfirst before the table, unconscious.

When True Person Yulan learned of this, he was so angry that his nose nearly twisted crooked. Both furious and helpless, he could only stare at his two drunken disciples and sigh repeatedly.

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 speak harshly to her twice.

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 responsibility and felt guilty, so he took Lin Huaixu under his wing to raise and teach him. He could neither bear to beat nor scold Lin Huaixu, and truly had no way to handle him.

The youngest junior sister was still young and rarely had chances to drink. Seeing everyone drinking so merrily last night made her heart itch, and she secretly wanted to have a taste.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, she carefully lifted a wine cup and took a small sip. The fiery burn of the wine instantly stabbed at her throat like a blaze. The youngest junior sister immediately choked until tears streamed down her face, and she could not help coughing violently.

That bout of coughing naturally exposed her little scheme. Zhou Wan had sharp eyes and spotted it at once. Afterward, she kept a close watch on the youngest junior sister, refusing to let her touch another wine cup. Instead, the girl escaped disaster and did not become dead drunk like the others. The next day, she could still bounce about as lively as usual.

At the Profound Heaven Sect, drinking was not explicitly forbidden for disciples. After all, drinking in moderation to relax body and mind during leisure time was not unacceptable.

However, this time the direct disciples had actually taken the lead in drinking themselves into a stupor. Such behavior had a truly terrible influence, and the disciples all received more or less of 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 rascal, full of cunning tricks and twists and turns. He could always devise unusual solutions to thorny matters, and his relationship with Shen Yuxi was fairly close.

On 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 currently sprawled in bed, unable to rise, he could not help sighing inwardly. He shook his head helplessly, and his already furrowed brows tightened further.

Though True Person Yu Qing was anxious beyond measure and wished he could immediately set the plan to sound Lin Huaixu out into motion, reason told him that now was truly not a suitable time to discuss it with Lin Huaixu.

Helplessly, he could only force down his impatience and set aside the matter for the moment. He thought to himself that it was not urgent for the time being; after 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 case records. On the desk before him, jade slips were piled like mountains. Each emitted a soft, secluded glow, as though silently recounting the sect's many affairs.

These jade slips contained detailed records of matters great 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 various resources. Nothing, however trivial, was omitted.

Most had already been handled by the elders, and True Person Yu Qing only needed to review them once more. Some important matters, however, required his personal deliberation.

Suddenly, a communication letter 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 his sight like nimble sprites—it was a message from the master of Medicine King Valley—

"Old friend Yu Qing, time flies. It has been long since we last parted. The Three-Heavens Vine in the valley is about to bloom in the coming days. As the saying goes, 'Three Heavens are easy to obtain, but its flowers are hard to find.' A Three-Heavens Flower blooming is an occurrence not seen once in a hundred years.

"Such a magnificent sight should not be admired alone, so I am specially holding a Flower-Appreciation Gathering and sincerely invite you to bring disciples from your sect to join the celebration, so that we may together appreciate this rare and splendid beauty of the world."

Within the message, the Valley Master seemed afraid that True Person Yu Qing would fail to grasp the sincerity of his invitation. Again and again, he stressed between the lines, "You must bring disciples from your sect. It does not matter if you bring several more. I hope, old friend, that you will not decline and will certainly honor us with your presence."

When True Person Yu Qing first received the message, he found himself in quite a dilemma. He did not particularly wish to join such bustle, since the sect had so many affairs that he truly could not spare much energy. Yet after some thought, he felt that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Speaking of Medicine King Valley, it was certainly renowned. Within the Heavenly Domain, whenever someone suffered from a difficult or unusual illness, or grave injuries beyond cure, the first place they thought of was Medicine King Valley.

As for Gu Yinchen, the Valley Master, outside opinions of him were mixed. His reputation was half good and half bad, and word of his strange temperament had spread far and wide.

Some said his medical skills were exquisite, that he often used his miraculous hands to bring the dying back to life and save cultivators from every direction, making him a man of great kindness. Yet others complained that his disposition was eccentric and perverse, and that a small misstep could anger him and invite needless trouble.

However, True Person Yu Qing understood that this was merely the outward appearance Gu Yinchen displayed when he was nervous.

Whenever Gu Yinchen interacted with others, the tension in his heart surged like the tide, causing his face to tighten unconsciously as though he were always on the verge of anger. His whole body exuded a frosty aura that warned strangers to keep away.

In truth, Gu Yinchen's nature was not as inaccessible and difficult to get along with as the outside world claimed. True Person Yu Qing had held several deep, heartfelt 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 this mixed reputation that True Person Yu Qing expected there would not be many people accepting Medicine King Valley's invitation to the Flower-Appreciation Gathering. Yet upon careful thought, this was not an opportunity he could hope for but never obtain.

For one, he could use this relatively quiet environment with limited attendees to further test Shen Yuxi's leaking heart-voice phenomenon and observe whether this peculiar occurrence manifested differently in different settings. For another, he could take the opportunity to investigate the scope of that mysterious Heaven-Peeking ability that had been troubling him.

Ever since learning of the prophecy, the matter of Heaven-Peeking had occupied the foremost place in True Person Yu Qing's mind. 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 far too mysterious and important to permit the slightest error; he had to personally oversee it.

Bonus Scene:

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 by them! Stop changing the subject! You two actually sparred in secret behind my back! And you would not even let me watch!

Shen Yuxi: It would not be easy for three people to spar!

Feng Yue: I get it. A story with three people is just too crowded, right? I knew I should be beneath the carriage while you two were inside it.

Shen Yuxi: ???

Chu Shihan: ...