Flower Viewing Gathering (5)

The other party had clearly witnessed Wen Jian's earlier rescue of the spiritual herb. Seeing this, Wen Jian hurriedly said modestly, "It was nothing more than a small effort. There is truly no need to thank me."

Having said that, he was just about to quietly retreat behind his fellow disciples to avoid further entanglement. Yet Gu Yueyao, as though she had anticipated this all along, shifted slightly and blocked his path at precisely the right moment.

Her smile was radiant, bright as the warm spring sun, yet excitement glimmered in her eyes. "The method you used just now was exquisitely clever and truly opened Yueyao's eyes. Would you be willing to do Yueyao the honor of discussing it a little?"

Alarms immediately blared in Shen Yuxi's heart, and he could not help grumbling inwardly again. Holy shit! That way of referring to herself... this is absolutely a honey trap! Sis, my dear sis! Why are you using that delicate little white-flower style of self-reference too?! Is this what an ambitious female lead is like? Willing to use a honey trap for the sake of her career?!

Hearing his second senior brother's inner voice, Wen Jian's expression instantly stiffened, and he groaned inwardly.

He did not actually understand anything about knowledge of the outer regions. How could he dare hold an in-depth discussion with the young valley master of Medicine King Valley? He could only decline. "Young Valley Master, you flatter me. I merely happened to see this method in an ancient book and tried it with a take-a-chance mindset. There is truly nothing worth discussing, and I fear I cannot be of any help to you."

Gu Yueyao did not give up because of this. Still smiling, she said unhurriedly, "No matter. It would only be a simple exchange.

I see that this junior brother cares so deeply about spiritual herbs, so you must love them greatly as well. Medicine King Valley may not understand much else, but we have done some research into herbs. If we exchange ideas, perhaps it may greatly benefit both sides' self-improvement. What do you think, junior brother?"

Her tone was sincere, and her eyes were full of expectation, making it difficult to refuse her outright.

Shen Yuxi continued to grumble silently at the side. If doing it herself doesn't work, she immediately switches the "beauty" into the type that perfectly suits the enemy's tastes. Ruthless! Too ruthless!

Wen Jian was deeply conflicted at that moment. He truly yearned for Medicine King Valley's research into medicinal herbs.

I want to go, I really want to go!! But I really don't understand knowledge of the outer regions! Once we start exchanging ideas, I'll definitely be exposed. He howled inwardly, his face showing his struggle.

Gu Yueyao seemed to keenly sense Wen Jian's hesitation as well. She smiled understandingly and said, "Since junior brother has concerns, Yueyao will not press you. We can speak of this another time."

Her smile remained gentle, but Shen Yuxi silently complained inwardly. As everyone knows, "another time" doesn't mean never. This young valley master definitely won't give up easily.

Wen Jian heard Shen Yuxi's thoughts and felt helpless. He could only respond silently in his heart, Second Senior Brother, please shut up. On the surface, he gave two awkward, dry laughs, attempting to ease the somewhat tense atmosphere.

After a brief exchange, the two sides bade each other farewell. The people of the Profound Heaven Sect politely took their leave first and continued on their previous route.

Once the figures of the Profound Heaven Sect gradually receded and vanished from sight, Gu Yueyao slowly turned her head. Her gaze flashed like a sharp bolt of lightning as it swept toward the two disciples who were desperately trying to shrink their own presence.

The warm, friendly smile on her face, like spring sunshine, turned cold in an instant. In its place was a stern and frosty expression, as though they had stepped from warm spring directly into the bitter chill of winter.

Her voice was ice-cold, seemingly wrapped in layers of frost. "Spiritual plants are all incomparably delicate. From the first day you entered Medicine King Valley, you were repeatedly and emphatically told that they must be handled with meticulous care, without the slightest room for carelessness. Yet you still committed such a grave blunder!

Had that disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect not happened to know the method of treatment, this spiritual plant—cultivated through so much effort from the valley—would have been completely ruined! If it had truly come to that, how would you bear the consequences?" Her voice was not loud, yet it carried unquestionable authority.

The two disciples knew they had committed a terrible mistake. Ashamed beyond measure, they could only hang their heads and did not dare make the slightest sound.

"Go receive your punishment yourselves." Gu Yueyao coldly spat out those words.

Upon hearing this, the offending disciples shuddered, their faces full of fear and remorse. They knew that while the young valley master was usually gentle, she had always been strict with the valley's rules and never showed leniency. At this moment, how could they dare disobey in the slightest? With lowered heads, they hurried away.

Only after the two disciples had completely disappeared from view did Gu Yueyao slowly turn her head again. Almost in an instant, a faintly apologetic smile swiftly appeared on her face.

She looked toward Wang Rong and said gently, "I have made junior brother Wang laugh. The disciples of our sect acted so rashly and committed an error they should never have made, so I had no choice but to discipline them."

Seeing this, Wang Rong hurriedly waved his hand enthusiastically. A seemingly broad-minded smile instantly blossomed across his face as he said brightly, "Young Valley Master, there is no need to be so polite. What sect does not have a few junior brothers who are occasionally careless? Teaching and restraining them is simply the unshirkable responsibility of us senior brothers and sisters."

He spoke with lofty fervor, as though he was usually exceedingly strict in disciplining his own junior disciples and had never slackened in the least.

Gu Yueyao nodded slightly and replied softly, "Junior brother speaks reasonably."

Yet at the instant she dipped her head, a trace of imperceptible scrutiny quietly flashed through her eyes as she covertly observed Wang Rong's every movement.

She was not the sort of person who blindly believed whatever others told her. She had her own judgment regarding right and wrong.

Only after they had walked some distance away did Lin Mumu cautiously poke her head out and glance in the other party's direction. Then she could not help saying, "That was the young valley master of Medicine King Valley? At first glance, she did seem gentle, but that presence... she feels a lot like Fourth Senior Sister."

As she spoke, she tilted her head as though trying hard to recall Zhou Wan's appearance and compare the two.

"Azure Rock Sect moves quickly, huh? They've already attached themselves to the young valley master?" Lin Huaixu's attention was clearly focused elsewhere.

"Speaking of it, that Wang Rong... when Ninth Junior Brother rejected the young valley master just now, his gaze was vicious. I thought he was going to cause trouble for junior brother on the spot."

Recalling the scene from before, Lin Mumu unconsciously twirled a lock of hair around her finger, lingering fear still in her almond-shaped eyes. "Did you see? His eyes were like knives. They sliced right over."

Ye Jingxuan glanced at Lin Mumu, a gentle smile at the corner of his lips. "Sixth Senior Sister, you were too tense. Although Azure Rock Sect has always acted flamboyantly, it is still far from being on the same level as the Profound Heaven Sect. He is also the chief senior disciple of a sect, so he can still weigh the gravity of things.

Even if he truly bore resentment, making things difficult for a Profound Heaven Sect disciple in public would not be a wise move."

"But why?" Lin Mumu's brows remained furrowed, her face full of confusion. She hopped in a little run across a bluestone paving tile, the jeweled hairpins in her hair jingling with her movements. "We shouldn't have any grudge against Azure Rock Sect, right?"

Lin Huaixu began muttering to himself as well, absentmindedly rubbing the dead branch he had just picked up between his fingers. "Who knows—Eldest Senior Brother?"

Chu Shihan shook his head. He spent all year in secluded cultivation and truly paid little attention to such trivial matters between sects.

But when it came to inter-sect relations... everyone tacitly turned to look at Ye Jingxuan, who had fallen to the back. He was reaching out to brush past a flowering branch that extended in from beyond the corridor, bending as he passed beneath the covered bridge. Under their stares, his fingertips trembled, and petals rustled down.

He coughed lightly and began at an unhurried pace. "Azure Rock Sect rose to prominence through rune stones. Though their specially made rune stones are somewhat less powerful than spirit talismans, they can be used repeatedly, so they have always sold well.

Two years ago, they developed a new rune stone and planned to make a name for it at the Myriad Treasures Fair in Wishful Tower, promoting it vigorously and expanding their market on a grand scale. Who could have expected that Fifth Senior Brother would emerge from seclusion that very year..."

At this point, Ye Jingxuan gave Lin Huaixu a meaningful look. Lin Huaixu tilted his head and pointed at himself blankly, unable to understand how this had anything to do with him.

"Fifth Senior Brother dumped all the spirit talismans he had accumulated over several years into the Myriad Treasures Fair for sale. Cultivators are gamblers by nature. In times of danger, what they need is not rune stones that must be charged in advance before repeated use, but the deterrence of absolute power capable of changing the tide of battle in one stroke.

Thus, the more limited one's funds, the more willing one is to gamble big."

"Moreover..." Ye Jingxuan shook his head helplessly. "The number of spirit talismans Fifth Senior Brother unloaded in one go was astonishing. To sell them quickly, he priced them at least twenty percent below market value, so naturally they were snapped up in no time.

But wouldn't that have wrecked their plans? I heard they could only sell their remaining rune stones at reduced prices in the end, suffering heavy losses. It is not hard to understand why they hold a grudge against us."

Upon hearing this, everyone from the Profound Heaven Sect wore shocked expressions. "That happened?"

"That was just their bad luck! Doing business is like cultivating—it should depend on one's own skill!" Lin Mumu spun and leapt, facing the others as she walked backward several steps.

Lin Huaixu shrugged helplessly and put on an innocent expression. "Is that my fault? Didn't I just clear out some inventory?"

Ye Jingxuan rubbed his temples. "That 'inventory' of yours drove market prices down by twenty percent."

"My conscience would hurt if I sold wholesale goods at retail prices—"

"Smooth-tongued." Wen Jian judged him without mercy.

Hearing their discussion, Shen Yuxi could not help pondering inwardly. This plot sounds so familiar. Azure Rock Sect... Wang Rong? That name really sounds familiar... I feel like I've heard it somewhere...

He narrowed his eyes slightly, desperately searching his memories for relevant clues.

Hearing this inner voice, Lin Huaixu's eyes immediately lit up. He deliberately raised his voice and "kindly" helped Shen Yuxi remember, pretending to wipe away nonexistent tears in grievance. "Sob, sob—

Why are all of you turning your elbows outward? It is only because our Profound Heaven Sect is so large and our reputation so great that Azure Rock Sect had no choice but to yield somewhat.

If it were some other sect on the same level as Azure Rock Sect, such as the Heavenly Sword Sect, then even if I were merely doing ordinary business, they would definitely make things difficult for me!"

As he pretended to wipe away tears, he narrowed his eyes to observe Shen Yuxi's reaction, hoping to stir his memories.

"Speaking of which, Fifth Senior Brother, I've heard that Azure Rock Sect and Heavenly Sword Sect have always had a grudge, but I still don't know why." Lin Mumu blinked curiously and turned her eager gaze toward Lin Huaixu. She had always enjoyed hearing about love and hatred between sects, so naturally she had to get to the bottom of it.

Seeing someone indulge him, Lin Huaixu immediately became interested.

He straightened up, snapped his folding fan shut with flair, lightly pointed it in Lin Mumu's direction, then cleared his throat and adopted the manner of a storyteller. "A fine question from this honored listener!"

Then he began recounting the tale vividly:

"Azure Rock Sect and Heavenly Sword Sect are located close to each other, and they originally got along quite harmoniously. Until a hundred years ago, the previous generation of both sides produced two exceptionally gifted young talents. The two were kindred spirits, became friends, and entered the mortal world together to gain experience.

Who could have guessed that during their travels, these two brothers would encounter a woman? Both fell madly in love with her and were unwilling to yield her to the other. As for exactly what went wrong in between, no one could say. In the end, that woman unexpectedly died.

Both believed the other had caused her death, and from then on they went their separate ways and turned against each other.

As time passed, those two had both become sect leaders, and the grudge between them gradually evolved into hostility between their sects. In particular, Wang Rong, the chief senior disciple of this generation of Azure Rock Sect, and Tan Yin, the chief senior disciple of Heavenly Sword Sect, inherited the grudges of the previous generation. Whenever they meet, they inevitably quarrel, having reached the point where the sight of one another is unbearable."

As Shen Yuxi listened to Lin Huaixu's account, his brows furrowed even tighter. He muttered inwardly, Wang Rong and Tan Yin? That sounds even more familiar... Where exactly have I heard it? Why can't I remember?

Meanwhile, Lin Huaixu, who had deliberately told the story in detail and wholeheartedly wanted Second Senior Brother to recall this piece of gossip, silently cheered Shen Yuxi on in his heart. Come on, Second Senior Brother! You have to remember!

"But I feel Azure Rock Sect isn't as strong as Heavenly Sword Sect. They still dared provoke them like that—do they think Heavenly Sword Sect wouldn't dare make a move?"

Lin Mumu truly could not understand it. Azure Rock Sect's disciples were clearly much weaker overall than Heavenly Sword Sect's in her perception, so why did they dare provoke them with such confidence?

"How should I put it... that is indeed part of the reason." Lin Huaixu smiled bitterly. "Just as Seventh Junior Brother said, Azure Rock Mountain, where Azure Rock Sect is located, is naturally blessed, with abundant spiritual mineral resources in the mountains. Azure Rock Sect disciples are skilled at using these spiritual minerals to carve all kinds of rune-carved stones.

When those rune-carved stones are brought to the trading markets, they are all highly sought-after goods. Selling any one of them brings in a substantial sum. So even if they are somewhat inferior to Heavenly Sword Sect in cultivation, they can entirely rely on their immense wealth to purchase all kinds of magical treasures and make up for the gap in strength."

As Lin Huaixu spoke, he lightly shook his head, seemingly deeply moved by Azure Rock Sect's extravagant wealth.

"As for Heavenly Sword Sect..." Lin Huaixu paused, the bitterness on his face growing more obvious. He looked around at his fellow disciples and said helplessly, "Sword cultivators... everyone understands."

The moment he said this, no one present could laugh. After all, Chu Shihan, Shen Yuxi, Ye Jingxuan, Lin Mumu... other than Lin Huaixu himself and Wen Jian, everyone present was a sword cultivator.

Sword cultivators were famously impoverished in the cultivation world.

Though once a sword cultivator's combat power reached maturity, they could sweep through the battlefield, unmatched in strength, they could lack anything except a sword. A good spirit sword not only cost a fortune to acquire, but its everyday maintenance was also no small expense.

Sword cultivators differed from other cultivation paths. Even upon reaching an extremely high realm of cultivation, they found it difficult to gain additional sources of income.

They occasionally hunted demonic beasts and sold the materials and crystal cores taken from them, but that was merely the sale of basic raw materials, with meager profit. How could they compare to artifact cultivators and talisman cultivators, who excelled at crafting high-end finished products?

Any magical treasure forged by artifact cultivators or rune drawn by talisman cultivators was worth a fortune when brought to market and always in greater demand than supply.

Not only that, the formidable combat power of sword cultivators also meant formidable destructive power.

The cultivation world was not a lawless land. Once something was damaged during a dispute, compensation had to be paid. For sword cultivators, who were already not wealthy, this was undoubtedly frost upon snow, leaving their finances ever more straitened.

Then there were bounty missions, an important means for sword cultivators to obtain resources, but there were too many monks and too little porridge. After all, sword cultivators were not the only ones capable of completing bounty missions, yet sword cultivators were almost the only ones who had to rely on bounty missions to support themselves.

With things like this, the intensity of the competition could easily be imagined.

Even though some sword cultivators were hired by certain lineages as protectors, while every lineage wished for more protectors, in reality they still had to rely mainly on their own members' cultivation.

The sword cultivator protectors hired with money mostly served as deterrents. Their numbers could not be excessive; after all, when a lineage encountered trouble, it could not expect protectors hired to do a job for money to risk their lives for the lineage. A small lineage generally only needed to hire one or two.

This left even fewer opportunities for sword cultivators, and those who could truly obtain such positions were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

For this very reason, sword cultivators had become the acknowledged poorest cultivators, and everyone felt deeply helpless about it.

Encyclopedia of the Nine Domains:

○ Azure Rock Sect

A small-to-medium sect. It is located on Azure Rock Mountain, where spiritual mineral resources are abundant. This is the foundation upon which Azure Rock Sect was established.

Its disciples are not skilled in combat, but excel at carving all kinds of rune-carved stones from spiritual minerals. Every disciple in the sect is a master carver. They possess abundant wealth and purchase various magical treasures to compensate for their combat strength.

They have a sharp eye, are passionate about minerals, and are highly skilled at treasure hunting and gambling on stones.

Their cultivation techniques are also combined with runes, which is quite interesting.

They are mortal enemies with Heavenly Sword Sect.