Like a flower

All around South Pine Pavilion, Outer-Sect Disciples were hard at work practicing.

When they threw their punches, they seemed full of force and overwhelming momentum, but in fact they were extremely careful-the introductory cultivation method demanded extraordinarily precise control. Besides, when a fellow disciple had accidentally broken a branch off an ancient tree early on, the stewards' expressions had been very ugly.

Those stewards had once been Outer-Sect Disciples themselves. They had remained at South Pine Pavilion as stewards only because they had failed to enter the inner sect to cultivate, so naturally they were not afraid of these disciples.

Suddenly, with a crack, a fairly thick branch fell.

A disciple withdrew his slightly numb fist and stared blankly in a certain direction, completely forgetting the stewards' existence.

With a dull smack, a shallow hole was punched into an ancient tree, sending bark flying. The disciple withdrew his bleeding fist as though he felt no pain at all.

A disciple holding a lunge stance against a pine dropped straight onto his backside.

Similar scenes unfolded in many places at once, throwing the woods into confusion.

Then a chorus of discussion rose.

"What's going on?"

"What are you all looking at?"

"He's come out!"

"That fellow's come out!"

The gusts from the punches gradually vanished across the cliffside terrace, and the white vapor dispersed as well. Suddenly, everything became unusually quiet.

Several stewards emerged from the sword hall looking puzzled. Following the disciples' gazes, they looked toward a certain spot, and their expressions shifted slightly too.

The mountain breeze brushed past, the green grass stirred, and white robes fluttered. That fellow had actually left his little courtyard?

More than ten days had passed since Jing Jiu entered the southern mountain gate, and he had never appeared before anyone.

To the disciples on the cliffside terrace, this White-Clad Youth was mysterious and strange.

Today was actually his first time leaving the courtyard, naturally drawing countless startled and curious looks.

Jing Jiu paid no attention at all to the many eyes on him. With his hands clasped behind his back, he passed through the woods toward the sword hall.

A girl with delicate features gathered her courage and said, "Hello, Junior Brother Jing."

Jing Jiu glanced at her, confirmed that he did not know her, and continued forward without stopping.

Seeing this, someone said angrily, "He won't even nod?"

The girl hurriedly said, "Junior Brother did nod."

That was indeed true. Many disciples nearby had seen clearly that Jing Jiu had nodded.

It was just that the movement had been so slight, like a stone stirred for an instant by the wind. Without looking carefully, it really was hard to notice.

"Was that a nod or a handout?" a disciple sneered. "Just because he's good-looking and his family has money, he thinks he can stand above everyone and be so arrogant? He doesn't stop to think that our Green Mountain Sect is a place for cultivating the Great Dao. What use are all those worldly things? What right does he have to be arrogant now? Junior Brother S sui is the most remarkable one now. His former servant has suddenly turned his fortunes around and become someone he can never hope to match. He must find it humiliating. That's why he's refused to come out all these days."

There were many explanations for Jing Jiu's refusal to leave his courtyard. Some said he was lazy, but more disciples held this view.

The girl who had greeted Jing Jiu wanted to say a few words in his defense, but she did not know what to say, because that was how it looked from every angle.

Anyone in Jing Jiu's situation would feel awkward, even humiliated.

Inside the sword hall, more than a dozen disciples sat on the floor, holding booklets without reading them, discussing something instead.

Xue Yongge, who had connections, occupied a conspicuous spot, but he was not the center of attention. In fact, all the disciples, including him, were seated around Liu S sui.

They seemed to be discussing difficulties in cultivation. Clearly, this was not the first time such a scene had occurred, and there was little nervousness on Liu S sui's small face.

As they listened to him speak in his clear, youthful voice about preparing for a Realm Breakthrough, the disciples' faces were wreathed in smiles. They were not deliberately flattering him, but they certainly showed him ample respect.

The eyes of two female disciples even held something like admiration as they watched Liu S sui.

Although neither Master Lü nor Liu S sui had said anything, some disciples had guessed that Liu S sui had successfully entered the Embracing Spirit Realm.

To enter the Embracing Spirit Realm in such a short time, and at such a young age, was truly astonishing.

Who could know just how far this innate Dao Seed would go in the future?

"Come here a moment."

A calm voice with little inflection rang out, breaking the quiet, focused atmosphere in the sword hall.

The disciples turned toward the entrance to Sword Hall and saw the falling sunlight brushed into a lovely halo by white robes.

The two girls were so startled that they nearly cried out, hurriedly covering their mouths.

The male disciples reacted much more slowly than the two girls. Only after a moment did they come to their senses and realize that the newcomer was actually Jing Jiu.

Their gazes held complicated feelings as they looked at Jing Jiu. Beyond surprise, there were sympathy, pity, and mockery, as well as some loathing and displeasure.

Just as the disciple in the woods had said, the disciples of South Pine Pavilion all believed that Jing Jiu refused to leave his courtyard because Liu S sui had performed too brilliantly. So why had he come out today?

Xue Yongge looked at Jing Jiu and sneered. "Can't you see we're discussing our cultivation studies? And who are you ordering around? Come here? Who do you think you are? Still think you're a young master?"

No one echoed Xue Yongge's words. Even his own voice grew quieter and quieter until it faded away, because the scene he most wanted to see-Liu S sui swayed by his words, his face flushed as he refused to acknowledge Jing Jiu-did not happen.

While he was speaking, Liu S sui had already run up to Jing Jiu, saying, "Young master, you finally agreed to come out!"

Anyone could see that he was genuinely happy. His small face was all smiles, like a flower.

Back in Jing Jiu's courtyard, Liu S sui was still excited, constantly asking why he had come out today, whether he would go out often from now on, and whether he had finally come around and was ready to cultivate.

For the first time, Jing Jiu found the child somewhat noisy, and raised his right hand.

Liu S sui hurriedly shut his mouth.

"After you left this morning, I remembered something I'd forgotten, so I went to fetch you."

Jing Jiu thought for a moment and, unusually, added an explanation. "It isn't that I refuse to leave the courtyard. I can't be bothered to go out."

Liu S sui nodded repeatedly to show that he understood, then asked curiously, "What did you need me for, young master?"

Jing Jiu said, "You've achieved a Realm Breakthrough?"

Liu S sui did not dare meet his eyes. Lowering his head, he said, "The immortal master wouldn't let me tell anyone..."

Master Lü had forbidden him to speak because he feared affecting the other disciples' cultivation. A genius like him might spur his fellow disciples to strive harder, but he might also very well undermine their confidence.

Besides that reason, Liu S sui had some other thoughts that he had not told Jing Jiu.

Over the past few days, he had heard a great deal of discussion, whether intentionally or not. His fellow disciples' praise made him happy, but their mockery of the young master made him very uncomfortable.

He could not tell whether those comments were actually true. If they were, would his successful Realm Breakthrough upset the young master?

He also knew his thinking was a little naive. The young master was learned and knew everything; he was merely a little lazy. Why would he care about such things? But what if...

"Drink this cup of tea."

Jing Jiu did not consider what the little fellow was thinking. He only wanted to finish this matter as quickly as possible, then go tinker with something he had found over the past few days to pass the time.

Liu S sui took the tea and asked, "What's in it?"

Jing Jiu had left the courtyard for the first time to fetch him, so naturally this could not be an ordinary cup of tea.

"I dissolved a pill in it. It will help stabilize your Embracing Spirit Realm."

Jing Jiu did not tell the little fellow that the tea contained an extremely precious Purple Mystic Pill, nor did he warn him not to tell anyone about it.

Liu S sui did not drink the tea. Looking at him with a troubled expression, he said, "The immortal master gave me a few pills too. Will their medicinal effects clash?"

Jing Jiu said, "Those are too inferior. You might as well not take them."

Liu S sui murmured an acknowledgment and asked nothing more, draining the cup of tea in one gulp.

He was clearly the one helping Liu S sui, yet watching him drink the tea without hesitation, Jing Jiu felt somewhat happy for reasons he did not know.

Since waking in that cave abode, the White-Clad Youth had gone a long time without feeling happy.

"Since I'm in a good mood today... all right, actually, it's fairly ordinary, but... rather bored. Yes, bored."

Jing Jiu said, "If there's anything you don't understand, hurry up and ask me."

The Green Mountain Sect's way of training Outer-Sect Disciples was strange: it merely tossed them an introductory method formula and then left them alone. Although Liu S sui was an innate Dao Seed, he had only just begun cultivating and had many questions about it. He had long wanted to ask Jing Jiu for guidance, as he had back in the village, but had been a little afraid to. Now that he saw Jing Jiu really was in a good mood—though of course he might truly just be bored—how could he let this opportunity pass?

"Yes!"

One asked and the other answered, over and over without pause. The sunlight gradually slanted, the shadows of the trees lengthened, and dusk arrived.

Liu S sui finally resolved all his questions about cultivation.

Jing Jiu's answers were like the sharpest sword-ray between heaven and earth, effortlessly severing the most tangled connections and revealing cultivation's true face. It turned out to be so simple and clear.

As Liu S sui looked at Jing Jiu, his eyes were full of admiration. He had known the young master was remarkable, but not that he was this remarkable. Thinking back now, his worries had indeed been naive and childish in the extreme.

Following his usual habit, Liu S sui took out the Polygonatum Cake and dried fruit distributed by the stewards, shared them with Jing Jiu, and prepared to leave.

Today, however, Jing Jiu asked him to stay a little longer.

Looking into Liu S sui's eyes, he said calmly, "Actually, I have something to ask you too."

Liu S sui was a little surprised. "What is it?"

Jing Jiu said, "Why do you do this?"

Liu S sui thought for a moment before understanding what he meant. "Young master, you've treated me..."

Jing Jiu raised his hand.

Liu S sui hurriedly fell silent.

What he wanted to ask had nothing to do with those comments, but concerned something else.

"You're very clever and kind, with a resolve beyond your years. And though your sense of right and wrong is naive and childish, it is very firm."

Looking into his eyes, Jing Jiu said, "Then why do you still stay by my side?"