Because he was running so fast, Liu S sui's hands trailed behind him, making him look like a little duck, comical and rather endearing.
Jing Jiu stood waiting for him, the faintest hint of a smile at the corners of his lips.
Liu S sui ran up to Jing Jiu and stopped.
He had run too fast and stopped too abruptly. His feet scored two shallow tracks in the grass, and his body swayed back and forth before he finally steadied himself.
The sight was rather comical, and some of the young disciples with Jing Jiu could not help laughing.
The laughter soon died away as they guessed that this young boy was the legendary innate Dao Seed.
Liu S sui stood before Jing Jiu, looking very excited. He reached out to take Jing Jiu's hand, then felt it would be inappropriate and hastily drew his hands back, clenching them into fists.
The group emerging from the woods could not help feeling surprised at the sight.
After all, Liu S sui usually knew nothing but cultivation and sword practice. His life was monotonous, his disposition plain and unassuming; they rarely saw him so excited.
"Who is this?" Gu Han asked.
A disciple said, "Instructor Gu, this should be Jing Jiu, whom S sui often mentions."
Hearing this, the group understood why Liu S sui was so excited.
Gu Han looked at Jing Jiu's face and raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat displeased.
Whether it was because that face was too beautiful or because its expression was too composed and calm, forming such a sharp contrast with Liu S sui, was unclear.
Just as Jing Jiu was about to speak, a cold voice rang out.
"What are you doing?"
Jing Jiu looked over and saw that the speaker was the Twofold Forgetting Peak disciple named Gu Han.
Liu S sui paused, then hurriedly explained, "Instructor Gu, this is my household's..."
Gu Han did not let him finish. "I told you," he said impassively, "at such an important moment, nothing must distract you."
The implication was perfectly clear: he did not care who Jing Jiu was.
"Come here and receive your punishment," Gu Han said.
Jing Jiu glanced at him.
Liu S sui hurriedly waved a hand at Jing Jiu and walked back to Gu Han.
A fat man with his hair in a topknot stepped out from behind Gu Han, holding a cloth-wrapped object in both hands. With plump but nimble fingers, he untied the fastening, revealing the rod inside.
A stir ran through the crowd at the sight. The gazes falling on Liu S sui held more sympathy now, but even more envy.
The disciples who had emerged from the woods had the same feelings in their eyes.
That rod represented not the Green Mountain Sect's sword laws, but Twofold Forgetting Peak's rules.
By punishing Liu S sui according to Twofold Forgetting Peak's rules, Gu Han was effectively disciplining him as a direct disciple of that peak.
For the inner disciples who wholeheartedly hoped to be chosen by Twofold Forgetting Peak at the Sword Inheritance Assembly, such discipline was truly enviable treatment.
The hard wooden rod struck Liu S sui's back with a heavy thud.
Naturally, he could not circulate True Essence to protect himself while receiving punishment. Liu S sui could only endure it.
The wooden rod fell again and again, each blow landing with a dull thud.
Liu S sui was in great pain, his eyes brimming with tears, yet he still had to stand obediently in place without moving.
Watching this, Jing Jiu said nothing.
Suddenly, he sensed something. Looking over, he met Gu Han's cold gaze.
He watched the other man quietly.
Liu S sui noticed his gaze and, enduring the pain, kept shaking his head, signaling him not to do anything rash.
Jing Jiu remained silent for a while, then turned and walked away from the peak.
Of all those present, only Gu Han noticed that he, too, shook his head as he turned.
"Enough."
Gu Han signaled an end to the punishment and frowned slightly as he watched Jing Jiu's retreating figure.
The fat man put away the rod, carefully wrapping it in blue cloth. Following Gu Han's gaze, he smiled with narrowed eyes, though a cold gleam flashed through them.
"Well? This disciple is quite famous. Seeing him today, he certainly lives up to his reputation. Truly handsome-enough to make one jealous."
As Twofold Forgetting Peak Disciples, why would they care about something as trivial as beauty or ugliness? Naturally, his question concerned Jing Jiu's talent and potential for cultivation.
"An ordinary Dao Seed, ordinary aptitude," Gu Han said. "If he really is as unambitious as the rumors say, he must have stocked up on plenty of pills to break through a realm within two years."
"He may be some young master from the imperial court in Chaoge," the fat man said. "It would be normal for him to have some precious pills. Besides, they say he has a very good head on his shoulders. Shall we talk to him?"
"Our swords at Twofold Forgetting Peak are for killing," Gu Han said. "However clever he is, exceptional intelligence is useless. If pills could lead one to the Great Dao, why cultivate at all?"
They did not avoid Liu S sui during this conversation. Hearing them, Liu S sui grew anxious and wanted to say a few words in Jing Jiu's defense.
To his mind, it would naturally be best if his young master could also join Twofold Forgetting Peak ahead of time.
"A disciple of Twofold Forgetting Peak cannot be a servant. Remember that."
Gu Han looked at Liu S sui, his tone carrying an unquestionable will. "Do not continue associating with him."
Liu S sui froze.
Gu Han ignored him and led the disciples toward Sword Peak.
Liu S sui stood in place, silent for a long time, but finally followed.
Watching the group head toward Sword Peak's cliffs, a disciple familiar with the situation at the Sword-Washing Pavilion asked in puzzlement, "Isn't Instructor Gu the immortal instructor for Class One? Have they still not taken their swords?"
"Junior Brother Liu took his sword half a year ago," the Cloud-Walking Peak steward said.
The disciples found this even stranger. What were they going up Sword Peak for, then?
The group led by Gu Han had already begun climbing Sword Peak. They grew ever more distant, nearly becoming a string of black dots along the cliffs.
Without an elder to lead them, these disciples naturally dared not follow and could only watch from below.
As time passed, more stewards, instructors, and students from Cloud-Traveling Peak arrived. Another dozen or more sword lights cut across the sky as people came from the various peaks; even two second-generation martial uncles arrived in person.
All of this seemed to foretell that something important would happen shortly.
As they climbed higher, the air grew thinner and the terrain steeper. Every step was difficult.
The young disciples stopped and stayed where they were, sensing the sword intent around them to temper their wills and improve their cultivation.
Gu Han, the fat man, and Liu S sui continued onward.
After an unknown length of time, the scenery around them gradually blurred and the mist thickened. They had probably reached the edge of the clouds.
Here, the Sword Qi seeping from the mountain was even more terrifying. Liu S sui's small face was flushed red, and his breathing was rapid.
After all, he was still young and had not cultivated for long.
Still, being able to reach this point already put him far beyond his fellow disciples who had remained below.
The fat man was also panting slightly. Holding his waist, he said, "I wonder whether Twelfth Month is here today."
Gu Han looked as he always did. The sword intent within Sword Peak and this altitude meant nothing to him.
Hearing the fat man's words, he looked toward the summit deeper in the clouds. After a moment's silence, he waved his hand, seemingly wishing to sweep away certain unpleasant images.
With the sweep of his palm, a powerful wind rose among the cliffs, scattering all the clouds and mist. Their surroundings instantly became clear.
Before them was a sheer drop. One more step would send them falling; the rock face was smooth and bare of grass, with nowhere to gain a handhold.
Liu S sui walked to the cliff's edge and looked down.
They were already more than a thousand zhang above the ground. Even though cultivation had given him eyesight comparable to a divine eagle's, he still could not clearly see the situation below, only a multitude of tiny black dots.
Each tiny black dot was a person. Thinking of so many people watching him made the boy even more nervous, and his breathing unconsciously quickened further.
He silently recited the Sword Scripture, calming himself as much as possible. Once his breathing steadied, he slowly raised his right hand.
With a hiss, a flying sword about two feet long, its entire surface as smooth as a mirror, flew from his sleeve.
The flying sword traced several arcs through the air, then followed his spiritual will to hover quietly beyond the cliff, right in front of him.
He needed only to take one step forward to stand on the flying sword.
The question was, how many people in the world had the courage to take that step?
One step forward lay the boundless sea and sky.
One step back lay the rolling dust of the mortal world.
Nothing should be thought over for too long.
The longer one thought, the more easily things went wrong.
Liu S sui stared at the clouds beyond the peak, his face slightly pale, unable to take that step.
Behind him, Gu Han said expressionlessly, "I'll give you ten more breaths. If you can't walk out there yourself, I'll push you."
"No need." Liu S sui suddenly turned to him. "Instructor Gu, I'm still going to see my young master."
With those words, he stepped forward.
Slightly angered by what he heard, Gu Han raised his eyebrows and was about to do something when he saw what happened.
Liu S sui stepped into the sky beyond the cliff.
His right foot came down squarely on the flying sword.
The flying sword sank about half a foot before stopping.
Then his left foot stepped onto the sword as well.
The cold wind howled, beating against Sword Peak's cliffs and billowing his clothes.
Liu S sui spread his arms, bent his knees slightly, and swayed from side to side, seeking his balance.
There was no fear on his face, only concentration.
Gu Han suddenly recalled the sight of Liu S sui rushing up to Jing Jiu and coming to an abrupt stop.
The wind curled back from the cliff face, and Liu S sui pitched forward.
The fat man standing on the cliff shuddered in fright.
Liu S sui shouted something indistinct and, riding the wind, flew out into the sky.
This was his first Sword Flight. He could not become a streak of sword light, leaving only an afterimage.
The sword's shadow darted through the clouds, stopping abruptly or turning from time to time. Its movements were extremely erratic and looked terribly dangerous.
Faint gasps and shouts rose from far below the cliff.
Pale-faced, the fat man kept muttering to himself, "If S sui falls to his death... will the sect master expel us from Green Mountain?"
Gu Han said nothing, merely staring at the sword's shadow as it drew farther and farther from the cliff face.
However perilous Liu S sui's Sword Control became—even when he plunged straight toward the ground twice—Gu Han did not seem particularly worried. His eyes merely narrowed further and further.
Given Liu S sui's realm, age, and experience, beginning to learn Sword Flight now was indeed pushing things very far. Pushing things naturally meant risk, so he had not told his fellow disciples at Twofold Forgetting Peak, much less reported it to his elders.
But he knew that when he led Liu S sui up Sword Peak, the elders of the Nine Peaks should have guessed the truth. By now, several martial uncles in the Wandering the Wilds Realm should be watching from the clouds, ready to intervene and save him at any moment.
After an unknown length of time, the sword's shadow finally steadied, and Liu S sui's figure became clearly visible.
The flying sword grew faster and faster until it became a streak of light, heading up Sword Peak and breaking through the clouds, its destination unknown.
(Fifty thousand words now. Let's offer a preliminary verdict: the opening of The Great Dao Toward Heaven should be the best opening I've written for any of my stories. Praise, praise, praise! Please cast your recommendation votes!)
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