Chapter 35

After running into trouble at the Azure Dragon platform, without any order from Yan Zhengming, all members of Fuyao Sect, including servants, avoid going outside. They all know what “discretion” is without any teaching.

Cheng Qian increases his daily practice with the sword by two hours, and insists on sparring with his fellow disciples. The hundred-day period of the celestial market passes by in a blink of the eye, and Cheng Qian masters “Seek and pursue.”

Under the pressure of their difficult circumstances, even the disinterested Han Yuan puts effort into practicing. One day, Li Yun achieves the ability to absorb qi after waking up from his midday nap. No one can tell what his means to enter the Tao is. As their Master is no longer there, the first time Li Yun practices carving a talisman has to be under the guidance of their most senior brother.

On the last day of the celestial market, Han Yuan changes into shabby clothes and goes outside. He doesn’t return until the evening, bringing back a package of cakes and eating as he walks. Puddle, who has been playing in the hall, sees that and wants to eat too. She watches him closely with longing eyes and salivates.

“No, baby sister,” Han Yuan heartlessly says, “Children can’t eat adults’ food. They will choke to death.”

Puddle’s milk teeth can chew even wood, so she doesn’t believe his threat. Seeing as the package of cakes are nearly empty, she impatiently sprouts her first speech since birth. “B- b- bwother.”

Startled enough to stop in his track, Han Yuan asks. “Oh, can you already speak?”

Seeing an opening, Puddle squeezes her hands and tries so hard her face turns red to call once more. “Bwother!”

“Good work.” Han Yuan pays her a completely insincere compliment, without making even a tiniest bit of effort. He continues walking and eating. His past as a beggar gives him a bad habit. He can ask for food from other people, but no one can touch the food in his hand.

Puddle is anxious about the cakes to the point of forgetting that her disciple brothers forbid her not to fly. She spreads the wings that she has increasingly better control over and chases after Han Yuan.

At precisely that moment, Cheng Qian and Li Yun walk in.

As soon as he sees those familiar huge wings, Cheng Qian’s face darkens. He orders with a low voice. “Get down!”

Puddle is afraid of Cheng Qian, because her tantrums and tears work on everyone but her third disciple brother. He is strict to other people and even stricter to himself. Whatever he threatens, he will do it. Fearing that she will lose her dinner, she lands too fast that her bottom slams into the ground. Her mouth wobbles, but she dares not cry in front of Cheng Qian.

Cheng Qian is carrying a basket of flowers in one hand and some books in the other. He makes an icy face to reprimand Puddle, but his heart is full of worries.

What will happen to a little, defenseless celestial yao if she falls in the hand of a greedy and cruel cultivator?

Furthermore, in the worst case scenario, no one can demand justice for her. At the end of the day, she isn’t human, and in the eyes of many cultivators, what isn’t human is a thing. Even if she is the daughter of the queen of the yao and has half-human blood, it is likely she is regarded as a mere animal.

Seeing as Cheng Qian is about to lose his temper with Puddle, Li Yun hastily waves his hand. “Let it go, Xiao-Qian. She is still too young to understand anything. Rather than expecting her to remember it by herself, let’s find something to stop her from flying.”

“A few days ago I indeed found a talisman design for sealing the yao blood,” Cheng Qian says, “However, I don’t know what the odds of success are.”

Although he has just started working with talismans, Li Yun is well-aware of their complexities. He urges. “You shouldn’t recklessly try the talismans you aren’t sure about again.”

Cheng Qian evades the reminder. He just smiles and turns to Han Yuan to change the topic. “Where did you go today?”

“Gather information,” Han Yuan chews and talks at the same time, “In the past few days, I found out that the asshole with the face like a lump of coal who caused trouble for us is called Zhang Dasen. He has passed the test to attend the Lecture Hall. The one who used the sword is Zhang Erlin, his younger brother. He wasn’t selected and will have to leave Azure Dragon Island tomorrow once the celestial market is over. The way I understand it, these rogue cultivators really like to gather together. Zhang Dasen and his gang have already swayed some people. We’ll have to be careful against them.”

Han Yuan has a skill that can be called a specialty. He can uncover everything, as long as someone says something on the street.

Li Yun asks, “Who is the one that carried a fan that day?”

Han Yuan’s face darkens slightly. “We can’t afford to piss him off. He is a member of Azure Dragon Island, named Zhou Hanzheng. He is the Left Guardian of the Lecture Hall. The Lecture Hall has two Guardians. Do you remember the woman with the square face? She is the Right Guardian.”

That is, of course, Tang Wanqiu.

Li Yun frowns. “That Left Guardian guy doesn’t know us. What problem does he have with us?”

“Maybe he is annoyed we can attend the Lecture Hall without participating in the tournament,” Han Yuan says, “I don’t know. I heard this guy had an unsettling personality, with an unpredictable temper. Let’s try not to cross him. Ah yes, I found some good stuff today.”

Having said that, Han Yuan dusts the cake crumbs on his hands and takes out a package wrapped with oil paper from his clothes. He shows it to his disciple brothers with a mysterious air.

In the package are three needles with a strange shape. Their ends are carved with unreadable spells, and the points have a greenish shade.

“These are…” Li Yun’s eyes widen. “Xiao-Qian, don’t touch with your bare hand! These are Soul Seeking Needles. They are poisonous. Where did you find them?”

Han Yuan grins gleefully. “At the celestial market.”

“I know these. They are powerful,” Li Yun doesn’t bother to reprimand Han Yuan for the theft. He excitedly holds up the needles, with the safety provided by the oil paper cover. “It isn’t easy to find these needles. They are called ‘Soul Seeking Needle’ because they can automatically find the target when you give them the order. With these, you can easily kill the general, even if the enemy army is ten thousand strong!”

Cheng Qian has no interest in this kind of shady practice. If he wants to grind someone’s bones into dust, he will do it himself using his sword. Needles or pins, he has no mood to learn about such things. He walks past Li Yun and Han Yuan with the big and absurd basket of flowers in his hand, and kicks the door of Yan Zhengming’s room.

In the furtive giggling of the young maid, he roughly puts the basket of flowers on the table and says angrily, “These are the rotten flowers you wanted.”

Even when surrounded by the maids and the beautiful scenery outside, this most senior brother who needs three months to heal a wound not larger than the span of a hand is actually working. On his qin table is a long piece of wood, which he is carving into a talisman with concentration.

As Cheng Qian kicks the door to get inside, the curve Yan Zhengming is working on goes awry. His finger is cut by the burin and a drop of blood seeps out.

Yan Zhengming frowns at first, but he smirks when he sees that it was Cheng Qian who kicked the door. Because of this “grievous injury”, that day Cheng Qian wasn’t only made to pick flowers in daytime by Yan Zhengming, at night he had to suffer his most senior brother bossing around as he put those strange flowers in the vase.

The next day, the Lecture Hall opens.

What is called the “Lecture Hall” is actually a clearing on the side of a mountain. The area is crowded and noisy. There are all kinds of people of all ages and genders as far as the eyes can see. They all try to occupy a place and settle in however they like, standing, sitting, or even climbing on the trees. It’s difficult to even walk in there.

Luckily, the group from Fuyao Sect arrive early thanks to Li Yun’s insistent reminders, so they can find a corner on the front without being blocked by anyone and thus settle in early.

The people present here are all rogue cultivators from all kinds of places. Most of them don’t have high cultivation level, and don’t yet have the skill to practice inedia and shield their bodies from dirt. Some of them are wanderers all year long, living without care for hygiene. Their bodies besides flesh and blood are made of mud, giving off the smell across miles. Some even bring their companion animals, which are not just dogs or birds or foxes but also fat rats, looking very vomit-inducing.

In such a ‘good’ environment, even Cheng Qian has to cringe. No need to guess how their most senior brother with an obsession for cleanliness will feel.

Yet Yan Zhengming doesn’t say anything. He has nothing to say. It’s his decision to stay. How can he eat his words in front of everyone.

Yan Zhengming waves his hand to decline a cushion offered to him. Looking at some indeterminate point in the distance, he is filled with an indescribable sadness.

He can’t help thinking of the Hall for the Teaching of the Tao at Fuyao Mountain. There were spaces, incense in the burner, snacks and tea with suitable temperatures, yet they didn’t know to appreciate it and caused trouble day in and day out.

Back then he slept until the sun was high up in the sky, Li Yun played with the disgusting creatures, Han Yuan was only interested in sneaking food. Only Cheng Qian tried to overcome his sleepiness and listen to the Master recite the scripture.

In the present, the scenery is still there, but the person has been lost.

“Hey, senior brother, what’s wrong?” Han Yuan’s voice interrupts Yan Zhengming’s recollections.

Yan Zhengming raises his head and sees that Cheng Qiang has nearly collapsed onto Li Yun. His face doesn’t just look like he didn’t sleep well, but like he has a serious illness, even his lips are grey.

Cheng Qian squints his eyes and shakes his head. He doesn’t say anything, unclear whether because he doesn’t have the energy or doesn’t want to talk.

Yan Zhengming felt terrified. The previous time Cheng Qing looked like that, he was working with talismans for the first time. He didn’t know his own ability and lost too much energy.

“What were you up to last night?” Yan Zhengming pointed at Cheng Qian. “Burglary?”

Li Yun recalls his talk with Cheng Qian the previous day. He turns to Cheng Qian and asks. “Earlier this morning I visited our baby disciple sister before leaving. She was crying in the room. What happened?”

When Puddle cries, the house collapses. Therefore since she began to understand her situation a little, she normally doesn’t cry indoors. From time to time when she bursts out crying and the room shakes, she will stop immediately.

In his half dead half alive state, Cheng Qian finally replies. “Nothing happened to the building?”

“How dare you,” Li Yun becomes angry. He grabs Cheng Qian by the collar. “You carved a talisman all alone. Are you tired of living?”

“Shh-” Han Yuan pulled at Li Yun, as the noisy clearing suddenly becomes quiet. A person descends from the sky to the centre of the Lecture Hall. Wild flowers on the ground bloom as if they just received a heavenly elixir.

The person on the raised platform is Zhou Hanzheng.

Holding his fan with the motto “to think carefully,” Zhou Hanzheng raises his hands and makes salutes to all directions. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Yan Zhengming first pulls Cheng Qian to himself, then whispers to Li Yun and Han Yuan with a frown. “If I knew it was him, I wouldn’t have come today. Listen, today we’ll leave early. Don’t attract attention, do you hear me?”

Li Yun doesn’t reply, his already white face becoming even whiter. Han Yuan grits his teeth, his face full of anger.

Yan Zhengming pretends not to see the reactions of his disciple brothers. He can feel how weak Cheng Qian’s breath is, as the boy leans into him lifelessly.

Although Yan Zhengming doesn’t pursue the topic, what Li Yun said is enough for him to know that Cheng Qian did something reckless again to hide the yao energy in Puddle’s body.

“Oh, I can’t stop worrying,” Yan Zhengming thinks. He squeezes Cheng Qian tightly to express his anger.

On the raised platform, Zhou Hanzheng begins to speak. The Lecture Hall opens every ten days, the rest of the time the disciples practice by themselves.

“On Azure Dragon Island, we don’t mind disciples discussing with each other. However, please maintain courtesy with each other and don’t disturb the peace. If any of you put your fellow disciples in danger, you’ll be punished according to the rules,” Zhou Hanzheng’s glance sweeps through the crowd as he speaks. He somehow spots the group from Fuyao Sect immediately, his eyes stopping at Yan Zhengming. Then he smiles and says, “Well then, today I will explain to you about qi absorption and storing qi in the centre of your body.”

“We should leave,” Yan Zhengming only listens with half his mind. He distractedly thinks. “Even if we don’t go home, we should still return to Fuyao Mountain. We have the Nine-Floor library tower to teach ourselves. It’s still better than staying here and being afraid of everything. In the worst case scenario, we can go into seclusion and refuse to meet people like the ancestral master. Let’s pack right today!”

At this point, Zhou Hanzheng suddenly says, “I’m aware that you are at different levels. Let’s do it this way, I’ll call up a disciple to demonstrate with me.”

With those words, his malicious tiny eyes look at Fuyao Sect, meeting Yan Zhengming’s eyes. Yan Zhengming has the feelings he is being watched by a viper.

“Ah, Sect Leader Yan,” Zhou Hanzheng smiles. “I heard from the lord of the island that your esteemed sect has a long history, with a tradition of being learned. Sect Leader Yan must have completed this stage of qi absorption. Why don’t you come here and demonstrate for everyone to see?”

Cheng Qian didn’t sleep at all the night before, on top of his cultivational base nearly empty because of the talisman. He is very tired, his temples feeling like they were being compressed tightly, making his ears hear buzzing sounds. It’s very unpleasant for him to go all the way to the Lecture Hall. If he were just a little bit less stubborn, he wouldn’t have been able to wake up in the morning. However, his body instinctively tenses up upon hearing these words, and he tries to stand up.

His slightest movement can be felt by Yan Zhengming, who is being upset that troubles find him even if he wants to stay away from them.

Yan Zhengming presses Cheng Qing down. He annoyedly says, “Sit still, you rascal. Don’t cause any more trouble! Who needs you to go out there?”

Having said that, he takes a deep breath and walks to the front with his sword in hand. With each step, his heart steadies bit by bit. He stops at about ten steps in front of Zhou Hanzheng. Planting his sword on the ground, he says, “I humbly wait for your teaching.”

The sword of Yan Zhengming is really an eyesore. It’s not certain what the sword itself is like, but the scabbard alone is priceless. It’s adorned by countless precious stones. Even the crown of the Empress may not have so many treasures.

Zhou Hanzheng looks at him from head to toe and says, “Everyone here who can perform qi absorption knows the first sensitivity to qi is a matter of luck. Sect Leader Yan, may I ask what is your means for entering the Tao?”

Yan Zhengming is still thinking if they have to bid farewell to the Lord of Azure Dragon Island. In his heart, he understands that the lord of the island helped them to find the missing disciples then provides them with shelter, which shows both compassion and righteousness. However, all the indignities he has experienced so far all happened on the Azure Dragon Island, so Yan Zhengming can’t help but feel some resentment towards the lord.

Upon being questioned, he doesn’t want to waste his words, so he says succinctly, “Sword.”

Zhou Hanzheng nods with a smile. “Indeed. I can guess that. We can all see how carefully Sect Leader Yan keeps his sword.”

These words, up to the “Sect Leader Yan”, are full of mockery. As soon as he says them, the audience burst out laughing, whether from amusement or desire to flatter this powerful Left Guardian.

The veins on Cheng Qian’s temples throb. Knowing that he is losing control, Li Yun presses him down as soon as he moves, and reprimands him with a low voice. “Are you trying to cause trouble again?”

Cheng Qian’s fists ball up so tightly they become white. Everyone has a limit to their control of temper, where the person can’t help indulging their anger, no matter how unreasonable it looks to outsiders. For Cheng Qian, he can swallow his temper for the greater good when he doesn’t want to cause conflicts, even if he is insulted to the face. But when it comes to his Master and fellow disciples, he can’t stand it.

Li Yun holds the shoulders of Cheng Qian tightly and whispers into his ear. “Don’t cause trouble. Maybe our most senior brother already wants to go home.”

Cheng Qian startles.

Li Yun says with a low voice: “Xiao-Qian, think about it, if you can’t stand it, no way our most senior brother can go through this. I think he already plans to go home as soon as he saw this Lecture Hall place.”

Zhou Hanzheng ignores Yan Zhengming at first. He slowly lists the paths for qi absorption that he knows. By the end, he says, “Qi absorption is the first path of gaining enlightenment about the world. If you cross this threshold, you officially become a practitioner. Only after this does the cultivation of energy becomes important. Each sect has its own ways to cultivate the energy, but the methods are generally similar. They are all about you absorbing the natural energy into your body and forming your cultivational base.”

“Besides having a strong energy reserve and good skills with the sword, you’ll need a proper cultivational base.” Zhou Hanzheng turns to Yan Zhengming and asks. “May I ask how long have you been able to absorb the qi?”

Yan Zhengming stays silent.

Fuyao Sect never bothers with cultivating the energy. The only thing the disciples do after crossing the first threshold is carving talismans to improve their meridians. From time to time, someone enters the meditative trance or reaches some understanding thanks to luck, but Muchun Zhanren never asked his disciples to meditate and form a cultivational base like other sects.

As if being sure that Yan Zhengming is an ignorant rich boy, Zhou Hanzheng smirks and repeats the question, “Sect Leader Yan, what about it?”

Yan Zhengming replies, “Three years.”

Zhou Hanzheng claps his hands. “With three years of qi absorption, you should have a decent energy reserve. Let’s have a look.”

As soon as he finishes his speech, a strange whirlwind appears on the platform and attacks Yan Zhengming. Yan Zhengming instinctively raises his sword and mobilises the qi from his entire body, to form an invisible shield to protect himself.

Even occupied, Zhou Hanzheng can still talk casually to the audience below. “This technique is called ‘Borrowing from Mountains and Rivers’, which was devised by my sect to test the energy reserve of the disciples. Some of you must have already seen it at the test. This form is called Flying Sands Running Rocks, which is designed for newcomers. The disciples who have cultivated for three years and reached ‘lower achievement’ with hard work or outstanding talents can withstand this attack for several days. Those who are less accomplished can withstand for several hours. A shabbier result would be two hours and a couple of minutes. But, …”

Yan Zhengming only hears buzzing in his ears. He has never worked on his cultivational base, so it’s simply that he doesn’t know how to distribute his energy. In a short moment, he loses all feelings of his limbs. Before Zhou Hanzheng even finishes, the qi shield around his body is torn apart. A strong force that he can’t defend himself against hits his chest, then the whirlwind whips over his body. He loses his ground and is thrown off the platform.

Zhou Hanzheng looks at Yan Zhengming fall off without any pity. He says the rest of his mockery, “Regarding those who have insufficient ability and use medicine to force their level to increase, entering the Tao with drugs, I expected them to be able to withstand a few minutes, but looks like I think of them too highly. Sect Leader Yan of this “drugged” sect, are you alright?”

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Notes: The original for "drugged" 服药 sounds a bit like 'Fuyao'