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Ling Hua stood at the intersection.
Most of the disciples in the Sect had already gathered at the Cliff of Rebirth, yet Shen Liuxiang was still nowhere to be seen.
“Did the Immortal come to regret his decision?” Ling Dan, standing beside him, asked with a light chuckle.
Ling Hua placed a hand over his forehead.
“Maybe. That guy always does things like this. I’m afraid that Ling Yue will be angered to death later by him.”
The two continued to chat.
A young man standing not far away walked over with slow steps, looking left and right the whole time. His phoenix eyes were full of curiosity.
Ling Hua took a glance at him and immediately lost interest.
On the contrary, Ling Dan made a sound of curiosity.
“Eh? He looks a little familiar…”
The young man dressed in white from head to toe, had his waist-length hair tied up. He was holding a sword in his hand and the crimson ribbon on his clothes swayed gently in the wind.
Ling Hua said, “You mean to say that he reminds you of Liuxiang, right?”
This was not surprising.
The Shen Liuxiang of the past could be considered a peerless individual.
He was the leader of the new generation in Qingling Sect. After battling against powerhouses from the demon1 clan, the public’s admiration for Shen Liuxiang grew even greater.
Countless disciples modelled themselves after him.
A “Shen Liuxiang” craze swept across the cultivation world. Many cultivators tried to use the same type of sword he did and many tried to copy his attire.
It was likely that this disciple had already spent some years in the Sect. If not, there was no way he could’ve remembered how Shen Liuxiang looked in the past.
Besides, he even got seventy to eighty percent of his appearance down.
“This disciple is surprisingly steadfast in his feelings towards Shen Liuxiang,” Ling Hua remarked. Then, his voice took on an unhappy tone.
“It’s fine if he uses the same sword. I’ll overlook that ribbon around his waist too. But using transfiguration spells to imitate Shen Liuxiang’s looks is too much.”
Ling Hua flicked his finger, planning to break the spell.
A blue light streaked across Shen Liuxiang’s face.
Then…
There was no then.
Feeling an inexplicable chill on his face, Shen Liuxiang reached a hand out to pat at it.
Taking a few steps forward, he saw a familiar figure and waved in a friendly manner.
“Hey, Ling Hua, I’ve come.”
Ling Hua was dumbfounded.
“So it truly was Immortal Shen,” Ling Dan said. He stepped forward and circled around him.
“You are much more pleasing to the eyes now!”
Ling Hua finally reacted. Grabbing Shen Liuxiang’s arm, he sized him up.
“In the past, you’d rather die than allow me to break that transfiguration spell. Why did you suddenly change so much? It’s as if you were suddenly enlightened. You also stopped wearing white flowers behind your ears.”
Though Shen Liuxiang was still dressed in white, the feeling he gave off was completely different from before.
His long hair was neatly and cleanly tied up. The crimson ribbon around his waist was conspicuous and completely dispelled his gloomy, lifeless look in the past.
Coupled with his beautiful appearance and lovely poise, it seemed as if the previous Shen Liuxiang had suddenly returned.
Shen Liuxiang switched his sword over to his other hand.
The sword was called Zhao Yao.
He liked this arrogant2 name a lot—so much so that even the sword looked a little more pleasing to his eyes.
As a result, he had brought it over with him, knowing that it would be put to good use soon.
The Cliff of Rebirth had a steep terrain. Towering amongst the clouds, it only had a single hanging path leading to it. Below the path lay countless ten-thousand-foot precipices.
Shen Liuxiang stepped onto the path and immediately turned pale from fear. After walking for dozens of minutes, he finally got used to it and walked more freely, treating the steep path as if it were flat ground.
When Shen Liuxiang got to the corner, he reached out and grabbed onto the railings. Through the light mist, he could see most of Qingling Sect.
Filled with emotion, he exclaimed, “The land of the immortals is truly stunning. It’s a pity that it is somewhat deserted.”
Ling Hua halted in his steps.
He seemed to have recalled something. A smile rose on his face.
“When the two of us first entered the Sect, you said something like this as well.”
Shen Liuxiang was surprised.
Ling Hua raised his hand and gestured at his waist.
“At that time, we were around this height—still tiny. In the blink of an eye, we’ve already risen to become respected immortals3.”
Shen Liuxiang knitted his brows and hesitantly asked, “What was I like in the past?”
Ling Hua raised his head. After rifling through his memory for a long time, he made a “tsk” sound.
“I can’t remember it anymore.”
Having said this, Ling Hua raised his eyebrows. “However, I can clearly remember the face you make whenever you’re admiring Ye Bingran.”
“That’s something you will have to remember properly,” Shen Liuxiang said. He made a big stretch. Having rested enough, he prepared to continue on his journey.
“In the future, that appearance of mine will only be found in your memories.”
Ling Hua responded, “What do you mean? Did you somehow stop liking the immensely handsome Sword Venerable Ye?”
“Immensely handsome?”
Shen Liuxiang snorted. “Isn’t he just a piece of wood4 who plays with a sword?”
Looking over to Ling Hua, Shen Liuxiang blinked a few times. “He’s not even as handsome as you are.”
Ye Bingran made his name known in his youth. He was praised as a genius sword cultivator since young and was now a Sword Venerable admired by tens of thousands of people.
Though Ling Hua was an immortal himself, his prestige still fell a little behind that of Ye Bingran’s.
Ling Hua was shell-shocked to hear Shen Liuxiang belittling Ye Bingran out of the blue.
Before he could even recover from the shock, he heard the following line and immediately felt furious.
“So annoying!”
Ling Hua hooked an arm across Shen Liuxiang’s neck and ferociously rubbed at his head.
“Alas, I still like this straightforward personality of yours the most!”
The two of them were childhood friends and often played and fought with each other in their youth.
However, their relationship gradually grew distant after Shen Liuxiang fell in love with the Sword Venerable.
But now…
Ling Hua felt his emotions well up. He really wanted to grab onto his good friend’s face and give it a rough squeeze.
Finally! Shen Liuxiang had finally woken up from his delusions!
Abruptly, an inappropriate voice cut into their conversation.
Coughing awkwardly, Ling Dan reminded them, “The two of you should stop talking first. Look at what’s in front.”
At some point in time, a crowd had appeared at the bend in front of them.
The man standing in the lead had a lean body and valiant, dashing looks. The bridge of his nose was high and straight.
A pair of cold eyes were currently staring at the thin figure standing beside the hanging path and the man’s body exuded the chill of frost and snow.
He had probably heard those words.
Within the span of a single moment, the atmosphere turned awkward.
Ling Hua grumpily retrieved his hand and fixed his attire.
Lightly cupping his hands, he coughed once and questioned, “Ye Bingran, why did you come down instead of staying at the summit of the cliff?”
“I’m the one who brought him over,” a voice sounded from behind.
It was Ling Yue. His handsome features were filled with indifference. He said straightforwardly, “I was afraid that Immortal Shen would have regrets and specially came to find him.”
What an obstinate, annoying guy! He’s completely abandoned his feelings for the people around him!5 Ling Hua scolded internally.
Ling Yue entered the Sect a few years after they did. His personality was strict and unyielding. After becoming a law enforcement elder, he no longer had family6 in his eyes.7
And he even had the moral standing! So Ling Yue couldn’t even find a reason to give him a good beating!
“Why are you calling me Immortal Shen?” Shen Liuxiang raised an eyebrow and asked.
Walking forward, he stopped in front of Ling Yue and clung to his broad shoulders, completely disregarding their audience.
“That term sounds too distant. Why don’t you call me Senior Brother instead?”
Met with Shen Liuxiang’s sudden friendliness, Ling Yue’s expression did not change at all.
With his usual indifferent tone, he said, “Immortal Shen’s position is high and should not referred to in a casual manner.”
Look at this stubborn guy.
In the novel, Ling Yue was like the personification of an iron law. As a law enforcement elder, he treated everyone with the utmost fairness, without a single hint of personal bias.
He was the only man who did not fall mindlessly in love with Su Baiche.
Su Baiche had made a mistake once. Ling Yue did not spare him at all and punished him severely, leaving Su Baiche with a body full of wounds.
This also caused Su Baiche’s admirers to become greatly displeased with Ling Yue.
Shen Liuxiang had his interest piqued.
Grabbing onto the Ling Yue who was about to turn around and leave, Shen Liuxiang laughed lightly and said, “Aren’t you worried that I’ll regret my decision? If I tried to flee now, what would you do?”
Ling Yue was stunned.
He probably had not expected Shen Liuxiang to say such shameless words in front of an audience. His face immediately darkened.
“I will not let you escape.”
Shen Liuxiang retorted, “But I’m already at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.”
The implications of this sentence were clear. Even if Shen Liuxiang tried to run, Ling Yue would have no way to stop him.
The disciples from Sword Sect who had previously shown their disdain for Shen Liuxiang all turned pale.
They were too focused on Shen Liuxiang’s shamelessness and had nearly forgotten that he was an immortal!
A cultivator who was already half a step into the Soul Formation Realm!
The Qingling Sect disciples who arrived slightly later anxiously stood at the back of the crowd. Looking at the people blocking off the path, the disciples were so afraid that they dared not release their breaths.
What’s the situation?
The immortals, the Sword Venerable and the law enforcement elder are all standing together!
Ling Yue’s face darkened. “What are you planning to do?”
You declared that you would receive your punishment, but now you’re afraid and regretting your decisions. Do you think the Sect’s rules are a joke?
Several Qingling Sect disciples gasped in fright. The law enforcement elder was very intimidating and the disciples feared him the most.
Shen Liuxiang had truly angered him! The disciples fervently prayed that they, as innocent bystanders, would not be embroiled in this matter.
“It’s simple,” Shen Liuxiang met Ling Yue’s sharp glare and squeezed his eyes at him, looking as if he could not see Ling Yue’s stern anger.
“Be obedient and call me ‘Senior Brother’ once, and I’ll receive my punishment properly.”
Ling Yue’s fierce expression froze.
What kind of request was that?
He’d thought that Shen Liuxiang would act like a demon and refuse to comply with the punishment.
Ling Yue opened his mouth. Immediately after, he shut it again.
Shen Liuxiang tilted his head and looked at him with his eyes crinkled in a smile. The two of them were standing very close.
Ling Yue could clearly see every inch of Shen Liuxiang’s face. His skin was snow white and exquisite. It did not contain any imperfection.
Ling Yue took a few looks then hurriedly shifted his gaze away.
He turned his head, feeling an inexplicable heat on his face. A long while later, he drily called out.
“Senior Brother……”
These words were spoken with a truly awkward air. It was obvious that they were spoken with great unwillingness and great helplessness.
Listening to it, Shen Liuxiang even thought that the words sounded a little pitiful.
The disciples standing at the back were completely stupefied.
This… Was this still their heartless, ice-cold law enforcement elder?!
Why did it suddenly seem as if he was a pitiful little thing that got bullied?! What the hell was this all about?!
Hearing the words “Senior Brother”, Shen Liuxiang felt very contented. It felt as if his seniority immediately rose by several levels within this short period.
Shen Liuxiang then turned to the side and stretched his arm out to the Ye Bingran who had been left hanging, forced to witness the show of brotherly love.
Flinging his sleeves, Shen Liuxiang said, “Sword Venerable Ye, after you. You probably can’t wait to see me punished.”
Ye Bingran glanced down.
The last time they met was only a few days ago, yet the person in front of him had changed so much.
Shen Liuxiang’s changes were not only limited to his outer appearance. The biggest difference was the change in his attitude towards Ye Bingran.
In the past, Shen Liuxiang tried to cling to him all the time. He was the only one in Shen Liuxiang’s eyes.
Now, that same pair of phoenix eyes looked at him with polite calm, as if he was looking at a complete stranger.
No, that wasn’t it. Those eyes were now filled with a slight hint of disdain.
Ye Bingran could not figure out why.
He suddenly saw a glimpse of red silk in Shen Liuxiang’s hair and the doubts in his heart instantly dissipated.
He must be acting strange again.
It was probably just a ploy to attract his attention—foolish and boring.
Ye Bingran flung his sleeves out and walked forward with a straight posture. The disciples from Sword Sect who had tagged along hurried after him.
The people of Qingling Sect were standing a little further away.
A low voice sounded. “Immortal Shen suddenly stopped imitating Master Su8. I’m a little unaccustomed to it. Truthfully speaking, his features are pretty good. Why imitate someone else?”
“Isn’t it for the sake of gaining our Sword Venerable’s favour? I thought he had a new trick up his sleeves, but he… called the Sword Venerable a piece of wood!”
In truth, the disciples from Beilun Sword Sect had a deep understanding of rules and customs. However, they found Shen Liuxiang too annoying and loathful.
It probably felt a little like this: Their Sect’s big napa cabbage who was revered by many had caught the eyes of a drooling wild pig.9
Though they did not have to worry about the big napa cabbage’s safety, having a wild pig loitering around would make anyone annoyed.
Their Sword Venerable did not need a companion. He could stay single forever.
Even if his heart moved for someone, it must never be Shen Liuxiang.
He did not deserve it!
***
At the Cliff of Rebirth, a wide space was bustling with activity. Disciples were scattered around everywhere, some on their feet and some sitting down.
After Ling Jinye had called for help from his Shizun, he was more or less kicked over to the Cliff of Rebirth by Ling Hua.
Ling Jinye took in his surroundings.
He could not find Zhou Xuanlan in the dense crowd. However, he did spot another familiar figure.
“Mushan, you’re here too?”
The youth was clad in blue and had a return jade fastened to his waist. He smiled, eyes curving up.
“I reported the issue to Shizun, so I’m a little late.”
His Shizun was Ling Ye—the current Sect Master of Qingling Sect.
“I met Xuanlan on the way here,” Ling Jinye said. A bamboo leaf had fallen on his head at some point in time.
Seeing this, Mushan smoothly helped him to remove it.
“You went to the bamboo forest to laze around again? If Immortal Ling Hua finds out about this, you’ll be punished.”
Ling Jinye suddenly felt a twinge of fear. After a while, he said, “Xuanlan was summoned by Immortal Shen just now.”
“I didn’t realize it before, but Zhou Xuanlan and Martial Uncle’s feelings as master and disciple actually go pretty deep.”
Shen Liuxiang and Ling Ye were both disciples of the Immortal of the Five Abysses.
Ling Mushan had always referred to Shen Liuxiang as his Martial Uncle.
Ling Jinye was stunned upon hearing Ling Mushan’s words. Just as he was about to ask for more details, he realized that Zhou Xuanlan had appeared.
An ornament had been added to his waist. It was a cloth bag.
“This storage bag’s price must not be low,” Ling Jinye remarked. Curious, he asked, “Where did you get it from?”
The quality of a storage bag could be discerned through two things: the size of the bag itself and the patterns and designs on it.
The storage bag Zhou Xuanlan had was small and had clear, crisp designs on it. It was definitely not a storage bag of normal quality.
Zhou Xuanlan did not try to hide it. “It was given to me by Shizun.”
Ling Jinye’s eyes widened. “What’s inside?”
After asking this question, Ling Jinye seemed to realize how inappropriate it was. With a strained smile, he scratched embarrassedly at his head.
“I don’t know,” Zhou Xuanlan lowered his head and glanced at it. With a light flick of his fingers, he removed the bag from where it was fastened to his waist.
“Shizun said that it contains everything he has accumulated over the years.”
Ling Jinye exclaimed. “How…How many treasures must there be inside?!”
His eyes sparkled a little.
“Immortal Shen is too generous! He treats you so well. Nothing like my Shizun, who just gives me a few jugs of wine and shoos me away.”
Ling Mushan was very interested in this as well. “Martial Uncle’s accumulated wealth… This really piques one’s curiosity.”
Smiling, his eyes squinted into a line.
“Every item that Martial Uncle has given the Sword Venerable is a treasure. His gifts have always been high-grade artefacts and top-grade pills. He’s also given him countless unique items. When it comes to personal possessions, he must be the wealthiest in this Sect.”
Zhou Xuanlan hesitated for a moment. Untying the storage bag, he placed his hand in.
His expression abruptly turned strange.
Ling Jinye hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong? Is it filled with too many treasures?”
“Ah ah ah, how exciting! I haven’t even seen a high-grade artefact before. Oh right, oh right, would there be any top-grade pills? I heard that such pills have a consciousness of their own. What will we do if they end up flying away?”
A long time passed.
Zhou Xuanlan’s fingers finally came into contact with something in the bag. His hand retracted and he unfurled his fingers.
A single crystal clear spirit stone lay on his palm, shimmering with light.
“……”
The accumulation of my wealth? Everything I own under my name? Take this as a gesture of my sincerity??
This was it?!
1
Demon clan in this novel refers to demonic beasts who can cultivate into human form
2
Zhao Yao means ‘swagger’
3
Referring more to their position in the Sect rather than their cultivation level
4
Heartless path -> emotionless -> piece of wood
5
This one’s pretty tough to translate, I’m sorry if I couldn’t bring the full meaning across. Raws used 胳膊肘往外拐 which translates to “elbows facing out”. Human elbows face inwards when you bend your arms and this can imply 'selfishness” (taking things for yourself). On the other hand, “elbows facing out” implies selflessness. However, this can also refer to “complete selflessness”, whereby the person only cares about what is right and what is wrong and doesn’t care about personal relations. Ling Yue’s 'selflessness” means that he has no qualms about causing Shen Liuxiang, who is somewhat close to him, harm in the name of “justice”
6
Not necessarily blood-related family. SLX is considered part of this group, so you can take it as “people you’re close to/people you’ve spent a long time with”
7
Referring to how he will punish family equally without any qualms
8
Su Baiche
9
Chinese saying again: napa cabbage = your daughter/son (usually daughter), wild pig = their suitors. Generally used to describe how family/friends feel when their loved one is being chased by someone they consider undeserving