Chapter 6

Yu Xizhi also heard the whispers of other disciples in the class, and only then did she realize the mysterious feeling she had just experienced was actually the coveted state of meditation.

Having long been familiar with the rules of Kunwu, she naturally understood what meditation meant and the consequences of disturbing it.

However, despite being disturbed, she didn’t feel any annoyance. Because only she knew that since she had already finished reading the book, it hadn’t been long since she woke up from her meditative state, so she wasn’t truly disturbed.

In other words, teacher Xu was practically wasting his effort.

Teacher Xu had a very unpleasant expression. He looked at Yu Xizhi with a deep frown, recalling the conflict between them a few days ago.

He felt like he was waiting for Yu Xizhi to pass judgment, but then he suddenly remembered that although this senior sister from Kunwu had been particularly aggressive these past few days, she had always been gentle and courteous before, perhaps forgetting about their previous conflicts.

But Yu Xizhi didn’t let him have his way.

When she had just asked teacher Xu if she could sit down and received no response, she raised her eyebrows slightly, somewhat impudently, as if reminding him of something: “What, do you really want me to recite the whole book for you?”

—The tone was exactly the same as Teacher Xu’s the previous day when he said, “What, do you really want me to apologize to you?”

Although not explicitly stated, it was clear sarcasm.

Teacher Xu gritted his teeth: “No need.”

After a pause, he added dryly, “Sit.”

During this class, Teacher Xu was restless. The already dull and tasteless lesson was delivered by him in a confused and disjointed manner. When the bell rang again, many people were awakened from their sleep.

Teacher Xu was well aware of his own level of teaching this class, yet every time he glanced at Yu Xizhi with his peripheral vision, he could see the young girl sitting there, her chin resting on her hand, seemingly smiling as she met his gaze.

Teacher Xu: …

Finally enduring until the end of the class, Teacher Xu grabbed his lesson plan and dashed out, running all the way out of the academy. He noticed that Yu Xizhi didn’t call out to him, which surprised him. He stopped in his tracks with some astonishment and turned back to look inexplicably.

A piece of paper appeared from a window of the academy as if sensing something.

Teacher Xu could clearly see it. There were two big characters written on it.

Apologize.

The classes at the academy were only in the morning. Unexpectedly, Yu Xizhi managed to win a small victory from teacher Xu this time.

In the following days, Teacher Xu avoided her, and she was in an extremely good mood, even walking to class at a much lighter pace.

Of course, she wasn’t foolish enough to directly confront Teacher Xu.

Teacher Xu and Gao Xiude are different.

Gao Xiude is just a direct disciple of Xuecan Peak; even if he is favored at Xuecan Peak, even if her cultivation is lower than his, Gao Xiude could never surpass her status as the sect master’s direct disciple.

But Teacher Xu has been rooted deeply in Kunwu for many years.

She could indeed directly expose Teacher Xu’s actions; causing disturbance during disciples’ meditation would be severely punished, and she could directly coerce Teacher Xu to apologize, but what would be the point?

The meditation of a mere early Qi refining stage disciple, while important, is not that significant.

After receiving an apology, she could indeed feel a momentary relief, but at the same time, this action would only make enemies out of herself, a still weak individual, which would be more trouble than it’s worth.

What she wanted was a form of restraint and the additional benefits that came with it.

For example, for Teacher Xu, who cared about his reputation, apologizing was out of the question, but he never deliberately made things difficult for her again.

And then, when she asked Teacher Xu for help to skip the alchemy class in the afternoon, although his expression was sour, he didn’t refuse her either.

As the senior brother of the Taiqing Peak of Kunwu Mountain, Yu Si had numerous daily affairs.

Yu Xizhi had to make an appointment in advance to catch him this afternoon, when he was free. She ran to the bamboo forest behind Taiqing Peak with a slight hunch in her posture.

Yu Si had been waiting for her.

After not seeing each other for several days, Yu Si was standing with his head straight and his hair immaculately arranged. Standing in the clearing of the bamboo forest, he casually rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. From behind, he looked like a tall and noble sword, sharp yet tender, like a contrast group for a perfectly tragic male lead.

Or, in other words, a control group composed of an extremely qualified, tragic male protagonist.

The sound of Yu Xizhi stepping on bamboo leaves startled Yu Si, so the young man in blue turned around, and his sharp aura softened as he spoke, “Zhizhi, what brings you here?”

“How is the junior sister?” Yu Xizhi asked casually as she unclasped her sword scabbard.

“She’s with Master; apparently the sword aura from the Sword Tomb has affected her internal organs. She needs proper rest. Master has always treated her like her own daughter, as you know,” Yu Si said, lifting his hand to adjust the wooden hairpin on Yu Xizhi’s head.

Obviously, Yu Xizhi had rushed here, and her previously neat bun was already half undone.

Yu Xizhi also noticed it, so she briskly rearranged her hair and accidentally poked her scalp when successfully inserting the hairpin, grimacing, “Ouch— I know, I know, the junior sister is really precious. Aren’t you worried about her, Big Brother?”

“Why should I worry about her? Isn’t it enough that Master and Mistress are taking care of her together?” Yu Si was amused by Yu Xizhi’s clumsy operation, his tone carrying a hint of puzzlement.

Then Yu Xizhi understood.

Her big brother, Yu Si, had yet to experience the stirrings of love.

Perfect.

Yu Xizhi elongated her tone with an “Oh” and then probed further, “Speaking of which, someone in the academy today asked me to pass a letter to Big Brother. I saw her looking shy, suspecting it might be a love letter.”

Yu Si indeed frowned. “How can a sword cultivator be bound by trivial matters of love! With doubts in the heart, the sword aura will be mottled!”

“…So I helped you reject her.” Yu Xizhi was in a very good mood.

She chuckled as she pinched the hilt of the Yanxiao sword.

“Brother, if you want to excel in the way of the sword, to go far and do well, you must remember my words.”

(T/N: I mistakenly translated it as a Yantian sword before this…so after this, I will translate it as a Yanxiao sword.)

“What words?”

Yu Xizhi flicked her wrist and drew the sword, the Yanxiao Sword, leaving a bright trail in the air. The girl assumed a starting position, solemnly stating, “Love only slows down my sword-drawing speed.”

Yu Si:?

Yu Xizhi thrust forward, “For a sword cultivator, the thing to stay furthest away from is love.”

Yu Si: …?

Yu Xizhi raised the sword, her mind inexplicably recalling the image of the white-clad young man who had exuded a killing intent like a startled swan. She imitated the stance, suddenly feeling a tenth of the aura of a master within herself, and she said deeply, “Kill indiscriminately…”

Yu Si: …??

A strange silence filled the air.

Yu Xizhi straightened up, cleared her throat, and broke the inexplicable awkwardness of the moment. “Brother, actually, I came to learn swordsmanship from you. What I said about wanting to become stronger that day wasn’t just a passing whim.”

“You should learn. There’s a big issue with how you held the sword just now. Especially that last move…”

Yu Si visibly relaxed after changing the subject. He was glad that Yu Xizhi took the initiative to propose learning, but he also seemed hesitant. He appeared to be considering his words, but after thinking for a while, he couldn’t come up with a more appropriate expression, so he just said bluntly, “It was unbearable to watch.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand, and his sword rang out as it fell from its sheath into his hand.

“Watch closely, Zhizhi.”

Bamboo leaves were swept up by the sword aura; the sword light flickered in the small clearing, and the air was cut open countless times, revealing the fluid movements of the youth amidst the verdant surroundings.

To ensure that Yu Xizhi could see clearly, every movement he made was extremely slow, and this slowness was like the gradual unfolding of a painting in the afternoon.

As Yu Si demonstrated the introductory swordsmanship of Kunwu, the “Qingfeng Liuyun Sword,” and sheathed his sword, he suddenly heard a faint “ch” sound behind him.

A bamboo leaf that had drifted in front of Yu Xizhi suddenly split in half when it reached her hand.

Yu Si, who was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, had excellent eyesight and clearly saw the fractured bamboo leaf.

His pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly dismissed his judgment.

The bamboo leaf was still some distance from Yu Xizhi, and for it to split like that without physical contact, it would require the separation of the sword aura from the body. Yu Si couldn’t do that yet, so how could Yu Xizhi, who had just stepped into the Qi-refining stage, achieve it?

It must have been a coincidence.

Yu Si regained his composure and looked at Yu Xizhi. “Did you understand?”

Yu Xizhi blinked, shifted her stance, and swung the sword according to what she had just remembered.

In the small bamboo forest behind Taiqing Peak, the sword light overflowed, and Yu Si’s instructive voice kept ringing out. His voice was stern, but the smile and surprise in his eyes grew increasingly apparent.

He watched as Yu Xizhi’s movements went from awkward to smooth, yet her concentration remained unwavering, as if she had entered a state where nothing could disturb her. He was a whole realm above Yu Xizhi, and of course, he could see that every swing of her sword was focused and concentrated.

This absolute concentration of mind was a kind of innate talent.

Especially for sword cultivators, this is the most astonishing and exceptional talent.

The girl’s hair was once again disheveled, but this time, Yu Si didn’t raise his hand to help her fix her hairpin.

Yu Xizhi didn’t even know when Yu Si had left. Although the “Qingfeng Liuyun Sword” was an introductory sword technique of Kunwu, mandatory for both inner and outer disciples, and sounded like a simple foundation, under Yu Si’s demonstration, Yu Xizhi felt there was a world within it.

The most basic things are often the least valued. But once you truly enter the path of the sword, you will realize that, whether it’s actual combat or more advanced sword techniques later on, they are all built upon the foundation of the most basic swordsmanship.

As the sky gradually darkened, Yu Xizhi rushed back to the foot of Muyong Peak. Amidst the complex expressions of nearby fellow disciples, she calmly started a fire to cook. This skill was something she had gleaned from the memories of the original owner.

The original text didn’t emphasize the cooking skills of the original owner too much; it only briefly mentioned them to highlight the original owner’s laziness and lack of ambition.

Even Yu Si had come to reprimand her at her place, saying, “All you do is eat, eat, eat! The only place in the inner sect with smoke rising from cooking is like a worldly kitchen. I might as well send you back to the Yu family!”

—After all, cultivators were supposed to fast.

Despite the disdainful expressions of nearby fellow disciples and some sarcastic remarks, within ten meters, she could see clearly that when they spoke, they secretly swallowed their saliva, and when they looked at the smoke rising, there was an obvious longing in their eyes.

When Yu Xizhi returned, she could already smell the aroma of the broth at the foot of Muyong Peak. She had started the fire at noon, and by now, it was just right.

The base of the broth was made from pork bones and chicken bones stewed slowly over a low fire to remove any fishy smell. She had persuaded the delivery uncle from the inner sect for a whole week before he finally agreed to give her some ingredients whenever he made deliveries.

Yu Xizhi loved spicy food, so she splashed some freshly cooked chili oil onto the milky white broth and sprinkled some chopped green onions and garlic sprouts, making it colorful and lively.

It was true that cultivators had to fast, but while other sects distributed fasting pills by the ton, Kunwu Mountain firmly declared that to become a sword cultivator, one must temper their willpower. If one couldn’t even endure hunger, how could they temper their sword intent?

It was absurd.

If they weren’t allowed to eat, how could they wield their swords?

Yu Xizhi sighed as she stirred the broth, once again impressed by her own cooking skills. In her heart, she silently thanked the original owner.

She hadn’t expected her cooking skills to be so good! It was so good that she wanted to applaud herself for every bite!

After eating to her heart’s content and cleaning the dishes, she chopped up a whole chicken breast, mixed in two egg yolks, rolled a few balls, steamed them in a steamer, neatly arranged them in a small white porcelain bowl, and then placed the bowl of cat food in the corner outside the door.

“Mimi? Is Orange Mimi here? Dinner’s ready—” Yu Xizhi called out two times to the surroundings, but there was no response.

The familiar, beautiful, chubby orange cat didn’t appear.

She sighed and glanced at the wound on her hand that had been bitten and scratched by the fat orange cat.

After so long, the wound had finally healed almost completely. It seemed that cultivators had a special physique and didn’t need rabies vaccines.

Scratch aside, she still had to feed.

Once bitten, twice shy. Last time, it was her fault for not showing respect and trying to touch the cat’s belly. What was wrong with the little kitty?

Besides, who could resist a cute little cat?

Since the fat orange didn’t appear, she didn’t wait any longer. Instead, she took a short rest and woke up precisely at the time of Hai (around 9–11 PM). She washed her face with clear water and went to check the porcelain bowl at the door. The meatballs inside had disappeared completely.

It seemed that the fat orange was still alive and hadn’t starved to death.

Relieved, Yu Xizhi put down her worries, strapped on her sword sheath, closed the door, and headed in the direction of Qianya Peak, crossing mountains and ridges.

The night was deep, the stars shining among the mountains, but the bright moon was missing from the sky, casting shadows over everything.

It was the night of the new moon.