Chapter 21

The Sword Trial Platform of the Kunwu Mountain Sect is not always open.

While sword dueling is not prohibited, there is a specific process to follow.

First, one must register at the Sword Trial Hall on Ziyuan Peak. Then, the stewards of the Sword Trial Hall take separate actions: one team goes to notify the entire Kunwu Mountain Sect; another team moves tables, chairs, benches, and paperwork to the Sword Trial Platform, ready for both parties to sign life and death waivers; and another team goes to invite the stewards and elders from the Disciplinary Hall and Xuecan Peak to act as referees and supervisors. Only when everything is properly arranged can it officially begin.

Yu Si directly led the group of three to the Sword Trial Hall on Ziyuan Peak.

The Sword Trial Hall has been quite lively recently.

The sect master, True Immortal Huaiyun, did say that Kunwu Mountain Sect disciples are not to be unfriendly with Xiya Tower disciples, but he did not prohibit Kunwu disciples from fighting among themselves.

Provoked by the Xiya Tower people, the Kunwu disciples had no choice but to engage in duels to vent their anger. Thus, sword duel on the platform has almost never ceased during this period.

However, despite the frequent visitors, when Yu Xizhi and Yu Si walked in together, the Sword Trial Hall fell into an eerie silence for a moment.

“Am I seeing things… is that the second senior sister from Taiqing Peak?”

“You can’t mistake her for someone else, and you definitely can’t mistake the senior brother… Is the senior brother here for a duel, or is it the second senior sister? I don’t know which is more surprising.”

“Senior brother hasn’t dueled with any sect members since he built his foundation, right? Is he returning to the scene? Who dares to challenge him?”

“… The second senior sister has never dueled in her life, right? Are we witnessing history? By the way, wasn’t she on a mission outside the mountain? Has she returned? Was the mission successful or a failure?”

“Wait a minute, I have a bold guess. Could it be that the second senior sister is going to duel the senior brother…”

People around were whispering. No one comes to the Sword Trial Hall for no reason, and both of these individuals appearing here were strange enough, let alone them appearing together.

Yu Xizhi acted as if she hadn’t heard a word, walked straight to the registration counter, and asked, “Is there an available slot for a duel today?”

The steward snapped out of his shock and replied, “The platform will be free in an hour.”

Yu Xizhi nodded.

“I want to duel with…”

She paused midway, momentarily speechless, realizing she had confidently issued the challenge without knowing who her opponent was. She looked at Yu Si for help.

Yu Si understood and finished the sentence, “A few little immortals from Xiya Tower.”

The entire hall was stunned.

The steward was so shocked that he dropped his brush, spilling ink all over the paper.

“With… with whom?!”

Yu Xizhi was a bit surprised but also somewhat expected this.

Those people turned out to be from Xiya Tower, or rather, they were indeed from Xiya Tower.

But why had they stayed here for so long?

If she remembered correctly, in the original story, they left soon after arriving and almost became enemies with the Kunwu Mountain Sect because of it…?

Then again, she had brought the male protagonist, Long Aotian, to the sect, so it might not be so strange for Xiya Tower to stay a few extra days.

(T/N: Long Aotian is not the male protagonist’s name..Long Aotian has the same meaning as the proud son of heaven.. Proud Dragon of Heaven/Long Aotian is an internet buzzword used to satirize characters in novels, comics, or animations who are very strong when they first appear, do things without any common sense, and can easily kill powerful enemies without using their brains…(I’m too lazy to put it as ‘proud son of heaven’ so I just put it as Long Aotian)… but…huhu.. after so many chapters, I finally realized that I didn’t put any translator note for this…huhu…please forgive this newbie translator.)

“With a few little immortals from Xiya Tower,” she repeated Yu Si’s words.

“I forgot to ask their names, but I’ll mention the location. We can ask for their names when signing the waiver.”

The steward wanted to speak but stopped, thinking to himself that the second senior sister from Taiqing Peak was indeed causing trouble. But why was Yu Si, usually so proper and steady, also getting involved in this mess?

He wanted to say more, but Yu Xizhi, without any further thought, had already turned and left.

She was just there to notify them. A sword duel is a matter between the two parties involved. Once both sides agree, they draw their swords.

Why would a third person’s consent be needed?

What kind of logic is that?

Unbeknownst to her, as soon as she left the hall, the discussions inside erupted.

The second senior sister was going to duel someone.

Someone was going to duel with the disciples from Xiya Tower.

Heavens, the second senior sister was going to duel with the disciples from Xiya Tower!

The shock of these three pieces of news escalated progressively, spreading from the task hall and swiftly sweeping through the entire Kunwu Mountain Sect, both inner and outer sect.

…

Since there was still an hour left, it was enough time for Yu Xizhi to report her mission at the task hall and then make arrangements for Huang Li and Cheng Luocen.

On duty that day was Shen Ye.

Senior Brother Shen Ye, with drooping eyelids, was dozing off when he saw the little girl, whom he hadn’t seen for several days, lifting the curtain and entering. He was startled; his drowsiness instantly scared him away, and he immediately sat up straight.

Shen Ye leaned forward and looked for a while. Two unfamiliar faces followed behind Yu Xizhi, and then came Yu Si.

The curtain fell.

Only then did Shen Ye slowly exhale and, putting his hands back in his sleeves, let his eyelids droop again.

“Oh, back so soon?”

Yu Si took in Shen Ye’s odd behavior without a word and discreetly observed Huang Li and Cheng Luocen more closely.

Yu Xizhi was oblivious to these undercurrents. She directly took out the mission token from her qiankun bag and handed the demon-hunting compass to Shen Ye. She was about to briefly describe the situation in Lingbei Town that day when she remembered something and looked back at Huang Li.

Since entering the Kunwu Mountain Sect, Huang Li has been tense. Although he had been in the mountains before, he had always been an outer disciple. This was his first time flying on a sword and being taken directly to the inner sect. He had been cautiously looking around, wanting to see more but afraid of appearing too rustic and ruining Yu Xizhi’s reputation.

Yu Xizhi looked at him now, signaling for him to speak.

Huang Li wasn’t foolish; he knew Yu Xizhi was giving him an opportunity.

He pinched his palm and stepped forward. “Hello, Little Immortal. I am Huang Li, an outer disciple stationed in Lingbei Town. This time, two types of demons appeared in Lingbei Town. One is the Beibao, which has been captured alive and is in the Little Immortal Yu’s qiankun bag. The other is the Jealousy Demon.”

“Jealousy Demon?!”

Yu Si was shocked and looked at Yu Xizhi in astonishment.

“Little Immortal Yu eradicated all the Jealousy Demons in Lingbei Town in one night,” Huang Li continued steadily and clearly, “and burned the bodies of one hundred and twenty-six Jealousy Demons with fire talismans. In the following week, with the assistance of the local government, all damaged houses and roads were repaired. Three mortals suffered minor injuries, but there were no serious injuries or deaths.”

Shen Ye slowly sat up straight. Huang Li’s speech was clear and precise, but the clearer it was, the more each word felt like a thunderclap in Shen Ye’s mind.

“One hundred… twenty-six Jealousy Demons?” Shen Ye repeated it in disbelief.

Without raising her head, Yu Xizhi rummaged through her qiankun bag, finally finding the bag containing the Beibao and placing it in front of Shen Ye. “The demon-hunting compass has numerical records. There can’t be a mistake.”

There were certainly more people in the task hall than just Shen Ye. As soon as Yu Xizhi finished speaking, everyone who had been busy organizing mission tokens looked up, staring at her in disbelief. Then they couldn’t help but lower their gaze to the small yellow flower on the hem of her dress.

A delicate, weak, and small yellow flower.

One hundred and twenty-six Jealousy Demons.

How could that be possible?

Everyone was speechless, their minds filled with the thought, “It’s impossible.”

Only Yu Si had slightly reddened eyes. He reached out to pat Yu Xizhi’s hair, asking, “Were you hurt?”

Yu Xizhi spun around and replied with a bright smile, “No!”

“Really not hurt?” Seeing that she was indeed fine, Yu Si finally breathed a sigh of relief and said warmly, “Zhizhi has grown up, and brother is very happy.”

Everyone: …

It seemed they understood why the second senior sister had such a personality.

With such a loving brother, who wouldn’t be spoiled and act prideful?

Senior brother, do you believe everything she says? Don’t you find it highly unlikely and suspicious that she, with her mere early qi refining cultivation, could kill so many Jealousy Demons?

Do you really believe it just like that?!

Someone couldn’t help but voice this thought.

Huang Li’s face turned red with anger at the doubt.

“I saw it with my own eyes! There is no falsehood! It was indeed Little Immortal Yu who killed them all!”

—Though Ah Kou was killed by another immortal, since he had specifically instructed him before leaving, Huang Li would not reveal a single word about it.

However, his words carried little weight, and no one paid attention. Everyone still awaited Yu Si’s response.

Yu Si gave a puzzled look. “If she didn’t kill them, then did you?”

Everyone: …

“Brother Shen, I’ll leave the follow-up settlement to you. Zhizhi still has a sword duel to attend, so we won’t stay long.”

Yu Si waved his hand, ready to leave.

Shen Ye, snapping out of his daze, instinctively asked, “A duel? Between whom?”

“Zhizhi, of course,” Yu Si replied matter-of-factly. “She’s dueling with the disciples of Xiya Tower. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late. Let’s go.”

…

Exclamations echoed throughout the Kunwu Mountain Sect.

Countless people moved toward the Sword Trial Platform. In no time, the area around the platform was packed, and even the outer circles were surrounded, making it impenetrable.

“Have you heard? Someone finally couldn’t stand it anymore and is going to duel those bastards from Xiya Tower! I’ve been waiting for this day for so long! Fight! Beat them hard! Beat them to hell!”

“… You say that, but do you know who is dueling them?”

“Who cares who it is, as long as they’re fighting. Can we sword cultivators not defeat a bunch of alchemists?”

“Um, I’ve heard… it’s the second senior sister from Taiqing Peak.”

Silence fell over the crowd.

“Ah, this…”

“Um… how to put it…”

As everyone was at a loss for words, someone with sharp eyes exclaimed, “The two brothers from Xiya Tower have arrived with their people!”

Xuanping and Xuanfan swaggered in, their faces deliberately filled with disdain and contempt.

“We heard someone wants to duel our Xiya Tower disciples? Second senior sister? Which second senior sister? Is it the one from Taiqing Peak who makes meat pie?”

The disciples following behind them laughed cooperatively, creating an imposing aura.

The people from Kunwu Mountain Sect looked at each other.

They had the home advantage, and though their numbers and spirit were strong, they were at a loss for words when faced with the situation.

Why does it have to be this second senior sister?

She… she’s only at the early stage of Qi refining, and it is said that her progress was forcibly achieved with the pills that Senior Brother Yu Si obtained through his missions.

They were determined not to lose spirit, but it seemed they were about to lose both spirit and face.

Second senior sister, oh, second senior sister, couldn’t you be a bit more self-aware?

This… this is just so embarrassing.

The Kunwu disciples felt embarrassed, and those who had already reached the Sword Trial Platform, like Li Shengyi and the others, felt even more embarrassed.

Xuanping and Xuanfan, along with the inner sect disciples who were with them, looked down on everyone else. They hadn’t paid any attention to the Kunwu disciples, not even giving Li Shengyi a chance to explain who this second senior sister was.

Thinking back to how that second senior sister had nonchalantly cut down their swords, and now hearing Xuanping and Xuanfan mockingly refer to her as “the second senior sister who makes meat pie,” Li Shengyi felt so embarrassed he wanted to dig a hole in the ground with his toes and hide in it.

He even wanted to retort, “Do you eat meat pie at home?” but he clenched his fists and restrained himself.

The stewards from the Disciplinary Hall, the elders from Xuecan Peak, and the onlooking teachers all looked displeased.

Teacher Xu stood among the crowd with a somber expression, thinking that Yu Xizhi really didn’t know her place. Didn’t she understand that if she lost, it would bring immense shame to the Kunwu Mountain Sect?

Moreover, she was a personal disciple of the sect master. Bullying disciples at the Enlightenment Stage was nothing to be proud of.

Even if she won, Kunwu would still lose face!

This was utter nonsense! Absolutely ridiculous!

Suddenly, an urgent voice called out, “Little junior sister… it’s little junior sister! Little junior sister has come to watch the duel too!”

Teacher Xu was startled. He turned to see a delicate, pale girl walking timidly through the parting crowd. Her eyes were slightly teary, but her face showed anxiety. “Is… is the second senior sister going to duel someone?”

“What are you doing here?” Teacher Xu frowned as he approached, intending to take out a cloak from his qiankun bag to protect the girl from the wind.

However, as soon as he raised his head with the cloak in hand, he saw seven or eight people behind Xia Yiyao, each holding a cloak, looking at each other in confusion.

Teacher Xu: …

Xia Yiyao coughed twice. “It’s fine; I’m feeling much better.”

After a pause, the girl looked up again, her eyes filled with determination and worry.

“Is the second senior sister here? If not, I will duel in her place! She… she surely didn’t mean for this to happen!”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for many to hear. Her words quickly spread, and the expressions of the Kunwu disciples turned to pity as they looked at the delicate girl.

The little junior sister was so sick, yet she came to cover for the reckless second senior sister. It was truly… comparing people really made one angry.

This second senior sister was truly detestable and ungrateful!

It was Xuanping and Xuanfan’s first time seeing this little junior sister. Seeing her with tear-filled eyes, delicate as a willow, yet with a determined look, they couldn’t help but feel moved and softened a bit. Just as they were about to speak, a sword light suddenly shot towards them from the horizon.

Yu Si arrived at the Sword Trial Platform with three people in tow, his expression blank. The usually troublesome flocks of white cranes, which liked to harass those flying on swords, quickly turned tail and fled upon seeing the number of people riding on his sword. Without needing to take any detours, Yu Si landed directly on the platform.

Having reached the Foundation Establishment stage, Yu Xizhi’s hearing was naturally excellent, and she had heard every word Xia Yiyao said.

According to the original plot, the first meeting between junior sister Xia Yiyao and Cheng Luocen was supposed to occur when Cheng Luocen attempted to join the Kunwu inner sect by climbing the Kunwu Heaven Ladder. Their encounter, like the meeting of golden wind and jade dew, was meant to surpass countless earthly experiences.

She glanced at Cheng Luocen, who was being carried by Yu Si, and silently apologized.

She hadn’t expected Xia Yiyao to come. This meeting wasn’t orchestrated by her, and she felt sorry for Cheng Luocen having to make such an ungraceful entrance.

But more importantly…

Yu Xizhi leapt lightly from the sword, landing gracefully on the Sword Trial Platform. Her voice was even softer than Xia Yiyao’s by three degrees: “Oh dear, isn’t this little junior sister? Why would a mere sword duel alarm you so? Don’t catch a chill! Teacher Xu, why are you standing there holding the cloak? Put it on her!”

Teacher Xu: …

Xia Yiyao bit her lower lip, shaking off Teacer Xu’s cloak, and earnestly pleaded, “Second senior sister, please don’t overexert yourself. I can take this duel for you! I know you didn’t mean to upset Master and Mistress!”

This statement was crafted perfectly. Acknowledging that she didn’t intend to upset their masters, Xia Yiyao offered to take the blame and face the consequences herself, garnering much sympathy.

Inwardly calling her a ‘Tea Art Master’, Yu Xizhi outwardly remained even more sincere: “Junior sister, you’re mistaken. It’s just a sword duel. Rest assured, your senior sister won’t overexert herself.”

The Kunwu disciples looked disdainful, and Xia Yiyao stepped forward anxiously: “But—”

Yu Xizhi, growing a bit impatient despite her increasingly sincere expression and gentler voice, said, “Don’t worry, junior sister. Are these disciples from Xiya Tower bullying you? They are truly despicable. Let senior sister avenge you!”

Before Xia Yiyao could react, Yu Xizhi had already deftly avoided her reaching hand and turned her attention to the stunned Xuanping and Xuanfan brothers: “Oh, you’re here too? Do you want to duel me again?”

As the Kunwu disciples pondered her cryptic words, Yu Xizhi turned and casually signed her name on the waiver paper, then clapped her hands nonchalantly.

“Come on, draw your swords.”