Chapter 25

“——’What bold words!'”
“——’Well said!'”

Two voices rang out simultaneously, then fell silent at the same time.

Teacher Xu looked at Yi Zui, and Yi Zui looked back at Teacher Xu. The other members of the sect glanced between the two.

Teacher Xu’s eyebrows furrowed, while Yi Zui calmly averted his gaze, as if he neither saw Xu’s expression nor heard his words. Instead, he clapped enthusiastically, just following her earlier speech, “Second Senior Sister, well said! If a Kunwu disciple wields a sword, it must be a Kunwu sword. Any sword in the hands of a Kunwu disciple should be considered a Kunwu sword!”

Teacher Xu, frustrated, retorted, “Nonsense! Does that mean if she uses the Taishang Danyang Sword, it automatically becomes a Kunwu sword too?”

“Isn’t it?” Yi Zui finally looked at him directly, as if regarding an idiot.

“I know how to draw Baiyu Pavillion talismans, but as long as I wear Kunwu robes, I use Kunwu paper and Kunwu brushes. So the talismans I draw are Kunwu talismans. What’s the problem with that?”

…

“Ridiculous!” Master Huaiyun muttered angrily.

“Stinky brat! That stinky brat!” The red-robed elder, hearing Yi Zui’s words, couldn’t help but curse, drowning out Huaiyun’s voice.

“I’ll beat your ass to pieces!” ”

“Yi Zui’s words are indeed a bit excessive.”

Master Huaiyun paused, calming his anger somewhat and speaking with a hint of apology.

“Baiyu Pavillion talismans are always Baiyu Pavillion’s.”

“Stupid!” The red-robed elder slammed the table. “How can you be as stupid as that idiotic teacher? The Taishang Danyang Sword is naturally the Taishang Danyang Sword, but once it is wielded, it belongs to the one who wields it! Can anyone not recognize it as the Taishang Danyang Sword? Don’t you understand the distinction here?”

“The ownership of a sword technique and the act of wielding a sword are two different things! If I used the Taishang Danyang Sword to slaughter demons in a single night, the world would credit me, the Master of Baiyu Pavillion, for such achievements. Would they care about the sword’s origin, or would they acknowledge my prowess? That idiot teacher—could he be a relative of some elder from the back mountain? Does he not understand such a simple truth? Let such a teacher teach your personal disciples, Huaiyun; you’re muddle-headed!”

Master Huaiyun’s expression soured as he was harshly scolded.

Did he not understand the logic that the red-robed elder spoke of?

His earlier exclamation of “ridiculous” was a rebuke directed at the ignorant Teacher Xu!

The red-robed elder’s guess happened to hit the mark.

Teacher Xu was indeed the nephew of Elder Xu from Taiqing Peak. With average talent, forming a core had been a stretch for him, and he shouldn’t have had a teaching position. However, the Xu family wasn’t cut out for cultivation, so this mediocre teacher was the best they could offer the younger generation.

Moreover, Teacher Xu’s father had died in the Sun Eclipse War, which added to his credentials. Combining these factors, Master Huaiyun reluctantly agreed to make him a teacher.

As for why Teacher Xu was targeting Yu Xizhi so specifically, Huaiyun had some guesses.

The Yu family and the Xu family both reside in Qingwu Prefecture and were once known as the two major families. Given that they are in the same prefecture and have similar levels of power, conflicts between them have always been frequent. Outwardly, the two families pretend to be cordial, but in private, they look down on each other and engage in petty schemes, leading to long-standing grudges and mutual disdain.

In the past, the Xu family could still compete with the Yu family, and this rivalry was balanced. However, after the Sun Eclipse War, all the cultivator ancestors from both families perished, resulting in a stalemate.

The problem arose when the Xu family had no successors, while the Yu family produced a prodigious talent, Yu Si.

Yu Si’s extraordinary talent and unstoppable prowess made him the eldest senior brother, so teacher Xu couldn’t afford to show any hostility or trip him up. Consequently, all the grudges fell on Yu Xizhi.

Usually, Yu Xizhi was quiet and inconspicuous, allowing teacher Xu to vent his frustrations on her without much consequence. But now, apart from Yu Si, the Yu family has another emerging talent in Yu Xizhi!

This naturally made Teacher Xu both envious and resentful.

Unfortunately, Master Huaiyun, preoccupied with numerous trivial matters, was unaware of Teacher Xu’s excessive behavior.

Even if Yu Xizhi was somewhat rebellious and lazy, she was still Huaiyun’s personal disciple. Moreover, after today’s display of those two remarkable sword techniques, who would dare to criticize her?

Huaiyun had indeed not paid much attention to his personal disciples, perhaps because Yu Si was so dazzling, Master Huaiwei doted on Yaoyao, and Yi Zui had strong backing. Unconsciously, he had neglected Yu Xizhi. He had even considered her lazy and of little use, which was why he had favored Xia Yiyao during the previous sword tomb test.

But before all this, and even before becoming the head of Kunwu Mountain Sect, Huaiyun was a sword cultivator.

A sword cultivator delights in seeing excellent swordsmanship, and Huaiyun was no exception.

He took pride in Yu Xizhi’s sword skills as her master and wouldn’t tolerate someone like Teacher Xu questioning her.

Moreover, that sword technique seemed familiar to him, as if he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldn’t immediately recall it.

However, being habitually low-key, steady, and overly concerned with his face, Huaiyun only snorted coldly and retorted, “If you think so highly of yourself, why did you scold Yi Zui?”

The red-robed elder snorted even louder and justified himself: “That brat stole my lines; doesn’t he deserve a scolding?”

“Old Huai, you must have seen that sword technique clearly just now, right? The way those lines were drawn was simply brilliant! There is no visible talisman, yet the intent of a talisman is there in the heart. This talent, I believe, surpasses even Yi Zui by several degrees.” The red-robed elder rubbed his hands eagerly. “Rather than letting this child be ridiculed by so many blind fools here, why not…”

Before he could finish his suggestion, a female voice from the sword testing platform interrupted him.

“Why, am I wrong to call it bold words?” Master Huaiwei floated in on her sword, her eyes showing displeasure.

“Yi Zui, keep quiet. Yu Xizhi, who do you think you are to claim that your sword is the Kunwu Sword?”

Yu Xizhi knew Master Huaiwei didn’t like her, but she hadn’t expected such directness. She stared at Master Huaiwei for a moment and then suddenly laughed.

The girl’s laughter was soft and gentle, causing an inexplicable stir in Master Huaiwei’s heart, as if she had seen that smile somewhere before.

Before she could recall, Yu Xizhi respectfully bowed to her and then properly stated, “To answer Master Huaiwei, I don’t presume to be anyone special, but I am indeed the personal disciple of sect master Huaiyun of Kunwu Mountain Sect, from Taiqing Peak. My name is Yu Xizhi.”

She stopped there, but everyone understood her meaning.

—Even the personal disciple of the sect master isn’t qualified to call her sword a Kunwu sword? Then who is?

If she can’t say it, then among the eight thousand disciples of Kunwu, who can claim their sword is a Kunwu sword?

Master Huaiwei looked down at the girl’s simple and unremarkable small tree twig and chopstick in her hair, feeling even more displeased. She was about to say something more when a gentle and confident voice interrupted.

“If Master Huaiwei thinks she is not using a Kunwu sword, then it must be a Xiya Tower sword, correct?”

Master Tan, who had been watching the sword competition quietly, had appeared at the edge of the platform. He seemed unfazed by looking up at Master Huaiwei, his demeanor calm yet subtly exuding the aura of a Soul Accumulation Stage cultivator. Despite his usual gentle and unassertive nature, he now displayed a hint of displeasure and assertiveness as he faced Master Huaiwei.

Master Huaiwei was taken aback. “What do you mean by this, Master Tan?”

“Xiya Tower lacks such a sword, and so do I.”

Master Tan smiled elegantly.

“But it seems Kunwu does not.”

The red-robed elder, who had been leisurely watching the drama, was suddenly taken aback. He hurriedly buttoned his robe and jumped up, searching for his shoes in a flurry.

“When did he arrive? What does he mean by this? Does he intend to compete with me for this disciple? Bastard!”

His blunt words confirmed Huaiyun’s suspicions. His heart sank, and just as he was about to question further, the red-robed figure had already disappeared.

Master Huaiwei frowned slightly as she descended from her sword and landed opposite Master Tan. She found his words nonsensical and out of place. Though she vaguely grasped his intent, she found it hard to believe.

Everyone in the cultivation world knew that Master Tan had been extremely selective in choosing a disciple, and despite so many talented candidates, none had met his standards. How could Yu Xizhi be any different?

She was about to inquire further when a red shadow flashed by.

“My Baiyu Pavillion is the one in need! Bastard, stop trying to steal my disciple, I saw her first!” The red-robed elder stopped in front of Yu Xizhi, blocking her entirely from view.

“Don’t you come any closer!”

Yi Zui was so startled that he dropped the melon seeds from his mouth.

“Uncle? Why are you here?”

The red-robed elder glared at him. “Stinky brat, can’t you see what’s happening? I’m taking a disciple! Aren’t you going to help?”

When Master Tan saw the red-robed elder, he inwardly cursed and felt his vision darken at the elder’s words. He thought to himself, “Just what I feared. This fool came to cause trouble and is now trying to snatch the disciple from me!”

“I’ll come over, and what can you do about it?” Master Tan stepped forward, his tone challenging.

“What do you mean you saw her first? When did you see her first? Can it be earlier than I did? If it is, I’ll write my name backwards!”

“I don’t care! I’m closer to her now! What’s mine is mine!”

“Nonsense! She’s mine!”

“She belongs to Baiyu Pavillion!”

“She’s with Xiya Tower!”

The two men, one blowing his beard in fury and the other rolling up his sleeves, glared at each other, ready for a fight. They displayed neither the dignity befitting a hall master or a sect leader nor the decorum expected of the foremost alchemist and talisman master. Instead, they resembled quarreling villagers, pointing fingers and shouting insults.

As Master Tan spoke, he had already discreetly gripped a few pills, thinking that if the red-robed elder tried to snatch her, he would force these poison pills into his mouth. Meanwhile, the red-robed elder had quietly prepared a few trapping talismans, ready to throw them at Master Tan and then whisk Yu Xizhi away to Baiyu Pavillion.

The disciples of Xiya Tower were quietly thrilled, exchanging glances. They thought, “Master Tan, you’ve finally come! Now that you’re here, take her as your disciple and let our future second senior sister sharpen our swordsmanship and strengthen our camaraderie!”

The Kunwu disciples were completely stunned.

After witnessing Yu Xizhi’s astonishing sword technique, they realized she had changed from the lazy, useless person they had believed her to be. Many who had previously scolded or doubted her felt both embarrassed and impressed, but none expected such a dramatic turn of events!

During Master Tan’s stay at Kunwu Mountain Sect, everyone became familiar with him. And after Yi Zui’s shout of “Uncle,” everyone recognized the red-robed elder as well. Now, these two distinguished figures were vying to take Yu Xizhi as their disciple?!

But isn’t Second Senior Sister a sword cultivator?

When Master Huaiwei heard the red-robed elder explicitly mention “taking a disciple,” she was stunned. Seeing Master Tan compete with him made the situation even more incredible.

“What do you mean?” Master Huaiwei asked in disbelief.

“You want to take her as your personal disciple?”

The arguing men were abruptly interrupted. The red-robed elder thought, “None of your business,” while Master Tan felt, “Why do you care?” However, out of respect for the Nascent Soul stage master and Headmaster Huaiyun’s taoist partner, they both retained a semblance of politeness.

“Why not?”

“Exactly.”

Their voices overlapped, then they turned to each other, one snorting coldly, the other smiling, yet neither willing to concede an inch.

“Both of you, Yu Xizhi is already my personal disciple.”

A voice arrived belatedly.

Sect Master Huaiyun’s expression was somewhat helpless but mostly displayed poorly concealed pride.

“Why would I give her up to you?”

The Kunwu disciples bowed in unison, their shock reaching new heights.

Teacher Xu was in a daze. He glanced at the red-robed elder, then at Master Tan, and finally at the sect master who had just landed. The world seemed utterly absurd.

The girl from the Yu family, who had struggled even with basic cultivation, often skipped classes, and still didn’t follow the fasting regimen, was now being fought over by such eminent figures?!

Had he gone mad, or had the world?

Teacher Xu’s body trembled as he could barely contain himself.

“Yu Xizhi has only just begun refining Qi. How could she have such skills unless she took some kind of instant power-enhancing pill? Don’t be deceived by her, revered masters!”

“Shut up!” Master Huaiyun finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Who do you think you are? Do you think we can’t tell if she took any medicine, but you can?!”

Teacher Xu’s face turned ashen, and he gripped his hands tightly. “That sword strike… it clearly carried the killing intent of a blood-stained blade. I implore the esteemed masters to investigate!”

“I used this sword to kill 126 Jealousy demons. It’s natural for my sword to have blood and killing intent, isn’t it?” Yu Xizhi, who had remained silent, peeked out from behind the red-robed elder and blinked.

“Can Teacher Xu manage to remain spotless after killing demons? Impressive, impressive.”

“You’re lying! How could someone with just one yellow flower kill so many Jealousy demons—”

“The task hall has just verified it. Yu Xizhi of Taiqing Peak slew 126 jealousy demons in Lengbei Town, capturing one. That’s 126 yellow flowers. Ten yellow flowers equal one orange, and ten orange flowers equal one red. That makes one red, two orange, and six yellow flowers.”

Shen Ye’s steady voice cut through the tension. The usually lazy youth stood straight and respectfully bowed towards Master Huaiyun and Master Huaiwei, presenting a tray neatly adorned with flowers.

Shen Ye looked at Yu Xizhi with a slight smile.

“Congratulations, Junior Sister. Aren’t you going to pin the flowers?”

Teacher Xu’s face had turned ugly. He gritted his teeth, “So what? Yu Xizhi, that sword strike still has a problem! Who did you learn it from? It’s clearly not a Kunwu sword—!”

“From me.”

A calm voice interrupted Teacher Xu.

A white-clad youth slowly walked over. Though his voice wasn’t loud, it drew everyone’s attention instantly. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and coughed lightly after speaking those two words.

The youth’s dark eyes were sharp and full of sword energy. Disciples nearby instinctively stepped back a few paces. His gaze was fierce despite his gentle demeanor, and his voice was laced with a cold smile.

He ignored Teacher Xu and looked towards the other side, addressing her directly.

“Huaiwei, if you think she isn’t qualified, then what about me?”

“Is my sword worthy of being called a Kunwu sword?”