Chapter Ten Flowing Years

  "Yinyin, you've been practicing sword fighting diligently these past few days, which is great, but don't overexert yourself. Your complexion doesn't look too good right now, why not take a break? I'll ask Purple Cloud True Person for a pair of Seven Star Tortoise Shell and refine a furnace of Star Turtle Returning Moon Cream to help you replenish your true yuan." Lan said with concern as she wiped the fine sweat from Zhang Yinyin's forehead.

  Zhang Yin shook her head and said impatiently, "Mom, you're so nagging! You and Dad used to say that we can't rely on elixirs and spiritual medicine to improve our cultivation, but now you've all changed? What's the big deal about being tired? I'll just meditate on the Three Clear True Classic for one night and I'll be fine."

  Saying that, Zhang Yin struggled out of Lan's hands and rushed out of the house, shouting: "Yu Yao, Liu Hui, hurry up and prepare, I still need to cultivate after my bath!"

  "Lan called out twice, but Zhang Yin was already gone, disappearing into the backyard. She could only sigh and mutter to herself: "This child is getting more and more difficult to manage!" But looking at her smiling face, there wasn't a hint of blame towards Zhang Yin."

  Lan stood up and left Zhang Yin's residence, Qingxin Xiaozhu. As soon as he walked out of the courtyard gate, he happened to see Jing Xuan Zhenren walking towards him.

  "It's about time for Yin Yin to finish her sword practice, let her rest for a bit." said Jing Xiao Zhen Ren.

  Lan smiled and said, "She's not willing to rest now. She's about to take a bath and change her clothes to practice the Three Pure Classics! Our little treasure has really grown up and knows how to work hard now. This time in the annual examination, she improved by dozens of places, whereas in previous years she was always at the bottom. Thinking back to when we asked her to practice sword fighting for a bit, it was even harder than ascending to heaven."

  Zhang Jingxiao stroked his long beard and chuckled, saying: "Your innate talent is already exceptional, and since you're willing to work hard, your progress in the Tao will naturally be beyond question. Hehe, but then again, as Zhang Jingxiao's daughter, how could you possibly be inferior?"

  Lan Zhi said, "Zhang Yin usually spends at least a whole night practicing the Three Pure Ones' True Scripture. As they walked towards the main hall, Zhang Yin said, "Jing Xiang, don't you think that Yin has completely changed in these two months? Now she's almost always practicing. But there's one thing that doesn't feel quite right - I secretly watched her practice swordplay, and Yin was gritting her teeth as if she wanted to get back at someone."

  Jing Xiao Zhenren laughed and said, "Apart from Ji Ruochen, who else can't she get along with? Even if we don't mention Ruochen's cursed immortal body and boundless future prospects, this child is already quite good in his own right. From his past actions, he has been very protective of Yin Yin, which is also rare. Let them go and make a fuss!"

  Lan was somewhat worried and said, "But Yin has a reckless temper and doesn't know the severity of things. She's already seriously injured Ruo Chen once before. If she becomes more powerful, I'm afraid she'll go looking for trouble with Ruo Chen again. Hopefully she won't lose control and hurt Ruo Chen again."

  Jing Xiao Zhenren smiled and said: "What's there to be afraid of? Children playing and fighting with each other, that's called 'childhood sweethearts'."

  The next day at dusk, Ji Ruochen finished listening to Gu Shouzhen's lecture and was heading towards Taichang Peak alone. As he turned a corner in front of him and rounded a wall, the path leading to the suspension bridge of Taichang Peak would suddenly appear before his eyes. As he approached the corner, Ji Ruochen's heart skipped a beat. In the past, those who liked to cause trouble for him often stood here, waiting for him to turn around before suddenly shouting loudly. It was as if they wanted to give him a sudden fright before doing anything else. Now that Ji Ruochen had arrived at this place, he felt uneasy again - could it be that someone was waiting for him here?

  "Remember this!" Indeed, it was a stern rebuke.

  Ji Ruochen let out a soft sigh, and when she looked up, she couldn't help but pause for a moment. It turned out that the one blocking her way was Mingyun. Mingyun was calm and composed, handling matters properly. Originally, Ji Ruochen had a good impression of him, so why did he also want to block her today?

  "Ming Yun, brother, I don't know what brings you to find me?" Ji Ruochen replied politely. Since the other party seemed to be intentionally looking for trouble, Daode Zong had always used virtue to persuade people, so he had to be courteous and occupy the moral high ground first.

  "What's going on?" Ming Yun's face was extremely gloomy, and he said: "Even if Ming Xin had offended you before, he is still just a child after all. You intentionally framed him for stealing your things and made him suffer from half a year of solitary confinement, which is already quite severe. But our sect's assessment has always been to stop at the point of defeat, and junior brothers also have magical tools to protect themselves. Yet you severely injured Ming Xin, even cracking his skull! What deep grudge or great hatred does he have against you that you would use such ruthless methods?"

  Ji Ruocheng was taken aback and asked: "Is Ming Xin's injury that severe? At the time, I didn't use my true yuan, and he seemed fine too."

  Ming Yun shouted, "You didn't mobilize your true yuan? With your current level of cultivation, if you hadn't used all your strength in one blow, how could you have broken through the Ming Xin's protective artifact and cracked his skull? If it wasn't intentional, why would it be like this?! You still dare to say you didn't mobilize your true yuan! Alright, I was wrong about you in the past. Today, I will teach you a lesson, you shameless thing!"

  Ji Ruocheng didn't respond after hearing that. He took off the backpack from his back and placed it on the ground beside the road, then slowly drew out the black locust wood sword. Only then did he walk to Ming Xin's face and say: "I thought you were a person who understood the ways of the world and reason, but I was wrong. It seems that today you don't want to listen to any of my explanations. Fine, since you want to teach me a lesson, even though I'm not a match for you, I'll still fight to the death! However, considering our shared sect's friendship, I must remind Brother Ming Yun that after teaching me a lesson, your ten years of hard labor will be unavoidable."

  Mingyun knew that the consequences of being punished with hard labor for ten years just to satisfy a momentary impulse were not worth it. However, seeing Mingxin bedridden and unable to get up, he suddenly felt a surge of anger and wanted to give Ji Rufeng a show of his strength. Now, seeing Ji Rufeng solemnly preparing for a life-or-death battle, Mingyun couldn't help but feel some regret for his impulsive actions. But at this moment, being cornered by Ji Rufeng's words, he had no way to back down.

  Just as the two were at an impasse, a young man appeared from around the corner of the wall, sneering: "The disciples of Tai Xuan Palace are indeed famous for their humility and fairness. When they injure someone, they never make a sound, but when one of their own is injured, they demand justice. Are we cultivators not different from ordinary people? Even if our skulls are cracked, what's the big deal? As long as it doesn't damage our foundation or wisdom, it can be healed in ten days to half a month. Is it worth making such a fuss? Hmph, I've heard that Ji Ruochen was injured by your Tai Xuan Palace disciple not just once or twice. Why didn't Ming Yun Dazhenren speak up for justice back then?"

  Ming Yun's face turned red, and she was suddenly speechless.

  Ji Ruocheng turned his head to look back, and in his heart, he was really a bit uneasy. He had originally wanted to endure another injury, just to send Mingyun away for ten years of hard labor, so that he could exchange it for some peaceful days when he returned. The guy who suddenly appeared halfway through the journey, although scolding Mingyun into speechlessness, also gave him an opportunity to step down, in fact, helping Mingyun out.

  Mingyun snorted, staring fiercely at the young man. The young man had a mocking smile on his face and glared back without any politeness. The two of them stared at each other for a long time, and even Ji Ruochen thought they were going to fight when Mingyun suddenly sheathed his sword and turned around, striding away without looking back.

  At this time, Ji Ruocheng had already sized up the young man. He looked to be about the same age as himself, with a face like jade and an exceptionally handsome appearance. However, his eyes shone brightly like morning stars, with a hint of murderous intent. The young man's appearance was extremely good, but the killing intent in his eyes was too sharp, instantly transforming him from a soft and delicate noble into a gleaming sword. When Ji Ruocheng looked closely, he discovered that when the young man's eyes flashed with killing intent, they would occasionally flicker with restraint at their brightest and most piercing moments. He knew that this restrained intention must not be underestimated. To be able to hold back like that was an even higher level of mastery than simply revealing one's sharp edges. Ji Ruocheng was secretly shocked - he hadn't expected that a young man of the same age as himself would already possess the cultivation of the Taiqing Xuansheng realm. Among all the disciples of the Daode Sect, there were only a handful who could reach this level at such a young age. Looking again at how the young man didn't buy into Mingyun's account, Ji Ruocheng had already roughly figured out his identity.

  As expected, the young man bowed to Ji Ruochen and said: "I am Li Xuanzhen, a disciple of Yu Xu's true person in charge of the Xuanming Palace. I have seen Master Ruchen."

  Ji Ruocheng hastily returned a courtesy, saying: "Elder Martial Brother Xuanzhen is young and accomplished in the Taoist arts, with a great reputation within our sect. I have heard of your name for a long time, but only got to see you today."

  Li Xuanzhen bowed again and suddenly smiled: "Good, good. But... I'm saying that if Dusty Master Brother, my Palace Master Ancestor Yuexu True Person and Zi Yang True Person's relationship is not ordinary, the two palaces' disciples are mostly on good terms privately. So we don't need to be so polite, do we? It's troublesome and instead makes us seem distant."

  Ji Ruochen was delighted in his heart, but he didn't expect Li Xuanzhen to be so humble and unassuming, unlike other talented disciples who were arrogant and proud. Moreover, Li Xuanzhen's demeanor and appearance were truly exceptional, so Ji Ruochen naturally had a favorable impression of him from the start.

  Li Xuanzhen said, "I heard that Ruo Chen Shixiong got first place in the annual exam. Originally, I was planning to come see Shixiong today, but unexpectedly met Mingyun halfway. I saw that his expression wasn't right, so I secretly followed him over. Taixu Palace disciples have never been very reasonable, this is something I've often heard, it's just that I didn't think Mingyun would be this kind of person either. Alas, to think that I actually lost to him in the annual exam this year, how embarrassing."

  He saw that Ji Ruocheng was open and honest, even willing to share his embarrassing defeat, which made him feel more affectionate. He comforted him by saying: "Winning or losing is a common thing. When it comes to ascension, the Three Pure Ones' true method is the foundation, while sword incantations are just secondary paths. However... according to my knowledge, the Li Que Sword taught by Yu Xuan True Man contains the power of heaven and earth, which can counter the Tai Huan Palace's Big Five Elements Sword Technique. Why did Master Xuan still lose to Ming Yun?"

  "Liè Quē Sword?" Li Xuánzhēn smiled and said: "Yu Xū Shīzǔ's Liè Quē Sword is indeed a divine sword that ghosts and gods cannot match, but at least one needs to have the True Yuan of the Upper Clarity Realm to cultivate it. I'm still far from that."

  Ji Ruochen was shocked by the sudden sound. Yu Xuzhen, the true person, would not hide secrets from his own disciples, so it seemed that the few moves of Lie Que Sword he had learned were actually created by Yu Xuzhen specifically for him, and did not require the use of true yuan to activate.

  Li Xuanzhen accompanied Ji Ruochen, chatting and laughing along the way. Before they knew it, they were approaching Suo Bridge. Looking into the distance, Yun Feng Daozhang was already waiting by the bridge. Li Xuanzhen stopped in his tracks and said: "Ruochen Shixiong, Yun Feng Daozhang is already waiting for you. I should also return to Xuanyu Palace now. To be honest, before coming to see you, Shixiong, I heard that you had gained the favor of several true immortals, and I was a bit resentful in my heart. However, after meeting you today, your demeanor and wisdom are truly exceptional. The path to enlightenment is difficult, but although you started seeking it late, the gap of a few years can be bridged in an instant. If you have any more trouble in the future, feel free to come find me. Others may give way to Tai Xuan Palace, but our Xuanyu Palace will not."

  Ji Ruocheng smiled and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xuanzhen. However, as long as I don't compete with them, after they make a fuss a few more times, they'll probably think it's not interesting themselves and won't bother me again."

  Li Xuanzhen burst out laughing and said, "It's rare to see that Brother Ruochen has such a broad mind. It seems that even though I ruined your good deed, you won't blame me."

  Ji Ruocheng's heart skipped a beat, and he asked with feigned ignorance, "What good thing?"

  Li Xuanzhen smiled and said, "Ming Yun may not be worldly wise, but his swordsmanship is indeed very formidable. I lost to him this year, and I still want to win back next year. However, disciples who are punished with labor duty are not allowed to participate in the annual examination."

  Having said that, Li Xuanzhen bowed to Ji Ruochen and bid farewell, saying that he would introduce Shang Qiushui to Ji Ruo in the future, who was also a wonderful person worth meeting. Then he floated away.

  Ji Ruocheng gazed at Li Xuanzhen's back, and for a moment, a chill arose in his heart. He suddenly thought to himself, "Have I underestimated the disciples of our sect?" It seems that apart from Ming Xinmingyun and those who are not very worldly, there may be many more wise and intelligent disciples hidden within Daode Sect. I mustn't view others' wisdom as insignificant.

  But as he savored the scene just now, Ji Ruochen suddenly realized that when mentioning Shang Qiushui, a faint glimmer of light flashed in Li Xuanzhen's eyes.

  He seems to have an ulterior motive.

  Swiftly passed the three months of winter, now gone; spring has arrived.

  At dawn, Ji Ruochen was already sitting on a huge rock behind the Moganshan Mountains, quietly watching the vast cloud sea in front of him. This huge rock is like an eagle with its wings spread, with more than half of its body protruding from the cliff, as if it were about to fly. The place where Ji Ruochen sat was exactly at the eagle's beak. This enormous beak can accommodate two people sitting side by side.

  In the depths of winter, the vast sea of clouds surrounding Mount Moganshan is thick and heavy as lead for half the time. The cloud sea in this season is different from that in cold winter, looking up at it now, it has become much lighter and more agile, after a while, when the morning sun first appears, this vast cloud sea will be covered with a layer of golden color, like a sea rippling with fine golden waves.

  Ji Ruochen was the one who discovered this treasure land two months ago. Since then, every time he came to the Taishang Dao De Palace to listen to the True Person's teachings, he would often arrive half an hour early and sit here for a while, quietly watching the sunrise over the mountains.

  At this moment, Ji Ruochen did not draw in daybreak, nor did he absorb spiritual energy. He simply sat there, thinking of nothing, just sitting like that.

  This might be the only quiet moment where nothing needs to be thought about. Ji Ruochen knew that sitting like this was a luxury, but he was tired. He had too many secrets hidden in his heart, and the two words "exiled immortal" were like two great mountains that pressed on his back at all times. No matter what he did, Ji Ruochen always had to carry these two immovable and unshakeable mountains on his back. This brief moment was the only time when he could put down those two mountains.

  At Longmen Inn, Ji Ruochen was always busy from dawn till dusk. When the day ended and he lay in bed, what he loved to think about most was that fifty taels of silver would fall from the sky, allowing him to buy a small piece of land and open a humble shop, being the boss for once. Now that he had entered the Daode Sect, Ji Ruochen's room was filled with treasures worth thousands of gold, yet in quiet moments, simple joys had become extremely hard to come by.

  But this rare peaceful moment lasted less than two months.

  Ji Ruocheng gazed at the faint mist rising beside him, almost imperceptible, and listened to the soft footsteps behind him, his head began to throb again.

  Han Yan didn't say a word, and directly sat down beside Ji Ruochen, gazing out at the distant, vast sea of clouds. The giant eagle was huge, but its beak could only accommodate two people sitting side by side. Ji Ruochen and Han Yan were almost touching each other, and when the mountain wind blew by, her skirt hem, sleeve corners, faint misty smoke, and threads of dark fragrance would occasionally drift over from his body.

  Ji Ruochen's heart beat a little faster, and his breathing became slightly urgent. But this was different from the first few days of meeting Hanyan, when he couldn't control himself. This time, he was extremely clear-headed, and precisely because of his clarity, he felt every move Hanyan made even more vividly. At this moment, the two were so close that Ji Ruochen's entire body was almost enveloped by the smoke surrounding Hanyan. He had sat shoulder to shoulder with Hanyan in class before, but that was under the orders of Yu Xuanzhenren, and there was also a distance between them. Now, sitting like this, they had already crossed the boundaries of ordinary fellow disciples.

  Ji Ruochen was truly bewildered this time, and all he could think of in his heart was: "She... how did she sit so close..."

  Just as the dawn was breaking, Han Yan suddenly said: "Ruocheng Shixiong, you're taking up my spot!"

  Ji Ruochen let out a soft "ah" and said: "Here? But I've already been here for almost two months, and I've never seen anyone on this big rock before."

  Yan Wuyue said faintly, "If Dusty Master Brother, 'Cangying Spreads Wings, East Sea Sunrise' is also considered a scene of Mogan Peak. I often come here to watch the sunrise, it's just that I haven't met Master Brother before."

  Ji Ruoxuan smiled wryly and looked down at the not-so-wide eagle's beak, barely moving it outward. With this movement, half of his body was already suspended in mid-air.

  Hanyan suddenly smiled lightly and said: "If Dusty Shixiong, you move again, you'll fall down. At that time, I won't save you."

  Ji Ruochen was taken aback, turned his head to look at Han Yan. Han Yan was also looking in this direction, and at such a close distance, they locked eyes. Ji Ruochen's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he turned away. Han Yan smiled again, saying: "Ruochen Shixiong, you seem to be very afraid of me."

  "How is this possible? No, of course not." Ji Ruochen flatly denied it, but in that instant, he saw the unmoving and icy giant reef again from the depths of his smoky eyes.

  With a faint sigh, he surprisingly grasped Ji Ruochen's hand and examined it carefully. Although Ji Ruochen had been laboring since childhood and his body was covered in scars, this pair of hands were actually very well-formed, just like those of a wealthy young master who had never done any hard work. Han Yan gazed at them for half the day before saying: "Ruochen Shixiong, your hands have a lingering aura of blood that refuses to disperse, it's as if the killings in your past were extremely heavy. Actually, I should be the one who's afraid."

  Ji Ruoxin's heart skipped a beat as she turned her head back and met Huan Yan's gaze.

  At this moment, a mountain breeze happened to blow by, blowing away the misty clouds and water vapor that had been lingering around Xiangxi's body all day. The girl who had always been shrouded in fog and cloud finally appeared clearly before his eyes.

  In that instant, it was as if flowers bloomed in a quiet night, and the moon rose over the spring river.

  "Smoky, how did the smoke on your body dissipate? Is something wrong with Daoji?"

  "These misty clouds and fog were originally just a way of hiding the truth from view."

  Ji Ruocheng's heart skipped a beat, and suddenly a vague feeling that couldn't be put into words surged up. Before he could think it through, the misty figure slowly rose, floated down the mountain, leaving behind only one sentence:

  "This eagle's beak may not be wide, but it can still hold two people. From now on, Master Brother doesn't need to avoid it."