The weather was really cold. Inside the Celestial Seal Sect, as the yellow leaves began to fall with the autumn wind, the golden ground did not appear hot but desolate. The desolation came from the elevation and distance. When too high, there were few.
The quietest grass hut of Celestial Seal Sect was not high up, but the door and windows were all open. Everyone who walked by could see where Celestial Seal Sect studied and the disciples resided.
“Junior Brother, why have you allowed him into the Celestial Ascending Hall to cultivate?”
In the grass hut, a voice cooler than the autumn wind echoed. The one who had spoken was an old man dressed in a black Taoist robe. His hair was gray, and his eyes weathered. But his skin was pink and as smooth as a young girl.
Sitting opposite him was an old man who was younger than him but looked older, the master of Celestial Seal Sect.
“The Celestial Ascending Hall is in Celestial Seal Sect. Since we had this boy join Celestial Seal Sect, so what if he is allowed to enter Celestial Ascending Hall?”
The voice of the master of Celestial Seal Sect sounded, warm and calm like the warm sun in autumn.
“Time has passed.” The black robed man shook his head coldly. “This time is not like other times. Yellow Heaven Daoist Seal has returned to Celestial Seal Sect. You arranged for him to be together with Zhang Yi. If Zhang Yi comprehends the Celestial Ascending Daoist Seal, Yellow Heaven and Celestial Ascending will be in the hands of one person. This is very rare in the history of Celestial Seal Sect, much less that he is from Qin.
“Senior Sect Brother, your words are somewhat correct,” the master of Celestial Seal Sect looked at the black robed man and said.
The man said with slight scorn, “Just somewhat?”
“Just somewhat.” The master of Celestial Seal Sect looked calmly at the man and said, “The key is that I did not allow him into the Celestial Ascending Hall today … he has been in the Celestial Ascending Hall for many days. Why had Senior Sect Brother come with such seriousness today?”
“Also,” the master of Celestial Seal Sect asked seriously after a pause, “what about Junior Sect Brothers Zhu and Chu? Why have the two of them not come with Senior Sect Brother?”
The old man in black robes was silent for a moment and said, “Junior Sect Brother has always been the smartest person of Celestial Seal Sect. You should understand the situation right now.”
The master of Celestial Seal Sect was silent for a moment before asking solemnly, “Is being Qin really so important? Is not Zheng Xiu also Qin?”
“You should know that it is her who has allowed the Celestial Seal Sect to have such status at present.” The black robed man had an angry expression and he said harshly, “Ever since you took in the boy, you have been going your own way. I previously wanted to go along, the boy was mediocre. But this boy has first comprehended the Celestial Mounting seal essence, and has the Yellow Heaven Daoist Seal. Even more importantly, he can use seal essence in his sword. Even if he practices the seal essence of Celestial Seal Sect, Junior Sect Brother, can you distinguish if he is using the sword of Min Mountain Sword Sect or the seal of Celestial Seal Sect?”
The master of Celestial Seal Sect listened to the black robed man’s words, and his eyes grew emotional. He shook his head and said softly, “The mountains are red, and the fallen leaves colorful. It is a good scene. But in the end, the luxurious branches come from the tree themselves. Senior Sect Brother, you see the glory of Celestial Seal Sect, but have not understood the true essence of Celestial Seal Sect. If the seal path of Celestial Seal Sect prospers, would it only have surface glory like this, and why care about this surface glory?”
“All the teachings are with the people.” The master of Celestial Seal Sect looked past the old man and looked at the fallen yellow leaves down the mountain. “As long as Le Yi exists, as long as Zhang Yi exists, the seal essence of Celestial Seal Sect will grow stronger in their hands. Even if Celestial Seal Sect loses its glory for a time, there will be a better Celestial Seal Sect in the future.”
The black robed man looked at him and sneered. “Junior Sect Brother is somewhat right. But your view is too elevated, and lonely, no one will agree with it. In the end, Celestial Seal Sect is not just Junior Sect Brother’s sect. Junior Sect Brother, even if you are the master and have the deciding right over many matters, do not forget it is I and many others who helped you onto the position. Most of us must agree with your view.”
“Now, Senior Sect Brother is the only one in front of me, Junior Sect Brothers Zhu and Chu are not here.” The master of Celestial Seal Sect said coolly. “Let us not discuss who will receive the most agreement. Even more importantly, you found me today, targeting Zhang Yi. What do you want me to agree to?”
The old man in black robes put away his angry and mocking expression. He bowed deeply and said, “Let him die.”
The master of Celestial Seal Sect frowned deeply but was not angry. He asked, “Zheng Xiu had no intentions before. Why must he die now, just because his wings are growing? With Zheng Xiu’s personality in assessing the situation, she will not break with me because of this.”
The old man seemed to know he would have such a question and said respectfully without looking up, “Because his junior sect brother has died … So she does not need to consider his junior sect brother’s feelings. A hidden problem like Zhang Yi naturally has no need to survive.”
The master of Celestial Seal Sect stilled and was in slight disbelief. “The wine shop youth is dead?”
The man in black robes looked up at him and said, “Any genius will die.”
The master of Celestial Seal Sect thought for a moment and said, “If I do not agree to you killing Zhang Yi, will you kill me as well… Can you kill me?”
“We cannot,” the man in black robes looked coldly at the master of Celestial Seal Sect and said, “but at least we can trap Junior Sect Brother here for half a day.”
“To kill a Qin person who you say is irrelevant, you are using a sacred item of the sect like the Half Day Divine Seal. This is the Celestial Seal Sect glory you pursue?”
The master of Celestial Seal Sect sighed quietly and walked to the window. As he did, the man in black robes did not stop him because both the man in black robes and the master of Celestial Seal Sect knew that they could not defeat the seal essence after the Half Day Divine Seal was activated. Since this could not be changed, then it did not make sense to do a thing. It would be even more meaningless if one or two people died.
The master of Celestial Seal Sect looked at a temple faintly visible through the golden forest. His expression was worried as he said softly, “Who is going to kill him? Junior Sect Brother Zhou or your student?”
“Chen Xingchui.” The man in black robes glanced at him as though he could read the other’s thoughts. A faint mocking smile appeared on his lips.
The expression of the master of Celestial Seal Sect did not change, but his body shook faintly.
Chen Xingchui was a student of Celestial Seal Sect, but one from many years ago. His present status was of a general on the Chu border. The border generals experienced true battle ordinary cultivators could not rival. They were much stronger than the cultivators who stayed in Celestial Seal Sect and peacefully passed their days. But the heaviest of all his thoughts … the most important was they had used the Half Day Divine Seal to trap him. But to make sure they killed a Celestial Seal Sect disciple, they sent an important general from court.
A border general came back to Celestial Seal Sect to kill a person. This let him know that today’s change was not limited to Celestial Seal Sect. Inexplicably, this wise old man’s eyes dimmed. He felt slightly cold.
The weather was really cold.
Translator Ramblings: Tianliang, if translated, and used in a sentence, generally means cold weather or “the weather is turning cold.”
