Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Of all the disciples on Shenmo Peak, the Drifter had the lowest Cultivation state. She had such hot meat in her mouth that she couldn’t utter a word; all she could manage was give a thumbs-up to Liu Shisui.
“You’re indeed the Big Brother, what with the excellent sword work you have,” Ping Yongjia complimented, his face full of bewilderment and admiration.
Yuan Qü suddenly recalled the discussion he had with Gu Qing about the ranking on Shenmo Peak many years ago after the Sword Trial. He shot a glance at Gu Qing reflexively.
Gu Qing had a normal expression on his face, as if he hadn’t heard what Ping Yongjia said. But Yuan Qü still felt uneasy. He set down his chopsticks after eating a bit more meat and walked to the edge of the cliff.
Arriving by the bamboo chair, Yuan Qü squatted down and asked softly, “According to the sect rules, you must present the Inherited Heaven Sword and receive the greetings of the Green Mountain disciples at the inaugurating ceremony. What are your…”
Gu Qing had mentioned this issue as soon as he came back from Zhaoge City.
Whoever possessed the Inherited Heaven Sword was the sect master of Green Mountain, which was the statement Jing Jiu made back then to impede Fang Jingtian. Regardless of if it was the sect rules or this statement, the Inherited Heaven Sword had to be presented.
“Just do it,” Jing Jiu cut him off, while caressing Ada.
Ada was holding Cold Cicada tightly with his eyes shut, pretending that he was asleep and hadn’t heard what Jing Jiu said.
It didn’t take long before the hotpot was all consumed. The disciples of Shiyue Peak came over to clean up the table, and an elder of Shiyue Peak and several female disciples of Qingrong Peak had also come.
The elder of Shiyue Peak bowed to Jing Jiu reverently and asked, “Immortal Sect Master, your costume is ready. Would you like to try it on?”
The young women of Qingrong Peak knelt down on the ground while holding the stylish clothes in their hands, suppressing their nervousness, curiosity and excitement as much as they could.
Jing Jiu didn’t anticipate that being a sect master of Green Mountain entailed so much trouble. He shot a glance Yuan Qü’s way.
Yuan Qü explained hastily, “One hundred years ago, everything was simplified according to the sect rules because the Immortal Liu Ci had passed away less than ten years prior. But this time…”
It was a rather troublesome and boring thing to listen to someone explaining the sect rules of Green Mountain; one reason he was reluctant to meet Yuan Qijing was because of this. Jing Jiu got up from the bamboo chair and said to the elder of Shiyue Peak helplessly, “Hurry up then.”
Seeing the stone door of the manor cave close up slowly, Zhuo Rusui and the others exchanged a look and almost laughed.
Liu Shisui wiped the Lone Sword on his sleeve and clamped around on his wrist; it turned into a bracelet again.
If it were another occasion, the Lone Sword would have gotten very angry and quivered incessantly when it was used to slice meats that day and put away without being properly cleaned. Yet, it behaved obediently that day perhaps because Jing Jiu was close by.
Liu Shisui came to the edge of the cliff and stood by the side of Zhao Layue.
Zhao Layue glanced at him and said nothing.
Over the last one hundred years, the two of them had one long conversation when Jing Jiu was asleep unconsciously at the Fruit Formation Temple; aside from that, they had seldom met each other.
The two of them were the first ones to follow Jing Jiu.
To put it more precisely, they were the ones who were selected by Jing Yang for Green Mountain.
In this sense, the two of them had a special relationship, and their cooperation was also rather unique.
They had cooperated with each other and killed Luo Huainan in Guiyun City, and pursued the Immortal Taiping together. The two of them had no need for language to communicate with each other in order to find out what the other party had in mind.
However, Zhao Layue had something to say to him that day. And what she was to say to him was very important.
“He’s able to leave now.”
Hearing this, Liu Shisui fell silent for a while before saying, “Let him leave then.”
It was unnecessary to march on the same path toward heaven all the time.
“What do you want to do after his departure? I meant what you want to do besides Cultivation,” pressed Zhao Layue while looking at him.
Liu Shisui looked at the other side of the ocean of clouds.
It was the distant horizon.
“I want to call up the wind and rain.”
“Hmm?”
“I want to travel one thousand miles in a second; and I want to travel the four seas.”
Liu Shisui let loose a smile as he went on, “I want to dream and wake up in a dream world.”
One dreams while sleeping; one will have to face the reality when they wake up.
It would be nice if reality were like the dream world.
On the other hand, one might wake up and still think they were in the dream world.
Zhao Layue understood what Liu Shisui meant by saying that, but she didn’t know what he implied.
It was then that Jing Jiu walked out as the stone door of the manor cave opened again with loud friction noise.
The elder of Shiyue Peak and the few young women of Qingrong Peak followed close behind while holding the stylish uniform, an uneasy expression showing on their faces.
“What’s the matter?” Zhao Layue approached him and asked.
“I don’t like it,” replied Jing Jiu.
Zhao Layue rearranged his collar for him and said, “Yeah, you look better when wearing the white clothing.”
Seeing the scene, Liu Shisui let loose a grin, but said nothing.
…
…
Having stayed on Shenmo Peak for three days, Liu Shisui wished to go to other peaks and pay a visit.
He hadn’t come back for more than one hundred years. Gu Qing and the others understood him. Jing Jiu waved his hand a few times while lying on the bamboo chair.
The monkeys suddenly cried loudly. After listening to them for a while, Gu Qing didn’t find any meaning in those cries, so he paid no heed to them.
Liu Shisui didn’t ride his sword. He made his way down the stone steps with his hands folded behind his back. He inspected the vines on the cliff walls and the water trickling down on the cliff walls closely; it seemed that he was interested in every detail.
It didn’t take long before he came to the front of a dilapidated wooden hut. He halted his steps and entered the hut. Seeing the black tea, he murmured, “Is this the hut Gu Qing built?”
Outside the wooden hut, the monkeys cried one after the other. He took a look at the outside of the window and remarked with furrowed brows, “It’s too noisy.”
The whole world suddenly turned quiet.
After leaving the wooden hut, Liu Shisui continued descending the peak. It was the early spring, and the place was protected by the Great Formation of Green Mountain; so the gentle breeze on the mountain felt cool and comfortable. However, he took out the folding fan and fanned himself leisurely. A flower could be vaguely seen on the fan.
Shenmo Peak was the loneliest peak among the nine peaks of Green Mountain. Qingrong Peak was relatively closer to Shenmo Peak, and the two peaks faced each other.
As Liu Shisui arrived at the foot of Qingrong Peak, he told the guarding disciples of Qingrong Peak his name and said he wished to tour the peak.
The young women of Qingrong Peak felt surprised when they found out that he was the legendary Liu Shisui. They bowed to him hastily and told him that he could go ahead to tour the peak without informing the masters.
Seeing his figure disappear on the mountain path, these young women couldn’t control their emotions any longer and started discussing him.
“I heard that the reason Senior Master Liu can’t stay on Green Mountain is because his Cultivation partner is a vixen. But he looks full of upright energy and far from a devilish person.”
“Marrying a vixen doesn’t mean he is a devil. The Emperor in Zhaoge City is the son of a vixen; so what?”
“Senior Master Liu looks more like a scholar than a Cultivation practitioner, judging by the way he uses the fan.”
“You’re such an idiot. Senior Master Liu is an important figure at the One-Cottage House, and is a scholar to begin with.”
…
…
Liu Shisui had no idea what those young women were discussing. He was strolling leisurely on the mountain path, stopping short and smelling the flowers each time he saw one. When he saw the ancient pine trees, he would touch them with his hands. It seemed that he was enthralled by all of it.
He came back to Green Mountain after so many years; he acted like a little child, showing interest and curiosity in all the objects and sceneries and the changes that had occurred since he had left.
As he came to Lijian Valley, an elder of Qingrong Peak waited for him there.
Liu Shisui said, “Big Sister, I heard the pear wine here tastes pretty good; can you bring me some to drink?”
The elder of Qingrong Peak was taken aback slightly, then gestured for the disciples to fetch a jar of wine in the cave.
Liu Shisui bowed to the elder to thank her before he drifted up while heaving the jar of pear wine. Soon after, he landed on the Autumn Platform.
The Autumn Platform was the second highest place on Qingrong Peak. When weather was clear, one could see clearly the huge black rock on the peak top and the flowering tree behind the rock.
If one was lucky, they could even see the peak master of Qingrong, Nan Wang, there.
It was a clear day.
Liu Shisui sat under a pavilion on the Autumn Platform, sipping the pure pear wine while smiling toward the peak top.
It was visible on the top of Qingrong Peak after the fog dispersed.
Nan Wang leaned against the black rock while holding a small alcohol jar. She was looking at the sky and pondering something. She didn’t look drunk the way she used to; instead, she looked quite relaxed and content.
Liu Shisui sipped the wine while looking in that direction, his eyes full of warmth and satisfaction.
The gentle wind picked up and blew some flower petals off the tree, then drifting down onto Nan Wang, as if they were caressing her.
