The sweltering summer heat was replaced, today, by a joyous amount of humidity that hung in the air and clung to the disciples like the looming clouds that blanketed the normally clear blue skies. By noon, it had begun to rain heavily, causing all activity to cease. The grounds became muddy and slippery; even the beasts and animals opted to stay inside, away from the rain. As the skies began to clear up the slightest, Fan Yi had called for the meeting he had initially planned to happen today. The disciples that ran into the hall left trails of water behind them. The soaking wet umbrellas were shaken out and kept by their sides, causing water to pool where they stood.
Fan Yi looked out over the whispering disciples. His eyes trailed over to Wu Lingtian, who stood silently off to the side of the stage like a shadow. His eyes were also concentrated on the crowd of disciples, unknowing of the gaze that watched him from above. Fan Yi turned his attention back to the disciples and lightly cleared his throat to quiet them all down.
In moments, only the sound of rain from outside filled the hall. Fan Yi pulled on a smile and began: “We must have already heard of what happened with Liang Jun a few days ago, yes?”
The disciples unabashedly admitted so.
Liang Jun had returned the day before and the event had been reported to Fan Yi the same day. However, because Ren Yizhou had left the sect to attend to their own business, the three Pillars did not get to get together to discuss the matter until yesterday. At this point, everyone in the sect had had an inkling of what was going on between them and the righteous sects—specifically Drifting Clouds Mountain Sect. A few disciples glanced over at the mysterious Lord Immortal standing in the corner as if they were pinpointing the start of this issue.
“We have decided to implement a few new rules,” Fan Yi said. “From here on out, missions must be carried out in pairs, regardless of age. After receiving a mission and getting a brief overview from the sender, you must write a detailed report so that one of us three,” Fan Yi gestured to Ren Yizhou and Tian Xiewen, “may approve. Once approved, you may leave on your mission. However, upon return, you must write another detailed report on what happened. Preferably, you will be keeping a mission journal so that the details are fresh in your mind but if you feel uncomfortable doing that, writing a report once you return is also an option.”
The disciples grumbled in dissent, but no one spoke out against the new rules. They were there to protect them, after all.
“Do we understand?” Fan Yi asked.
The disciples all answered positively, completely lacking their usual enthusiasm.
“Another thing I wanted to talk about was the conference coming up in two weeks,” Fan Yi said.
The previously whispering hall quieted down to silence.
“As we all know, Zhuixing Mountain hosts a conference once every five years. It is a completely neutral conference so that both righteous, demonic, and unorthodox sects may attend in hopes of bringing us closer together so we may find similarities between our three sides,” Fan Yi’s words rang over the hall. A silence followed his words. Fan Yi smirked. “We all know that isn’t true though.”
The disciples whooped and hollered.
“Every five years is the sole chance we can remind the righteous sect what we’re made of,” Fan Yi said, his voice dripping with cockiness despite his gentlemanly smile. “Their memory seems to last about five years anyway. They always think that unorthodox sects are easy to walk all over by the time the next conference is up.”
Ren Yizhou bowed their head to hide their laughter while Tian Xiewen threw his head back at Fan Yi’s words.
“Since they forget, we must hammer down the lesson harder this time,” Fan Yi said. His eyes trailed over to Wu Lingtian. A smirk spread across his handsome face, changing the gentle aura into something a little more roguish. “Especially since we have someone to impress.”
The entire hall fell into silence before breaking out into hollers and whistles. Wu Lingtian listened to the disciples agreeing that they had to impress the Lord Immortal. A few others even took it as far as to winning his honor back. Wu Lingtian listened to the noise and, for once, didn’t find the shouting annoying at all. He bowed his head to hide the smile creeping onto his face.
Fan Yi looked away and back to the disciples. He waved his hand to settle them down. “So, now we know that we must work extra hard to win, right?”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
“But,” Fan Yi held up his hand again. “Remember that winning is secondary to health. If you don’t think you can win, surrender. Face can be recovered, but your life cannot. Also, if you ever feel like someone in the righteous sect is trying to provoke you, turn away and don’t engage. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Fan Yi clapped his hands together. “Then you’re all dismissed. Work hard these next two weeks!”
The disciples were shuffling to leave when a shout was heard from within the crowd. They stopped and turned to the brave soul.
“Is Lord Immortal going to attend with us?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“You don’t have to,” Fan Yi said.
Wu Lingtian glanced over the crowd of disciples and turned to meet Fan Yi’s gaze. “I was thinking about attending.”
The silent hall erupted into cheers again. Attending as a guest of Screeching Sparrow Sect was equivalent to smacking the righteous sect across the face and then pouring cold water all over them. Every five or so years, they would beg Wu Lingtian to join them again, but every time Wu Lingtian had refused. Now, they didn’t even have to ask and Wu Lingtian said that he had been planning on attending!
The excitement transformed into encouragement. Each disciple felt that they should do better in the upcoming conference to prove that Wu Lingtian had chosen the right sect to seek asylum. Even as the disciples left the main hall and stepped back into the pouring rain, there seemed to be a renewed sense of motivation.
Once the three Pillar’s direct disciples took their leave as well, they all relaxed and gathered about on the stage.
Tian Xiewen laughed as he swung his feet off the stage and sat down on the edge. “Those rascals sure get riled up easily.”
“Lingtian is someone that many people look up to in the cultivation world, regardless of which side they belong to,” Ren Yizhou said. “It isn’t too surprising to see them so motivated.”
Wu Lingtian stepped forward, a little closer to the stage. Fan Yi glanced over and slipped down beside Wu Lingtian. “You didn’t have to agree.”
Tian Xiewen looked over.
“I know,” Wu Lingtian said. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. The silence was filled by the splashing of rain. The candlelight flickered over Wu Lingtian’s face, making his expression seem somber. “I know, but I do not think hiding here forever is a good solution.”
“What are you going to do then?” Fan Yi asked.
Wu Lingtian met his gaze. “In front of everyone, I will tell my piece. If they do not believe me, then so be it. At least then the Frost Cliff Pavilion can make a judgment of whether I should continue to be pursued or not.”
Fan Yi slowly thought through the repercussions and slowly agreed. “We’ll back you up if anything goes wrong.”
Tian Xiewen clicked his tongue. “If they dare to break the rules of the Zhuixing Conference, they’ll be kicked out as a righteous sect and punished. Do you think that group of wimps would dare?”
The four people stood and spoke a bit longer, discussing the details of the conference. Fan Yi tried once more to hint that Wu Lingtian should just become a member of the sect, but he received the other man’s cold look and stopped his suggestion midway. Ren Yizhou expressed that they had to leave again right after this and went on their way. Wu Lingtian made a lazy excuse that he still needed to recuperate. He glanced out from under the main hall and, seemingly deciding that it was no big deal, walked out into the rain without an umbrella only to cast a shielding spell above his head moments later.
Fan Yi and Tian Xiewen remained at the entrance of the hall, watching as sheet after sheet of rain came down.
“Yu Lan sure has a lot of secrets,” Tian Xiewen said.
“Don’t we all?” Fan Yi sighed.
Tian Xiewen glanced at Fan Yi and smiled. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. It makes him fit right in. Who in the unorthodox sect doesn’t have a few secrets under his belt?”
“That’s true,” Fan Yi nodded.
The unorthodox sects and the demonic sects had few things in common, but the one place they both agreed on was a simple motto: Mind your own business. Anyone who joined the unorthodox sects or the demonic sects had to have had something happened to them one way or another in the past. These were people filled with suspicion. Even if you had been cultivation partners for years, it was rare that you would hear someone’s entire story. To share your life story was like handing over your lifeline. There were things that many would rather keep secret until they inevitably died an unnatural death. Secrets were not scarce because everyone understood it as a means to protect themselves.
Not to mention, few in these two sides were sympathetic enough to listen.
“We were all people who were once high and mighty or we were all people who were once worse than cow shit,” Tian Xiewen shrugged. “Sob stories are a dime a dozen. If you care too much, you’re only hurting yourself.”
Fan Yi lowered his head and chuckled. “Xiewen, do you think we’re pretty messed up sometimes?”
“Us?” Tian Xiewen looked at Fan Yi and laughed. “Fan-ge, if we weren’t messed up, you wouldn’t even have your Screeching Sparrow Sect today.”
A sect filled with the unwanted and the abandoned—that’s what Screeching Sparrow Sect was known for.
Fan Yi clapped Tian Xiewen on the back. “Right. If we weren’t messed up, I wouldn’t have met you.”
Tian Xiewen clicked his tongue. “Is it the weather? Why do I suddenly feel like reminiscing over the past with you?”
“Let’s not do that,” Fan Yi said. “I have a request to make of you.”
“Oh, I sure am excited,” Tian Xiewen said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “But it’s a request? Not an order?”
Fan Yi shook his head. “I was hoping you could make some type of weapon for Yu Lan. It would be unwise of him to enter the conference without a type of weapon.”
“I made him a little something already,” Tian Xiewen said. “But that was for when he joined the sect.”
Fan Yi gave him a look.
“Is he not going to join? Haven’t you seduced him already?” Tian Xiewen nimbly dodged the hand that was about to land on the back of his head. “That’s what all the rumors are saying.”
Fan Yi sighed. “Yu Lan is going to be so angry with me when he hears the rumors.”
“You expected it already, didn’t you? You’d be a fool not to. Those righteous cultivators have the loosest lips I’ve ever seen—and I used to live in an imperial palace.”
“Just give him your gift now,” Fan Yi decided. He looked at Tian Xiewen curiously. “What is it anyway?”
“A pair of shoes and vambraces,” Tian Xiewen said.
Fan Yi’s brows furrowed. “What’s special about them?”
“The shoes are called Star Chasers—they make your steps light and silent. The vambrace can turn into a bow. You’ll be able to use your spiritual energy to create the arrows,” Tian Xiewen said. He lowered his voice and moved a little closer. “I figured since we don’t know what exactly happened to his sword, we should hold off on giving him another one.”
Fan Yi nodded. “We’ll go with what you say then.” He hesitated a moment and then looked to Tian Xiewen again. “But why…?”
Tian Xiewen smiled. “Isn’t he already known for his soundless and nimble movements? He’s so good at hiding in the shadows, why not give him some long-range options as well? Besides, these are just complimentary items to the sword. If he really hates it then once he gets a sword he can just turn back to melee.”
The explanation made enough sense. Fan Yi hummed and thanked Tian Xiewen for his efforts. The two friends spoke some more until Fan Yi decided that the rain had thinned enough. However, before he could leave, Tian Xiewen’s voice stopped him.
“Do you know what Yizhou has been up to?” Tian Xiewen asked.
“Aren’t they just watching over the winehouse?”
Tian Xiewen frowned, his brows furrowing. Fan Yi watched the younger man for a moment before patting his shoulder. “If you really want to know, then ask them yourself. I haven’t asked and I have no interest in knowing. Just realize that it wasn’t a mission I put them on.”
“…Alright, Fan-ge. Thanks.”
“Mn. Take care. Try not to get strung up again,” Fan Yi lazily waved his hand and walked out into the drizzling rain.
Tian Xiewen let out a breath through his mouth. He clicked his tongue at the rain and looked up at the clouds, which had parted slightly to show through a sliver of sun. He tilted his head. “Is a fox demon getting married today?”
His heavy boots took the first steps down the stairs and sloshed through the mud as he made his way back to his residence. He glanced around at the empty sect that had quieted down due to the inconvenience. When he looked up at the sky again, the clouds had reconvened, shutting away the cracks of light that spilled through. He lowered his head and thought about how to prepare for the upcoming two weeks. Fan Yi often expressed his desire to win against the righteous sects.
“As long as they don’t win, I will be happy for the next five years”—was his sentiment. And it was a sentiment that everyone in the unorthodox sects understood. But that didn’t mean that they would allow members of the demonic sects win either.
The clouds soon dispersed completely, revealing the blue sky once more. The disciples that had been holed away for most of the day slowly came out to stretch their legs. Tian Xiewen bypassed them to head to Fan Yi’s residence. After glancing around, he began to wander around the rest of the sect until he found Wu Lingtian by the lake. He let out a two-note whistle to catch Wu Lingtian’s attention. The man turned around and watched as Tian Xiewen traversed down the slight slope.
He reached into his spirit pouch and produced a pair of shoes as well as a pair of arm braces. “Here! A gift to welcome you back to the living.”
Wu Lingtian stood and stared at the two items. He looked up at Tian Xiewen and accepted them. “Thank you.”
Tian Xiewen laughed at his reaction. “You aren’t even going to ask what they’re for?”
“Whatever you craft is nice at any rate.”
“Aw, you’ll make me blush!” Tian Xiewen shook his head. He cleared his throat and pointed to the shoes. “These are called Star Chaser shoes. They let you become light on your feet. When you wear these, people won’t even be able to hear your footsteps. Be careful not to kick anyone too—the toes of these shoes are pretty hard.”
Tian Xiewen handed Wu Lingtian the arm braces that were nearly identical to the ones that Wu Lingtian was currently wearing. He tapped one of them. “This one transforms into a bow.”
Wu Lingtian glanced at Tian Xiewen.
“You can always switch them,” Tian Xiewen said. “You’re ambidextrous, aren’t you? You can go with how you’re feeling that day. The arrows are made from your own spiritual energy. It’ll be your sword light that you can use as arrows. Be careful though. This item isn’t made for you to use it for long periods of time. It’s more of a last resort. If you need to run, you can run while attacking.”
Wu Lingtian observed his new weapons and slowly nodded. He looked back towards Tian Xiewen. “So, these are items to make sure I can get away safely?”
“Exactly,” Tian Xiewen smiled. He awkwardly cleared his throat. “I don’t know what happened to your sword, but I do know that it’s very difficult to break a Hanyou. And a cultivator’s sword isn’t something you can easily replace…If you want me to make you another one, then I wouldn’t refuse, but I didn’t want to do something like that without your permission.”
Wu Lingtian held the items in his hands and nodded. “Thank you, Third Pillar…but perhaps another time.”
“Yeah, of course! Definitely,” Tian Xiewen nodded in understanding. “These should help you for now. When you want a new sword just…come to me, alright?”
“Thank you.”
“No, no need for thanks,” Tian Xiewen smiled. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Then, I’m heading back first.”
Wu Lingtian nodded.
He watched Tian Xiewen leave and slowly sat back down on the ground. He looked at his newly acquired items and placed them on the ground in front of him. He held out his hand and flexed his fingers. The familiar feeling of rough cloth against the palm of his hand didn’t appear. The familiar weight was replaced by an emptiness that felt even heavier than the weight of the sword. The feeling pressed into his chest, weighing him down as he leaned back against the tree trunk and stared up at the clear skies.
It’s already been a few days. It’s about time to do something.
Li Ran gonna have an epic fit when he sees Yu Lan in attendance. Lol
Thank you for chapter
sweats
Thank you for the chapter!
sweats * * (not supposed to be bolded lol whoops ^^; )
I kind of wish Fan Yi could have gotten a selfie with Wu Lingtian in his arms from the first chapter – at least if it was the way I saw it in my head with maybe some unnecessary squeezes and nuzzles 😄
My comment re:Lingtian’s age seems to have disappeared, or the system acts up…
Here is the sentence from this chapter:
” It has bern a hundred years already since he last joined in on the festivals, and at that time, he had still been less than fifty.”
That makes him at most 150 years old.
As the writer, I am telling you that he is in his 200s. The wording is vague because his age is kept vague. Also I would appreciate it if you would stop commenting about these “inconsistencies”. Thank you for your concerns though.
edit: i edited the wording. I hope that helps. If you decide to continue reading, there will be mistakes because I am just one person and no one helps me edit. If that bothers you, feel free to stop reading. Once again, thank you for your concerns!