“Good!”
Thunderous applause erupted. Beneath the platform at the “Qian” position, it was an entirely different world. Everyone was shouting at the tops of their lungs, utterly entranced by the two beautiful figures on the stage.
The Amber Vermilion Silk cast out boundless rosy light, and the Tianya Divine Sword poured forth endless blue radiance, illuminating the place until it seemed like a fairyland on earth, wondrously beautiful. Yet more beautiful still were the two young women darting back and forth through the air. This match had gone on from morning until now; an entire shichen had passed, and neither side had yet gained the upper hand. In particular, Tian Linger of Big Bamboo Peak had managed, under Lu Xueqi’s Tianya Divine Sword, to attack and defend in turn for so long without showing the slightest sign of defeat, leaving everyone greatly astonished.
Below the stage, needless to say, senior experts of the two lineages such as Tian Buyi, Su Ru, and Master Shuiyue were all present. Even Sect Leader Daoxuan Zhenren sat in his chair, watching the splendid contest, a smile on his lips as he nodded repeatedly, looking deeply gratified.
Tian Buyi and Su Ru were linked to Tian Linger by blood and affection, and were all the more nervous. But seeing Tian Linger’s Daoist arts so nimble and lively, not falling behind in the slightest, they felt somewhat relieved. Tian Buyi glanced at his wife beside him and, seeing her tense expression, said softly, “Relax a little. Linger will be fine.”
Su Ru turned and looked at her husband, gave a faint smile, then turned back to look at the stage again. Tian Buyi shook his head slightly, and then suddenly noticed a commotion among the disciples watching behind him, and even among the disciples of the other peaks farther away.
He turned to look. In the next moment, even with the depth of his cultivation, he froze.
Through a narrow path the crowd had opened of its own accord, Zhang Xiaofan slowly walked over. The clothes all over his body were burned black, and in some places, thin wisps of smoke were still rising. His face, hands, and body were covered everywhere with great patches of charred black, and a pungent stench rushed toward them. Everyone could see that he was walking with great difficulty, as if each step exhausted all the strength in his body. Yet for some unknown reason, he still stubbornly kept moving forward, walking on and on.
Tian Buyi watched as his youngest disciple slowly approached. Without saying a word, his short, stout body left the chair and stood up. Su Ru sensed something and looked at her husband in surprise, then immediately realized something was wrong. Following his gaze, her face instantly went pale, and she also stood up at once.
By then, even more people were looking this way.
Zhang Xiaofan walked up before Tian Buyi. Tian Buyi looked at this disciple whom he had ordinarily neglected the most, looked at that inexplicable stubbornness of his, and suddenly an uncontrollable fury surged up in his heart. The anger was so intense that although he did his utmost to suppress it, everyone still heard the rage in his voice. “Old Seven, which bastard injured you like this? Was winning not enough for him?”
Su Ru’s body trembled. Hearing that her husband was truly enraged for the sake of this youngest disciple he had always looked down upon, she grew somewhat worried and tugged at Tian Buyi. But her gaze immediately fell again on Zhang Xiaofan.
On both sides, the disciples of Big Bamboo Peak stood rooted in place, too shocked to remember to go support their little junior brother.
On the stage, Lu Xueqi and Tian Linger were locked in fierce combat. Their magic treasures flew back and forth through the air, immortal aura cold and majestic.
Zhang Xiaofan looked deeply toward the stage, then looked at the master before him. He saw the anger on that plump face, and seemingly, just the faintest trace of care, as if there and yet not there.
Exhausted, he shook his head and said in a low voice, “No, Master. I won.”
After saying this, he felt a wave of dizziness sweep through his mind. In an instant, heaven and earth darkened, and with a thud, he fell to the ground and passed out.
Zhang Xiaofan collapsed unconscious on the ground, but the words he had spoken before fainting left everyone from Tian Buyi down to all the disciples of Big Bamboo Peak stunned. After a moment, Tian Buyi and the others came back to themselves and helped Zhang Xiaofan up.
Tian Buyi examined him carefully and discovered that this young disciple’s body was covered in wounds, almost as if he had been roasted by a great fire, but his internal organs were not seriously injured. His fainting was mostly due to exhaustion. Who knew what exactly had happened in that match just now? Tian Buyi pondered for a moment. From the corner of his eye, he saw more and more people around them looking over. Unwilling to stand there and be watched like a spectacle, he immediately picked Zhang Xiaofan up and said quietly to Su Ru, “I’ll take Old Seven back. You stay here and watch Linger.”
Su Ru’s brows were tightly furrowed, but she still nodded. She glanced at Zhang Xiaofan, whose eyes were tightly shut, and the anxiety on her face could no longer be concealed. The others from Big Bamboo Peak also gathered around. Du Bishu said, “Master, I’ll go with you too.”
Tian Buyi shook his head. “No need.”
At that moment, even Daoxuan Zhenren’s attention had been drawn over. He said, “Junior Brother Tian, is this one of your disciples? What happened?”
Tian Buyi said indifferently, “His skills are lacking, and he suffered some minor injuries. I’ll take him to be treated. Excuse me.”
Daoxuan Zhenren nodded, turned back, and once more looked toward the splendid clash of Daoist arts on the stage. As Tian Buyi carried Zhang Xiaofan out of the crowd, the matter quickly settled down. People once again grew excited over the two beauties on the stage. Only a few young disciples standing at the edge of the crowd inadvertently noticed that most of the disciples of Fenghui Peak had ashen faces, and were gathering in twos and threes toward a distant place.
If Zhang Xiaofan had been here, he would certainly have recognized that place as where Zeng Shushu was competing.
※※※
Beneath the Nine Netherworlds, in the halls of Yama, raging fires burned everywhere, scorching people as they wept and screamed. The reek of blood and charred flesh made one want to vomit. Zhang Xiaofan felt the world spin around him, but in the next instant, he suddenly returned to many years ago, to that quiet little mountain village, where the breeze was gentle and faintly pleasant.
Then a thunderclap rang across the sky. Dark clouds towered like mountains, surging and roiling like the waves of an enraged sea. In the blink of an eye, the kind and familiar villagers became corpses piled like mountains, and the peaceful little village turned into a hell on earth!
“No!”
He shouted with all his might, every muscle in his body tightening. A piercing pain shot from his chest, making him suck in a cold breath. His whole body trembled, and he startled awake.
“Ah, he’s awake! Xiaofan is awake.” That familiar voice, almost carved into the depths of his heart, sounded at once, carrying both worry and joy. Zhang Xiaofan opened his eyes and saw Tian Linger.
It was as if he had returned to the past again. She was dressed in red, the Amber Vermilion Silk still wrapped around her waist. Her soft hair fell from her fair neck, setting off her somewhat pale face, as well as those bright eyes and pure pupils. Zhang Xiaofan could even see his own reflection in them.
Senior Sister! he cried out deep in his heart.
Zhang Xiaofan looked at her without even blinking. If only this moment could become eternity, how wonderful that would be!
In the room, everyone from Big Bamboo Peak gathered around. Tian Buyi stepped forward and took his pulse, then nodded and said, “All right. He’s fine.”
Only then did everyone let out a breath of relief, each of them showing a reassured smile.
Zhang Xiaofan looked around and saw that everyone from Big Bamboo Peak was here. He himself was lying on the bed in the room. His senior brothers all stood on the floor, while Tian Buyi and Su Ru sat on chairs before the bed.
“Wh-what happened?”
Tian Linger smiled and said, “You couldn’t have forgotten so quickly, could you? During the day, you competed against Peng Chang of Fenghui Peak. When you came back, you fainted and gave everyone a fright. Luckily, there’s nothing seriously wrong.”
Zhang Xiaofan moved his body. Sure enough, aside from some fatigue, only his chest hurt a little. The rest of him was already fine. He could not help saying in surprise, “How could that be? I clearly had wounds all over—”
Tian Buyi cut him off. “Those burns were merely superficial injuries. Once they were rubbed with my Qingyun Sect’s secret spirit medicine, they healed. Right now, the only injury on your body is the heavy blow you took to the chest, but your bones and meridians have not been displaced or shaken. Rest for a few days and you’ll be fine.”
Su Ru, sitting at the side, smiled and said, “Xiaofan, why aren’t you thanking your master? If he had not personally treated you this time, just those external injuries alone would have taken you at least half a year to recover from.”
Zhang Xiaofan was startled, greatly surprised in his heart, but his gratitude still showed plainly on his face. He said in a low voice, “This disciple is useless and has burdened Master again.”
Tian Buyi snorted, his expression turning cold. “How are you useless? Right now, the most capable person in Big Bamboo Peak is you!”
Zhang Xiaofan was startled again, not knowing what Tian Buyi meant by that. He could only say, “Master, I… no, compared with Senior Sister, ah, and Eldest Senior Brother and all the other senior brothers, all of them far surpass me. I would not dare…” As he spoke, his voice grew quieter. He only looked at the senior brothers standing before him and Tian Linger, and saw that their expressions were all somewhat strange. Especially Eldest Senior Brother, who stood in front of everyone; today his face looked particularly pale, and his whole person no longer had his usual vigor. He looked as if he might collapse at any moment.
Su Ru sighed and said, “Daxin, bring a chair for your eldest senior brother to sit on.”
Lü Daxin hurriedly answered, took a chair from the side, and set it beside Song Daren. Song Daren had intended to refuse, but after swaying several times, he finally sat down and panted heavily.
Zhang Xiaofan stared blankly. “Eldest Senior Brother, what happened to you?”
Song Daren gave a bitter smile but did not speak. Instead, Fourth Brother He Dazhi, standing at the side, said, “Little Junior Brother, the Seven Peaks Tournament has now reached the fourth round. Of Big Bamboo Peak, only you remain.” As he said this, he could not help glancing around.
Zhang Xiaofan froze all over. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Tian Linger sitting by the head of the bed and said, “Senior Sister, then you also…”
Tian Linger’s expression dimmed. She said softly, “I also lost.”
Seeing the disappointment in her expression, Zhang Xiaofan felt a pain in his heart. But at this moment, there was no room for his thoughts to wander.
Tian Buyi looked Zhang Xiaofan up and down, his face sinking. “Old Seven.”
Zhang Xiaofan’s heart jumped. Hearing what seemed like a hidden anger in Tian Buyi’s words, and seeing his master’s extremely ugly expression, he could not help feeling afraid. “Yes, Master. Is there something…”
Without waiting for him to finish, Tian Buyi fixed his eyes on Zhang Xiaofan and said decisively, “Where did this cultivation of Daoist arts of yours come from?”
With a loud buzz in his head, Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth wide, and for a moment did not know how to speak. He looked at everyone in the room one by one, only to see that his ordinarily familiar and kindly senior brothers had fallen silent, and there was doubt in the gazes they directed at him.
It was no wonder. A little junior brother who had always been unbearably stupid had suddenly astonished everyone with a single brilliant feat. No one could accept it in such a short time.
Under Tian Buyi’s pressing gaze, sweat streamed down Zhang Xiaofan’s forehead. For one instant, he almost blurted out to tell his master that he had secretly been cultivating a technique from another sect. And yet, when the words reached his lips, in the end, he still held them back.
He was no longer the ignorant boy from five years ago who knew nothing of the world. In the ordinary conversations among his fellow disciples, he had long since learned of Tianyin Temple’s great name, and also learned the true identity of that withered old monk named Puzhi from that night. Over these years, he had cultivated the Great Brahma Prajna alone, but in the depths of his heart, his gratitude toward Puzhi had never lessened in the slightest.
“I… no, this disciple is foolish, and over these years my progress in cultivation has always been limited.” Zhang Xiaofan lowered his head, not daring to meet Tian Buyi’s eyes. Choosing his words carefully, he slowly said, “Some days ago, this disciple suddenly discovered that I could control certain objects, but even I myself could hardly believe it, so… so I did not dare report it to Master and Mistress. I never thought…”
Tian Buyi gave a cold laugh. “You never thought that this time, you would astonish everyone and steal the limelight!”
Zhang Xiaofan hurriedly said, “No, that isn’t it, Master…”
How could Tian Buyi be fooled so easily? He said coldly at once, “You say you can control objects, but that requires, at minimum, cultivation at the fourth level of the Yuqing Realm. I asked Daren, and he only taught you the second-level incantation. Then can you tell me, your ignorant and ill-informed master, just how exactly you bypassed the third level and cultivated to the fourth?” By the end, his voice was icy beyond measure, carrying a trace of killing intent, and everyone’s expression changed upon hearing it.
Zhang Xiaofan stopped speaking. The room fell into silence.
After a long time, just as Tian Buyi’s expression was growing more and more ugly, and everyone’s worry was becoming heavier and heavier, Zhang Xiaofan silently climbed up. It was clear that he was still extremely exhausted, but he nevertheless struggled out of bed. Then, before everyone, under Tian Linger’s bright, shifting gaze, he knelt down in front of Tian Buyi.
Tian Buyi was not moved in the slightest. He said coldly, “Well?”
Zhang Xiaofan buried his head low. His eyes stared only at that small patch of ground beneath him, so close at hand. He did not glance to the side, not even once. In a low voice, he said, “Master, please punish me.”
Everyone was shaken. Tian Buyi was even more enraged, his face changing abruptly. Su Ru frowned and said, “Xiaofan, if you have some concern, just speak plainly to your master. Why do this?”
Zhang Xiaofan knelt on the ground without moving.
Tian Buyi gave two cold laughs, so angry that he laughed instead. “Good, good, good! You really do have a hard spine. I have indeed taken in a fine disciple!”
Zhang Xiaofan’s body, prostrate on the ground, trembled. No one knew what he was feeling or what expression he wore at this moment. In this room, it seemed that someone’s breathing suddenly grew rapid. They only heard him say in a low voice, “Everything is this disciple’s fault. Master, please punish me!”
Tian Buyi abruptly stood up. With a crack, the chair beneath him actually broke apart into pieces and collapsed to the floor. Everyone’s expression changed. They saw him glare at Zhang Xiaofan and shout angrily, “It is all your fault? Heh. Do you know that deceiving your master and secretly learning arts is a grave taboo in my Qingyun Sect? At the lightest, you would face the wall for several decades; at the worst, your cultivation would be crippled and you would be expelled from Qingyun. Do you know that?”
Zhang Xiaofan suddenly raised his head and looked at Tian Buyi. He saw his master’s face filled with anger, without the slightest hint of exaggeration. His heart could not help sinking.
“How could it be like this?” he murmured painfully in his heart. When Tian Linger had privately taught him the incantation back then, this was not what she had said.
Only, in the end, he still did not turn his head to look back even once.
The room was as silent as death. No one opened their mouth to say a single word.
Only anxious breathing, high and low, remained.
A person’s heart, amid this silence, quietly, coldly chilled through, as if it were looking at itself with madness yet such reason. Zhang Xiaofan closed his eyes, lowered his head once more, like a despairing man slowly taking the final step:
“This disciple is unworthy. Master, please punish me!”
“Bang!” A tremendous force surged forth like mountains toppling and seas overturning. Zhang Xiaofan’s entire body flew backward and slammed heavily into the wall. Amid flying dust, he fell to the ground and, with a cry, spat out a great mouthful of fresh blood.
Everyone’s expression changed. Led by Song Daren, who forced himself to kneel, all the other disciples also knelt down before Tian Buyi and said, “Master, please spare Little Junior Brother!”
Song Daren said even more, “Master, I—cough, cough—I failed to teach him properly, and that is why Little Junior Brother made a mistake. The fault is all mine. Please spare Little Junior Brother.”
Amid everyone’s pleas, Tian Linger stood motionless where she was, staring blankly at Zhang Xiaofan, who had fallen into the corner by the wall and was struggling in pain, blood staining the front of his clothes. Her face was deathly pale, without the slightest trace of color.
Tian Buyi looked at these disciples kneeling at his feet, then stared at Zhang Xiaofan still in the corner. The anger on his face did not fade. With a furious snort, he flung his sleeve and walked out. Su Ru looked at everyone, shook her head, and sighed softly. To Song Daren and the others, she said, “All of you, get up.” As she spoke, she glanced again at Zhang Xiaofan in the distance, then said to Song Daren, who was being helped to his feet by He Dazhi, “Go take care of Xiaofan. I’ll go see your master.”
Song Daren and the others hurriedly said, “Yes, Mistress.”
Su Ru sighed softly again and walked out.
Inside the room, everyone looked at one another. After a long while, Tian Linger slowly walked over, her back to the crowd, and helped Zhang Xiaofan up. Bloodied foam flowed from the corner of Zhang Xiaofan’s mouth. Lying in the crook of her arm, he actually smiled faintly.
In that instant, a cool teardrop quietly fell into the pool of blood on his face.
※※※
By now, it was deep into the night. Above the Sea of Clouds, the misty vapors still drifted as before, beautiful as a fairyland.
Tian Buyi stood in the middle of the square, raising his head to gaze at the sky.
He saw countless stars in the night sky, and the moon cold as frost.
Behind him came familiar footsteps. Su Ru walked to his side, looked up at the starry sky, and smiled faintly. “Feeling better?”
Tian Buyi snorted but did not speak.
Su Ru smiled slightly and said, “You can fool Daren, Linger, and the others, but you can’t hide it from me. That sweep of your sleeve was probably meant to deliberately shake Xiaofan’s chest meridians, so that the stagnant blood accumulated in his chest would be forced out of his body, wasn’t it?”
Tian Buyi looked at the night sky and said nothing.
Su Ru shook her head. “You’re several hundred years old. Why are you still so determined to save face?”
Tian Buyi turned his head and glared at his wife. “It’s not as if you didn’t see that brat. Acting like that—‘Master, please punish me!’” He imitated Zhang Xiaofan’s tone once, then said angrily, “It was clearly his fault, yet he actually said it as though he’d been terribly wronged, as if I, his master, were bullying him and forcing him! Truly outrageous!”
Su Ru turned and glanced toward their lodging. “Don’t tell me you didn’t see it?”
Tian Buyi said, “See what?”
Su Ru said lightly, “Linger’s manner was very strange. Don’t you think?”
Tian Buyi snorted.
Su Ru smiled and said, “You noticed it too, didn’t you? Xiaofan has stayed on Big Bamboo Peak for these five years and has never gone out. It could only be one of our disciples who privately taught him. Linger has always been close to Xiaofan, and with the way she relies on our doting on her, I’m afraid she would indeed dare to secretly pass Xiaofan the third-level incantation. Besides, if she had nothing on her conscience, with her usual personality of always standing up for Xiaofan in everything, how could she not say a single word this time? If it wasn’t her, then who else could it be?”
Tian Buyi seemed to have thought of his wife’s words long ago. There was no surprise on his face, but he was still angry and said unwillingly, “Even if it was Linger’s fault, look at that boy Zhang Xiaofan. In front of so many disciples, he insisted on contradicting me and refused to speak even if it killed him. He really deserves it!”
Su Ru could not help laughing. She lightly patted her husband’s shoulder and said reproachfully, “Aren’t you also the sort who refuses to admit fault even to death? Yet you go and blame a child. Besides, Xiaofan did all this for Linger. That intention is truly rare.”
Tian Buyi rolled his eyes strangely, but said nothing more.
Su Ru looked at him and said, “Then how do you plan to conclude this when we go back? The crime of deceiving one’s master and secretly learning arts can be great or small. Why don’t we, for Linger’s sake, not go too far? Tomorrow, we can have Xiaofan return to Big Bamboo Peak and face the wall in the rear mountain for thirty or fifty years, and that will be that.”
Tian Buyi was stunned for a moment, then snorted and said, “It wasn’t easy for one disciple under me to finally produce a… a strange talent. If I send him to face the wall, wouldn’t that be letting Cangsong and Shang Zhengliang have it easy? Don’t even think about it. Tomorrow, dead or alive, he will continue in the competition.”
Su Ru smiled sweetly, her charm moving, and stepped forward to take her husband’s hand. Smiling, she said, “I knew you were hard-mouthed but soft-hearted.”
Tian Buyi’s plump face actually reddened for a moment, though it immediately returned to normal. He glanced around and said, “We’re an old married couple. Aren’t you afraid people will laugh?”
Su Ru looked at him sidelong, her eyes full of laughter. “What, now that you are a chief seat, you’re afraid? Three hundred years ago, it was also here on Tongtian Peak, during the Seven Peaks Tournament, that you secretly ran to my lodging in the middle of the night and called me here. Back then, my master Zhenyu and Senior Sister Shuiyue were both nearby, but I didn’t see you being afraid then!”
Tian Buyi gave a heh and laughed. “Your master Zhenyu was over six hundred years old then, wasn’t she? She was already muddleheaded with age. Why would I be afraid? As for that fierce and vicious senior sister of yours, I never liked the sight of her. It was bad enough that she wanted to be alone for life, but she insisted on dragging you along and not letting go. I hated her too much to be afraid of her!”
Su Ru glared at him. “You are not allowed to speak ill of my honored master and senior sister! They both treated me with deep affection and sincerity.”
Tian Buyi shrugged and said nothing. Under the moonlight, his short, stout body gave a little shake, looking rather comical. From his expression, there was even a trace of smug satisfaction, as if to say, However well they treated you, didn’t you still marry me?
Su Ru saw it clearly and could not help chiding, “Shameless old thing.”
Tian Buyi’s mood greatly improved. He reached out and took his wife’s smooth, silk-like jade hand, and they walked slowly through this Sea of Clouds.
“Right, I almost forgot something important.”
“What is it?”
“That brat actually uses a fire poker as a magic treasure, and rather skillfully at that. Just now I was only busy being angry and forgot to take that thing and have a look.”
“Xiaofan did, after all, cultivate in secret, and when it comes to controlling and using magic treasures, I’m afraid he doesn’t know much. Do you think we should find a time to give him some guidance?”
“Hmph. We’ll see. Last night, Senior Brother Sect Leader called the few of us chief seats over. He said that after communicating with Lingzun through spirit arts, he discovered that Lingzun seemed to have acted because it sensed the baleful aura of some evil object, but afterward it could no longer be found.”
“Then what should we do?”
“What else can we do? If it can’t be found, then it can’t be found. Lingzun has lived at least six thousand years. Your master became muddleheaded at six hundred, so it wouldn’t be strange for Lingzun to be a little muddled now!”
“…”