Chapter 41 - The Sword Pavilion
Seemingly aware of Lin Shu’s gaze, the High Officer turned to him and remarked, “This Daoist face is unfamiliar.”
Lin Shu spoke: “Lin Shu here.”
Ling Fengxiao added on: “He only came this year.”
“Lin Shu...” The High Officer repeated his name. “It’s you.”
Lin Shu wished to disappear immediately.
Of course, the High Officer would know his name.
In the beginning, he did not discuss properly with Yue Ruohe, and the two of them were punished by the High Officer to stay together. Next, Mr Meng arranged for Ling Fengxiao to move over, to arrive at the current Jingfeng Xiyu Garden.
Later on, his battle with Xiao Shao broke the dreamscape. According to Mr. Meng, because of this matter, the High Officer first fined Xiao Shao a sum of money, and then punished himself with not being able to change his appearance in the dreamscape for a year. He would have to continue using Folding Bamboo’s appearance.
Fortunately, the High Officer did not mention anything else, and instead turned to Lord Yue: “This matter is of dire importance. I have already ordered a formation to be set up, and am here to invite the Old Lord Yue to take a look at the situation.”
Lord Yue nodded: “I am aware.”
With a wave of his sleeves, Shang Lingjian took the group to the skies.
In the middle of Hexu Heaven, Xingluo Lake, an array formation was indeed prepared.
Yue Ruoyun and Yue Ruohe had been watching their direction. The moment Yue Ruoyun saw them, she ran forward, “Grandpa! Father!”
Lord Yue nodded and said, “I am here to assist Old Lord Yue.”
Yue Ruoyun said: “Okay. Father, ultimately, brother’s and my abilities are inadequate. Even searching within just a few miles of land was not easy.”
Lord Yue: “Continue to practice diligently in the future.”
On the other hand, Yue Buhun was still caught up in bantering with Ling Fengxiao, emphasizing: “I agreed to take a look at the mountain, you must remember this!”
Ling Fengxiao: “Naturally.”
She continued: “Within a hundred mile radius, if there is any disturbance, senior must trace the source.”
Yue Buhun snorted: “Easy as pie.”
Having said that, he crossed to the middle of the formation and sat down cross-legged.
Lord Yue and his disciples also stepped forward and sat down around the Old Lord Yue.
Lin Shu’s sect specialized in sword cultivation, and the path he took was the typical “Broken Dao’. As such, he was extremely curious about the famed practices of the “Complete Dao”, and watched the scene unfolding in front of him intently.
A breeze rustled the grass.
Against the stillness of the lake, strong gusts of wind suddenly blew by.
This wind was different from ordinary. It seemed to come from all directions, and spread out to as many.
Lin Shu looked at Yue Buhun.
The wind was getting stronger and stronger; the bamboo forest was rustling more and more agitatedly; flowers in the Qionghua Forest flew around like the rain. It was almost as if everything in this world was one with Yue Buhun.
He has seen this kind of scene before, when the Yue siblings were practicing. However, those two were still young, and their internal skills were not as strong. Naturally, they were nowhere near the level of skill which Yue Buhun was displaying at the moment.
At a certain point, the whistling wind suddenly stopped. The forest and flower bushes also instantly stilled. When the silence became scarily unbearable, an invisible spiritual force suddenly burst out.
The spiritual power, centred around Yue Buhun, shot out and snaked apart in all directions.
Shang Lingjian commented: “Senior Yue’s internal skill has reached its peak, I fear that he is not far from amalgamation of the Complete Dao. Our Nanxia has lost yet another capable master.”
Ling Fengxiao murmured: “Senior Yue no longer recognizes his own relatives and friends. He will soon forget about himself. Even if he does not amalgamate, I’m afraid he would not be willing to contribute his efforts for Nanxia.”
Shang Lingjian said: “Her Royal Highness was able to invite Old Lord Yue to help. I would presume that you would be able to move him to come out of the mountain completely.”
“He is already distant from the world, why are you trying so hard to pull him back into the vile human race?” Ling Fengxiao lightly asked
Shang Lingjian: “Your Royal Highness is still young, and does not understand the troubles ahead or the hopelessness of the situation, and the use of whatever tactics available at one’s disposal to reach their goals.”
“I know,” Ling Fengxiao frowned, “I simply hate that my cultivation skills are not enough.”
Shang Lingjian: “Your Highness is amusing.”
Lin Shu was concentrating on Yue Buhun’s display, but the conversation going on between the two beside him inadvertently reached his ears.
Others in the academy called Ling Fengxiao “the Big Miss”, only Shang Lingjian addressed Ling Fengxiao as “Your Royal Highness”. Most people also addressed Shang Lingjian as “the High Officer”, while only Ling Fengxiao called him “the Grandmaster”. Evidently, there was a different relationship between these two people
Xiao Lingyang was the crown prince of Nanxia, and Ling Fengxiao was Xiao Lingyang’s sister. Was Ling Fengxiao not only the Big Miss of the Phoenix Mountain Villa, but also the princess of Nanxia?
In the Jianghu, with the cultivators, she was the Big Miss. With the Grandmaster, she was Her Royal Highness.
She really was an epically rich lady.
Shang Lingjian continued: “Since Senior Yue has stepped up, we will definitely be able to find the source of the demons.”
Ling Fengxiao: “Senior Yue is good at finding flaws in people’s words, I believe his skill at finding the demons is also extraordinary.”
Lin Shu felt that the Big Miss’s skills at wearing down a person was even more exceptional.
Shang Lingjian: “Your Highness must be careful with your words.”
Ling Fengxiao laughed softly, and promptly changed the subject: “What do you think are Beixia’s intentions this time?”
“This matter is not trivial,”Shang Lingjian said heavily. “I had sent the two Shao that you killed yesterday to the Shu Institution. Today, Bilin Zhenren sent the message that there are new changes in Beixia’s voodoo. The monsters that entered the academy this time are a lot different than the ones from before. If it weren’t for the affinity of your meridians to fire, allowing you to be sensitive to these kinds of demons, perhaps even until now the academy would not have been able to discover the demons.”
Ling Fengxiao: “Yea.”
Lin Shu felt that the Big Miss was getting really annoyed.
He moved to shift away discreetly, but was met with the cool glance of the Big Miss.
Whenever the Big Miss was annoyed, it did not bode well for him. He would definitely be affected in one way or another.
Although this pufferfish was treating him well now, the same could not be said for others. Once the Big Miss unleashes her temper on Xiao Lingyang, there was a high probability that Xiao Lingyang would stir up some issue with him.
However, after all the world has very few rich women. You could not expect to have a rich wife, and hope that this wife had a good temperament as well.
Under the watchful eyes of the Big Miss, he moved back to his original position silently.
Shangling Jian continued: “No signs of harm were found on any disciples. Therefore, Beixia is either testing whether the new voodoo is able to pass through the mountain protection array, or they are aiming for the <Endless Yearning> yet again...... if <Endless Yearning> fell into the hands of Beixia, we wouldn’t be at our current standstill.”
Ling Fengxiao remained silent. Her eyes revealed a vague sense of amusement, cold and clear. One could only wonder what was going through her mind.
However, Lin Shu felt like he was slammed by a truck.
The “Endless Yearning” that they spoke of, it couldn’t be the Endless Yearning that he knew, could it?
The sword book that he had studied his head off for a good half of his previous life, including tactics such as “Forgotten Valley”, “Unseeing Tianhe” etc, was called Endless Yearning.
This name was one of a kind, very few skill compilations would be named as such. Thus, the chances of the same name being chosen was statistically very low.
Lin Shu perked his ears and continued to listen to the conversation between Ling Fengxiao and Shang Lingjian.
After a long moment, Ling Fengxiao finally said: “If they are still looking for “Endless Yearning”, Sword Pavilion has yet to choose a side. In the event of war, there is still the possibility of winning......”
Sword Pavilion.
Lin Shu: “......”
Heavens knew that this was his sect.
If it was only “Endless Yearning”, it could have been struck off as a coincidence. If it was only “Sword Pavilion”, it could have been struck off as a coincidence too.
But when these two things were put together, it could not be denied, that it was indeed his own sect, and it was the book which he had studied in the past.
After entering the academy, he had paid attention to the different sects of his classmates. Yue Ruohe had also introduced him to countless ones before. Therefore, he knew all of the large sects in this world, but had never once heard of Sword Pavilion. With that, he shot down the thought of finding the sect of his previous life. Unexpectedly, he actually managed to hear it today.
Lin Shu could not calm down.
Although, even if he had found it, the sect might not accept him as one of their own.
His meridians were blocked, where would he have the face to claim to be a disciple of the Sword Pavilion?
——Greetings, Ancestral Masters, although my meridians are blocked and I am of poor health, and if I mention my Master’s name, you wouldn’t have heard of it, but I am indeed a disciple of the Sword Pavilion. I can recite and write down all of the sect teachings, skills and sword tactics a hundred times over to prove myself.
Will he really not be chased out?
He reluctantly suppressed his racing heart and the thoughts that filled his head, and continued to listen in to the two.
However, they had moved on to a different subject.
Shang Lingjian: “As soon as it happens, the disciples will become all riled up, and spread it like wildfire, saying that Beixia is cruel and unfair, and demand us to engage a war against them.”
Ling Fengxiao’s hand slowly clenched around her sheath.
It was a beautiful hand, whitened by the force with which she held the sheath, a sharp contract against the dark silver.
There were words engraved on the sheath, which was the name of the knife. Lin Shu had seen it by chance once: “Identical Sorrow”.
That day, in his battle with Xiao Shao, he had also used a knife. His style was slightly different from Ling Fengxiao, and the knife he used was called “Guiltless”. Like Identical Sorrow, it was a peerless sword.
As for his Folding Bamboo, he had no idea when it would finally be in his hands.
If he really wished to return to his sect, without even a sword, it would be really shameful.
On that thought, he heard Ling Fengxiao speak: “Give me another five years.”
“Five years later, my cultivation will advance, increasing Nanxia’s chances of winning.”
“You look at the big picture, and you have a kind character,” Shang Lingjian sighed, and looked away. “Until today I have yet to see Lingyang. I don’t know his opinion on this situation. Your Highness, if you were a boy, I would feel much more reassured.”
This time, it was Ling Fengxiao who warned him lightly: “Sir, be careful of your words.”
Shang Lingjian no longer spoke, and neither did Ling Fengxiao.
After a moment, Yue Buhun slowly opened his eyes, and the surrounding trees and flowers gently shook.
Ling Fengxiao stepped forward: “Senior, how is it?”
Yue Buhun declared, “Very dirty!”
Very dirty.
This meant that there were indeed many demons.
Beixia demons were born through “demon seeds” created by the Great Witch. Not only were they all controlled by the Great Witch, everything they saw or heard could be transmitted to the Great Witch.
With Yue Buhun present, they began to investigate the demon seeds on the Shangling Mountain.
——They were all at where the disciples of the academy resided, Jade Heaven.
The demon seed is a human heart-shaped stone the size of three fists. It had a pitch black texture, radiating a crimson light, with an strange exterior.
In Jade Heaven, a total of 16 pieces were found, near the bamboo grove where the disciples lived.
Jingfeng Xiyu Garden had none in its area, but another one was found neat Jinfeng Xiyu Garden.
A girl in the Jinfeng Xiyu Garden saw them dig up an ugly demon seed with her own eyes, and thought that demons spawns were found near her vicinity, sent her face ashen, and almost lost grip on the sword in her hand.
Ling Fengxiao frowned slightly: “These gardens...... have a lot of female disciples.”
Jingfeng Xiyu Garden was for disciples with special circumstances who wished to live together, like the Yue siblings. Gardens such as this where there was Lin Shu, Yue Ruohe, and also Yue Ruoyun and Ling Fengxiao, two ladies, was not common. Most bamboo gardens were separated into male and female exclusive residences. And the areas where the demon seeds were found, were mostly where the females lived.
No, not only that.
Lin Shu looked at the pale girl who could hardly hold onto her sword in front of him. These gardens were not only places where there were many females, but each garden had at least one female with a sword.
Female with a sword.
Suddenly, his heart stopped, and a chill rolled down his spine.
Although he did not know whether there was any relation between Sword Pavilion and Beixia, he knew that Beixia was indeed looking for <Endless Yearning>.
<Endless Yearning> was a martial art of the Sword Pavilion.
Folding Bamboo and Xiao Shao’s battle was recorded by memory beads. In the part that was sold and circulated, he had used multiple moves of the Sword Pavilion.
Were they looking for Folding Bamboo?
Lin Shu felt uneasy, and looked up at Ling Fengxiao beside him.
“What’s wrong?” Ling Fengxiao asked gently.
Lin Shu shook his head.
Even if they were looking for Folding Bamboo, they would not be able to find him.
“With me in the garden, nothing will happen,” Ling Feng Xiao said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Lin Shu: “......okay.”
He firmly believed this. Wherever the Big Miss was at would be safe. As long as he stayed close to the Big Miss, not even a moth could touch him.
He had officially fallen from grace.
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