Chapter 64: Disciple and Wife
Elder Qianlian, snapping out of her reverie, looked at her disciple, who had been diligently cracking spirit melon seeds all afternoon, her eyes questioning.
“Master, I…” Jin Jiamu began, but Tao Ning interrupted with a gasp, pulling her away.
No one understood what the gasp meant, only watching as Tao Ning led Jin Jiamu away, offering the elders an apologetic smile.
Once they were out of earshot, Tao Ning turned to Jin Jiamu, her expression serious. “I need your help.”
“Me?” Jin Jiamu pointed at herself, giving Tao Ning a You’re joking, right? look. “You want me to craft your spirit weapons?”
Even I don’t believe in my skills. Don’t tease me.
Tao Ning patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Of course you can. Ten years after joining the sect, you’re already at mid-Foundation Establishment. You’ll reach Golden Core any day now. And after that, Nascent Soul isn’t far behind. You’ll surpass your master soon. I have faith in you.”
Jin Jiamu: “Am I really that good?”
Tao Ning gave her a Don’t you trust me? look. “Of course you are.”
Jin Jiamu’s confidence surged.
Hesitating for a moment, a mix of confidence and gratitude swelling in her chest, she said, “You really believe in me? No one’s ever said that before. My master always asks if I refine with my feet, telling me to stop accidentally blowing things up.”
Tao Ning, gritting her teeth, repeated, “I believe in you.”
Jin Jiamu’s eyes filled with tears. “Tao Ning, you’re too kind. You’re a wonderful person.”
A while later, Elder Qianlian watched as her disciple, notorious for her explosive refining experiments, rushed back, her face beaming. “Master, I’m going to craft Tao Ning’s spirit weapons!”
Elder Qianlian, looking at her usually boisterous, hammer-wielding disciple, sighed, waving a hand dismissively. “Go on, then.”
Jin Jiamu thanked her profusely and skipped away happily.
As the elders continued their conversation, Jin Jiamu, no longer wanting to endure the Sect Leader’s rambling now that Tao Ning was here, dragged her friend towards the red plum grove on Qianqi Peak.
The grove, perpetually covered in snow due to Elder Qianlian’s artifact-induced weather manipulation, was a stunning sight, the red blossoms against the white snow a unique feature of Qianqi Peak.
Jin Jiamu, no longer the silent girl from ten years ago, now chattered incessantly, recounting her experiences, her daily routine of cultivation and artifact refining. Tao Ning followed, listening patiently.
Spotting a particularly beautiful branch laden with blossoms, Jin Jiamu suggested, “Let’s have a competition. The winner gets the plum branch.”
Tao Ning shrugged. “Sure.”
After ten years of traveling and countless battles, Tao Ning wasn’t afraid of a little competition. The outcome of a duel between a hammer-wielding refiner and a seasoned combat veteran was predictable.
Tao Ning’s swordsmanship was fluid and effortless, easily deflecting Jin Jiamu’s attacks after a brief exchange.
Jin Jiamu, her wrist throbbing, quickly conceded. “I give up! You win!”
She watched as Tao Ning, her movements graceful and swift, plucked the plum branch, thinking, If it were me, I’d look like a goose trying to take flight.
“You could have disarmed me in three moves. Why drag it out?” she said, then, glancing around, lowered her voice. “Don’t let anyone from Shuhan Peak see that.”
Tao Ning, examining the branch, considering ways to preserve its beauty, tilted her head. “Why?”
Jin Jiamu, confirming they were alone, explained, “Shuhan Peak is full of sword fanatics. They’re always looking for a challenge. Someone with your experience… you’d be fighting non-stop. They’d destroy Master’s precious plum grove.”
Tao Ning looked at the branch in her hand. “Elder Qianlian’s precious plum grove?”
Jin Jiamu nodded, then, after a moment of silence, patted Tao Ning’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll distract Master with another branch.”
Tao Ning, relieved, said, “Thank you.”
Jin Jiamu grinned. “Don’t mention it. Master wouldn’t actually kill me.”
Tao Ning: …Having a disciple who indiscriminately throws people under the bus must be a blessing.
A snapping sound, and Tao Ning turned to see Jin Jiamu, using a rock for leverage, plucking another plum branch.
Landing slightly awkwardly, she waved away Tao Ning’s outstretched hand. “I’m fine!” Then, still slightly off-balance, she rushed towards her master, shouting, “Master! Look! A beautiful plum branch! I picked it for you!”
Tao Ning: “…”
Judging by Jin Jiamu’s wild, careening run and the trail of fallen petals, it was questionable how many blossoms would remain by the time she reached Elder Qianlian.
She finally understood Elder Qianlian’s newfound serenity. It wasn’t enlightenment, but exhaustion from dealing with her disciple.
“What’s this? A stick?” Elder Qianlian, holding the nearly bare branch, looked at Jin Jiamu with a raised eyebrow.
Jin Jiamu, scratching her head sheepishly, replied, “A plum branch, Master. For you.”
Elder Qianlian examined the branch, then sighed. “Next time, try not to run so fast. The blossoms are delicate.”
“Yes, Master.” Jin Jiamu always agreed readily, then promptly forgot.
Elder Qianlian, accustomed to her disciple’s antics, placed the branch aside, intending to take it back to her refining room.
Cen Dianshuang, initially listening to Lizhu, her attention now drawn by Jin Jiamu’s return, glanced towards the grove.
Lizhu, noticing her distraction, calmly sipped her tea.
Cen Dianshuang straightened slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. Lizhu, following her gaze, saw Tao Ning walking towards them, a plum branch clutched carefully in her hands.
Lizhu, her eyes lowered, continued sipping her tea.
Tao Ning, shielding the branch, her movements more careful than Jin Jiamu’s, approached Cen Dianshuang, the air around her filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.
“Master, I found this in the grove. I used a small spell to preserve its beauty. I hope you like it.”
Cen Dianshuang: “Let me see.” She took the branch, her fingers brushing against Tao Ning’s.
She wasn’t particularly fond of plum blossoms, not like her Senior Sister Qianlian, but receiving it from Tao Ning made it seem… special.
After admiring it for a moment, she retrieved a delicate, ice-cracked vase, placing the branch inside. The red blossoms against the white vase were a striking combination.
Tao Ning: “It looks beautiful. The vase… it complements the blossoms perfectly.”
Cen Dianshuang, pleased with her disciple’s approval, simply nodded.
Elder Qianlian added, “Next time you pick a branch, try to match Tao Ning’s speed. Don’t run so fast.”
Seeing Lizhu admiring the vase, one of her disciples, eager to please, offered, “Master, I’ll find you the most beautiful plum blossom too.”
“Me too!”
“I have a vase for it!”
The enthusiastic Shuhan Peak disciples started towards the grove.
Lizhu: “Wait. Come back.”
Stopping them, she said, “I don’t like plum blossoms. Don’t destroy your Grand-Aunt’s grove. Go practice your swordsmanship.”
The disciples, disappointed, but obedient, turned and left.
The rhythmic clang of swords echoed through the grove again. Lizhu, watching them go, sighed. “These children…”
Elder Qianlian nodded in agreement. “They’ll mature eventually. They’re still young.”
Cen Dianshuang, preoccupied with her new treasure, considered where to place it in her cave.
Somewhere safe, where it wouldn’t be crushed by her true form or blown away by her wings.
She remembered a wind-protecting artifact Elder Qianlian had given her. She would have to find it.
Jin Jiamu’s earlier warning proved prophetic. As the last Shuhan Peak disciple was leaving, she spotted Tao Ning’s spirit sword, a sudden thought striking her. “Senior Sister Tao, you’ve been traveling for ten years. Your swordsmanship must have improved significantly. Care for a spar?”
Tao Ning: “I…”
The eager disciple grabbed her arm. “Come on, don’t be shy. I’ll go first. No spiritual energy, just sword forms.”
Before Tao Ning could protest, or even speak to Cen Dianshuang, she was dragged away, reaching out for help. “Wait! Master, save me!”
Cen Dianshuang, holding the vase, simply waved dismissively.
The disciple, turning back, saw Cen Dianshuang, then added, “Junior Sister Jiamu, you join too.”
“Me again?” Jin Jiamu pointed at herself, her face a mask of disbelief. Why am I always the target?
She had simply wanted to watch, but now, flanked by two Shuhan Peak disciples, she was also dragged towards the training grounds.
“Wait, I’m an artifact refiner! Why are you dragging me into this?”
The two disciples, one on each side, replied, “Artifact refiner or not, everyone learns the Carefree Sword. No exceptions.”
Jin Jiamu, her face a picture of misery, resigned herself to her fate. I’m just here to be beaten up.
Her self-assessment proved accurate. Disarmed after ten moves, she was relegated to sparring with a younger disciple.
Tao Ning, however, was an unknown quantity. The first disciple, initially holding back, soon realized her mistake. Forgetting Jin Jiamu’s warning, Tao Ning, even after being disarmed, continued her attack, dodging a potentially fatal blow and seizing her opponent’s sword with two fingers.
Silence fell as everyone watched, their gazes fixed on Tao Ning’s hand. The attacking disciple, unable to withdraw her sword, stared at Tao Ning in surprise, giving Tao Ning the opportunity to pull her closer and disarm her with a swift strike.
The sword clattered to the ground. The disciple, her spirit weapon inseparable from her since its creation, was stunned.
Recovering quickly, her combat instincts taking over, she lunged at Tao Ning, fists flying.
Both, forgetting the “no spiritual energy” rule, unleashed their full power, turning the friendly spar into a serious duel, their movements fluid and powerful, a display of the Hanshan Sect’s martial arts.
The other Shuhan Peak disciples, abandoning their own practice, gathered to watch.
The disciple sparring with Tao Ning was Lizhu’s thirtieth direct disciple, fifty years into her training, at the early Golden Core realm.
While not the most powerful among her peers, she was considered a rising star, unmatched within her realm.
After a fierce exchange, Tao Ning forced her back with a powerful palm strike, both their gazes fixed on their discarded weapons.
The disciple, regaining her footing, summoned her sword, preparing to attack.
She was fast, but Tao Ning was faster. Breaking through her opponent’s defenses, her spirit sword, crackling with faint purple lightning, stopped a hair’s breadth from the disciple’s throat.
Tao Ning, her eyes lowered, her expression impassive, declared, “You lose, Senior Sister.”
The disciple, glancing at the ordinary, Academy-issued spirit sword at her throat, was stunned.
It wasn’t a personalized spirit weapon, lacking the power and precision of a true bonded blade. Most disciples with resources crafted their own swords, abandoning the basic, mass-produced ones.
Yet, Tao Ning had defeated her with this… unremarkable blade.
Catching her breath, she conceded. “Yes, I lose.”
She had given her all, yet it wasn’t enough. Perhaps it was time to consider traveling the world, honing her skills.
“Thank you for the match.” Tao Ning sheathed her sword with a flourish, turning to leave.
“Wait, where are you going?” another disciple called out.
Tao Ning, looking back, her expression confused, replied, “Isn’t the winner allowed to… leave?” Her voice wavered slightly.
The disciple explained, “Yes, you can leave Senior Sister Lu, but not us.”
Tao Ning: “…”
Jin Jiamu, her face buried in her hands, an artifact refiner now mimicking a Buddhist cultivator’s prayer gesture, muttered, “Amitabha.”
Looking at the eager, battle-ready disciples surrounding her, Tao Ning finally remembered something she had forgotten. “Wait, that’s not what I meant! Master, save me!”
Cen Dianshuang, sitting calmly under the red plum tree, watched as Tao Ning was dragged away, the Shuhan Peak disciples chanting, “Even Elder Cen can’t save you now!”
Lizhu, after observing the scene for a while, turned to Cen Dianshuang. “Your disciple is rather… attached to you.”
Cen Dianshuang: “She’s simply expressing her filial piety.”
Lizhu, seeing her expression, knew she was pleased with her disciple. She would have been too.
Intelligent, resourceful, talented, respectful, and surprisingly mature for her age.
But there were certain… issues… Lizhu decided to be the one to address them.
Elder Qianlian had already returned to her refining room, her materials nearing completion.
With no outsiders present, Lizhu, gesturing towards the plum blossom in Cen Dianshuang’s hand, asked, “Do you remember True Person Yunbi?”
Cen Dianshuang, her gaze no longer fixed on the training grounds, her expression unchanged, replied, “Of course. The master-disciple pair who eloped, becoming the left and right protectors of Demon Lord Qingji’s palace. Yunbi’s partner died a hundred years ago during a breakthrough, and Yunbi herself perished while searching for Soul-Gathering Grass. Why do you ask?” She looked at Lizhu curiously.
Lizhu: “What are your thoughts on their relationship?”
Cen Dianshuang’s expression turned serious. “They’ve been dead for a century. I don’t judge the deceased.”
Lizhu, slightly exasperated, began, “But…”
Cen Dianshuang lowered her gaze, adopting a submissive, Scold me if you must, Senior Sister, I’ll accept any punishment, expression.
This tactic had always been effective. Lizhu rarely scolded her when she looked like that, often indulging her instead.
Years of indulgence, however, had only emboldened her junior sister. Lizhu felt a mix of exasperation and fondness.
Judging by Cen Dianshuang’s demeanor, the situation with her disciple hadn’t progressed beyond a certain point. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought the girl back. This was a clear cry for help, a plea for guidance.
Cen Dianshuang’s voice was soft, almost pleading. “I’ve made a mistake, Senior Sister. Scold me.”
Lizhu stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth, her long robes swirling around her. Shaking her head, she said, “I won’t scold you.”
Cen Dianshuang: “Are you going to hit me?”
Lizhu shook her head again. “I would never.”
Stopping, she turned to Cen Dianshuang, her expression serious. “Do you know you’re nearing another breakthrough?”
Cen Dianshuang, her hand instinctively covering her wrist, nodded. She knew. She had reached the peak of Nascent Soul. Delaying her advancement any longer would damage her spiritual core.
Lizhu: “Dianshuang, I know you. You’ve never been one for attachments. I don’t want to see you hurt. But can she… can she bear the weight of your secrets?”
She placed her hands gently on Cen Dianshuang’s shoulders, her voice soft, almost pleading.
“I’m here. The Hanshan Sect can protect both of you. But she’s young. Can she withstand the scrutiny, the judgment?”
Her first instinct hadn’t been to protect the sect’s reputation, but to consider the consequences for her junior sister.
She was the Sect Leader, but she was also Cen Dianshuang’s senior sister.
Cen Dianshuang began, “I…”
Then, her brow furrowed, and both looked up at the sky, where dark clouds were gathering.
Lizhu handed her a pill. “Take this. It’s not time yet. Shattering the Nascent Soul and transforming into Soul Transformation is a dangerous step. I’ll take you to Thunder God Valley.”
Cen Dianshuang swallowed the pill, the surging energy within her subsiding, the storm clouds dispersing.
“Thunder God Valley? Isn’t that where the Grand Elder cultivates in seclusion?”
Lizhu: “Precisely. It’s a place of peace and tranquility. I’ve already spoken to the Grand Elder. She’s agreed. And the Thunder God Stones in the valley can help you withstand the tribulation lightning. Once you’ve overcome that, your path will be much smoother.”
If she survived the Soul Transformation tribulation, she wouldn’t have to endure the pain of her meridians being forcibly expanded. Most cultivators struggled with it once or twice. Cen Dianshuang had endured it since childhood, clinging to her master’s hand for comfort.
A demon’s innate talent was often far greater than a human’s, but their tribulations were also more severe.
The previous Sect Leader, fearing for her young disciple’s life, had devised the “mortal realm training” strategy.
She’s a hybrid. Perhaps Heaven will consider her human.
Cen Dianshuang, seeing no other option, agreed.
Having finally escaped the Shuhan Peak disciples, Tao Ning returned to the red plum tree to find it deserted. Cen Dianshuang, and the vase, were gone.
“Where did she go?” She noticed something on the table.
A jade slip, resting on Cen Dianshuang’s usual spot. Assuming it was for her, she picked it up and pressed it against her forehead.
Relieved, she learned that Cen Dianshuang had been summoned to the Shuhan Peak meeting hall and would return later.
Seizing the opportunity, Tao Ning slipped back to Wangshu Peak.
Even with her skills, facing a group of eager challengers was tiring. Discretion was the better part of valor.
Jin Jiamu, however, couldn’t escape. This was her home territory. She called out, “The Sect Leader and Tao Ning have left! Aren’t you going back?”
The Shuhan Peak disciples, seeing this was true, dispersed.
Later that night, Cen Dianshuang, her cultivation suppressed, returned to Wangshu Peak, her senior sister’s words echoing in her mind.
“When are you planning to go to Thunder God Valley?”
After a moment of thought, she replied, “I’ll wait until she finishes crafting her spirit weapons.”
“She,” of course, referred to Tao Ning.
Lizhu, assuming it wouldn’t take long, agreed.
After ten years of living together, Cen Dianshuang instinctively wanted to fly towards the small, brightly lit house halfway up the mountain, but her own dwelling was at the summit.
She stopped on the path, her heart heavy, and continued walking.
In the distance, she saw a figure moving around the small house, the scent of freshly cooked food drifting on the night breeze.
It was Tao Ning. Sensing her master’s arrival, she stepped out of the house, the Flame Dragon Furnace, its task complete, floating beside her, illuminating the darkness.
Cen Dianshuang stopped, her heart pounding.
Tao Ning waited, then, as Cen Dianshuang approached, she hurried forward, taking her hand and pulling her towards the house. “Master, you’re back! I just finished making some pastries. I was waiting for you.”
Cen Dianshuang, allowing herself to be led, her hand still clasped in Tao Ning’s, asked, “Sweet?”
Tao Ning: “Just a little. Not too sweet.”
Seated at the table, Cen Dianshuang took a bite, then, meeting Tao Ning’s expectant gaze, said, “Very sweet.”
“Very sweet? Did I add too much honey?” Tao Ning took a bite, but didn’t find it overly sweet, wondering if her culinary skills had deteriorated.
Taking another bite, she looked at Cen Dianshuang. “Master, is it really that sweet?”
Cen Dianshuang, looking at her, smiled. “Yes, very sweet.”
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