On the same night.
The cold Shangde Peak suddenly had a hint of dryness.
The starlight shone down to the bottom of the well, shining on the black dog.
The Dead Dog opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.
It wasn't Jing Jiu who fell down along with the starlight, but five pieces of wood that were scorched black and contained a tremendous power of thunder.
This was the most precious treasure of Aoyama — the Thunder-Soul Wood.
The Aoyama Sect had only six pieces of the Thunder-Soul Wood, one of which wasn't mature yet, and was still on the top of Bihu Peak undergoing the baptism of thunder and lightning.
Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue brought the five pieces of the Thunder-Soul Wood with them when they brought White Ghost from Bihu Peak to Shenmo Peak.
Besides the Immortal Sect Master and Yuan Qijing, nobody knew about it, including the people of Bihu Peak.
The Dead Dog lowered his head and sniffed the five pieces of the Thunder-Soul Wood in front of him. After a moment of silence, he put them under his body and hid them like bones.
…
…
The next morning, on the top of Shenmo Peak.
Gu Qing asked, "That carriage is in the Guocheng Temple. Should we ask someone to bring it back?"
"No need," said Jing Jiu. "It's too slow."
Having said that, Jing Jiu held the cat in his bosom and sat on the iron sword.
The iron sword flew diagonally toward the sky with his body on it.
Looking at the disappearing figure, Zhao Layue had a strange feeling. She felt that Jing Jiu was a bit impatient, not as calm and composed as before; in other words, he was lazy.
Gu Qing complimented, "This is what it means to leave on a sword … This is the demeanor of the immortals."
Yuan Qu was taken aback, and said hesitantly, "Isn't this like riding a donkey?"
…
…
Looking at Zhaoge City in the distance, Jing Jiu landed on the ground. He wrapped the iron sword in a cloth and carried it on his back, walking forward with the white cat.
He was already an elder of Shenmo Peak, so he only needed to report his departure from Aoyama; but he was fully aware that his departure would cause a lot of discussion.
He didn't ask Zhao Layue to conceal the fact that he hadn't broken through the state yet.
Soon, they arrived at Zhaoge City. With the Travel Permit prepared by Zhao Layue, they entered the city smoothly.
Snow fell from the sky and landed on the bamboo hat he wore, gradually forming a thin layer of frost.
More snow fell on the streets and was trampled into mud by pedestrians.
It was the middle of winter, but Zhaoge City was still crowded with tourists. The area around the White Horse Lake was already bustling. Many people came to enjoy the snow that day, making the area even more crowded.
Jing Jiu's sleeve moved slightly, and the white cat poked its head out. It stared at the surroundings curiously with its black eyes.
It did not like to move, and it did not want to leave Aoyama at all. It was only because it was triggered by the past that it came out.
Looking at the lively scene in Aoyama, it suddenly felt that it was not a bad idea to come out for a walk.
He hadn't seen Zhaoge City for many years, and it seemed much cleaner now.
Jing Jiu said, "Be careful. Don't let anyone see you."
The white cat thought to himself, 'I'm a living creature, not a magical treasure. How boring would it be if I'm not allowed to enjoy the scenery?' Even if his identity was discovered, what could he do?
Jing Jiu said, "It's not that I don't want others to know your identity. It's just that walking a cat is a strange thing to do. I don't want to be noticed by too many people."
The white cat meowed once, indicating that Jing Jiu could bring that dog with him if he thought it was inconvenient.
Jing Jiu walked into a medical house by the street.
A begonia flower was carved on the plaque of the medical house, which was the sign of the Curtain Rollers.
A moment later, he walked out from the medical house, asking something.
Zhao Layue's feeling was correct.
He was indeed a bit anxious.
His Big Brother was the only person in the world who could make him feel this way.
Both he and his Big Brother had started their Cultivation all over again, and his Big Brother had escaped from the Sword Jail one year earlier than he had returned to Aoyama.
He was certain that he could easily make up for that one year's time.
It had something to do with his talent, but what mattered was that the two of them used different methods.
Jing Jiu's method originated from the Guocheng Temple and Shui Yue Nunnery.
Back when he and the Zen Master discussed the Dao on the top of the Shenmo Peak for one hundred days, they discussed the Golden Wheel of Reincarnation. For some reason, the Zen Master was the one who had the most profound understanding of this method in the world.
Many years ago, Jing Jiu had studied this method with Lian Sanyue for a while. The Ancient Script of the Pill Pearl that he taught to Bai Zao in the snowland was the result of their study.
After getting used to this body, Jing Jiu thought this method was perfect; but unexpectedly, he encountered a problem that was hard to solve.
This made him feel uneasy. Then, he recalled the method of his Big Brother.
His Big Brother's method originated from the Underworld, which had many drawbacks and hidden dangers. For example, it was difficult to find a body that was perfectly compatible with his spiritual soul, and even if he could find one, he couldn't solve the problem of rapid decay.
Jing Jiu wouldn't try this method again, but he thought of a possible solution to the problem of the Sword Ghost.
The person he sought help from was a swordsman of the Underworld.
Many swordsmen of the Underworld were locked up in the Sword Jail of Aoyama, but they were not strong enough.
What he intended to learn was the Control of Soul-Fire of the Underworld, the highest state.
There was only one place in Chaotian that had a swordsman of such a high state.
The small snowflakes kept falling down and melted as soon as they landed on the eaves, looking like the wet horns of an old dragon.
Standing at the entrance of the alley, Jing Jiu looked at Taichang Temple not far away.
That was the place he intended to go.
Looking in that direction, the white cat displayed a hostile intent, but he restrained his energy even more, as if he didn't want to disturb anybody.
…
…
Jing Jiu walked up the steps, pressed the green brick on the ground, and then knocked on the door.
It didn't take long before the sound of footsteps was heard. The door was pushed open, revealing a young face.
"Who are you?"
The youth who asked the question was about twelve or thirteen years old. He looked at Jing Jiu curiously.
Though Jing Jiu was wearing a conical hat, the youth was much shorter than him and stood close to him, so his face could be seen clearly.
A shocked expression showed on the youth's face. Then he thought of something and yelled excitedly, "Are … are you my little uncle?"
Jing Jiu also remembered that the youth should be the son of Jing Shang, and his nephew in name.
Back when Jing Jiu came to Zhaoge City, the little kid wanted to be held by him, and cried loudly after he refused.
He didn't expect the little kid to have grown up so much.
If he were a regular person, he would have many sentiments about time, family, and life.
However, Jing Jiu didn't show any emotion.
The youth was bewildered by Jing Jiu's indifference. He suddenly recalled his father's advice over the years that his little uncle was not a regular person. He pulled himself together and led Jing Jiu to the inside of the door.
The Jing House was as quiet as before. Some trees were planted randomly in the small garden between the living room and the side courtyard. Looking to the right, one could vaguely see the begonia, which looked like a blooming flower with the accumulated snow.
Jing Jiu glanced around casually, but he still didn't see any servants. However, half of the courtyard wall in the northwest was pulled down, and it seemed that the courtyard was to be expanded.
Jing Shang and his wife had already come out of the living room to welcome Jing Jiu. The old master stood in the living room, rubbing his hands anxiously, not knowing what to do.
Jing Jiu asked after some thought, "Have you eaten yet?"
The bowls and plates were placed on the table in the living room, but the dishes were already half-eaten.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward.
Jing Shang knew that Jing Jiu intended to express his goodwill.
Though this greeting was clumsy and shouldn't be used among family members.
Yet, he didn't dare treat Jing Jiu as a family member.
"Yes, I have."
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