A few days later, Que Niang came into the small courtyard with a pile of books in her arms.
There were old scripts and notes in these books, as well as new sheets of paper, which should be the results of the analysis done by the elders of the Mirror Sect.
Jing Jiu didn't take these books with him. He looked through them in the small courtyard and picked out the ones worth remembering.
Yan Zhenlu was indeed an abandoned disciple of the Mirror Sect. He must have had a complicated story with the Mirror Sect, but that wasn't what Jing Jiu was concerned about.
All he wanted to know was whether Yan Zhenlu's Theory of the Mirror-Flower and the Method of Splitting Mirrors were the same as the one in the booklet of Shiyue Peak.
After four hours of calculation, Jing Jiu came to the conclusion that the Method of Splitting Mirrors wouldn't be the same as it was now if Yan Zhenlu had followed the original path. Someone had done something to the seemingly inconspicuous seventh level of splitting mirrors and adjusted the sequence, which led to a hidden problem in the Formation of Dispersed Smoke and Clouds that no one could discover.
The thin booklet of Shiyue Peak was brought to the Green Mountain seven hundred and thirty-four years ago, and his Big Brother started thinking about the Formation of the Dispersed Smoke and Cloud seven hundred and thirty-three years ago. The time between the two was too close, so there could only be one conclusion. That booklet was brought to Shiyue Peak by his Big Brother, and it was he who had done something to the Method of Splitting Mirrors; but why did he do that?
Jing Jiu looked at the winter plum blossoms outside the window, remaining silent.
Zhao Layue had seldom seen Jing Jiu look so lonely, and Que Niang was even more nervous.
Jing Jiu didn't know whether he should feel happy or disappointed at the moment, but he thought that his Big Brother didn't tell him anything in the end, so he should be angry.
Now that the Formation of Dispersed Smoke and Clouds had a problem, it had to be repaired; but he wasn't sure if it would work.
That predecessor named Yan Zhenlu had merely suggested it, but hadn't tried it yet.
If it didn't work, he would have to find another way to ascend.
Jing Jiu thought to himself while looking at his right hand.
…
…
Before they left the Mirror Sect, Que Niang kowtowed to Jing Jiu earnestly. Jing Jiu allowed her to visit him in Aoyama whenever she wanted. As for playing chess, he had already thought it through. He would take her to the hermit peaks to find Tong Yan.
Zhao Layue didn't understand. They clearly didn't have any interactions, so why did he trust this female disciple of the Mirror Sect so much?
Jing Jiu didn't know how to explain it. In fact, it was related to the saying "judging a person through chess". But if he said so, wouldn't it be equivalent to supporting Tong Yan's view?
By the time they returned to the Shenmo Peak, the Plum Meeting in Zhaoge City had also ended. A few days later, Guangzhou Zhenren came to report what had happened. Jing Jiu realized why Que Niang was so worried.
The cooperation between the major orthodox Cultivation sects and the Jing Imperial Court involved the complicated distribution of Cultivation resources. At each Plum Meeting, the distribution of resources would be adjusted according to the contribution and status of each Cultivation sect. The difference in power between the Western Sea Sword School and the No-Mercy Sect had led to an obvious change in the distribution of resources.
The Aoyama Sect and the Zhongzhou School had always sat at the highest spot in the Plum Garden, so the Cultivation resources of Chaotian had to be provided to them first. As such, they didn't have to worry about the reduction of resources.
A shocking event had taken place at this year's Plum Meeting: the Zhongzhou School requested to reduce the Cultivation resources of the Aoyama Sect.
The reason given by the Zhongzhou School sounded reasonable. All the Cultivation sects had paid a great price to suppress the passage to the Underworld. The Aoyama Sect had been responsible for hunting down the devil men of the Underworld who were scattered in various places. Now that the Underworld was so well-behaved that one couldn't even find a few resentful souls in all of Chaotian, the Aoyama Sect had nothing else to do, so why did they want to occupy so many resources? Moreover, the reduction of resources requested by the Zhongzhou School for the Aoyama Sect was very small, so small that even the regular Cultivation sects wouldn't care about it.
Yet, the reduction of resources was still a reduction of resources. Everybody knew that the Zhongzhou School would take another step forward if the reduction was made.
Of course, the Aoyama Sect wouldn't agree to it.
Guangyuan Zhenren and Elder Yue Qianmen of the Zhongzhou School had a heated argument at the Net-Perception Temple, and they almost fought each other.
It was at that time that the Young Zen Master said something that prevented the situation from worsening.
At the time, Zen Master said to Yue Qianmen, "You can't defeat Guangyuan Zhenren; what's the use of speaking so loudly?"
Guangyuan Zhenren didn't laugh when he said this, neither did Jing Jiu, nor did Zhao Layue.
As Ping Yong-Ka laughed once, he was slapped back by Yuan Qianu.
Zen Master wouldn't help the Aoyama Sect now. His words had a deeper meaning, and they might even be directed at the Aoyama Sect.
Yue Qianmen was indeed no match for Guangyuan Zhenren. Among the twelve valley lords of the Cloud-Dream Mountain, there shouldn't be anyone who could be a match for Guangyuan Zhenren.
The problem was that Guangyuan Zhenren couldn't possibly be a match for the Immortals Tan and Bai either.
The Zhongzhou School had two Heavenly Arrival Masters and the Unicorn, while the Aoyama Sect had one Heavenly Arrival Master and the Cat and the Dog.
No matter how one looked at it, the former seemed to be stronger. Moreover, who knew what kind of old guys were hiding in the back valley of the Cloud-Dream Mountain?
"What's the conclusion?" Jing Jiu asked after a moment of silence.
Guangyuan Zhenren said, "We'll talk about it in the Guocheng Temple in autumn. Bai Zhenren will go there in person. We might have to ask the Sword Justice for help."
There was still some time before autumn.
He was very familiar with the Guocheng Temple.
"I'll go," said Jing Jiu.
Guangyuan Zhenren was taken aback, wondering if Jing Jiu could do it.
…
…
After Guangyuan Zhenren left, Jing Jiu shot a glance at Yuan Qu.
Earlier, when Ping Yong-Ka laughed, he was slapped by Yuan Qu. Jing Jiu was a bit surprised when he saw it. According to his previous temperament, Yuan Qu would have laughed foolishly at Ping Yong-Ka. It was unclear what he had experienced in Zhaoge City this time, but he had become smarter and more mature.
"Duke Lu came to me when I was in Zhaoge City."
Yuan Qu said, "He said that the Imperial court had been a bit restless this year, and those officials who supported Jing Xin had surfaced again."
Jing Jiu thought that he should have killed Jing Xin right from the beginning, because it would be troublesome in the future. "How about you?" he asked Yuan Qu.
Yuan Qu knew that the Sect Master was asking about the Cultivation tournament at the Plum Meeting. "This disciple is useless," he said in a low voice after hesitating for a while. "I only won the second place."
Jing Jiu was indeed dissatisfied, asking, "Who won the first place?"
Yuan Qu said with his head lowered, "It was Big Brother Liu Shisui. He represented Yimaozhai."
Jing Jiu thought he lost to Liu Shisui, so he didn't say anything more.
…
…
Liu Shisui had a very happy year. It could even be said that this was the happiest year he had had since he joined Liangwang Peak. Yimaozhai was a good fit for him. Xi Yiyun and other big brothers were all gentlemen, and the House Master thought highly of him, teaching him reading and Cultivation diligently, and letting him represent Yimaozhai to participate in the Plum Meeting.
The happiest thing was that his Young Master had become the Sect Master of Aoyama.
Like what Jing Jiu had experienced before, the smile on his face had never disappeared while he was making the bamboo chair.
"My Young Master won the first place in the Cultivation tournament back then. Of course, his opponent was much stronger than me this time, and the Snowy Kingdom was in trouble. I don't want to compete with my Young Master."
Liu Shisui's dark face was full of delight.
Then he noticed that Xiao He's smile was a bit forced, and her eyes were evasive. He stopped smiling and asked seriously, "What happened?"
Xiao He said in a trembling voice, "During the spring rain last year, Taiping Zhenren came here."
"Taiping Zhenren?" asked Liu Shisui with his eyes slightly frozen.
Xiao He said with her head lowered, "I can't forget his face. He was the monk in the Guocheng Temple. Didn't you say he was Taiping Zhenren?"
"Why didn't you tell me at the time?" asked Liu Shisui.
Xiao He rubbed her eyes and said, "I was too scared … I wanted to tell you later, but you studied too hard … and I was afraid that you would blame me."
Liu Shisui thought that even if she was scared at the time, why didn't she tell him later? How could he blame her? "What did he come to the Thousand-Mile Wind Corridor for?"
Xiao He said in a low voice, "He didn't do anything. All he did was pick some lotus flowers and take them away."
Liu Shisui remained silent for a long time before asking, "What about you? What did you do? "
He had lived with Xiao He for so many years that he knew her very well. He knew that if she hadn't done something that she didn't dare to tell him, she wouldn't be like this.
"I … I didn't do anything. All I did was show him the way." Xiao He raised her head and looked at his expressionless face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she said in a trembling voice, "I was really scared. He wanted me to take them to the Jiao Lake; how could I dare to refuse?"
"Are you talking about the Jiao Lake behind the temple?" asked Liu Shisui.
Xiao He nodded with a pale face.
To make it easier for her to go to the temple to see him, Liu Shisui gave her a token from the temple. She could only pass through the Windy Corridor with that token.
Liu Shisui remained silent.
"Are you going to tell the temple?" Xiao He asked while crying.
"No, I won't," said Liu Shisui while shaking his head.
With tears in her eyes, Xiao He stared at him in disbelief.
Liu Shisui stood up and walked toward the desk, saying, "The House Master knows that I gave you the token, but if he knows that you have taken Taiping Zhenren to the Jiao Lake, you will die."
Looking at his back, Xiao He revealed a sad expression, saying, "You've changed … If it's because of me, I'm very sorry."
Liu Shisui sat down in front of the desk and took out a piece of ink from his sleeve.
The ink was painted with gold, and there were also gold threads mixed in it. The ink slid noiselessly on the inkstone, gradually turning into a golden-black liquid. It was hard to describe with words.
It was just like his entire life.
He used to be a carefree child in a mountain village. Later, he became a chivalrous disciple of Liangwang Peak. Then, he spent a long period of time in Bulao Lin.
He knew what kind of person he wanted to be, but he didn't know what kind of person he was at the moment.
Having finished grinding the special gold ink, he took out a writing brush, dipped it in the ink, and began to write a letter.
This seemingly ordinary writing brush was the Guard-City Pen, the most precious treasure of the temple in Yimaozhai.
Back when the Scholar Yan gave the Guard-City Pen to him, he had always kept it with him. It was only because his Cultivation state was not high enough that he couldn't use it.
Now he had studied in Yimaozhai for many years. After the Cultivation tournament of the Plum Meeting, his Cultivation state had improved again, and the Guard-City Pen had finally accepted him as its master.
Xiao He wiped off her tears and walked to his back. "Who are you writing to?" she asked uneasily.
"Young Master," replied Liu Shisui.
He couldn't tell the House Master about this, but he couldn't hide it from his Young Master.
(End of this chapter)
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