Not having peace and quiet was a small matter. The key was something else.
Jing Jiu thought he was still the Sect Master of Aoyama, but it didn't mean others would think so.
He believed that it wouldn't take long before the whole Cultivation world knew that he had been banished from Aoyama.
The Aoyama Sect wouldn't do anything to him when Yuan Qijing was here. But without the protection of the Aoyama Sect, what would happen to a monster who had been accused of murdering the Immortal Jingyang?
Zhao Layue and the others looked at Jing Jiu's face worriedly.
Jing Jiu didn't seem to notice it and asked, "Did you lose?"
Zhuo Rusui was surprised to be concerned about such a thing at such a time, but Liu Shisui felt it was natural. He said with some shame, "It was an elder of the Kunlun Sect who attacked me. My Cultivation level was too low, so I couldn't handle it."
Everyone knew the relationship between Liu Shisui, Jing Jiu, and Aoyama. Moreover, he was Bu Qiuxiao's most valued student, so the Kunlun Sect wouldn't go too far.
Jing Jiu said, "If I see him, I'll fight him back for you."
"Okay," Liu Shisui said.
Many people thought it was ridiculous for a child to ask his parents for help when he couldn't beat his opponent, but Jing Jiu said it as if it was a matter of course, and Liu Shisui responded confidently.
Zhuo Rusui yawned and reconfirmed that Zhao Layue and Liu Shisui were still the most favored ones.
Yuan Qu was still thinking about the rearrangement of the Shenmo Peak, thinking that since Liu Shisui was back, who would be the First Disciple?
Jing Jiu said, "It's too troublesome. Let's do it like before."
Zhao Layue thought for a while and said, "Okay."
Gu Qing didn't care. Yuan Qu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more comfortable this way.
Liu Shisui had no idea what they were talking about.
Zhuo Rusui thought it was a close call that he had almost become the junior of these people; it was impossible for him to do so. … …
…
…
Jing Jiu said that he wanted to rest for a while, so he continued to lie on the bamboo chair. The rest of them walked out.
This house was extremely large, and there were at least twenty or so individual courtyards. Naturally, the distribution of the courtyards was not the focus of everyone's attention.
"You already knew?" Zhuo Rusui looked at Zhao Layue and asked.
Zhao Layue uttered "hmm" softly.
Zhuo Rusui asked, "When did this happen?"
Zhao Layue said, "It's been many years."
It had indeed been many years. Although he had never made it clear, Jing Jiu did not hide it from her.
Whether it was related to Yin San or the past of Aoyama, he always talked to her as Jingyang.
Gu Qing and Yuan Qü fixed their gazes on her, feeling a bit jealous.
But Liu Shisui said sympathetically, "You must be under a lot of pressure, right?"
"Not too bad," Zhao Layue said.
In the past decades, she was the only one who knew Jing Jiu's real identity. She was indeed under pressure, but more than that, it was the joy and pride of a little girl hiding candy.
Zhuo Rusui was silent for a while, then suddenly said, "Actually, have you ever thought …"
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he meant. The riverside became quiet.
What Fang Jingtian had said, the Immortal Tai Lu's testimony, and especially the blue-clothed boy … Jing Jiu didn't take out the Inherited Heaven Sword until the end.
They left Aoyama with Jing Jiu, but those questions were still there, pressing on their hearts like a mountain.
"What I don't understand the most is … why doesn't Senior Master want to walk on the sword?"
Yuan Qu kept scratching his head, so distressed that there seemed to be sparks between his fingers.
Both the pair of prominent ears and the special body could be explained by the fact that he had been reborn as a sword. But he didn't want to walk on the sword … It was obviously a problem of his consciousness.
"Back then, he chose Senior Brother Mo's sword because the Sword of the Universe was wide enough for him to sit on."
Zhao Layue walked to a rock by the riverside and sat down. Looking at the river flowing into the distance, she said, "Standing is better than sitting, and sitting is better than lying down."
Thinking of the bamboo chair on the top of the Shenmo Peak, the others thought it was true. If it weren't for the indecent posture, he could have been the first person in the world to walk on the sword lying down.
Zhuo Rusui also thought it was reasonable, so he continued, "One last question. The All in One Sword is a Heavenly Treasure and has its own spirit. If Senior Master borrowed the body of the sword instead of the Evil Sword itself, where is the spirit of the All in One Sword?"
"I didn't ask, and he didn't tell me."
Zhao Layue drew back her line of sight and looked at a crabapple flower floating on the river, saying, "Maybe it was scattered by Bai Ren when he ascended."
It was quiet by the riverside for a while, probably because of the name Bai Ren.
"What if it isn't?"
Zhuo Rusui stared at her back and said, "What if he is really the All in One Sword, but he doesn't know it?"
The stream flowed slowly, emitting a soft sound, like countless sighs.
"Is it important?" Yuan Qu asked, scratching his head.
"I don't care," said Liu Shisui.
As far as he was concerned, the Young Master was the Young Master. It made no difference whether the Young Master was the Great Master of Jingyang or the so-called Sword Devil.
Zhuo Rusui didn't give up. Looking at Zhao Layue's black hair fluttering in the wind, he asked, "If he is really the Senior Master of Jingyang, why did he make such an arrangement four years ago?"
It was true. If Jing Jiu was Jingyang, why did he think of retreating?
The disciples of the younger generation all knew that Jing Jiu always believed in one saying — retreat in order to advance; it was the last resort of the weak.
Gu Qing said, "My Master must have predicted that Fang Jingtian would leave the hermit peaks and that Aoyama couldn't have internal strife; that's why he made such an arrangement."
Looking at a green stone in the river, Zhuo Rusui said thoughtfully, "He sent Senior Master Guangyuan to the West Ocean in advance to avoid any mishaps?"
"Of course, my Master also felt that being the Sect Master was a bit troublesome," said Gu Qing slowly. "So he left the mountains to seek peace and quiet."
Zhuo Rusui patted his shoulder sympathetically, saying, "After hearing what you said, I finally believe that he is the Senior Master of Jingyang."
"Is the Bai Ren you just mentioned the ancestor of Zhongzhou School?"
Liu Shisui walked to Zhao Layue's side and asked her seriously.
Zhuo Rusui, Gu Qing, and Yuan Qu were also concerned about the reason why the Immortal Jingyang failed to ascend; but they thought it might be a secret, and it was inconvenient for Zhao Layue to tell them, so they refrained from asking.
Liu Shisui wouldn't tolerate it.
Zhao Layue briefly told them what happened after Jingyang ascended.
The river bank was quiet again.
The young disciples of Aoyama were silent for a long time, feeling more pressure.
If that was the case, then the battle between the Aoyama Sect and Zhongzhou School would be inevitable.
Zhao Layue stood up and left the river bank, saying, "Hurry up and cultivate."
Looking at her back, Zhuo Rusui shouted, "Then we should ask the Senior Master to repair it …"
Zhao Layue waved her hand and didn't pay any attention to him, walking upstream.
There were always crabapple blossoms floating in the river, so there must be a crabapple tree upstream.
She walked to the crabapple tree, looked at the woman in white, and said, "If you want to go in, I'll ask Gu Qing to open the formation."
Bai Zao looked down at the misty manor at the foot of the mountain and said, "I'm here to say a few words to him, but it's better if you pass the message on."
Zhao Layue said, "That's fine."
"What I want to say is … you might be a bit tired today, but I'm a bit happy, because you might not be Jingyang."
Bai Zao was silent for a while, then softly said, "If you really are a Sword Demon and have been banished from Aoyama, then I'll be even happier."
These two sentences didn't have a head or a tail, so it was hard to understand. But Zhao Layue understood what she meant.
If Jing Jiu really was the reincarnation of Zhenren Jingyang, then Bai Zao would give up on him, because there was no way to get close to him.
If Jing Jiu was a Sword Demon banished from Aoyama, then this girl with a firm Dao Heart would approach him without hesitation.
Just like Liu Shisui, she didn't care who he was. What she cared about was who he was to her.
After saying these two sentences, Bai Zao withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Layue, saying, "When we were on the top of Shenmo Peak, you told me about traveling together. I didn't quite understand what you meant at that time, but now I do. I really envy you and admire you."
She was the future head master of Zhongzhou School, the only daughter of Bai Zhenren, and the descendant of Bai Ren. Even if she wanted to travel with Jing Jiu for a while, she couldn't do it.
Zhao Layue felt sorry for her. She thought for a while and reached out her right hand to touch her head.
She wasn't touching Ada, and she wasn't Jing Jiu, so her action was a bit clumsy.
Bai Zao was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "I'll come back to see you in a few years."
Zhao Layue said, "You take care of yourself."
…
…
The whole house was under the protection of the formation. The formation set up by Gu Qing could shelter them from wind and rain, isolate them from sight and breath, and keep the mountain in spring all the year round. But it couldn't stop the begonia petals from flowing into the house along with the stream. They made a dozen turns in the house and then flowed out.
At the seventh turn, there was a folded corridor with eaves extending to the water. Here, one could listen to the rain, listen to the water, admire the flowers, and take a nap.
Jing Jiu lay on the bamboo chair, holding a grain of sand in his hand, thinking about where to put it on the porcelain plate.
He hadn't played this game for many years, which meant that he had a rare leisure time at this time. Of course, it was also because he was a bit tired.
Holding the Seal of the King Of The Underworld and killing Uncle Tai Lu with one punch, he was a bit tired. But the real mental fatigue was dealing with so many people, especially Taiping Zhenren who wrote the letter.
"Bai Zao is here," Zhao Layue walked up to him and said.
Jing Jiu didn't raise his head, but grunted in acknowledgment.
"Back when she came to Aoyama to propose marriage, I thought she was very pitiful and wanted to touch her head, but I didn't think it was appropriate, so I just patted her shoulder."
Zhao Layue said, "She was very happy today, but I thought she was even more pitiful, so I couldn't help but touch her head a few times."
Jing Jiu raised his head and glanced at her, asking, "How many times?"
Zhao Layue thought about it and said, "Three times."
"Don't learn from me," said Jing Jiu. "You'll get into a lot of trouble."
Zhao Layue knew he was in a bad mood. Even though he was just taking advantage of the situation, he was expelled from Aoyama after all. Who could be completely emotionless?
"I'm indeed a bit tired. Since the West Ocean, Liu Ci's choice has disappointed me."
Jing Jiu knew what she was thinking about and said, "Yuan Qijing hasn't given me the Great Formation of Aoyama all these years. That's one of the reasons."
The tiredness was the beginning of all this, or in other words, it made him start to think about how to deal with it.
His Big Brother had succeeded in the immortalization, so he didn't want him to stay in Aoyama anymore. He took the initiative to leave to avoid the division of Aoyama, and killed Senior Uncle Tai Lu to eliminate the biggest internal threat. Plus, Fang Jingtian had succeeded in the Heavenly Arrival Realm. Now Aoyama Sect was obviously safer than before, and they had more confidence to face the pressure from Zhongzhou School.
As for himself …
Leaving was not a big deal.
How could Aoyama not take care of people?
Zhao Layue didn't say anything more. She sat down on the end of the bamboo chair and accompanied him quietly.
…
…
Because of Nan Wang, Jing Jiu's seclusion had become a well-known secret before it officially started.
This was the first day he left Aoyama, but the yard outside Cloudy Town had already welcomed many guests, which was ridiculous.
After Nan Wang, it was Liu Shisui, then Bai Zao, then Sensei, Que Niang, and Shui Yue Nunnery's Zheng Tao who came to visit together.
They all represented the attitude of their respective sects.
Just like Zhuo Rusui represented the attitude of Tianguang Peak and Liangwang Peak to some extent.
It was said that Jing Jiu was a sword devil, but what if he was the Immortal Jingyang?
Therefore, the Platanus Sect, the Mirror Sect, and Shui Yue Nunnery all sent junior disciples here, and they were all girls who knew Jing Jiu. People like the Sect Master would never show up.
Sensei, Que Niang, and Zheng Tao were led to the corridor by Gu Qing. Looking at Jing Jiu sitting on the bamboo chair, they felt a strong sense of strangeness and fear. They lowered their heads and dared not say a word.
Even Sensei didn't have any of her usual arrogance. She was obedient like a fish that He Zhan had his eyes on.
The Immortal Jingyang … was the Immortal Jingyang.
There was no need for any prefix, description, or explanation. Just the name alone was enough.
He wasn't someone who could get close to him by acting coquettishly or shamelessly.
"Tell your master that I got it. You can go back now."
Jing Jiu turned to Que Niang, as if he wanted to say something.
Gu Qing and the others knew that Que Niang was his disciple in the Mirror Sect, so they wondered if he should keep her here.
They didn't know that Jing Jiu was thinking that Tong Yan was still in the hermit peaks.
…
…
After the disturbance caused by Nan Wang, it was impossible to have a peaceful life here.
Many sects had left their disciples in Cloudy Town to keep an eye on the fog. When they saw Sensei and the other two walk into the fog, and the Aoyama Sect didn't stop them, they had a lot of ideas.
Ōzawa, Baotong Zen Temple, and a dozen other sects also sent their young disciples to visit after a short discussion.
Jing Jiu wouldn't meet everyone, so Gu Qing was the one who received them.
He answered them skillfully, saying that he understood what they wanted and would convey their message to his Master. Then he would send them away one by one, like an assistant or a butler.
After a few days, Gu Qing thought that it was about time, but he didn't expect that more and more cultivators came to Cloudy Town.
In the foggy town, there were sadhus wearing conical hats, proud rogue cultivators, elders of small sects, and even a few people with neither righteous nor evil auras. The number of them was even more than that of ordinary people. The townspeople had sensed that something was wrong, so they all closed their doors and dared not come out.
The courtyard was enshrouded in a thick fog. Ordinary people couldn't get close to it, and neither could cultivators. They couldn't even see the scenery dozens of feet away. They could only kneel or sit cross-legged outside the fog, waiting nervously for the person in the fog to summon them.
There were also a few cultivators who considered themselves to be talented. They raised their hands and shouted at the thick mist.
"I'm the genius of Gaoyang. If the Immortal is willing to meet me, I might be able to see the true meaning of the sword art!"
"If the Immortal is willing to take me as his disciple, I will definitely carry forward the sword art of Aoyama!"
"Immortal Jingyang, if you are really as powerful as the rumor says, why don't you just strike me to death with a thunderbolt!"
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