From the end of spring to the beginning of autumn, Gu Qing would come to the peak top every ten days.
He didn't know that Jing Jiu was injured.
Every time he came to the peak top, he would see Jing Jiu lying on the bamboo chair, except on the day of the first autumn rain. According to the request of Qingrong Peak, the Great Formation of Aoyama was opened that day. The autumn rain fell among the peaks, looking bleak and beautiful. Jing Jiu was a bit unhappy because he had to move back to his manor cave.
One day, Gu Qing came to the peak top with a bunch of bananas in his hands.
Lying on the chair, Jing Jiu glanced at the bananas and asked, "Did the monkeys give them to you?"
Gu Qing nodded and asked, "The bamboos you brought last time were used to repair the legs of the chair?"
Liu Shisui did bring a dozen bamboos with him when he came back from the village, and he asked Gu Qing to bring them here.
It was said that a few new bamboos were planted outside the manor cave of Elder Bai Rujing on Tianguang Peak.
"The back of the chair was also repaired," said Jing Jiu.
Gu Qing noticed that some parts of the back of the chair were patched with new pieces of bamboo.
"I've heard the rumors about you, but I didn't expect you to be … so lazy."
He said this while looking at Jing Jiu seriously, with a hint of sincere admiration.
He was so lazy that Jing Jiu could defeat Jing Jiu easily at the Inherited Sword Competition.
Jing Jiu had always admired and yearned for this kind of true genius.
Jing Jiu said, "Cultivation is not the same as practicing martial arts for mortals. There's no difference between sitting cross-legged, lying down, standing under the waterfall or by the sea."
Gu Qing thought it over and found what Jing Jiu said was true. But it was only when one meditated and absorbed the energy of heaven and earth. Didn't one need to practice the sword instructions?
"Drink some tea," said Jing Jiu.
It sounded like he was inviting Gu Qing to drink tea, but it was not the case.
Gu Qing put the bunch of bananas on the table and began to make tea.
Jing Jiu was very willing to have someone brew tea for him, but Gu Qing was not Liu Shisui, so he could not order him around, and the monkeys were too stupid …
A pot of tea was poured into two cups. Gu Qing casually took one cup and sat down on a big rock by the cliff.
The two big stones were carried here from the cliff by the monkeys.
Gu Qing looked at the side of Jing Jiu's face and found that he could now remain calm.
No matter how good-looking a face was, as long as one saw it many times … well, it was still good-looking, just not as dazzling as it was at the beginning.
What really dazzled Gu Qing was Jing Jiu's talent in swordsmanship.
When he was on Liangwang Peak, Guo Nanshan and those masters also praised his talent in swordsmanship.
Gu Qing said, "When I made up my mind to cultivate, I thought that the disciples of Aoyama in this generation could not all be geniuses beyond my reach, so I could enter the inner sect and become one of the disciples of Aoyama as long as I made the effort that other disciples couldn't. Now it seems that I was right, because there are very few people like you."
Jing Jiu said, "I appreciate your idea, and it happens that there are no real geniuses among the disciples of this generation. Congratulations."
Gu Qing was taken aback, thinking that people with natural Dao quality like Zhao Layue and Liu Shisui were not geniuses. What about you?
Looking at the bunch of bananas, Jing Jiu asked, "Have you ever been to the cave?"
Gu Qing shook his head.
He was not qualified to inherit the sword, nor was he a caretaker of Shenmo Peak. He was just a temporary tenant here, so he paid attention to the details. Most of the time, he spent his time meditating in the small wooden hut in the cliff. When he came to the peak top once in a while, he just sat by the cliff's edge and boiled a pot of tea for Jing Jiu. He had never thought of entering the manor cave to take a look.
"Let's go and have a look," said Jing Jiu.
"Can I?" asked Gu Qing with a startled expression.
Jing Jiu said, "A tenant is also a guest. It's okay to have a look."
It was impossible for Gu Qing not to be curious about the manor cave of Senior Grandmaster Jingyang.
After some thought, he got up and walked toward the small building.
But it didn't take long for him to run out of the building.
Looking at Jing Jiu with a complicated expression, he said, "I … I became like this because I learned the sword style secretly."
It was evident that Jing Jiu let him see the sword book on the table on purpose.
"I think you're fine like this."
Jing Jiu picked up the bunch of bananas on the table and threw them back to the monkeys in the forest.
Then, he went back to the cave, took out the sword book and put it in Gu Qing's hand, saying, "This is not stealing."
Gu Qing was silent for a long time before saying, "Thank you."
"No need," said Jing Jiu.
"In fact, I've always felt that you don't like me," said Gu Qing.
Jing Jiu said, "You're a bit scheming, but I don't like it or dislike it."
Gu Qing didn't quite understand and asked, "Then why are you willing to help me?"
"I don't like your brother," said Jing Jiu.
Gu Qing laughed and said, "So do I."
Coming back to the cliff's edge and walking into the wooden hut that had begun to grow moss, Gu Qing came to the window and took down the tree bark to block the wind, and opened the sword book in his hand by the sunlight outside.
He had learned the Six-Dragon Sword Style of Shiyue Peak, but it was taken back when he was expelled from Liangwang Peak, so he couldn't use it anymore.
He was a bit excited, because this might be the Nine-Deaths Sword Style of Shenmo Peak, which was the Unreal Sword of Grandmaster Jingyang.
But he was wrong.
Gu Qing stared at the front page of the sword book in a daze for a long time.
This wasn't the Nine-Deaths Sword Style.
His hands began to tremble slightly.
Two words were clearly written on the front page of the book.
The Inherited Heaven Kingdom.
…
…
An autumn rain brought a chill.
The nine peaks of Aoyama were isolated from the outside world, and the four seasons were still distinct.
Jing Jiu had finally recovered from his illness.
The cicadas, the cries of the monkeys, and the coughing of the well were the three main sounds of Shenmo Peak, and it suddenly became much quieter.
The disciples cultivated on their own, seldom leaving the manor caves in the peaks. The forests on the peaks were gradually dyed, and the beautiful scenery was rather lonely.
One day, a piece of news came from outside the mountains that a formidable demon had appeared outside Chaonan City, north of the Muddy River.
It was rumored that the demon was cruel and liked to eat human flesh, especially those young boys and girls.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the large demon suddenly appeared and destroyed a patch of cliffs outside Chaonan City, killing or injuring hundreds of villagers on the cliffs.
The Aoyama Sect couldn't ignore this matter. The disciples of Liangwang Peak set out on their swords that night to eliminate the demon.
What was more noticeable was that Liu Shisui with natural Dao quality was also in the team to eliminate the demon.
Liu Shisui was still a disciple of Tianguang Peak in name. He had inherited the sword for less than half a year, but he was able to go out to eliminate the demon. It was evident how much Liangwang Peak valued him.
The disciples of Liangwang Peak left in a hurry due to the urgency of the event, so not many people on the nine peaks knew about it.
Liu Shisui didn't go to Shenmo Peak, but asked Gu Qing to pass the message to Jing Jiu.
"Shisui specifically told me to tell you, not to tell anyone else."
Gu Qing organized his words in his mind, and continued, "… He told you that he was going to leave. Don't tell anyone else."
There were many meanings hidden in these two sentences, but Jing Jiu didn't respond. He sat in the bamboo chair, looking at the mountains outside the cliff, seemingly unconcerned.
A few days later, Gu Qing came to the peak top again, this time to pass the message to someone else.
"There is a Young Sister Yushan at the Hall of Sword Washing, and another one from Lelang County …"
Gu Qing couldn't remember the name of that Young Brother.
"His family name is Yuan," said Jing Jiu.
"… Yes. Young Yuan wants to ask if the Shenmo Peak is recruiting disciples at the Inherited Sword Competition in three years."
Zhao Layue was also by the cliff's edge. Hearing this, she glanced at Jing Jiu, and found she had forgotten this question.
"Recruit."
"Not recruit."
Zhao Layue and Jing Jiu's voices rang out almost at the same time.
Gu Qing spread his hands, indicating that he was an innocent messenger.
Zhao Layue looked at Jing Jiu and asked, "Why not?"
"Noisy," said Jing Jiu.
Zhao Layue wasn't Gu Han or Ma Hua, so she wasn't defeated by his One-Word Formula.
"I'm the peak master."
Zhao Layue returned to the manor cave after saying this.
…
…
The first snow fell as soon as the winter began. A few days later, Aoyama welcomed a bigger snowstorm.
At the request of Qingrong Peak, the Great Formation of Aoyama was opened, and the snowflakes fell down from the sky.
In just one night, all the peaks were covered with white hair. Looking at it from afar, the snowflakes looked very beautiful.
A flying sword arrived after breaking through the wind and snow, landing on the top of Shenmo Peak.
Gu Qing was covered with snow, his face a bit pale.
Since he was expelled from Liangwang Peak, he seldom rode the sword, and he was only willing to walk on the Shenmo Peak.
It seemed that something urgent had happened.
Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue walked out from the manor cave.
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