Time flew by. Every day, Li Xun carried two pieces of Ninefold Stone down the mountain, and in what felt like no time, more than a month had passed. By now, he had already hauled down the majority of the stone that had built up on the peak. His sentence was clearly nearing its end. During this time, following Ming Ji's advice, he also managed to reconnect with many of his fellow sect disciples.
Much of this smooth reestablishment of connections came down to one thing: Li Xun's precise sense of how to present himself.
He now played the part of a quiet, reserved young man burdened with guilt over a past mistake; an image that naturally drew out people's sympathy and protectiveness.
Ming Ji had been right. Most people on the mountain didn't actually look down on him because of what had happened on Tiandu Peak. On the contrary, they went out of their way to support him, wanting to help him move past the "shadow" of that event.
This stood in stark contrast to the Shadow-Devouring Soul's style of kicking you when you're down and taking advantage of your misfortune. The difference was so jarring that even someone as thick-skinned as Li Xun couldn't quite shrug it off. His feelings were complicated, to say the least.
It was now midnight. After delivering the 79 piece of Ninefold Stone to the sect's hidden vault, Li Xun flew straight toward the summit of Zhiguan Peak.
This, too, was a gesture of care from the sect. Pitying his "hardship" and the fact that he had lost his master early, they allowed him to stay in the house that had belonged to the Lin Ge. As things stood, among the third-generation disciples, only Li Xun, Lin Ge and Qi Bi and her husband were allowed to live atop Zhiguan Peak.
It was late summer, and Zhiguan Peak towered above the others. Insects and birds were few and far between, making the nights especially quiet. As Li Xun flew on his sword through the stillness, he instinctively suppressed the glow and aura of his blade, slipping silently through the sky.
As he neared the summit and began to slow, a streak of sword light suddenly cut down from above like a bolt of silk. It was swift and completely silent, like lightning flashing through the night. Brilliant and gone in an instant.
By the light of the sword, Li Xun and the newcomer locked eyes, and both froze for a moment.
"Senior Brother Wenhai." Li Xun recovered first. He hovered in midair and cupped his hands in greeting.
The man was none other than Senior Brother Wenhai, the most renowned among the third-generation disciples of the Mingxin Sword Sect. His cultivation was deep, and he was sharp-minded to match. Among all the third-generation disciples, only he had the qualifications to be involved in the sect's upper-level planning and strategy.
Naturally, Li Xun treated someone like that with extra caution.
"So it's you, Junior Brother Xun." Wenhai returned the gesture politely.
He was strikingly handsome. No surprise someone like Qi Bi had fallen for him. But his features were sharply defined, and his eyes were like cold stars, radiating a sense of unwavering will.
As he smiled, the hard lines of his face softened slightly.
"You've been working hard, Junior Brother. It's getting late, so I won't keep you. Let's catch up another day when we both have time."
He spoke with genuine courtesy, showing none of the aloofness one might expect from someone of his rank. Li Xun noticed the urgency in his demeanor; there was even a flicker of unease in his expression. So he simply nodded and smiled, watching as Wenhai departed.
But no sooner had Wenhai flown off than another sword light rose in the distance. This one was a pale gold, though its glow had clearly been deliberately dimmed. Still, the rider's control was lacking, and the light flickered unsteadily.
Li Xun knew that sword light all too well.
He frowned, still unsure on whether he should dodge it, when the sword light shot straight toward him.
"Xun! Junior Brother Xun! I need your help with something real quick…"
The person who showed up was none other than Shan Zhi. Someone Li Xun found incredibly annoying.
Once just his personal page boy, Shan Zhi was now a fellow disciple. After years of being immersed in teachings from senior masters day and night, his cultivation had improved quite a bit. But right now, he looked pale and scattered, like he'd done something seriously wrong.
Ever since he became a disciple before Li Xun, Shan Zhi had carried a sense of superiority. He always spoke to Li Xun from a higher perch, acting every bit the senior brother. To see him now, panicked and disheveled like this, was a first. And it piqued Li Xun's curiosity.
Shan Zhi rushed up and grabbed Li Xun's arm, blurting out a desperate cry: "Junior Brother Xun, help me!"
Li Xun was so caught off guard, he didn't even have time to ask what was going on before Shan Zhi started rattling off in a frantic stream: "If anyone asks later, just say I was with you tonight the whole time. Say we were talking about cultivation theory and Daoist principles, okay?"
Li Xun stared at him, wide-eyed, and after a long pause, gave a helpless smile. "You do realize I just came down from Zuowang Peak earlier tonight? I went to the sect's secret vault, even spoke with Immortal Master Mingde on duty there. And I just ran into Senior Brother Wenhai... You look awful. Are you sick?"
Shan Zhi's face was beyond pale; it looked like all the blood had drained from it. When Li Xun asked, he stammered for a while but couldn't get a word out. Finally, he clenched his jaw and turned to leave.
But just as he moved, Li Xun grabbed him by the arm.
"Senior Brother Shan Zhi, if you trust me at all, then tell me what's going on. As long as you didn't do something truly unforgivable, I might be able to help smooth things over."
He was saying all the right things, but as he spoke, he kept a close eye on Shan Zhi's expression.
Shan Zhi's face first showed irritation, then hesitation, maybe even a flicker of hope. But mostly, he just looked panicked and restless. Clearly, Li Xun's words hadn't done much to calm him down.
Looks like whatever Shan Zhi did this time wasn't minor. Li Xun's mind raced. Somehow, he found himself connecting it to Wenhai, who had just left. Then, all of a sudden, a thought hit him. His expression changed slightly as everything clicked into place.
"You messed with Senior Sister Qi Bi, didn't you?"
He didn't need Shan Zhi to answer. The look on his face, ashen and hopeless, told Li Xun everything he needed to know. A plan was already forming in his mind. He tugged hard on Shan Zhi's arm and said in a low voice, "Come with me."
Shan Zhi, completely rattled, didn't have the strength or presence of mind to resist. Li Xun dragged him back to his small residence.
Once inside, Li Xun shut the door behind them. His expression was stern, but he deliberately kept his voice low, signaling that he was still willing to help.
"Start talking. What exactly happened?"
Shan Zhi knew what he meant, of course, but his lips were pale, and he looked like he might pass out. He just hung his head in silence.
Li Xun had no choice but to start guessing. He'd already made up his mind to get to the bottom of this, and his first assumption went straight to the worst-case scenario.
"Don't tell me… you tried something against Senior Sister Qi Bi?"
"I didn't!" Shan Zhi practically jumped in place, his voice shooting up several octaves. But when Li Xun shot him a sharp glare, he deflated instantly and mumbled, head bowed, "I swear I didn't! I just… just… peeked…"
So that was it.
The whole picture came into focus. Shan Zhi, this half-grown excuse for a man, had finally given in to the obsessive, delusional feelings he'd been harboring toward Qi Bi. Driven by a mix of fantasy and desire, he'd used his knowledge of her routine to sneak into the place where she bathed and cleansed herself, hoping to spy on her.
But his breathing had been too loud. Qi Bi noticed.
If she hadn't been physically inconvenienced at the time, and caught off guard by a mix of shame and fury, Shan Zhi would probably already be bound and kneeling in front of the sect elders.
So that's why Wenhai had rushed off just now? Li Xun looked at Shan Zhi's panicked, helpless face and couldn't help feeling a flicker of amusement.
But he knew this wasn't the time to laugh.
His mind turned quickly. A new idea came to him. Without saying a word, he pressed his lips together.... and suddenly slapped Shan Zhi hard across the face. Caught completely off guard, Shan Zhi collapsed from the blow.
Li Xun didn't let up. He grabbed him by the collar, yanked him up, and slammed him into the wall.
"Shan Zhi!" he growled through gritted teeth. "You're disgusting."
Shan Zhi was already a mess of guilt and anxiety. Now, faced with Li Xun's sudden fury, he was absolutely terrified. The worst part was, Li Xun wasn't wrong. There was nothing he could argue against. Not a word.
He flailed weakly, his face crumpling as tears welled in his eyes.
"Xun! Junior Brother Xun! Your Highness! For old times' sake, don't do this. Please… let me go, just let me go…"
Li Xun took a long breath, as if forcing down the fire in his chest. At last, he released his grip.
Shan Zhi looked as if he'd just been pardoned from execution. He tried to scramble away but Li Xun shoved him back against the wall with a hand to the chest.
Exhaling slowly, Li Xun spoke in a low, heavy voice. "Do you even understand what you've done? She's your fellow disciple. She's your senior. She already has a partner...Senior Brother Wenhai, no less! Shan Zhi, do you have any idea what kind of line you just crossed?"
"I.... I wasn't thinking! I swear, I just lost my head!" Shan Zhi stammered, completely unaware that Li Xun had quietly used a minor mind-disorienting technique while speaking. He just felt his thoughts growing more and more tangled, his mind slipping into confusion, until he could no longer think straight; his words soon turning into a jumbled mess.
"I don't know what happened anymore… I mean, it was just once...I couldn't hold it in....it just… happened…"
"One time is all it takes to ruin you forever."
Li Xun forced the words out between clenched teeth, cold and sharp as a knife.
"If this gets out, the first person who'll come for your head is Senior Brother Wenhai. You think the Sect Master or Elder Mingsong will just let it slide? They'll cripple your cultivation, wipe your memory, and dump you in the mortal realm. You'll be right back to being a lowly, bullied servant boy.... if you're lucky."
"I don't want that! I can't!" Shan Zhi burst out, more panicked than ever. He struggled wildly. Li Xun almost couldn't hold him.
A flash of cold light crossed Li Xun's eyes. Without hesitation, he drove his fist into Shan Zhi's lower abdomen. Shan Zhi collapsed to the floor like a broken shrimp, retching and gasping.
"Get a grip. You keep acting like this, and you'll drag the entire sect into it. You want everyone to know what you did?"
Li Xun's voice dropped even lower, subtly signaling to Shan Zhi: Right now, I'm on his side.
It worked. Shan Zhi, instead of lashing out, clung to Li Xun like a drowning man to driftwood. He didn't even mind the beatings. He clung to Li Xun like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving straw, refusing to let go.
"Junior Brother Xun… Young Prince, you have to save me. I know you're the kind of person who doesn't leave his own behind. If you help me this time, I swear, from now on I'll…"
"Shut it."
Even if this kid spouted promises of being a beast of burden now, it's worthless, and might even backfire, stirring up rebellious feelings that could lead to trouble down the road. Li Xun didn't want a mindless servant like this; all he needed was for Dan Zhi to follow the path he had laid out for him.
"Come on, get up," Li Xun said, brushing off his earlier fury and switching to a calm, almost pleasant tone.
"Senior Brother, we've known each other longer than almost anyone else on this mountain. If I don't help you, who would? But listen. Anyone who sees you like this will know something's wrong. If you want to cover this up, you need to pull yourself together. Come on. Breathe with me. Loosen up. Match my rhythm… in… out…"
At this point, Shan Zhi was like a puppet, completely controlled by Li Xun. Breathe in? He breathed in. Breathe out? He did exactly that. After a few rounds, his breathing finally began to steady, but his eyes started to grow dimmer and more distant.
That's when Li Xun leaned in and spoke softly.
"Senior Brother Shan, didn't we agree to meet tonight to discuss cultivation theory? And weren't you waiting out front for me for a bit? Didn't you also see me talking with Senior Brother Wenhai? Isn't that right?"
Shan Zhi's eyes suddenly lit up. "Yes! Yes, that's right! I came to talk with you about cultivation techniques; I was waiting out front, and I saw you chatting with Senior Brother Wenhai!"
He repeated the line three full times, louder and more excited each time. By the end, he was even laughing.
Li Xun didn't stop him. He just stood there, smiling faintly to himself.
Once the mood seemed just right, he patted Shan Zhi lightly on the shoulder. "All right then, Senior Brother Shan. Let's have our discussion about cultivation, shall we? The night's long; you'll need to stay sharp."
Shan Zhi nodded eagerly, repeating his agreement again and again, gratitude written all over his face as he looked at Li Xun. He was completely unaware that Li Xun standing beside him was inwardly sneering.
Little did he know, Li Xun was quietly smirking to himself.
The heart-seed of "Guiding Ghostlight," had been planted. Shan Zhi's days were about to get interesting.
Having gained himself a hidden card to play, Li Xun was in an excellent mood. Smiling pleasantly, he led Shan Zhi into the main hall.
To be honest, he hadn't planned all this out in detail. He was just following the flow of the moment. After all, life at Mingxin Sword Sect had been going quite well for him, and he wasn't about to start stirring up trouble for no reason. Shan Zhi had walked right into it himself. Who else was there to blame?
As for this chess piece he'd just created, well… as long as he was still alive, there'd be a time to use it, wouldn't there?
The next morning, there was no sign of panic or tension around the sect. No storm on the horizon. Li Xun wasn't the least bit surprised.
Realistically, Shan Zhi's frantic escape had probably just been a case of him scaring himself. Everything had happened so fast, and Qi Bi most likely hadn't even identified him.
And come on; this was an extremely personal matter. Was Wenhai really going to go before the sect elders and demand an official investigation? "Let's identify who caught a glimpse of my wife's body last night"? Not likely.
Li Xun knew perfectly well when to keep a low profile. So he laid low on Zhiguan Peak through the morning, completely unaware of the undercurrents stirring within the sect. Once the sun passed its zenith, he headed straight for Zuwang Peak.
....
Please rate, recommend, or leave a review on NovelUpdates if you can! You can also check out the other novel I'm translating, "Life as a Rogue Cultivator." It's got a completely different vibe, but it's interesting in its own way.