“There is no such thing as constant peace and joy in this world! Life, death, rise, and fall can happen in the blink of an eye; I do not fear that. I only worry whether the younger generations can shoulder great responsibilities.”
Li Xiangping gave a bitter smile and ceased discussing the topic. He fetched some silk and an ink brush, letting Li Chijing write down the sword formula.
“I have only written one sword technique for this formula, and it shall be called...”
Li Chijing tilted his head in thought. The image of that moon-white, arc-shaped sword qi surfaced in his mind, and he spoke
“Let it be called the Moon-Abyss Sword Arc.”
Having said that, he lifted his brush and wrote expansively across several sheets of silk, recording the circulation routes, the distribution of mana along the blade, the striking techniques, and all other details with precision before finally setting the brush down in satisfaction.
“Once you arrive at that Immortal Sect, I shall transcribe it onto wooden slips,” Li Xiangping said with a beaming smile, stowing the silk away as if it were a priceless treasure.
Observing the sky, another hour had passed. Li Chijing taught Li Xiangping several key points of talisman arts, spent the night talking with Li Mutian, and used some medicinal formulas to nourish the old man's body before finally setting out for Lichuan Mouth.
————
After sitting on the Rosy Cloud Boat for fifteen minutes, Li Chijing’s mind was still preoccupied with matters at home. Seeing his distraction, his senior sister Yuan Tuan whispered
“How is the old man’s health?”
Only then did Li Chijing remember that he had returned home under the pretext of visiting family. He silently tightened his grip on the slender green jade bottle at his waist and said gloomily
“He can still eat. I have been regulating his constitution; he should be able to manage for a few more years.”
Yuan Tuan let out a low sigh, assuming Li Chijing was merely feeling distressed, and comforted him
“Even cultivators cannot escape old age, sickness, and death, let alone mortals. It is best if they simply suffer less pain.”
Li Chijing engaged in the conversation half-heartedly, while his mind was carefully considering how to explain the origin of the Lunar Moon-Glow to Si Yuanbai.
*“Forget about seeking the Golden Autumn of the Lake from within the sect; even borrowing the 'Moon Lake Reflecting Autumn Manual' requires Master's consent. Practicing a manual in secret is absolutely impossible. I must first touch base with Master.”*
Thinking this, Li Chijing smiled at Yuan Tuan and asked softly
“Senior Sister, is Master currently on Green Sprout Peak?”
“Oh, I received a message from the peak. Master returned to Green Sprout Peak yesterday. I heard you were bullied, and he threw twelve Rain-Gathering Talismans toward Yuanwu Peak, nearly flooding the entire place,” Yuan Tuan replied with a chuckle.
“Huh?”
Li Chijing was momentarily stunned, a surge of emotion rising in his heart.
“In the end, it caused such a stir that disciples from the surrounding peaks flocked to watch the spectacle. It was the Lord of Yuanwu Peak himself who personally offered apologies to clear away those thick clouds.”
“I have truly troubled Master,” Li Chijing said with a bitter smile. He didn't feel wronged himself, but rather that Deng Qiuzhi had suffered a significant loss at his hands. The Deng family was a great aristocratic clan, and Li Chijing feared he had offended them too deeply.
The Rosy Cloud Boat was incredibly fast. After chatting for a while, the mountain gate of the Qingchi Sect appeared before their eyes. Yuan Tuan dropped Li Chijing off at Green Sprout Peak and steered the boat toward the main peak.
After walking along the mountain paths for a while, Li Chijing saw his senior brother, Xiao Yuansi, harvesting medicinal pills amidst the morning glow. Just as he was storing the pills into a bottle, Xiao Yuansi’s eyes lit up upon seeing Li Chijing, and he laughed
“Did your senior brother vent your anger for you by giving that Deng Qiuzhi a good thrashing?”
“Thank you, Senior Brother!”
Li Chijing laughed heartily, lightly stepping up the stone stairs to approach him, and asked softly
“What pills are you refining, Senior Brother?”
“Just messing around with some things, testing out a few new ideas of mine.”
Xiao Yuansi shook his head, smiling as he touched his still-warm alchemy furnace, then said seriously
“Master is at the summit. Hurry and go see him.”
“I was just on my way.”
Li Chijing nodded and pulled ten spirit stones from his storage bag, smiling
“I forgot that I still owed you ten spirit stones, Senior Brother. I suppose I can settle the debt now.”
Xiao Yuansi waved it off dismissively, casually taking the stones from Li Chijing’s hand and tossing them into his storage bag before looking down at his alchemy notes.
Li Chijing bowed in farewell and drifted lightly along the path. From a distance, he saw a small pavilion shrouded in pale white mist.
Upon reaching the summit platform, he saw a man dressed in green. He appeared to be in his thirties or forties, handsome with a gentle smile, a brilliant white sword at his waist, standing with an ethereal grace between the buildings.
Li Chijing hurried up the stairs and bowed respectfully with a smile
“Master!”
With a hint of amusement in his eyes, Si Yuanbai said softly
“That Deng Qiuzhi came to Green Sprout Peak personally to apologize to you, but he found nothing. I heard you went home to visit your father.”
Thinking of Li Mutian, Si Yuanbai’s expression turned slightly strange as he looked down at Li Chijing.
To his surprise, Li Chijing lowered his head and suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud.
“Please forgive this disciple, Master! I deceived my Senior Sister and Senior Brother; I returned to Moon-Watching Lake for other urgent matters!”
Si Yuanbai’s expression changed instantly. He hurried to support Li Chijing and said sternly
“Why go to such extremes? Quickly, stand up and speak.”
With his head lowered and a sense of trepidation, Li Chijing began
“Before the new year, I received a letter from home. My family discovered an elder's cave dwelling. After much hardship, they broke through the formation gates, only to find the cave cleaned out, leaving behind nothing but a single green jade bottle.”
“When my family inspected the bottle, they found a portion of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy within—as white as frost and flowing like water.”
Si Yuanbai frowned and asked in a heavy voice
“White as frost, flowing like water?”
“Frost in the snow? North wind in the pine forest? No... it couldn't possibly be...”
Si Yuanbai shook his head, then suddenly widened his eyes, exclaiming in shock
“The Lunar Moon-Glow?!”
Li Chijing nodded heavily and said solemnly
“I searched the Scripture Pavilion for a long time, finding it unbelievable, so I made an excuse to go home and check. It truly was the Lunar Moon-Glow!”
“Bring it here for me to see!”
Li Chijing hurriedly presented the slender green jade bottle. Si Yuanbai took it, nodded, and said gravely
“This green jade bottle is indeed of the style from a hundred years ago.”
After closing his eyes to sense it for a moment, Si Yuanbai snapped them open, exclaiming in delight
“It truly is the Lunar Moon-Glow! You have done well.”
After comparing it carefully for a moment, Si Yuanbai looked down at Li Chijing and said softly
“This Lunar Moon-Glow is exceptionally precious. You must think carefully about how to handle it.”
“I leave it entirely to your decision, Master!” Li Chijing replied with a respectful bow.
“You child, you have far too many schemes in that head of yours.”
Si Yuanbai laughed heartily, patted Li Chijing’s head, and then turned serious again
“Your cultivation has reached the peak of the Fetal Breath stage. If you wish to master the 'Moon Lake Reflecting Autumn Manual,' this Lunar Moon-Glow must absolutely not be reported to the sect. Instead, your Senior Sister must borrow the manual, and I will go to request a quota for the Golden Autumn of the Lake. We will master the technique first—making it a fait accompli—before reporting it to the sect.”
“Once the news leaks, even if the sect's ancestors refrain from acting to save face, the crowd from Moon Lake Peak will do everything in their power to seize this Lunar Moon-Glow from you.”
Si Yuanbai’s eyes were filled with worry, though it was unclear what specifically he feared. He whispered
“The Qingchi Sect has been deprived of this inheritance for three hundred years. They have waited far too long...”
Hearing Si Yuanbai’s words, Li Chijing felt a pang of guilt. He responded with affirmations, though his heart was a whirlwind of complex emotions.
Both Li Xiangping and Li Chijing were naturally suspicious and calculating. Having left home at a young age, Li Chijing had always been extremely wary of his surroundings. Now, looking at the gentle face of Si Yuanbai, he felt a profound sense of gratitude, finally letting down his guard against Green Sprout Peak and his fellow disciples.
“Thank you, Master!”