n

n

nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

nNobody came to ask Jing Jiu questions, and the swordsmen from Shangde Peak didn’t suddenly show up to take him to the cold and dreadful Sword Jail.

nIt was obvious that Liu Shisui didn’t tell anyone about his absence from his manor cave that night.

nHe learned from Sister Yushan that Liu recently had been practicing really hard, harder even than they had three years ago, and he became even quieter. Nobody knew what was actually on his mind, but they knew his states were progressing at an incredible speed.

nJing Jiu knew the reason for Liu’s diligent training and quietness, but he simply kept silent.

nOther disciples were practicing diligently as well; their profiles of practicing on the Sword Peak could be seen every day; some of them could even walk to the edges of the clouds now.

nDays afterwards, some disciples gradually succeeded in obtaining the swords; the happy laughs, screaming, and crying could be heard from time to time near the Stream of Sword Washing.

nThe disciples cherished the magic swords that they obtained after many attempts and hard work, holding them in their hands and keeping them close by in the class or when eating; they learned from their Big Brothers and Sisters, using the softest ribbon to wrap the swords and carrying them on their back.

nThe topics of which ribbon to use, which tie looked better and benefitted the sword the most became the popular conversations in the Hall of Sword Washing.

nSome disciples even held the swords in their bosom during sleep and washroom time.

nThe situation eased up a little after Senior Master Mei Li got upset about all these.

n…

n…

nJing Jiu had heard all this from Sister Yushan and the youth Yuan, since he had never left the manor cave.

nAs far as he was concerned, all these matters were simply trivial episodes deserving of no particular attention.

nMeeting Zhao Layue atop the peak that night and killing that advanced swordsman of Bihu Peak was also simply an event for him.

nHe thought two of them who had secrets of their own should keep some distance between them, if Zhao Layue was smart enough; the incident should be forgotten.

nBut he didn’t expect something to happen, not according to his prediction.

nAs a result, he became famous again, even more famous than before.

nA piece of news spread along the banks of Sword Washing Stream.

nAll those who heard the news were shocked.

nIt was chaotic in the Hall of Sword Washing, with people talking everywhere.

n“This is impossible!” shouted Xue Yong’e with a wicked voice.

nThen, he felt kind of strange, it seemed he had reacted the same way back at the South Pine Pavilion.

nThe news even disturbed Mei Li and other teachers in the Hall of Sword Washing.

nThis Senior Master of Qingrong Peak and Lin Wuzhi had bestowed a great hope on Jing Jiu, but they didn’t expect he could become so famous so fast.

nAt the cliff wall by the end of the stream, Ma Hua handed a towel to Liu Shisui, who was soaked with sweat, saying with an uncertain smile, “Do you know, your Young Master is really famous now?”

nLiu’s hand swiping the sweat on his face trembled, after awhile, he raised his head and asked nervously, “What had happened?”

n“Zhao Layue has finished her Cultivation on the Sword Peak, returned to the Sword Washing Stream.”

nMa Hua said emotionally, “It looks like she has actually completed the Tempered Will of the Sword.”

nLiu was startled.

nZhao Layue was the idol of all the disciples, including himself, but he had never met this legendary Sister.

nIt was a big deal that Sister had finished her Cultivation on Sword Peak, but what did this have to do with the Young Master?

n“The issue is that after coming down from the peak, she didn’t go to the Hall of Sword Washing to visit the masters or return to her own minor cave, instead going straight to Jing Jiu’s manor cave.”

n“She is talking to Jing Jiu…at this very moment,” Ma Hua said with a sentimental emotion, looking at a place downstream.

nLiu Shisui felt relaxed, thinking the Young Master was really not a normal person, and only willing to talk a little to a genius like Sister Layue.

nSuddenly, he felt his self-esteem slip away as he thought about how Jing Jiu didn’t talk to himself that much when they were together.

n“You don’t want to check it out?” said Ma Hua, bringing his gaze back to face Liu.

nLiu Shisui shook his head, spreading the towel on the stone as it waited to be dried by the sunlight as walking back to the stream, keeping focused on his sword work.

nWatching the thin and small profile, Ma narrowed his eyes.

nHe couldn’t figure out what had happened to this small guy.

nRecently, Liu became even more withdrawn, working even harder; it seemed he had found a new target, or withstood some kind of burden.

nThe sword style of Liangwang Peak lied in perseverance and determination, and though Jiu’s performance was fairly good, but he was out of place somehow.

nWalking back to the natural pavilion formed by a few surrounding green trees, Ma looked at Gu Huan and asked, “Do you still think Jing Jiu is a useless fool?”

n“All those who can’t take the swords are fools, no matter how talented they are in others’ opinions,” said Gu Han emotionlessly.

nMa Hua understood what he meant and stopped talking.

n…

n…

nDozens of disciples poured out of the Hall of Sword Washing after class and came to the bank of Sword Washing Stream.

nThey came here to wash their swords and fruits for eating, and some of them got together to talk seemingly freely.

nIn fact, everybody was watching the cliff wall on the other bank of the stream.

nBetween the cliffs was a flat stone ground behind which was a manor cave, not so different from other manor caves on the cliff wall.

nAt that moment, two silhouettes in front of the minor cave could be seen vaguely.

n“Is that really Sister Zhao?”

n“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

n“Yu Kun and Sister Zhao entered the inner sect at the same time, and had been in the same class at the Hall of Sword Washing for over a month, it’s impossible to not know him.”

n“Sister Zhao really came down the mountain? But why is she over there?”

n“Look, quickly! She is talking to Jing Jiu!”

n…

n…

nThe disciples by the stream were whispering excitedly and nervously.

nAs far as they were concerned, Zhao Layue was the most admired and respected Sister, and meanwhile an untouchable fairy girl.

nEverybody knew that Sister Zhao was a quiet person, preferring being alone and being isolated from the others; she didn’t even want to get close to Liangwang Peak, which desired to have her as their disciple. Why did she come to visit Jing Jiu after her long and hard practice on the Sword Peak?

nWhat really mattered was that she was actually talking to Jing Jiu.

nDid Jing Jiu have something that extraordinary?

nA few days ago, his action of entering the clouds on the Sword Peak had shocked many people, but he didn’t succeed in obtaining the sword, so it didn’t matter that much.

n“For the last two years, Brother Jing didn’t do that much, but he would, at a key moment, do a shocking deed; he hid his talents quite well,” the young man Yuan from Lelang County said admirably while watching the scene on the other bank of the stream.

nWho would not admire Jing Jiu at this moment?

n“After all, Big Sister is a regular person?” a disciple said, feeling troubled.

nThe others asked what he meant.

nHe made a gesture on his face with his hand.

nThey all understood now, laughing and cursing.

n“I get it now!” said Xue Yong’e suddenly, anger in his voice as he waved his arms like a madman. “Jing Jiu must have practiced secretly at night, but sleeps during the day, pretending he doesn’t care about anything; otherwise how could he walk into the clouds of Sword Peak and meet Big Sister? I have seen lots of people of this type in the county schools! He is really hypocritical!”

n…

n…

nIn the eyes of his peers on the other bank of the stream, Jing Jiu was admired a great deal; but he acted as he usually did, not saying much of anything.

nLying on that bamboo chair, he didn’t even know where Zhao Layue should sit if the monkeys didn’t bring out two big rocks from the other side of the cliff for her to sit on.

n“Is the wound healed?”

n“Yes.”

n“Is the Tempered Will of the Sword finished?”

n“Yes.”

nHe didn’t talk much, nor did Zhao Layue.

nHe felt good about it.

nLiu Shisui was a pretty good boy, but he sometimes talked too much.

nHe didn’t have the experience of chatting, thinking the conversation was over, so he stared at the ceramic plate again, thinking where to put a sand grain held in his hand.

nZhao Layue didn’t speak, closing her eyes, meditating under the sunshine, and absorbing the heavenly and earthly energy.

nAt night, the wounds on her body had basically healed, aided a great deal by the magic tablet given to her Jing Jiu. But staying in the Sword Peak for over a year, along with completing the Tempered Will of the Sword, she also suffered some severe physical damages, with many tiny holes appearing on her meridians and the flexibility of the Sword Pill being affected, and all these needed time to be fixed.

nAfter a long while, she opened her eyes and found the sun had already set on the west.

nJing Jiu was still staring at the ceramic plate with a sand grain in his hand, remaining the same posture as the one at the beginning.

nIt seemed the time had passed for just a second.

nWatching Jing Jiu, she felt this youth was too profound to understand him.

nIt was not his state that was profound, but something else.

nHe had such fearsome patience, so he must be extraordinary.

nJing Jiu looked like he was playing chess, not sure where to move the next piece.

nShe turned her gaze to the ceramic plate and the fine sand for a long time, saying, “”Kind of interesting.”

n“Interesting,” said Jing Jiu, raising his head and glancing at her once.

nHe didn’t expect that this young girl could figure out what it meant

n“Too hard for me; I have to go,” said Zhao Layue.

nIt was obvious that she didn’t think the valuable time should be spent on these things, even though she thought them interesting.

n“Okay,” said Jing Jiu.

n…

n…

nA few days later, Zhao Layue came again.

nSeeing the glinting sword light landed in front of Jing Jiu’s manor cave, the disciples on the other bank still felt shocked.

n“You are here?”

nJing Jiu discovered her hair was still short, matted, covered by a layer of dust, like a cluster of weeds in the wilderness.

nMaybe it was because the intention was too clear in the Piercing Discernment, he suddenly felt thirsty.

nWithout Liu Shisui filling up the teacup for him, the teapot was filled up by the spring water fetched by those monkeys.

nThe teapot was on the stone table; he was in the bamboo chair.

nHe was about to reach out, and glanced naturally at Zhao Layue once when realizing someone was nearby.

n“What do you mean,” she asked.

n“Pour a cup of water for me,” Jing Jiu said.

n“No,” Zhao Layue retorted.

n“Oh.”

nJing Jiu realized she was not Liu Shisui.

nThe pure and sweet spring water tasted as good as the tea.

nThis is what he thought as he drank the spring water in his cup.

n