Chapter 16

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Wang Ting was stunned by his own failure and the overwhelming presence of his opponent. For a moment, he was at a loss for words, feeling the mocking disdain of those around him, as if they were silently saying he had sought trouble only to be humiliated. His cheeks burned with shame, and he wished he could disappear.

Zhang Fanruo let out a sarcastic laugh, adding insult to injury: “Our junior sister Xie is humble and kind, yet some people mistake her gentleness for weakness and try to use her as a stepping stone. Such arrogance only brings disgrace. Indeed, like master, like disciple! If everyone in Fugang Mountain is of this caliber, it would be better to close the gates and expel Wang Ting now, so he won’t embarrass you even more in the future!”

Wang Ting was so provoked he almost spat blood, but he couldn’t utter a word in reply.

Elder Wen Qin was furious but understood that in victory and defeat, the vanquished must accept blame. This time, it was truly Wang Ting’s own fault. He knew well that Wang Ting had made no mistakes earlier; it was he who had underestimated Xie Chang’an, who had deliberately concealed her true power and deceived his eyes.

Zhu Xuanguang spoke: “Xie Chang’an, a fine performance today.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Chang’an relaxed her grip on the sword, sheathed it, and walked behind Zhu Xuanguang with lowered eyes and a meek demeanor, as if the moment of glory had not belonged to her.

Zhu Xuanguang did not scold Elder Wen Qin, but his praise of his disciple was tantamount to a rebuke pointed directly at him.

Xie Chang’an suppressed a smile and continued to feign meekness.

Master She Yun also smiled knowingly: “Elder Wen Qin, I have a close relationship with the sect leader, but today you openly incited your disciple to ruin our sect’s ceremony—that was too much. I will send someone to discuss this matter with the sect leader. Please, leave now.”

His words left no room for argument; it was a direct order to leave.

Elder Wen Qin, realizing the situation and knowing he could not cause a scene here, especially since he was no match, gritted his teeth and endured the humiliation, hastily leaving with Wang Ting.

Others came forward to congratulate Master She Yun and Zhu Xuanguang, saying that Chishuang Mountain had gained another outstanding talent and gem, destined to carry on the legacy and flourish for years to come.

Fang Qinglan watched Elder Wen Qin and Wang Ting’s retreating backs with a frown: “Has he lost his mind? To make such a foolish move for his disciple, what good does offending Chishuang Mountain do for him?”

Xu Weique replied, “Offending Chishuang Mountain means their sect leader, Master Canmiao, has come out to oppose. Canmiao is someone who has barely touched the immortal path and is not of the same faction as Wen Qin. This is likely connected to the struggle for the next sect leader of Fugang Mountain. Watch closely; it’s quite complicated.”

Fang Qinglan asked, “Internal strife within the sect?”

“Not yet, but it will happen once Master Canmiao undergoes his tribulation. If he ascends successfully, all will rejoice,” Xu Weique added, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Zhu Xuanguang. “By the way, Master Zhu, you have also barely touched the immortal path and are to face a heavenly tribulation. Have you set a date?”

Zhu Xuanguang said, “Not yet.”

Xu Weique raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. “Master Canmiao of Fugang Mountain has set his date—June 6, two years from now.”

For those seeking the immortal Dao, two years is but a fleeting moment. Everyone was surprised to hear this.

Fang Qinglan remarked, “The people of Fugang Mountain didn’t say anything this time.”

Xu Weique smiled: “Elder Wen Qin came to observe the ceremony today, surely sent to discuss this matter. But since his disciple’s pride was wounded, he left in anger and probably didn’t get around to it. However, if Master Canmiao wants to pass the tribulation safely, he will need your sect’s support and will come to request it personally soon.”

While the elders were discussing, Zhang Fanruo slipped close to Xie Chang’an and whispered a reproach: “Junior Sister Xie, you really are a cunning old fox!”

Xie Chang’an looked innocent. “Brother Zhang, why do you say that?”

Zhang Fanruo snapped, “You could have beaten him from the start but pretended not to know anything. It’s one thing to hide it from outsiders, but why treat us like outsiders? You had me worried for nothing!”

“I never said I couldn’t beat him. Brother Zhang never asked about my sword realm. Besides, the Sword Qi realm is common here in Chishuang Mountain. I can’t go around boasting about it.”

Perhaps because she had just defeated Wang Ting, Xie Chang’an finally showed a relaxed smile befitting her age, her lips curving subtly and with a spark of life.

Zhang Fanruo said, “The Sword Qi realm may be common, but that last sword of yours was clearly near the peak of Sword Qi!”

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“I’ve grown up in the Tang Palace, always cautious and reserved. I hide my edge and leave room for maneuver so that when unexpected situations arise, I have a chance to win.”

Xie Chang’an spoke softly, as if gently stroking a young beast to soothe it.

Hearing this, Zhang Fanruo softened a bit. “You don’t have to think like that anymore! You’re the disciple of the greatest in the world, and with Chishuang Mountain backing you, you can strut freely. If something’s really too much, I’ll fight with you—I’m close to breaking through the Sword Qi realm myself!”

He spoke without much confidence; he had been close to breaking through the Sword Qi realm three years ago but was still stuck.

Xie Chang’an smiled in response.

She distinctly remembered when Elder Wen Qin pressed hard, the disciples of Chishuang Mountain were all ready to unite and fight—not against her, but eager to take on Wang Ting.

Also, Yu Chunshan had quietly slipped her a treasure called the Ambush from Ten Sides. Although it was ineffective against those above the Sword Heart realm, once unleashed, it would trap Wang Ting with nowhere to run. Though not a sword technique, victory was what mattered.

Moreover, Zhang Fanruo’s current angry questioning.

Xie Chang’an had originally only sought a place to rest and find refuge, at least temporarily. Now she felt she had begun to like this place.

…

Time passed like flowing water.

Branches drooped heavily, laden with fruit. A pale hand reached out and cut the heaviest branch.

A cluster of plump lychees fell into a bamboo basket, then were picked up by the crouching figure nearby, who peeled them swiftly and popped the white, plump fruit into their mouth.

“Junior Sister Xie, your lychees look really good!”

Xie Chang’an turned her head and saw that the basket, once nearly full, was now half empty.

Beside it lay a small pile of pits.

She almost laughed at the absurdity.

Zhang Fanruo had sown a mess of crops on his own plot but hadn’t grown a single thing. Instead, he wandered around eating and mooching, even secretly plucking a ginseng from Fang Qinglan’s patch.

Xie Chang’an’s lychees were the most coveted among the disciples of Chishuang Mountain because of her careful tending and the spiritual energy she invested. A few small lychee trees bore quite a few fruits, sweeter and fresher than ordinary lychees from the mortal world. Others only took one or two to sample, but Zhang Fanruo was shameless, eating and taking away more than half each time.

“If Brother Zhang has time to eat lychees here, he might as well go into seclusion and break through the Sword Qi realm sooner.”

“Now even you look down on me!” Zhang Fanruo’s hand reached again for the basket but was swatted away. He sulked and withdrew.

“Are you close to breaking through?”

Xie Chang’an shook her head. “Half a step short. There’s a bottleneck I haven’t yet found the way through.”

Half a step, not many steps.

Zhang Fanruo gasped.

“Are you stretching one day into two?”

Breaking through realms often takes but a moment’s thought, yet many spend their entire lives seeking that one key insight, just like Zhang Fanruo, who has lingered in the Sword Qi realm for five full years without finding the chance.

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At the apprenticeship ceremony two years ago, Xie Chang’an defeated Wang Ting of Fugang Mountain with a single sword, stunning everyone present. She was already near the peak of the Sword Qi realm then. For a seeker of the Dao, two years is not long; even if she took another five years to break through, it would still be normal.

But only two years had passed.

He knew Xie Chang’an had worked hard, practicing daily without slackening. Zhang Fanruo rarely saw her; their last meeting had been three months ago.

Xie Chang’an said, “I entered the path halfway and lack skill, so I make up for it with diligence. Half a year ago, I borrowed the ‘Unfading Long Night’ from Chief Fang. Brother Zhang, if you want to use it, you can come to me. It’s big enough for two.”

The ‘Unfading Long Night’ is a treasure with no other function than to suspend time inside, isolating one from the outside world.

Zhang Fanruo recalled that when Shen Xi was breaking through the Sword Intent realm, she practiced day and night, still feeling time slipping away. She borrowed this treasure from Zhao Xue Peak.

“You really are as crazy as Brother Shen!” Zhang Fanruo exclaimed. “I don’t want to use that thing again. I was tricked into it once and felt awful for two whole days afterward!”

That was the downside of the ‘Unfading Long Night.’ While it allowed one to enter and train without concern for time, after leaving, the body’s meridians would twist painfully, causing severe limb aches. As Zhang Fanruo said, “Anyone who’s been through it wouldn’t want to do it again.”

Yet Xie Chang’an and Shen Xi had used it for a full six months.

Shen Xi was a natural genius who remained diligent and never slackened. Now, Xie Chang’an was another.

Though her roots were weak, her comprehension had even earned praise from Master She Yun. The phrase “diligence makes up for lack of talent” fit her perfectly.

Xie Chang’an treated tending the vegetable garden as a leisure activity and made time every few days to check on it.

She didn’t just care for her own plot but helped water others’ as well. If she saw a plant struggling, she would use spiritual energy to help groom it.

But the worst-growing were the cabbages planted by Zhu Xuanguang.

Zhang Fanruo laughed when he saw the crooked cabbages.

“Uncle Zhu’s cabbages aren’t any better than mine!”

Zhu Xuanguang was willing to plant vegetables himself, but he was often elusive and forgetful in tending them. Pei San, just an apprentice medic, could only water them occasionally and couldn’t infuse spiritual energy. Naturally, Xie Chang’an took on the task.

Before her care, the cabbages were even more miserable; now, they had improved considerably.

Zhang Fanruo said, “Since you tend one place so well, why not take care of my plot too? I want to eat oranges.”

Xie Chang’an didn’t look up. “When you can be my master, I’ll plant oranges for you.”

Zhang Fanruo teased: “I don’t mind if you call me master, especially since Uncle Zhu isn’t around.”

“Brother Zhang.”

Xie Chang’an finally finished cutting the lychees and divided them into small baskets, planning to have Pei San deliver them to their masters and fellow disciples.

“I heard you’re the only one under Master She Yun who hasn’t broken through the Sword Qi realm yet.”

Zhang Fanruo’s smile froze on his face.