Chapter 78
A sudden sound of a sword ringing echoed through the air, and a brilliant flash of light shot up from the front of the crowd.
Then came the sounds of a fierce battle.
“Get lost! This spot is mine!”
“Just because you say it’s yours, it’s yours?! I say it’s mine!”
“I’ve set my flying sword here to claim the spot!”
“I don’t care about that!”
The clamor of clashing swords soared into the sky.
None of the disciples of the Sword Pavilion around seemed inclined to intervene; instead, they watched with great interest, even discussing who might win.
“Little Junior Sister, you should come earlier next time.”
A figure landed on a nearby bamboo tip—it was Xu An, the one who had given her spirit wine the day before.
“Xu Shixiong.” Li Qingran quickly bowed in greeting.
“No need to be so formal.” Xu An, holding a gourd of wine and with a hint of drunkenness in his eyes, chuckled, “The morning lessons at the sect are very important. They’re where the elders address the cultivation issues faced by everyone, and where the direct disciples share their experiences in cultivation and combat. After the morning lessons, disciples from each peak are led back by their respective elders to practice the corresponding sword techniques.”
“Oh, I see…” Li Qingran nodded, still a bit confused.
The teaching style of the Sword Pavilion was completely different from that of the Qingyun Sect; it seemed quite eco-friendly.
“So, you must arrive early for the morning lessons to claim a good spot. Sometimes, the direct disciples will compete against each other, and the closer you are to the front, the more details you can see, which is quite beneficial for your training and swordplay.” Xu An seemed to be getting more tipsy, swaying slightly on the bamboo tip, yet no matter how much he swayed, his feet remained firmly planted.
“But, Shixiong, you seem to have arrived quite late as well.”
“Me?” Xu An waved his hand dismissively, “My spot is one no one dares to take. The front row is reserved for the top three direct disciples of each peak. If you want to take it, you’ll have to beat us first.”
It seemed the battle at the front had reached a conclusion.
One disciple from the Sword Pavilion cursed as he climbed onto a nearby rooftop, striking down another disciple who had claimed a spot there, taking his place.
Bang—bang—bang—!
A distant bell tolled from the mountains, ringing nine times, and the entire square fell silent.
“The morning lesson is about to begin.” Xu An’s expression turned serious, the drunkenness vanishing in an instant. “Little Junior Sister, I’m heading to the front. See you later~”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Qingran blinked, and Xu An had vanished from her sight, leaving only the bamboo tip still swaying gently.
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Throughout the morning lesson, Li Qingran was utterly captivated.
The elders of the Sword Pavilion didn’t just share their experiences; they tailored their teachings to be digestible for disciples of varying levels.
Due to the vast differences in cultivation realms, much of the knowledge would be incomprehensible to those at lower levels. So, the elders broke down the information into pieces that disciples of different realms could easily grasp.
This also allowed disciples to gain insights into knowledge beyond their current realm without hindering their cultivation.
Li Qingran couldn’t help but think back to her time at the Qingyun Sect.
When Daoist Qingxuan taught her the Chiyun Formula, he merely provided her with the incantation and then left her to figure it out on her own.
Just translating the incantation into something she could understand had taken her quite a bit of effort.
After the morning lesson concluded, all the disciples left under the guidance of their respective elders.
Li Qingran didn’t rush to leave.
She circled the small square, finally spotting the Sword Pavilion’s master, Su Qinian, sound asleep on a gnarled pine tree.
“Zongzhu, I have something to report!”
Li Qingran stood beneath the pine and bowed, but there was no response from the tree.
She glanced up and was surprised to see the master, a late-stage transformation realm sword cultivator, sleeping soundly without a care!
“Zongzhu?”
“Junior Sister, you won’t wake the master like that.” Yue Qianchi appeared out of nowhere, a mischievous grin on her face as she draped an arm around Li Qingran’s shoulder.
“Even if the master can sense the killing intent of enemies from a hundred miles away, within the Sword Pavilion, he’ll sleep soundly even if a disciple is just ten centimeters away.” Yue Qianchi rummaged through her storage bag and pulled out a bronze disc and a mallet.
She raised an eyebrow at Li Qingran. “Today, I’ll teach you how to wake our sleeping master.”
Li Qingran’s expression changed. “Shijie, that… that doesn’t seem right?”
She could already guess what Yue Qianchi was planning, and it was highly disrespectful!
In the Qingyun Sect, such an act could get one expelled!
“It’s nothing wrong.” With a leap, Yue Qianchi climbed up the tree, balancing the disc on Su Qinian’s head, and swung the mallet in a wide arc.
Bang—!!!
Li Qingran shut her eyes in fright.
When she opened them again, Su Qinian was sitting cross-legged, a dark expression on his face, his muscles twitching.
And the instigator, Yue Qianchi, had already vanished.
Oh no!
Li Qingran quickly bowed and explained, “Zongzhu, it wasn’t me! It was just…”
She bit her lip, ultimately deciding not to throw her Shijie under the bus.
Let the master figure it out himself.
She closed her eyes in resignation and muttered, “I must have gotten dust in my eyes; I didn’t see anything.”
“Hey! If you don’t say anything, how would I know it was that little brat Yue Qianchi who did it?” Su Qinian gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly in his sleeves. “That little girl is getting bolder; I’ll have her clean up after the sect’s spirit beast later!”
“Ah? Well, that’s not too bad.” Li Qingran sighed in relief.
Cleaning up after the spirit beast wasn’t really a punishment; she had done it plenty of times before—it was just a bit smelly.
But to her surprise, Su Qinian’s expression changed, a sinister smile creeping onto his face.
“Ha ha ha! So it was that little brat who did it, huh? Ha ha ha! Good! Well done! Ha ha ha…”
Li Qingran was dumbfounded.
She hadn’t expected the master to be playing tricks on her.
In the end, she had inadvertently sold out her Shijie?
Li Qingran lowered her head, hands clasped together, her face full of regret and remorse.
【Shijie, I’m sorry QAQ! The master is just too cunning!】
“No need to pray for that little brat; she’s done for.” Su Qinian jumped down from the pine tree, standing before Li Qingran, straightening his robe, and asked, puzzled, “But you, what is it you wanted to discuss with me?”
Li Qingran steadied herself and bowed deeply.
“Zongzhu, my master, the Elder Chen, is currently battling a great demon. He said he has been poisoned and may not have long to live. I thought since he is a high elder of the Sword Pavilion, this matter should be brought to your attention.”
Master, high elder of the Sword Pavilion, poisoned?
Huh?
Su Qinian’s expression twitched.
Wait, is this for real?!
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Chapter 83: Have You Found the Tablet?
The so-called high elder was just a metaphor he had used to encourage Li Qingran to cultivate and improve her strength; in reality, the Sword Pavilion had no high elder, nor was there any Elder Chen.
But what to do now?
Li Qingran’s master was poisoned and might not have long to live.
It wouldn’t be good to just leave it alone.
But if he were to intervene, he didn’t have the funds for it…
“Qingran, tell me, is this your idea or your master’s?” Su Qinian decided to hold off on any action for now and probe a little further.
“It’s my master’s idea, and it’s also my idea!” Li Qingran bowed again. “May I ask if Zongzhu has any way to help my master? I’m willing to do anything!”
Su Qinian felt a chill run down his spine.
Now this was a problem.
He had taken on a disciple and inadvertently recognized a high elder for the Sword Pavilion?
Was that appropriate?
Was that right?
Given the complexity of the situation, Su Qinian decided to distance himself a bit. He probed again, “When I joined the sect, that high elder had already left to travel. I only know his surname is Chen, but I don’t know his full name…”
“My master’s name is Chen Huai’an!” Li Qingran quickly added.
“Oh, I see. Then come with me to the sect’s ancestral hall. I’ll see if I can find out which high elder it is, so I can think of a way based on his realm.”
Su Qinian thought to himself that the ancestral hall contained the tablets of ancestors who had already passed away, some of whom had left the sect without a trace.
If he went to the ancestral hall and didn’t find a tablet for an ancestor named Chen, he could simply say he was mistaken, and the matter would be brushed aside. Then he could paint a rosy picture for Li Qingran, encouraging her to improve her strength—killing two birds with one stone.
It wasn’t that he was selfish.
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