And thus, Xie Zhiwei cursed (privately) and sauntered (speculated) his way up Ascension City. Yan Zhifei was already waiting for him in the main hall, and two rows of disciples bowed down as he entered.
“Greetings to Second Martial Uncle!”
Xie Zhiwei was tempted to walk past them with his head held up, but his character settings… He adopted a slight smile and nodded at the various juniors. “Martial nephews may forgo such formalities.” His gentle tones were like a warm spring breeze that swept through the somber hall. A few disciples started sporting grins, and even the stern-faced Yan Zhifei seemed to thaw as he gestured at a seat below him.
“Sit down.”
Xie Zhiwei nodded back. “Many thanks to senior brother.” Your mother, this is tiring. Can we quit the civilities and just talk frankly?!
With the original host’s manners, he’d die from exhaustion before Bai Jianzhu ever got to him. No wonder Xie Zhiwei hid away from the world. Maybe he hated this cumbersome etiquette but was too embarrassed to act rude. Hypocritical humans, hypocritical systems!
Yan Zhifei said, “I expect you already know why I summoned you.”
Xie Zhiwei bowed. “Senior brother wants me to go to Ashen Cloud Sword Sect?”
“That’s right,” Yan Zhifei was creasing his eyebrows again. “Shen You sent an invitation to our sect, but it only has your name on it.”
Xie Zhiwei was taken aback. What’s this all of a sudden? I’ve been namepicked to attend?
Yan Zhifei added, “Ashen Cloud Sword Sect has always been on good terms with us. Although Shen You has slackened since taking the mantle of sect leader, you are now a city lord who shouldn’t refuse him lightly.”
Xie Zhiwei nodded. “Senior brother doesn’t need to elaborate, I understand.” If the original Xie Zhiwei hadn’t gone into seclusion, this might have happened to him. It was rare for the big boss Yan Zhifei to say so much at once. Even the original host shouldn’t reject him easily, right?
Xie Zhiwei was planning to go anyways, but he still had to feign hesitation. “But…senior brother, I’ve never traveled far from the sect. Moreover, my disciple was recently injured and I still need to treat his wounds.”
“I’ve heard about what happened yesterday,” Yan Zhifei replied, “Bai Yu’s personality is truly…” He slammed the table as he spoke, making his disciples quake.
This is like the principal arguing with the school board, Xie Zhiwei mused.The principal vents to the director of academics in private while all the innocent students tremble in fear.
Xie Zhiwei replied docilely, “My disciple is still new and can’t help not knowing the sect rules. I’ll only be at peace if I take him to Ashen Cloud Sword Sect with me, but he’s still…”
Yan Zhifei raised a hand. “I know, your student’s too injured to travel. Take some medicine from Jianzhu to treat him.”
“Thank you for the reminder, senior brother,” Xie Zhiwei started, then stopped. He looked conflicted. “But Junior Brother Bai…” His fingers curled up as he lowered his eyes. Despite being a zhenren with centuries of cultivation under his belt, the mention of Bai Jianzhu still made him shrink.
Yan Zhifei sighed. “Zhiwei, I’m not scolding you, but you’re a big reason why he ended up that way.”
So you’re saying it’s my (original host’s) fault. Of course I know, I know all too well—but the System won’t let me OOC ahhh!
After he finished complaining to himself, Xie Zhiwei stood up at last and said, “No need to say anything else, senior brother. I shall head to Ashen Cloud Sword Sect. As for my disciple’s injuries…I can go pick herbs in the mountains.”
“Nonsense,” Yan Zhifei slapped the table again and sprang to his feet. “You are a fine and proper zhenren as well as Summit City’s city lord! And yet you’ll pick herbs personally? What about all those novices serving you?”
Xie Zhiwei remained bowing and replied softly, “Senior brother, they can’t identify the medicinal plants.”
Seeing Xie Zhiwei’s submissive attitude abruptly extinguished Yan Zhifei’s temper. He paused before sighing, “It was my negligence. Stop bowing and go pack, you leave tomorrow. I’ll figure out the pills for you.”
Xie Zhiwei straightened with some hesitance before bowing once more. “Thank you, Sect Leader Senior Brother.”
Just then, the two rows of disciples bowed again and said, “Greetings to Fourth Martial Uncle Bai and Senior Brother Bai.”
What a coincidence. The road to the enemy is a narrow path.
Yan Zhifei frowned for a moment before smoothing out his features. Bai Jianzhu and Bai Yu entered the hall and met Xie Zhiwei’s gaze. He lifted the corner of his lips and said, “Junior brother, martial nephew.”
Bai Jianzhu’s face stiffened before he forced a smile back. “So second senior brother is here too.” Bai Yu snorted and turned away. Seeing this, Xie Zhiwei only looked hurt as internal dialogue scrolled through his head:
I wholeheartedly treated them well, but they don’t appreciate it. They even bullied and killed me, my heart is so bitter…
The trio’s various expressions all entered Yan Zhifei’s eyes. He quietly shook his head before saying, “Jianzhu, you came just in time. Give Zhiwei some of your wound-treating pills.”
Before Bai Jianzhu could speak, Bai Yu piped up, “To answer Sect Leader Martial Uncle, Pill Furnace City doesn’t have any.”
Yan Zhifei’s expression turned ugly.
Bai Jianzhu hastened to add, “Senior brother, Yu’er is right. The pills for treating injuries aren’t especially rare, but Pill Furnace City’s been dreadfully short of ingredients lately, so many pills have stopped production.” He gave a sharp jerk to his son. “Still, I have some for personal use that I can give to second senior brother.”
Xie Zhiwei stole a peek at Bai Yu. Tsk tsk, his face peeled off from the sun yesterday, but his skin’s already recovered flawlessly. He probably ate a lot of his father’s “personal” pills. He saw Bai Jianzhu looking at him next with a smile.
“Second senior brother shouldn’t disdain them.”
Xie Zhiwei only turned towards Bai Yu with concern. “Yesterday, martial nephew…”
“Hmph,” Bai Yu folded his arms and turned away.
Xie Zhiwei sighed. “Then…I’ll take my leave first.”
Yan Zhifei didn’t get involved in their conflict though the scenes were all reflected in his thoughts. After Xie Zhiwei’s figure vanished into the clouds he asked, “Jianzhu, what do you need?”
Bai Jianzhu bowed. “Senior brother, I taught Bai Yu a lesson about yesterday’s events and he’s reflected on his actions. In the end, it was all a misunderstanding…that is, I heard the Buddhist-Daoist Conference needs an organizer. What do you think of appointing Bai Yu to the job?”
“That’s still far off.”
“That’s why I wanted to discuss things with martial uncle first,” Bai Yu added.
Yan Zhifei sat back in his chair and cradled a cup of tea. “I’ve already left the matter to Zhishi. You should find him for further details.”
Bai Yu was already feeling dissatisfied when he blurted out, “Then little martial uncle will definitely give the tasks to his own disciples.”
Yan Zhifei studied the tea leaves in his cup without lifting a head. “Since he knows how to make proper arrangements, why are you two still worried?”
Bai Yu’s expression grew incensed. “Martial uncle, you…!”
Once again, Bai Jianzhu tugged at him while smiling at Yan Zhifei. “If that’s the case, we won’t disturb senior brother any longer.” He pulled Bai Yu out of the hall.
Yan Zhifei drank a mouthful of tea as the duo left for One Step Cliff. Bai Yu’s intermittent complaints drifted back to his ears: “Isn’t it your fault for yielding your title to him for nothing….”
He creased his brows and set his cup back on the table. “The Bai Clan reigned over the sect for generations. Returning the sect leader position to their descendents is no issue, but…”
But Bai Yu…handing the sect over to him is tantamount to suicide.
—
On the morning of their departure, Mu He saw that Xie Zhiwei didn’t prepare any horses but only a bundle of clothes. He used a crutch to walk to the door, asking, “Shizun, is Ashen Cloud Sword Sect very far away?”
Xie Zhiwei looked at the dawning sky and its hint of sunrise in the east. “A bit,” he replied. An hour away by swordflight, to be precise.
Mu He’s eyes lit up when he saw Xie Zhiwei pick up the Qingping Sword. “So we’re flying there by sword, shizun.”
“Correct,” Xie Zhiwei smiled at him.
Doesn’t this mean shizun’s going to hold onto me again? Mu He was thrilled, but added, “Shizun will be working hard, bringing this disciple along.”
“Second senior brother is so early.”
Xie Zhiwei glanced at the skies again. “So are you, youngest junior brother.”
Mu He was rather unused to the new voice and turned to pay his respects. “Greetings to Youngest Martial Uncle.” Then he remained with his gaze lowered to see Chu Zhishi stop right next to Xie Zhiwei, eyes darkening at the sight.
A day would come when he surpassed Chu Zhishi and everyone else, because none of them were worthy to stand by shizun’s side.
Chu Zhishi asked, “Second martial brother, where’s that…Dog of yours?”
Xie Zhiwei pointed at a large cage in front of him where a white shape could be seen peeking out from the shadows. Chu Zhishi picked it up and smiled into its depths. “Now you’re tired out, eh?” He playfully poked a finger inside.
Courting death, Xie Zhiwei thought to himself.
As expected, Dog meowed before quickly biting Chu Zhishi’s finger. He was irritated at being locked up and didn’t let go after the chomp. Although Chu Zhishi’s divine constitution felt no pain, he still thought he’d lost some face. Coughing, he remarked, “This Dog…isn’t anything like a cat.”
Mu He laughed silently and hobbled over on his crutch to soothe the animal with a few words. Dog finally let go and curled up obediently.
“Looks like he’s more familiar with you,” Chu Zhishi exhaled and surveyed Mu He. “Didn’t fourth senior brother deliver pills to second senior brother? Your disciple didn’t eat any?”
Mu He wrung his hands. “To answer martial uncle, disciple couldn’t bear to use them.”
More like he doesn’t dare to eat them, Xie Zhiwei thought while wiping Qingping Sword on the sidelines.
Chu Zhishi patted Mu He on the head. “That’s not right. You’re injured so it’s hard for your shizun to take you along. Hurry and take them.”
Mu He noticed Xie Zhiwei’s movements hesitate as he looked over. At last he assented and slowly took out the pills from his sleeves. Because it rained in the past few days, Suihan Lodge’s fish pond was full of water. As Mu He prepared to toss the pills in his mouth, his hand suddenly shook as he cried out and dropped them into the pond.
“Hey! You?” Chu Zhishi was about to scold him for his clumsiness when his face blanched. Xie Zhiwei followed his gaze to the pond before setting down Qingping Sword to stroll over for a better look.
The surface of the water had started frothing bubbles and turning black. Before long, a few fish floated belly up to the surface.
—
Translator’s Note: Wow, another update~? Well yes, actually, because I want us to get further into the story before next month. If all goes well I can give you guys a gift for April Fools’ Day (a real one, not a prank huhu)!