Chapter 7.
He had four disciples, but not one of them was easy to deal with.

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Changming never thought that someone would offer him a pillow when he started feeling sleepy.

Someone would offer him a pillow when he started feeling sleepy: to get precisely what you wanted.

If a person wants to practice the Zhiyu Nianyue Scripture, he must have something to absorb spiritual powers from: either a cultivator, or a spiritual being with abundant spiritual powers, or a blessed land where the essence of the sun and the moon gather, or a spiritual weapon that has already gained consciousness, and so on.

A blessed land is hard to find as all famous mountains and rivers with spiritual powers are already taken.
The ones still available are either steep and dangerous places full of evil spirits, or already drained lands, and it is too hard to find even their traces — one can only rely on his luck when looking for them.

As for spiritual weapons, Changming knew one thing for sure.

Back then, he never left his sword Sifei.

The Sifei Sword went through fire and water for him.
It was full of spiritual qi, had gained consciousness long ago, and was always connected with Changming’s heart.
Later, when Changming had an incident and fell into the Yellow Springs, the Sifei Sword disappeared, and he couldn’t remember where it was now.
It was most likely with Yun Weisi.

It was also possible that Zhou Keyi had it, because he often used dishonest practices in cultivation.
This sword had been infused with spiritual powers for many years, and its spiritual power was not inferior to that of a master; it could have easily become a coveted object for demonic cultivators.

There was also his fourth disciple, Song Nanyan.
After he had gained fame and fortune, he developed a new habit of collecting treasures and antiques, even spiritual weapons and techniques.
For this reason he befriended all kinds of people.
The year people heard of Changming’s death, Song Nanyan might have managed to lay his hands on his sword after an unexpected turn of events.

And his second disciple—it’s best not to mention him.

In conclusion, the Sifei Sword could assist him in cultivation, but because its whereabouts were unknown, Changming was afraid he would have to visit all his disciples one by one to find it.

Earlier he chose to stay at the Qixian Sect to look for a chance to join the Jianxue Clan to wait for an opportunity to find the sword there.
Who would have expected that now, after he had been framed for killing a person and all these unexpected events had occurred, Xu Jingxian would be willing to take him to Zhou Keyi.
Wasn’t this giving a pillow to a person falling asleep?

The only problem was that his third disciple was not easy to deal with.

Frankly, not a single one of his four disciples was easy to deal with.

Xu Jingxian noticed that he was silent and thought that he was frightened.
She couldn’t help but smile proudly and tried to reach Changming’s face with her hand.

“You’ve also heard about my Sect Master’s high reputation? Don’t worry, I can put in a good word for you.
Not only will you not suffer without need, but you will even be put in an important position.
Who knows, maybe I will even be looking for your support in the future!”

Changming smiled and took a step back to avoid her hand.

“I would have already been indebted forever if this lady allowed me to leave this place and stay by her side as a cook, let alone go to her honorable Sect Master.”

Xu Jingxian pouted: “Enough with this ‘lady’ talk, this ‘xian’ character is a part of my name, people would think you gave me a diminutive name! I am Xu Jingxian, you should call me Miss Xian!”

This ‘xian’ character in my name: he calls her ‘xianzi’, ‘immortal maiden’.
Her name, Jingxian, has the same ‘xian’.

A diminutive name:  ‘xian’—‘immortal’, ‘zi’—as a suffix means ‘small’, so it is like calling her ‘little Xian’.

Changming: “Lady Xu, this ‘cultivation furnace’ thing sounds a bit odd.
Why does it not seem like a decent job for an attendant?”

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Xu Jingxian: “It couldn’t be more decent.
Look at how beautiful I am, do I seem like someone who deceives people?”

Changming hesitated: “Can I say you do?”

“No.”

Xu Jingxian didn’t touch him, withdrew her hand back, but suddenly changed her movement halfway, pinched his chin and moved her hand away, perfectly satisfied.

Changming: …

He has lived for so many years and has seen so many various aspects of the world, but this was the first time he encountered such aggressive molesting.
His reactions were not as good as they were before, so he couldn’t avoid it and was taken advantage of.

If this happened in the past, the molester would have been killed eight or ten times.

For a short time, Changming was left speechless.

Xu Jingxian even laughed: “Ming-lang, if the Sect Master doesn’t take you, you should follow me!”

-lang: as a suffix means ‘my dear’.

Changming thought he would be left in the prison for a few days and didn’t expect Xu Jingxian to act quickly, but the next day people from the Qixian Sect brought him to Xu Jingxian.

Sect Master Zhang Qin was also there.
When he was looking at Changming, his gaze was full of loathing, unwillingness to accept the truth, melancholy and other feelings all at the same time, as if Changming had stolen his wife.

Zhang Qin was reluctant to let him go, but under the pressure of Xu Jingxian and the Jianxue Clan, he had no other options.
Liu Xiyu was already dead, and the Qixian Sect couldn’t afford to lose another talented disciple, and a randomly chosen disciple with mediocre qualifications wouldn’t have satisfied the Jianxue Clan.

Xu Jingxian said that she intended to leave, and she really meant it.
She pulled Changming closer by his sleeve and laughed: “Sect Master Zhang knows where his loyalty belongs.
I will report it to my Clan Master and mention your hard work.”

“Wait a moment!”

Zhang Qin noticed that she took out the golden bell and quickly shouted, “Daoyou Xu, we have discussed it previously, and you agreed to assist us in finding Xiyu’s murderer…”

“Don’t worry, Sect Master Zhang.
As soon as I return to my sect and report to the Clan Master, I will ask him to dispatch someone to help you with the investigation.
They will definitely find the truth for you.”

Somehow, Changming felt this sentence was said in a half-hearted way.

Before she even finished speaking, Xu Jingxian rang the golden bell in her hand.
A sound hit their eardrums, making everyone dizzy; the golden bell shone with boundless radiance that hurt their eyes, making them unable to refrain from closing their eyes.

Zhang Qin and Xu Jingxian’s voices gradually became quieter.

When Changming opened his eyes again, it wasn’t the Qixian Sect in front of him, but a round white marble platform [1] and a crowd of delicate and graceful maidens in pale mauve clothes.

“Peak Master, welcome back!”

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Xu Jingxian saw that he was looking at the golden bell in her hand rather than the beautiful maidens, and said proudly: “This is my spiritual treasure used for teleportation, it is called the Yulin Bell.
There are only three such spiritual treasures in the world, and even famous sects and big clans like the Kunlun Jian Sect want to have a treasure for teleportation like this one!”

Bell Yulin: Bell Ringing in the Rain

Changming praised sincerely: “It really is a good thing.”

Xu Jingxian was in a good mood.
She walked towards a maidservant to order someone to arrange a room for Changming, but when she decided to take a good rest and continue working after that, she saw her favourite female disciple hurriedly step forward with a worried expression.
Xu Jingxian couldn’t help but stop.

“Has something happened? Is this shameless Xiangji Peak picking a quarrel again?”

“Peak master, the Clan Master has come out from his seclusion, and he is in a terrible mood.
He asked why you have already returned but still haven’t brought him the person several times!” said the maidservant in a low voice.
She glanced at Changming, “Is he the person you have to offer to the Clan Master?”

Xu Jingxian didn’t want to hand Changming over so fast.

She found him very interesting, moreover, he was full of mysteries.
All this time she believed that those paper foxes were his creation, it’s just that he stubbornly refused to admit it.
Xu Jingxian didn’t manage to find evidence in that short period of time, and wanted to get more secrets out of him before handing him over to the Clan Master.

Who knew the Clan Master would come out of his retreat so suddenly?

There was certainly an issue in his cultivation.
He failed to break through to the next level and urgently needed a furnace to absorb qi.

Xu Jingxian felt some regret but didn’t express it, only showing Changming a smile.

“Come on, let’s go see the Clan Master.
You are very lucky to meet our honorable elder.”

Changming lowered his head to see the mingmen [2] on his wrist completely sealed.

“If Lady Xu didn’t act this way, I would believe your words.”

Xu Jingxian grinned: “I’m just afraid that the Clan Master is so handsome you will have your head turned because of him, so I am supporting you before you’ve lost yourself!”

This time she didn’t use the Yulin Bell to teleport but modestly took a palanquin with Changming.
First, she ordered servants to take them down the mountain, where they changed their palanquin to go to another peak; then, when they were carried halfway up the mountain, she changed the palanquin again to reach the top.

Seeing her arrangements, Changming could tell that Xu Jingxian really didn’t want to meet Zhou Keyi.

Even though she never showed it on her face.

“Lady Xu is so talented, why do you agree to obey your Clan Master instead of establishing a new clan like the Qixian Sect?” Changming asked.

Xu Jingxian sneered: “Do you really think it’s better to live like people from the Qixian Sect than like me? Even if Zhang Qin resents the idea to the core, he still has to give me the person I ask for.
Isn’t this one example enough for you?”

Changming said: “Although he is just a vassal, the mountain is high, the emperor far away.
He doesn’t feel the uneasiness of a person who is right in front of his lord’s eyes.”

The mountain is high, the emperor far away: to get unfair justice beyond reach of the government.
In this case, CM implies that ZQ has more freedom than XJX.

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Xu Jingxian, who was touched in a raw spot, fell silent for a moment, but then retorted, refusing to admit defeat: “When the Clan Master calls for me, of course I come immediately.
He is a master of great skills, and I admire him with all my heart.”

If you really admire him with all your heart, why do you hesitate?

Changming didn’t expose her lies and started asking about the local customs and practices.
Xu Jingxian was eager to answer.

She has always been responsible for bringing furnaces to Zhou Keyi, but Changming was different from the rest.
Maybe she felt this way because Changming was to her taste, or maybe because he didn’t wail and weep in terrified confusion like the other prey.

“There are nine peaks and thirteen valleys in the Jianxue Clan altogether.
Six peaks surround the Longding Peak, where the clan head lives.
I live on Lingbo Peak.
Don’t forget to visit me there in your free time!”

“After I have met the clan head, will there actually be a day I might visit you?”

Xu Jingxian winked: “If you behave yourself and win over his affection, then who knows, maybe he will even teach you some secret techniques.
Even if you have no trace of spiritual powers in your meridians and no foundation, the Clan Master can help you turn into a high-level cultivator in one go! Look at how the Qixian Sect treated you, sending you right to the prison and making no distinction between the right and the wrong! If you decide to settle the score, I will give you my full support!”

This woman was eager to watch a bustling scene and enjoyed stirring up troubles.
She was obviously cold-blooded, but demonstrated an enthusiastic behaviour.
That wasn’t too strange, since she could remain Zhou Keyi’s subordinate.

Chatting all the way, they arrived at the top of the mountain.

Changming raised his eyes and saw two words: Longdong Peak.

This familiar handwriting reminded him of the past.

When Changming had just accepted Zhou Keyi into his sect, the boy was still illiterate.
Every day Zhou Keyi practiced calligraphy by copying his letters, and his handwriting became almost impeccable.

At that time Zhou Keyi was only a gloomy child with low self-esteem, not as imposing as Xu Jingxian described him to be, not the terrifying Jianxue Clan Master who could do whatever he wanted with the Qixian Sect.

Indeed one day in Heaven equals one thousand years on Earth, and his most unpromising third disciple grew up so capable in the blink of an eye, ah.

One day in Heaven equals one thousand years on Earth: the world changes quickly and unpredictably.

A disciple came closer to Xu Jingxian at the gates and saluted her first.
His attitude was remarkably polite, especially compared to what he showed towards some middle-aged cultivators who were shouted at and driven out, and could only run away in tears.
Xu Jingxian was clearly worth more in the Clan Master’s eyes.

“Peak master Xu is faring well, you returned from the Qixian Sect so fast.”

Xu Jingxian softly smiled: “Of course, the Clan Master needs a man, so I rushed back to bring him one.”

The other person sized Changming up: “Is he that genius disciple Liu Xiyu from the Qixian Sect?”

Xu Jingxian said: “Liu Xiyu died, this person is the one suspected of the murder.”

The disciple showed a bewildered expression, not understanding Xu Jingxian’s thoughts.

“Peak master Xu, this… Do you intend to ask the Clan Master to solve this case?”

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Xu Jingxian: “How could I? After Liu Xiyu’s death, there is no one in the Qixian Sect—no one but a bunch of ugly crooked melons and split date trees, unlike this suspect.
Although he has no cultivation, his looks are pretty good.
Even if he can’t be used as a human vessel, he can still satisfy the clan head’s rage, right?”

Crooked melons and split date trees: ugly, repulsive.

The other person forced a smile: “Good sister, the Clan Master has had troubles in his retreat; he is in urgent need of a human vessel; he is on a rampage now! He has just killed several people and sucked their qi, but it is still not enough.
Why send him a person without spiritual powers? I can’t help you with it, you will go and explain it to him yourself!”

Xu Jingxian’s expression changed a bit, but then she suddenly smiled: “If the Clan Master is so angry now, I won’t pay my respects right away.
I will return when the honorable elder calms down.
Please help me send this person to the Clan Master, this sister will remember you well and welcome you at her Lingbo Peak!”

After she finished speaking, she gave an alluring smile to the disciple and rang the golden bell in her hand.
She escaped without leaving a trace, and there was no time for anyone to stop her.

Changming and the gate disciple, who were left alone, looked at each other in blank dismay.

The disciple said: “It’s a shame! You really have bad luck.
Peak Lord Xu ran away, and the Clan Master will definitely take his rage out on you.
Follow me.”

Although he expressed his pity towards Changming, he had no intentions of showing mercy.
He firmly grasped his arm, not giving him a single chance to escape.

If Changming started screaming at this moment, this disciple would have muted him with a talisman.

But not only did Changming not shout, he even showed an amused expression.

This one has no idea of death and danger, I’m afraid he knows nothing about demonic cultivators of this world, the disciple thought.

“The Clan Master’s temper is not so good, wait a bit and start kissing up to him.
Behave yourself submissively.
Who knows, maybe you can save your life.”

The disciple saw that he was quite cooperative, so he gave Changming a warning.

Changming said: “I’ve been admiring the Clan Master for a long time, I can’t wait to meet him in person.”

The disciple understood, this one is sick in his head, of course he is seeking death.

He already started betting on how soon this person’s remnants will be sent out, and how much of his body will be left.

Translator’s notes:

[1] Marble platform: like this one, I suppose:

The Temple of Heaven

[2] Mingmen: an acupuncture point, ‘gates of vitality’.
These ‘gates of vitality’ are actually located at the lower back, somewhere between the kidneys.
The point on the wrist responsible for it is the lowest one on the right hand in the picture below:

(if you are interested, the others are: heart, carotid, liver, kidneys, lungs, “location on wrist over the radial artery where pulse is taken”, and spleen (from the top down, from left to right))