After entering the mountain gate for a while, she saw several small wooden huts standing in the open space in the distance.
Luo Qingci stared at those unremarkable wooden huts, stunned.
Aren’t personal disciples supposed to live well?
Shouldn’t it be a cave dwelling?
Why wooden huts?
This is almost the same as what the menial disciples live in…
“Senior Brother Yun… is this… our peak’s cave dwelling?”
“Is there a problem?” Yun Jinzhou turned to look at her.
There’s a huge problem, okay!?
Who lives in a place like this as a personal disciple?
“Are our cave dwellings… a bit shabby?” Luo Qingci asked hesitantly.
“Junior Sister, you just don’t understand. The ancients said: When Heaven is about to assign a great task to a person, it must first afflict his heart and will, starve his muscles and bones, fatigue his body, deplete him of resources, and disturb his actions. Thus it moves his heart, tempers his nature, and increases his capabilities.”
Luo Qingci’s lips twitched slightly as she looked at the faded, peeling wooden huts.
The eaves even had a small piece missing.
She really couldn’t connect “Heaven’s great task” with this dilapidated shack.
“But other peak lords’ disciples all have jade cave dwellings brimming with spiritual energy, carved beams and painted rafters, surrounded by spirit herbs…” she muttered quietly.
“Pfft, those are all showy facades, nice to look at but useless. Lingyun Peak emphasizes returning to simplicity. A swordsman’s heart must be tempered in hardship. If you live too comfortably, it’s easy to slacken your Dao heart. But let’s set that aside for now… I’ll take you to meet the senior and second senior brothers.”
“Oh…”
Yun Jinzhou led Luo Qingci across the open space, past the few shabby wooden huts, and toward the back mountain.
As she walked, Luo Qingci surveyed her surroundings, and the more she looked, the more absurd it seemed.
How can it be so run-down…
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they arrived at a small bamboo grove.
Deep within the grove, she could faintly make out a pavilion with someone standing inside.
The figure wore a moon-white long robe with a light blue belt, holding a broom as he swept fallen leaves.
His bearing was imposing, his demeanor extraordinary.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, dappling him with light and shadow, giving him an indescribable… immortal aura.
Luo Qingci silently marveled to herself.
Finally, someone normal.
“Senior Brother,” Yun Jinzhou hurried forward, “this is the new junior sister.”
The man’s gaze fell on Luo Qingci.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a warm smile.
“Junior Sister Luo,” he nodded slightly, his voice clear and pleasant, “I am Gu Changqing, the senior disciple of Lingyun Peak, at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Junior Sister must have had a long journey.”
Luo Qingci quickly bowed: “Luo Qingci greets Senior Brother Gu.”
Gu Changqing made a slight motion as if to support her, saying gently, “Junior Sister need not stand on ceremony. Lingyun Peak has few people and few rules; everyone can get along casually.”
His attitude was warm and polite, his actions measured, his manner neither overly enthusiastic nor distant—everything just right.
Luo Qingci sighed again inwardly.
This is what a senior brother should be like.
“Senior Brother,” Yun Jinzhou rubbed his hands together, grinning, “Master said to let me show Junior Sister around the peak.
Do you have any instructions?”
Gu Changqing thought for a moment, then took a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Luo Qingci: “This is the map of Lingyun Peak and the distribution of its restrictions. Keep it safe. There are a few places on the peak where Master goes into seclusion and has barrier restrictions—don’t go there. Everywhere else is fine to wander.”
Luo Qingci took the jade slip and thanked him, but her mind was on something else.
Yun Jinzhou, 18 years old, late stage Foundation Establishment.
With talent like that, he’s among the top of all the inner disciples of Qingyun Sect.
Yet he’s willingly staying in this dirt-poor Lingyun Peak, and he seems pretty happy about it.
Gu Changqing, peak Foundation Establishment, age unknown…
Before Luo Qingci could think further, she heard heavy footsteps.
Someone was approaching from the other side of the bamboo grove.
A man in gray robes, expressionless…
“Second Senior Brother,” Gu Changqing greeted him, “the new junior sister.”
The man walked up, looked Luo Qingci over for a moment, stared at her blankly, then nodded once.
“Mm.”
Just one word.
Luo Qingci quickly bowed: “Luo Qingci greets Second Senior Brother.”
“Chen Mo,” he said his name, nodded again, then turned and left.
After two steps, he stopped, looked back at Luo Qingci, and pulled something from his chest, holding it out to her.
Two low-grade spirit stones.
Luo Qingci was startled for a moment, then took them: “Thank you, Second Senior Brother.”
Chen Mo nodded again, then left.
His steps were steady, each one thudding against the ground like someone beating a drum.
Gu Changqing watched Chen Mo’s retreating figure and smiled: “Second Senior Brother doesn’t talk much, but he’s very genuine.”
Luo Qingci looked down at the spirit stones in her hand—cold and hard.
Gu Changqing spoke in a casual tone: “By the way, Junior Sister, do you have any plans tonight?”
Luo Qingci shook her head.
“Perfect timing,” Gu Changqing set down his teacup, his gentle smile unwavering, “Jinzhou and I are going to Ziyun Peak tonight to take care of something. Want to come along?”
“Ziyun Peak?”
Luo Qingci thought for a moment, “Isn’t that a sub-peak of Danxia Peak? What are you going to do?”
Yun Jinzhou grinned beside her: “Steal melons.”
Luo Qingci: “…What?”
“Ziyun Peak’s back mountain has a patch of spirit melons. The fat old man from Danxia Peak—that is, Elder Wu—planted them. They’re sweet, crispy, and full of spiritual energy. He treasures them like crazy and guards them every day, but every night at midnight he goes to meditate and practice, leaving about half an hour of gap. We take that time to snatch a few.”
Yun Jinzhou didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with it.
Luo Qingci turned to look at Gu Changqing.
Is this appropriate?
Gu Changqing noticed her gaze and smiled slightly: “It’s not what Junior Sister is thinking.”
I knew it…
“Can what a sword cultivator does be called stealing?”
Gu Changqing said.
“Elder Wu is our elder. Spirit melons left in the ground unpicked are just wasted. Elder Wu can’t eat them all alone. We’re helping him share the burden—that’s being charitable.”
Luo Qingci was silent for a long time.
Luo Qingci looked at this spotless, upright senior brother and felt she’d come to the wrong place…
“Alright… I’ll go.”
—
That night at midnight.
Three figures crept up the back mountain of Ziyun Peak under the cover of darkness.
Luo Qingci crouched on the edge of the field, watching Yun Jinzhou dart through the melon patch, picking melons at an astonishing speed.
Gu Changqing stood by the field, holding a cloth sack, directing the operation.
“That one, the big one on the left.”
Gu Changqing said.
“Got it!”
Yun Jinzhou yanked it off and tossed it into the sack.
“Another one on the right, hidden under the leaves.”
“See it!”
Luo Qingci watched this scene, her mouth twitching.
Soon, the sack was full.
Just as the three were about to retreat, a furious roar rang out from the distance.
“Which bastard is stealing my melons again?!”
Yun Jinzhou’s face changed: “Crap, Elder Wu came back early today!”
Gu Changqing remained unhurried, even smiling slightly: “Run.”
With that one word, he had already darted several dozen feet away.
Yun Jinzhou hugged the sack and followed behind.
Luo Qingci ran at the back, glancing over her shoulder as she ran.
Elder Wu stood at the edge of the melon field, so angry his beard was curling up, a pole in his hand as he pointed at them and cursed loudly.
But he didn’t chase after them—probably used to it by now.
After all, judging by the setup, it wasn’t the first time.
After crossing three mountains, Luo Qingci gasped for breath, looked at the spirit melon in her hand, and suddenly didn’t know what to say.
“Senior Brother,” she asked, “do you do this kind of thing often?”
Gu Changqing held up three fingers.
“Every three days?”
“Not quite. Three times a month,” Gu Changqing corrected.
“Everything in moderation. Excess is as bad as deficiency. Even melon stealing has its limits—we can’t push Elder Wu too far.”
Alright…
Luo Qingci followed his example, lightly tapped the melon, and it split open with a crack.
She took a bite.
Mm… it really is good.
She couldn’t help but take another bite.
The three sat under a large tree, with a sky full of stars overhead, the rolling outline of the Cangwu Mountains in the distance.
The night wind blew down from the mountains, carrying the fragrance of grass and the scent of soil.
“Senior Brother Yun…”
“Huh?”
“Can we really get stronger this way?”
“Training stamina, reflexes, and observational skills—how is that not working out?”
Yun Jinzhou said.
“Oh, by the way, don’t throw away the melon rinds after you eat. Keep them.”
“Uh? Why?”
“Stir-fry them for the next meal,” Yun Jinzhou said.
“Saves some spirit stones for buying food.”