Chapter 017

Chapter 17: Sect’s Recognition

Yan Ju let out a short laugh and said: “Senior brothers, in this generation Heavenly One Sect has only three children. Other than me and Senior Brother, the Sect Master, have any of you done your duty as senior uncles? Taking a disciple is not wearing a master’s title and then not caring. You must teach.” He looked toward Ye Wan Wan and added in his heart: her talent is so strong that lazy teaching will not be enough.

The others fell into thought. This matter could not be handled carelessly.

A voice rang out, crisp like ice cracking on jade, cool and distant: “Let her come to Snow Mountain.” The words dropped into the Spirit Link Formation and made everyone go quiet.

Someone gasped: “Sev…” then corrected in shock: “Seventh junior brother?” Little Seven, who never joined their meetings, had appeared.

Yan Ju’s eyes moved, and he asked with respect: “Senior brother, did you leave seclusion?” The answer was simple: “Yes.”

Li Ming De finally spoke with a smile: “Do you want this child?” Pei Xuan’s voice stayed faint and even: “The thing the Sect Master wanted her to deliver was meant for me.”

A ribbon of spiritual force reached for Ye Wan Wan. The brocade box in her hand opened. Inside lay a Disciple Token. Ye Wan Wan saw what this meant and understood at once. Yan Ju watched her closely, thinking over something.

As spiritual light rose from the Disciple Token, Ye Wan Wan, who best understood what was about to happen, said at once: “I am sorry. I cannot join Heavenly One Sect.”

Everyone in the sect went still in surprise. Did their seventh junior brother just get refused?

Ears pricked across the formation.

The cool voice asked only one word: “Reason.” It sounded in midair and rang in every ear.

Ye Wan Wan heard it too. She kept looking straight ahead with a calm face and said: “I wish to stay, but I do not dare, because I was cast out of Supreme Sect as a traitor.” The last word had sharp, bitter humor.

No one spoke in the formation.

Ye Wan Wan went on in the same steady tone: “In a match with a junior sister, I struck her hard. One of her Golden Cores was shattered by me. For this fault, my own Golden Core was dug out, and I was driven out of Supreme Sect. With a reputation like mine, no one will accept me at the great cultivation ceremony, because no one dares offend Supreme Sect.”

Some things had to be said out loud. Even if she kept quiet, they would learn it later and recognize her, which would be worse.

“To avoid bringing trouble to everyone, I cannot join Heavenly One Sect.” She handed the Disciple Token back to Fang He An.

Pei Xuan said lightly: “So what?” Ye Wan Wan froze for a beat. Her expression turned a little odd, and she said: “But I badly injured a same sect and then left my sect.” Pei Xuan answered, still mild: “In matches, injury and even death are common. If a path is not your own, leaving to find it is normal.” She added, almost stubborn: “But I shattered Ye Qian’s Golden Core.” He replied without pause: “If you are in the same realm and can shatter your opponent’s Golden Core, you are excellent.”

Ye Wan Wan stared and asked under her breath: “Are you trying to praise me?” Pei Xuan asked back, dry as snow: “Do you want me to praise you?” She coughed and said: “No.” He ended it with four simple words: “Then it is settled.”

Ye Wan Wan still did not understand and asked: “What if, one day, because of Supreme Sect, I bring great trouble to your sect?” Others in the formation laughed and asked: “How great?” She said, calm as stone: “If I kill Yan Ding or the Sect Master of Supreme Sect.” The Spirit Link Formation went quiet for a breath. Ye Wan Wan thought to herself: [As expected.]

Pei Xuan’s voice came, still cool: “Little girl, your ambition is not small. If the condition to accept you as my disciple is to kill Yan Ding, I can set out now.” Ye Wan Wan was stunned.

She asked, almost disbelieving: “You will not scold me?” The eight elders shook their heads. Li Ming De spoke gently: “Child, when you climbed the mountain, we guessed your situation. Your dantian has been torn before.”

Ye Wan Wan’s body stiffened, and her eyes reddened without her permission. A warm hand quietly took hers. It was Bai Jian, who looked at her with worry.

Li Ming De said with steady warmth: “We do not know all that happened to you. But Bai Lass never misjudges people. You are a good child. Stay. What you fear will not happen.”

Ye Wan Wan’s voice trembled as she asked: “You will not dig out my Golden Core, will not throw me into Blackwater Prison, will not make me kneel at Black Ice Cliff, and you will not pierce my heart with a sword and kill me… right?” Everyone in the formation felt a chill. Is this how one treats a disciple?

Even Yan Ju froze. Li Wan Zhi had caused plenty of trouble after coming up the mountain, and they had never made him kneel. What had this girl, only in her teens, been through? Even Li Wan Zhi, still sprawled on the ground, stared at Ye Wan Wan in a daze.

Ye Wan Wan did not cry. She looked ahead, her gaze unfocused, not sure where to rest, but she wanted an answer. She did not dare lean on anyone.

Space split. A line of silver light walked out of the void. A man like an immortal in snow came forward, long silver hair loose down his back, bare feet treading the air, wind and snow swirling around him. He stood in the light and looked at Ye Wan Wan with deep black eyes. He said only one word: “We won’t.”

Ye Wan Wan looked into those beautiful eyes and saw he meant it. She thought for a moment and said: “All right. But I have one condition. If, after three years, I still cannot accept my identity, I want to leave. By then, I hope Heavenly One Sect and you will let me go free.” Pei Xuan’s lips lifted, almost a smile, as he said: “Agreed.” Others thought in silence: [It will not be that easy.]

Ye Wan Wan formally entered Heavenly One Sect as the one hundred and first generation disciple, ranked sixth, and bowed to Pei Xuan as her master. With the Disciple Token in hand, she was now one of Heavenly One Sect.

Bai Jian and Fang He An hugged her hard and called out, happy and bright: “Junior sister, junior sister!” Ye Wan Wan looked at the number for her seniority on the token, six. She closed her hand around it and wondered: [Can I stay this time?]

Pei Xuan’s voice sounded from far and near: “Come to Snow Mountain in three days.” Ye Wan Wan answered at once: “Okay.”

After Ye Wan Wan and the others left, in another Spirit Link Formation of Heavenly One Sect, Yan Ju said: “The method she cultivates is not the Supreme Sect’s direct transmission. If I am not wrong, she cultivates the basic, low level Qi Refining art for outer disciples. With her talent, that should not be the case.” To walk this far with the most ordinary Qi Refining method showed just how fierce Ye Wan Wan’s talent was.

Xun Yin said: “Supreme Sect’s current Sect Master is Cheng Wen, right?” Li Ming De stroked his beard and said: “Yes. I have met Cheng Wen. He does not seem the kind to reject a disciple like this.” No one could quite make sense of it.

Pei Xuan ended the talk with a cool note: “Whatever the case, she is my disciple now.” Everyone nodded and said: “Yes. Whatever she was before, she is of Heavenly One Sect now.” The Heavenly One Sect was famous for protecting its own.

…

Lying on her bed, Ye Wan Wan turned the token in her fingers. The Heavenly One Sect’s token was not quite the same as Supreme Sect’s. Both were Disciple Tokens for direct disciples, but Heavenly One Sect’s also carried Spirit Communion and a locator. It could send voice to other disciples and send one’s position in danger.

After thinking for a bit, Ye Wan Wan put the token away, closed her eyes, and began to meditate. Being recognized by the Heart Questioning Sword had greatly boosted her Primordial Spirit Realm. Her realm still sat at the Qi Refining Stage, but her Primordial Spirit already felt stronger than Golden Core. It was only held down by her current level, unable to break through for now.

She whispered to herself: “I will find a chance.” The Heart Questioning Sword lying at her bedside rested quietly.

At dawn the next day, as usual, Ye Wan Wan planned to take her sword to the training yard. She also wanted to try the Heart Questioning Sword again. But when she opened the door, Fang He An, Li Wan Zhi, and Bai Jian stood outside the yard in casual clothes and waved to her.

Fang He An grinned and said: “Senior uncle gave us a day off. We are taking you down the mountain to have fun for a day.”