Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Entering Emotionless Peak

For this disciple ceremony, after asking for Li Shuang’s wishes, Lin Qing Ling only announced it to the whole sect and did not invite anyone to attend.

The only one who received an invitation was Immortal Ling Xu. Lin Qing Ling had asked Luo Ming Yue to deliver it in person.

Listening to Luo Ming Yue’s report, Lin Qing Ling burst out laughing without caring about her image: “Hahaha, so Sheng Yuan’s face really turned green? Good, good, that makes me happy.”

“It’s a pity I couldn’t see Immortal Ling Xu’s face myself; it must have been funny,” said Luo Ming Yue, then added: “When I handed over the invitation, the first thing Sheng Yuan said was: ‘First Senior Sister, is she here to beg for mercy?’”

“Beg for mercy? The people of Ling Xu Peak can dream on,” said Lin Qing Ling, rubbing her stomach as she laughed.

Luo Ming Yue looked helpless: “Master, mind your image, mind your image!”

Reminded by her first disciple, Lin Qing Ling suddenly straightened up. She sat upright, cleared her throat, and looked at Li Shuang with a very serious face: “Little Shuang, just now…”

Li Shuang gave a small, helpless smile: “I didn’t hear a thing.”

She had long heard that Peak Master Lin, though living on Emotionless Peak, was the most down to earth of all. To put it simply, she was the noisiest and the least ethereal. Now it seemed the rumors were completely true.

Li Shuang had slept for three days and nights. When she woke, the Supreme Emotionless Art had already repaired her meridians. Lin Qing Ling had stayed at her bedside, keeping watch for those same three days and nights.

Lin Qing Ling asked if she would join Emotionless Peak as her disciple. Li Shuang did not hesitate long before agreeing.

It wasn’t only because Lin Qing Ling had protected her before. More important was this: the lineage of the Supreme Emotionless Art survived only on Emotionless Peak. The other peaks had long switched to other Secret Arts.

Now that Li Shuang had entered the Passion-Severing Mantra and felt how wondrous this peerless art was, she would of course keep walking this road.

She would cast off ties that only drained her. The road she wanted was the road to immortality.

Lin Qing Ling cleared her throat: “You don’t like crowds, and I don’t like stiff rituals. Let’s keep the ceremony simple. Just offer a casual bow.”

She acted almost like she was afraid Li Shuang might run away. [She really looks afraid I’ll bolt.]

Following the entry rites, Li Shuang bowed carefully to acknowledge her teacher. Before she could straighten, Lin Qing Ling pulled her up.

Patting Li Shuang’s shoulder, Lin Qing Ling said: “I know Ling Xu Peak had lots of rules. But here, counting everyone, we don’t have many people, and we don’t have many rules. Do whatever makes you comfortable.”

Li Shuang wasn’t used to such a change, but she still nodded.

Lin Qing Ling grinned: “First I’ll take you to meet your senior siblings. Before you came, I had four disciples. My third disciple is still out on a sect mission and hasn’t returned yet. You can meet the other three.”

Pointing at Luo Ming Yue, she said: “This is your First Senior Sister, Luo Ming Yue. I don’t need to say much about her; you should know of her.”

Li Shuang felt a little awkward.

Before, she had been the First Senior Sister of Ling Xu Peak. Though a bit younger, she was of the same seniority as Luo Ming Yue.

Now she had become the newest disciple of Emotionless Peak, and Luo Ming Yue had become her Senior Sister.

But this was a small matter. Li Shuang didn’t care much and called out: “First Senior Sister.”

Luo Ming Yue’s face lit up with joy.

Hahaha! Only those who entered the sect the same year knew how dazzling Li Shuang had been back then. The goal Luo Ming Yue used to chase had now become her junior sister.

Patting her chest, Luo Ming Yue said: “Junior Sister, don’t worry. From now on, no matter how big the trouble, you can hide behind me. Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to step over my body first!”

“Thank you, First Senior Sister,” said Li Shuang; as she spoke, the title already felt natural on her tongue.

Lin Qing Ling nodded: “Go call the other two in.”

Luo Ming Yue obeyed and brought the two waiting outside into the room. Lin Qing Ling introduced them one by one.

“This is your second Senior Brother, Liu Jun Cheng. He’s dull and annoying, so try not to deal with him too much,” Lin Qing Ling said with open dislike in her voice.

Li Shuang blinked. Did Master dislike Second Senior Brother? [Does Master really not like him?] She hadn’t even finished the thought when Liu Jun Cheng’s stiff, proper voice sounded:

“Master, you are a peak master and today is a great day of taking a disciple. You should at least mind your bearing! When you accepted the bow just now, were you really that sloppy? If others saw, they would surely…”

Lin Qing Ling instantly covered her ears, then gave Li Shuang a look.

See? Isn’t he annoying!

Amusement flickered in Li Shuang’s eyes as she studied her second Senior Brother. Liu Jun Cheng had a cool, sharp face, the cold type. But when he spoke in that strict, by-the-book way, he somehow gave off the air of a nagging housekeeper. [He really does feel like a nagging housekeeper.]

“Second Senior Brother,” Li Shuang said, smoothing things over when she saw Master being scolded so pitifully.

The moment she spoke, Liu Jun Cheng stopped his long lecture. He looked at Li Shuang with a much softer gaze: “Junior Sister.”

He knew of Li Shuang. She had been Ling Xu Peak’s most rule-abiding First Senior Sister.

Good. Emotionless Peak finally had another reliable person.

Lin Qing Ling hurried to introduce the next: “Your fourth Senior Sister, Jiang Yi. She’s good at everything but a bit shy and timid. You’ll know when you spend time with her.”

Li Shuang looked at Jiang Yi. Her fourth Senior Sister had a baby face and eyes like a small deer, making it seem like she could be startled at any moment.

She reminded herself to be careful when dealing with Fourth Senior Sister, then softened her voice: “Fourth Senior Sister.”

Jiang Yi truly was shy. Her body was tense as she answered in a slight tremble: “Junior Sister.”

“That’s everyone for now. When your third Senior Brother returns, I’ll introduce you then,” Lin Qing Ling said. After finally sitting straight for a while, her body began to slump into the chair again.

“Master!” Liu Jun Cheng’s reminder came, late but not absent.

Lin Qing Ling gave him a helpless look.

Other people took in disciples. Somehow she had taken in an ancestor.

Forcing herself upright, she said: “You’ve all heard about your Junior Sister. Everyone on Ling Xu Peak is awful. They bullied Little Shuang into this state. From now on, when you go out, you’re not allowed to speak to anyone from Ling Xu Peak.”

Li Shuang could only laugh and cry inside. [Is Master really this headstrong?] Not speaking to people from Ling Xu Peak sounded like something a child would say.

Her grudge with Ling Xu Peak was already settled. There was no need to go this far.

She was about to speak when Liu Jun Cheng said, calm as ever: “Master, you’re not young. Why talk like a child?”

Li Shuang let out a quiet breath. It seemed the true Steward of Emotionless Peak was Second Senior Brother. He did seem steady. [So the real Steward here is Second Senior Brother. He seems calm.]

Liu Jun Cheng then said evenly: “If we just refuse to talk, how will that affect them? If we want to stand up for Junior Sister, we should suppress them in every way so they learn what it means to regret it.”

[What?] Li Shuang stared. So Second Senior Brother was not as steady as she thought after all.