Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Her feelings were taken away

Elsewhere, inside the Ninghua Sect, Shen Sang Ruo gave a small, helpless laugh and handed all the spirit stones in her storage pouch to Daoist Wu Wei: “These are my savings, Sect Master Wu Wei. Thank you for saving my life.”

Daoist Wu Wei’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the spirit stones. His grin almost reached his ears, though he kept a solemn face as he said: “Ahem. A cultivator must guard against greed. Wealth is just a worldly thing. Your foundation is still shallow, so I will keep these safe for you.”

Su Xi Yu frowned and protested as she said: “Sect Master, if you take all her spirit stones, how will she cultivate or live?”

Daoist Wu Wei snorted as he said: “Who said I’m taking them all? Do you think I’m that kind of person?”

Su Xi Yu, Song Wei Yan, and Bai Ruo An all stayed silent and gave him a look that clearly meant, You are.

Daoist Wu Wei’s beard bristled as he burst out as he said: “What’s that look for, you little rascals?”

He scolded, puffing with indignation, as he said: “This is what happens when your Master isn’t awake to manage you. No respect for your elders at all. When your Master wakes up, I’m going to lodge a proper complaint.”

Only then did Shen Sang Ruo realize why she hadn’t seen their Master. [So he is still asleep.]

Daoist Wu Wei huffed, pawed through the pile of spirit stones with both hands, and split them into two heaps. He declared with satisfaction as he said: “I will take half. Happy now?”

The three nodded, and Daoist Wu Wei finally stuffed his share into his own storage pouch with noisy satisfaction.

Su Xi Yu drew Shen Sang Ruo closer and gathered the remaining spirit stones toward her as she said: “Don’t mind him, Junior Sister Shen. Our Sect Master may be old, but he’s like a big child.”

Shen Sang Ruo smiled faintly as she said: “I’m actually jealous of how well you get along with Sect Master Wu Wei.”

Thinking of Shen Sang Ruo’s earlier stories, Su Xi Yu’s eyes warmed with sympathy. She patted the girl’s back to comfort her.

Shen Sang Ruo’s gaze steadied as she said: “It’s fine, Senior Sister Su. Thanks to Sect Master Wu Wei, he drew out my feelings for them.”

Now, even when those people were mentioned, her eyes stayed calm. In her heart, they were no different from strangers.

Daoist Wu Wei took out something like a storage pouch and asked in a mild voice as he said: “By the way, Sang girl, what do you want to do with what I extracted? Your emotions are stored here. It’s more accurate to call them your attachments.”

He spoke with a knowing look as he said: “After the way they treated you, even deep feelings should have been worn away. The reason you couldn’t let go was that you were unwilling to accept the loss.”

He gave her the choice as he said: “If you want to put the feelings back now, keep them on you, or leave them stored in case you want them later, it’s up to you.”

His aged eyes narrowed. Shen Sang Ruo was still young and might act on impulse. He wanted her to think carefully and avoid future regret.

Shen Sang Ruo heard the meaning under his words. She thought of those people without the slightest attachment. [Regret? Not a chance. I would have to be crazy to take those feelings back. Haven’t they hurt me enough already? Keeping the Emotion Pouch on me would just feel unlucky.] The decision felt like the clearest one she had ever made.

She looked at the Emotion Pouch with a calm voice as she said: “I threw those feelings away. Why would I take them back? This kind of useless thing belongs on the trash heap.”

Daoist Wu Wei nodded, voice soft as he said: “It’s good that you’re clear.”

He opened the Emotion Pouch and brushed his palm over it; the pouch glowed at once. Six streams of light flew out of it and streaked through the doorway, vanishing without a trace.

He closed his hand and promised as he said: “From now on, you won’t be troubled by them.”

Shen Sang Ruo cupped her hands and bowed again as she said: “Thank you, Sect Master Wu Wei.”

Su Xi Yu looked at her with concern and asked as she said: “What will you do next?”

The Ninghua Sect hadn’t seen a new face in a very long time. Su Xi Yu truly liked this little sister who suited her temper.

She muttered, unable to hold back her indignation for Shen Sang Ruo’s past, as she said: “Those so-called masters and Senior Brothers of yours are not good people. It’s best to get clear of them as soon as you can.”

Song Wei Yan spoke levelly, thinking of the realities as he said: “But your ties to them run deep, Junior Sister Shen. Cutting off your relationships won’t be easy.”

From Shen Sang Ruo’s words, they could tell her sect was no ordinary place and her Master no ordinary person. Even ending a master-disciple bond would be a hard task.

Bai Ruo An added with caution as he said: “This needs a long-term plan.”

Shen Sang Ruo did not hide her thoughts from them. She could sense the upright energy around them; they were not the sort to harm her. [They are far better than the people in the Flying Cloud Sect.] She laid out her idea in brief as she said: “I already have a rough plan. I’ll find a way to leave the sect.”

Su Xi Yu and the others had thought she would only distance herself from her teacher’s line, not that she wanted to leave her entire sect. She always called Shen Dao Chen ‘Senior Uncle,’ so they had no idea about her true connection to him. If they knew, they would have scolded Shen Dao Chen too.

Su Xi Yu nodded in approval as she said: “Leaving that sect is good.”

A spark leaped in her eyes, and she nearly blurted something, but swallowed it back and muttered to herself as she said: “No, that won’t do.”

She had wanted to recruit Shen Sang Ruo into the Ninghua Sect, but the Ninghua Sect was not what it used to be and could hardly protect itself. She gave up the thought; she would not drag Shen Sang Ruo down.

Shen Sang Ruo spoke honestly as she said: “I haven’t thought about what comes after. First I’ll leave the Flying Cloud Sect. After that, becoming a rogue cultivator would be fine.”

They asked her a few questions about the current state of the cultivation world outside. She answered each one. She had many questions of her own, like what had happened to the Ninghua Sect before, why it was trapped in a formation, and what help Daoist Wu Wei had originally wanted from her. But since he did not offer details, she did not pry. [Knowing less may be his way of protecting me.]

Daoist Wu Wei stroked his beard and gave gentle instructions as he said: “Yu girl, take Sang girl around the Ninghua Sect for a while. The formation will reopen soon, and you will be able to leave.”

He added with a grave little smile as he said: “Sang girl, please don’t speak of what happened today to anyone else. If fate lets us meet again, I will invite you for tea.”

Shen Sang Ruo nodded and kept the cover story simple as she said: “I wandered all day in Moonshadow Valley and saw nothing unusual.”

She started after Su Xi Yu, then paused and turned back as she said: “Senior Sister Su.”

Su Xi Yu stopped and looked over.

Shen Sang Ruo asked with proper courtesy as she said: “May I pay respects to your Master? If Senior is still resting, I won’t disturb him.”

She guessed there could hardly be anyone else in the Ninghua Sect besides these few. Instead of wandering the grounds, she would rather greet Su Xi Yu’s Master. Good manners mattered.

Su Xi Yu did not answer right away and looked to Daoist Wu Wei.

He thought a moment and gave his consent as he said: “It won’t hurt to pay respects. Take her.”