Chapter 107: A Stroll Down the Mountain
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
On the road back to Spirit Sword Mountain from Nanhua City, Ding Yao carried the sword case silently. Min Cheng followed behind her, head bowed, lips pressed together.
“Junior Sister Ding,” he murmured, “I told Ji You about the incident in the Sword Forest because I didn’t want any trouble at this time.”
“Senior Brother is truly wise…” Ding Yao replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
No woman likes a cowardly man, and Ding Yao was no exception. She already held Min Cheng in contempt, but she hadn’t expected him to be so easily intimidated by Ji You, spilling everything after just a few words.
The matter of the Sword Forest wasn’t much of a secret. Even if Ji You knew about it, what could he do? With countless disciples of Dao Seeking Sect now on the mountain, surviving to leave was a challenge in itself. This event only solidified Ding Yao’s realization that Min Cheng was utterly unreliable.
As the two entered the gates of Spirit Sword Mountain, they found the martial ground nestled among the three peaks already crowded with disciples from Mountain and Sea Pavilion and Dao Seeking Sect.
From Mountain and Sea Pavilion came one of its most esteemed elders, while Dao Seeking Sect was represented by Shang Xi Yao’s guardian protector. The Sect Master of Spirit Sword Mountain conversed freely with these figures, and at his right sat a woman of unparalleled beauty. She wore the Mirror Master’s Immortal Robe and a Glazed Immortal Crown, drawing countless gazes her way.
This was Yan Shu Yi, the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain and the fastest cultivator to reach the Heaven Resonance Stage in recent history. She was also the most prominent woman in the Azure Clouds Dominion, without equal.
For most of the cultivators present, this was their first glimpse of the legendary Yan Shu Yi, and they were awestruck by her celestial elegance. Yet, despite her composed posture, she seemed somewhat restless. Her stunning eyes frequently flicked toward the mountain’s base, only to quickly withdraw.
As evening fell, the formalities among the southern sects concluded, and the guests were escorted to their quarters. Yan Shu Yi ascended gracefully to her Cloud Summit Palace, leaving behind only the lingering image of her striking crimson robes in the minds of countless sect disciples.
A pair of dainty feet stepped onto the plush red carpet, and Yan Shu Yi strolled to her bed.
“Mirror Master, it is now the hour of the rooster. Shall I bring your meal?” Zhuo Wan Qiu asked softly from within the palace.
Yan Shu Yi shook her head, settling onto the bed in contemplation. Seeing this, Zhuo Wan Qiu refrained from disturbing her further, choosing instead to stand silently nearby and observe the Mirror Master’s expression.
The journey of the Heavenly Script Academy disciples had already stirred a storm of rumors. Spirit Sword Mountain’s external scouts had closely monitored their progress through various prefectures, relaying all intelligence back to the mountain. After their arrival in the city and lodging at an inn, Zhuo Wan Qiu had compiled key details—the inn’s name, room numbers—and reported them to Yan Shu Yi.
The Mirror Master’s reaction had been minimal. “So they’ve come,” she had remarked, her tone indifferent. “Their provocation is so blatant; must I personally welcome them? If they dare, let them come up the mountain immediately.” She then returned to her cultivation, maintaining her usual routine.
Unexpectedly, both Mountain and Sea Pavilion and Dao Seeking Sect arrived on the mountain shortly after.
News from Heavenly Sword Peak later revealed that the disciples of the Heavenly Script Academy would be left at the mountain’s base for the night, while a Dao Tea Gathering was arranged to first receive the other two sects’ disciples.
Though the Sacred Artifact of the Heavenly Dao was under the Mirror Master’s authority, Yan Zhong, the current Sect Master, held the right to make such decisions. He had reportedly sent word to Mountain and Sea Pavilion and Dao Seeking Sect as soon as he learned of the Heavenly Script Academy disciples’ departure, setting the stage for today’s tea gathering. Moreover, he had preemptively decided to leave the Heavenly Script Academy disciples outside the gates overnight, aiming to diminish their morale by a third.
Yan Shu Yi agreed with her uncle’s strategy, recognizing it as an effective demonstration of Spirit Sword Mountain’s stance.
After that day, Zhuo Wan Qiu noticed that the Mirror Master seemed distracted.
[Is there really such a stark difference between climbing the mountain today and tomorrow?] Zhuo found herself slightly confused. Yet, at this very moment, the Mirror Master suddenly sat upright from her bed. Her jade-like feet moved gracefully as she paced back and forth. Alarmed, Zhuo immediately summoned two maidservants.
“Cui’er, Xing’er, assist the Mirror Master in changing clothes,” she instructed.
“Yes,” they replied.
Although perplexed, the two maids recalled how much trust the Mirror Master placed in Senior Sister Zhuo. Without protest, they fetched her sleeping garments. Seeing this, Zhuo Wan Qiu shook her head. “Bring her a casual long dress instead—something plain but elegant. The Mirror Master intends to descend the mountain for a stroll.”
“What?”
Cui’er glanced outside at the sky, now darkening, [At this hour, she wants to go out?] She instinctively turned her gaze toward the bed. The Mirror Master, half-lidded eyes glinting faintly, neither confirmed nor refuted Zhuo’s orders.
[Strange.] Although they had always remained by her side in the Cloud Summit Palace, they’d never noticed such a whim. [Could this be why we haven’t earned the rank of personal maidservants?] Cui’er mused, retrieving a commonly worn skirt of Yan Shu Yi’s.
Yan Shu Yi rose, shedding her Immortal Robe, and donned the simple attire. She stepped outside with squinted eyes, heading toward the mountain path. Her expression, while serious, held a faint trace of unbidden charm.
Before she could descend far, three figures emerged from a pavilion lower down the slope. The foremost pair were her parents; behind them trailed Ding Yao. The Dao Seeking Sect had recently retrieved an Exquisite Spirit Sword, which Min Cheng had passed to Ding Yao. Before delivering it, she naturally informed Yan Shu Yi’s parents, being the most fervent supporters of a match between Yan Shu Yi and the Mystic Sword Peak heir.
Seeing his daughter, Yan’s father looked puzzled. “Why venture down the mountain so late?”
“I’ve grown weary of idling within the mountain,” she replied serenely. “I thought I’d take a stroll. Is there something you need?”
Yan’s mother held a sword case taken from Ding Yao. “Hadn’t you been lamenting about not having a suitable sword? Look, Xi Yao has procured a fine one for you.”
Yan Shu Yi cast a brief glance at the case. “Mother, I already bought one.”
“What?”
“I’ll return shortly.” With that, she lifted her skirt and dashed down the mountain path, leaving her parents bewildered as they exchanged confused looks.
Although Yan Shu Yi would occasionally slip away to the foothills, her demeanor tonight felt unusual. Standing behind them, Ding Yao stared after the Mirror Master’s fleeting figure. Her gaze dropped to the Everabundant Inn nestled at the mountain’s base. She bit her lip.
She knew Ji You was down there—they’d crossed paths earlier. Still, she couldn’t fathom why such an unremarkable, albeit handsome, man could so thoroughly alter the Mirror Master’s demeanor, reducing her to a girl seemingly inexperienced in worldly affairs.
[Doesn’t the Mirror Master realize? The disciples of the Heavenly Script Academy have come seeking answers. To be humiliated so brazenly while disregarding the sect’s dignity… and all to rush off like this? The Headmaster’s instructions were clear: leave those disciples waiting one night—just one night. Even that was too much?]
What Ding Yao didn’t know was that the Mirror Master and the handsome man—Ji You—had been meeting daily through the Heavenly Tome until he departed with his group nearly half a month ago. Yan Shu Yi had assumed today’s arrival meant he would climb the mountain, only to find herself mistaken.
The Sect Master’s uncle had caused quite an unexpected commotion, souring Yan Shu Yi’s initially bright mood. Deciding to take a stroll downhill, she thought she might as well visit that unfamiliar man she had met only twice. With that, she glided down to the base of the mountain.
Being at the Heaven Resonance Stage, she could suppress her aura, making it nearly impossible for anyone with lower cultivation to detect her. Effortlessly, she ascended to the third floor and headed directly for Ji You’s room.
Before stepping through the door, she immediately sensed the room was empty. Still, after a brief moment of contemplation, she pushed the door open and entered.
The room was an ordinary guest chamber, save for the bamboo cushion and tea table, which had been moved beside the window. Yan Shu Yi surveyed the room with her shimmering eyes, her gaze landing on the tea table. She lifted the teapot, shaking it lightly. It still contained tea—cold and untouched for quite some time—indicating the occupant had been gone for hours.
Ordinarily, she paid little attention to such trivial matters; after all, she often misplaced her own undergarments in Cloud Summit Palace without caring. Yet now, she scrutinized every inch of the room, her luminous eyes flickering with thought.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from outside the window, accompanied by a soft feminine voice.
“Has Junior Brother Ji not returned yet?”
“No,” another voice replied.
“This is the base of Spirit Sword Mountain, and he’s been out for three hours. Could something have happened to him?”
“Perhaps… he went to meet that fiancée of his?”
Eavesdropping on the conversation, Yan Shu Yi arched her elegant brows slightly.
Outside the room, Wen Zheng Xin’s voice rang out, amused. “You truly believe Junior Brother Ji has a fiancée on Spirit Sword Mountain?”
“Honestly, yes. Otherwise, why would someone as lively as Junior Brother Ji behave so well in Ling Prefecture? A woman capable of keeping him in check must be truly extraordinary. I’d love to see what kind of person she is.”
Inside the dim room, Yan Shu Yi had not lit a lamp. She now sat quietly on the bamboo cushion, silent as a docile cat. The chatter outside quickly dissipated, leaving only the sound of faint yawning. Growing bored, she leaned closer to the window, where her gaze fell on a pillow placed conveniently nearby. Blinking curiously, she peered outside.
The view led straight to Mystic Sword Peak, more precisely, her own palace, Cloud Summit Palace.
[This guy has been staring at my quarters from here all along, hasn’t he?]
Narrowing her eyes, Yan Shu Yi’s thoughts were interrupted by another pair of approaching footsteps. This time, the voices belonged to two men.
“Brother Ji, that lady from the flower house waved her handkerchief at you several times, but you didn’t even glance her way. Could it be that there really is a fiancée waiting for you on Spirit Sword Mountain, or maybe even several?”
“Can you leave your chatter at the foot of the mountain tomorrow? Thank you.” Ji You’s tone was laced with exasperation.
“Plenty of women from the Heavenly Script Academy show interest in you, yet you don’t act this way with them. Is the one on Spirit Sword Mountain especially fierce?”
“I’m starting to think I should tell you that you’ve climbed to the wrong floor.”
“…What? Damn it!”
Ji You watched as Immortal Emperor Ru Long, the persistent chatterbox, departed. [This guy is trouble. Perhaps I should tie him up tomorrow so he doesn’t follow me up the mountain.]
Muttering to himself, he pushed the door open, only to freeze the moment his gaze swept across the room.
The chamber was unlit, but moonlight spilled through the window. Bathed in that light sat Yan Shu Yi, perched gracefully on the bamboo cushion, her shoes neatly placed beside her. Her jade-like feet curled slightly, and her half-closed eyes were fixed on him.
Earlier, on his way back from purchasing a sword, Ji You had encountered several cultivators headed downhill for a banquet. They spoke of spotting the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain, describing her as a divine beauty with unparalleled grace.
Yet here she was, the very subject of their fervent discussions, quietly waiting in his room.