Chapter 128: A Fiancée Everywhere
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
As dawn broke, the disciples of Mountain and Sea Pavilion and Dao Seeking Sect began their descent from the mountain, their journey seemingly a wasted effort. However, just as they were about to leave, they witnessed Ding Yao leading a group of disciples, all of whom had previously ventured into the ruins, towards the courtyard where the Heavenly Script Academy disciples were staying.
Shortly afterward, Pei Ru Yi, Wen Zheng Xin, Ban Yang Shu, and others saw them bowing in apology. The unexpected gesture left them with baffled expressions.
For the many disciples gathered at the Sword Gazing Platform, preparing to depart, this scene was just as perplexing. Apologies?
Everyone knew that the entire ordeal of the Heavenly Script Academy disciples seeking answers was due to Spirit Sword Mountain and Dao Seeking Sect injuring them but refusing to apologize. That very refusal had led to the current situation.
Yet now, after the academy had lost the duel, why was Spirit Sword Mountain suddenly offering an apology?
“It isn’t Spirit Sword Mountain lowering their head,” someone explained. “I overheard outside the courtyard. Ding Yao claimed that she had acted against the Mirror Master’s orders, ordering disciples to attack of her own accord. Thus, she is here to apologize under her own name.”
“Under her own name?”
“Precisely. She insists it was her personal decision and has nothing to do with Spirit Sword Mountain.”
The disciples of Dao Seeking Sect and Mountain and Sea Pavilion were puzzled, but even the disciples of Heavenly Script Academy found this apology odd. It felt inexplicable.
Especially those who had been besieged earlier—they half expected Ding Yao to apologize with veiled mockery and sarcastic jabs. Yet, to their surprise, her expression was sincerely remorseful, devoid of any arrogance.
Coupled with how she obediently sought out medicine after Ji You instructed her to a few days ago, the entire situation became even more bizarre.
It felt as if Ding Yao wasn’t the Little Mirror Master’s handmaiden but rather Ji You’s.
“What about my junior brother? What have you done to him?” someone asked.
“Young Master Ji is fine. You need not worry,” Ding Yao replied. “He simply stayed up late last night and is still resting in the courtyard. He will be down the mountain soon to join everyone.”
At her words, the disciples exchanged knowing glances.
Case closed—if not a handmaiden, she must be his fiancée.
Otherwise, how else would she know he stayed up late?
Zhuo Wan Qiu, noticing the strange looks around her, hurriedly reassured, “Rest assured, Spirit Sword Mountain would never let anything happen to him.”
Despite her sincerity, Pei Ru Yi remained skeptical. “If my junior brother is truly fine, he should have come down early to ease our worries. Why, then, is it already midday, yet he remains unseen?”
Zhuo Wan Qiu thought of the scene she witnessed that morning when she knocked on the door to ask if Ji You wanted breakfast.
[Perhaps our Mirror Master, though unwilling to admit it, simply didn’t want to let him go and refused to leave his embrace.]
At that moment, a figure in white robes appeared on the mountain path. Though his clothing was slightly disheveled, his spirit seemed intact. Yet, a crumpled, dried water stain marked his chest, its origin unknown.
Seeing that Ji You was safe and sound, the Heavenly Script Academy disciples let out a breath of relief, though their expressions quickly grew complicated.
“Junior Brother, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Senior Sister. Just a bit sore in the back and waist.”
“…”
Bai Ru Long cast a glance at Ding Yao, internally marveling at his friend’s resilience.
[My brother Ji is truly formidable—cutting through Sword Forest by day and exhausting himself by night. His mastery of the Dao (courage) is indeed unparalleled (fearless).]
Meanwhile, the disciples of Mountain and Sea Pavilion and Dao Seeking Sect had already descended the mountain, missing Ji You’s appearance. Yet, many were reluctant to leave completely. Some chose to linger in Nanhua City, finding tea houses and taverns to await further developments.
Among them were the disciples of Dao Seeking Sect, particularly Min Cheng.
These were the very same individuals who had attempted to challenge Sword Forest.
Some, possessing deeper cultivation, had managed to pass through the First Layer, but upon facing New Willow Color, they had been forced to admit defeat. As for the Third Layer, they never even considered attempting it.
Now, they were desperate to learn whether Ji You had perished. If not, how grievously was he injured? Was he on the brink of death?
Though seemingly unrelated to them, the outcome held significant weight for their Dao Hearts. Especially for those in the Mystic Enlightenment Stage, particularly Min Cheng.
If Ji You descended the mountain looking half-dead, they could find solace in the thought that their difference in ability wasn’t insurmountable.
As they waited, more rumors spread about Ji You’s breakthrough in the forest. These accounts were even more vivid than before.
The most discussed tale was of Ji You spreading his arms in fury, unleashing seven swords at once, each blade evoking the power of Little Overlapping Mountain, overwhelming Return and Come with sheer might. The imagery was so compelling that those who had not witnessed it firsthand could picture it vividly.
However, rumors regarding the Fourth Layer seemed far-fetched. Some accounts were outright fabricated. Anyone who truly saw Ji You cut through Return and Come but missed his battle against Thought Without Evil would surely recognize the embellishments.
By early afternoon, a group of white-robed disciples began descending from Spirit Sword Mountain, immediately drawing the attention of cultivators in the city.
Amid the lingering mountain mist, the darkened gleam of swords reflected the sunlight, casting long shadows on the winding path below. The figures moving along the trail seemed almost insignificant, dwarfed by the vast expanse of the towering peaks around them.
With the keen eyesight of a cultivator, the distance was more than enough to see each person clearly.
At the forefront of the Spirit Sword Mountain path, two disciples carried a bamboo sedan. Seated upon it was a pale-faced young man, his hands drooping lifelessly at his sides, eyes tightly shut, and expression grim. As a Direct Disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy’s Main Hall, descending the mountain in such a state was truly a humiliation.
Yet, he was only a fleeting point of interest to the cultivators gathered in the city. What they truly awaited was the one who emerged from the mist.
Dressed in pristine white robes, his presence exuded heroism. His gaze was calm and indifferent as he descended the mountain alongside the others. Upon reaching the city, he proceeded directly to the relay station, entered a carriage, and slowly closed his eyes.
Light Breeze, Gentle Clouds
On both sides of the river, within tea houses and taverns, all eyes converged upon him.
“He bears no injuries at all…”
“Perhaps they are hidden beneath his robes, unseen.”
“There’s a crumpled white stain on his chest—looks like dried water. Could he have washed away bloodstains?”
“But look at him—full of vigor and spirit. If he was wounded, it must have been minor. The rumors that he barely managed to break through Thought Without Evil seem to be nothing but fiction.”
As the discussion faded, the onlookers withdrew their gazes from the windows of the tea houses and taverns, falling into contemplative silence. They had assumed that even if Ji You had conquered the Sword Forest, he would have been gravely injured, perhaps barely clinging to life. Yet now, seeing his steady steps and the boundless aura surrounding him, they realized—slashing through the Sword Forest might have been effortless for him.
A wandering rogue cultivator forced into the academy for saving a life… A disciple of the Outer Court, whose admission to the Inner Court still remained uncertain…
“He truly lived up to the rumors—exchanging blows with Gong Shu Chou within the ruins, matching swords for several rounds, neither side gaining the upper hand. In the end, he nearly wounded Gong Shu Chou.”
“Hm? Where did you hear that?”
“I was chatting with someone at Spirit Sword Mountain last night. A masked man shared the tale, and this was slipped into the conversation.”
“?”
Amidst the murmurs, the carriage employed by the Heavenly Script Academy began moving, leaving Nanhua City behind. Ji You, his expression tranquil yet unfathomable, was taken away along with the group of disciples who had come to seek the Dao.
However, just before the carriage disappeared from sight, someone noticed that Ji You had quietly opened his eyes, gazing deeply at the Cloud Summit Palace atop the mist-wreathed mountain.
And within that sea of drifting clouds, a flowing hem of a robe fluttered faintly, as if someone stood at the mountain’s peak.
The carriage continued northward, carrying the disciples away on their journey. Ji You closed his eyes once more—not to pose or feign depth, but to regulate his breathing and refine his Qi.
The battle against Thought Without Evil had pushed him to ignite his inner Spiritual Fire, elevating his body to the brink of perfection. Though his shoulder had been torn by sword energy, the sensation was exhilarating. He had a vague feeling that the Tenth Minor Illumination, which had eluded him before, might now be within reach.
By nightfall, the moon hung hazy in the sky, and the carriage pressed onward at a hurried pace.
Due to the summer heat, their carriage was covered with a canopy but lacked surrounding curtains. During the journey, many disciples stole glances toward Ji You’s carriage.
Ji You sat cross-legged, eyes still shut, yet his aura surged and overflowed, radiating an intense heat.
“Junior Brother Ji’s presence… It seems even stronger than when we first set out.”
“What a pity. While the Dao Seeking Sect hesitated to act within Nanhua City, they ultimately dared not make a move.”
“The Dao Seeking Sect seeks to maintain good relations with Spirit Sword Mountain—they wouldn’t attack at the gates. But we haven’t reached Liang Prefecture yet; we are still within the Ling Prefecture’s borders. We must remain vigilant.”
He Ling Xiu warned Wang Yue and Fang Lin Chao, and the three once more turned their gazes toward Ji You.
The remark of ‘pity’ had come from Wang Yue, though he did not hope for an attack by the Dao Seeking Sect. Rather, he wished to witness Ji You’s swordplay firsthand.
For thousands of years, in every Immortal Sect, Inner Court Disciples had always looked down upon their Outer Court counterparts. Never before had the situation been reversed like this.
Their sentiment arose from a simple realization—since learning Ji You’s name, they had never been able to gauge his true depths.
Just like before, when You Bu Yu had secretly arranged for seasoned students who were about to leave the academy to challenge Ji You.
Even with meticulous preparation, Sun Bin had been utterly shaken by a single sword strike atop the White Jade Terrace.
And now, descending from Spirit Sword Mountain, their first impression was that Ji You’s presence had transformed once again.
The sword intent that had unconsciously radiated from him had grown sharper, and his Qi was even more blazing and turbulent than before.
No one could predict the power of Ji You’s sword strike should he choose to unleash it now. That was why they uttered the word ‘pity.’
“It seems that this year, Chu He may not enter the Inner Court after all.”
“Well, perhaps… but since he has returned home to receive his family’s teachings, there’s still a chance…”