Chapter 41: I Like Kicking You
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
As dusk fell, the sky above was high and cloudless. The night gradually crept in from the eastern horizon, dissolving the fiery red hues in the west, which faded into the massive scar of twilight across the heavens.
At this hour, the disciples of the Field of Enlightenment rose and made their way toward the Immortal Banquet Hall. As they crossed the White Jade Bridge, many paused in their tracks.
They saw Instructor Cao sitting on the stone steps, clutching an empty money pouch, cursing the decline of morals in frustration.
[No wonder he refused it when offered. Turns out, he only likes to rob it himself! What kind of bizarre habit is this?]
The students from the Field of Enlightenment, hearing his muttered complaints, tactfully avoided him, heading straight to the hall. There, they caught sight of Ji You seated across from a celestial woman of extraordinary bearing.
In Ling Prefecture, there was only one sect—Spirit Sword Mountain. On the day of the winter solstice, when they had dined at the Grand Cauldron Tower, Ban Yang Shu had mentioned that Spirit Sword Mountain’s original name was Spirit-Mirror Mountain. This name originated in the ancient and primitive era when Heavenly Dao bestowed seven sacred relics. The founding sage of Spirit-Mirror Mountain had wielded the Spirit Mirror. However, after a thousand years of lineage, a later sect master, obsessed with the Sword Dao, replaced the “Mirror” character with “Sword.”
Ji You still recalled how, on the first day he sensed the Heavenly Tome, a fairy at the mountain’s base had asked him: “Why are you in my mirror?”
At the time, he thought she meant “sword,” but later realized she might have truly meant “mirror.” The two words sounded identical and both bore ties to Spirit Sword Mountain.
Then came New Year’s Day. Together with Lu Qing Qiu and others, Ji You had joined a banquet in the capital. During the meal, Lou Si Yi mentioned that Spirit Sword Mountain had lost a recently ascended Mirror Master.
Pausing mid-meal, Ji You looked up at Yan Shu Yi, who was nibbling delicately on her food.
[It seems I’ve inadvertently brought back a rather incredible young woman…]
But he never expected this woman would quietly find her way to the Heavenly Script Academy.
The mightiest direct disciple of this era indeed thought in ways ordinary people couldn’t fathom.
At that moment, Ji You suddenly remembered his primary reason for visiting the Field of Enlightenment. After a brief moment of thought, he spoke softly.
“I may not be able to cultivate alongside you anymore.”
Yan Shu Yi looked up, her elegant brows furrowing slightly.
Ji You quickly explained, “The sect has given an order. I might have to leave for a while, with no set return date. I came to the Field of Enlightenment today intending to go to Mount Void and tell you, but I didn’t expect you to come here.”
Yan Shu Yi stabbed at her food with her chopsticks and replied, “That’s great. Without you, the mountain can finally have some peace.”
“Then why did you come up the mountain and kick me after the winter solstice when I wasn’t there for a few days?”
“I like kicking you.”
After saying that, Yan Shu Yi felt her tone was a little too tender. A flicker of killing intent passed through her gaze.
She was the Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain, the next Sect Master to wield the Spirit Mirror. Her elders had cultivated in her a solemn demeanor from a young age, commanding authority without anger. This soft tone wasn’t her usual style. [This must be his doing. If this continues, I’ll have to kill him.]
Yan Shu Yi’s small, delicate moon-white boots swayed under the table. Unable to resist, she lightly kicked Ji You’s knee.
Ji You, struck, raised his head, silent for a long moment before chuckling.
Like Yan Shu Yi, he knew the person before him was her, but he wasn’t entirely certain it was truly her. Thus, his words carried a trace of caution, unlike the casual ease he had felt at the foot of Mount Void. Especially now that he suspected she might be the Era’s Mightiest Direct Disciple, this feeling intensified.
At the base of Mount Void, he had been brash enough to call her “Little Witch” and even had the audacity to contemplate pinching her cheeks. In reality, though, there seemed to be a barrier between them.
Yan Shu Yi’s behavior differed, too. Her gaze often flashed with a cold sharpness, her movements exuding sword aura. She seemed to resist growing too familiar with him, keeping him at arm’s length. Yet, with this single kick, that faint sense of alienation softened slightly.
“How long do you plan to stay in the capital?”
“After meeting you, I still have matters to attend to and will leave soon.”
Though Yan Shu Yi repeatedly emphasized that her visit to the capital was a whim, a convenient detour, or simply aimless wandering, her actions betrayed the truth—she had come specifically to see him.
In fact, if not for his presence in the capital, Yan Shu Yi might never have taken this detour.
Ji You nodded. “Have you found a place to stay?”
“The traveling disciples of Spirit Sword Mountain stay at the Everabundant Inn. I’ve already reserved a room.”
“Then how about some tea before you go?”
“Alright.”
The crisp winter morning brought frost to the world. The first light of dawn spilled over the horizon, resembling ink lightly brushed upon the sky.
After the night passed, the embers in the furnace still glowed faintly within the narrow room, though the ash was turning white, signaling the fire’s imminent end. While cultivators could ward off the cold with Spiritual Qi, in the mortal world, embers served more than one purpose. They could roast sweet potatoes, brew tea, or keep a pot of water warm to maintain room humidity.
Ji You stepped out into the morning mist, emptied the ashes from the furnace outside, and filled it with fresh charcoal. Using Spiritual Qi to ignite the fire, he casually tossed in two sweet potatoes. Yan Shu Yi sat quietly beside him, watching his every move with an obedient calm.
The previous day, they had spent the evening chatting idly, sipping tea, and eating roasted sweet potatoes until late into the night. Yan Shu Yi, the Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain, hadn’t returned to the Everabundant Inn but stayed instead in the western chamber of the narrow house.
Now, she was awake early, her flawless face showing traces of sleepiness as she cradled a warm cup of tea by the furnace. Her bright eyes blinked lazily.
“What do you want for breakfast?”
“I’m not hungry. A roasted sweet potato will do,” Yan Shu Yi replied. She grabbed the fire hook, pulled out a sweet potato, and peeled away the charred skin.
After finishing his chores, Ji You sat on a low stool, picked up his chopsticks, and resumed training his Rapid Spiritual Senses Activation technique. Though their time together had been short, a natural rhythm of cohabitation seemed to emerge between them.
A while later, one of Ji You’s chopsticks flew toward Yan Shu Yi, who glanced at it sharply, making it drop instantly.
Ji You opened his eyes slightly. “What is Spirit Sword Mountain’s Sword Dao like?”
“Spirit Sword Mountain focuses on cultivating the Innate Life Spirit Sword and doesn’t use as many swords as you do,” Yan Shu Yi replied lazily, recognizing at a glance that Ji You’s technique was a foundational move of the Art of Sword Flying, despite the chopsticks.
Yawning, she shrank closer to the warm furnace, her feet resting near it as she watched the chopsticks dance in the air. A sense of peace washed over her.
Before coming here, she had imagined how their meeting might unfold. Two possibilities seemed likely: either he wouldn’t be as interesting as she thought, leading to a brief exchange before parting ways, or they would have a stimulating conversation, spend a day discussing Dao, and become friends. After all, they weren’t that familiar, merely cultivators on the same path.
But Yan Shu Yi had never expected she would one day huddle by a furnace, eating roasted sweet potatoes, and savor a lazy winter morning where thoughts of cultivation and realm-breaking felt so far away.
Ji You, too, had envisioned their reunion. They might chat and stroll around the capital, becoming friends. If he returned safely from the ruins, their next meeting on Mount Void could bring a sense of heartfelt reunion. Or, their meeting could spark passion, leading to dual cultivation, though he’d likely end up drained due to his lower cultivation level.
Yet, he hadn’t anticipated behaving so virtuously, feeling the clarity of a truly serene Daoist heart.