Chapter 212: The Mystery of Fengya (Second Update)

“Then demonstrate the Sword Qi Technique to me,” Jin Xiaoqin said, clearly skeptical.

Ye Wenxin knew immediately that she couldn’t hide the truth any longer and could only smile wryly. “Indeed, I hired a mercenary to convince you to accept me as your disciple, Master.”

“Oh, that mercenary is quite powerful. Who might they be?” Jin Xiaoqin had some interest in the person who could dominate with just a Sword Qi Technique, though her distaste outweighed her curiosity.

It reminded her of Fairy Fengya.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen their true face.” Ye Wenxin, fearing that Jin Xiaoqin might lash out at her directly, stopped joking about Fairy Fengya.

“It’s definitely not Fairy Fengya.” Yet, strangely, these unbelievable words came from Jin Xiaoqin’s mouth. Ye Wenxin, not hiding her suprise, continued flattering her, “Why did you think of Fairy Fengya, Master?”

“I don’t know, it just feels like their gaze is too repellent, as if nothing in the world can be reflected in their eyes. However, it shouldn’t be her. Even if she were to kill someone, she would never cover her face.”

Despite being her rival, Jin Xiaoqin seemed to understand Fairy Fengya quite well.

Ye Wenxin became interested in the past, curious about what kind of person Fairy Fengya was, her identity, her background, and how she managed to become a true chosen one at the age of twenty-five.

However, Ye Wenxin couldn’t bring herself to ask Jin Xiaoqin directly. Compared to asking Jin Xiaoqin, the Sect Master would probably be more suitable to answer these questions.

Ye Wenxin swallowed her words, and Jin Xiaoqin seemed to lose interest in discussing Fairy Fengya further. She began to talk about the institution she was part of, the Hall of Teaching.

The Hall of Teaching was responsible for education. The content taught daily was overseen by the elders, before being passed on to the disciples.

Outer sect disciples had fewer resources and needed to find new opportunities themselves when they went down the mountain to train.

As for inner sect disciples, they had relatively more resources and followed a points system. The more good deeds they did, the more points they earned, and these points could be exchanged for many one-time inheritance manuals.

Therefore, it was rare to see inner sect disciples among the outer sect disciples, because the inner sect disciples were usually busy earning points and moving between different dynasties.

As for true disciples, they naturally enjoyed the best benefits. Not only did they have the guidance of their masters, but they also had access to the library, where they could read some lower-level manuals.

Their food and other provisions were the best, second only to those of the elder-ranked members. However, because of this, their numbers were very limited.

Besides the one Ye Wenxin knew, Gu Xiangsi, the combined number of true disciples under all the school masters and elders did not exceed twenty. Most of them were often away, and would only return once every few years.

“This time, all the true disciples are back for the Immortal Sect Grand Tournament. A celebration banquet will be held in a few days. You should go down the mountain to buy yourself some clothes and meet your senior brothers and sisters properly.”

After saying this, Jin Xiaoqin took a few spirit stones out of her bag of holding and handed them to Ye Wenxin to pay for the new outfit.

Ye Wenxin accepted Jin Xiaoqin’s kindness, using it as a good reason to go down the mountain. Thinking carefully, apart from being somewhat weak, Jin Xiaoqin truly seemed quite suitable to be a master.

“I didn’t realize there were so many intricacies. This is the first time I’ve heard of them.”

Ye Wenxin said, continuing to smile as she put the spirit stones into her bag of holding. Jin Xiaoqin also smiled, unlike the rumors saying she didn’t talk or smile much.

On the contrary, Ye Wenxin found Jin Xiaoqin to be very affable. For an old lady who was several hundred years old, it was quite remarkable that she hadn’t entered menopause after having lived this long.

Moreover, the main thing about Jin Xiaoqin was that she was talkative, able to chat about anything without the airs of a master. This made Ye Wenxin quickly forget about Fairy Fengya by Daming Lake¹, as the two of them chatted incessantly about the interesting stories of the Azure Wings Sect.

“I really didn’t know there were such delicious things for the disciples.”

Like a friend yet not, Ye Wenxin didn’t regard Jin Xiaoqin as a master but rather as a new friend.

Naturally, it was impossible for Jin Xiaoqin to suddenly come out with something clichéd like, “Disciple, you lack reverence.”

As she reflected more on it, Ye Wenxin realized she was unconsciously comparing Fairy Fengya with Jin Xiaoqin.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had been deeply poisoned during her few days with Fairy Fengya.

As they still walked along the road, the sky gradually darkened. Lanterns made from fire stones were lit around them.

Compared to the splendor of inner sect disciples, the residences of true disciples were much more luxurious.

Each true disciple had a standalone building with two floors that was spacious, had a serene environment, and was full of abundant spiritual energy.

It was clear that the Azure Wings Sect had pinned all their hopes on these young people.

As Jin Xiaoqin led Ye Wenxin forward, they saw a few senior brothers and sisters gathered not far away. Upon seeing Jin Xiaoqin, they reacted as if they had seen a ghost, immediately standing up to greet her.

Jin Xiaoqin seemed accustomed to the disciples’ reaction and merely nodded slightly. Pointing to a vacant loft, she said, “From now on, you’ll live here.”

“Yes,” Ye Wenxin replied without hesitation. Jin Xiaoqin then took a brush from her bag of holding and, using her Qi, wrote the characters for Ye Wenxin’s name on the empty nameplate.

The calligraphy was bold and powerful, showcasing a master’s touch. It was evident that Jin Xiaoqin had a deep appreciation for calligraphy, giving Ye Wenxin a clue on how to potentially bribe her master in the future.

“Alright, I’ve inscribed a spirit talisman here; it will protect your life within this house.” However, as she spoke, Jin Xiaoqin’s face turned pale, indicating that writing the characters had consumed a significant amount of her Qi, leaving her somewhat weakened.

Ye Wenxin immediately took out a bottle of sixth-grade Vitality Pills from her bag of holding. Jin Xiaoqin glanced at it and said, “No need. In the future, don’t show off your pills too much, or it might bring you trouble.”

Unlike others, Jin Xiaoqin seemed completely uninterested in the pills, even offering a gentle reminder. Ye Wenxin swallowed back her words, ‘I made these pills myself,’ realizing that her identity as an Advanced Alchemist might be more dangerous than the pills themselves.

However, thinking that matters of the Immortal Sect Grand Tournament were already troublesome enough, Ye Wenxin nodded and followed Jin Xiaoqin away from the true disciples’ dormitory and headed towards the instructors’ dining hall.

Here, one could see figures of elder rank or higher. They arrived quite late, so Ye Wenxin did not see Ling Jue.

Reflecting further, Ye Wenxin realized she hadn’t seen Ling Jue all day. Finding this peculiar, she decided to check on Ling Jue later that evening and inquire about her whereabouts.

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Footnotes:

1. – “forgetting someone by Daming Lake” is a reference to a popular line from the 1987 Chinese television series “Dream of the Red Chamber” (红楼梦), based on the classic novel of the same name by Cao Xueqin. The line is “How many times have we met by Daming Lake?” (大明湖畔的夏雨荷，你还记得大明湖畔的夏雨荷吗?) and is often used to evoke a sense of nostalgic memory or longing for someone from the past.
   
   It’s the opposite in this case. Wenxin was initially preoccupied with thoughts of Fairy Fengya, but Jin Xiaoqin’s amiable and talkative nature helped her forget about Fairy Fengya, much like how one might forget a past love or significant person when caught up in the present. ↩︎