Chapter 24: Undercurrents Part 1

Once upon a time, she had believed such words. When she looked back, there was no one there, and her heart felt empty as well.

Her head throbbed painfully, and her figure swayed. She panicked and clutched her forehead, then steadily gazed at the Lingyun Sect Leader Xu Ke. She closed her eyes and opened them again, her gaze still clear as water, her voice faint like flowing spring water: “Master, Changqing is still young. Whatever she does, I bear the responsibility. Rest assured, she won’t endanger Lingyun. I’ll keep an eye on her. There’s just one thing—I won’t sever ties with her. I understand how to make the choice.”

Purple Ying Pavilion, silent for many years, suddenly experienced a gust of fierce wind. Leaves scattered across the ground. Wei Lingci stood under a peach tree in her white gauze robe, her pure temperament clashing with the courtyard full of fallen leaves. This place had originally been planted with plum trees, but Xun Changqing hadn’t liked them, so they were replaced.

In truth, she didn’t like them either. But unlike Changqing, she disliked every part of Lingyun Mountain, even harboring a faint aversion. She raised her head and gazed at the verdant hills and pavilions, a wistful reluctance lingering between her brows. This place didn’t belong to her, nor to Xun Changqing. They were both mere passersby.

“Master,” a crisp voice mingled with light footsteps rang in her ears. Wei Lingci’s clear eyes narrowed, her willow brows curved into a smile, the faint thin ice in her eyes melting away. In Xun Changqing’s eyes, it was an extraordinary display of elegant poise. She said gracefully, “Did Zhao Yang not invite you to the kitchen for dinner?”

Zhao Yang was a complete glutton; wherever there was food, he was sure to be there. Over these years, he had grown taller and a bit slimmer, no longer as chubby as he had been at ten, but compared to ordinary people, he was still somewhat plump.

“No, other disciples invited him to eat, so I fetched dinner from the kitchen to avoid another trip later,” Xun Changqing said as she lifted the food box in her hand high for Wei Lingci to see.

Her cheerful demeanor didn’t seem feigned. Wei Lingci took the food box from her, her fingertips lingering slightly on the back of Xun Changqing’s hand. Casually, she asked, “Did you see Zi Jin in the kitchen?”

“No,” Xun Changqing replied, somewhat dejected. That person had followed her all the way, making her afraid to even speak to Zi Jin in the kitchen. She raised her head and met Wei Lingci’s ever-gentle eyes, then said straightforwardly, “Master, someone’s been following me.”

Stalking! Wei Lingci’s grip tightened on the food box. Her previously lowered eyes suddenly lifted. “When? How long?”

“It should be today. I didn’t notice yesterday. Master, who do you think is so bored as to keep staring at me?”

Wei Lingci placed the food box on the table. A dark glint gradually sparked in her eyes, waves rising in her heart, though her face showed nothing. She comforted faintly, “It might be some disciple on the mountain trying to prank you. Be careful on the way to Literature Hall starting tomorrow. Don’t talk to unfamiliar disciples, and stop talking to the servant girl you placed in the kitchen, lest it raises suspicions.”

“Suspicions?” Xun Changqing grew even more puzzled, her hand tightening around her chopsticks. But Wei Lingci’s expression was indifferent, as usual, showing no abnormality. Perhaps it really was just some disciples on Lingyun Mountain playing a joke on her. What Wei Lingci said made sense too—if other disciples discovered Zi Jin was her person, it would stir up gossip and needless trouble.

The two fell silent. Wei Lingci turned her gaze to the person eating with her head down, finding the food tasteless. After a long silence, she called, “Changqing.”

Though Wei Lingci’s temperament was hard to fathom, Xun Changqing had come to understand it somewhat over the years. The sudden call now likely meant she had something to say. She lifted her eyes and waited.

“Has Literature Hall’s teaching mentioned arrays yet?”

There were many disciples in Lingyun Sect; those on the mountain were only a portion. Though inner disciples and nominal disciples had different treatment, their literary knowledge was the same—what differed was martial arts, taught personally by each master.

Disciples entered the mountain to learn martial arts; few bothered with literary knowledge since they weren’t aiming for imperial exams—it was mostly useless. The Literature Hall teachers were renowned scholars from various places, but their classes were not only dull but utterly boring. The disciples’ bodies might be in the classroom, but their minds had long flown to the nine heavens beyond.

Xun Changqing still remembered the knowledge from her previous life and had overheard a bit in class, striving only not to make mistakes in her studies. But arrays—she didn’t recall them being mentioned. Wei Lingci never asked about these things; why bring it up today?

She had returned half an hour late that evening, already past the agreed time. If scolded further, she might have to stand penalty outside all night. She thought seriously and shook her head: “No.”

The mountain’s arrays weren’t covered by Literature Hall teachers. She had only glimpsed some basics in books from Literature Abyss Pavilion. Those shallow insights wouldn’t suffice for descending the mountain.

Wei Lingci picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and placed it in Xun Changqing’s bowl, saying faintly, “If not, forget it. Do you want to learn?”

In autumn, fish from village ponds were harvested, with fingerlings restocked in spring. The kitchen had received some crucian carp from villagers, but with so many people, they weren’t made into soup—just braised whole.

The flavor was milder, but still edible. In her previous life, Xun Changqing had been picky, but after long hunger in Heavenly Prison, barely eating her fill, she no longer was.

Learn arrays? Xun Changqing picked up the fish with her chopsticks, then set them down, puzzled: “Arrays—which kind do you mean?”

“Arrays encompass myriad forms, from mirages to profound depths, shallow and deep. What kind do you want to learn?”

Xun Changqing asked curiously, “Master knows them all?”