Chapter 28: The Apprentice Ceremony (Part 1) Part 1

◎Senior Sister, Promise Me One Thing◎

The moment she heard those words, a buzzing sound filled Yun Jinxue’s mind.

It belatedly dawned on her why, after she had introduced their names in front of the Great Elder, the Little Villain had looked at her with eyes full of both surprise and bewilderment.

Her surname was a detail she had deliberately concealed during their first encounter.

As things stood now, she shouldn’t have known Jiang Yanyu’s surname at all!

She had accidentally let it slip!

Yun Jinxue’s body went rigid, allowing the water to trickle through her fingers.

The girl standing in the doorway revealed most of her face and her slender frame. Her dark, oppressive gaze fixed upon her, like two faint points of starlight in the darkness of night.

A person of such absolute bearing, partially framed by the doorway, resembled a corner of a gorgeous, vibrant painting. It made Yun Jinxue, at an inappropriate moment, recall the heavily ornate mural she had seen in the cave before arriving in this world.

Her thoughts were just beginning to stray when Yun Jinxue yanked them back. This was no time for her mind to wander.

If she remained silent any longer, there was no guarantee what absurd theories that girl, whose mind churned with a hundred thoughts, might concoct.

In moments of crisis, the mind races exceptionally fast.

Without thinking, Yun Jinxue blurted out, “Every disciple who enters the Divine Zenith Sect for cultivation must have their background verified. Even someone I brought in personally is no exception. That’s why I investigated you. I was afraid you’d be upset, so I never mentioned it.”

Reasonable, well-founded, and the rule actually existed. Yun Jinxue inwardly praised herself—what quick thinking!

Jiang Yanyu tilted her head slightly. “Oh… so that’s how it was.”

She walked over slowly, her movements unhurried, as if strolling through a garden, admiring the blooming fragrance.

“Senior Sister now knows my true identity, so…”

Approaching, Jiang Yanyu crouched down and tested the water temperature alongside her. “What does Senior Sister think of me using her to slaughter the entire Jiang family?”

Very well, young lady, so you’ve stopped pretending and are directly admitting you used me.

But at this moment, the Little Villain reminded Yun Jinxue of when she had first encountered her.

A young girl, covered in wounds, walking step by step out of the house. Her face still held a youthful quality, yet she was sharp, coldly oppressive, brimming with pressure, possessing a restrained aura far beyond her years.

Yun Jinxue could only do as she had back then: keep her body taut, striving to maintain the composure and maturity befitting her role.

“I said just now that I investigated you. Naturally, I also know about your upbringing. Having no affection for family members like that is perfectly normal.”

Yun Jinxue lowered her gaze, submerging her jade-white hands into the basin and scrubbing the towel. “Moreover, they were Demonic Cultivators, beyond redemption anyway.”

“Even if I had merely stumbled upon them, I would have been obligated to eradicate them. In fact, reporting Demonic Cultivators warrants rewards to some degree. So I don’t mind, and you have no reason to dwell on it.”

Jiang Yanyu watched the person, also reaching into the water. Her fingers inadvertently chased Yun Jinxue’s, stirring ripples.

“Does Senior Sister not think I’m a hypocrite, deeply manipulative, and utterly terrifying?”

Yun Jinxue paused for a moment, then lifted her gaze. “I know you had your reasons. I only hope that next time, if something happens, you can tell me directly instead of resorting to roundabout ways, even using me. Can you do that?”

Their eyes met unavoidably. The light inside the room wasn’t bright; even the clearest image was coated in a hazy, warm glow.

There are many ways for people to communicate, but often, the simplest mutual glance opens the floodgates, unable to hold back the silent back-and-forth.

The bridge of gazes, though invisible, is a softness that even the sharpest unsheathed sword cannot sever.

Finally, Jiang Yanyu dropped her gaze to the shimmering water’s surface and the fingers that, unbeknownst to them, had touched beneath it.

She said quietly, “Understood, Senior Sister.”

.

Early the next morning, Yun Jinxue received word to attend an Elder Council meeting at Above the Clouds.

The Elder Council, as the name implied, was a meeting where the five Elders gathered to discuss major and minor sect affairs. The topics involved were often critically important, even determining the sect’s future direction.

Under normal circumstances, a junior like her certainly wouldn’t be allowed to attend.

But a major incident involving a Deviant Cultivator’s intrusion had occurred just yesterday. It went without saying that today’s meeting would be related to this.

And as one of the direct witnesses, it was reasonable for Yun Jinxue to come and provide a detailed report for analysis and review.

After reminding the two children to eat on time, Yun Jinxue hurried off to Above the Clouds.

North of the Thousand Birds Peak Forest stood a perilously steep mountain, towering into the clouds and perpetually capped with snow, named Above the Clouds.

Legend had it that Senior Yun Shouhong was particularly fond of standing on this cliff, overlooking the entire sect to make plans. Even after the architectural layout was set, he had an additional Viewing Platform built here.

Later, because the location was secluded and the deep mountain high and treacherous, it was cordoned off, given a covering, and converted into the Elders’ meeting pavilion, directly using the mountain’s name as its designation.

Viewed from a distance, its glazed azure tiles and open, airy pavilion seemed like an extension of the snowy peak itself, clear as ice.

Sitting within, watching clouds roll and drift, the mountains bright and waters clear, one felt an expansiveness of heart, as if countless tangled thoughts were being organized into clarity—a rare blessed ground for quiet cultivation.

Flying down onto Above the Clouds, the ice-like structure seemed to emanate waves of chill. The platform was open, and quite a few people had already gathered in a circle.

Besides the four Elders already present, all of their disciples were there too.

Tuo Xingfeng noticed her first and called out loudly, “Eldest Senior Sister has arrived.”

Qiu Yuanxing turned his head and chuckled kindly, “Come, come, sit over here.”

Scanning the circle, the four Elders were seated opposite each other, north, south, east, and west. Their disciples each sat slightly behind them to the left.

Yun Jinxue realized she was actually the last to arrive. Without taking time to scrutinize anyone carefully, she quickly grabbed a blue meditation cushion to sit down.

Her peripheral vision swept the scene, and she noticed Nan Yuan sitting alone in a corner.

Fourth Elder Yan He was the only one yet to arrive, so her disciple naturally sat by herself.

Thinking of her Shizun, who might never wake up again, Yun Jinxue felt a pang of sympathy. She detoured to sit beside her.

“I’ll sit here.”

Qiu Yuanxing smiled, “Anywhere is fine, anywhere is fine.”

A black-robed elder facing north spoke, “Nan Yuan, is your Shizun still in deep slumber?”

Judging by his golden hairpiece, the patterns on his robes, his rather cold and profound features, and his signature aquiline nose, Yun Jinxue recognized this person as Second Elder Tang Zhongren.

Nan Yuan knelt on the ground in her water-red long dress, the skirt spreading around her like a blooming lotus in a pond, pure and fragrant.

But her face was etched with heavy gloom, and those eyes, usually soft and brimming with emotion, had lost their luster from prolonged pressure.

She performed a formal bow before slowly speaking, “My Shizun still has not awakened.”

The bitterness in her voice could practically be wrung out like water.

Qiu Yuanxing’s smile faded, and he sighed softly, “How could Fourth Sister suddenly contract such a sudden, severe illness? We thought someone of her cultivation level would wake in three, maybe four months, but it’s already been… ah.”

“Even during my travels outside, I made extensive inquiries. I’ve never heard of any cultivator experiencing such a thing. Such a strange case—I can only hope it isn’t some bizarre poison of unknown origin.”

The voice that spoke was exceptionally clear and resonant. Beyond its crispness, the enunciation was distinct, the pace quick, and the delivery clean and efficient.

One could easily imagine that even if thrown into a cacophony of noise, this voice could be precisely picked out.

Yun Jinxue looked over. The speaker appeared to be a woman around thirty or forty, wearing a plain straight-hemmed robe of verdant green with no extraneous patterns. Her hair was unbound, a full head of dark tresses flying alongside her wide sleeves in the wind.

She was seated, but not kneeling or cross-legged like the others.

Instead, she had one leg propped up, her elbow resting on her knee, while her other leg was folded beneath her. She leaned back, her other hand supporting her weight on the ground, her head tilted slightly to catch the wind. She looked quite unrestrained and free-spirited.

This was Third Elder Qiao Yushan.

To avoid overshadowing the protagonist, the original novel didn’t spend much time describing the Elders.

But even within their limited appearances, Yun Jinxue remembered this singularly decisive and exceptionally sharp Third Elder.

For no other reason than the book had simply summarized her ending.

She never married, had no children in her lifetime, and dedicated most of her life diligently to the Divine Zenith Sect. After the Female Lead, Yan Guixing, became fully capable of handling all sect matters, she relinquished her position as Elder and wandered the mortal world.

After leaving the sect, she didn’t find a blessed ground to settle down peacefully, as cultivators commonly did.

Instead, she engaged with the world even more than before, caring about the hardships of common people and often aiding them in righteous causes. She was honored by the populace as the Jade Mountain Immortal Lord, praising her noble character.

Such a woman was precisely the kind Yun Jinxue admired most. Among the many characters, she had most looked forward to seeing this one.

Now that she finally saw her, the reality matched her imagination quite well, filling her heart with deep satisfaction.

This must be the joy of a paper character becoming real.

Tang Zhongren said, “Old Fifth is skilled with poisons. If even he didn’t find anything amiss, then poison likely isn’t the cause.”

The last Elder sat quietly, lifted the teacup before him for a sip, then set it down again, silent.

He wore pure black robes, looking like a weighty drop of ink. Blood vessels stood out on a small portion of his face, partially concealed by the black hair hanging down.

Fifth Elder Ji Tu, adept in the use of poisons, had accidentally damaged his vocal cords with poison in his early years. His voice was hoarse and grating, so he disliked speaking.

He generally wouldn’t utter a word unless absolutely forced.

Regarding Yan He’s inexplicable coma, all sides had worked hard for a long time, but unfortunately, no cause could ever be found.

With the sect’s affairs numerous, aside from providing ample protection, the matter could only be temporarily set aside.

The pavilion fell silent for a moment before Qiu Yuanxing spoke, “Even so, Nan Yuan, your coursework shouldn’t be falling behind, should it?”

Nan Yuan said, “I have been following the training plan my Shizun set for me.”

Qiu Yuanxing stroked his beard. “That’s good.”

And with that, the topic sparked by Yan He was concluded.

Next, Yun Jinxue began recounting everything that had happened yesterday in exhaustive detail.

When she reached the end, mentioning Yun Kaiye and Pan Bohun, Qiu Yuanxing said, “The reason we held this council so early this morning is also because of this.”

He paused there, as if deeply troubled. Tang Zhongren picked up the thread, “Both of those two died last night.”

Yun Jinxue was startled. “Both dead?”

Qiu Yuanxing said, “Indeed. They were clearly held in separate locations. Pan Bohun, who knows by what ability, broke out on his own, found Yun Kaiye, killed him, and then committed suicide. Every lead for the investigation has been severed.”

This was death far too urgent. It seemed almost like someone deliberately destroying evidence.

But who could bypass layers of guards, infiltrate the cells, kill two people in succession, and then leave as if strolling away?

Rather than believing such a terrifying figure actually existed, it was easier to believe that Pan Bohun, that madman, had another fit of insanity in the middle of the night and went to kill the man.

While it was neat and clean for them to die, it left behind a massive mess, leaving everyone without a starting point and in a difficult position to handle.

Qiu Yuanxing sighed again. “What’s most troublesome right now is Yun Shujun.”

“He also returned last night. Originally, he only heard the news that a disciple had died, but upon arriving, he discovered his own son had been brutally murdered. He wailed in the Back Mountain prison all night.”

When Yun Jinxue first met this Great Elder yesterday, he had been full of spirit. Now, he appeared somewhat wilted, likely still shaken by the Vice Sect Leader’s cries, unable to collect himself for a long time.

Yun Jinxue asked, “Was Yun Kaiye’s death also extremely gruesome?”

Tang Zhongren said, “Gruesome doesn’t even begin to describe it. Calling it a brutal murder would not be an overstatement.”