Chapter 28: The Apprentice Ceremony (Part 1) Part 2

Thinking back to the state of those disciples’ bodies yesterday, Yun Jinxue felt that even a brutal murder couldn’t be more savage than that.

At that moment, Fifth Elder Ji Tu, who hadn’t spoken all this time, added the most crucial detail.

“Based on the condition of the body, we deduce that he was scraped clean, cut by cut, while still alive. Furthermore, his tongue and vocal cords were removed, so he couldn’t scream, which is why no one noticed.”

This voice, upon first hearing, sounded like a sharp instrument scraping against glass—extremely piercing yet oddly raspy. Several people present closed their eyes briefly without changing their expressions.

No wonder he didn’t speak; it was indeed beyond what ordinary people could endure.

But being flayed alive—just how deep must the hatred have been?

These two cannon fodder characters, originally, should have had nothing to do with each other, each destined for their own separate deaths. How had they ended up tormenting each other?

Yun Jinxue also took a sip of tea. After finishing her internal grumbling, she gave a bitter smile.

Hah, calling others cannon fodder—am I not one myself?

We’re all birds of a feather here; best not to casually mock.

Tang Zhongren’s expression was solemn, his eyes slightly downcast. “Vice Sect Leader Yun said last night that he must give his son a grand funeral, inviting guests from all over. Under ordinary circumstances, such an act would be perfectly reasonable, but at this juncture, it’s truly problematic.”

Qiu Yuanxing said, “Exactly. To hold a funeral, the cause of death must inevitably be clarified. The Apprentice Ceremony is imminent—once every five years, each time selecting the absolute best. Our reputation hinges on the good name of the Divine Zenith Sect. Now he wants to blow this matter up? Once everyone knows Deviant Cultivators can casually intrude into the Divine Zenith Sect to kill people, will any disciples still come to sign up?”

He truly looked utterly worn down by the wailing. He had sighed many times already today. Exorcising demons and hunting ghosts outside might not even be as exhausting as this single night.

Qiao Yushan snorted coldly. “Though the truth of the matter has yet to fully surface, that scum Pan Bohun kept muttering the name of Yun’s son. Even if a charge of collusion with Deviant Cultivators isn’t confirmed, it’s not easily shaken clean. And if there truly was secret collusion with Deviant Cultivators, the seven disciples who died unjustly would be coming back to demand their lives from his son.”

“Yun Kaiye’s circumstances were tragic, but essentially, what business is it of ours? He himself was never even at the sect, shirking all responsibility. Does he only remember he’s the Vice Sect Leader when it’s time to collect his pay?”

“When such a major incident occurs and he’s unreachable, he dares call us Elders incompetent? He even threatened to replace us all? Ha. Wasn’t it he who, going behind our backs, said he feared the Elders staying within the sect too long might harbor thoughts of seizing power and that it would be better for us to be dispersed? Did those words not come from his mouth?”

“Hmph. I say his son’s death is his own doing.”

In her younger years, she had traveled far and wide, debating with people from all corners of the Five Lakes and Four Seas, switching between dialects seamlessly. Consequently, she was exceptionally sharp-tongued.

This entire tirade allowed no one else to get a word in. Only after she finished did Qiu Yuanxing add, “Enough. The dead are already dead; let’s not speak more of this.”

Qiao Yushan drank her tea, but with the air of downing liquor. She pushed her cup away. “Fine, then we let the matter rest.”

With this topic concluded, the group began discussing the Divine Zenith Sect’s security issues and the specific details of the upcoming Apprentice Ceremony.

To prevent any suspicious elements from mingling with the flow of people attending the Apprentice Ceremony, the Elders planned to refine the method of admitting prospective disciples, including the following points:

Admissions would be separated into time-based batches, identities and backgrounds would be verified, name tags would be made and distributed, staff would be dispatched to perform frequent checks, and any who were eliminated and not permitted to remain would have to leave the sect immediately, and so on.

Listening to this, Yun Jinxue couldn’t shake the feeling that a school was about to host a sports meet—and one open to the public.

By the time these matters were fully discussed, it was nearly noon.

The sunlight had grown intense and hot, dispersing the mist and scattering golden rays, making the mountains appear crisp and shimmering.

With the official business concluded, the atmosphere lightened somewhat. Qiu Yuanxing said, “There’s still no news about those two youths. Our informants also said they were wrapped up very tightly when they went up the mountain; nothing could be seen.”

Tang Zhongren said, “Whatever the case, let’s just hope they aren’t two more Pan Bohuns.”

They had already known this information yesterday, but at that time Yun Jinxue’s attention was elsewhere, and she hadn’t pondered it deeply.

But now, the subject being brought up again couldn’t help but remind Yun Jinxue of two specific people.

Jiang Yanyu’s right-hand men from the later parts of the original novel: Jade Palm Cuicuo and the Heart Devil Canjian.

These two young men, destined to become the most formidable hawks and hounds under the Arch-Villainess in the future, according to the normal timeline, at this current point, one should be about to participate in the Apprentice Ceremony, the event that would shatter the Little Villain’s Golden Core. The other should still be begging on the streets, struggling to find his next meal.

Seen in this light, it was a baseless association. Those two absolutely did not possess the strength to break into the Mad Red Hall and capture Pan Bohun alive right now.

Then who could it be?

Could it really have been Yun Kaiye?

The current situation was filled with too many baffling mysteries. Yun Jinxue felt a wave of irritation.

Cold winds rolled clouds over, carrying moisture as they departed.

Yun Jinxue turned her head to look beyond the Viewing Platform. The mountain range spread out in meandering lines, immediately easing the congested feeling in her heart.

Such scenery was to be cherished while it lasted. She ought to look more now, so she could have good memories to recall later.

As the Elder Council dispersed, the Elders did not take the ordinary path down, instead stepping onto clouds and flying away one by one.

The disciples were left to tidy up the cushions and teacups. Yun Jinxue seized the opportunity to speak: “The two disciples by my side will also be participating in the Apprentice Ceremony. Could I trouble you all to come by tonight and help explain some matters requiring attention?”

As the Sect Leader’s daughter, Yun Jinxue naturally never needed to personally experience the Apprentice Ceremony. She feared the novel’s description might not be detailed enough, so she wanted to invite those who had been through it and ask them questions, to be prepared.

All the other disciples agreed. Only Nan Yuan said, “My sincerest apologies, Eldest Senior Sister. I accepted a Black-Rank mission and must depart this afternoon. I’m afraid I won’t be able to come tonight.”

Yun Jinxue said, “It’s no problem at all. But you look very tired—won’t you rest a bit before undertaking the mission?”

Nan Yuan said, “I’ve recently been collecting a certain ancient medicinal herb. I’ve heard it can summon back the souls of those who have lost them. I want to try it for my Shizun.”

She had initially thought Nan Yuan wanted to earn some money or gain some experience. Hearing this answer, Yun Jinxue paused momentarily.

Looking at her again, the young woman whose features had been so gentle when they first met was now visibly haggard and distressed, unable to hide it.

It was in this moment that Yun Jinxue truly understood how deeply the loss of her Shizun had wounded this disciple.

Nan Yuan’s voice remained soft and gentle as she smiled slightly, “But it’s alright. Eldest Senior Brother knows everything very clearly. It will be fine to let him speak a bit more.”

Yun Jinxue couldn’t find the words. She simply nodded and told her to be careful.

Just before leaving, Nan Yuan seemed to remember something else. Turning back, she smiled, “Oh, and I wish both disciples success in finding suitable Shizuns.”

This sentence still echoed in Yun Jinxue’s mind, even after she had bought fruit and returned to Sword Summit.

Yan Guixing was sitting in the courtyard, holding her little notebook, flipping through its pages. From time to time she would gaze vacantly at some spot, seemingly lost in memory.

Seeing the person arrive, she immediately stood up and smiled. “Senior Sister has returned.”

Yun Jinxue said, “Mm. The matters have mostly been dealt with.”

In truth, she had merely acted as an event-recall machine. This incident was far from over, but the ones who needed to worry about and handle it were the Elders, not herself.

Yan Guixing took the fruit basket from her hands and raised her eyes. “Is someone coming over?”

“Yes, clever,” Yun Jinxue smiled. “I’ve asked the other Elders’ disciples to come by and give you some pointers, so you can perform better at the Apprentice Ceremony.”

Yan Guixing said, “Thank you, Senior Sister, for being so thoughtful. I’ll go wash the fruit.”

Yun Jinxue said, “Okay. Oh, right—where’s Windy?”

Yan Guixing’s hand holding the fruit basket lifted slightly higher, as if unwilling to answer, but she still said, “At the Rear Cliff, sunbathing.”

Yun Jinxue nodded, then circled around the dwelling to the spot at the Rear Cliff.

This cliff section jutted out, exceptionally flat, with only a single, crooked old tree. Looking up, one could see the mountains high and rivers vast—perfect for quieting the mind.

Beneath the tree lay a large bed, big enough for six or seven people to lie on simultaneously. Right now, Jiang Yanyu was sprawled on it, hands folded behind her head, basking in the sunlight.

Yun Jinxue approached slowly. “The Apprentice Ceremony is approaching. Aren’t you nervous?”

Jiang Yanyu didn’t open her eyes, her calves dangling over the edge of the bed, swinging back and forth. “What’s there to be nervous about? It doesn’t feel like there will be anyone particularly impressive.”

Yun Jinxue sat sideways on the bed, laughing. “You haven’t even seen who’s coming to the ceremony. How do you know they won’t be impressive?”

Jiang Yanyu shrugged. “Intuition. My intuition is very accurate.”

A leaf drifted down onto the girl’s lapel. Yun Jinxue plucked it away, her voice soft. “For example?”

Jiang Yanyu suddenly opened her eyes, grasped Yun Jinxue’s wrist, and met her gaze.

“For example, the very first time I saw Senior Sister, I felt that Senior Sister was an incredibly good, kindhearted person, absolutely capable of rescuing me from my dire straits.”

Those eyes were so startlingly clear that Yun Jinxue seemed to see her own reflection in them—that refined Immortal Lord bathed in gentle moonlight.

Her words still echoed by her ear. Yun Jinxue parted her lips slightly and said quietly, “Windy thinks I’m a good person?”

Jiang Yanyu released her. “Mm.”

Yun Jinxue raised her eyes to the distant sea of clouds and said nothing.

Jiang Yanyu flipped over to face her, pressing close. “Senior Sister will always be good to me, right?”

Yun Jinxue raised a hand to stroke her head, her fingers sinking into her loose, jet-black hair. It was soft, warmed thoroughly by the sun, like a fuzzy animal.

But then, what temperature did hair strands themselves possess?

They were merely warmed by the sun’s brief touch. Deprived of the sunlight, they would grow cold again.

Yun Jinxue didn’t know how to answer. After a long pause, she leaned down and whispered as low as she could into the girl’s ear, “I will do everything within my power to be good to you.”

Even spoken at a whisper, the System would still hear. It still wouldn’t change the fate destined for the two of them. But lowering her voice was the very limit of what she could do.

As the sky was scattering gold, the disciples arrived and knocked on the door.

Opening it, the first to enter was naturally Tuo Xingfeng. His signature indigo robes were impossible to mistake.

“Hello, Eldest Senior Sister.”

Both his hands were laden with hanging meat. “Shizun told me to tell you to eat more. Senior Sister has become far too thin lately.”

Yun Jinxue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She agreed and reached out to take the meat, but Tuo Xingfeng added, “Just tell me where the kitchen is. It’s rather heavy; I can deliver it myself.”

Yun Jinxue pointed him in a direction. Suddenly a shadow fell over her. Puzzled, she turned her head and saw a black-clothed youth even taller than the doorframe.

The youth carried an Ebony Zither on his back. He was thin and tall, his cheeks slightly sunken, his hair short and thick.

At first glance, he looked like a skeletal, impossibly thin male model one might see striding down a runway at Fashion Week.

This person was named Leng Enshuo, disciple of the Second Elder, Tang Zhongren.