Chapter 75: Cane

The morning mist was chilly.

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes, his vision marred by a faint, intricate network of blood vessels. He pushed open the window, and the cold wind billowed his white robe, seeping in through his collar, a sensation both bitter and chill.

Of course, a single night of cultivation couldn't truly change anything. Given his current aptitude, cultivating the Dao was a slow, persistent effort, like water eroding stone. He had anticipated this, so he wasn't discouraged, only slightly disappointed.

He pushed open the door and stepped out, walking through the morning light towards the outer part of the Inner Peak. Snowflakes drifted down, spiritual energy turned into mist, and the entire peak was adorned in white.

Ning Changjiu looked up, observing the floating star-stones scattered across the sky, his thoughts stirring. These star-stones had always hung high above Tianku Peak, and people had gradually grown accustomed to their presence. According to Ning Xiaoling, these star-stones were actually 'Sword Stars,' hung in the sky by the founding patriarch himself. Sword Stars could be lit by sword-fire. Once illuminated, they would project an armored figure. Defeating this figure would grant a partial inheritance of sword intent, and the higher the Sword Star, the more profound the sword energy and divine intent it contained.

The earlier one lit a Sword Star, the greater the benefit. However, after achieving longevity, the sword intent bestowed by the Sword Stars became almost negligible.

It was still too early in the morning, and only a few disciples were practicing swordplay in the snow on the peak. Most were engrossed in their swordsmanship and paid him no mind. As he wandered around the peak, he suddenly stopped when he reached a certain spot, catching a glimpse behind a large stone: a plainly dressed figure standing by the cliff edge, gazing into the distance.

Lu Jiajia stood by the cliff edge, holding her sword. Her slender, graceful figure was bathed in the morning light, her exquisite face as white as snow. Her dark hair, falling to her cheeks, swayed gently in the wind. As she glanced sideways, her limpid, autumn-water eyes gazed at the snowy mountains beyond the Peach Veil. The pearly-white morning light outlined her body with silver-white lines, subtly softening her seemingly inherent sharp demeanor. Her contours thus appeared fuller and softer, a beauty that outshone the myriad mountain mists reflected in her eyes.

Ning Changjiu was surprised to encounter her.

Lu Jiajia noticed his arrival, turned gently, and, also slightly surprised, looked at the young man in white a short distance away. She asked, "Are you up so early today?"

Ning Changjiu chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I didn't sleep last night," he said.

Lu Jiajia looked slightly puzzled. "Something on your mind?" she asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, "No, I was just diligent in my cultivation."

Lu Jiajia looked disbelieving and scoffed, "You, diligent in cultivation?"

Ning Changjiu chuckled, "Is Miss Lu prejudiced against me?"

Lu Jiajia glared at him, a hint of annoyance in her expression.

Ning Changjiu smiled and corrected himself, "Yes, Master."

Lu Jiajia's expression softened slightly. "So, you diligently cultivated all night, how do you feel?"

Ning Changjiu said helplessly, "I can only console myself with old sayings like 'dripping water wears through stone' and 'a rope saws through wood.'"

Lu Jiajia teased, "You were so successful in the Imperial City. What? Has your luck changed today?"

Ning Changjiu asked, "Don't you also delay your own cultivation by lecturing and teaching swordsmanship every day? Do the lectures of an immortal sect beyond the mundane world require the peak master to personally handle them?"

Lu Jiajia's smile faded slightly. She said softly, "Of course not. I just place more importance on my disciples' futures."

Ning Changjiu was about to retort, "Isn't it also because your body..."

Lu Jiajia said coolly, "Silence. You are my disciple now. Is that how you speak to your master?"

Ning Changjiu grudgingly shut his mouth. "Your disciple obeys," he said.

Lu Jiajia was slightly more satisfied. "If you have any difficulties, don't just endure them. Although you are nominally an outer disciple, I believe in... teaching without discrimination."

Ning Changjiu said, "Isn't that inappropriate? If others found out, they might say that master and disciple are having a secret affair..."

Lu Jiajia hummed softly in question, then scoffed, "You got off easy, and now you want to act innocent?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "Your disciple wouldn't dare."

Lu Jiajia seemed puzzled. "You seem to be in a good mood today?"

Ning Changjiu thought to himself that perhaps he was being affected by his cultivation realm, becoming less able to conceal his emotions.

"I'm alright," Ning Changjiu said. "Is Master in a bad mood?"

Lu Jiajia also replied, "I'm alright."

That meant she was in a bad mood. Ning Changjiu sighed softly, knowing the root of her current problem.

Lu Jiajia turned away from him, facing the vast mountain scenery. "What do you think of this place?" she asked.

Ning Changjiu looked at her and smiled, "A beauty like jade, pure and flawless."

Lu Jiajia paused slightly, then turned her graceful neck, her autumn-water eyes gleaming with a hint of menace. "I asked what you thought of Tianku Peak," she said.

Ning Changjiu pretended to look enlightened, and calmly said, "Peaks gathered like a painting, exquisitely beautiful."

Lu Jiajia suddenly thought of something, took a deep breath, and looked at Ning Changjiu, saying with a half-smile, "Are you really trying to die?"

Several extremely fine, snow-white sword-qi burst forth from her sleeve, transforming into sword-ropes as they shot through the air, assailing Ning Changjiu as if to capture him.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Ning Changjiu immediately said, "Someone's coming! Farewell, Master!"

"Stop!" Lu Jiajia lightly snapped. How dare he speak so disrespectfully in front of her? If she didn't administer a slight punishment, where would the dignity of the sect rules be?

The sword-ropes coiled around him.

Of course, Ning Changjiu didn't linger. He quickly formed a Daoist hand-seal and used all his might to escape for his life.

At that moment, several disciples practicing swordplay happened to be passing by on the mountain path.

Lu Jiajia sensed them too. She sighed, reluctantly withdrew her sword-ropes, and scoffed at the direction Ning Changjiu had fled.

The disciples were all surprised to see Lu Jiajia and bowed in greeting.

Lu Jiajia nodded slightly, offered a few words of instruction, reminded them not to be late for morning class, and then turned to leave.

The disciples watched her departing back, all a bit puzzled. Why did their Master look so gloomy today?

During morning class, Lu Jiajia gently tapped a wooden ruler with her fingers. The four-cornered brass bell chimed, marking the start of the day's activities.

Today, instead of having everyone read the Sword Sutra first, Lu Jiajia's voice, clear and authoritative, resounded: "I hear that yesterday, some disciples from our peak not only ventured down the mountain without permission but also got into a conflict with disciples from Xuanyi Peak?"

The hall fell silent.

Lu Jiajia stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes, clear as night rain and cold mist, slowly sweeping across the Sword Hall. The natural authority stemming from her cultivation realm and status as peak master caused the sword-hearts of the disciples present to tremble slightly.

Ning Xiaoling clutched her chest, feeling uneasy. She glanced at Ning Changjiu beside her, who had his eyes half-closed and looked completely at ease. She couldn't help but feel admiration, thinking how calm her Senior Brother was, able to ignore even their Master's invisible pressure.

In fact, Ning Changjiu had simply been awake all night and was feeling sleepy. He hadn't clearly heard what Lu Jiajia was saying. He feigned sleep for a moment, then, sensing the odd atmosphere, looked around. He noticed two young men and a young woman slowly standing up in the back, heads bowed, expressions a mix of grievance and fear. Ning Changjiu, of course, didn't recognize them, but he found the young girl somewhat familiar... perhaps because the Sword Hall itself was sparsely populated.

"Master, I suggested this matter, and the conflict also arose because of me. Please punish me alone."

The three were Xu Weiran, Yun Ze, and Junior Sister Le Rou. Xu Weiran, the eldest of the three in both age and seniority, was the first to speak.

Lu Jiajia asked, "You intend to protect them?"

Xu Weiran replied, "I wouldn't dare. It's just that as their Senior Brother, I should set an example... But when Junior Brother and Junior Sister suggested going beyond the Peach Veil to hunt demons, I didn't stop them. That was my mistake."

Lu Jiajia said, "Your cultivation is not yet complete. Venturing out to hunt demons on your own carries immense risk. If something were to happen, can you guarantee their safety?"

Xu Weiran bowed his head, not daring to answer.

Ning Xiaoling tugged at her Senior Brother's sleeve and whispered, "Look, that's Yun Ze, the one who called Senior Brother a pig last time."

Ning Changjiu followed her finger with a glance, observing the young man standing with bowed head, his sword-robe slightly torn. Even while being reprimanded, he still stood slouching, his shoulders uneven.

Lu Jiajia, however, didn't look at Yun Ze. Instead, she looked at the young girl. "Le Rou, was it you who dragged them along again?"

Le Rou seemed to be a repeat offender, not even bothering to defend herself. She whispered, "Yes."

Lu Jiajia sighed, "Among the female disciples, you are this generation's Senior Sister. Why are you always so mischievous?"

Le Rou whispered, "Master, it was wrong of me to venture beyond the Peach Veil without permission, but didn't those disciples from Xuanyi Peak also go out on their own? It was just a coincidence that we met..."

Lu Jiajia said coldly, "What Xuanyi Peak does is their concern. If you hadn't coincidentally run into them, would you have just gotten away with it?"

Le Rou pursed her lips, not daring to reply.

Lu Jiajia continued, "Calling it demon hunting, you only dispersed a few wandering spirits from mountain caves. What's there to boast about? Do you really think you're little Sword Immortals? During the annual God-Abandoned Month, when the four peaks open for demon hunting, why aren't you so eager then?"

Yun Ze slowly raised his hand, his head still bowed.

"Speak," Lu Jiajia said coldly.

Yun Ze said, "This whole thing, no matter how wrong, is Senior Brother Weiran's fault. But the conflict with Xuanyi Peak was clearly because they were too overbearing. They openly declared that Tianku Peak had no one left and even mocked Master's cultivation realm. We couldn't tolerate it, so we got into a big fight with them."

Lu Jiajia was silent for a moment, then asked, "Just for that, you disregarded the sect rules as if they were nothing?"

Yun Ze chuckled sheepishly, "Weren't we just upholding the dignity of our Master's teachings?"

Lu Jiajia asked, "So... did you win the fight?"

The three fell completely silent.

Lu Jiajia's face grew even colder.

"You are now cultivators seeking immortality beyond the mundane world, pursuing the Grand Dao of longevity. If you still cling to the worldly martial arts' code of competitive bravado and petty rivalries, how far do you think your cultivation path will take you in the future? I tell you to cultivate your minds and calm your spirits, yet a few words are enough to ignite anger in your hearts. What kind of mind are you cultivating? Moreover, they were right. With my current cultivation realm, I am indeed unworthy of being a peak master."

Lu Jiajia's voice softened, and a hint of unconcealed desolation appeared in her expression.

Xu Weiran looked up, hesitated to speak, his expression filled with extreme guilt. Yun Ze also realized he had spoken wrongly and lowered his head, shutting up. Le Rou, being a young girl, hadn't felt much when scolded by her Master, whom she always admired, having grown accustomed to it. But hearing her Master say that now, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

Lu Jiajia looked at them, her heart dimming. Her hand, which had already rested on the discipline ruler, was withdrawn. She looked at the three disciples and said, "Considering this is your first offense—well, your first offense this month—I will spare you for now. However, if such incidents occur again, there will be severe punishment without leniency."

Xu Weiran breathed a slight sigh of relief and immediately said, "Yes, Master."

The other disciples remained silent as cicadas in winter. Ning Changjiu, however, was unaffected. He merely thought that Lu Jiajia was truly imposing when teaching and educating. He tilted his head slightly and whispered to Ning Xiaoling, "Master talks about cultivating her mind, but she actually got angry herself. Xiaoling, don't follow Master on this point. You should learn from Senior Brother."

Ning Xiaoling nodded thoughtfully.

Lu Jiajia's earlobe twitched. She slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on Ning Changjiu. "What did you just say?" she asked.

Ning Changjiu stiffened. He knew her cultivation allowed her to hear, but he hadn't expected her to take it seriously. However, having just lectured Ning Xiaoling on cultivating the mind, he naturally had to remain composed himself. Ning Changjiu calmly replied, "I was telling Junior Sister not to cause trouble and displease Master."

Lu Jiajia had no intention of letting him off the hook. "Is that so?" she said coldly.

Only then did Ning Changjiu realize that he had apparently angered her that morning and then slipped away. Was she now trying to... get revenge?

"In the Sword Hall, openly slandering your Master—according to sect rules and precepts, what should be done?" Lu Jiajia asked indifferently.

Ning Changjiu thought, 'You could have simply pretended not to hear. Isn't this just a baseless accusation? What I say now won't matter, will it?'

Indeed, Lu Jiajia had already picked up the long discipline ruler. "Hand," she said.

"I'm also a first-time offender this month..." Ning Changjiu argued.

Lu Jiajia asked, "So, you admit it?"

Ning Changjiu swallowed his words.

"Sigh..."

Under everyone's gaze, Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand. He looked at Lu Jiajia, his gaze seeming to say, 'You're so vengeful, yet you still have the nerve to teach disciples to cultivate their minds.'

Lu Jiajia's face was cold, but a faint smile was hidden in her eyes, as if saying, 'So what? I just want to vent my frustration on you today.'

The other disciples were still wondering what the audacious outer disciple had whispered when they heard a few sharp smacks. The discipline ruler fell, hitting Ning Changjiu's palm, leaving it slightly red.

Ning Xiaoling pleaded softly, "Master, please spare Senior Brother..."

Lu Jiajia's heart softened slightly. She withdrew the discipline ruler and said, "Don't let it happen again."

Ning Changjiu continued to look at her calmly, sighing, "I will heed Master's teachings."