Fang Xuan was stirred awake by the sunlight streaming through the window.
He groggily opened his eyes, pausing for a few seconds before realizing where he was: Qingyun Sect, Sword Peak, his disciple quarters.
The bed planks were indeed a bit hard, making for an uncomfortable sleep. However, the mountain air in the early morning was excellent. Pushing open the window, the mountain breeze felt quite pleasant. Living in the mountains was quite nice.
After a simple wash, he faced his blurry reflection in the water basin and casually tied back his hair, then fastened the blue sword tassel, a symbol of his direct disciple status, prominently at his waist.
“Alright, time to get to work.”
He patted his face and pushed open the door.
The sunlight was indeed a bit dazzling. Sword Peak was at a considerable altitude, the air was clear, and the sun appeared particularly bright.
The winding mountain path to the main hall was lined with ancient trees reaching towards the sky. Occasionally, other early-rising disciples could be seen rushing along or cultivating qi by the cliffside.
Fang Xuan walked unhurriedly, his mind calculating the day’s plans.
Attending the discipleship ceremony was the main priority. He needed to appear neither servile nor arrogant, avoiding both flashy ostentation and timid disgrace.
Next, he needed to find a way to visit Ning Xian again, to check on her recovery. And while he was at it... well, observe if there was an opportunity to advance the training progress.
Just as he was thinking, a hushed wave of laughter and discussion drifted from a fork in the road ahead.
“...Did you hear? Last night, someone saw that new junior brother Fang enter Ning Xian’s courtyard, and he didn’t come out for quite a while!”
“Really? Isn’t that vixen Ning Xian severely injured and bedridden? What was he doing in there?”
“What else could they have been doing? A man and a woman alone... Tsk, tsk. I didn’t expect Junior Brother Fang to have such discerning tastes, to go after Senior Sister Ning Xian, even in her injured state...”
“Shh! Keep your voice down! I hear Junior Brother Fang has exceptional talent and is already a direct disciple!”
“So what if he’s a direct disciple? Does being a direct disciple mean he can secretly meet with a senior sister late at night? Who knows what his intentions are? I think Senior Sister Shen was right; some people only appear proper on the surface...”
“Exactly. Senior Sister Shen even told us this morning to keep our distance from Junior Brother Fang, saying he’s disrespectful to senior sisters, crude, and impolite...”
Fang Xuan didn't stop, nor did his expression change, and he felt little disturbance inwardly.
Without a doubt, this was Shen Qingqing’s doing. She moved quickly; after being put in her place last night, she was already spreading rumors and ruining his reputation this morning. She was quite adept at her work, it seemed.
He ordinarily wouldn't bother with these buzzing flies, but then he heard the last phrase, “Senior Sister Shen told us to keep our distance from him.” He still had to establish himself on Sword Peak and gain Ning Xian's favor; a tarnished reputation didn't seem conducive to his work. More importantly, it was simply annoying to listen to.
So, he turned and walked directly towards the group of inner disciples who were huddled together, gossiping with great fervor.
The few of them had their backs to him, spitting with enthusiasm, completely unaware of anyone approaching.
Fang Xuan walked up behind the disciple with the loudest voice and the most lewd demeanor, reached out, and quite naturally, placed a hand on his shoulder.
“What are you chatting about? Care to share with me?”
The disciple, engrossed in his conversation, impatiently tried to shrug off the hand on his shoulder. “Who is it? Can’t you see I’m... uh?!”
He mumbled curses as he turned, only to meet Fang Xuan’s dark, indifferent eyes, which revealed no emotion.
The disciple instantly froze, the rest of his words caught in his throat, and the color drained from his face with a rush.
He recognized the face, and he recognized the blue sword tassel at the other’s waist, a symbol of direct disciple status!
“Junior... Junior Broth...” He stammered, his calves beginning to tremble.
Fang Xuan didn’t give him a chance to finish. The hand on his shoulder seemed to press casually.
“Crack!”
“Ah—!!!”
The disciple’s scream instantly echoed through the mountain path. He collapsed limply to the ground as if his bones had been removed. A sweetness rose in his throat, and he vomited a mouthful of fresh blood, his face ashen.
The surroundings instantly fell silent. The other disciples who had been participating in the discussion froze in place, their faces etched with terror, not daring to breathe.
Other disciples startled by the commotion also stopped, looking over in surprise and uncertainty. When they saw the sword tassel at Fang Xuan’s waist, they quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look him directly in the eye.
Direct disciples held an extraordinary status within the sect, far superior to ordinary inner or outer disciples. Offending a direct disciple could easily lead to one's cultivation being crippled and expulsion from the sect.
Fang Xuan’s gaze, still indifferent, swept over the terror-stricken disciples before him:
“Who gave you the audacity to gossip about a direct disciple behind his back?”
No one dared to respond, only the pained groans of the disciple on the ground.
“Not speaking?” Fang Xuan’s gaze fell upon the disciple at his feet. Then, he slowly raised his foot. His boot sole landed precisely on the disciple’s neck.
The disciple’s breath immediately hitched. His hands fruitlessly tried to pry Fang Xuan’s foot away, his eyes filled with terror and supplication. But due to the intense pain in his shoulder and his restricted throat, he couldn’t form coherent sounds, only gasping for air.
Everyone around was terrified by this scene. This new direct disciple, though young and remarkably handsome, was shockingly ruthless and decisive! He was practically... a demon!
Finally, a disciple nearby, trembling uncontrollably, couldn't bear the pressure and stammered, “It... it was Senior Sister Shen...”
“Senior Sister Shen Qingqing told us this morning... She said, she said Senior Brother Fang... you and Senior Sister Ning Xian met secretly, and also... also used crude language...”
Fang Xuan’s foot paused slightly, then he eased his foot. He looked around, then sharply declared, “Did you hear that?”
The surrounding disciples continued to keep their heads down, not daring to respond, secretly thinking that the pure and untainted Senior Sister Shen was actually this kind of person.
Fang Xuan’s gaze returned to the disciple’s face at his feet, and he slowly added, “And, it wasn’t Qingyun Sect’s rules that spared you today.”
“It was I—Fang Xuan.”
“I’ll... I’ll remember... Thank you, Senior Brother Fang, for sparing my life! Thank you, Senior Brother Fang!” The disciple, enduring the intense pain, scrambled to his feet. Without daring to look back, he stumbled towards the Medical Hall down the mountain, fearing that Fang Xuan might change his mind if he was slow.
The other disciples buried their heads even lower, wishing they could disappear on the spot.
Fang Xuan didn't spare them another glance. He straightened his clothes.
He continued to walk unhurriedly towards the main hall at the top of the mountain.
The mountain breeze blew, carrying the faint chime of distant bells.
The cultivating disciples had long since fallen silent, clearing the path and watching the tall, yet somewhat cold, figure vanish into the distance.
Only after he had gone far did the oppressive atmosphere slowly dissipate from the fork in the road.
The disciples exchanged lingering fearful glances, seeing the same dread reflected in each other’s eyes.
“That Senior Brother Fang is not to be trifled with.”
“Senior Sister Shen... she’s probably run into a brick wall this time.”
“Come on, let’s go. We better not gossip again...”
Fang Xuan could faintly hear the murmuring discussions behind him. It seemed the effect of establishing his authority was initially achieved.
As for Shen Qingqing... he’d keep this debt in mind for now. When the right opportunity arose, he would settle it with interest. For now, dealing with the discipleship ceremony was more important.
Rate on N.U.
