The Path Toward Heaven

The verbal exchanges sounded incoherent, the seemingly sharp comments were simply the sparing of words.

The young man in embroidered cloths didn’t introduce himself when asking Zhao Layue “Are you from the Green Mountain Sect”, with an indifferent expression, behaving in an impolite way.

Zhao Layue glanced at Jing Jiu, wondering how he would react to this.

The middle-aged woman had guessed the identity of this young man based on the conversation between him and Royal Concubine Hu and felt shocked. The young girl Se Se felt uneasy as well.

The young man in embroidered cloths had indeed a noble status, so his indifferent attitude toward the Green Mountain Sect was understandable.

The current Emperor trusted the Fruit Formation Temple the most, and the relationship between the royal family and the Center Sect was the closest.

The Green Mountain Sect, who was as famous as the Center Sect and had contended for the leadership of the orthodox sects for over a thousand years, was nigh impossible to be favored by the royal family members. Especially for this young man in embroidered cloths, if he wanted to get support from the Center Sect, he had to express his position unmistakably anytime and anywhere.

These reasons were understandable.

Jing Jiu knew about this, but he wasn’t concerned about the politics involved because he didn’t care about this young man’s identity at all.

Jing Jiu’s attitude was even more evident than that young man’s.

Jing Jiu only talked to the young girl and asked her name, ignoring the young man in embroidered cloths completely.

This was the total indifference.

The young man narrowed his eyes, without saying anything else.

The sudden silence was very unsettling.

Especially for Se Se, as she liked noisy environments.

More importantly, she thought Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue still didn’t know the identity of the young man in embroidered cloths, worrying about the foreboding event.

The young girl took out two small bells abruptly and handed them to Zhao Layue, saying, “I have made a great effort to get these two bells.”

These were the gifts she promised Zhao Layue and Jing Jiu when she was to leave the Green Mountain Sect after the Inherited Sword Competition.

The heart-cleansing bell was unparalleled in this world. And she was the daughter of the Sect Master, so the bells she acquired through hard effort had to be unusual.

These two small bells were free of any scrape, delicately crafted, and utterly transparent, dispersing a faint glint; anyone would feel peaceful and pleasant once taking a brief glimpse of them.

Royal Concubine Hu even felt a little envious of these gifts. The young man in embroidered cloths had changed his expression slightly.

His identity was very noble. On his ankle, since his birth, was tied a bell given by the Hanging-bell Sect, to prevent bad luck and protect his heart.

The two bells the young girl presented were similar in quality to his own.

But, how could Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue enjoy the same status as his?

Even though the Hanging-bell Sect and the Green Mountain Sect had been on good terms for generations, it was impossible for the old master to let her grand-daughter give away such valuable treasures. This young girl had to be out of her mind!

Zhao Layue took over the gifts and thanked her by nodding, then said, “The sword I promised you has not been found yet. You will have to wait a little longer.”

Se Se waved her hand to indicate that she wasn’t concerned; next she turned and looked at Jing Jiu, showing a delighted smile on her small face.

“You are different from Big Sister Zhao. I feel shortchanged by giving you this bell, unless you give me something more save for the thing you promised me before.”

Only a young girl could do such a thing, asking for payback right after giving a gift.

Strangely, Jing Jiu thought this behavior was quite normal; so he thought about it very hard.

He still had many precious medicines and magic relics, but he needed them for the time when he would break through the state later. He also needed some for Liu Shisui and Zhao Layue in the future, and a good one for Gu Qing. Now the Youth Yuan had been added to the Shenmo Peak, and the little Yushan might come back to the peak. So the ninth peak would have many more disciples in need of those medicines and treasures. As for the Cultivation methods, he could still remember many, even two remaining scripts left by the Zen Founder of the Fruit Formation Temple; but the young girl was for sure to practice the methods of the Hanging-bell Sect. Besides, giving out these scripts would cause a lot trouble.

Then, Jing Jiu thought out a simple and practical gift.

“I can help you do one thing,” said Jing Jiu while looking at the young girl.

The young girl couldn’t quite understand what he meant as she asked, “What thing?”

Jing Jiu replied, “You think about it on your own. When you need me to do it, just tell me.”

Having heard this, Zhao Layue shot a glance at Jing Jiu, feeling startled.

She knew full well that Jing Jiu was a natural Cultivation practitioner who didn’t want to invest emotionally in the world; in other words, he wasn’t willing to have any connection with anyone in the world.

But he offered such a promise… no matter what that thing would be, it was an important moment.

The young girl didn’t think too much about Jing Jiu’s offer at first; but she realized by seeing Zhao Layue’s expression that she had had a good deal, and she asked with the beaming eyes, “Can I ask you for any one thing?”

“Yes, anything,” Jing Jiu confirmed.

…

…

“Doing any one thing can also mean doing nothing at all.”

This voice came out from the quiet old nunnery.

The voice was deep and loud, yet it didn’t give the listeners any intimidating feeling, but a warm and comfortable feeling. The voice exuded a power of persuasion and influence.

Like the evening bell of an ancient temple.

A man walked out from the nunnery.

That man was tall and strongly built, with a peaceful eye expression that also displayed brave and decisive intents.

Royal Concubine Hu greeted the man with a light grin, being very friendly.

The middle-aged woman greeted him, showing enough reverence.

The tall man looked at the young girl and said mildly, “At least, you can’t ask him to do any evil deed, or anything against the morality of the immortal swordsmen, and you can’t ask him to harm himself.”

Se Se had guessed who he was, so she didn’t refute him, her eyes beaming vaguely.

“It’s just one thing, no need for such trouble,” Jing Jiu said.

The young man in embroidered cloths mocked, “Even if she asked you to kill yourself, would you do it?”

Jing Jiu stared into his eyes and said, “I’m not an idiot.”

The young man became somewhat upset after having heard Jing Jiu’s response, asking, “Why did you make this offer then?”

Jing Jiu said, “I can judge her request myself.”

The young man in embroidered cloths sneered, “One can find enough reasons to refuse the doing of anything. It is meaningless to offer her this promise.”

Jing Jiu said, “She will believe me because I trust her.”

“It makes some sense. Jing Jiu, you look good and sound good as well.”

The young girl Se Se praised Jing Jiu with the pressing palms, but she abruptly said helplessly, “It’s even more impossible to let you come to my home now, otherwise my grandma would kill you.”

The others couldn’t figure out what the young girl was talking about, but Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue understood. Back on the Green Mountain right after the Inherited Sword Competition the young girl mentioned the same thing.

She was worried that her grandma might kill Jing Jiu, considering her mother would fall in love with Jing Jiu.

“Your thinking is really water-tight, so you’re indeed the rumored Jing Jiu,” said the tall man while looking at Jing Jiu.

The others didn’t understand what this man meant by saying that.

Jing Jiu didn’t respond.

They finally understood what he meant after having heard his following words.

“Your generation is higher than Nanshan’s on the Green Mountain, and also Nanshan is broad-minded and forgiving; so he wouldn’t do anything to you even though you used some under-handed methods to have broken his sword.”

The tall man said while staring into Jing Jiu’s eyes, “However, I’m not as forgiving as Nanshan, and I have a straightforward temperament. If given a chance, I will break your sword to avenge him.”

On the Green Mountain, Jing Jiu was in the generation older than Guo Nanshan’s, but Jing Jiu wasn’t his elder.

The tall man’s tone was very peaceful, and even a bit mild, but it sounded rather believable, as if Jing Jiu’s sword had been broken already.

Zhao Layue shot a glare at him, a chilling glint flashing in her eyes.

That was a flash of the sword light.

The implication was simple and obvious, and there was no need for concealing her intent.

It was the combative and lethal intention.

Did you intend to break Jing Jiu’s sword?

Even though he was Luo Huainan, she would still want to kill him with a swing of her sword.