The Path Toward Heaven

Chiyan smiled bitterly; he knew full well that the people Brother hated the most were that very kind, refusing to show them any kind of respect, even when the name of the Master Uncle was mentioned. So Chiyan changed the topic, saying, “I thought they would ask about the occurrence on Bihu Peak at today’s Peak Meeting.”

Yuan Qijing sneered. “Our brother the Sect Master didn’t allow it, so who would dare ask?”

“Even if it weren’t allowed, an answer is warranted,” Chiyan said with some uneasiness.

“We just say Brother Lei was injured when ambushed by the joined forces of the Old Ones and the Underworld at Zhaoge City and is recuperating right now,” Yuan Qijing said.

Chiyan nodded, remaining quiet.

Of course, he knew that this was far from the truth.

Lei Poyun, Peak Master of Bihu Peak, had in fact gone mad.

He had gone mad by the time he was sent here from Tianguang Peak.

Yuan Qijing walked into the deep part of the cave manor and stopped at a well.

Nobody knew how many thousands of yards there were between the top of the Shangde Peak and the ground, but even if water existed between these cliffs, it would have been too deep to draw it from there.

It was truly a strange thing to have a well there.

It was very dark at the mouth of the well, and no one knew how deep the thing was.

Only those high-ranking masters at the Green Mountain Sect knew about this well, which led to the Sword Jail under the ground.

Demons no one wanted to face and traitors were locked up in the Sword Jail.

An ear-piercing yell came up from the bottom of the dark well.

Given how faint the voice was, it should have come from far away, but it was quite obvious that there was an insane and dangerous caveat in its tone.

“Even if not one, what about two?!!!”

The voice was extremely resentful, like the weeping from ghost that would make anyone who heard it shiver.

Chiyan had already entered the State of Free Travel many years ago, and could be called the Immortal Swordsman, and still his face turned pale upon hearing that voice.

Perhaps it was because of this madman in the deepest part of the Sword Jail from not long ago, or the high-ranking Master of Bihu Peak at the Green Mountain Sect?

“What should we do? At the very least, we can’t lock Master Lei in here forever. He’s always yelled the same words, but we have no idea what they mean; how can we check it out?”

“Why not lock him up all the time? No matter the source of his madness, or whether he had been mad before he attacked, it was an act of disrespect toward the Sect Master, and so he should be locked up. Period.”

Yuan Qijing looked at the bottom of the well, listening to that howling cry, an expression of great unease forming on his face.

“If not one, then two!”

“If not one, then two!”

Chiyan didn’t quite understand what that was supposed to mean.

To be honest, few people at the whole Green Mountain Sect could understand what that cry meant.

He could understand.

He even knew that Lei Poyun probably became mad because of these words.

But why would the Sect Master let him go mad instead of just letting him die. Dead men told no tales, regardless of whether they were truth or lies.

So why was he sent here at the Shangde Peak by the Sect Master? Was it really because the gods loved all those that lived? Or…

How do you mean to test me by sending this madman?

…

…

Jing Jiu touched the still slightly hot bracelet and walked into a quiet small building.

This small building was located behind the South Pine Pavilion. He trekked about two miles on the mountain path, and suddenly saw the appearance of a building that looked like a barricade that separated the two worlds.

He knew why the bracelet felt so hot; it was because the pictures of its previous masters resided in this building.

This building held the pictures of the sect masters and other important masters of all generations at the Green Mountain Sect.

Liangwang Peak was the one that represented the Green Mountain Sect when wars were raged against the outsiders, the peak that had seen the most bloodshed, giving its peak masters of each generation qualification as important masters.

The immortal practitioners were usually long-lived, though most of the peak masters of Liangwang Peak perished in the wars, and there were only seven pictures here.

Guided by the bracelet, Jing Jiu looked over all seven pictures, but didn’t pay much attention to each generation’s sect master though they were placed in the more apparent spots.

Walking to the end of the hallway, he stopped in front of a picture that still looked new like it had been hung up only recently.

It’s the picture of the Immortal Jingyang.

Jing Jiu looked quietly at the face in the picture, which at times seemed real and yet like an illusion. After a long while, he said, “I almost forgot what you looked like.”

Walking out of the building, he left the mortal world behind and stepped into the Green Mountain Sect.

Jing Jiu lifted his head and found the other peaks of the Green Mountain all hidden away, only the nine tallest peaks shooting up toward heaven.

Yet there was no movement in the clouds, which stool still, acting like cover given by an umbrella, the thinnest part of the clouds like a piece of paper; it’s beauty was beyond description.

Master Lü was waiting outside the building, smiling when seeing Jing Jiu seemingly thinking about something, and thought that at last, this youth showed some reaction.

Then he recalled the time when he first saw the nine peaks after being admitted to the inner sect, feeling the same kind of amazement and awe, a hint of sentimentality tugging at his heart.

Over the last few years, he tried but failed to enter the State of Free Travel. Since all life has its limits and the outlook was unclear, he had to leave the nine peaks to become a training master for the external disciples.

If he hadn’t had the chance to hear the news and then went to the places around the Yunji Township, seeking in patience before finally finding Liu Shisui and Jing Jiu in that small village, he probably would have spent the rest of his life at the South Pine Pavilion. But it was different now; he was rewarded with magic pills due to his contribution, and was able to return to Shangde Peak to continue his Cultivation. One never knew; maybe one day he could even reach the State of Free Travel.

“Brother Jing, what is on your mind?” Lü asked with a grin.

As long as they were in the inner sect, they had to call each other Brothers, because they were the disciples of the third generation; as far as the master and disciple relationship was concerned, it would be decided after the Inherited Sword Competition.

Of course, you had to be recognized and accepted by a Grandmaster on one of those peaks.

Master Lü was from Shangde Peak, so he hoped Jing Jiu could also go to Shangde Peak for cultivation.

“The Immortal Jingyang merely ascended to heaven instead of actually dying, so why is his picture hanging in the building,” Jing Jiu asked.

Master Lü was quite stunned. He hadn’t thought that he would ask such a question, and thought Brother Jing wasn’t the same as everybody else, as the other disciples who had been to the building only paid their respect to the masters of previous generations. Who would have thought to ask this question?

He couldn’t answer this question. He only managed a wry smile, but said seriously, “I will go back to the peak to practice behind closed doors. I don’t know when we will meet again. Take care, Brother.”

“I don’t think you’re going to have any problem with that.”

Master Lü smiled wryly again, musing, Brother Jing really is an interesting person.

…

…

A stream flowed across the nine peaks, around which all kinds of buildings were spread out, including small courtyards or high-rising buildings, with more cave manors located halfway up the peaks.

Before the triennial Inherited Sword Competition, all the young disciples admitted to the inner sect would practice their sword methods here.

Perhaps because disciples often washed their swords here, or for some other reason, this stream was called Stream of Sword Washing.

As a result, the period during which disciples practice Cultivation was called the Washing of the Swords.

Once here, the disciples had to pass the states of Knowledge Integration and Perfect Preservation to reach the third level, the Big Realm, afterward obtaining what was needed to participate in the Inherited Sword Competition.

If chosen by a master of a peak at the competition, that disciple would become his personal disciple, and receive the true Sword Methods from Green Mountain Sect.

Of course, the disciples could also choose to sign up for going to Liangwang Peak, though only if those arrogant Brothers on the peak bothered to award them a glance.

Liangwang Peak held a special position at the Green Mountain Sect.

This peak had neither inheritance nor teachers, but the disciples on this peak could receive the most patient and restrictive education and training from all the masters of the nine peaks.

This was because Liangwang was the Sword of the Green Mountain Sect.

Besides Cultivation, the most important thing for the disciples on this peak was to represent the Green Mountain Sect in wars waged against the outside world, fighting those atrocious demons and the strongmen of the Underworld.

Of course, it was very dangerous to be a disciple of the Liangwang Peak, but on the other hand, one progressed tremendously in those fights.

More importantly, it was a great honor.

If a disciple, no matter how hard he practiced by the Stream of Washing Swords, couldn’t pass those two states and participate in the Inherited Sword Competition and be chosen as a personal disciple, then what?

This situation rarely happened, but it didn’t mean that it never happened.

When Jing Jiu came to the stream to meet the master from Xilai Peak, the first thing he heard was this question.

After some careful thoughts, he said, “I’ve never thought about it.”

He really never thought about it, yet this answer appeared somewhat arrogant when heard by others.

But the master didn’t get angry, merely laughing and patting Jing Jiu’s shoulder, saying, “No wonder you are Jing Jiu; the answer is simply perfect.”

…