The Path Toward Heaven

Liu Shisui planted a few green bamboos outside the Immortal Bai’s manor cave back then, which looked marvelous.

Nobody knew that he planted those bamboos for the purpose of repairing the bamboo chair for a certain person someday.

He came to Shenmo Peak once for repairing the bamboo chair. He had forgotten the scenery and objects on the peak after so many years. Everything looked unfamiliar now.

In the forests on both sides of the mountain path, he could hear the cheerful screams of the monkeys and saw fast-moving dark shadows once in a while.

Xiao He appeared quite nervous, and she was startled after seeing a few objects flying out of the forest.

In the next moment, she found that those objects falling on Liu Shisui were a fresh flower and some fruits.

She asked Liu Shisui in surprise, “Does this…mean they welcome you here?”

Liu Shisui inserted the flower on his cloth and gave one of the fruits to Xiao He. “Seems to be the case,” he said.

After they had finished eating the fruits, washed their hands thoroughly in the stream by the mountain path, and straightened their clothes, they climbed up the last section of stone steps.

The stone steps rose above the fog, and at the end of the steps one could see the top of the peak. There was a bamboo chair by the cliff’s edge. The bamboo chair was quite worn-out and old, and its legs were damaged due to the usage, so the chair appeared uneven.

Seeing the man on the bamboo chair, looking unbelievably handsome, Xiao He grew even more nervous. She prostrated on the ground to bow to Jing Jiu even before being told to do so by Liu Shisui.

Lying on the bamboo chair, Jing Jiu held a grain of sand in his hand, gazing at the ceramic plate, and didn’t respond to the footsteps. He didn’t spin his head around until he placed the grain of sand on the ceramic plate.

Liu Shisui gestured for Xiao He to stay in the same spot, and then walked over to the cliff’s edge.

Xiao He got up, and looked at the nearby Daoist building, feeling excited.

Was this the manor cave of the Immortal Jing Yang? The Immortal Jing Yang was the only one who had successfully ascended in the past one thousand years. As such, everybody, including those from the devil race and the Underworld, regardless of whether their sects belonged to the orthodox or deviant camps, looked upon this manor cave as a sacred place. Who didn’t want to come here to get in touch with the immortal energy?

Liu Shisui came to the cliff’s edge, stood by the bamboo chair. “Young Master, I’m back,” he said plainly, without too much emotional revelation.

Jing Jiu didn’t have any intention of exchanging pleasantries, so he asked directly, “Ten years is a short time, but many things have happened. Have you changed your idea by now?”

Liu Shisui understood what he meant, remaining silent for a long time.

It was quiet on the peak top, and the ocean of clouds amid the cliffs didn’t move.

Innumerable scenes appeared on the ocean of clouds, and then disappeared.

Liu Shisui recalled many things that had happened in the past ten years, including the boiling hot Devil Pill, the icy cold Sword Jail, the sufferings, the killings by the Old Ones which he couldn’t prevent even though he would have liked to, the blame he had to endure, the people dying right in front of him, and the mountain that had fallen into the ocean.

If he could start over, would he make the same choice?

Liu Shisui pulled back his gaze and fixed it on Jing Jiu. “Since someone has to do this sort of thing, I think I would do it again,” he said calmly and firmly.

Jing Jiu didn’t reveal a satisfactory emotion, let alone the appreciative expression; but he didn’t get angry either. “As long as one can take responsibility for the consequences, one can make any kind of choice. Whether the choice is right or wrong is less important,” Jing Jiu said evenly.

Liu Shisui said, “I understand.”

This was a calm and uninteresting conversation for having not seen each other for so many years

Seeing this scene, Xiao He felt quite uncomfortable and uneasy, because the relationship between Jing Jiu and Liu Shisui appeared to be less than warm.

It was because she didn’t know how these two got along with each other; to put it more accurately, she didn’t understand Jing Jiu as well as Liu Shisui did.

Jing Jiu was not good at expressing his care about someone through language.

He thought it was unnecessary to display a strong emotion, so he was emotionless, seemingly detached.

It was good enough to speak out no matter what topics were involved; it would be ridiculous to speak emotionally while crying and full of tears.

There was no way Liu Shisui would misunderstand Jing Jiu. Thinking of the jasmine flower and the small sharp sword, he felt very grateful, and also moved.

But, he knew that Jing Jiu didn’t like seeing this kind of emotion, so he had to suppress his feelings of appreciation.

Liu Shisui took off the smooth and bright bracelet from his wrist and handed it to Jing Jiu.

Jing Jiu didn’t take it, saying, “Since I’ve given it to you, it’s yours now.”

Liu Shisui knew this sword had a very high state even though it looked ordinary. It was truly a sword of the Fairy State. So he was unwilling to accept the gift, saying, “In my current Cultivation state, I can’t even employ one percent of its actual power. It’s a waste to let it stay with me.”

The bracelet quivered slightly as it made a buzzing sound, indicating its agreement, and it showed an eagerness to return to Jing Jiu.

As far as the sword was concerned, Jing Jiu was the only one in the entire Chaotian who was qualified to command it.

“If you think it’s a waste to use it, then you should try to improve your Cultivation state as quickly as possible instead of getting rid of it. This is a cowardly idea, not a thought the disciples of the Green Mountain should have.”

Glancing at Liu Shisui twice, Jing Jiu found his energy was terribly mixed, and said, “Your cultivation has been terrible for the past years. You should be careful now.”

Hearing this from the distance, Xiao He was startled…and also unconvinced.

She knew that Liu Shisui had defeated Tong Lu on the Chaotic Rocks of the West Ocean, and Jing Jiu’s Cultivation state wasn’t even as high as Liu Shisui’s; what made him be qualified to evaluate Liu Shisui like this?

“I have also found my cultivation is indeed problematic.”

Liu Shisui didn’t know what was on Xiao He’s mind, and he added sincerely, “Young Master, please guide me.”

Back when he ate the Devil Pill, he had generated the devil fire; then he learned the secret methods of the Bloody Demon Sect, and the sword style of the West Ocean for a while with Xiwang Sun. As such, the styles he had learned were immensely mixed, so his energies were also mixed, which would cause conflicts within his system, affecting his Cultivation.

Jing Jiu asked some questions about his physical condition, and Liu Shisui answered those questions honestly, without any concealment. Then Liu Shisui brought up the issues he had regarding the Cultivation, to which Jing Jiu offered some solutions casually, but Liu Shisui found them very helpful.

The exchange reminded Liu Shisui of the time when they were in the small village many years ago.

Jing Jiu said, “The best way to solve the problem of mixed energies in your body in the shortest time is for you to stay on Sword Peak for a few years.”

The Tempered Body of Sword Will was an extremely dangerous Cultivation method, but Liu Shisui agreed to it without a second thought. He thought that his Young Master would not harm him in any way, and besides, Zhao Layue had already done it back then.

Thinking of Zhao Layue, Liu Shisui wanted to see her.

Back when they fought Luo Huainan in Guiyun City, he and Zhao Layue didn’t talk to each other the entire time, but they had the perfect cooperation. It felt great to have such trust and collaboration.

“She has something else to do.”

Jing Jiu’s answer didn’t show any sincerity, so anybody could tell that it was just an excuse.

So there was nothing Liu Shisui could do about it. He glanced at Xiao He in the distance, and said, “I intended to bring her with me to the Green Mountain, but it seems that some big brothers don’t like the idea.”

Xiao He was the mole Jing Jiu placed in the Old Ones.

The person she was expected to help was Liu Shisui.

Now that Liu Shisui couldn’t solve the problem, he had no choice but to ask for Jing Jiu’s help.

Jing Jiu glanced at Xiao He sideways, and said, “I’ll take care of it.”

Xiao He suddenly felt cold throughout her entire body, and stunned, wondering why this person was so terrifying even though he had an obviously ordinary Cultivation state.

Since Jing Jiu said that he would take care of the matter, Liu Shisui had nothing to worry about. All of a sudden, Liu Shisui remembered that rumor, so he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Young Master, how are you going to take care of that matter?”

“What matter?” Jing Jiu asked.

Liu Shisui intended to tell him the rumor, but said instead, “Bai Zao of the Center Sect has come to the Green Mountain.”

Jing Jiu thought he had guessed what was on Liu Shisui’s mind, saying, “She’ll come here to visit us tomorrow, and I have already agreed to meet her. Don’t worry, since I know something about the courtesy of the common folk.”

Liu Shisui was speechless, thinking that this had nothing to do with the courtesy; Young Master, you don’t understand anything about this kind of matter at all.

…