The Path Toward Heaven

If one didn’t understand certain things, then they would never understand them. Jing Jiu would be unable to learn how to deal with this sort of thing for the rest of his life, forget about doing it in nine days.

After Liu Shisui thought about it, he gave up the idea of helping his Young Master on the matter. As he was to leave the peak, he told Jing Jiu one more thing.

“It seems that the masters of the inner gate have something to ask me.”

Liu Shisui continued while looking in Jing Jiu’s eyes, “There were so many things that had happened over the years. But I think they want to ask me things that they didn’t know about until now. What should I do then?”

In truth, Liu Shisui wasn’t even certain whether they would ask him about that event.

He had hidden it deeply in his heart for many years. When Big Brother Jian Ruyun mentioned it, he felt uneasy again.

Jing Jiu knew the event.

He was actually the only one who knew it.

Jing Jiu told Liu Shisui, “No need to think about it in advance. Just deal with it when it happens.”

After some thought, Liu Shisui found that his Young Master was still as rational as before, so he didn’t say anything more. He turned around and left the peak top with Xiao He.

As they walked in the thick forest, the monkeys were suddenly nowhere to be found; Xiao He felt even more anxious now.

She didn’t know what Liu Shisui and Jing Jiu had talked about, or what arrangement they had made for her.

In the middle of the cliff a thousand feet below, the forest grew even thicker where there was a wooden cabin by the mountain path.

The monkeys squatted on the trees around the wooden cabin, and they looked like big fruits on those trees. They kept on scratching their ears and chins, appearing very pleased.

It happened that they had been waiting here to meet them.

Gu Qing and Yuan Qü stood in front of the cabin. It was obvious that they were waiting for them here.

Liu Shisui and Xiao He were welcomed and led to the wooden cabin.

Gu Qing boiled tea within the iron kettle, and Yuan Qü poured it to the bowls and handed them to the two of them.

The warm fog was swirling around, and then disturbed a little by the gentle breeze. No monkeys made noise, safe for the chirping of the birds.

It seemed that living on the cliff could add a tinge of fairy aura to the dweller.

Gu Qing introduced, “His name is Yuan Qü, learning the sword work with the Peak Master. You two should have met at the South-Pine Pavilion.”

Yuan Qü got up and bowed, “Greetings, Big Brother Liu.”

Liu Shisui introduced, “She is Xiao He. You should have heard of her.”

Gu Qing said with a smile, “Who doesn’t know Xiao He of Yin City? But I didn’t know she was coming to Green Mountain…”

Xiao He gave a sweet smile, but didn’t say anything, appearing elegant and well-mannered.

Liu Shisui knew Gu Qing before.

He was the sword servant on Liangwang Peak, and now the principal disciple of Shenmo Peak.

As Gu Qing talked to Xiao He, he displayed a well composed aura, very admirable.

Seeing this scene, Liu Shisui suddenly remembered what Bai Zao had said in the Sword-Washing Hall, and then fixed his gaze on the iron kettle.

The iron kettle on a small stove gave out a snoring like sound, as if a cat felt sentimental about its good life.

Liu Shisui mused that it would be he who had been boiling tea for Young Master on Shenmo Peak if he had left the South-Pine Pavilion two years later than he did.

Liu Shisui thought of it in silence, but he was brought back by Gu Qing’s inquiry.

Gu Qing asked, “Big Brother, what arrangement have you made for Xiao He?”

Liu Shisui replied, “Young Master agreed to help.”

Gu Qing said calmly, “That’s good. I think Xiao He should stay on Shenmo Peak for a while first.”

Xiao He looked at Liu Shisui uneasily. It had been many years since Liu Shisui left Green Mountain. He must have many affairs to attend to, no matter whether it was Tianguang Peak or his status as a disciple of Liangwang Peak, so he wouldn’t be able to come to Shenmo Peak very often.

Now that she had to stay on this unfamiliar Shenmo Peak alone, she had no choice but to face that terrifying immortal master Jing Jiu more often than not. The idea scared her tremendously.

Liu Shisui felt surprised, but he soon guessed the reason from Gu Qing’s expression. “Then, I thank you for your help,” he said without hesitation.

He knew Gu Qing very well, and the resources the Gu Clan had on Green Mountain. So Gu Qing must have obtained certain information as he offered such a suggestion.

Having drunk the tea in the bowl, Liu Shisui got up to bid his farewell, walking down the cliff without even looking at the distressed Xiao He.

The monkeys screamed outside the wooden cabin, and their sounds grew distant, indicating that they saw Liu Shisui off.

Xiao He sat in the chair calmly as if nothing had happened, her expression devoid of any depression.

Like those monkeys, she was well aware of whom she should be concerned about.

If she could gain Liu Shisui’s affection, she would be safe and sound. As far as the rest of them were concerned, she wouldn’t dare confront the likes of Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue, and Gu Qing and Yuan Qü might be the competitors of Liu Shisui. So all she needed to do was treat them with adequate courtesy; it would be awkward and unhelpful to be too concerned about these two.

Seeing the appreciative expression in her eyes, Gu Qing shook his head with a bit of seeming regret.

“What advice does immortal master Gu have for me?” Xiao He asked with a smile.

Gu Qing said, “I saw someone of your race back in the royal palace in Zhaoge City. Her Cultivation state might not be as high as yours, but her status is obviously much higher than yours.”

Xiao He of course knew who the person of her own race was in the royal palace in Zhaoge City.

For the race of the devil vixens, Royal Concubine Hu was someone they admired and worshiped most.

What Gu Qing said seemed contradictory, but it was actually very easy to understand, especially for a smart devil vixen.

In Gu Qing’s statement, the former referred to the Cultivation state or the ability to kill others, and the latter referred to the true ability of the vixen race. Xiao He was not convinced, but her countenance didn’t change at all. “Since the Royal Concubine could win the Emperor’s favor and gave birth to a prince, how can I compare myself to her good fortune?”

This statement indicated that the status and power Royal Concubine Hu had were utterly due to the fortune she had.

Gu Qing thought that it was still unknown whether this prince could bring her good fortune or bad luck, but he wouldn’t talk to Xiao He about it. Yet, he reminded Xiao He, “The reason the Royal Concubine could gain the Emperor’s favor is because of one important thing, and that is ‘sincerity’.”

Hearing this, Xiao He was taken aback a little. Then she suddenly said, “You didn’t boil the tea correctly.”

It was Gu Qing’s turn to be taken aback. He had been boiling tea for many years on Shenmo Peak, even though he didn’t do it too often; but, the masters Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue had never criticized his boiled tea.

He turned to Yuan Qü, hoping to get an impartial assessment.

After some hesitation, Yuan Qü said, “It seems that the two masters don’t know anything about boiling tea.”

This statement was very clear.

Xiao He continued, “The iron kettle of Dongyi Dao can’t be used to boil Maojian Tea. It would be better if you used it to cook meats.”

Yuan Qü said after some hesitation, “Xiao He, being ‘sincere’ doesn’t mean you should say whatever is on your mind. You can choose not to tell lies or not to speak…”

…

…

Guo Nanshan and the others had been waiting at the foot of Shenmo Peak. They were surprised when they found that Xiao He didn’t come down with Liu Shisui.

Jian Ruyun arched his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything.

“Let’s go to Tianguang Peak first,” Guo Nanshan said.

Liu Shisui asked, “Are we going to meet the Immortal Sect Master?”

Guo Nanshan said, “My Master is talking to the guests from the Center Sect right now. But Senior Master Bai is waiting for you.”

Liu Shisui remained silent.

Guo Nanshan knew what he was thinking about. “Senior Master Bai didn’t know our secret back then, so he treated you harshly; but he felt sorry for the way he treated you later on, and I believe that he’ll treat you much better in the future.” He tried to comfort Liu Shisui.

Bai Rujing was an elder of Tianguang Peak in the Broken Sea State, Liu Shisui’s Master.

Yet, too many things had happened between the two of them afterwards.

“Did Fourth Big Brother say you had something to talk to me about?” Liu Shisui asked Jian Ruyun.

“Like I said, those are trivial matters.”

Gu Han patted his shoulder and said, “No matter what, Senior Master Bai is your Master.”

On Tianguang Peak, a distant and quiet manor cave was surrounded by many green bamboos.

Many years later, the green bamboos had increased in number tremendously.

The wild bamboos were really vigorous.

But, these bamboos looked a bit disordered, indicating that nobody had been taking care of them.

Guo Nanshan and the others stood outside the manor cave, waiting. Seeing the large amount of green bamboos, they felt sentimental.

Suddenly, they could hear the fierce arguments in the manor cave.

The expressions on Guo Nanshan and the others’ faces changed a bit.