CH 8

A quarter of an hour later, the white Luan landed at the top of Zhongling Peak.

The environment here was very good. Spiritual power was abundant and full of vitality, just standing here was enough to make you feel at ease.

Bai Xuan jumped up and got off of the white Luan’s back. When she turned around to help her new shidi, she saw Chu Qi jump down gracefully.

“Nice, xiao-shidi. You really do have some of the flair of a swordsman. It’s a pity for you not to learn it.”

Bai Xuan praised him with a bit of regret in her tone.

It seemed like she yearned for the dao of the sword very much.

Thinking of what Elder Ming said, Chu Qi couldn’t help but ask, “Bai Xuan-shijie, don’t Tianxuan Sect medical cultivators also learn the basic sword forms?”

“We’re supposed to, but I’m too busy during the week and haven’t had enough free time for sword training.”

When it came to talking about sword training, Bai Xuan sighed and began sharing with Chu Qi the daily chores of medical cultivators.

“Our Zhongling Peak has a total of two mu1 of medicinal plant fields. Xiao-shidi, you should know that it takes a lot of time every day to take care of the herbs, and this is only if you were to pour spiritual water on them.”

“If you want to be like shifu, you also need to sort out the root systems of the spiritual plants. Doing that takes three days of meditation to recover from.”

“Not to mention, we still have to spend time refining medicine, reading medical books, and learning medical and spiritual skills!”

“Studying medicine is really going against the will of the Heavens, the road is long and full of obstructions. Back then, if I wasn’t the only one with an innate wood spiritual root, I wouldn’t have been kidnapped and sent to Zhongling Peak to study medicine.”

Chu Qi: “…”

That being said, he didn’t really want to tell Bai Xuan-shijie that Elder Ming proposed expanding the medical fields.

“By the way, I’ve already tidied up the courtyard you’ll be staying in. We don’t have handyman disciples on Zhongling Peak, since the spiritual plants we grow is precious and can’t be contaminated with the bloody qi on sword cultivator’s bodies, so xiao-shidi will have to be wronged and need to take care of your own food and daily necessities.”

Bai Xuan led Chu Qi to his residence.

It was an elegant and quiet courtyard with a few green bamboos. Half of the yard was taken up by a small spiritual field, convenient for planting some herbs. The other half was decorated with a stone table and stool, where you could drink tea and rest. Chu Qi was also surprised to find that there was a swing in the yard.

“Haha… I heard from Elder Ming that you were only ten years old this year, so I built a swing for you. I hope you like it.”

“Thank you, shijie. I like it very much.” It really was a blessing to be cared for by others so seriously.

“You’re welcome. I’m happy to finally have a shidi.” Bai Xuan said with a smile, “The robes of Tianxuan Sect medical disciples are in the closet in your room. After trying them on, we can adjust them based on your height. Tomorrow, you’ll need to wear them for the entrance ceremony.”

“Shifu, just dealt with the spiritual plant’s roots yesterday. He’s still not feeling well, so he won’t be coming by to greet you. He’s polite and easy-going, not hard to get along with.”

“I understand. From now on, I’ll help shifu and shijie with the spiritual plants.” Chu Qi nodded.

“Shidi, you are so good.”

Bai Xuan was very moved when she heard his words. Finally! Someone was willing to shoulder the important task of maintaining the spiritual plants with her!

Chu Qi: “It’s what I should do.”

Medical cultivators needed to deal with spiritual herbs in the first place, so it would be good to become more familiar with them.

Bai Xuan then told Chu Qi about the restricted areas on Zhongling Peak so he wouldn’t accidentally wander into them. After going through the trivial matters, Bai Xuan left. She still needed to take care of the spiritual plants today, so she didn’t have much time to chat with her xiao-shidi.

After Bai Xuan left, Chu Qi explored the courtyard.

The furnishings in the room were very elegant. Due to the abundance of wood spiritual power, there was a faint smell of grass and trees in the air, making the environment feel very peaceful.

Taking out his qiankun bag, Chu Qi arranged his things around the room.

Some clothes, a pile of storybooks, uhh… Yan Jiuge seems to have bought him snacks? Why so many? He hadn’t looked at it carefully before, but now that he was sorting through things, he found that the supply was enough to last him for a year.

He finished settling down at Zhongling Peak, and began to wonder what was happening with Yan Jiuge.

When he had first entered, the courtyard on Zaohua Peak was shared by four disciples, each with their own room.

In his last life, he and Yan Jiuge lived opposite each other. He wasn’t sure whether Yan Jiuge was living in the same courtyard this time… Ah, he’d just ask him tomorrow.

Chu Qi thought to himself.

—

Zaohua Peak.

Li Weiming was in charge of the five new sword cultivator shidi. 

“Juniors, please take a rest. Tomorrow morning will be the entrance ceremony. The ceremony will be held at Zizai Peak. I’ll come and pick you up when it’s time.” Liu Weiming said.

“If you juniors have no other questions, I will take my leave first.”

“Liu-shixiong.”

A clear voice called out to Liu Weiming. Following the sound, he found that the speaker was Yan Jiuge.

“How far is Zhongling Peak from here?” Yan Jiuge asked him.

“It takes three quarters of an hour for a sword cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage to get there, two quarters of an hour for someone at Core Formation, and a quarter of an hour for a Nascent Soul cultivator.” After thinking for a while, Liu Weiming roughly calculated the distance, “So to say, it’s quite far from here to Zhongling Peak.”

“With our lodgings, if I wanted to live with another disciple…”

Yan Jiuge had just expressed his idea when Liu Weiming said suddenly, “So you want to live with Chu-shidi.”

Yan Jiuge, who had been seen through, “…”

He didn’t even finish! Was it that obvious?

“I’m afraid it won’t work.” Liu Weiming shook his head and said, “Medical cultivators are different from us sword cultivators. They have to take care of the spiritual plants every day, and since we will inevitably be contaminated with bloody qi, our presence will affect the growth of the herbs.”

As Liu Weiming was speaking, he saw Yan-shidi’s eyes grow dim at first, but after he finished, Yan-shidi looked to be in a good mood. It was almost as if his previous appearance was Liu Weiming’s hallucination.

“I understand. Thank you, Liu-shixiong.”

So it was just that a sword cultivator’s bloody qi would affect the growth of the herbs. When he went to look for Ah-Qi, wouldn’t it be enough to just seal his qi?

That wouldn’t be too difficult.

Yan Jiuge thought casually.

—

The sun and moon switched places, and the day passed quickly.

The morning sun rose from the east, illuminating the entire land.

Today was Tianxuan Sect’s entrance ceremony that is held once every ten years. Unless there was some important matter in the sect they needed to take care of, all disciples under the Nascent Soul stage would go to Zizai Peak to watch. They were not allowed to be absent.

Bai Xuan was now in the middle of Nascent Soul stage, so she didn’t need to attend.

But, it was rare for Zhongling Peak to have a new disciple. As Chu Qi’s direct shijie, Bai Xuan naturally chose to attend.

For this reason, Bai Xuan specially tidied herself up today, putting the medicine bag she usually wore on her waist into her qiankun bag, and swapped it out for a majestic spiritual sword.

If any ignorant sword cultivator brat dared to bully her xiao-shidi, she would show them that her spiritual sword was no joke!

Creak–!

With a sound, the wooden door of the small courtyard was pushed open from the inside.

Hearing the movement from behind her, Bai Xuan turned around.

“Hey, shidi, today shijie— Wow! You look so pretty!”

Bai Xuan wanted to say hello, but in the middle of her sentence, her attention was grabbed by Chu Qi’s clothes.

Obviously, they were both wearing the same medical cultivator robes.

When they were worn by Bai Xuan, they made her look clean and dashing. But on Chu Qi, they made him look very delicate and well-behaved.

Especially with the silver leaf hair ornament that Bai Xuan had discarded from her own outfit. It adorned the hair above Chu Qi’s ears very naturally, as elegant and beautiful as an immortal child.

“Bai Xuan-shijie, my clothes don’t seem to be the same as yours. I don’t know If I took the wrong ones…” Chu Qi said hesitantly.

When he got dressed in his robes this morning, those complicated silver leaf ornaments made him look completely different from Bai Xuan’s simple and dashing style.

Even his hair was different. It wasn’t tied up into a high ponytail, but half of it was pulled back into a low ponytail, secured by the silver hair accessories, while the other half fell over his shoulders.

“It’s not wrong! Shidi, you are right to wear it like this! This is too pretty!”

Bai Xuan was full of praise.

At the beginning, she hated wearing the silver leaf accessories very much. There would always be clanging noises when she practiced the sword, which was very annoying, so Bai Xuan took them off.

As time passed, she no longer knew what it was like to wear a medical cultivator’s robes properly. It wasn’t until she saw Chu Qi that she remembered.

“This is what we Zhongling Peak medical cultivators should look like.” Bai Xuan nodded her head in approval, then shouted, “Shidi! Let’s go quickly. Shifu, is in seclusion again today, so I will take you to Zizai Peak.”

“Really… I’m wearing it right?” Chu Qi was still fiddling with the small silver leaves on his ears. He had never worn so many ornaments on his head in his life.

“You really are.” Bai Xuan found a suitable excuse for herself, “I wear mine like this because I’ll be going to the medicinal fields later to take care of the spiritual plants. I don’t have the accessories to make it easier to work, see? You’re different. Today, you’ll be attending the entrance ceremony, so you need to wear them all.”

“…Okay, okay ba.” Chu Qi could only nod in response.

Sitting on the white Luan’s back again, they quickly made their way towards Zizai Peak. 

The main peaks of Tianxuan Sect each had their own duties. Zizai Peak housed the Sect Head and Tianxuan Sect’s main hall. All important matters were discussed at Zizai Peak.

Zaohua Peak was where the sword cultivator disciples lived. 

Wenjian Peak was where disciples discussed swords and listened to lectures, although it was usually only the sword cultivators who went.

Yuxiu Peak was where the Library Pavilion, Lingqi Pavilion, and the Treasure Pavilion were located. It was also where disciples would go to receive assignments from the sect.

Zhongling Peak was the realm of the medical cultivators. It was in charge of Tianxuan Sect’s medical cultivation methods, its spiritual plants, and where the medical cultivators lived.

The white Luan flew for half an hour before reaching Zizai Peak.

Zhongling Peak was located deep inside of Tianxuan Sect, while the foot of Zizai Peak directly faced the mountain gate. The distance between the two peaks was quite far.

At this time, the sword cultivator disciples dressed in black and white robes were already standing in Zizai Peak’s square. The morning sun was shining, and their tall and straight figures were outlined on the white jade floor.

At the very front of the square, standing impressively, was a giant black iron sword, emitting an imposing aura. Beneath it, flowers grew all over the place. The two discordant energies of killing intent and vitality were surprisingly harmonious, achieving a mysterious equilibrium.

This was the restriction set by the founder of Tianxuan Sect, and it was also the pillar of the Tianxuan Sect of today.

According to the rules, new disciples stood in the center of the square. Those who were just spectating lined up behind them in a fan shape.

The entrance ceremony had yet to begin, but all the shixiong and shijie who had come to watch couldn’t help but look at this year’s juniors.

This time, there were only five new recruits! There had never been so few before!

However, they had heard from some of the disciples guarding the gate yesterday that this time, there was a medical cultivator-shidi as well.

They looked left and right, but no matter how they looked, these five juniors all looked like sword cultivators. Which one was the medical cultivator-shidi?

Just as everyone was getting busy speculating, the clear and sonorous cry of a white Luan came from the sky, attracting their attention.

They watched as the white Luan descended slowly, before landing firmly at the edge of Zizai Peak’s square. Once on the ground, the white Luan bent down gracefully to make it easier for the two figures on its back to come down.

Those people were dressed in dark green robes, which stood out sharply among the many black and white outfits in the crowd.

If it weren’t for the obvious Tianxuan Sect emblem emblazoned on their belts, everyone would have mistaken them for disciples of a foreign sect who had come to watch the ceremony.

You must understand that sword cultivators usually flew with their swords, while disciples who hadn’t yet established their foundation would take a leaf boat. They had never even seen a white Luan.

Tianxuan Sect disciples… Not wearing the robes of sword cultivators… Not flying on swords.

—!!! 

—Weren’t these those rumored, never-before-seen, fellow medical cultivators on Zhongling Peak?!

It was better to see it once than to hear about it a hundred times. They actually saw two medical cultivators at the same time today?

After getting over the initial shock, the sword cultivator disciples looked at the two of them in a daze.

Those who came to watch the ceremony were all the newest generation of sword cultivator disciples in Tianxuan Sect. This was the first time they saw Bai Xuan. Sword cultivators in Bai Xuan’s generation were also at the Nascent Soul stage, so they didn’t have to attend today’s ceremony.

Bai Xuan ignored the gazes of others, “Shidi, you’ll have to go stand in the middle of the square. Do you see those five sword cultivators? You just have to stand by them and wait for the Sect Head to start the entrance ceremony.”

She anxiously advised her xiao-shidi, and wasn’t relieved until she saw Chu Qi nodding.

“Go. Shijie will wait for you here.”

Later, she would bring her shidi back to Zhongling Peak with due haste.

Bai Xuan’s plan was so.

Separated from Bai Xuan, Chu Qi walked towards the center of the square. He came a little late, and it was inevitable that he would be scrutinized by the other disciples with their eyes or their divine sense.

If he had come a little sooner, it might not have been so embarrassing.

Chu Qi thought so, not knowing that the many sword cultivators that were watching him not because he was late, but because they were witnessing a rare sight not seen in a hundred years—

Tainxuan Sect had a new medical cultivator!

This year’s new recruits were really lucky to be able to be in the same generation as a medical cultivator. They themselves didn’t have such good treatment back then!

Many disciples watching the ceremony spontaneously felt a sense of envy in their hearts. Only mature sword cultivators who had suffered from injuries could truly understand how warm the healing skills of medical cultivators were.

Of course, this kind of experience that was shared between the sword cultivators and the medical cultivators of Tianxuan Sect was exceedingly rare.

Most of the younger sword cultivators would rely on their own body’s healing abilities to deal with their injuries, and pills for things that were more serious.

For example, the sword cultivator standing next to this medical cultivator-shidi, chose this moment to bluntly say, “Why did you get here so late? Did you oversleep again?”

Many of the sword cultivator disciples watching, hated that iron wouldn’t turn into steel, “…..”

Shidi! If you talk like this, you’ll never experience a medical cultivator’s healing skills!

“I didn’t oversleep. Zhongling Peak is just too far from Zizai Peak. It took half an hour for the white Luan to fly us here.”

To everyone’s surprise, the medical cultivator-shidi answered in a good-tempered manner.

—

After Chu Qi finished answering Yan Jiuge’s question, he noticed that the gazes falling on him only increased. He asked Yan Jiuge a little nervously, “Are my clothes too strange? Would it be better if I took off the silver headpiece?”

Yan Jiuge’s eyes were deep.

Just now, when Chu Qi was off in the distance, he had already sized him up. Now that he took a closer look, he saw that the tips of Chu Qi’s ears under the silver leaves were slightly red. In Chu Qi’s beautiful eyes, he found a cuteness that he had never seen before.

“It’s not strange. It suits you well.” Yan Jiuge’s tone was firm. He had thought that Chu Qi’s clothes were too plain before. These kinds of exquisite and beautiful accessories were more suited for him.

In the end, Yan Jiuge caught a glimpse of the anxiety in Chu Qi’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but add, “It looks good. I won’t lie to you.”

“Oh, okay.” Chu Qi was a little relieved. If Yan Jiuge’s prickly mouth said as much, there probably wasn’t any issue.

Maybe he was just too nervous.

Just as Chu Qi was feeling emotional, a loud bell suddenly sounded from the main hall in front of the square.

Dong—!

Majestic spiritual power rippled with each ring of the bell, one after another. It left people with an awe-inspiring feeling, and all of their disturbing thoughts were thrown away, leaving them with a moment of utmost clarity.

“The entrance ceremony has officially begun—!”

Elder Yang’s tone was imposing and solemn, and a dignified aura appeared in front of Chu Qi and the others.

They watched as the Tianxuan Sect Head stepped out of the main hall.

As the previous words fell, the Tianxuan Sect Head raised his hand. The natal spiritual sword at his waist had not been unsheathed, but he still brought out a sharp sword intent out of thin air.

The sword intent pierced into the black iron sword at the end of the square.

Layer upon layer of ancient restrictions were activated, and an astonishing aura erupted from the giant black iron sword. The sword’s intent pulsated, reaching straight to the Heavens.

Spiritual text composed of countless characters was projected by the black iron sword. The words that floated in the air were all the names of all the disciples that had ever been in Tianxuan Sect.

“The seven-hundred and sixty-first generation of Tianxuan Sect disciples have been entered into the ledger. Today, it is evidenced by the black iron sword that has been passed down from generation to generation. Disciples of Tianxuan Sect, from now on, may the dao be clear, may the heart be tough, may good and evil be distinct, and may you live up to the teachings of your ancestors who founded this sect.”

The Tianxuan Sect Head finished speaking, and his eyes fell upon the new disciples.

“Yan Jiuge.”

The boy dressed in black and white sword cultivator robes took a step forward, clasped his hands together, and said, “This disciple is here.”

“Are you willing to join my Tianxuan Sect?”

“This disciple is willing.”

“…”

Looking at Yan Jiuge’s figure, Chu Qi was suddenly brought back to that time in his last life when he and Yan Jiuge entered Tianxuan Sect together. Memories came flooding back, and now everything was starting over again.

“Chu Qi.”

Chu Qi came back to his senses, and also took a step forward, standing side by side with Yan Jiuge once more. He breathed a sigh of relief, and suppressing the emotion in his heart, he clasped his hands together and bowed, “This disciple is here.”

“Are you willing to join my Tianxuan Sect?”

“This disciple is willing.”

Although Chu Qi became one of Tianxuan Sect’s medical cultivators this time, things didn’t completely coincide with the events in his last life.

But in the future, it would be a blessing if he could accompany Yan Jiuge, witness his growth, and work on his own medical cultivation.

—

The translator has something to say:

[1] mu is a unit of area measurement, similar to an acre, that corresponds to 1/15th of a hectare or 666.67m2