CH 14

“Imperial Palace has no connection with Qing Ling Sect. Why would they send an envoy?”

“Immortal Shen has reached the Harmonization realm, and various factions have sent congratulatory gifts. Perhaps the Imperial Palace has similar intentions.”

“That’s impossible. The Emperor is a prestigious figure. Why would they care about a cultivator who has just entered the Harmonization realm and specially send someone?”

“Could it be for the internal grand competition in half a month?”

As Shen Liuxiang left Night Bright Peak, he heard disciples chatting along the way. He touched the jade pendant hanging on his chest. With this timing, it could really be because of him.

In the novel, the Emperor’s attitude towards this offspring who was lost in the outside world was unpredictable.

When Shen Liuxiang revealed his identity, it shocked the Three Realms. The people from the Imperial Palace were terrified. The Imperial Palace attached great importance to bloodline. The Emperor and Empress in the palace treated their descendants as rare treasures. Suddenly, there was this Shen Liuxiang, and everyone wondered who he was.

Later, Shen Liuxiang was brought back to the Imperial Palace, and everyone thought he would soar to the top and become a strong contender for the next Emperor. But within half a year, he was expelled.

He destroyed the Emperor’s lifebound artifact, causing him severe injuries, and he also let the Empress fall into the hands of the demonic clan, her life and death unknown. When people from the Imperial Palace saw him, they wished to tear him apart.

Especially Emperor Xingchen, his nominal younger brother. After taking control of the Imperial Palace, his first command was to kill Shen Liuxiang, leaving him with nowhere to escape in the Three Realms.

But they didn’t manage to kill him, and in a twist of fate, they ended up capturing Su Baiche and bringing him back to the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Xingchen had the intention of using the power of the Imperial Palace to snatch Su Baiche from the corrupted Zhou Xuanlan, but it ended in failure. Even the Imperial Palace, a sacred place that had stood tall in the Three Realms for millions of years, was destroyed.

When Shen Liuxiang saw that part about the Imperial Palace, he believed that the Emperor didn’t strike him down with a palm, demonstrating a father’s boundless love.

Shen Liuxiang felt a bit awkward.

He was originally an orphan, and now suddenly, there was this big family from the Imperial Palace. He didn’t know how to deal with it, but fortunately, he had no intention of revealing his identity. If he didn’t take the initiative to clarify, the Emperor wouldn’t bring him back.

As the sect’s grand competition approached, the atmosphere within the sect became solemn.

The grand competition was the most important event for disciples each year. On one hand, the rewards were abundant, and on the other hand, if one could stand out in the competition, they might be taken as disciples by the Immortal Elders and other high-ranking members. Everyone attached great importance to it.

Even the three personal disciples of the Immortal Elders were no exception, all striving for the top.

At noon, Shen Liuxiang sat in a pavilion, resting and feeling bored. He picked up two moist purple grapes, cleared his throat, and entertained himself.

“I am Liu Liu, Little Grape~”

“I am a Little Xiang, Grapevine~”

“Hehe, I’m Shen Shen, the little troublemaker, and now I’m going to eat you all.”

The grape was tossed into the air and fell into Shen Liuxiang’s mouth. He closed his eyes contentedly, resting his hand behind his head. By chance, he caught sight of a figure.

It was Zhou Xuanlan.

He had his head slightly lowered, and he seemed somewhat downcast. When he saw Shen Liuxiang, he didn’t react and simply returned to his room.

Normally, Zhou Xuanlan wouldn’t return to Chaoyun Peak until it was dark, so his behavior today was out of the ordinary. Shen Liuxiang furrowed his brow, pondering for a moment, and suddenly realized what had happened.

Zhou Xuanlan and Ling Mushi’s Ling Jinye had a good relationship. They often sparred in private. With the upcoming Sect Competition, they must have tested each other’s strength today. If nothing unexpected occurred, Zhou Xuanlan should have lost to Ling Mushi.

In the original work, the first time Su Baiche gained Zhou Xuanlan’s favor was right before the Sect Competition.

Under the guidance of Sect Master Lingye, Ling Mushi had made rapid progress. In preparation for the competition, he had learned a new spell that Zhou Xuanlan couldn’t decipher, leaving him feeling disheartened. Additionally, while the other two disciples had their respective masters’ careful guidance, Zhou Xuanlan had to rely on his own comprehension and work twice as hard to close the gap between them.

The hardships he endured could be imagined.

It was at this moment that Su Baiche appeared.

He patiently explained to him, tirelessly practiced the new spell with him day and night, and selflessly offered his assistance without asking for anything in return. Anyone would be moved by his actions!

Their relationship grew as a result during the subsequent competition that determined the top rankings.

Shen Liuxiang propped up his chin and stared at Zhou Xuanlan’s room. From noon until sunset, there was no sound coming from inside.

As the night wind passed through the pavilion, Shen Liuxiang shivered. After much hesitation, he finally got up and headed to Ye Ming Peak.

No… he couldn’t stand to see his disciple in such distress!

The little bit of cultivation in his head was all taught by Zhou Xuanlan. Since there was nothing he could teach in return, he had to go to Ye Ming Peak and learn from others.

“At the hour of Chou (1) tonight, you go to the Shang Bamboo Forest in the north and teach Zhou Xuanlan cultivation.”

Su Baiche took a sip of tea and said, “I don’t have time to teach a Foundation Establishment stage junior disciple.”

It was not easy to practice during the day where he would draw attention, so he could only practice late at night. He didn’t want to waste his time on someone useless.

Tong Xi said, “This is a good opportunity for you to get close to him.”

Su Baiche shrugged indifferently, “Tell me then, what benefits will I get from this?”

“Well, anyway…” Tong Xi trailed off ambiguously, “It won’t harm you to.”

Su Baiche sneered and said after a moment, “I’ll teach him tomorrow morning.”

Tong Xi hurriedly said, “No, tonight is the best time. I’ll pass on the spells that are most suitable for him to practice right now.”

“Saying tomorrow is the next day (2),” Su Baiche replied coldly.

Tong Xi became frustrated and helpless. “Fine, he’s still young, and no one cares about him anyway. No matter how much candy you give him, he’ll think it’s sweet. He’s easily fooled.”

At Zi Shi (3), with the moon hanging high, the night grew darker.

Zhou Xuanlan strapped on his sword and left Chaoyun Peak.

The sword technique that Ling Mu Mountain used to defeat him during the day seemed plain and unadorned, but its power was immense. When the sword struck, it felt as if one was surrounded by countless swords, with danger looming from all directions, making it difficult to find a way to resist.

The moonlight enveloped the bamboo forest, adding a sense of tranquility. A gust of night wind swept through, causing the bamboo shadows to sway.

Zhou Xuanlan wielded his sword, tirelessly practicing among the trees. The sword technique kept replaying in his mind as he tried to find the slightest flaw.

But like hitting a bottleneck, no matter what he did, there was no breakthrough.

Impatience caused problems within himself. His control over spiritual power was off, and with a swing of his sword, dozens of bamboo shoots collapsed, turning the surroundings into a flat ground.

Zhou Xuanlan stopped and a look of defeat and disappointment appeared in his eyes.

Continuing to practice would yield no results…

He sheathed his sword, ready to leave. At that moment, he heard movement coming from the fallen bamboo shoots in the distance.

Someone let out a soft “Ah.”

Zhou Xuanlan widened his eyes and saw a slender figure emerging from beneath the bamboo shoots. The person’s disheveled hair was tied up, covered in green bamboo leaves.

“…Master.”

With his hair disheveled by the branches, Shen Liuxiang untied his hair and walked toward the stunned Zhou Xuanlan.

He had just learned a move from his senior brother and couldn’t wait to teach his junior brother. However, he couldn’t find anyone at Chaoyun Peak or Jue Chun River. After using his spiritual sense to search for a while, he discovered some movement in Shang Bamboo Forest and hurriedly followed it.

But before he could get close, the bamboo shoots collapsed all around him.

Shen Liuxiang rubbed his wrist and said, “Why are you so surprised? Haven’t you seen your master before?”

At this time, the master came here…

Zhou Xuanlan’s mind was filled with conjectures, finding it hard to believe. His throat tightened slightly as he asked, “Why has Master come?”

“Naturally, I have come to teach you cultivation,” Shen Liuxiang coughed lightly, his hands behind his back, exuding an air of an esteemed expert. “You are my disciple. If you were to lose to someone during the grand competition, it would be a disgrace for me.”

Zhou Xuanlan remained silent for a long time, and as the bamboo leaves gently fell, he spoke up.

With his back turned towards him, Shen Liuxiang couldn’t see the expression on Zhou Xuanlan’s face but could hear the slight tremor in his voice, as if he sought some kind of affirmation, “Does Master truly consider me as a disciple?”

Shen Liuxiang’s heart inexplicably clenched.

In the novel, Zhou Xuanlan had no parents and survived by scavenging vegetable scraps in the bustling streets. People called him a beggar and chased him away with sticks. At the age of ten, he was accepted into the Qingling Sect and, through countless hardships in the initiation process, emerged as the number one among his peers, surpassing Tian Zhi, the prodigy of the sect. He had heard that the person ranked first would receive the best master, but evidently, it was not as he had wished.

“Of course, you are my disciple,” Shen Liuxiang paused and curved his lips gently. “One of a kind.”

He could empathize with that feeling. Having lived in the previous world for over twenty years, he found himself in this new world with no one to care for or worry about—like a drifting duckweed.

“The same goes for Master,” Zhou Xuanlan spoke deliberately, “One of a kind.”

Shen Liuxiang blinked and untied the black hair ribbon wrapped around his wrist, which was the Star Veil, an artifact he had recently obtained from his senior brother. It was about two fingers wide and, when tied over the eyes, it could block divine perception. It was an excellent aid in training one’s divine perception, and he intended to enhance Zhou Xuanlan’s control over it.

“After you strengthen your divine perception and enhance your perception of the outside world, you will find that others’ attacks appear slower, making it easier for you to identify their weaknesses.”

Shen Liuxiang used the hair ribbon to cover his own eyes and tied a knot behind his head.

With darkness before his eyes, he locked onto Zhou Xuanlan’s position by sensing his aura and said, “I’ll demonstrate it to you. Attack me.”

In an instant, the bamboo forest stirred.

Shen Liuxiang’s figure moved like a ghost, effortlessly evading Zhou Xuanlan’s attacks by utilizing only a trace of spiritual energy, always staying one step ahead of the attack range.

“How is it?”

The two of them stopped.

Without the infusion of spiritual power, bamboo leaves rustled down from the sky.

Shen Liuxiang landed behind Zhou Xuanlan, his hands restraining Zhou Xuanlan’s movements. Then he rested his chin on Zhou Xuanlan’s shoulder, a slight smirk appearing on his lips. “Isn’t your master impressive?” he said with a hint of pride.

Zhou Xuanlan turned his head, his gaze falling upon Shen Liuxiang’s face.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.

His master had a pair of captivating phoenix-like eyes, dazzling and enchanting. With his eyes covered, three parts of the splendor were lost, but seven parts of purity were gained.

Moonlight slipped through the black satin blindfold, settling between the delicate and unparalleled nose and lips. It accentuated the fair complexion, as if capable of stirring desires deep within one’s heart, stunningly beautiful.

Zhou Xuanlan’s throat tightened.

“Why are you not speaking?” Shen Liuxiang, puzzled, took off the blindfold and covered Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes directly. “It’s your turn now. You’ll probably get hit hard, but it doesn’t matter. I was also hit hard by my senior earlier.”

He shifted his position, asserting control (4), rubbing his wrist and striking with a palm.

“I’m with you!”

Boom!

The entire bamboo forest trembled.

T/N: No one is safe from Immortal Shen’s mischievous ways… not poor Zhou Xunlan or the poor grapes

(1) – “丑时” (chǒu shí) or The hour of Chou refers to one of the twelve Earthly Branches in the traditional Chinese time system, which represents the period from 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM.

(2) – The phrase “明日事，莫待明朝” (míng rì shì, mò dài míng zhāo) is a figurative expression commonly used in the Chinese language. It is used by Su Baiche to imply that there is no hurry or need to rush things. It suggests that there is plenty of time and the task can be done on another day. In this context, Su Baiche is implying that he will teach Zhou Xuanlan the spells the following morning instead of immediately that night.

(3) – “子时” (zǐ shí) or “Zi Shi” is a specific time period in the traditional Chinese time system. It refers to the time period between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., which is also known as the Rat Hour. In Chinese culture, each two-hour period is associated with one of the twelve zodiac animals, and “Zi Shi” corresponds to the Rat (Zi) hour.

(4) – In the mtls, it is literally translated as ‘singing as a slave’, with the figurative meaning of showcasing talents, but I don’t think it fit well with the translation so I changed it so it fits the mood more.