"Emmmm, Brother, youâre teasing me again." Mao Ruxue suddenly didnât want to talk anymore.
"Hahaha~!"
Seeing Mao Ruxueâs attitude, Chen Changâan let out a laugh and walked away.
This girl must have known better.
Her worry was unwarranted, though.
Would those two fight? This was a question that Chen Changâan didnât feel the need to delve into.
Seeing Chen Changâanâs nonchalance, Mao Ruxueâs troubled expression deepened.
Unable to make heads or tails of it, she simply stopped thinking.
It was getting late, time for dinner.
....
Back at the mountain, Chen Changâanâs days returned to normal once again.
Except, this time there was an additional thing in his life.
Previously, his days were spent reading when not sleeping,
Conversing with the likes of Old Liu and other retired members of the Sect over tea and chess games, bragging occasionally.
The idle chats would often last the whole day.
Now, he still did these things, but less frequently.
More often, he was holding a weathered piece of parchment, scribbling and chuckling, occasionally sounding like a pigâs snort.
Well, whether it was a pigâs snort or not wasnât important. At least thatâs what Chen Changâan considered.
"Are you there?"
"I am."
"What are you doing?"
Girl: "When the Elders discovered a secret realm of our Sect a few days ago, they decided to let me practice there. Iâm preparing for it."
Man: "Oh, thatâs great."
"I envy those of you who can cultivate."
Girl: "Thereâs nothing to envy. If possible, Iâd rather live your kind of life. By the way, I heard from the Elders yesterday that youâve become a Confucian Saint, congratulations."
Man: "Thereâs no need for congratulations, itâs just luck."
Girl: "Luck could not have gotten you this far. Could you tell me what cultivators like you do on a daily basis? [Curious]"
She continued: "I canât imagine. Beings like you must maintain a solemn demeanor all day, commanding respect without saying a word."
Man: "Um, probably, maybe, something like that."
Girl: "It must be getting dark there, are you going to sleep?"
Man: "How do you know Iâm going to bed?"
Girl: "After you became a Confucian Saint, people have compiled your deeds into books, and they spread here. Thatâs how I know. So, you should hit the hay, staying up late isnât good for health."
Man: "Okay then, good night."
Girl: "Okay, bye [wave]."
"....."
On the bed, Chen Changâan flashed a slight smile, then put away the Heart-to-heart Book.
But instead of getting ready for bed, he went to the courtyard.
Unknowingly, Chen Changâan ended up in Mao Ruxueâs courtyard.
"Hyah!"
At this moment, Mao Ruxue was practicing her sword. The blade danced like glimmering light, complementing her extraordinary poise under the moonlight; sheerly radiant and graceful.
Mao Ruxue never gave up practicing the Sword Dao. It seemed she would always allocate some time each day to practice.
But, she would only practice a few moves each time, as if she didnât particularly enjoy it and was merely practicing her patience through the sword.
Chen Changâan didnât disturb Mao Ruxue. He silently watched her sword practice for a while, then left.
The days passed one by one.
Ding ding ding~!
On this day, as the sun was beginning to rise, crispy and clear bell sounds echoed from the main peak of Tianshui Sect, Tianshui Peak.
The resounding chime echoed between heaven and earth, instantly reaching all peaks.
It was time for the grand assembly again.
Chen Changâan asked Mao Ruxue to accompany him to Tianshui Peak.
By the time Chen Changâan arrived, the Peak Masters of the 108 peaks of Tianshui Sect, except him, had already convened.
Although Chen Changâan was late, no one said anything.
Inside the hall at this time, Sect Leader Li Daoran and the Great Elder Li Xuandao of the Sect were already seated.
Li Xuandao was also there, to Chen Changâanâs surprise.
"Everyone, I called you all here because thereâs a matter I want to discuss with everyone,"
Once everyone was assembled, Li Daoran began to speak.
"Now, due to the terrain of the three thousand realms gradually descending, the situation of our Tianshui Sect is becoming increasingly precarious,"
"Although, because of Apprentice Brother Chen, the other sects fear offending us,"
"But the world is always unpredictable, nobody knows what can happen next,"
"So I ask all fellow Apprentice Brothers and Sisters to go back and make sure to keep their disciples in check, so they do not stir up trouble,"
"Additionally, ever since Apprentice Brother Chen returned from the Confucian School, the restrictions on Sword City have been lifted by the Wan Sword Sect."
"So we can now visit the secret realms in Hengduan Mountain Range,"
"Upon returning, fellow Apprentice Brothers can consider selecting suitable disciples to enter."
"This is a grand era, an era of disasters but also of opportunities,"
"The future of the Sect rests on us all."
"Alright, the matters to be addressed at this meeting are as follows. If the Apprentice Brothers and Sisters donât have anything else to add, you are free to go."
The above were the main topics discussed in this meeting. Li Daoran did most of the talking while everyone else listened.
Naturally, Chen Changâan mused, these issues were unanimously decided by most of the Mountain lords and Elders of Tianshui Sect.