Ch. 85 – With Pleasure

“Shixiong, hurry up, ah!” Fang Yang paced back and forth, like an arrow ready to be launched at a moment’s notice.

Feng Ye hurriedly put on his boots, saying somewhat helplessly: “It’s barely dawn. There’s still some time before the ceremony begins.”

“I know, I’m just….just….looking forward to it.” Fang Yang scratched his head and grinned with a mouthful of white teeth, his face awash with undisguised anticipation.

The protagonist of today’s trial ceremony was Cao Zirui, but Fang Yang was so excited that he leaped out of bed before dawn, then ran over and impatiently urged his shixiong to accompany him to the main square.

But Fang Yang couldn’t be blamed for this. After all, this was the ceremony to select the next sect leader, which was a highly significant once-in-a-century event.

Setting aside the former sect leader, whose term had lasted only a short time, Lingxiao Sword Sect generally changed its sect leader once every three or four hundred years.

Cultivators were longer-lived than ordinary people, and the higher their cultivation level, the longer their lifespan grew.

It was a given that one must reach Nascent Soul stage to be a sect leader, so compared to mortal emperors who were replaced every few decades, it was much rarer for a sect to choose a new sect leader.

Although Cao Zirui would not immediately take up his duties, this ceremony was similar to the investiture ceremony of a crown prince. It was merely a preliminary appointment, but still of great significance.

Such a once-in-a-lifetime event was someone that no one would want to miss, and onlookers were not prohibited at the ceremony. Therefore, regardless of their duties or cultivation levels, everyone planned to come out and watch the excitement today, as well as witness the strength of their next sect leader.

The trial ceremony was to be held in the main square, on the thousand-step stone staircase leading to the mountaintop. There was a checkpoint every ten steps, for a total of one hundred checkpoints and one hundred disciples to defend them.

The list of these one hundred disciples have been finalized two days ago. All of them were at least at Foundation Establishment stage, with some of them having even reached Golden Core.

This was actually quite a difficult challenge for Cao Zirui, because he had only been a disciple for a year. Although he was a genius, his time here was too short, and his current cultivation level was only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Although Cao Zirui had won first place in the Foundation Establishment tournament to determine who would enter the Floating Island Secret Realm, it had consisted of one-on-one duels with rest periods between each match. But this time, he would be facing consecutive rounds of competition, which substantially increased the difficulty level.

And among those guarding the staircase were Golden Core stage cultivators who were an entire realm higher than Cao Zirui. It was generally considered impossible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to defeat someone at Golden Core stage.

Of course, this was a ceremony to pre-establish the next sect leader. It was ultimately just for ritual purposes, and wouldn’t be an insurmountable challenge.

This trial did not allow for the use of spiritual power, and was solely a contest of sword skill. The way of the sword depended more on one’s own comprehension, and had relatively less to do with the amount of time spent cultivating.

Although Feng Ye had never personally witnessed Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship, having not watched his previous duel, he surmised that Ji Chengyue’s willingness to let him participate in the challenge meant that he had confidence in his disciple’s swordsmanship.

“Shixiong, are you ready yet? So many people are going to watch today, and we won’t get a good spot if we’re late!” Shortly after his first prompt, Fang Yang urged him again.

“I’m ready, I’m ready.” Feng Ye stood up and straightened his robes, then followed Fang Yang outside.

The instant he stepped out of the dorm, he was unsurprised to find Hao Chen waiting outside.

Hao Chen gave Feng Ye a smile, then offered the snacks he had prepared, saying solicitously: “This ceremony will probably take a long time, and it might go through lunch. I worried that Fellow Daoist Feng Ye would be hungry, so I brought him some snacks to try.”

Feng Ye glanced at the snacks in Hao Chen’s hand, but didn’t accept them immediately.

Ever since this fish realized that he had angered Feng Ye three days prior, he had attempted every means to serve and attend to him, wanting to use this thoughtful care to defuse Feng Ye’s temper.

Feng Ye wasn’t actually angry at all. These three days of giving Hao Chen the cold shoulder was actually….an act.

Why not give him the cold shoulder if it resulted in him waiting on Feng Ye hand and foot?

But there was a limit to everything. Pretending for too long could easily lead to slip-ups and the discovery that he had been faking it all along, so Feng Ye estimated that three days was just about right. He then reached out and selected a snack from Hao Chen’s hands, and said after tasting it: “Not bad.”

For the first time in three days, Feng Ye was signaling a willingness to reconcile with him. Hao Chen immediately pounced on this opportunity. Grasping a pastry between two fingers, he held it to Feng Ye’s lips with a smile: “Another one?”

Although having a pastry fed to him was an odd feeling, it was already at his lips. Reaching out to grab it seemed redundant, so Feng Ye simply accepted the pastry from Hao Chen’s hand.

As he chewed, he took another pastry from Hao Chen and handed it to Fang Yang.

Fang Yang thanked his shixiong and the pastry vendor at his side before digging in.

But as he ate, he felt that something was off about this whole situation. Would male friends normally feed each other snacks by hand?

However…..Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage had an unusually good relationship, and slept together as soon as they met. Compared to that, feeding each other snacks seemed like nothing.

Setting aside the strange feeling, Fang Yang swallowed the pastry and ran ahead to lead the way. Feng Ye and Hao Chen followed at a leisurely pace as the three of them made their way to the main square. Along the way, they met many other disciples who were on their way to watch the show.

As soon as dawn broke, the foot of the mountain was bustling prior to the once-in-a-century trial ceremony.

Meanwhile, at the summit of the mountain in Zhenwu Hall.

This was the primary meeting hall, where three days ago, Ji Chengyue made an announcement that shocked a great many people.

The fact that he chose Cao Zirui as his successor came as no surprise, because in every respect, Cao Zirui was indeed more promising than Xue Ren.

The timing was the surprising part. How old was Cao Zirui? He was just a youngster who had yet to reach adulthood. Choosing now to name him as the next sect leader seemed a bit hasty.

The stewards, as well as Elder Zhou, immediately raised objections to Ji Chengyue’s decision. But with his heart set on Cao Zirui, Ji Chengyue defied their protestations and scheduled the ceremony for today.

If it weren’t for the time needed to prepare for the ceremony, judging by his urgency, he likely wouldn’t have bothered to wait three days, and would have simply done it the next morning.

But why was Ji Chengyue in such a hurry? Nobody knew. Even Elder Zhou, whom Ji Chengyue respected the most out of anybody, received no response when he asked the man.

He was the sect leader, after all. So although many people doubted his decision, they went along with it anyway.

Zhenwu Hall was empty today, what with everyone preparing for the ceremony. They needed to rush in order to finish the preparations in only three days.

But the empty hall was not entirely deserted. Two people sat there facing each other.

“Shifu,” Cao Zirui called out to Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, resting with his eyes closed. At Cao Zirui’s call, he opened them and glanced in his direction.

He noticed that the boy’s brow was furrowed slightly. For the perpetually icy-faced Cao Zirui, even this slight frown was a significant change in expression.

The unusual change in expression, along with the rustle of Cao Zirui adjusting his posture as the two of them meditated, collectively revealed Cao Zirui’s inner tension and unease.

“No need to be nervous,” Ji Chengyue reassured him.

Cao Zirui was not comforted. He had barely left the sect more than a few times to gain experience, so it was impossible for him to avoid being nervous about his selection as the next sect leader.

“Shifu, isn’t this….too early?” Although many had already posed this question to Ji Chengyue, Cao Zirui couldn’t help giving voice to it himself at this moment.

He felt that he was not yet ready. He wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of managing an entire sect.

“It’s not too early.” In contrast to Cao Zirui’s hesitation, Ji Chengyue’s tone was very firm.

This was the decision he had come to after careful consideration that night.

The conflict between Cao Zirui and Xue Ren was actually very similar to the succession struggle between princes in the mortal realm. In order to avoid fratricide, a crown prince was established early on so that the other brothers would give up on their ambitions.

Therefore, Ji Chengyue planned to follow this example and utilize the trial ceremony to make Xue Ren give up completely.

He had chosen Cao Zirui as the next sect leader not because he favored him the most. In terms of emotional bonds, he was far closer to Xue Ren, who had been at his side for over twenty years. 

It was only that…..the selection of the sect leader could not be based on his personal likes or dislikes. He couldn’t just choose the person he liked best to fill the position.

The sect leader had a responsibility – to lift Lingxiao Sword Sect toward the sky.

And this responsibility was not one that Xue Ren could bear.

Although Xue Ren’s opinion on this differed, Ji Chengyue was firm in his belief.

Some things could not be done through intent alone. While hard work was vital, fate was even more so.

Ji Chengyue had also harbored a burning passion to surpass his shixiong, who possessed an exceptional single spiritual root. He cultivated day and night, but as a result, he fell farther and farther behind.

What did it matter if he was unwilling? This was fate.

He had been born with dual spiritual roots, while his shixiong was born with only one. Their starting points were different, so their potential was naturally different as well.

No matter how hard Xue Ren tried, he would only ever be the next Ji Chengyue. Therefore, after encountering Cao Zirui with his single spiritual root, Ji Chengyue quickly made up his mind.

And the journey to the Floating Island Secret Realm only further solidified his decision. Lingxiao Sword Sect had lingered at the bottom for a century, but with Cao Zirui participating this time, they had moved up one place in the rankings. Although Cao Zirui’s personal performance had not been ideal, this also illustrated a certain kind of luck.

He saw hope for the elevation of Lingxiao Sword Sect in Cao Zirui, and thus, he remained steadfast in his decision.

“If you’re really that nervous, go take a walk first. Just don’t be late for the start of the ceremony.” While remaining resolute, Ji Chengyue softened his voice.

Had Xue Ren not attempted to murder Cao Zirui, he wouldn’t have forced Cao Zirui to undergo the trial ceremony so early. After all, he was still so young…..

He knew he was placing a heavy responsibility on the young boy, but he had no other choice. This was the only way he could think of to protect both of his disciples.

“Understood, Shifu.” Cao Zirui’s eyes immediately brightened when he heard these words. He eagerly stood up from the meditation mat, then pushed open the door and left.

In his haste, he even forgot to close the door.

Ji Chengyue gazed after Cao Zirui’s hurried figure and shook his head helplessly. He had no doubt that the boy was going to find his little friend.

That was good. Sometimes, encouragement from a friend was more effective than advice from a teacher. Finding Fang Yang would help ease Cao Zirui’s mind.

Ji Chengyue’s fingertips twitched as he prepared to use spiritual power to close the door, but the sound of footsteps outside made him pause.

He could vaguely sense the identity of the person outside, and his feelings grew complicated.

Xue Ren walked in through the open door. He approached Ji Chengyue and bowed, calling out: “Shifu.”

Ji Chengyue gave a slight nod, and Xue Ren sat down cross-legged in front of him on the same meditation mat Cao Zirui had just used.

Then, neither of them spoke.

The room was silent as master and disciple faced each other, both unsure of what to say.

After a while, Ji Chengyue prompted: “Are you all packed up?”

Xue Ren said with a smile: “I am. Once today’s ceremony is over, I’ll set off.”

He spoke in a very relaxed tone, as if he had willingly accepted Ji Chengyue’s order to go to the Cold Mountain Secret Realm. 

But only three days ago, according to the disciple who delivered the message, Xue Ren’s face had been a terrifying rictus of fury.

Ji Chengyue had expected this understandable reaction.

He was prepared to face Xue Ren’s emotional outburst and questions, but Xue Ren had never sought him out.

And when he couldn’t help but go to Xue Ren himself, his disciple used various excuses to avoid seeing him.

Today was his first time seeing Xue Ren since announcing his decision, and his expression seemed very at ease.

It was as if in these three days, he had sorted himself out. As if, no longer dwelling on his narrow-minded jealousy, he was prepared to temper himself in the Cold Mountain Secret Realm.

If this was the case, it was the best possible outcome – and the outcome Ji Chengyue most desired to see.

Now that Xue Ren was ready to leave, Ji Chengyue couldn’t help but give him some instructions: “The Cold Mountain Secret Realm is bitterly cold. You should keep some warm wine in your storage bag, and take a sip to warm yourself if you reach the end of your endurance.”

Xue Ren acquiesced.

Ji Chengyue added: “What about the frostbite ointment? Remember to bring that too.”

“Even though you are already practicing inedia, you should still bring some easily-preserved dried fruit to satisfy your cravings during cultivation breaks.”

“And as for the cold-suppression medication…..”

Ji Chengyue unconsciously began to ramble. He had been the same way before Cao Zirui entered the Floating Island Secret Realm, and now it was Xue Ren’s turn to receive such treatment.

The concern hidden behind his usually stern expression was no less than what he had shown Cao Zirui. It was just subtle and difficult to detect.

But at this moment, Xue Ren no longer cared.

“Oh, right, and bring some warm wine…..” Ji Chengyue had said so much that he’d forgotten his words from before.

“Shifu, you already said that,” Xue Ren reminded him.

“I already…..” Ji Chengyue thought back, and realized that he really had. He wracked his brains, but it seemed that there was no further advice to give his disciple.

Silence fell once again.

“Shifu.” This time it was Xue Ren who broke the silence.

Ji Chengyue looked at Xue Ren.

Xue Ren tamped down the smile that seemed to be painted on his face, looking into Ji Chengyue’s eyes as he said seriously: “Shifu must have made the decision a long time ago, right? To choose my shidi as the next sect leader?”

“Therefore, you passed the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique down to my shidi, and never thought of teaching it to me.” Xue Ren posed this as a question, but his tone made it more like a statement of fact.

Ji Chengyue remained silent.

He had indeed made this decision some time ago. However, he hadn’t refrained from teaching Lingxiao Swordsmanship to Xue Ren because it could only be taught to the next sect leader, but because Xue Ren’s talent was insufficient to cultivate it.

But there was no point in explaining this now. The result was the same. He had never planned to pass Lingxiao Swordsmanship on to Xue Ren, so he kept his silence.

Xue Ren took this as a tacit agreement. Smiling, he abruptly stood up: “Then this disciple will take his leave. I still need to observe my shidi’s trial ceremony later.”

“A-Ren.”

As Xue Ren reached the door, Ji Chengyue suddenly called out an endearment he hadn’t used in a very long time.

Xue Ren came to a stop. Ji Chengyue wavered for a long moment, but was ultimately unable to keep from voicing his inner hope: “Are you willing to guard the one hundredth checkpoint?”

One hundred years ago, when Ling Yun challenged the thousand steps, the one guarding the final platform was Ji Chengyue. This was not just a challenge, but rather a sort of inheritance and recognition between fellow disciples.

Although Xue Ren and Cao Zirui were at odds, Ji Chengyue still hoped that the two of them could reconcile.

“It’s fine if you are unwilling. Just pretend I didn’t say anything…..” Although Ji Chengyue clung to hope, he had no intention of forcing Xue Ren.

After a long pause, Xue Ren finally answered.

“With pleasure.”

His tone was relaxed and gratified, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

A sense of relief came over Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue could only gaze after Xue Ren’s back as he left Zhenwu Hall, and therefore missed how the smile on his face distorted.

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