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Chapter 42: Will Not Save
As a master of the sect, even if the sky and earth switched around, he had to keep his composure for the face of the sect. So even though he did not understand what was happening, Heng Yan"s expression was still calm, and his sitting posture correct.
"Sect Master Jin Yue is too polite. As disciples of sects, they should help each other." Heng Yan still felt slightly puzzled. While Kong Hou had great talent in cultivation, she had only been in the cultivation world for six short years. Her understanding of the cultivation world was limited, her cultivation was also limited. What could she have helped Sect Master Jin Yue"s apprentice with?
He called his apprentice Wu Chuan to receive this apprentice of Radiance Sect, and prepared to find w.a.n.g Tong and ask what was going on.
Wu Chuan and the apprentice of Radiance Sect sat face to face. After exchanging a few courtesies, the apprentice of Radiance Sect could not help asking, "I heard that Path Friend Wu Chuan had great skill in swordsmanship. Could I ask Path Friend for some guidance?"
Wu Chuan paused in the middle of drinking tea. He sighed inside, put down the teacup and said, "I do not dare to guide, we are just sparring."
Wu Chuan was not surprised at the apprentice of Radiance Sect asking such a thing. For so many years, if he encountered a disciple of Radiance Sect, they would most likely seek a sparring session from him. As the sword cultivating disciple of Splendid Cloud Sect, what could he do but agree?
Compared to the swordsmanship of Radiance Sect, Splendid Cloud Sect"s swordsmanship was gentle and leaned more towards protecting oneself. The swordsmanship of Radiance Sect was more vicious. Each move seemed to be calculated and aimed at weaknesses. Grandeur was something their swordsmanship did not need.
Wu Chuan also admitted that the most authentic swordsmanship was at Radiance Sect. But the most authentic was not always the most suitable. He and this apprentice had similar cultivation, and fought to a standstill in their sparring.
"Path Friend Wu Chuan has good swordsmanship." The apprentice of Radiance Sect felt extremely refreshed by the fight and became more casual in his speech. "In the future, our two sects should interact more."
Wu Chuan put his sword back in the sheath and felt slightly strange. Radiance Sect was a sect that cared greatly about rules. Their conduct and habits were far from those of Splendid Cloud Sect. So even though everyone maintained a friendship, they did not reach a step where they would frequently communicate with each other.
A sect which liked to keep a stiff face all day long came and said to him they should interact more. This was even scarier than if the disciples in their sect became obsessed with cultivation.
Was Radiance Sect in economic danger and wanted to borrow spirit veins from them?
The first sect of the sect world, who had Sky Sect as one of their subordinate sects, should not lack for spirit stones? While Splendid Cloud Sect was the biggest landholder of the ten major sects, they were good to their people and never asked for high rent. In terms of wealth, they were middling among the ten major sects. It would be better for Radiance Sect to find Clear Dawn Sect rather than them.
The disciples of Radiance Sect were not skilled in observing people, so he did not see the roiling emotions underneath Wu Chuan"s face. He took out the greatest friendliness he had to establish a relationship with Wu Chuan. When he left Splendid Cloud Sect, he thought contentedly, Splendid Cloud Sect must have felt their sincerity in wanting a good relationship.
After sending off the apprentice of Radiance Sect, the peak masters and elders of Splendid Cloud Sect gathered together to discuss Radiance Sect"s intentions.
"Maybe they detected the movement of evil cultivators and want to have a closer relationship with us to face the enemy together?"
"Radiance Sect has never been servile or overbearing in their conduct. Also, destroying evil cultivators and protecting the people is our duty. Radiance Sect knows our sect"s conduct, and they will not try to gain favor with us for something like that." Elder Shu Jiu shook his head. "It should not be that."
"In any case, it is not a bad thing. Given Radiance Sect"s personality, they will not have any malicious intentions." Elder Qiu Shuang played with her crimson fingernails and lazily said, "Right now, we will not be able to reach any conclusions. Since they say they are thanking our Kong Hou for her care of their disciple, then we will listen. In any case, they sent these things to our door; we did not go and demand them."
Sitting at the end, w.a.n.g Tong twisted in his seat. "Qiu Shuang Shishu, our Kong Hou is still a child. It is unsuitable for them to use her as an excuse."
"What unsuitable?" Qiu Shuang"s eyebrow rose. "Our Kong Hou is beautiful and talented. Even if she became famous in the entire cultivation world, it would not be a false reputation. They will allow Clear Dawn Sect to boast about that Ling Bo every day, but not for Kong Hou to be famous?
"Also, half of that Ling Bo"s fame came from Clear Dawn Sect boasting about it. Our Kong Hou is better. She has not even been travelling for a month, and other sects are sincerely praising her." Qiu Shuang slapped the table. "The most important thing for us women is to make a name for ourselves. When we travel the cultivation world in the future, we will then be respected everywhere."
Elder Qiu Shuang"s words were slightly arrogant, but none of the male cultivators present dared to argue. In front of this forging grandmaster who ranked in the top three in the cultivation world and who was at Mind Dividing Stage, who dared to disrespect her?
w.a.n.g Tong thought of his young apprentice"s great future and immediately stopped talking.
His Kong Hou was a pentad spirit base genius—she would be even stronger in the future.
After travelling for three days, the trio finally reached the gates of Yi City. Guards dressed in silver armor guarded the majestic gates. The pa.s.sersby all wore clean and well-cared for clothing, displaying their prosperity for foreigners.
Each cultivator had their own token and could travel without restriction in the major provinces. Entering Yi City, Kong Hou heard the sound of laughter and talking. She lifted the curtain and looked out for a while before asking Huan Zhong, "Huan Zhong, which inn are we staying at tonight?"
"Tonight, we are not staying at an inn." Huan Zhong lowered his face. "Today, we are going to meet someone."
Kong Hou stilled and then said, "Then I will go to the inn. Come find me after you finish your business."
"You do not want to come with me?" Huan Zhong"s lips pressed together slightly.
"It is not appropriate for an outsider like me to go with you." She had become used to staying with Huan Zhong and Elder Lin in the past few days. Hearing that they had other arrangements, Kong Hou felt unaccustomed for a moment. But only just a moment. She did not have the bad habit of disrupting her friends doing business.
"For the person we are visiting, I am also an outsider." Huan Zhong lowered his head, his fingers mindlessly brushing against his teacup. "I am going to ask for a medicine."
Kong Hou realized that this medicine must be one of the ingredients for healing Huan Zhong"s body. Thinking about a beauty like Huan Zhong having to beg for medicine all over because of his health, she felt slightly discomforted. "I will accompany you."
"Thank you. Am I making trouble for you?" Huan Zhong put down his teacup, his curled fingers becoming nimble again.
"How could you be making trouble?" Kong Hou carefully observed Huan Zhong"s expression. "Huan Zhong, do you need a lot of medicine?"
"A lot." Huan Zhong looked at the teacup on the table with an extremely calm expression. "A dozen of the ingredients are extremely rare, and the sect does not have them. The elders worried I would be too depressed in the sect, so they told me to come and relax my mind and search for the medicines. If I manage to find one or two, that would be lucky."
In reality, he and the sect both knew the truth. How could he gather all the medicines when even the sect could not? They just held an impossible hope and wanted him to live happily in his remaining days.
"I will accompany you." Seeing Huan Zhong"s apathy when mentioning his own health, Kong Hou grabbed his sleeve and said seriously, "Huan Zhong, I will search with you. Shixiong all say I have especially good luck. With me, you will definitely find all the medicines."
Huan Zhong raised his head and looked at the young girl"s serious look. Her grip on his sleeve was strong, as though she could help him hold onto hope.
"Really, we will find them." Kong Hou pulled his sleeve. "Of all the descendants of the Ji Family, I have the best luck."
His sleeve was the one pulled, but Huan Zhong"s heart felt both sore and tight, as though it was being gripped by a hand. It even stopped beating for a few moments.
"All right." Huan Zhong"s brow became more lively. "Thank you."
"Do not say thanks; we are friends." Seeing Huan Zhong"s expression come alive again, Kong Hou smiled so much her eyes curved. "Then who is the person we are visiting?"
"Spirit Master Nameless," Huan Zhong said. "He has a strange temper, but he is one of the three best pill makers in the cultivation world. He has collected countless kinds of flowers and gra.s.ses. Maybe he has one of the ingredients I need."
"Usually, people with the names Nameless or Emotionless will have strange tempers." Kong Hou rubbed her chin. "I feel that it will be better if I knock later."
"Why?" Huan Zhong was puzzled.
"You are too good-looking, and you may be disliked by the same gender. This Spirit Master Nameless has a strange temper. What if he dislikes your handsome face?" Kong Hou pointed at her own face. "In front of elders, people with appearances like mine are more welcomed."
Huan Zhong laughed. Still a little girl to think that cultivators who had lived for millennia were so simple. But seeing Kong Hou so confident in her own appearance, Huan Zhong nodded and said, "You are right, I will rely on you later."
"No problem." Kong Hou took out a little mirror to check her appearance. Good, her hair was not in disarray, her makeup not smudged. "One should help friends."
"Master, Miss Kong Hou, we have reached Nameless Medicine Hut." Lin Hu"s voice sounded.
Huan Zhong and Kong Hou raised the curtain to walk off the carriage. A grand wooden tower was in front of them, a plaque with the word "Nameless" hanging at the front. An old person in grey robes sat on a rocking chair, sunbathing. His eyes did not even flick.
"Elder is Spirit Master Nameless?"
The old man lifted his eyelids to glance at Lin Hu. He prepared to raise his head but when he saw Huan Zhong, he lay back down and said coldly, "No, do not speak to me."
"Elder…" Before Lin Hu could finish his sentence, the old person threw a piece of paper at Lin Hu and turned around, deciding not to talk.
Lin Hu bent down to pick up the paper. Several words were scrawled on it.
[Will not save good-looking men.]
He silently turned to look at Kong Hou and handed the paper to Huan Zhong. What had Miss Kong Hou said to Master in the carriage just now?
"Elder Lin Hu, what is it?" Kong Hou took the paper from Huan Zhong"s hand to read.
Kong Hou: "…"
This could not blamed on her crow"s mouth. This was the fault of the secret jealousy between men.
Translator Ramblings: Handsomeness is a curse.