Chapter 136 - Paying Respects to the Pavilion Master
TL-Checked by Sa.s.systrawberry; Edited by Animeart
The Big Miss’s room was still warm and fancy as before.
Ling Fengxiao lit the incense burner as soon as she entered, and a dark figure rushed through the window.
The cat quickly climbed onto Lin Shu, and burrowed itself in his arms again.
Lin Shu smoothed the cat’s fur, and it ran into Ling Fengxiao’s arms next and meowed flatteringly.
Ling Fengxiao also hugged it.
The next moment, Fruit came out of Qingming Cave shouting: “Qingyuan!”
Cat: “Meow?”
Fruit picked it up and began to fluff its fur.
Ling Fengxiao asked: “Do you recognize it?”
Fruit: “Folding Bamboo recognized it, I have a bit of Folding Bamboo’s memories.”
Lin Shu thought, although the fruit was not made of Folding Bamboo, but when it transformed, it had used the body of Folding Bamboo, so there was a little fuzzy consciousness that came from Folding Bamboo.
The cat used to live on Huandang Mountain. It used to be the cat of Emperor Ye, and had been raised by Emperor Ye. Folding Bamboo was a sword used by Emperor Ye. No wonder Fruit would know the cat’s name.
Fruit: “I must also possess a little bit of Folding Bamboo’s scent, you see, it wants to be close to me!”
Before the words even fell, the cat slipped out from Fruit’s arms and climbed onto Lin Shu again.
Fruit: “…”
Ling Fengxiao laughed out loud.
Fruit: “Don’t laugh!”
He went to Lin Shu’s side: “Kitty hug.”
The cat ignored it.
Fruit: “…”
The atmosphere was very awkward. Yue Ruohe knocked on the door, and then opened the concealed door to come in: “Cang Min heard that you are back, and came to see—”
There was dead silence in the room.
Lin Shu looked away from the cat and turned to the door.
Yue Ruohe and Cang Min were outside the door, motionless.
Lin Shu followed their gazes and looked back.
The two men are looking at Fruit.
To be precise, they were looking at Fruit’s face.
Lin Shu also looked at the face of Fruit.
Fruit was very beautiful and his beauty was really familiar.
Half like Ling Fengxiao, and half like him.
It was easily evident at a glance, he was a spitting image of them both..
He looked at Cang Min and Yue Ruohe again.
He saw Cang Min speak with difficulty, “You…your child together?”
Fruit who was playing tug of war with the cat, and said casually: “Yup.”
Cang Min gulped down loudly.
“You two…did you have a fortuitous encounter during the past two months?” Cang Min’s eyes were blank: “Did you go to the kind of place, where one day inside is equivalent to a year outside?”
Yue Ruohe also was very stunned and said: “Big Miss, when you were in seclusion before, could it be…”
Ling Fengxiao stopped their fantasies: “It’s not what you think.”
Yue Ruohe: “…Oh.”
Did Yue Ruohe think that the two years closed-door seclusion of the Big Miss was not to cultivate, but to have a child?
Lin Shu thought, Ling Fengxiao would have been only eighteen then, he would be no better than a beast, if he had gotten her pregnant at the time, no wonder Yue Ruohe’s eyes were so unfriendly when he looked at him just now.
His next thought was, I myself am just shy of nineteen, Xiao Shao is pretty much a beast.
After explaining the origin of Fruit, the two nodded suspiciously, still not fully convinced.
The two people who came to express their sympathy came one after another.
——Luckily the girls of Phoenix Mountain Villa had left to undertake some commission, otherwise the scene would be more lively.
Fruit was very upset.
There was no other reason, he just didn’t want to talk to men.
Lin Shu and Ling Fengxiao had few friends in the academy, and most of them were not female, which made Fruit very uncomfortable.
But no one could sympathize.
Fruit despondently returned to the Qingming Cave, and in pa.s.sing took the cat away with him too.
Only Lin Shu and Ling Fengxiao remained in the room.
Ling Fengxiao leaned on Lin Shu’s shoulder and said, “I want you to live with me in the future.”
Lin Shu didn’t have any opinion on this, but his current principle was to live in accordance with Ling Fengxiao’s wishes, so he said: “Okay.”
Ling Fengxiao said: “Then I’ll wait for you to pack up your things.”
Lin Shu thought for a moment, and asked: “Will it ruin your reputation?”
This world still valued the reputation of females very highly.
Although Xiao Shao was not a woman, Ling Fengxiao, the outward persona still had to observe etiquette.
“As if my reputation had been good before?” Ling Fengxiao said, “When those nosy people gossip, they often say that Ling Fengxiao was observing the rite of widowhood because although she was betrothed, her fiance died – but now we are betrothed with all due ritual and ceremony, and will be honorably married.
After that, she said, “However, we will still have to find an opportunity to make it public.”
Lin Shu: “Sure.”
“I don’t want to go back to school.” Ling Fengxiao played with his fingers: “I’d rather return to the Villa and be married with you.”
Lin Shu remembered that in his past life, there was a saying that falling in love at a young age was detrimental to education, and it really seemed to be true.
Even Ling Fengxiao, this G.o.d of Learning, was no exception.
He opened his mouth and wanted to tell Ling Fengxiao that it would be better if they went to school, when he noticed the look in Ling Fengxiao’s eyes.
Although she was speaking about returning home to get married, her eyes were empty and melancholy.
He was at a loss for words, and only after some time, he said, “My apologies.”
“It’s fine,” Ling Fengxiao said, “Since you are not a mundane being, feelings and desires would only hinder you.”
“But as for you…” she laughed and continued: “Immortal Lord, in this case, will I harm your cultivation?”
Lin Shu: “I don’t know.”
Ling Feng Xiao said: “But I perceive that your cultivation is very stable.”
Lin Shu: “Yeah.”
In fact, not only was his cultivation level unimpaired, it even continued to rise due to his slow absorption of the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth and he would be able to resume his original level within a year.
Speaking of cultivation levels, Ling Fengxiao seemed to be interested: “Your two forms of “Endless Yearning”, are incomparably profound.”
Lin Shu said: “As are yours.”
The two of them had nothing else to do right now, Ling Fengxiao immediately took out a pen and paper, and wanted to a.n.a.lyze the moves together with Lin Shu.
Lin Shu sketched out the first two strokes of “Endless Yearning”, ‘Linger in the Empty Valley‘ and ‘Nostalgia for the Milky Way“, while Ling Fengxiao drew the first two moves of “Solitude”, ‘Autumn’s Grief’ and ‘The Unchanging River‘.
Ling Fengxiao looked at Lin Shu’s moves and said, “These two forms encompa.s.s the boundless silence, it’s likely that you would be able to understand and master them.”
She added: “This is the case for the opening two styles of “Everlasting Yearning” but the subsequent moves, truly only those of the Heartless Path would be able to utilize them.”
Lin Shu said, “I am only able to interpret the first two styles at this time.”
Ling Fengxiao said: “There are snowy glaciers in the north, and the world is lonely. It is very much in line with the concept of “Endless Yearning”. I’ll accompany you to contemplate Heaven and earth, perhaps there may be progress.”
Lin Shu: “Thank you.”
Ling Fengxiao said: “Thanks are unnecessary.”
They discussed the third form of “Endless Yearning” ‘The Towering Cliffs‘.
This form, in the already vast stillness, brings with an additional level of lofty isolation.
“Compared with the previous two forms, this one brings with it some condescension. And your current cultivation is already to the point that you can look down at the rest and find them small.” Ling Fengxiao deduced on paper with a pen, “You will gain mastery of it very soon.”
Lin Shu followed her deduction and imagination moves.
Practicing the third style in the previous life is always out of reach, but now he really had some clues.
And Ling Fengxiao’s achievements and talent in martial arts were really amazing. She could discuss in detail about the Sword Pavilion techniques even if she had just come across it recently.
After deducing the three styles, each had gained a lot of understanding, and then both put the paper away, ready to watch Ling Fengxiao’s sword skills.
Ling Fengxiao suddenly said, “Why would such a heartless sword technique be named “Endless Yearning”?”
“It is said that it is the profound intention of the predecessors,” Lin Shu replied: “If the disciple’s state of mind is insufficient, the word “Endless Yearning”, will cause his emotions to vacillate. It happens to reflect the nature of the swordsmanship, and he will be able to understand that his state of mind requires work.”
“Is that so?” Ling Fengxiao had the color of thinking in her eyes, and she did mention another topic. “The last expression of “Solitude” is called ‘Providence cuts like a blade’. What is the last expression of “Endless Yearning”?”
Lin Shu replied: “Overwhelming Misery.”
Ling Fengxiao seemed startled, and it took a long time to say: “That explains a lot.”
Lin Shu: “Huh?”
Ling Fengxiao talked about the past.
She recounted having a Phoenix blood attack when she was a child, fortunately Lord Taoyuan had saved her.
“Lord Taoyuan is a very good person. At that time, I would only come to my senses for two to four hours during the day, and I’d pester him, and he never got annoyed.” Ling Fengxiao leaned on his shoulder and looked out the window. She seemed to be a little lost in her thoughts: “I heard my mother say that Lord Taoyuan is a peerless cultivator and has unparalleled swordsmanship, so I asked to view his swordsmanship. He always indulged me, and demonstrated “Endless Yearning” for me.
Lin Shu thought, no wonder Xiao Shao recognized “Endless Yearning” during their duel on the martial arts field, he’d seen it before.
“I have forgotten the specific sword moves, I only remember the final move.” Ling Fengxiao lowered her eyes slightly, “That move made me feel shaken to my core. Even for a long time after he had completed his demonstration, I was unable to come to my senses, I just felt as if I had lost something incomparably precious. Later when I grew older, whenever I saw the four characters ‘Overwhelming Misery’, it was as if I were watching him practice that form, but by that time, there was no longer any news of him.”
Lin Shu said, “I can display it to you once I master it.”
Ling Fengxiao laughed and said, “I’ll be waiting.”
After finishing “Endless Yearning”, they studied “Solitude” again.
Contrasting the two, Lin Shu immediately understood the key differences between the two exercises.
“Endless Yearning” is lonely and cold, the state of emptiness, unflavored by any emotion, but “Solitude” is different.
If one had to use one word to describe “Solitude”, it would be “grief”.
With a gust of the autumn wind, thousands of leaves drift downwards, and people are made not gold or stone. A hundred years later, they will all return to the dust, which is “Autumn’s Grief.”
Ascend the heights and watch, the river flows eastward, the dead are like this, cannot be traced back, it is “Viewing the River.”
The beautiful and prosperous objects of this world will eventually return to the earth, which is indeed tragic.
And only those who have once loved those people and objects will feel “grief”.
But nature has its laws, and the disappearance of beautiful things is an irrevocable process. This is the principle of “Providence is like a blade“.
At this moment, Lin Shu suddenly understood Mr. Meng’s words.
Mr. Meng had said, I hope that you will never be able to use such a move in your lifetime.
He couldn’t help but look towards Ling Fengxiao.
Ling Fengxiao was drawing pictures attentively.
Very beautiful.
This person has always been beautiful under any situation.
But Lin Shu felt that the Big Miss who was devoid of pretentiousness when he first saw her was the most dazzling beauty.
But the Big Miss at that time was not without worries.
He asked: “When did you understand the two moves?”
Ling Fengxiao said: “I came to understand it very early.”
Simply stated, but it was a loaded sentence.
Understanding them early implied that she had experienced grief at a young age.
Lin Shu thought of the Order of the Phoenix in Ling Fengxiao’s hand.
There was only one Order of the Phoenix in the world, which represents the supreme power of Phoenix Mountain Villa.
The only Order of the Phoenix was in Ling Fengxiao’s hands, not in the hands of the Villa Master.
Therefore, although Ling Fengxiao was in name, the Eldest Lady of the Phoenix Mountain Villa, she was the actual Master of the Villa.
The young mistress wasn’t really the young mistress after all.
Ling Fengxiao asked him, “What are you thinking about?”
Lin Shu: “Nothing in particular.”
I was just thinking, if the Big Miss could really just be the Eldest Young Mistress, spending her days being proud and beautiful, arrogant and domineering, it would be good.
Ling Fengxiao put down the drawing and embraced him.
She hugged him very tightly, as if he would disappear if she loosened her hold.
The days after were spent in a similar fashion.
As much as possible, Ling Fengxiao never left him, even when discussing matters with the Dragon Guards, she wanted him by her side.
Lin Shu always felt that Ling Fengxiao was afraid of something, or wanted to seize something.
On this day, Ling Fengxiao was not around. He took the cat out to bask in the sun.
After the restoration of his cultivation level, his hearing and vision had improved incredibly – he was able to hear and see insects a mile away, and could make out the current rumors swirling in the Academy.
“The Big Miss has decided on Lin Shu. What kind of person is Lin Shu?”
Some people say that Lin Shu is good-looking and has an outstanding temperament. He complements the Big Miss very well.
Some people brought up the rumors that Lin Shu does not have a cultivation base, which is not worthy of the Big Miss.
Yet others asked “Don’t you know that Lin Shu was the boy toy kept by the Big Miss three years ago?”
Others say, “Nonsense, haven’t you seen their daughter? She looks exactly like them, as if she was cast in their likeness. I think it won’t be long before the boy toy will be promoted to official spouse.
He found it rather entertaining.
Then I heard someone say that good looking men are the source of all evil. Back then, the Big Miss and the eldest prince fought over this person, causing internal strife.
Lin Shu: “……”
Boy toy is fine, as for being the root of all evil, I’ll pa.s.s.
Xiao Lingyang most certainly did not fight with the Big Miss over Lin Shu, that was Xiao Lingyang picking on Lin Shu and subsequently getting taught a lesson by the Big Miss.
He was in a daze, which was interrupted by the sound of a bell.
This is the big bell of Hexu Heaven, which usually acts as the bell for cla.s.s ending and sometimes conveys information.
For example, if it rings three times in a row, it will summon all the disciples to gather in Hexu Heaven.
This time, after the bell rang initially, it continued ringing, obviously not the usual ‘get out of cla.s.s’ bell.
He counted the bells silently in his heart.
One, two, three, four, five.
The bell rang five times, which marks the visit of a distinguished guest.
Which has nothing to do with him.
Lin Shu continued to be in a daze, until an apricot-golden figure appeared in his peripheral vision.
Lin Shu: “…”
Based on the trajectory of the apricot golden thing, it was coming at him.
The golden apricot thing approached, and the person who walked over did not hold any good intentions towards him.
“You!” Xiao Lingyang placed himself in front of Lin Shu, raised his chin arrogantly, and said in a nasty tone: “Today, you better give me a good explanation about what’s going on between you and Ling Fengxiao?”
Lin Shu said flatly: “Nothing.”
“I heard that you two already have a daughter! You are even cohabiting!” Xiao Lingyang was angered to the point of being unable to speak properly, “You…you…you, did you bully her!”
Lin Shu continued to say flatly, “No, I did not.”
“I don’t believe it!” Xiao Lingyang said loudly: “You…shameless thug!”
Lin Shu: “……”
Xiao Lingyang slapped at the stone table agitatedly with his fan, his chest rising and falling with anger, and said: “I will never allow you to take her as your wife!”
Lin Shu said: “En.”
Xiao Lingyang became even more angry: “What ‘En’? Are you secretly happy about this? Do you intend to abandon her?”
Lin Shu wanted to knock on Xiao Lingyang’s head to see whether it was waterlogged, and if that water was poured out, could it fill Xingluo Lake?
Xiao Lingyang jumped his feet: “You speak clearly!”
“There is no abandonment,” Lin Shu said lightly, “Your disapproval is worthless, so I say ‘En’.”
Xiao Lingyang looked like he was about to explode with anger.
Based on Lin Shu’s experience in dealing with Xiao Lingyang, he would generally take physical attacks at this time.
As expected, Xiao Lingyang did not deceive him and planned to do it.
But today’s Lin Shu is no longer the Lin Shu of the past, but the one who was at the period of Crossing the Tribulation.
Xiao Lingyang’s movements were blocked by an invisible wall of spiritual energy, and he couldn’t use it.
In Lin Shu’s experience, if a physical attack fails, this person will launch a personal attack.
Sure enough, Xiao Lingyang said, “On what basis are you qualified to marry her as your wife? You are just a pretty boy toy!”
“Are you rich? Do you have power? Would Phoenix Villa accept you? You’re just a plaything!”
“You just have a pretty face! You don’t even have a sect background, merely a boy toy!”
Lin Shu took a sip of tea slowly, and quietly listened to the repeated usage of “boy toy”.
“The young master of the Nanhai Sword Sect, I think he’s impressive. I suggest you compare yourself with him. At that time, you will realize that you are merely a little pretty boy!”
Lin Shu thought to himself, there seems to be some progress, he can actually give examples now.
“General An’s eldest son is very good, and Ling Fengmen’s young master is also not bad,” Xiao Lingyang gave a big example, “You think about it, are you rich like them? Are you as handsome? Is your cultivation level high? Are you of a highborn status? Don’t you feel ashamed? Don’t you feel that you are unsuited to be with Ling Fengxiao? Even if you both have a daughter, let me tell you, you—”
He chattered on until Lin Shu raised his head, his gaze pa.s.sed over him, and he looked forward.
Xiao Lingyang thought that Ling Fengxiao was coming and was startled like a frightened rabbit.
But it wasn’t Ling Fengxiao.
Lin Shu saw a line of white garbed people walking towards them.
He recognized the one in the lead.
It’s Yunlan, a disciple of the Sword Pavilion, who had been on Huandang Mountain with them previously.
And the ten odd people behind him, clad in snow-white raiment, exhibiting the clear and cold temperament, are in the very image of the Sword Pavilion.
Yunlan planted himself firmly in front of the pavilion.
“Disciple of the Sword Pavilion, Yunlan.” He said.
A girl on his right said, “Disciple Lingsu.”
A boy on the left said, “Disciple Lingshu.”
Yunlan held his sword against his body with the tip of the sword pointing downwards, with his left hand clasping the back of his right hand. He bowed his head slightly, performing the sword salute of the Sword Pavilion.
The rest of the disciples followed with their own salute.
He only heard Yunlan and other disciples say in unison: “We pay our respects to the Pavilion Master.”
Lin Shu looked around.
The only living people in the pavilion are himself and Xiao Lingyang.
The other living creature, the cat, crawled out of his arms onto the table, stared at Xiao Lingyang, and exclaimed, “Meow.”
And Xiao Lingyang turned his head stiffly to look at Lin Shu, and said in a disbelieving tone, “You…?”
Lin Shu: “……”
Don’t look at me.
I have no idea what’s going on.