Chapter 49: Look Back into the Past (3)
Like him, his master was also born in this desolate Yu Xiao Peak and they both grew up here. Luo Jianqing was regarded as a courteous role model by countless junior brothers and sisters in previous life, and likewise, he held Xuan Lingzi in high regard and he modeled himself after Xuan. Because he wanted to get close to Xuan, he couldn’t help but imitate him in every way possible.
So, it was not surprising that, even though he was now so furious, he still couldn’t bring himself to call his names and instead only managed to accuse him repeatedly of being rude.
Back when he fell into Fiend Path and had been marked for death for years, Luo Jianqing had never thought that he could be like this. The courteous Senior Brother of the Tai Hua Mountain had been dead the moment he got expelled. Now, he was just a man wearing a perfect mask and he was no longer that reserved, aloof man that he had always been before.
He desired higher Cultivation Base; he wanted to kill Li Xiuchen and take back the Heaven Path.
He wanted to get that person!
In fact, aside from their indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people, Luo Jianqing rather envied those Devil Cultivators. They were wild, intractable and arbitrary, and they could do whatever they wanted. They were completely different from those so-called righteous cultivators who were restrained by so many things.
He had been meaning to wear the perfect mask all the time in this life, but things didn’t always work out the way he had wanted.
Xuan was still that revered master of the Yu Xiao Peak; however, Luo was no longer the First Disciple of the Tai Hua Mouantain.
After standing in front of the bamboo house for a long while, Luo Jianqing still didn’t get a reply, so he sighed, “Master, I understand.”
After finishing those words, Luo Jianqing turned around and picked up the fractured bamboo and wood on the ground. He started cutting down bamboos in the bamboo forest to build another house for himself. When the sun rose again the next day, the house was done.
Looking at this new bamboo house, his mind began to wander back to thirty years ago.
He moved into this bamboo house at the age of ten, and he had been living with that man ever since. At that time, Luo Jianqing had not practiced inedia, so other disciples would send food for him from the foot of the hill every day and Sir Xuan Lingzi would eat with him. Because his master usually remained silent while eating, Luo Jianqing dare not say a word at the table.
After the breakfast came a whole day of cultivation. Xuan Lingzi would sit on the bamboo couch with legs crossed and little Luo Jianqing would sit next to him. However, Luo Jianqing was still a child back then and such long-hour meditation was simply too much for him. Therefore, this six-year-old Luo would often fell asleep, and when he woke up, he would find himself lying on Xuan’s legs and he could see a handsome face looking down at him.
Back then, Luo could not hold back his impulse to touch that man’s hair before his eyes. And Xuan Lingzi would usually sigh and said, “Jianqing, let go of it.”
But even if Luo didn’t lose his hold on the hair, Xuan Lingzi would not take further actions to stop him.
Xuan Lingzi planned to cultivate in the evening. However, that was usually the time when Luo Jianqing fell asleep. One day, after he rolled up to sleep on Xuan’s legs for countless times and grumbled in dissatisfaction, Xuan Lingzi picked up the jade-like boy and slept with him without undressing.
Since then, Luo Jianqing would roll into his arms every day and fell into sleep in the most comfortable place.
They huddled up together in that cold and small bamboo house and that had been going on for four years.
When Luo Jianqign was ten years old, Xuan Lingzi build a bamboo house for him and expected him to sleep in that house and devote himself to cultivation. At that time, Luo Jianqing was at level-five of Qi Refining, but deep down, he was still a child. So, he was naturally unhappy about the news that he had to leave his beloved master all of a sudden.
So that night, he sneaked into the room of Xuan Lingzi in hope that he could sleep in his arms again.
Unexpectedly, Xuan Lingzi refused him ruthlessly and scolded him in a cold voice. Seeing that, Luo Jianqing was dumbfounded. Xuan Lingzi continued, “I asked you to live in that bamboo house and devote yourself to cultivation. Jianqing, have I not made myself clear earlier? Or are you deliberately trying to disobey my orders?
Under the moonlight, Xuan Lingzi looked emotionless with his stern eyes.
Luo Jianqing was struck dumb when he saw the face of his master. He dare not say a word. After a while, Xuan Lingzi sighed in resignation. Then he took Luo to bed and hugged him in arms while whispering, “Just for this once. Jianqing… sleep now.”
Since then, Luo Jianqing never went back again. He was really scared by the stern face of Xuan Lingzi. Now, he was reminded of all those things while standing in front of this new bamboo house. After observing it for a long while, he still could not help but mutter, “Master, I’m not accustomed to this new house. Could I still have one more chance to …. just for once?”
No one answered.
He did not say one more word but took out his Fu Shuang Sword and walked into the bamboo forest to cultivate. In the green bamboo forest, a cultivator in white constantly waved his sword like he was dancing, and he drew numerous perfect arcs in the air.
When Luo Jianqing thrusted his sword forward, the bamboo leaves would shake silently; when he withdrew his sword, the ground would be covered in swirling dusts.
When Fu Shuang Sword was sent spinning in the air, Luo Jianqing began to make handprint in his hands. When the handprint was done, he pointed at it with a finger. Then the handprint was embedded onto the Floating Frost Sword which formed a horrible sword shadow.
A dazzling, powerful energy wave was unleashed from the edge of the sword and right when it was going to illuminate all the forest, it suddenly dimmed down. The sword wave was coming at Luo Jianqing in the reverse direction. At that moment, a golden sword wave pierced the sky, stopping the wave flying to Luo and crushing it.
He hurriedly looked back and yelled, “Master!”
However, when he turned back, he saw nothing but an empty forest.
Luo Jianqing shook his head in resignation and picked up the Floating Frost Sword on the ground. Then he returned to his bamboo house. He officially began his secluded training and tried to break through the bottleneck. He meant to consolidate his cultivation and improve his spiritual power in the hope that he could also perform the kind of sword wave he saw in the forest.
On the Yu Xiao Mountain, both of them secluded themselves in their own bamboo house and never went out.
Xie Zizhuo had come here to check on them for three times, Zuo Yunmo two times and Mu Tianxin once. None of them get any reply from Luo and Xuan. They guessed that they were in secluded training, and so they all left. Four months before the compet.i.tion, Luo Jianqing suddenly opened his eyes with a beam of light flying through.
At the same time, an average-looking disciple was packing up in Hao Ming Peak. He was preparing to gain some chances before the compet.i.tion in order to improve his cultivation. However, he didn’t know that across the mountain not far from him, Luo Jianqing was standing in front of his bed, looking out towards the direction of Hao Ming Peak with abstruse eyes. He whispered, “It’s about time to go out.”
That disciple was none other than Li Xiuchen.
And he was going to Wan Shou Peak. Coincidentally… Luo Jianqing was heading up there, too!