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Chapter Seventy Three – Inspiration in An Emergency
Zuo Mo, finding inspiration in an emergency, gave a horrific wail and then collapsed on the ground.
Outside the dan room, the disciple heard Zuo Mo’s wail and asked panicked: “s.h.i.+xiong! s.h.i.+xiong! Are you alright?” There wasn’t a response. Xu Qing, who had been paying attention to the situation, hurriedly ran over and yelled across the door: “s.h.i.+xiong! What is it? Are you alright?”
There still wasn’t a response from inside. Xu Qing instantly became extremely worried and, disregarding that she might be scolded, opened the dan room and saw Zuo Mo unconscious on the ground.
Xu Qing was shocked but didn’t mess up. She crisply yelled at the disciple who had come to ask for Zuo Mo: “Go tell the sect leader!” That disciple, frightened out of his wits, ran outside.
In Wu Kong Hall, Pei Yuan Ran and the others were attending to Yun Xia xianzi’s group. This group coming to visit Wu Kong Sword Sect really was giving face to Pei Yuan Ran and the others. Naturally, Pei Yuan Ran and the others were courteous and warm. Both guest and host were extremely amiable. So many jindan xiuzhe, not just in Dong Fu, but even in Sky Moon Jie, it was an extremely grand group of people.
For the disciples that were serving at the side, other than staring with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, they felt extremely honored. Before Wei Sheng had zhuji, Wu Kong Sword Sect hadn’t been known in Dong Fu. Now, even a group of the strong masters of Bright Wave Jie had lowered themselves to visit the sect. No other sect had received such honor in Dong Fu.
Maybe, in all of Kun Lun Jing, Bright Wave Jie wasn’t anything. But it governed thirty one small jie, including Sky Moon Jie. Even the strong masters from Bright Wave Jie were so respectful to Xin Yan s.h.i.+shu. Only now did the disciples know the cold and taciturn Xin Yan s.h.i.+shu was so strong. In their eyes, their sect became even more mysterious.
Conversation flowed across Wu Kong Sword Sect. After confirming Xin Yan’s ident.i.ty, Yun Xia xianzi and the others deliberately started to attempt to win him over. They were very disappointed that Wei Sheng was unable to come out of the sword cave. Not being able to meet Wei Sheng, the one rumored to have created an apparition on zhuji, it still wasn’t a waste of time if they could meet the Zuo Mo who had so many talents. For some people, like Old He, their interest in Zuo Mo far surpa.s.sed their interest in Wei Sheng.
At this time, the disciple that had gone to call Zuo Mo scrambled in: “Oh no, oh no……”
Pei Yuan Ran’s brows furrowed in dissatisfaction. He asked in a deep voice: “What are you panicked about?”
Seeing the displeasure of the sect leader, the disciple was even more nervous and stammered: “Sect leader! Zuo Mo s.h.i.+xiong……s.h.i.+xiong fainted!”
Hearing this, s.h.i.+ Feng Rong suddenly stood up.
“What happened? Say it slowly!” Pei Yuan Ran shouted. His voice carried “Clear Sound Incantation.” Everyone felt their minds become clear and couldn’t help but mentally compliment Pei Yuan Ran on his cultivation.
Suffering the shout, the mind of the outer sect disciple suddenly cleared up. His voice became clear and words simple: “Zuo Mo s.h.i.+xiong had been dan-making for a few days without rest and his mind was fragile. When this disciple was reporting to s.h.i.+xiong, this disciple suddenly heard a shout from the dan room. There wasn’t a response when this disciple asked the next few times. Xu Qing s.h.i.+jie opened the door and found s.h.i.+xiong unconscious on the ground. When this disciple saw him, s.h.i.+xiong’s complexion was terribly unwell. It must have been many days since he came out of the dan-room.”
Hearing this, s.h.i.+ Feng Rong stood: “Everyone, please excuse me.” Finis.h.i.+ng, she started to hurry towards Fragrant Ginger Yard.
At this time, Pei Yuan Ran raised his hands in an apology: “This one’s s.h.i.+mei is worried about her disciple and lost her composure. Please, excuse her!”
“Sect Leader Pei is too serious. If our sect had such geniuses, as elders, we would be the same.” Old He said. The others nodded in agreement.
“Yes, your sect really has good fortune! In my sect, the disciples are average and have no great accomplishment. Every time I think of it, I cannot sit still and fears that the fires of the sect will extinguish with my generation. Then it would truly be an unpardonable crime.” Yuan Li couldn’t help but add.
Everyone felt great empathy with Yuan Li’s words. Pei Yuan Ran had a joyful expression. In the beginning, he and the others had felt the same as Yuan Li.
“Sect Leader Pei.” Old He picked his words and said: “To be able to make Golden Crow pills just as he has started to learn dan-making, your sect’s disciple has great talent in dan-making. This old man has rarely seen anything like it in these many years.” He then sighed: “These many years, this old man has seen many outstanding talents. Growing older, this one has found that all things are the same. With talent, one always tried to extract things from it, and this causes many geniuses to falter and die early, their progress is troubled. Sect Leader Pei needs to take great care. I had to speak my mind. If I have offended, Sect Leader Pei, please bear with me.”
Hearing this, Pei Yuan Ran was shocked. He stood and gave a deep bow to Old He: “The concerned words of Old He, how can this one not know? This one will remember deep in the heart!”
Xin Yan and Yan Le also gravely stood and made a bow towards Old He.
The mood of Wu Kong Hall became tense. Old He’s worlds had stirred the thoughts of many people. Every sect would have some outstanding disciples, but just like Old He had said, these talented disciples all had troubled fates.
After such an incident had occurred, everyone didn’t have the interest in conversing and after ordering a batch of Golden Crow pills, they made their farewells.
When s.h.i.+ Feng Rong rushed back to Fragrant Ginger Yard and saw Zuo Mo’s pitiful state, she forcefully swallowed back the words of rage that had reached her mouth. But there was still barely disguised fury in her voice: “From today, for one month, you are not allowed to enter the dan room!”
Zuo Mo grimaced inside. Not being allowed to enter the dan room for a month meant that, for a month, he didn’t have any source of income. Almost all of his income right now came from making golden crow pills. The ling gra.s.ses and herbs in the ling fields, other than the kind of plants like snowy foxtail gra.s.s that could not be used in dan-making, he had planned on leaving the rest of the plants for him to use.
But thinking that he had temporarily managed to keep his life, Zuo Mo felt glad inside. Facing the furious master, Zuo Mo was very unconfident and could only mutter in agreement.
Coldly glancing over Zuo Mo, s.h.i.+ Feng Rong left behind a few restorative lingdan before leaving. Zuo Mo was very moved. Master might be of many cold words and faces, but she really was concerned about him. Before, he had felt unfortunate that he had such a foul-tempered master, but he now felt that his luck wasn’t so bad.
When s.h.i.+ Feng Rong rushed back to Wu Kong Hall, the guests had left. Pei Yuan Ran and the other two were sitting silently in Wu Kong Hall.
Having been waiting for s.h.i.+ Feng Rong, Pei Yuan Ran repeated Old He’s words to her. s.h.i.+ Feng Rong also had a worried expression.
“If it wasn’t for Old He’s reminder today, we have all missed this problem.” Pei Yuan Ran said gravely: “Thinking about it now, we were truly too impatient. It was the same for Wei Sheng entering the sword cave. And it happened for Zuo Mo’s dan-making.”
“I have already restricted him from dan-making for a month.” s.h.i.+ Feng Rong suddenly said: “This matter, it was my fault for missing it.”
Pei Yuan Ran waved his hand: “We were all at fault.”
“Yes!” Yan Le had a regretful expression: “The sales of golden crow pill were too good. I got impatient because they were urging me and went to rush him. Thinking about it now, earning jings.h.i.+ is for the continued existence of the sect. If something happened to Zuo Mo because of this matter, it really is a loss. We’d have lost a lot!”
“It’s good to restrict him from dan-making.” Pei Yuan Ran said solemnly: “s.h.i.+di, supervise him in this time to practice the sword. We aren’t going to hope that he would make any accomplishment on the sword. His talent isn’t bad in the sword but he has too many likes, and it’s hard for him to be faithful to one. If there aren’t any surprises, his achievements in the sword wouldn’t be as good as Wei Sheng.”
Everyone had achieved jindan and could easily see this. Even s.h.i.+ Feng Rong nodded her head slightly. Zuo Mo started out as a ling plant farmer. Then he learned dan-making followed by the sword. What he had learned was extremely broad. He wasn’t willing to throw away any of it so his achievements on the sword would most likely be very limited.
“But Zuo Mo’s other talents are truly outstanding. If he isn’t learning dan-making with s.h.i.+mei, his talent in dan-making would be lost. We won’t hope for him to cultivate the sword. We could nurture his interest in other areas, like Second s.h.i.+di’s forging, we could try.” Pei Yuan Ran continued: “But Old He’s words reminded me today. Zuo Mo’s body is too weak. We might not put expectations on his sword skills but we could strengthen his body and prevent something like becoming unconscious in the future. Before his body is strong, don’t let him sink back into dan-making. Second s.h.i.+di, this will have to rely on you.”
“Yes!” Xin Yan spat out a word. In the half-lidded eyes, two dots of cold light flashed.
No one had any opinions about Pei Yuan Ran’s arrangements. Even s.h.i.+ Feng Rong felt that not letting Zuo Mo sink into dan-making temporarily was a correct choice.
After everyone had left, a hint of worry came onto Pei Yuan Ran’s face. Zuo Mo had a problem, then Wei Sheng? He was slightly regretful now of sending Wei Sheng into the sword cave so early.
In the dark and gloomy sword cave, Wei Sheng’s clothes were dyed with blood, blood coming out of the corner of his mouth. His upper half was bare, large and small marks crisscrossing, alarming to see. Opposite to his dim and tired mental state, Splitting Rainbow was glowing and flas.h.i.+ng on his hands. It was like the rainbow after the rain, the color vibrant and fresh.
Wei Sheng affectionately caressed the body of the sword. The seven colored sword hummed lightly, as though it was responding to him.
In total, there were eighteen levels in the sword cave. Starting from the first level, he had fought his way down step by step. The devilings along the way, he hadn’t let go of even one. There wasn’t any slacking or tricks. Even though he already knew that [Void Sword Scripture] was on the eighteenth level, if he could reach the eighteenth level, he would be able to see the greatest art the sect founder had left behind, [Void Sword Scripture].
But he controlled the impulse in his heart. Steady step by steady step, one deviling after the next, he forged his sword essence!
He was the very first second generation disciple in Wu Kong Sword Sect to comprehend sword essence, even earlier than Zuo Mo. He had naturally comprehended it at zhuji. The sword essence he had comprehended by himself, it wasn’t from any kind of sword scripture, but from his daily continuous fights, his own understandings which formed his own sword essence!
His sword essence, it wasn’t an understanding of the sword scriptures, but an understanding of the sword!
This was also why Xin Yan found it troublesome and hard to teach him. This was also why, no matter if it was the stubborn Xin Yan or the steady Pei Yuan Ran, they were all in favor of sending him to the sword cave.
They had high expectations of him!
Wei Sheng, who had his own sword essence, he wasn’t just the person in the sect most likely to grasp [Void Sword Scripture], but the only one with hopes of reaching the level that the founder had attained. Even though Zuo Mo had comprehended sword essence, but in the hearts of the elders, Wei Sheng’s talents at the sword was much higher than him!
Wei Sheng gently caressed the sword, his eyes resolute. His cultivation had rose furiously and in a short amount of time, reached the eighth level of zhuji. But what he didn’t know was that, of the past disciples that entered the sword cave, those that could enter the eighth level, none of them were below ningmai.
And him, just with his zhuji cultivation, fought and killed his way to the sixteenth level!
Starting from the thirteenth level, every step that he took, he needed to pay a price.
But he didn’t become afraid and retreat. His sword, there was no retreat, there was no hesitation.
Translator Ramblings: Thanks for all your comments!
We get an update on Wei Sheng and the sect elders aren’t so bad at all, right? Zuo Mo is too smart for his own good.