After Sheng Jun Chapter 8 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 8 Zhong Ming Gui Xue (part 2)
Jiang Xingzhi responded with a sound and asked Zhu Yan to find a convenient place to sit and talk. Zhu Yan cheerfully said, "Perfect timing! I've been free these past few days and cleared out a spot in the mountains!"
As he led the way forward, Zhu Xu followed in confusion, his gaze shifting between Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming, before sending a message through sound transmission:
"Elder brother, that Mountain God just now was..."
Zhu Yan: "The Daren in blue robes."
Zhu Xu took a deep breath. Zhu Yan, recalling his first life experience of being carried while flying wildly through the forest, patted his younger brother's shoulder sympathetically.
Questioning life? I understand.
****
When Zhu Yan said he had cleared out a spot, Jiang Xingzhi thought it would just be some weeded ground with a makeshift shelter.
However, as they walked up the mountain, they discovered that the path gradually became paved with even stepping stones. The viewing platform halfway up the mountain had been cleared of all weeds, surrounded by a fence, and had a small wooden cabin built.
Zhu Yan led them to the cabin and scratched his head sheepishly, "It might be a bit crude."
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
He's actually quite skilled!
He patted Zhu Yan's shoulder and sincerely praised, "It's already more than luxurious enough."
The four of them sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. Just as Jiang Xingzhi was about to sit, Zhong Ming suddenly pulled out a cloak from his storage bag. Every stitch of the fabric was infused with magic power, clearly a high-level magic garment that could transform at will.
Zhong Ming folded it twice and placed it on Jiang Xingzhi's stone stool, "Sit."
The other three fell silent for a moment.
Zhu Xu, being new, questioned his elder brother with his eyes: What's going on?
Zhu Yan kept his eyes straight ahead: We don't understand, and we don't dare to ask.
Jiang Xingzhi's expression was complex, "Brother Bai, what are you doing?" Anyone who didn't know better would think he had some unspeakable condition.
Zhong Ming reached out his long arm and pulled him to sit down, "You're sensitive to cold."
Jiang Xingzhi was moved. Zhong Ming cautioned, "Don't let the stone stool make you cold."
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
A mountain breeze swept past, and the evening air after sunset was deeply chilly.
Zhu Yan's hand trembled, fearing the two might start fighting over a disagreement, and quickly changed the subject, "Did the Daren have something to discuss?"
Getting back on topic, Jiang Xingzhi asked, "Who exactly were the ones trying to kill you these two times?"
The air around the stone table grew heavy, and after a while, Zhu Yan exhaled and said, "Since Daren saved my brother and me, I should be honest. Actually... I'm from the Qijue Tower."
He paused after speaking, waiting for either shock or disgust from Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming.
After a few breaths, Jiang Xingzhi prompted in confusion, "Continue?"
Zhu Yan: "..."
Zhu Yan raised his voice, "Daren, I'm from the Qijue Tower!"
Zhong Ming rubbed his brow, not wanting Zhu Yan's built-up emotions to go to waste, and asked about the key point, "What is the Qijue Tower?"
Zhu Yan finally realized: These two had never heard of the infamous "Qijue Tower" known throughout the Three Realms!
He took several deep breaths and slowly explained.
The Qijue Tower was a famous underground organization in the Three Realms, operating without principles, only caring about spirit stones. They had one strict internal rule: missions must be executed absolutely, violators would be killed.
Therefore, although the Qijue Tower was hated, they completed each mission cleanly and efficiently. Plus, the Tower Master was a supreme expert at the late stage of Out-of-Body, which was why the Qijue Tower had survived until now.
...
When Zhu Yan mentioned "supreme expert at the late stage of Out-of-Body," he should have felt a shiver from the bottom of his heart, but looking at Jiang Xingzhi's face, he felt somewhat ashamed instead.
It was like returning to the moment when the other had questioned why a Nascent Soul cultivator needed to be called "Venerable."
He quickly concluded, "That's all the information about the Qijue Tower."
"Hmm." Jiang Xingzhi lowered his eyes in thought, one hand tapping lightly on the stone table, "The people chasing you earlier said you violated sect rules, what did you violate?"
Zhu Yan's expression tightened, "...Daren, I am not a good person. People of the Qijue Tower take money to kill, we have no choice."
He paused, "But children are innocent."
He had been assigned to execute a mission to eliminate an entire family, but at the last moment, he spared a three-year-old child.
Paper cannot wrap fire, and violating sect rules meant certain death.
Jiang Xingzhi nodded - making such a choice despite knowing the consequences meant his conscience wasn't completely dead.
Zhong Ming spoke up, "Just for someone who violated sect rules, they would go to such lengths to chase and kill them from thousands of miles away?"
"After all, each member holds too many confidential intelligence reports."
Intelligence... Jiang Xingzhi's thoughts shifted, and his gaze suddenly looked at Zhu Yan as if he were a treasure.
He interlaced his fingers in front of him and swept his gaze over the faces of the two brothers, "I want to establish a sect. If you two are willing to join, you can have my protection."
Zhu Yan looked up sharply, "Does Daren truly mean this? Forget about seeking protection, my younger brother and I are already indebted to you for saving us. We're willing to serve at your disposal!"
Jiang Xingzhi nodded, "Of course I mean it."
Zhu Yan and Zhu Xu exchanged glances, excitedly cupping their fists, "We two brothers are willing to follow the Daren!"
Just as the two finished their pledge, another voice fell from beside them, "I too am willing to follow the Daren."
"....."
This voice was unhurried and low, resonating in their ears. All three turned to look at Zhong Ming who had spoken. Jiang Xingzhi felt weary, "Don't butt in."
Zhong Ming's gaze was calm, "I'm not butting in, I'm properly joining."
Jiang Xingzhi looked at him for a few moments, trying to determine if he was joking, "Brother Bai doesn't seem like someone willing to be bound by sect rules."
Zhong Ming said, "I need to seek revenge, so I naturally need intelligence too."
Jiang Xingzhi pondered for a moment and found it quite reasonable. He stood up and declared loudly, "Excellent! From today forward, our sect is officially established. We've all gathered here because of grudges, so how about we call it 'The Avengers Alliance'?"
The three: "..."
Zhong Ming said softly, "Don't talk nonsense."
After some back and forth about the sect's name, they finally settled on a relatively normal one, calling it the "Guixue Sect."
Jiang Xingzhi was full of hope, "Guixue, what a wonderful meaning."
(TL: 歸雪= ‘returning’ ‘snow’)
He would return to his original world one day.
With the sect established, Zhu Yan and Zhu Xu were already efficiently building houses and courtyards. Under the night sky, no one could have imagined that this desolate Panshi Mountain would soon be transformed into a holy site that future generations would pay homage to.
Only Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming remained on the viewing platform. As the cool breeze swept by, Zhong Ming spoke, "You want to go back that badly?"
Jiang Xingzhi replied without hesitation, "Of course I do."
In the cool night air, neither spoke again. Zhong Ming suddenly remembered their conversation from earlier that day. The person Jiang Xingzhi liked, the person he wanted to see again no matter how difficult...
The dark cloud in his heart stirred, but when he looked at Jiang Xingzhi's profile, it dispersed like clouds before the sun.
He didn't want to know who Jiang Xingzhi had liked in the past at all.
At worst, he could occupy all of this person's attention before they returned - he had already torn apart the Heavenly Dao and slashed through the Chaotic Spirit, finally getting this person back in front of him.
There was still plenty of time ahead, so why not be a bit more shameless?
Thinking this, Zhong Ming bent down to pick up the cloak from the stone stool, raised his hand and draped it over Jiang Xingzhi. The velvet-lined cloak, along with his arm, wrapped around the person, holding him in a full embrace.
He looked at Jiang Xingzhi who had turned his head, his voice unusually gentle, "Put it on."
Jiang Xingzhi's eyes widened slightly, "Bai Mu."
Zhong Ming: "Mm."
Jiang Xingzhi: "Isn't this the cloak you just had me sit on?"
Zhong Ming: "..."
The thick cloak suddenly tightened around the collar, covering half of his face securely. Zhong Ming expressionlessly sealed Jiang Xingzhi's mouth under the cloak, "Covering your face makes little difference."
****
The two Zhu brothers were extremely efficient, and by dawn the next day, they had roughly built a small courtyard on the mountaintop.
Last night after being wrapped in the cloak, Zhong Ming had disappeared somewhere, so now only Jiang Xingzhi followed Zhu Xu up to take a look.
The grass and leaves along the way had all been tidied up, roughly forming steps. A courtyard sat at the most panoramic spot on the mountaintop, with clean and sturdy wooden houses, and meditation platforms and stone tables in the yard.
Jiang Xingzhi patted Zhu Xu's shoulder, "You’ve worked hard."
Zhu Xu was full of youthful energy and enthusiasm, "As long as the Sect Master is satisfied!"
Jiang Xingzhi was quite satisfied, thinking about when he could go out for a trip to buy some new furniture. As his gaze shifted, he suddenly noticed another courtyard right next to his own.
"What's that, buy one get one free?"
"That's Bai Mu Daren's courtyard."
"Why is his courtyard there?" Jiang Xingzhi said, "Two tigers cannot share one mountain - the Sect Master and Vice Sect Master should at least live on opposite sides of the mountain."
Zhu Xu respectfully answered, "Bai Mu Daren came by last night and said he wouldn't be the Vice Sect Master, he wants to be a Dharma Protector. The protector's house should be built next to the Sect Master's."
Jiang Xingzhi couldn't understand, "Why only be a Dharma Protector?"
Zhu Xu couldn't help but recall the man's expression when he came last night, and carefully probed, "Sect Master, between you and Bai Mu Daren..." did something happen?
Between him and Bai Mu? Jiang Xingzhi pondered - although he was reluctant to admit it, Bai Mu's cultivation level was indeed higher.
Right here on this mountain, every blade of grass and every tree was so clear, the memory of being suppressed beneath him felt like yesterday.
Jiang Xingzhi frankly said, "Yes, he overpowered me."
Zhu Xu's pupils shook for a moment - so direct?
He stammered, "T-t-then you..."
"Don't worry, I won't hold a grudge." Jiang Xingzhi patted his shoulder, looking toward the horizon with a slight smile. The morning sun was rising, everything felt so positive and upward-looking.
"There's still plenty of time ahead, who knows who will overpower whom in the future!"
Zhu Xu: "...!"