MJWCATFPITWOC Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Ten Years

Eastern Region Folk Life—

The sky was as dark as ink, and the coolness of the autumn night came with the wind.

Inside the Ke Xiang Inn, the lights were bright. Maple leaves outside the window fluttered in with the wind, and a red leaf silently fell into a teacup, reflecting the shadow of the tea drinker as the water surface rippled slightly.

The inn was bustling with noise and filled with warm air. Travelers from all over gathered here. They rested here, temporarily shedding the fatigue of their long journeys, sipping a cup of hot tea, tasting a few home-style dishes, and then chatting about anecdotes and interesting stories from the cultivation world.

“That’s right!” A red-faced man raised his wine cup, his voice slurred with drunkenness. “I just came from the Southern Region a few days ago. The customs and climate of the Eastern Region, alas, are indeed different!”

His voice wasn’t loud, but in this lively inn, it attracted the attention of the surrounding people.

A young traveler leaned closer and asked in a low voice, “You’re from the Southern Region? Hey, are the cultivators there really as rumored? I heard—everyone’s at the Nascent Soul stage?”

As soon as these words came out, the surrounding conversations gradually stopped. People who were originally eating or talking with their heads down perked up their ears, and some even turned around directly.

This topic was indeed exciting. There had been too many rumors about the Southern Region in the past few years, especially the news about the rapid increase in cultivators’ cultivation levels, which had almost become a popular topic in every teahouse and tavern. But to say that everyone was at the Nascent Soul stage was a bit of an exaggeration.

The man laughed heartily, raised his wine pot, and poured himself another half cup, the aroma of alcohol filling the air: “How could it be so exaggerated! Mid-stage Golden Core is common, but Nascent Soul still depends on talent.”

“Then, then, is Sword Honor really only in his early twenties?” another person couldn’t wait to interject, full of anticipation.

At this time, an outsider asked, “Who is it?”

“Who else could it be but that one! Mo Yifeng, the Sword Honor of the Lingfeng Sect in the Southern Region, is already at the Great Ascension stage at such a young age!”

As soon as these words came out, exclamations of admiration arose in the crowd. Mo Yifeng’s name had long been well-known in the cultivation world.

However, in the corner, a man dressed in a black robe remained quietly seated. His figure was hidden in the shadows, and his face was concealed by a large hood.

Only the hand holding the teacup paused slightly when he heard the name “Mo Yifeng,” his knuckles tightening slightly, causing ripples in the tea water.

“I heard that when he was undergoing his tribulation, the entire sky over the Southern Region turned black, as if a celestial being had descended!” someone excitedly added.

The black-robed man lowered his head and took a sip of tea, seemingly to hide something, but his expression remained as calm as water.

Mo Yifeng… These three words fiercely cut through his memory, stirring up some deeply buried emotions.

“But speaking of which,” someone suddenly brought up another topic, “how did the overall cultivation level of the Southern Region cultivators improve so quickly? Could that ‘everyone’s at the Nascent Soul stage’ thing be related to the Lingfeng Sect?”

The man drank down his wine in one gulp and casually waved his hand: “It’s not wrong to say it’s related to the Lingfeng Sect. They have a sect there that specializes in accepting geniuses. The Sword Honor also came from there. I heard that the sect’s second disciple reached the peak of Nascent Soul in just a few years and is now the vice sect master. And there’s also Miss Nie Yue of the Yue family, and Li Juemu of the Dingxu Sect, aren’t they all sect masters now! These younger generations can already shoulder the heavy responsibilities. Looking at the youths in other regions, it’s already good if they can reach the Nascent Soul stage.”

Hearing this, the black-robed man picked up his teacup, tilted his head back, and drank the contents in one gulp, as if preparing to get up and leave. However, just as he flicked his sleeve, the surrounding discussions started up again.

“Hey, but speaking of the Li family, is the rumor that Li Juemu is seriously injured and unable to recover true?”

The drunken man mumbled: “I don’t know.”

“Aren’t you from the Western Region? How could you not know?”

Seeing that the drunken man was unwilling to speak, people had no choice.

At this moment, the black-robed man’s hand paused imperceptibly, his fingertip moving slightly, and a golden thread materialized from his sleeve, passed through the crowd, and stuck directly to the drunken man’s forehead. However, the surrounding people seemed to not see the existence of this thread.

In the next moment, the drunken man’s expression suddenly became blank, his eyes unfocused, and he opened his mouth and said: “That matter is said to be very complicated. There was an internal rebellion in the Li family, and after they caught the traitor, they discovered that it was someone from the Liu family. The Liu family and the Li family have always been at odds, and this time they started fighting. They fought for several days and nights, and in the end, Li Juemu was somehow seriously injured.”

The surrounding people whispered: “The Liu family? Is that the famous medical family in the cultivation world? Is Liu Mingzhen, the famous doctor, also from the Liu family?”

However, this time, the drunken man did not answer again. His head tilted, and he collapsed to the ground, snoring loudly, obviously having drunk too much and completely passed out.

Seeing this, the crowd was immediately disappointed and dispersed, leaving a few night owls to continue discussing the anecdotes of the cultivation world.

One person said: “Speaking of this, I’m reminded of something. Do you remember Futian Sect of the Southern Region? At the Immortal Sect Competition ten years ago, the year with the double champions, didn’t they have a third disciple? Why haven’t we heard any news about him now?”

The person opposite him changed his expression abruptly, as if he had heard something taboo, and quickly reached out to cover the other person’s mouth, whispering: “You can’t say that! Didn’t you know? The Sword Honor has long ordered that no one is allowed to discuss the third disciple of the Futian Sect, not even mention a single word. If you’re discovered… heh, wait for the Sword Honor to personally descend and punish you.”

Hearing this, that person turned pale: “No way, is it that serious? Does the Sword Honor value that third disciple, or hate him?”

The person opposite him shrugged: “Who knows.”

At this time, the crisp sound of a cup being placed down rang out in the quiet inn. A few people turned their heads to look, but the corner was already empty, as if he had never existed.

.

Mist swirled, and a tall figure was reflected on the surface of the hot spring water. The man’s silhouette was blurred by the mist, but it could still be seen that he was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and back.

The spring water slid down his shoulders, forming water droplets on his sharply defined waist, slowly sliding down along the texture of his muscles. His back was covered in old scars, some deep and some shallow.

Outside the spring, a child’s tender voice sounded: “Sword Honor, your clothes have been placed outside. The vice sect master has summoned you for something. Please go after your bath.”

The person in the spring responded in a low voice: “Mm.”

The child paused, as if remembering something, and added in a low voice: “My Lord, those things that were newly sent a few days ago… should I put them in the usual place?”

The man paused slightly, his voice steady as usual: “What is it this time?”

The child lowered his voice: “Puppet Dao.”

The man frowned slightly upon hearing this, but ultimately didn’t say much.

After he stepped out of the spring and tidied his clothes, his figure leaped, instantly crossing a hundred miles, and landed steadily in front of the Lingfeng Sect’s building. He strode forward, and the disciples who passed by all looked sideways to salute, lowering their heads and eyes, not daring to look directly at him.

The man ignored this and pushed the door open, his tone cold: “You better have something important.”

“Is that the attitude you should have towards the vice sect master?” Fu Lingxuan put down the bamboo slips in his hand and looked up. But when he smelled the familiar fragrance on the other person, his expression changed: “Has the nightmare sickness flared up again?”

Mo Yifeng’s figure had completely shed the immaturity of his youth, replaced by a mature masculine aura. He walked to the side and sat down: “None of your business.”

Fu Lingxuan’s gaze fell on his tense face, and he slowly opened his mouth: “So many years have passed, and he still hasn’t returned… Have you ever considered that there is only one possibility, he failed his tribulation?”

“Impossible.” Mo Yifeng suddenly raised his eyes, his tone revealing a rare intensity. His hand gripped the side of the chair tightly, and with a crack, a crack appeared in the wooden armrest. “He did that kind of thing, I won’t let him die so easily.”

Fu Lingxuan frowned: “In these past few years, you’ve been asking people everywhere to find people who practice the Forbidden Dao, what exactly are you looking for?”

Mo Yifeng was silent for a moment, his emotions fading, returning to calm, his tone impatient: “Stop talking nonsense, what exactly did you call me here for?”

Seeing this, Fu Lingxuan wisely changed the topic: “You know about the Li family, right? The Dingxu Sect and the Lingfeng Sect have been allies for many years. Recently, the Liu family has gathered sect forces and is preparing to attack the Li family the day after tomorrow. Our Lingfeng Sect also has to step in and help. But… it just so happens that the other disciples are all out, so I can only ask you.”

Mo Yifeng’s eyes flickered slightly, and he said indifferently: “So, you want me to represent the Lingfeng Sect to go there?”

Fu Lingxuan nodded: “However, don’t use the identity of the Sword Honor, be more low-key, and disguise yourself as a disciple from our sect. If the name of the Sword Honor is involved in this battle, it will only escalate things into a problem for the cultivation world, which is absolutely not allowed.”

Hearing this, Mo Yifeng remained noncommittal, his figure still sitting on the chair, not showing any intention of moving. Seeing this, Fu Lingxuan understood without guessing. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world, he sighed: “You can make a request to me after it’s done.”

Only then did Mo Yifeng get up and leave without looking back.

Fu Lingxuan watched his back. In recent years, Mo Yifeng has been staying at home, almost confining himself to the small mountain residence of the Futian Sect, closing his doors for months. If he hadn’t already achieved Bigu, Fu Lingxuan even suspected that this person would starve to death inside.

However, three years ago, one day dark clouds covered the Lingfeng Sect, and the vastness of the momentum even alarmed the Immortal Honor who was in seclusion. It was not until the first heavenly lightning struck the small mountain residence that people knew it was Mo Yifeng undergoing tribulation.

But this speed was too astonishing. It usually takes a hundred years to cultivate from Nascent Soul to Great Ascension, but Mo Yifeng only took a few years.

At that time, the master had asked in a low voice, what exactly happened to Yifeng?

Mo Yifeng’s tribulation lasted a whole year. However, because of his abnormal progress speed, the sect was worried about whether he had cultivated into the evil path and conducted a comprehensive examination of his body. When the results showed that everything was normal, it was confirmed that he was a righteous Great Ascension swordsman, and he officially took over the title of “Sword Honor.”

But Fu Lingxuan found that Mo Yifeng had changed a lot after the tribulation. The former youth was full of spirit and curiosity about the world, but now he seemed indifferent and taciturn, with little interest in worldly affairs. His eyes were deep, as if he was hiding many things he didn’t want to share with others.

At that time, Fu Lingxuan noticed Mo Yifeng’s strangeness. Every time he summoned him, he could always smell a unique fragrance on the other person, the scent of the spring water in the small mountain residence of the Futian Sect, clear and elegant. At first, Fu Lingxuan thought it was just a whim, but after many times, he finally couldn’t help but ask: “Why do you always come after taking a bath?”

The other person only said that he was covered in sweat after waking up and didn’t feel comfortable without washing. But Fu Lingxuan noticed the problem and forcibly asked the Immortal Doctor to check, only to find out that Mo Yifeng was suffering from “nightmare sickness.”

This disease originates from long-term psychological stress, causing frequent nightmares at night. The emotional fluctuations during nightmares often cannot be released, and are eventually discharged as sweat after waking up.

Occasional nightmares are not a cause for concern, but long-term occurrences can damage the spirit and even trigger a tendency to be sensitive and suspicious.

The Immortal Doctor had prescribed medicine for treatment, but Mo Yifeng’s condition never improved. Over time, Mo Yifeng gave up treatment and only said indifferently: “It doesn’t matter.”

Fu Lingxuan was unwilling to admit it, but every time he saw Mo Yifeng like this, he couldn’t help but think of another person—Shen Yucheng when he first entered the Futian Sect.

.

Southern Region border, Dingxu Sect—

The mountain forest was sparse, and the sect’s buildings occupied a large area of the field of vision.

The sect was cold and deserted, lacking vitality. Only a few disciples were guarding the entrance, bored and yawning, their eyes wandering aimlessly.

“Hmm?” A disciple suddenly caught sight of someone walking from a distance: “Look, who is that?”

The person who came was wearing sect attire, walking lightly, with a temperament like mist lingering around him. The key point was that his face was extremely beautiful, and with just one glance, people couldn’t take their eyes off him.

“My God… is this a disciple of our sect?” Another disciple couldn’t help but rub his eyes.

It could be seen that wherever that disciple passed, even the breeze seemed to be particularly gentle, the leaves swaying, making way for him.

When the other person passed through the gate, he raised his eyes and nodded and smiled at the gatekeeper disciples, which undoubtedly became a critical hit. The gatekeeper disciples blushed one after another, and some even had nosebleeds, falling to the ground in a mess, waving their hands to signal him to enter.

The person seemed to be used to this kind of reaction, and his face didn’t show the slightest ripple. Just as he walked a few steps through the gate, a voice suddenly sounded: “Stop.”

His footsteps paused slightly, and he slowly turned his head, still maintaining his composure on his face. It was just that when he saw who was coming, he almost couldn’t hold back.

The gatekeeper disciples quickly clasped their fists and saluted, saying in unison: “Senior Brother Li!”

Senior Brother Li nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the beautiful disciple, carefully looking at him for a moment: “Are you really a disciple of this sect?”

The person who came was Li Juemu. After ten years of training, he had long shed his youthful spirit, and there was no longer any of the immaturity he had at the beginning between his brows, but rather a bit more heroic spirit.

Shen Yucheng raised his eyes to meet his gaze, his eyes complicated.

I didn’t expect that the first person I would encounter would be you.