At this time, it was the peak of summer, with the afternoon heat waves rolling in, blanching everything in sight, making it hard to breathe. However, the small garden in the back mountain's separate courtyard of Shaoyang Peak was cool, with the towering trees shielding the harsh sunlight. The wind passing through the woods created a crisp rustling sound, as if playing the most soothing lullaby.
A young girl, about ten years old, sat on a large bluestone by the pond, her jet-black, glossy hair unbound and draped casually down her back. She held a large tome in her hands, lazily reading through it.
"...then three hundred miles south, called Geng Mountain, no vegetation, abundant in turquoise waters, many large snakes. There be creatures..."
She recited snippets of the Demon Name List, too lazy to continue after a few lines, kicked off her shoes, and teased the golden tail big carps looking for food in the pond with her white, bare toes, jesting, "With beasts and fish, both hunting and fishing, it would make for a good meal!"
"What's good to eat?" a young boy's voice suddenly emerged from behind her, seemingly laced with a smile.
The little girl lazily pulled back her feet, put on her shoes and socks, and, without turning, replied, "Big Brother, what's good to eat?"
Du Minxing walked up to her, tenderly tousled her little head, and laughed, "So, I'm asking you. What were you mumbling to yourself just now?"
The little girl flipped the large tome in her hands towards him, "Memorizing the Demon Name List, it's so boring."
Seeing her listless expression, Du Minxing couldn't help but chuckle, "No wonder Master and Mistress always say you're lazy and unwilling to progress in your training. You can't even be bothered to memorize the Demon Name List; you're too lazy."
The little girl didn't respond, only fiddled with the jade pendant on her skirt tie, and after a while, spoke with a tone far too old for her years, "Sigh, it's all about training every day, making my legs and back ache. I don't see the point. I don't believe immortals who made it are like the elder brothers, sweating profusely every day, stinking to high heaven."
Du Minxing, hearing her childish talk, laughed again, "Training is for strengthening the body and health. You've never seen a sickly immortal, have you? Once your body is strong, you can cultivate the Inner Strength Immortal Technique. Otherwise, how would you control objects in flight and slay demons?"
She had no nonsensical arguments left, convinced by Big Brother's reasoning internally, but for her to practice swordplay and boxing was utterly impossible.
Du Minxing had no intention of lecturing a little girl with grand principles.
This girl was different from Linglong. When you reason with Linglong, if she dislikes what she hears, she'll argue, and if she can't win the argument, she'll obediently comply; but with this girl, you could reason for days, and though she'd nod in agreement, she'd forget as soon as you turned around, continuing in her willful and lazy ways that infuriated everyone.
"Today, Mistress gave the Broken Gold Sword to Sister Linglong," he said, teasing the carps in the pond with a willow branch, "From today, your sister doesn't need to squat in horse stance for boxing; she can practice swordsmanship."
"Oh." She responded indifferently, her heart elsewhere.
"Chu Xuanji." He suddenly called her name seriously.
Xuanji blinked, reluctantly hopped off the bluestone, and bowed to him, saying, "Xuanji is here. What guidance does Big Brother have?"
Du Minxing, with a stern face, asked, "Why are you unwilling to train?"
She bit her lip, her expression both stubborn and childish. After a long silence, she pouted, "I understand all the principles that father, mother, and all the uncles and aunts talk about, but understanding doesn't mean I can do it. I can't fathom why I should train, and if you ask me a thousand times, I still won't understand."
Du Minxing could only sigh. He always treated the two younger sisters equally, cherishing them as if they were his own. It's just that Linglong was more extroverted and lively, inevitably receiving more affection from everyone. To be honest, with his good temperament, there were several times he nearly lost patience enough to want to smack Xuanji just to vent his frustration, not to mention Master and Mistress. Who could feel affection for a stubborn little rock? Yell or scold, and she showed no reaction, truly frustrating.
"The master was furious on the martial arts training field just now," he said, his expression showing some concern, "mentioning that you haven't gone to train for ten consecutive days, neglecting the rules of Shaoyang Peak. He sent me to find you, saying he's going to punish you severely. You should think about what to do."
Upon hearing that her father was angry, Xuanji finally felt a bit of fear. She clutched the corner of her robe, stammering for a while before whispering, "Can't I just... not go? Just say you didn't find me..."
Du Minxing shook his head, "The master has made up his mind this time. Even your twin sister Linglong has inherited the Divine Artifact Broken Gold Sword from our mistress, yet you can't even complete one set of Xuanming Fist. How can he, as the Sect Leader, keep protecting his own daughter? If he doesn't punish you severely this time, what will the other disciples think?"
Xuanji complained with a sense of injustice, "Why care about what others think... Rules, rules... We're not hunting dogs, why do we need rules!"
Du Minxing took out a Black Iron Ruyi from his chest and gently tossed it into the air; the two-foot-long pitch-black Ruyi wobbled in midair for a moment before steadying there.
He leapt onto it, bent down, and offered her his hand, "Come on, stop complaining. Hurry to see the master. The eldest brother and the mistress will plead for you. You can't be so lazy next time!"
Reluctantly, Xuanji, with a million reluctances in her heart but unable to resist her father's sustained severity, slowly grabbed the hand of the eldest brother, while mentally rehearsing what to say to her father, and pathetically pleaded with him, "Eldest brother... I don't want to be punished..."
Seeing her pitiful expression, Du Minxing's heart softened, and he said gently, "Okay, the eldest brother will definitely speak well of you! But if you neglect your training for ten consecutive days again, even the eldest brother won't help you anymore!"
Xuanji didn't respond, and Du Minxing sighed inwardly. His right foot sank slightly, and the Black Iron Ruyi immediately turned around and flew towards the mountain top martial arts training field, transforming the two of them into a tiny black dot in the blink of an eye.
Shouyang Mountain has a dozen martial arts training fields of various sizes, serving disciples from different branches for their training. As one of the world's major cultivation sects, Shaoyang Sect has numerous disciples and immense blessings. Since the previous Sect Leader, Jingyang Immortal, the Shaoyang Sect had been divided into seven branches. The main branch, overseen by the Sect Leader Zhe Lei, and the remaining six branches such as Qingxu and Xuyang, are managed by his other brothers and sisters in the sect.
With numerous branches and a mixed group of disciples, they all prioritize cultivation and nurturing their nature, refraining from participating in disputes with other sects. The spiritual masters view matters of fame and fortune with great indifference, perhaps that has been the reason why Shaoyang Peak has been impregnable for hundreds of years.
At this moment, the Sect Leader Zhe Lei was supervising the training of his disciples at the main martial arts training field on the peak. His wife, He Danping, was also earnestly instructing the female disciples in their sword movements. The martial arts training field in the afternoon was as hot as a steamer, with everyone sweating profusely, yet despite the occasional shouts during moves, the vast field was silent, as everyone was alert. Only because Zhe Lei had just vented his temper due to his youngest daughter Xuanji's laziness in skipping training, the disciples knew about their temperamental and strict Sect Leader and feared accidentally provoking his wrath, so they could only grit their teeth and train hard, enduring any muscle and bone injuries in silence.
He Danping first watched two disciples exchange sword techniques, and seeing them performing well, she walked to the side of the field and took a sip of tea. Looking up at the sky, she noted that the noon training session was almost over, yet Du Minxing still hadn't brought Xuanji over. Glancing back at Zhe Lei's face, growing darker with anger, she undoubtedly knew he was also suppressing his rage.
With a sigh, she approached him softly and said, "Big brother... Xuanji has been complaining of chest tightness these past few days, which must be due to physical discomfort. Don't be too angry. She's still young, and being too demanding might not be good..."
Zhe Lei didn't respond, only scoffing coldly. As he looked up to see his eldest daughter Linglong tremblingly holding her mother's Broken Gold Sword, practicing her sword moves diligently with a face flushed red from heat yet without a single complaint, he coldly said, "Still young? Linglong and her are twin sisters, yet she is already practicing the sword. And Xuanji? It's because you spoil her too much! You spoil her until she does whatever she wants, completely ignorant!"
Knowing her husband was irate, He Danping realized this was not the time to defend her point as it would only add fuel to the fire. So she chose to remain silent.
On the other side, eleven-year-old Linglong had just finished her stance and, dragging her sword boldly, went to find her Sixth Brother Zhong Minyan and called out, "Hey! Practice a couple of moves with me!"
Zhong Minyan, who was squatting in a stance, his handsome face dripping with sweat, frowned and said, "I'm not called 'hey'!"
Linglong, stamped her foot in impatience, "Hurry up! Practice the moves with me!"
He still refused, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone, "I'm not called 'hurry up' either!"
Linglong, like her father, had a fiery temper; after repeating herself twice and still getting no response, she got angry and said urgently, "If you don't practice these moves with me, I might just stab you!"
Zhong Minyan, seeing her get worked up, stopped his stance and chuckled, "Call me good guy Min Yan big brother, then I'll practice with you. Otherwise, you can stab me into a wasp's nest, but don't expect it."
Linglong stomped her foot hard and yelled, "Zhong Minyan, all you do is spout nonsense! You won't practice with me because you definitely haven't mastered the Yao Hua Swordsmanship! I won't seek your help anymore!"
"Alright, alright." Zhong Minyan borrowed a sword from a female disciple nearby, flicked a sword technique, and said with a smile, "I'll practice with you, such a missy's temperament."
Linglong, being impatient, saw him assume a ready stance and swung her sword at him. Being small and not very strong, she almost let the sword slip from her grasp. Zhong Minyan quickly parried and couldn't help but laugh, "You can't even hold your sword firmly, what moves are you trying to break?"
Linglong's face turned red, and just as she was about to retort, she heard Zhe Lei from behind say, "Minyan, come here."
Zhong Minyan quickly dropped his playful demeanor, approached solemnly, and bowed, "What instructions do you have, Master?"
Zhe Lei said sternly, "Your eldest senior brother went to find your junior sister, and he hasn't returned yet. I fear his soft heart might have been swayed by that cunning girl. Now you go and see, and when you find her, don't say anything. Just bring her here."
Zhong Minyan internally cursed his luck. Throughout Shaoyang Peak, he could get along with anyone, but he found Zhe Xuanji the most annoying. They never saw eye to eye, and he felt like hitting someone after exchanging just a few words. And now he was the one being sent to fetch her.
He quickly thought about how to refuse, hesitating, "Master... I... I… am helping Linglong break moves..."
Before he finished speaking, his master didn't respond. He stealthily glanced up and saw his master's face was an iron blue, staring ahead at the sky. He followed his gaze and saw that his eldest senior brother, Du Minxing, was flying with Xuanji using object control flight.
For a moment, all the disciples in the martial arts training field stopped what they were doing and looked up to watch the spectacle. Xuanji's reputation among her fellow brothers and sisters was always not as good as Linglong's. Being a quirky and difficult person, most were more than ready to enjoy the show, eagerly anticipating seeing her embarrassed.
Xuanji, trembling, jumped down from the Black Iron Ruyi and seeing the tense atmosphere on the training field, hesitated to approach her father who was staring coldly at her.
Du Minxing put away the Black Iron Ruyi, patted the top of her head, and said softly, "Don't be afraid. Come, quickly greet your Master."
Xuanji, feeling helpless, was pulled in front of Zhe Lei by him and knelt down, saying, "Xuanji greets the Sect Leader."
Zhe Lei snorted and said sternly, "You still know to greet the Sect Leader! I thought you had completely disregarded the Shaoyang Sect!"
Xuanji, knowing he was furious, dared not speak and just lowered her head, absentmindedly fiddling with the straps of her clothes. Even if she felt she had done nothing wrong, she dared not be defiant anymore.
"Well, you better explain what ghostly things you are up to, spending all day at the back mountain villa. Besides being lazy and sleeping, have you done anything a cultivator should do?!"
Xuanji didn't dare look up. Du Minxing, standing beside her, quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile, "My respects, Master, please calm your anger. I found my little junior sister in the back mountain garden reciting the Demon Name List, which shows she was not being lazy. She is serious about her cultivation. However, her constitution is weak, and haste does not bring success in training. Please, Master, discern the truth!"
Zhe Lei sneered, "What use is it reciting the entire Demon Name List from around the world if, on the day she descends from the mountain, will she face the demons just by reciting? Unable to control objects by flying, not understanding swordmanship nor the Immortal Technique, how can she cultivate to be an Immortal?!"
Du Minxing wanted to speak further, but Zhe Lei waved his hand to interrupt, "Enough! Say no more!"
Bow-headed, he could only retreat to the edge of the field.
Zhe Lei stared at Xuanji for a long while, remaining silent.
Looking at her beautiful countenance, he indeed felt a deep affection for this daughter. Zhe Lei, having spent his life dedicated to cultivation, took a casual view on the affairs of marrying and having children. It was only in his middle years that he had twin daughters, both stunning beauties made from clear ice and sparkling snow. Xuanji resembled her mother even more, delicate and weak, and he initially didn't want to be too harsh on her regarding training. However, Xuanji was excessively lazy, to the point where she couldn't even hold a proper stance now. Moreover, as the Sect Leader, how could he indulge his own daughter and expect to lead in the future?
Thinking of this, he felt a surge of anger and said coldly, "Stand up. I want to see how well you have mastered the Xuanming Fist, right here, in front of all your fellow brothers and sisters, don't be shy."
Xuanji had never practiced the Xuanming Fist, she had probably even forgotten how to pose, but since the Sect Leader had ordered, she had to stand up anyway.
For a moment, the area was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The scorching afternoon wind blew through Xuanji's long hair, drenching her back in sweat. Thousands of eyes were fixed solely on her, and she seemed to have frozen, unable to even move a finger.
He Danping, unable to bear seeing her daughter publicly humiliated, stepped forward to speak, but Zhe Lei stopped her with a hand gesture. He turned his head and said, "So, you cannot practice it? Then tell me, what have you been doing all these years?"
Xuanji still did not speak. The intense sunlight shone directly on her face, making her feel faint. From a distance, the crowd could not see her expression clearly. Those who had previously enjoyed her misfortune were now also sweating profusely for her, fearing that if she continued to be silent, the Master would only get angrier.
"Zhe Xuanji, speak," Zhe Lei's voice was very light, as if a thin layer of ice had suddenly shattered.
Suddenly, Xuanji knelt on the ground and said in a heavy voice, "I cannot! Please punish me, Sect Leader!"
To everyone's surprise, Zhe Lei burst out laughing, "Punishment?! What a punishment! You actually know the word 'punishment'!" He suddenly stopped laughing and said sternly, "Listen, go home tonight, pack some clothes. From tomorrow on, you will stay in the Mingxia Cave on North Mountain Sun Peak! You may come out when I say you can!"
Everyone was shocked. It was well known that Mingxia Cave was a thousand zhang deep and as dark as hell. It was perennially damp and cold, filled with numerous insects and snakes. Normally, a disciple could go mad from staying inside for just a moment, let alone an indefinite period! She was merely an eleven-year-old girl; no matter what, this punishment was too severe!
He Danping immediately burst into tears. Linglong, unable to restrain herself, rushed forward and knelt down, pleading urgently, "Please spare my sister, Sect Leader! Her health is poor and she will die if she goes to the Mingxia Cave!"
Du Minxing and Zhong Minyan, along with other young disciples from the Min Sect, also knelt down and pleaded, "Master, please revoke the order! The little sister is still young and may not withstand such punishment! Please show mercy, Master!"
With a furious sweep of his sleeve, Zhe Lei said, "Stand up! I have already decided on this matter; there is no need to discuss it further!" After saying this, he turned to look at Xuanji, who had turned somewhat pale, yet showed no sign of fear.
Although his anger was intense, deep down he still couldn't bear it and sighed, "Xuanji… There are many people in the world who can only live as ordinary individuals, experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and death, living a mundane life. But you cannot. You are a disciple of Shaoyang Peak, and cultivation is your lifelong goal. How can you be content to remain an ordinary person?"
She remained silent for a long while before softly saying, "Are we then… not ordinary people?"
At her words, Zhe Lei was rendered speechless and after a long time managed to say, "You… go then."
Watching his daughter's slender figure, he was filled with mixed emotions.
An uncarved block cannot be sculpted.
But this block was his daughter; even if it could not be sculpted, he was determined to sculpt something from it.
Du Minxing still wanted to plead, but Zhe Lei flung his sleeve and walked away, only to stop at the edge of the Martial Arts Training Field and say solemnly, "Minxing, come to my room tonight. I want to see how far you have advanced in the Yang Jue Skill."
Upon hearing the words 'Yang Jue Skill,' Du Minxing was overjoyed. This was the deepest spell of Shaoyang Peak, typically only taught to ordinary disciples when they turned twenty, and only exceptionally talented ones received it earlier from the Sect Leader or the masters down the mountain. Now, at only eighteen, his master's so-called interest in his progress was actually an intention to teach him this spell!
The surrounding young disciples looked at him with envy, coming over to congratulate him. Du Minxing was so excited that he could barely stand; this distraction made him forget about Xuanji's predicament completely.