The disciples were currently attending Jin An's class. As a renowned literature master, Jin An didn't have specific disciples of his own, so he took disciples from both Zhang XiYi and Damu Lan to participate in his lecture, making him a part of their master. He guided them through the works of the cultivation world and imprinted knowledge upon their minds. Typically, his lectures occupied the first half of the morning and concluded before afternoon.
"Alright, that's all for today. Make sure to study and review the manuals," Jin An requested, folding his hand fan and holding it in his palm. "Please place your note papers on my table for correction before you leave."
Upon hearing this, the remaining disciples stood up and left his lecture, leaving their notes behind. They headed off to engage in sparring and training sessions to enhance their cultivation path. As Fei Yi and Cuo Yi prepared to leave as well, they noticed Lu Ye still seated at his low table, gazing fixedly at Jin An. They decided to wait for him.
"What's wrong, Lu Ye?" Jin An asked, noticing Lu Ye's unbroken stare.
Lu Ye rose from his seat, books neatly held in his hands, and walked toward Jin An. "This has been on my mind for a while," Lu Ye began. "Why didn't Master Jin participate in sword practice with us?"
These questions struck Fei Yi and Cuo Yi, causing them to rush over in panic. Fei Yi quickly diverted the topic, saying, "Lu-Lu Ye! Why would you bring that up?!"
"Master Jin, our little Lu Ye still has so much to learn! Please forgive him!" Cuo Yi pleaded.
"Oh my," Jin An casually responded, his hand fan covering his mouth as he spoke. "I thought it was common knowledge by now." Despite his closed eyes and the fan hiding his mouth, it was obvious that he was smiling behind the layer.
He lowered his unfolded hand fan and continued, his face displaying a soft yet serious expression. "It's been a long time since I talked about this. Are you sure you want to know?"
Lu Ye nodded. Taking Jin An's response into consideration, the twins ceased their panicked state and relaxed.
"Cultivation suppression," Jin An chuckled. "A thousand years ago, I was met with a powerful blow that made it impossible for me to fully utilize my sword skills."
"I was one of the few disciples who attained immortality at a young age. But, even such a formidable blow was enough to damage my spiritual core. Therefore, it became difficult for me to channel my energy into the sword," Jin An explained. "When I manage to repair my meridian, my essence which encompasses my spiritual energy, becomes imbalanced and distorted. This deviation disrupted my connection to the sword and impaired my ability to wield it effectively."
"I was overwhelmed back then, and in my desperate attempts to wield a sword, I nearly destroyed my vital energy completely. So, for now, restraining myself from sword practice is a wise choice for a long and fulfilling life."
Though he maintained his smile and seemed to have moved on from the past, his tone revealed his longing to dance with the sword once again.
Upon hearing this, Lu Ye lowered his head, and after a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "Somehow, I feel sorry about that."
Jin An simply smiled in response and replied, "Why are you the one apologizing? It's fine. I've long moved on from it."
But Lu Ye's head remained lowered, prompting Jin An to gently pat him on the head and laughed heartily, "Hahaha! You're already over eighteen. Such a sad story should not bother you," he reminded.
Lu Ye gently slapped Jin An's hand away, owing respectfully before leaving, followed closely by the twins.
As Jin An watched them depart, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He placed his hand under his chin, musing to himself, "how alike, the master's essence."
.
It was evening, and Jin An had finally grown tired of idling about. He resolved to focus on his work and took a seat in his class hall, diligently reading and marking the disciples' notes.
"That's a rare sight, seeing you actually do your work instead of lounging around in my medical room," Cang Ren greeted him sarcastically as he made his appearance.
Jin An felt as if he had been struck by an arrow, so engrossed was he in his tasks. "Isn't it a good thing? The wise Master Jin actually doing his job properly!" Jin An hyped himself up, only to be met with an eye roll from Cang Ren.
"Whose paper are you checking now? Ah, this handwriting is quite good. The literary verses are refined too," Cang Ren interrupted, glancing at the scattered mess of papers that Jin An had finished checking.
"Lu Ye's. He's Damu Lan's disciple. Can't you read his name there? Don't bother me," Jin An replied, pouting and sulking in his typical fashion whenever someone made fun of him. Some things never change.
Cang Ren picked up Lu Ye's paper, carefully observing every stroke of the characters. After a while, he muttered to himself, "I feel like I've seen this somewhere before. This poem..." His finger instinctively traced the strokes of the handwriting. "Where was it?"
"I'm done!" Jin An suddenly shouted in excitement. "Cang Ren, give me that paper. Oh, and can you help me tidy up these? Xi Yi will treat you to a good feast later!"
Cang Ren couldn't resist Jin An's enthusiasm, even though he knew Jin An wouldn't listen to him anyway. So he ended up assisting Jin An in cleaning everything up. However, his mind remained fixated on the handwriting that he felt was strangely familiar.
.
The sun had long since set, and the disciples were currently diligently following their master. They found themselves deep within the forest, situated a distance away from their sect. The Qing Shan Sect had been tasked with eliminating the man-eating animals in the mountain pass, which posed a great threat to common people traveling to another state.
Damu Lan attentively as Lu Ye confronted a pack of vicious wolves. Lu Ye had already unsheathed his sword, yet no matter how many strikes he delivered to take down the wolves, they continued to attack him to no end. These were no ordinary wolves; they were undead creatures. Their skin had long since shed and decayed. Frustrated, Lu Ye retreated closer to Damu Lan, seeking advice.
"Why not use the technique I taught you again?" Damu Lan suggested.
Since Lu Ye's spiritual animal is a raven, he can command any four-legged animal. He had been calling upon various animals before, but this time, wasn't sure as to which animals are fit to fight against the undead pack of wolves. Lu Ye took in his words and, for a moment, composed himself. He sheathed his sword and began gathering a mass of spiritual qi. As the energy responded to his call, a large form of a pink-furred fox appeared behind him.
Surprised, Damu Lan asked, "Disciple, this is...?
Lu Ye shrugged nonchalantly. "Uh? Is this not allowed?" Damu Lan briefly shook his head and asked, "Why...my fox?" To which Lu Ye replied casually, "I liked master's fox form, so I unconsciously thought of it.
Damu Lan coughed, trying to divert the conversation. He suggested summoning a more useful animal since the undead wolves were superior to a fox. Lu Ye's dissappointment was evident, but he managed to think of something else. Using the same gestures as before, this time, instead of a fox, a large black bear responded to his call, roaring viciously
As Lu Ye advanced and began attacking the wolves, the bear mirrored his movements. If he struck, the bear would crush the wolves' skulls together. If he blocked an attack, the bear would bite the wolves' bodies to pieces.
Powerless, the undead wolves began to surrender, but considering the nature of the task, Damu Lan called upon his fiery phoenix and began incinerating the remaining wolves without mercy.
And just like that, their task was completed. Lu Ye turned to Damu Lan and bowed, saying, "Pardon me for what I'm lacking, Master."
"It's fine. I didn't expect you to summon such a large bear this time. Well done," Damu Lan congratulated him instead
On the other side of the forest, Zhang XiYi's disciples faced their own challenges. Fei Yi screamed and unknowingly attracted the attention of a three-headed giant snake with legs, which chased after him. Zhang XiYi's other disciples were busy dealing with the creature, which were swift to chase after Fei Yi without distraction, so Fei Yi kept running and screaming helplessly.
"Fei Yi! What are you doing? Do you want to be punished? Why don't you strike it?" Zhang XiYi shouted, his arms crossed as he stood atop a tall tree.
"It's impossible! It's impossible, Master! Look! All three heads are fixated only on me!" Fei Yi replied, crying as he ran. Fei Yi had a sharp mind for strategies and tactics, but when it came to physical prowess, he was lacking. Zhang XiYi sighed in response.
In no time at all, three powerful and precise strikes severed the snake's heads from its body in sync, causing the earth to tremble as it fell to the ground. The snake's body writhed aggressively before it stopped eventually.
"Waaa! Hua Ran, Cuo Yi, Senior disciple! Thank you, thank you so much!" Fei Yi pleadead, hugging Hua Ran's thighs and expressing his gratitude through tears.
With the task completed, Damu Lan and Lu Ye regrouped with the rest of the disciples, preparing to return to the sect and provide a report on their successful mission.
As they made their way out through the forest, the moon hung high in the sky, casting its radiant glow and creating shadows on the ground. Lu Ye found himself at the tall end of the group before their departure.
Just as he was about to take flight atop his sword, his feet suddenly gave away, leaving him unable to move. Though he was standing, it felt as if something was gripping onto his legs, refusing to release its hold. As he glanced downward, he saw a few shadow hands desperately clinging to his legs, their grasp unyielding. Panic welled up within him as he struggled to break free. Meanwhile, the others had already taken off, leaving him behind.
The more Lu Ye focused on his shadow, the more his legs seemed to sink deeper into it, as if it were consuming him.
"Disciple?" Damu Lan, realizing Lu Ye was still behind, had turned back to fetch him. "Master! My shadow—" Lu Ye began, but as soon as Damu Lan approached him, he glanced back at his shadow only to find it had returned to its normal appearance, resembling a regular shadow.
"What about your shadow?" Damu Lan asked, his gaze instinctively shifting downward. Lu Ye swallowed hard, realizing it must have been his own imagination, so he replied with a shaky voice, "it was nothing..."
Damu Lan peered at Lu Ye for a moment, concern flickering in his eyes. Sensing that Lu Ye didn't wish to discuss further, he nodded. "Then let's go," Damu Lan said, extending his hand towards Lu Ye. "You may ride on my sword."
Lu Ye hesitated for a moment, feeling a slight urge to decline the offer. However, his legs had been trembling for a while, and he realized he had no choice but to accept Damu Lan's kind gesture. He reached out and grasped Damu Lan's hand, allowing himself to be lifted onto the sword. With a renewed sense of relief, Damu Lan's hands clutched onto Lu Ye's waist gently, and with that image, they soared through the night sky, heading back to the sect together.