Chapter 741: Appointment at Mount Tianshan

"Not listening to Brother anymore, are you?" Pei Ye narrowed his eyes.

Jiang Yiner said seriously: "Brother, 'If you are not trustworthy in your words, how can a teacher be valued?' You can't always think about deceiving your elders."

"... Yiner, I gave you the idea for your own good, but you want to betray me." Pei Ye said in a low voice.

"... But," Jiang Yiner twisted her hands and said in a low voice, "what Brother did is wrong."

Pei Ye fell silent, thought for a moment: "Yiner, actually I was testing you just now. I never lie."

He pursed his lips and looked at the girl sincerely. Jiang Yiner raised her eyes to look at him.

"Then Brother, take off the Quail Head." She said.

"..." Pei Ye turned his head away: "Practice sword. Yiner, did you feel that the sword I used today was extraordinarily powerful?"

"Hmm, is it Senior Yue's sword?" Jiang Yiner smiled slightly, looking at the night sky outside the sword field wall, "It's my first time seeing it."

"I couldn't use this sword to beat that Yanri Palace person before." Pei Ye said, "But these two days I suddenly have this confidence—I've become more powerful in the sword, Yiner. Much more powerful."

Jiang Yiner was slightly startled: "Brother has always been very powerful."

Pei Ye shook his head: "More powerful now."

Jiang Yiner looked at him blankly, really not understanding how much "more powerful" this Brother beside her could be.

"When I look at the sword techniques in other people's hands, I always feel very clear. Sword momentum, structure, intention, sword principles... are all clear at a glance. And I can more easily see their flaws, even for swordsmen at the level of Xu Wensang." Pei Ye looked up and said, "Today I sparred with many sword students, and I had this feeling. It's as if the intuition that was separated by a layer, which came from 'inspiration' before, has now settled into a clear cognition."

"That is... because of what?"

Pei Ye looked at the night sky, fell silent for a while, then tilted his head and whispered a sentence in the girl's ear.

Jiang Yiner looked at the youth in shock: "Nine Lives?"

"Hmm." Pei Ye stretched on the sky, "Secret, don't tell anyone."

"... Okay." Jiang Yiner was stunned for a while, looking up at the youth beside her, "Then, then Brother actually didn't have to tell me either."

Pei Ye lowered his head and smiled at her, saying warmly: "I just wanted to tell you how powerful I really am. So you won't make mistakes when calculating in the future."

"..."

Jiang Yiner looked at him for a while, then turned back to look at the wall, also stretched her arms like him, and said coquettishly: "Got it, Brother."

Jiang Yiner was the most satisfactory sparring partner Pei Ye had ever met. Her sword principles were solid, her sword vision was broad, and coupled with her extraordinary intuition on the sword, almost everything Pei Ye thought of, she could think of. It really felt like meeting an opponent.

Wang Shousi, Ning Shuhong, and others were very powerful, but most of the time they couldn't capture his most sensitive swords, unable to scratch the itch. Yang Zhenbing reached the peak in sword moves, as sharp and clear as his name. Pei Ye found it fresh to spar with him, but it wasn't enjoyable, like two sword blades sliding past each other. Yan Feiqing didn't practice sword with him.

And excluding those sword states and heart-swords, just talking about offense and defense in sword moves, Pei Ye was actually not as solid as Jiang Yiner in some aspects. Most of the time, the girl seriously demonstrated some common sword playing routines of big sword sects to him, or explained the sword principles and ideas of Shenxiao to him.

Pei Ye's ability to clearly see the flaws in sword moves didn't fully take effect on the girl. Perhaps that was a line with height, and there were many swordsmen in the world above this line.

But he indeed felt that he was making faster progress.

After spending the last two hours of the day in the sword field, Pei Ye and the girl walked back. In the warm and cool spring night, the clear light was like a thin gauze under their feet.

The Sword Academy the next day was still regular and quiet. Except for the high towers seen when looking toward the wall, one could hardly perceive any trace of the bustling city outside the academy here.

All worldly affairs were cast aside, and Pei Ye quickly felt the joy of concentrating on sword practice here again.

After the morning class ended, Pei Ye ran to the Sword Library to look for Qiu Qiu Ji Zi again. Ignoring the old man's glare, he handed his sword ladder book to his desk and asked for advice on the next sword practice.

Last year, the dean had listed a practice plan for him, but after the Spring Sword, Pei Ye disappeared without a trace, no matter how the old man looked forward to it, he couldn't wait for him.

"Dean, what sword do you think I should learn next?"

"Who are you?"

"The student is Pei Ye."

"Who is Pei Ye?"

"Pei Ye is the third in the Fu Ranking personally recommended by you."

Qiu Qiu Ji Zi raised his eyes and glanced at him: "I heard you were very majestic yesterday."

"I wouldn't dare, it was all relying on the majesty of the Sword Academy, borrowing the tiger's prestige." Pei Ye said seriously.

Qiu Qiu Ji Zi took the sword ladder book: "How long will you learn this time?"

"At least a month!"

This was somewhat strange. A month of sword practice often had nothing to plan. Whatever one was practicing now, one just continued to practice it. At most, one or two auxiliary swords would be assigned for reference.

In the academy, only this youth truly treated a month as fully usable time, and Qiu Qiu Ji Zi agreed.

"There are six types of Spring Swords. You have already learned 《Early Moon Chuyue Chuyue Beiyu》, 《Wind Yao》, 《Yellow Jade》, 《Poplar Flower》, 《Peach Blossom》. You are still missing one sword for the beginning of spring, 《Winter Willow》 or 《Seeing Swallows》. Just choose one to learn." Qiu Qiu Ji Zi stood up, took a huge and dense ancient scroll, and spread it on the table. On it were densely packed sword names.

"Your Spring Sword is established very well, and some are excessively good. 《Early Moon Chuyue Chuyue Beiyu》, 《Wind Yao》, 《Jade》 are all pillar swords, so the next three seasons must meet this standard. Summer is prosperous and fierce, and cannot be weaker than the Spring Sword." Qiu Qiu Ji Zi said, "Like the Spring Sword, you should also learn the core Summer Solstice Sword first."

Qiu Qiu Ji Zi flipped through the ancient scroll. Although he said he didn't recognize the youth, he clearly hadn't stopped thinking about it for several months. He skillfully found the position and pushed it under the youth's eyes: "《Lei Qin》, the sword of the Dragon Lord Dongting. When not involving the two realms of intention and heart, it is the leader of the 'Lord in the Clouds' sword system."

Pei Ye lowered his eyes to look.

"The sword is on the seventh floor. Like 《Early Moon Chuyue Chuyue Beiyu》, it is a sword written for the heart-sword, but the writer does not intend it. It can only be learned with the separate permission of Dongting, but you have the 'Various Sword Permissions' of Yunlang, which is already included." Qiu Qiu Ji Zi handed him a small token to take the sword, "This sword is short, with only three small chapters, but it is slightly tortuous in learning."

Pei Ye raised his head: "What is tortuous?"

"《Lei Qin》 plays three pieces of music, 《Guangling》, 《Yu Meets Tu Shan》, 《Lord of Water and Clouds》. If you want to learn this sword, you'd better go learn to play the zither first."

"..." Pei Ye was stunned.

"I don't think you know how to play the zither."

"I've never touched a zither."

"Hmm, go touch it." Qiu Qiu Ji Zi finally showed some smile of looking at someone who burns the zither and cooks the crane, "Learn this sword before the Feather Scale Trial. If you have leisure, learn a few more auxiliary swords, and the Summer Sword will be set up."

Pei Ye sighed lightly: "Understood."

He looked down again, remembered the few swords the old man had picked, bowed and thanked him, and retreated.

Calculating these swords in his heart, Pei Ye actually thought more than the old man.

Qiu Qiu Ji Zi arranged the practice according to a month's time. Learning 《Lei Qin》 and then learning two or three more for the beginning of summer, minor heat, etc., was already very amazing. But besides that, Pei Ye also had one he truly wanted to learn, an intention sword that had been in his bundle for a long time.

《Quiet Immortal in the Earth》, this intention sword brought from Bowang, was predictably powerful after being completed. Pei Ye had been flipping through it from time to time, but in the end, he didn't have a whole block of time to study and comprehend it.

Now this month finally had an opportunity, and Piaoqing was also in the Divine Capital at this time. After learning it, he could just return it to the girl.

There was also the 《Four Qi Jade Candle Sword》 handed over by Zhu Zhezi. From the sword ladder, it should be learned in the next level, but Pei Ye also planned to flip through it, both for the convenience of learning swords in the future and to guide the current sword practice of 【Cicada Fish View】.

Pei Ye was stunned outside the door for a while, finally climbed the stairs, and took out this 《Lei Qin》.

Practicing sword quietly in the Sword Academy for two days, the hustle and bustle of the Divine Capital seemed to be blocked outside the wall. The Immortal Terrace didn't come to disturb, and no news was delivered from the Great Ming Palace. He only heard some recent rumors in the sword altar when listening to lectures and practicing sword.

In two days, Pei Ye had learned 《Winter Willow》 almost completely. The sword ladder world was now full of spring, with bright peach blossoms and cicadas and birds.

Many sword students would leave the academy to socialize, or go to sword gatherings of various sizes, or interact between different sects and new friends, just like Wenzheng of Mount Hua invited Pei Ye two days ago.

Pei Ye didn't go. First, he felt quite happy practicing sword and resting these two days—for him, practicing sword techniques like 《Winter Willow》 could indeed be considered a rest—and second, actually, not many people invited him. The news of Young Hero Pei returning to the capital hadn't spread much. People didn't know his character, and not many sword sects were familiar with him.

The only ones he was familiar with were Yunlang and Dongting, but these two didn't hold sword gatherings.

Today the sky was gradually darkening. Pei Ye brought a thin sweat and returned his sword to the scabbard, sat down on the bluestone, and sat cross-legged to flip through the sword book again.

It was still Jiang Yiner's "Bing-6" sword field. Pei Ye had decided to share one with her. However, there was no sword lecture or sword playing class today, so the girl left the academy and wasn't here. He practiced by himself with the cat for two or three hours.

When the moon hung on the corner of the wall, the sword field door was pushed open gently with a creak, and Jiang Yiner poked her head in from outside.

Pei Ye tilted his head and looked, smiling: "Why are you sneaking around?"

"I'm seeing if Brother is still here." Jiang Yiner walked in. She wasn't wearing a sword uniform, but a light white dress with crane patterns, and wasn't carrying a small bundle.

She walked in and closed the door: "Is Brother still practicing sword? I'll accompany Brother to practice for a while."

"Forget it, your dress is so beautiful, it won't be good if it gets dirty." Pei Ye looked at her with a smile. The girl was as clean as when they first met, with no makeup on her face, but a orchid-falling jade hairpin inserted in her hair, "Where did you go to play?"

Today it was Cui Zhaoye and Changsun Jue who invited the girl, but Jiang Yiner wanted to invite Pei Ye to go together, but Pei Ye thought that with these three girls, there wasn't much for him to play with, especially since he still held a grudge about Zhang Piaoxu's sentence "Why are all your good friends girls?" at the New Year, so he refused flatly and stayed in the sword field to practice sword.

"Watched two rounds of sword playing with them. It was Qun Fei and Shang Yunning of Tianshan, and He Yaoyao of Xudao Mountain and Ji Zhuowu of Kongdong respectively." Jiang Yiner exclaimed, "They were all so amazing. It's a pity Brother didn't go. Not many people saw these two rounds. It was specially invited by Tianshan for Sister Cui."

"Oh? Then who won and who lost?"

"Qun Fei lost, Shang Yunning won." Jiang Yiner smiled, and added, "Tianshan is really getting more and more amazing now. It's just that many people are jealous and unconvinced. On the way back, Changsun and Sister Cui were indignant."

"..." Pei Ye didn't know what he thought of, was startled, and didn't speak for a moment.

Beside him, Jiang Yiner smiled: "Brother, I also brought you an invitation."

"... Ah?"

"Tianshan is going to hold a sword banquet at the guesthouse, inviting swordsmen from the Divine Capital. It's probably the most noteworthy one in the past half month. Today's visit was the prelude to this matter." Jiang Yiner smiled, "They know Brother. As soon as I said Brother was in the Sword Academy, they wrote the invitation on the spot and entrusted me to bring it."

The girl handed over a carved slip with jade inlaid in wood. It felt cold to the touch and was indeed the style of Qunyu Tianshan.

Pei Ye opened it. The handwriting was thin and straight. Pei Ye hadn't seen it, but the tone was very close:

"Respectfully ask if Young Hero Pei is well,

Affairs are clear, old friendship remains, looking forward to a meeting. Scheduled for the sixteenth of the third month, a sword banquet will be held at the Tianshan Guesthouse, inviting Young Hero Pei to visit our sect and meet with sword friends from all over the world.

Also, Tianshan has already stayed in the Divine Capital, regardless of date or time, looking forward to your visit.

Renwu Year, March 12th, Tianshan Sword Sect respectfully."

Jiang Yiner tilted her head beside him, looking quite interested: "Tianshan swordsmen have really not entered the rivers and lakes for a long time, far away in the west, always mysterious and high. Now they actually take the initiative to hold a sword gathering. Many people will definitely go."

Pei Ye looked at it for a while and folded it: "Are you going?"

"We are all going."

Pei Ye was startled: "What do you mean by all going?"

"It's Sister Cui and Changsun, and, and many of Sister Cui's friends." Jiang Yiner lowered her voice somewhat inexplicably and hurriedly skipped over, "Today we met at the West Pool Terrace. None of us have been to the Tianshan Guesthouse yet."

Pei Ye didn't think too much: "... So many people will go."

"Hmm, so it's a big sword banquet."

"Oh. That's four days later, it's coming soon."

"Brother won't not go, right?"

"... Go. Before, before when I was in Bowang, I had interactions with Tianshan."

"That's good." Jiang Yiner smiled, "Today Sister Cui and Changsun were so happy to hear that Brother returned to the Sword Academy. I even told them about you defeating that True Disciple Xu with one sword."

Pei Ye smiled: "Then did you learn my harsh words from them?"

"... I don't speak foul language."

Pei Ye sighed lightly: "That's really losing the essence."

The bright moon rose high. The two sat together and chatted for half an hour. Pei Ye's sweat had fallen, so they returned to the dormitory together.

For the girl, today was a quite happy day, seeing the top swordsmen she hadn't seen before, and in the season of spring breeze and willow, big sword banquets were held from time to time, which was simply a luxury for swordsmen.

And for Pei Ye, besides practicing sword with peace of mind today, there was another matter.

The first meeting of the 【Life Dog】 that Li Jian mentioned was at midnight tonight. ===== CHAPTER 742 =====

But for Pei Ye, besides practicing his sword skills with peace of mind, there was one other matter today.

The first meeting of the 【Life Dog】 that Li Jian had spoken of that day was to take place at the Hour of the Rat tonight.