Chapter 743

“You’re not listening to your elder brother, are you?” Pei Ye narrowed his eyes.

Jiang Yiner spoke seriously: “Elder brother, ‘Words without faith—how can a teacher be esteemed?’ You cannot keep deceiving your elders.”

“...Yiner, I suggested this for your own good, yet you plan to betray me,” Pei Ye whispered.

“...But,” Jiang Yiner twisted her hands, speaking softly, “what you did was simply wrong.”

Pei Ye fell silent, then thought: “Yiner, I was just testing you just now—I never lie.”

He gazed at the girl with sincere lips, and Jiang Yiner lifted her eyes to meet his.

“Then remove the Quanshou,” she said.

“...” Pei Ye turned away. “Practice your sword. Yiner, did you feel my sword strike today was unusually powerful?”

“Hmm, was it Master Yue’s sword?” Jiang Yiner smiled, gazing past the sword field’s wall toward the night sky. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“I couldn’t have defeated that Yanrich Palace swordsman with this strike before,” Pei Ye said. “But these past two days, I suddenly gained this confidence—I’ve grown stronger in swordplay, Yiner. Much stronger.”

Jiang Yiner blinked in surprise: “Elder brother has always been strong.”

Pei Ye shook his head: “Now I’m even stronger.”

Jiang Yiner stared at him, utterly unable to fathom how much stronger her elder brother could possibly become.

When I observe others' sword techniques, I see them with perfect clarity—the momentum, structure, intent, principles—all instantly apparent. I can easily spot their flaws, even in swordsmen like Xu Wensang. Pei Ye looked up. "Today, as I sparred with many sword disciples, I felt this again. It’s as if that old intuitive sense—once vague, as if seen through a veil—has now solidified into clear, conscious understanding."

“Then... why?”

Pei Ye gazed at the night sky, silent for a moment, then turned his head and whispered something softly into the girl’s ear.

Jiang Yiner stared at the boy in shock: “Nine Lives?”

“Mm.” Pei Ye stretched lazily toward the heavens. “It’s a secret—don’t tell anyone.”

“...Alright.” Jiang Yiner remained stunned for a moment, then looked up at the boy beside her. “But... you didn’t have to tell me at all.”

Pei Ye looked down and smiled gently. “I wanted you to know just how strong I truly am. Then you won’t miscalculate when planning.”

“...”

Jiang Yiner studied him for a while, then turned back to the wall, mimicking him by raising both arms and stretching with a soft voice: “Understood, elder brother.”

Jiang Yiner was the most perfect sparring partner Pei Ye had ever met—her sword principles were solid, her sword horizons broad, and her intuitive sword sense extraordinary; almost everything Pei Ye conceived, she conceived too, giving him the feeling of a true match.

Wang Shousi, Ning Shuhong, and others were formidable, but most often failed to catch his most subtle strikes, never hitting the right spot. Yang Zhen excelled in sword forms, as precise and sharp as his name suggested; sparring with him was fresh, yet never satisfying, like two blades sliding past each other without contact. Yan Feiqing refused to train with him.

Yet beyond those sword states and intent-heart swords, in pure offensive-defensive technique, Pei Ye was not as grounded as Jiang Yiner in some aspects. Most often, the girl would solemnly demonstrate common sword patterns known across major schools, or explain the sword principles and logic of Shenxiao.

Pei Ye’s ability to clearly perceive flaws in sword forms did not fully apply to her—perhaps that ability was a high threshold, and many swordsmen still surpassed it.

But he truly felt his progress accelerating.

After spending the final two hours of the day in the sword field, Pei Ye and the girl strolled back, the cool spring night beneath them like a thin veil of moonlight.

The next day, the Sword Academy remained orderly and quiet; except for the towering pavilions glimpsed beyond the walls, one could sense no trace of the bustling city outside.

All worldly affairs cast aside, Pei Ye soon rediscovered the joy of devoted sword cultivation here.

After morning lessons ended, Pei Ye rushed up to the Sword Library to find Qiu Jizi again, ignoring the old man’s scowling glare, and placed his Sword Ladder book before him, seeking guidance on his next steps.

Earlier this year, the academy head had drafted a training plan for him, but after the Spring Sword, Pei Ye vanished without a trace, leaving the old man waiting in vain.

“Headmaster, which sword should I study next?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Pei Ye.”

“Who is Pei Ye?”

“Pei Ye is the one you personally nominated as third on the Fubang list.”

Qiu Jizi lifted his gaze and glanced at him twice: “I heard you were quite impressive yesterday.”

“I dare not. It was all due to the Sword Academy’s prestige—I merely borrowed its glory.” Pei Ye replied seriously.

Qiu Jizi took the Sword Ladder book: “How long this time?”

“At least a month!”

This sounded odd—a month of sword training usually required no formal plan; one simply continued with the current sword, perhaps adding two or three auxiliary ones for reference.

Only this boy treated a month as genuinely usable time—and Qiu Jizi, strangely, agreed.

“You’ve already learned the six Spring Swords: ‘First Moon North Rain,’ ‘Wind’s Jade,’ ‘Yellow Jade,’ ‘Willow Fluff,’ and ‘Peach Blossom.’ You’re missing only one for the Start of Spring—choose between ‘Winter Willow’ or ‘Seeing Swallows.’” Qiu Jizi rose, unrolled a vast, intricate ancient scroll on the desk, its surface densely packed with sword names.

“Your Spring Swords are exceptionally well-learned—too well. ‘First Moon North Rain,’ ‘Wind’s Jade,’ and ‘Jade’ are all pillar swords; thus, the following three seasons must meet this standard. Summer must be as fierce as spring—no weaker.” Qiu Jizi said. “Just like with Spring, begin with the core Summer Solstice sword.”

Qiu Jizi flipped through the scroll; though he claimed not to recognize the boy, clearly he had not ceased thinking of him these past months—he found the right section with practiced ease and pushed it before Pei Ye: “‘Thunder Lute,’ the sword of Long Jun from Dongting. When not involving intent or heart realms, it is the foremost of the ‘Cloud Lord’ sword system.”

Qiu Jizi flipped through an ancient scroll; though he claimed verbally not to recognize the boy, it was clear he had not ceased pondering him these past months. He skillfully found the passage and pushed it before the boy: “The ‘Lei Qin’—Long Jun’s sword from Dongting—is the foremost of the Yunzhongjun sword lineage, prior to entering the realms of Yi and Xin.”

“The sword is on the seventh floor, like ‘First Moon North Rain’—it was written to be an intent sword, yet its intent is not inherent. You need Dongting’s separate permission to learn it, but your Yunlang ‘All Swords Permit’ already covers it.” Qiu Jizi handed him a small token for retrieval. “This sword is brief—only three short chapters—but learning it has some subtle complexities.”

“The sword is on the seventh floor. Like the ‘Chuyue Beiyu,’ it is a sword composed by those who write swords without being bound by their intent. Only Dongting’s personal permission permits its study, but you possess Yunlang’s ‘All Swords Permit,’ which already includes it.” Qiu Jizi handed him a small token for retrieving the sword. “This sword is brief—only three short chapters—but the learning path is slightly circuitous.”

“‘Thunder Lute’ plays three melodies: ‘Guangling,’ ‘Yu’s Gathering at Tushan,’ and ‘Lord of Water and Clouds.’ To master this sword, you should first learn to play the qin.”

“The ‘Lei Qin’ plays three melodies: ‘Guangling,’ ‘Yu Hui Tushan,’ and ‘Shuiyun Zhi Jun.’ To master this sword, you’d best first learn to play the qin.”

“I suppose you can’t play the qin.”

“I’ve never even touched one.”

“Hmm. Go touch one.” Qiu Jizi finally showed a faint smile, as if watching someone burn a zither to boil a crane. “Learn this sword before the Yulin Trial. In your spare time, pick up a few auxiliary swords—then you’ll have the framework of your Summer Swords.”

“Hmm, go feel it.” Qiu Jizi finally wore a faint smile, as if observing someone who burned a qin to boil a crane. “Learn this sword before the Yulin Trial. In your spare time, pick up a few auxiliary swords—then your summer sword framework will be in place.”

He looked again at the swords the old man had marked, bowed in thanks, and withdrew.

As he pondered these swords, Pei Ye actually thought further than the old man had.

Qiu Jizi had planned a month’s training: mastering ‘Thunder Lute,’ then adding two or three swords for Start of Summer and Grain Full—already astonishing. But beyond that, Pei Ye had one sword he truly wanted to learn: an intent sword long tucked in his satchel.

‘The Youyoudizhongxian ,’ this intent sword brought from Bowang, when completed, promised immense power. Pei Ye had constantly turned it over in his mind, yet never found a full block of time to cultivate it.

Now, this month finally offered the chance—and Piaoqing was in Shenjing; after learning it, he could return it to the girl.

Also, Zhu Zhezi had entrusted him with ‘Four Qi Jade Candle Sword’—according to the Sword Ladder, it should be studied at the next level, but Pei Ye intended to examine it anyway: both for future convenience and to guide the current cultivation of the ‘Cicada-Fish Observation.’

Pei Ye stood outside the door for a moment, then climbed the stairs and retrieved ‘Thunder Lute.’

He trained quietly in the Sword Academy for two days; the noise of Shenjing seemed locked beyond the walls. The Immortal Platform didn’t disturb him, and the Great Ming Palace sent no messages—only rumors from the Sword Arena reached him during lessons.

Over two days, Pei Ye nearly mastered ‘Winter Willow’; within the Sword Ladder world, spring now bloomed lushly—peach blossoms bright, cicadas and birds chirping softly.

Many sword disciples left the academy to socialize—attending sword gatherings, or visiting other sects and new friends, as Huashan’s Wen Zheng had invited Pei Ye just two days prior.

Pei Ye declined—he enjoyed his recent restful practice; mastering ‘Winter Willow’ truly felt like rest to him—and no one had invited him anyway. His return to Shenjing was still little known; people didn’t know his character, and few sword sects were familiar with him.

His only real connections were Yunlang and Dongting—but neither hosted sword gatherings.

As dusk fell, Pei Ye sheathed his sword, sweat lightly glistening, and sat on the green stone, flipping through his sword texts again.

It was still Jiang Yiner’s ‘Bing Six’ sword field—he had decided to share it with her. But today, with no sword practice or sparring scheduled, the girl had left the academy; he trained alone with his cat for two or three hours.

When the new moon hung faintly at the corner of the wall, the sword field door creaked open gently, and Jiang Yiner peered inside.

Still in Jiang Yiner’s “Bing Liu” sword yard, Pei Ye had decided to share it with her. But today, with neither Zhi Jianye nor Yi Jianye scheduled, the girl had left the academy and was not here; he trained alone with his cat for two or three hours.

“I wanted to see if you were still here.” Jiang Yiner stepped in, wearing not her sword robe, but a pale, crane-patterned white dress, no small satchel on her back.

She entered and closed the door: “Are you still practicing? I’ll keep you company.”

“No, your dress is too beautiful—you’ll soil it.” Pei Ye smiled at her; she was as clean and pure as when he first met her, no makeup, yet a orchid-shaped jade hairpin adorned her hair. “Where did you go?”

Today, Cui Zhao had invited the girl to a night outing with Sun Jue; Jiang Yiner had originally invited Pei Ye, but he thought: three girls, nothing much to do with them, especially after Zhang Piaoxu’s lingering remark: “Why are all your friends girls?” So he declined outright and stayed to practice.

“I watched two sword duels—with Tian Shan’s Qun Fei and Shang Yunning, against Xudao Mountain’s He Yaoyao and Kongdong’s Ji Zhuowu.” Jiang Yiner marveled. “They were all so powerful, elder brother—you missed a real treat. Few saw these matches; Tian Shan specifically invited Sister Cui.”

Today was Cui Zhao’s night, when his grandson Jue had invited the girl. Jiang Yiner had originally invited Pei Ye to join, but Pei Ye thought: these three girls, he had little to do with them. Especially since he still brooded over Zhang Piaoxu’s comment during the New Year: “Why are all your good friends girls?” He flatly refused and stayed behind to practice alone in the sword yard.

“Qun Fei lost. Shang Yunning won.” Jiang Yiner smiled. “Tian Shan is growing stronger than ever—and many are jealous and resentful. On the way back, Sun Jue and Sister Cui were furious.”

“...Oh.” Pei Ye seemed lost in thought, paused, then fell silent.

Beside him, Jiang Yiner laughed: “Elder brother, I brought you an invitation.”

“...Oh.” Pei Ye seemed to recall something, froze for a moment, and fell silent.

“Tian Shan is hosting a sword banquet at their guest pavilion, inviting all Shenjing swordsmen—probably the most noteworthy event in half a month. Today’s outing was the prelude.” Jiang Yiner smiled. “They knew of you—when I mentioned you were at the Sword Academy, they wrote the invitation specially and asked me to deliver it.”

The girl handed him a jade-inlaid wooden slip—cool to the touch, unmistakably Tian Shan’s style.

Pei Ye opened it: the script was fine and straight—he’d never seen it before, but the tone was intimate:

“Respectfully inquiring after your well-being, Master Pei,

Affairs now clear, old ties remain—I look forward to meeting you. On the sixteenth of the third month, Tian Shan will host a sword banquet at its guest pavilion, and cordially invite you to join us and meet the world’s sword friends.

Also, Tian Shan has settled in Shenjing—any date or time suits us. We eagerly await your visit.

Third month, twelfth day, Year Renwu. Respectfully, Tian Shan Sword Sect.”

Jiang Yiner tilted her head beside him, clearly intrigued: “Tian Shan swordsmen haven’t entered the jianghu for ages—distant in the western heavens, always mysterious and lofty. Now they’re actively hosting a sword gathering. Everyone will surely go.”

Pei Ye studied it a moment, then folded it: “Will you go?”

Jiang Yiner tilted her head beside him, clearly intrigued: “The Tian Shan sword sect hasn’t entered the Jianghu in ages—distant in the far west, always mysterious and lofty. Now they’re actively holding a sword gathering. Many will surely go.”

Pei Ye blinked: “All of you?”

“Sister Cui and Sun Jue—and all of Sister Cui’s friends.” Jiang Yiner’s voice grew quieter, then hurriedly changed subject. “We met today on the West Pond Terrace—we’ve never been to Tian Shan’s guest pavilion.”

Pei Ye didn’t think much of it: “...So many people will come, then.”

“It’s Sister Cui and Jue, and— and Sister Cui’s many friends.” Jiang Yiner’s voice dropped inexplicably, and she hurried past it. “Today we met on the Xichi Terrace—we haven’t even been to the Tian Shan Villa yet.”

“Oh. So it’s in four days—soon enough.”

"Mm, so it's the Great Sword Banquet."

"Oh. So it's in four days—that's soon too."

“Brother Shi won’t refuse to go, will you?”

“...I’ll go. Back when I was in Bowang, I already had dealings with Mount Tian.”

“That’s good.” Jiang Yiner smiled. “Today, Sister Cui and Changsun were overjoyed to hear you’d returned to the Jian Academy—I even told them about how you defeated that Xu True Disciple with a single sword.”

Pei Ye smiled: “Did you learn my harsh words from them too?”

“...I don’t say vulgar things.”

Pei Ye sighed lightly: “Then you’ve missed the essence entirely.”

The bright moon rose high; the two sat together chatting for nearly half an hour. When Pei Ye’s sweat dried, they returned together to the dormitory.

For the young girl, today had been a joyful one: she had witnessed the techniques of a top-tier swordsman she had never seen before, and during this season of spring breezes and willow trees, grand Sword Banquets were held frequently—it was pure luxury for sword cultivators.

For Pei Ye, today held another matter besides peaceful sword cultivation.

The first 【Ming Quan】 gathering, as Li Jian had mentioned, would take place tonight at Zi Shi.