Chapter 49: 49. Chapter Forty-Nine

49. Chapter Forty-Nine

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Applying a bit of lip rouge to her lips, Atian stood up and warmed herself up; the moon-white dress given by Guo Huai was soft and fit well, and she felt she could easily pull off a roundhouse kick.

Once finished washing and grooming, she could head out.

She tentatively pushed the door open, and then she knew where the rumbling sound that woke her up came from.

The Beihai Sword Sect had a total of one thousand three hundred and six people; excluding the five Elders including Sect Master Duan Xuan, there were one thousand three hundred and one disciples in total. Among these disciples, if one removed Bai Xinli, who was in seclusion year-round, and also deducted those out on training, there were still fully several hundred living in this residential compound.

When Atian returned last night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, so she naturally didn't feel anything, but as soon as morning arrived, the presence of these disciples became apparent.

Moon-white figures leaped down one after another along the hill-like residential compound; amidst the continuous sound of footsteps, various greetings were mixed in—Senior Brother, Senior Sister, Junior Brother... titles and names rang out in a chorus, and occasionally a "Junior Uncle" or two was mixed in, as the first floor was, after all, Guo Huai's territory.

Atian couldn't jump as skillfully as they did and could only honestly walk down the steep stairs; this normal action appeared particularly unconventional among the jumping crowd and quickly attracted the attention of others.

"Who is that?"

"A new Junior Sister?"

"A new Junior Sister."

"A new Junior Sister?!"

This news instantly caused an uproar among the disciples; they all stopped what they were doing and turned their heads in unison to look at Atian, who was earnestly walking down the stairs. The latter stopped her steps unhurriedly, covered half her face with her sleeve, and smiled with her eyes curved like crescent moons, her eyes shining with brilliance.

"Does she... she, she not eat people, right?"

The male disciples, who were already accustomed to being trampled on and bullied by their Senior Sisters, gasped and immediately acted as if facing a great enemy, and then they were each kicked off the residential compound by someone.

"Morning class time is almost here, don't waste time."

Amidst the wails of the disciples, a slender figure appeared in Atian's line of sight. The person who arrived wore the same moon-white dress as her, her long black hair was coiled behind her head, and there wasn't a trace of makeup on her face. Her appearance wasn't particularly outstanding, yet she made one feel genuinely comfortable.

The woman walked up to Atian; her age couldn't be told from her appearance, but her temperament was very mature, making a young girl like Atian feel deeply inferior.

"This elder sister," she reached out and took the woman's hand, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"You certainly have; a few years ago I went to your residence to pay a visit," facing the teasing from someone of the same gender, the woman smiled calmly, "I am Su Ying, you should have heard the Senior Brother mention me."

The smile on Atian's face faded; Su Ying used one sentence to bring her back to late last night.

"See me?" Atian tilted her head, "What for?"

Bai Xinli paused, "I need your memory."

"Fifteen years ago, you and I, who had not yet stepped into the Xiuxianmen, had a moment of eye contact..."

Atian interrupted him, "That was only for an instant."

"An instant... is enough," Bai Xinli's tone was firm, "Even if it was only one glance, that was still 'me'."

Pondering for a moment, Atian rubbed her chin, "... Then, what do you want me to do?"

For her, this didn't constitute a choice at all.

Regardless of the starting point, the Bai couple had earnestly raised her for fifteen years; although this couple always stubbornly said their son was long gone, deep down, the person they missed most was Bai Xinli, who had left fifteen years ago. This was human nature and could not be criticized.

As for her, she had already severed her worldly ties and entered the Xiuxianmen; it wouldn't be a bad thing to repay the Bai couple's kindness by bestowing it upon their biological son.

And what about Bai Xinli? He said he would gift her an Immortal Path, and he had indeed done so. If he hadn't intervened, she would have spent her life drifting in Guangkai Town; perhaps she would have been envied by others, but that would have been the happiness of a "mortal" after all.

Bai Tian did not need that kind of happiness.

Therefore, she followed Zhao Kuo and left, leaving behind her foster parents and the mediocre life, opening up new horizons; even if what she saw and knew was only the tip of the iceberg of the cultivation world, it was magnificent enough.

When she saw that Broken Sword piercing through the Floating Island, she knew she couldn't go back, and didn't want to.

And now, Bai Xinli was here proposing a deal—to exchange her insignificant memories for everything she yearned for.

This was an open scheme from start to finish, upright to the point of being a bit cute.

Atian could find no reason to refuse his proposal.

Why refuse?

Bai Tian's life took a turn at the age of three and turned back at the age of eighteen; perhaps this was the fate between her and the Heavenly Dao.

Seeing her agree, Bai Xinli should have felt happy, yet the young girl before him was wearing clothes soaked in cold sweat, her face pale; his Adam's apple moved, but the words he finally spoke took a turn.

"There is one more person waiting outside the door; return to your room to rest tonight, and Junior Sister Su Ying will come to find you tomorrow morning."

The person waiting outside was naturally Song Zhicheng; Atian waited gleefully to see his joke the next day.

Unexpectedly, before she could see Song Zhicheng's joke, the "Junior Sister Su Ying" in Bai Xinli's words came knocking first.

Although called "Junior Sister" by Bai Xinli, Su Ying was quite a bit older than him, and her temperament was much more composed, very different from the other boys and girls.

Su Ying's own explanation for this was: "It is shameful to say, but I am much older than the Senior Brother, and I have also served under the master's orders to take care of him for some time, only back then everyone still called him Junior Brother Bai."

Atian nodded in understanding; Bai Xinli was only five when he went up the mountain, just a child, and he might have been quite a handful—it would be strange if no one took care of him.

By this time, the two of them had returned to Bai Tian's room, and Su Ying even produced a set of tea sets from somewhere, thoughtfully pouring a cup for Atian.

"The Senior Brother entrusted this matter to me because this is something only I can do."

She said calmly, taking an amber-colored short Sword from her bosom and placing it on the table.

"This Sword is named 'White Colt', it is my personal Sword."

"White Colt? Is it the White Colt from 'time flies like a white colt passing a crevice'?" Atian asked.

Su Ying nodded, "That's right, the Sword Heart I have realized is Time. The past between you and the Senior Brother is actually hidden in the time you have experienced."

"I will capture that period of time and cut it out from you," speaking of this, her expression became serious, "And you will only be left with a vague memory and will never be able to recall anything else; have you thought it through?"

"Honestly, I don't remember much clearly even now," Atian answered sincerely, "I make eye contact with countless people every day, how could I possibly remember them all."

"What you say makes so much sense... no, wait!" Su Ying changed her words abruptly halfway through, she slapped the table with her hand, "In that case! Then you should start practicing hard from today! I will supervise you!"

"Ah?" The other party's image changed too fast, and Atian didn't react for a moment.

"You are just a mortal right now, Junior Sister Bai! If I strike with this Sword, you'll become a fool!"

Su Ying stood up all at once, her aggressive manner no longer showing any shadow of the gentle big sister from just before.

"Originally, the sect was mentally prepared to smash spiritual pills to create a Foundation Establishment cultivator; you possessing a Sword Bone is a complete surprise, saving a huge sum of money!"

The tone she used to say this was exactly the same as when Lady Bai discovered that a newly hired hand only needed to be paid one string of coins per month, which immediately made Atian feel a sense of familiarity.

"Although our Beihai Sword Sect isn't short on money, this bunch of big men are always so extravagant; no matter how large the family estate is, it can't withstand such reckless spending! In this regard, Junior Sister Bai, you are truly a thoughtful little padded jacket!"

Atian's cheeks flushed from the praise, and she nodded with deep feeling; Master Bai's ability to earn money was impressive, but his talent for spending it was just as great, and many times she could only block his heart—which was forever restless on the front lines of spending—by joining forces with Lady Bai.

As the only person who resonated with her troubles, this shy little appearance of Bai Tian only made Su Ying's heart bloom with joy, giving her a strong sense of having met a kindred spirit.

"Here! This is your class schedule; you must attend every single session." She took a piece of paper from her bosom and handed it to Atian.

"Class schedule?" The latter unfolded the paper in confusion. "Is this a Classroom?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ying revealed a desolate expression. "Junior Sister, you don't know, but our sect has few people; including the Sect Master and the Elders, there are only five of us in total, so it really isn't enough to go around."

"For this reason, this sect has abolished the one-on-one master-disciple system and specifically established a Classroom, where the Elders and several senior Senior Brothers take turns teaching, and all disciples can attend lectures according to their own level."

"Take a piece of advice from your Senior Sister: grabbing a seat... is a tough battle."

The benefits after forging the Sword were obvious; according to Zhao Kuo, she had skipped the polishing of Qi Refining and succeeded directly in Foundation Establishment, her limbs and bones filled with an indescribable power, and Atian could even hear the sound of flames surging and burning within her meridians, which meant she had officially stepped onto this point of no return in seeking longevity.

However, it was as if she had become a scholar before even taking the entrance exam; she hadn't even recognized all the characters yet had to study the Four Books and Five Classics, so if she wanted to progress further, she would inevitably have to cram like crazy.

"Elder Li Ke's Enlightenment class must continue," Su Ying took out a scroll, spread it on the table, and then used a brush to write and draw on it. "Hmm... Star Astrology, Eight Trigrams, and the Fortune Guide by Master—whoever chooses that is a fool, cross it out, cross it out."

Atian sat obediently on the side, watching the motherly Senior Sister Su Ying help her choose her classes, not daring to even let out a deep breath.

Logically speaking, having successfully reached Foundation Establishment, she should have been able to withstand the power of "Baiju," but the problem was that she was an amateur who had reached Foundation Establishment in a muddled state; she had the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment practitioner but didn't know how to use it at all, and the direct manifestation of this was—Wanjie had no Sword sheath.

A Life-bound Sword having no sheath proved that the Sword Cultivator could not control their own power with ease, and coupled with the fact that Wanjie didn't look like a pushover, if Su Ying were to strike a Sword at her now, the consequences would truly be unpredictable.

Either way, if it wasn't her who was unlucky, it would be Bai Tian who was unlucky; judging from the disparity in strength, the latter was more likely to be the unlucky one.

Of course, such a small matter couldn't stump the Beihai Sword Sect; since she couldn't control it with ease, wouldn't it be fine if she just practiced until she could?

"There are two paths laid out before you now: one is to accept special instruction from Elder Luo Li, and the other is to follow the Senior Brother to learn the Sword-Nurturing and Blade-Concealing Art," Su Ying said, counting on her fingers.

"Elder Luo Li?" Atian blinked.

"Oh, right, I forgot you haven't met her yet," Su Ying tapped her forehead, the expression on her face quite complex. "Elder Luo Li is the only female among the five great Elders of our sect, and her Life-bound Sword is a very rare dual sword; as for her personality... you'll know when you see her in person."

"Oh, then I choose her." Atian gave her answer readily.

Such a swift decision made Su Ying pause, and only after she reacted did she write a few strokes on the scroll; seeing her bite the tip of her brush in hesitation, she still asked the question, "Speaking of which, you and the Senior Brother have a marriage contract, right?"

"Mm." Atian nodded.

Su Ying sighed upon hearing this.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just lamenting that even though I raised him, the Senior Brother is indeed a disciple of the Beihai Sword Sect."

She had a complex expression when she said this.

"Meeting his fiancée, the first time he scared her until she collapsed, the second time he beat her up; this is truly so Beihai Sword Sect."

"So?" Atian tilted her head in confusion.

"So..." Su Ying became hesitant for the first time in her life. "Is it because he was too heavy-handed... that you didn't choose him?"

The island of bachelors that is the Beihai Sword Sect had always been a difficult problem in the cultivation world; having finally waited for a cooked duck to arrive, she almost wanted to give a thumbs-up to Lady Bai. If the duck were to fly away just because Bai Xinli didn't know his own strength, she would definitely rush to the Martial Arts Arena and strangle him.

"No." Atian shook her head decisively.

"Then why?" Now it was Su Ying's turn to be confused.

Just as Su Ying thought Bai Tian was going to spout some nonsense like "fiancés should see less of each other before marriage" or "a young lady from a good family shouldn't spend long periods with men," she saw her cheeks suddenly flush with two streaks of rosy clouds, and she unexpectedly became shy.

"Actually..." Atian covered half her face with her sleeve. "... I've joined the cult of the Senior Brother, so if I have to face him every day, it would be too embarrassing."

"... Ha?" Su Ying was truly dumbfounded this time.

"Because I like the Senior Brother very much," Atian said with her eyes curved into crescents. "I like him so much that I want to beat him away."

Although she looked like a girl in love when she said this, her eyes were frighteningly bright, and in an instant, she became sharp and dangerous, just like the long black Sword she held in her arms.

Su Ying opened her mouth, but in the end, she closed it; a woman's intuition told her that this matter should not be probed further.

Although she had made the ambitious declaration of wanting to beat Bai Xinli away, the chasm-like gap between the two still remained, and the first thing Atian had to do was go to class obediently.

Thus, carrying Wanjie on her back, holding Zhao Kuo in her left hand and supporting Song Zhicheng in her right, she appeared once again in Li Ke's class under the terrified gazes of the other Senior Brothers.

"Yesterday, I spoke about liberating one's nature, and that very night someone succeeded in forging their Sword; I am very gratified," Li Ke gave Atian an appreciative look. "If you could all have such an easy time reaching enlightenment, how much worry I would save!"

The male disciples who were Senior Brothers hung their heads one by one, looking like frost-bitten eggplants, and thinking of their own scorched courtyards, their sorrow grew even deeper.

Although he was also a Senior Brother, Song Zhicheng, who was completely outside the scope of the fallout, took advantage of everyone not paying attention to secretly take off his shoes and pick at his feet.

Zhao Kuo, who also already possessed a Life-bound Sword, pinched his nose with an expressionless face.

"Since someone has progressed further, let us delve deeper into today's content," Li Ke sniffed nonchalantly. "The theme shall be 'Breaking Superstition, Walking into Immortal Cultivation'."

"After successfully forging your Sword, it does not mean you can let your guard down; Sword Cultivators often face a more important hurdle, which is determining their own path."

Li Ke's eyeballs rolled around.

"Zhao Kuo! You tell us, how does one determine their own path?"

Caught off guard by being named, Zhao Kuo had no choice but to let go of the hand pinching his nose, and a sour, foul stench immediately hit his crown; yet the culprit was still looking up at him with an innocent face.

Zhao Kuo, whose brain ached from the stench, swayed his body and used his willpower to say the answer: "Communicate with the Sword."

"Very good, sit down," Li Ke, who had nonchalantly set up his grand-nephew, nodded with satisfaction. "Communicating with one's Life-bound Sword is indeed the most efficient method."

Having said this, he changed the subject. "However, those of us in this profession, besides seeking longevity, must also comprehend the Dao; and the Dao is the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, the beginning and end of all things. Your Sword Heart is closely related to the Great Dao you wish to comprehend."

Atian nodded thoughtfully, yet she did not understand what this had to do with breaking superstition.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem," after a series of coughs that made one suspect he was going to cough up his lungs, Li Ke extended two fingers and pointed at one of them. "Like me, comprehending Life and Death, or Senior Brother Tan Tianming, comprehending Fate, all are within the Three Thousand Great Daos. Choosing one and walking it to the extreme is the moment one pushes open the Xiuxianmen."

Having said this, he took a small booklet from his bosom and said with a smile: "A few days ago, I collected the Daos you privately yearn for; now let us see what they all are."

Many people's complexions changed drastically when he took out the booklet, and upon hearing what he said, most couldn't help but let out wails. The old disciples of the Beihai Sword Sect all knew that once this monster Li Ke took out his private notes, a tragic and inhumane humiliation was about to descend.