Chapter 537: Small Inauguration Ceremony

Qingcai Keke: /complex expression

Granny Always Says:?

Qingcai Keke: I'll make a text version for you later, and I'll film a video for you tomorrow, okay?

Granny Always Says: Mm, very good.

Haoran Zhengqi: Very good...

Haoran Zhengqi: /cracking melon seeds

Gate of All Wonders: Getting all flowery with the language now.

Beauty with Eight-Pack Abs: /dazed

Granny Always Says: My status is different now, after all.

Granny Always Says: By the way, I'm holding a small inauguration ceremony at the Sword Sect next week. Everything will be kept simple. You all can come have a meal if you have time. If I remember correctly, quite a few of you haven't visited our Sword Sect yet. You can come for a trip; the scenery of Moshi Mountain is actually quite nice. The mountain body is like ink wash painting, and the peak towers into the clouds. You can see natural sights like the sea of clouds, Buddha Light, and the starry sky. It's a holy place for sightseeing.

Haoran Zhengqi: Small inauguration ceremony...

Haoran Zhengqi: /cracking melon seeds

Granny Always Says:???

Granny Always Says: What the hell is wrong with you?

Granny Always Says: Can't you understand "everything kept simple"? This isn't a small ceremony, it's a grand ceremony?

Haoran Zhengqi: What a "small" ceremony.

Gate of All Wonders: Congratulations.

Green Lamp Ancient Buddha: Amitabha, congratulations to Benefactor Granny for getting your wish.

Nameless Person: Congratulations, Granny!

Beauty with Eight-Pack Abs: /palms together/bowing/cupping fists

Qingcai Keke: I feel bad for the Sword Sect Disciple.

Just Call Me Luo Huaian: Countdown to the destruction of the Sword Sect.

Suddenly Silent: Congratulations.

Jiang Lai: Congratulations.

Granny Always Says: Stop congratulating me, there's nothing to congratulate.

Granny Always Says: When are you guys going to take your positions?

Granny Always Says: @Green Lamp Ancient Buddha @Haoran Zhengqi @Just Call Me Luo Huaian

Just Call Me Luo Huaian: My senior brother is more suitable than me.

Haoran Zhengqi: My father is still alive.

Green Lamp Ancient Buddha: Amitabha, Benefactor Granny, the philosophies of the Buddhist Sect and the Sword Sect are different. We are not a sect that only looks at martial power; we must look at learning, virtue, seniority, and attainments in Buddhist Dharma. Although this poor monk is currently the only Nine-Tier Cultivator and Bodhisattva in the Buddhist Sect, this poor monk is still young. Being a Bodhisattva and enjoying the incense of the temple is already fortunate enough. The position of Xinzheng Temple Abbot should still be held by a high monk with virtue.

Gate of All Wonders: Translation: We are cultured.

Granny Always Says: /pout

Granny Always Says: Then your status is lower than mine. Remember to pay respects when you see me in the future; don't mess up the rules.

Haoran Zhengqi: /complex expression

Haoran Zhengqi: Let's talk about it later.

Haoran Zhengqi: @Qingcai Keke @Zhaoye Qing

Qingcai Keke: Are you guys going to eat Zhang Suannai's food next week?

Granny Always Says: /???

Granny Always Says: Sounds like eating my vegetarian meal.

Haoran Zhengqi: Will definitely go.

Qingcai Keke: Let's talk when the time comes.

Haoran Zhengqi: Good.

Haoran Zhengqi: It's a good chance to empty my mind and rest for a few days. I've been exhausted by these trivial matters these past few days.

Qingcai Keke: Mm.

Chen Shu sighed.

Being a Nine-Tier Cultivator, except for a salted fish like him, how could others be so easily exhausted by trivial matters? Perhaps there was also the reason of sorrow involved. It's just that they are all at least thirty-something years old; it's unlikely they would be swayed by sadness.

The dead are gone, and the living must continue to live.

One week later.

Chen Shu went to Taozi's school in person to ask for leave for her, then put her, Xiaoxiao, and Chen Banxia into the Crystal, and flew toward the Sword Sect.

The "small inauguration ceremony" for the new Sword Master of the Sword Sect was indeed kept simple. When everyone arrived at Moshi Mountain, there was no sign that the new Sword Master of the Sword Sect was about to take office. Only a "Temporarily Closed to Visitors" sign hung on the locked iron gate of the scenic area.

That's right, the Sword Sect's base is a scenic area.

And a 5A-level scenic area at that.

The entrance tickets to the scenic area are also a major source of income for the Sword Sect.

Previously, when the Old Sword Master and First Senior Brother held their funerals, many people from all over came to pay their respects and see them off. Now that it was over, no one came anymore.

When Chen Shu opened the Crystal, he found the little girl, Taozi, and Chen Banxia playing cards inside, quite comfortable. He then let them out and waited on the spot for a while for the silly group friends. Only after the main force gathered did they walk up the mountain.

Zhang Suannai came flying on her Sword in person, accompanied by a few fellow disciples, to welcome them.

"You're here?"

Her voice was as energetic as always.

"Greetings, Sword Master."

Chen Banxia cupped her hands high toward Zhang Suannai.

Seeing this, Taozi was dazed and foolishly, subconsciously imitated Chen Banxia's gesture, raising her hands to cup them, but after a glance, she pulled her hands back.

"Hey, you're too polite..."

Zhang Suannai jumped off the Divine Sword and rushed forward at the first opportunity, grabbing her little sister in a hug; inexplicably, her expression seemed extremely moved:

"I missed you to death!"

"I'm the same!"

"Oh, don't talk about that anymore, you finally came to the Sword Sect... I said years ago that I'd invite you to the Sword Sect to play, but the last few years passed so quickly, and I never had the time to have you over as a guest. Wait until tomorrow, I'll take you around for a good time."

"Good, good, good..."

As soon as Zhang Suannai let go of Chen Banxia, she immediately turned her head to look at the two figures beside them: "Xiaoxiao! Taozi! Did you miss me?"

"Mm..."

The little girl answered indifferently.

"Occasionally I thought of you~"

The little cat-girl's answer was more solemn; after finishing, she glanced at Senior Xiaoxiao beside her and paused: "Xiaoxiao thought of you a little bit more than I did..."

"Really?"

"Yes~"

The little cat-girl answered in a milky voice.

Xiaoxiao stood to the side with a serious face, neither denying nor admitting it, simply remaining silent.

"I forgot to tell you, after we returned and saw Xiaoxiao, the first few things she asked about were you," Chen Shu said. "She cares about you."

"Wuwuwu..."

Zhang Suannai was instantly moved beyond words.

The Wish-Granting Dragon truly does not deceive me.

"Let's go."

"Go, go, go..."

"Can we fly?"

"Yes, yes, fly wherever you want; I'm in charge here now!"

"That works too."

Everyone took flight one after another.

Zhang Suannai rode the Sword with Chen Banxia, Chen Shu flew slowly with the little girl, and Qingqing took Taozi, all drifting upward together, listening quietly to the sound of the wind, until the clouds in the sky turned into an impenetrable wall of fog, and when it suddenly cleared, they were already above the clouds.

Moshi Mountain is a massive stone mountain, pitch-black like ink, shaped like an unopened lotus, looking almost barren from afar, with an elevation of at least five or six thousand meters.

It is very cold on the mountain; it is indeed a place of cold and bitter cultivation.

Palaces have been built on the mountain, which are actually quite well-constructed, and there are plank roads, shops, and restaurants. Ordinary tourists can also walk or take a cable car to get here; while flying, one could already see the pedestrian staircase on Moshi Mountain that seemed to lead to the sky.

Just like a regular scenic spot, the shops sell things like sunglasses, mineral water, instant noodles, hiking sticks, and hats. The only restaurant serves all kinds of braised chicken, and you can freely choose the type of chicken, from the cheapest white-feathered chicken to the Sword Sect's free-range chicken—everything is available. There is no place else in the world with such rich and delicious braised chicken.

It is a pity that they are all closed right now.

Looking around, the scenery here is indeed quite good.

The sea of clouds is boundless; one imagines the starry sky at night must be dazzling. The pitch-black, rugged Moshi Mountain has a sense of vast desolation, and walking through the dark mountain body feels like walking on an alien planet. Added to the palaces revealed in the distance, it looks like a remote corner of a celestial palace.

In ancient times, this place was indeed the residence of the Sword Immortal as rumored among the people.

"It looks barren here, but there is actually some moss, as well as Wisdom Tea and Moshi fungus," Zhang Suannai explained to them. "Basically, ordinary tourists can only walk up to here. Ahead is the Mojiantai, which is a place for practicing the Sword, gaining insights, and exchanging ideas. Further ahead is the Shijiantai, which is for dueling. Look, there are already a dozen, twenty, thirty people dueling and exchanging ideas right now."

Everyone turned their heads to look and walked past silently.

Sword Light shattered, Spirit Power splashed, and the clanging sounds were indeed full of Sword Sect character.

"That area ahead is the living quarters. We don't divide into Outer Sect Disciple areas and Inner Sect Disciple areas; the house sizes and decorations are all the same. The locations have their pros and cons, but whoever has the hardest fists has the priority of choice anyway. We are equal in personality, but divided by strength."

"Are the sizes and decorations all the same?"

"Yes, we aren't like those other trash sects where those with high status live in palace courtyards and those with low status live in small houses. We don't do that."

"Not bad, not bad..." Chen Shu nodded repeatedly, indicating his approval of the Sword Sect's philosophy—in the next life, one should be a Sword Sect person—then he looked left and right. "But I see the locations of these houses are all about the same too; they are basically all built around this main peak."

"They are very different!"

Zhang Suannai shook her head and introduced: "Some can see the sunrise, some can see the sunset—everyone has their own preferences, you know. Some can't see anything at all. Others are closer or further from other functional buildings; for example, some are closer to the Shijiantai, and some are closer to the cafeteria."

"Understood, the ones close to the Shijiantai are very noisy, and the ones close to the cafeteria are very convenient."

"Something like that."

Zhang Suannai nodded and paused: "The ones near the Shijiantai are a bit more convenient; they are close to the cafeteria, and as soon as it's mealtime, it's all the smell of braised chicken..."

"??"

Chen Shu silently retracted his earlier thought about "in the next life, one should be a Sword Sect person."

This group of people has something wrong with their brains.

This is not a sect that a salted fish should join.

"Then, what kind of procedures are there for this succession ceremony of yours?" the group leader asked.

"There aren't any procedures. Call the disciples back, invite some guests from other sects, everyone eats a meal, I say a few words, and that's it," Zhang Suannai said casually, waving her hand. "Our Sword Sect doesn't care about those things; as long as everyone knows I am the Sword Master, that's enough."

"Amitabha, the Sword Sect disciples are indeed unrestrained."

"Truly free and easy."

"Is it mainly because you're poor and find it troublesome?"

"I actually like this kind of thing."

"Oh! I still need to go take some portrait photos to use when we announce it to the outside world! I'll have my Seventh Senior Brother take you all around for now; just tell my Seventh Senior Brother wherever you want to go, or if you don't want to walk around, you can have my Seventh Senior Brother take you to your accommodations to rest. Anyway, see you at mealtime!"

Having said that, without waiting for a response, she took flight directly.

The crowd glanced at her free-spirited back, then withdrew their gazes and looked at one another.

"That grandmother benefactor is truly free-spirited."

"I really envy Senior Sister Suannai."

"Indeed, indeed." Chen Banxia also nodded and said, "I was worried she would be sad earlier and wanted to comfort her, but it turns out she wasn't sad at all."

"That's a lie."

The voice of Seventh Senior Brother came from the side: "The night Master and First Senior Brother were buried, I saw her crying in secret."

"So that's how it is."

"Sigh..."

"The departed are gone; dwelling on them only burdens the heart."

"Amitabha..."

"..."

"Where do you want to go?" Zhuang Baicha looked at Chen Shu and Wu Eiwei; they had interacted in Yunlai before and were relatively familiar with each other, "In our Sword Sect, apart from Cangjian Shan, which you cannot go to, and the sect's mountain rocks, which you cannot step on, there is nowhere you cannot go. You can even visit the prison. The reason we don't let tourists in is actually just because we're afraid someone will get into a fight and accidentally injure them, leading to compensation. Wherever you want to go, I can take you."

"I want to try the Sword Sect's braised chicken."

"Then you've come at the right time. I estimate that after tonight, there won't be any braised chicken in the Sword Sect." Zhuang Baicha took out her Mobile Phone, "I'll send a text to the cafeteria and have them make it with the best Sword Sect free-range chicken, plus some ink-stone mushrooms, and prepare it for you. You can just go eat; I'll wait for you outside."

"Then many thanks, Senior Zhuang."

"And what about this bald... monk?"

"He wants to try it too."

"Amitabha, this poor monk cannot be bothered to argue with you."

The group laughed and joked, just as usual, and walked toward one of the short but very large buildings.

---Author's Note---

This book was expected to be written until the 26th, give or take a day or two. Sigh, ever since yesterday, it seems like because I know it's ending, my tenosynovitis has been getting worse and worse; my hands hurt from typing.