While Chen Wentian worked to uncover these secretive groups, life continued as usual within the city. More people arrived every day looking for a new ho while others looked for new opportunities in cultivation as well as business. His disciples were all diligently cultivating or managing his sect in the case of Zhou Ziyun.
However, this industrious attitude seed lost on one person, Nalan Wan’er. She was left alone after Wu Qianyu entered secluded cultivation. Lin Qingcheng gave her a tour on the first day but was gone right afterward due to other matters. Zhou Ziyun had even less ti to spend with her.
Nalan Wan’er sat alone on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The rising sun behind her cast a long shadow on the ground below, framing her petite face and slender figure.
“One! Two! Three! Four!” The rhythmic chant of many voices filled the air.
The courtyard was occupied by mbers of the House of Paradise. These were low-ranking disciples, participating in group exercises and basic cultivation of their bodies. They each wore a thin white training outfit that outlined the curves of their bodies in fascinating ways.
Nalan Wan’er looked down at herself and the sword lying across her lap. She had only studied so basic sword arts and martial arts growing up. She had very little cultivation knowledge. It was only due to her family’s wealth that she was able to reach the peak of the Body Refinent Realm at the age of twenty-two.
She was still in that realm, now at the age of twenty-four. She had made no progress. Her only source of strength was this sword in her possession, which she had exchanged the entire wealth of her family for.
She had followed Wu Qianyu for several months but her master hadn’t taught her anything. Wu Qianyu also didn’t like being called master.
Nalan Wan’er couldn’t figure it out. She didn’t expect the person who had saved her life, the person she had placed her hopes upon, to be a moody and unreliable person. She wondered if she had made a terrible mistake.
“Little Sister Nalan, you are up early.”
Peng Lingxi appeared at the doorway, appearing heroic as always. A gust of wind swept her hair about her figure. Nalan Wan’er had to squint and shield her eyes. Peng Lingxi’s sharp sword aura was almost overwhelming.
“Senior Peng, good morning.”
“Ha, just call elder sister. Senior sounds too old.” Peng Lingxi said and sat down.
“Ah… yes, elder sister.”
Nalan Wan’er couldn’t figure out what else to say. The difference between the two of them was as vast as the ocean. She felt suffocated just in the other’s presence.
After an awkward silence, Peng Lingxi coughed and spoke, “That is a very good sword. Where did you get it?”
Encouraged, Nalan Wan’er described how she obtained the sword as well as the series of events before and after. She retold how the various sects of Black Rock City bullied her family to obtain her. She described charging into the governor’s castle and being saved by Wu Qianyu in the end.
Finding that Peng Lingxi was still listening intently, Nalan Wan’er spoke about her experiences following Wu Qianyu. The first thing they did was to visit her father’s grave. Nalan Wan’er had never wanted to go back so she had buried him in the middle of a lonely forest. Still, Wu Qianyu made her go back and they stayed there for seven days. Every morning at dawn, they would kneel before her father for two hours. At dusk, they did the sa for another two hours.
Afterward, they headed for the eastern frontier of the Cloudy Mountain Province. They visited many different places. The only thing in common was that each place had suffered greatly during the monster invasion several years ago. One was a village that had lost half of its population to a horde of jueyuan. Another was a town that withstood a ferocious attack from a large pack of giant dire wolves.
At each place, they visited the ceteries and morials. They would pay their respects for a while and then head to the next location. All of this took several months and they weren’t even finished. There were still many places left to go before Wu Qianyu was recalled due to sect matters.
Nalan Wan’er trailed off at this point. She hoped that Peng Lingxi could pick up on the hints and understand her frustrations. After going through all this effort, she hadn’t improved her cultivation one bit. Wu Qianyu hadn’t taught her anything.
Peng Lingxi looked at the beautiful maiden and shook her head, “Little Sister Nalan, I think there has been a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” Nalan Wan’er asked.
“Yes, Sister Wu didn’t teach you sword arts or help you cultivate. That is true. But it doesn’t an that she didn’t teach you anything about cultivation.”
“I… Wan’er is stupid and doesn’t understand.” Nalan Wan’er bowed her head.
Peng Lingxi smiled. In her eyes, Nalan Wan’er was Wu Qianyu’s person so- she shouldn’t interfere. But Wu Qianyu was not around at the mont. Peng Lingxi felt it was alright to help out a little to improve the relationship between this pair of master and disciple. Besides, it was the least she could do after being inspired by Wu Qianyu’s actions as told by Nalan Wan’er.
Peng Lingxi showed her palm and coalesced a strand of sword energy, “Many people cultivate to beco stronger. Like this, they want to be able to wield spiritual energy to conquer others and achieve their goals. Aren't you like this? You want to hurry up and get stronger so that you can avenge your father. Am I right?”
“Yes…” Nalan Wan’er lowered her head in embarrassnt.
“Mmm, it is a suitable goal for cultivation. There is nothing to be ashad of.” Peng Lingxi said, “But wholly unrelated to Sister Wu. Don’t you see? Sister Wu showed you her purpose, her goal for cultivation, her Dao.”
She flicked her fingers, letting the strand of sword energy pierce the sky, “I didn’t understand when we sparred or even after. But I understand now. If you take a deep look at her actions, what she showed you, you will be able to see into her heart and what motivates her.”
She glanced at Nalan Wan’er and the confused expression on the other’s face, “Let’s put it this way. My Dao, my path is different from Sister Wu's. I am one of the sword. I want to understand the sword more, to achieve the greatest feat possible with a sword. My sword is my life. If I asked Sister Lin what her purpose for cultivation was, she would give a different answer. If I asked Sister Zhou, she would say sothing else. If I were to ask a hundred cultivators who are seeking the immortal way, I would get a hundred different answers. Little Sister Nalan, each person’s path is different. So might be similar but not completely the sa. Sister Wu spent those months showing you her path and to be blunt, it is one that you can’t follow.”
“This… but…” Nalan Wan’er tried to say sothing but couldn’t find anything.
“Little Sister Nalan, don’t fret. Even though you can’t follow her path, it doesn’t an she doesn’t want you as a disciple. My master, Sister Wu’s master, none of us can learn his Dao and yet we are his disciples. Every ti I et him, I learn sothing and I feel that I have made progress. Look at it like this, you cannot follow her path, you must forge your own. But it doesn’t an your two paths will never cross. Aren’t they intersecting now? Isn’t it also intersecting with mine as well?”
Peng Lingxi stood up with a bright smile. When she spoke, she was speaking to Nalan Wan’er but also herself.
“What we can do is take advantage of these situations and help each other, learn from each other. We can improve ourselves while helping others as well. Our paths are ours alone but it doesn’t an we are always alone!”
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