Chapter 7

After a drizzly spring rain, the weather turned cold for a few days before suddenly warming into a lingering coziness.

No more snow fell on Heyi Peak.

When the last remnants of snow had completely melted, tender green shoots poked out everywhere.

Qing Zhouxue's habit of wandering the peaks didn't stop after Foundation Establishment. Years of climbing had built up her stamina. In the past, if she left in the morning, she'd have to return under the stars. Later, she could catch the tail end of sunset. Now, she'd knock on the door of Heyi Peak bathed in the afterglow.

The cat crouched on the wall, staring at her with dark, unreadable eyes.

Under that eerie gaze, she ate her dinner alone.

Perhaps it was mating season for stray cats; her cat had no heart for work these days and had been rather perfunctory with meals.

Qing Zhouxue poked at the rice ball in her bowl and roughly deduced its origins: bits of green pepper, minced pork liver, chopped bamboo shoots, and some mashed potato as binder, all mixed with rice and rolled into a round shape. Everything was leftovers from lunch.

Surprisingly, it tasted pretty good.

After dinner, Qing Zhouxue headed back to her room, but as she passed through the corridor, she stopped at the sight of the pond water in the courtyard.

Somewhat clumsily, she called upon her meager spiritual power to lift a ball of water from the pond.

The moment her attention wavered, the water collapsed, splattering ripples across the surface. She tried again—this time trapping an innocent koi fish inside a crystal-clear orb of water. As it rose in front of her, the fish swam around nervously, a truly wondrous sight.

She played like that in secret for a long while, until a familiar figure caught the corner of her eye. Her mind stirred, the water sphere slipped out of control, and it crashed to the ground, sending the koi flopping on the stones amidst scattered puddles.

Qing Zhouxue promptly grabbed the fish and tossed it back into the pond, disposing of the only piece of chaos.

Yun Shuchen stepped back, lest the splashes stain her robes.

Sure enough, every little creature who learns spells without mastering them is bound to cause some degree of destruction.

"Learned it?"

Should she nod? Qing Zhouxue felt that nodding would reveal her guilt.

Silence means assent. Yun Shuchen walked past her and said with a smile, "Perfect. From now on, you're in charge of watering and draining the potted plants in the courtyard."

A few steps later, she seemed to remember something, paused, and looked back. "Starting tomorrow, I'll be in seclusion for a while."

"No need to rush about things ten years from now. If you get bored, you can attend lectures at the outer sect or browse the books on the peak."

With that brief instruction, she left.

The familiar scent by her nose dissipated with the evening breeze.

After Yun Shuchen suddenly announced another seclusion, the vast Heyi Peak fell into quiet solitude.

Qing Zhouxue used to have someone to talk to, but now her only companion was the cat that occasionally jumped onto the wall for a nap, who looked after her daily needs amid a chorus of meows.

Three meals a day were no concern. Even her laundry would mysteriously appear fresh and clean in her wardrobe.

With nothing else to do, Qing Zhouxue watered the flowers drop by drop each day, then took a book from the shelf to a spot with bright but gentle light—sometimes the pavilion over the pond, sometimes under the old locust tree in the front yard.

She had finished reading *Wen Chu Yao Dao* in full; there was no second volume. It wasn't a serious cultivation manual, merely an introductory reference.

From drawing in Qi to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Void Refinement, Cultivation Union, Great Ascension, and Tribulation—one could say the path of immortality stretched long.

A child's heart was far from such ambition. When it described Tribulation cultivators summoning wind and rain like gods, revered by multitudes and treading alone across the nine provinces... after reading it, she felt nothing.

Perhaps even a single droplet of water was more fun.

Standing on her tiptoes, she put the old book back and pulled down another from the shelf: *A Tentative Discussion of the Five Elements (Volume One)*.

Its title was gilded in gold, with a thick, exquisite cover.

This book also belonged to Yun Shuchen. Her bookshelves weren't in the bedroom—perhaps because she had lived so long that her collection filled four walls, so she'd set aside a separate room right next to her own.

Qing Zhouxue had only read a few pages when a voice suddenly rang out. "Did you forget something?"

Looking up, the cat jumped onto the table, squinting at her.

"Before entering seclusion, Immortal Yun told you to attend outer sect lectures when you have free time. Water the flowers, too. A child reading all day is bad for your eyes."

The last part was clearly added by the cat.

The outer sect sat within Taichu Sect's grounds, in a basin among the immortal mountains. It was a mixed bag, far livelier than the inner sect.

Dwellings were scattered about, but living conditions weren't great—several people squeezed into one space, with wooden basins, water vats, and other daily necessities haphazardly placed outside.

Most wealthy or aristocratic students went home to stay. Those who remained were mostly talented commoners.

A boy in fine clothes led Qing Zhouxue as he explained, "There are no barriers to lecture here. Anyone interested can listen. The teachers are senior fellow disciples from the inner sect with good grades; they're more than capable of covering these basic topics."

"If you ever become a true disciple of an elder, you might get similar opportunities."

The lecture halls were in towers. Down in the nooks and crannies below, it was no different from a mortal market—vendors hawked candied hawthorn sticks, sold slabs of pastries, displayed bundles of cabbage and radishes on the ground. It was wonderfully worldly.

The crowds pressed in, a cacophony of smells assaulting her nose. She frowned slightly, holding her breath. The fine-clothed boy stopped. "Go explore on your own. There aren't too many rules. If you find a class you like, just grab a seat; if not, standing and listening works too."

"Make sure you come back on time for meals," he added, then mused, "How about steamed fish head with chopped chilies today?"

"Too spicy," Qing Zhouxue said, despite still holding her breath.

"Alright, no chili," he said, deep in thought about how to make the dish without spice.

Qing Zhouxue went up the tower alone. By now the hour was late, and the senior brother at the front was already lecturing with great fervor. Being small, she slipped in the back door unnoticed.

The room was packed. Qing Zhouxue scanned around—no seats left—and behind her stood a motley crowd: young people, middle-aged folk, and even a grandmother holding a grandchild.

She squeezed her way to a spot where she could at least see the jade hairpin atop the lecturer's head... going so far as to wedge half her body between the ample thighs of a large auntie.

For the next lesson, she stared at that hairpin as his head bobbed—it swung more dramatically during passionate moments and stilled during calmer, plainer passages.

Though her view was obstructed, no one spoke except for the sounds of breathing, sniffles, and coughs. Once, a baby began to cry, but its mother stuffed it into its father's arms and hurried out.

Qing Zhouxue could clearly tell that the lecture was on *A Tentative Discussion of the Five Elements*—the very book she'd just started reading.

Her interest piqued. Having someone explain things in detail was far easier than muddling through by herself. So, starting that very day, the little girl Qing attended outer sect classes early each morning, day after day, month after month.

The lecturing senior brother would occasionally demonstrate techniques, and the raucous crowd below usually just watched for show—few actually learned anything, and it was mostly for appearances. But for Qing Zhouxue, it was essential for imitation.

She had to grab a front-row seat; she wanted to see exactly how the senior brother moved his hands, just as she had mimicked Elder Yun.

The young people living at the outer sect often arrived in groups. One person would come early and hog three whole rows of empty seats.

It wasn't until she got used to rising at the hour of the tiger from Heyi Peak that she could finally sit comfortably here.

One early morning.

Qing Zhouxue clutched a book to her chest and carried a small lantern, pushing open the empty tower door in the faint glow.

She held up the lantern—lucky today, the first row's desk was empty. She heaved a sigh of relief, set down her book, and stood up, only to hear an "Ouch!" as she bumped into something.

The lamplight flickered, illuminating another pair of dark-circled eyes. A girl. About her age. Dressed rather oddly.

"Here to, listen?" the girl muttered something in a language Qing Zhouxue didn't understand, then asked in halting Chinese.

"Mm," Qing Zhouxue set down the lantern.

"Early, tiring," the girl sighed and slumped into the seat beside her. Soon, soft snores rose.

Qing Zhouxue usually slept early and wasn't sleepy at all, so she sat there, idly pondering the question the lecturing senior brother had left the day before, waiting quietly for dawn.

When the sky began to lighten, the foreign girl blinked awake. Still groggy, she looked at Qing Zhouxue sitting upright beside her and couldn't help but admire her. "You, impressive."

"My name, Ruan Mingzhu." She wore a red-and-white band across her forehead, had large, amber-colored eyes, which now curved like crescent moons. She seemed eager to communicate. "Name? Friends?"

"Qing Zhouxue."

"I come, from far, far away. Learn this. Study under master. Heard, central plains immortal sects, very powerful."

Their brief exchange cut short the moment the lecturing senior brother cleared his throat for the first word, and Qing Zhouxue slipped back into her single-minded focus.

Ruan Mingzhu seemed to struggle with understanding—likely due to the language barrier—but compared to the two lads to her left already nodding off, she was remarkably alert.

A month passed. Students came and went, but these two girls remained steadfast in the front row, so much so that even the lecturing senior brother recognized their faces.

Since they often bumped into each other while saving seats, Qing Zhouxue gradually grew familiar with Ruan Mingzhu.