“Alright, you’re not mad.” Jiu Hui climbed onto the tree branch she had sat on yesterday and chose a comfortable position to lean back. “Those two stars seem to be closer.”
“Mm.” Zhi You opened the food box and took a bite of the dried fish.
Neither of them spoke again. The night wind blew gently, and the petals fell one after another. Jiu Hui stretched out her hand, and the petals fell through her fingers.
“Why aren’t you two sleeping? What are you doing up in the trees?” Yu Jing asked as she passed by and saw her two disciples in the trees. She jumped up into the tree as well.
“Master.” Jiu Hui sat up straight, and Zhi You closed the food box.
“Stargazing?” Yu Jing chuckled. “If you’re ever bored, you can always take a stroll around Wangshu Pavilion. You can also find your Senior Brothers and Sisters to play with. There are no forbidden areas in Wangshu Pavilion. You can go wherever you want. If you miss your family, you can also ask the immortal cranes in the pavilion to send them a message.”
“I’ve heard that cultivators must learn to sever ties with their kin. Only by cutting off worldly connections and becoming free of emotions and desires can one cultivate the Great Dao.” Zhi You looked at Yu Jing. “Why would Master allow us to write letters to our loved ones?”
“What’s this bullshit about severing ties and relationships?” Yu Jing scoffed at such a notion. “If cultivators could truly achieve a state of detachment and no desire, why would they bother pursuing immortality and longevity? The desire for immortality is a desire, and the fear of death and the longing for longevity are also desires. In this world, only the dead can truly achieve a state of detachment and no desire.”
“Cherish the warmth of kinship, appreciate the beauty of the scenery, and experience the beauty of the world, only then will you want your life to be a little longer, a little longer.” Yu Jing’s face showed a look of nostalgia: “Don’t let down the warmth of kinship while it’s still there, there’s no time in cultivation, who knows which reply letter will be the last one.”
“I…” Yu Jing smiled, “received my loved one’s last reply four hundred and eighty-one years ago.”
Jiu Hui looked at her smiling master, took out a letter from her storage ring, and quickly wrote a few lines on it. After sealing the letter, she put a hairpin inside. She made a hand gesture, and the letter flew into the air, passing through the sea of flowers, through the gate of Wangshu Pavilion, and finally made a turn and returned to Yu Jing.
“Master, your letter has arrived.” She smiled at Yu Jing.
Yu Jing was stunned. She reached out and slowly took the letter. There were a few scribbled words on the envelope.
[To Master Yu Jing.]
“The last letter Master received was just a blink of an eye ago.” Jiu Hui climbed to Yu Jing’s side and sat with her. “Master still has family, that’s me and Zhi You. Right, Zhi You?”
Zhi You nodded in a daze. After thinking for a moment, he took out a small package from his storage ring and handed it to Yu Jing.
“This is a package your family sent you.” Jiu Hui took the package for Yu Jing. “Let your disciple see what good things Master received.”
The package opened, revealing a snow-white cloak.carpreads.pages.dev
“Don’t forget to put on more clothes when it’s cold.” Jiu Hui shook her cloak and helped Yu Jing put it on. “It seems that although Master’s other relative doesn’t like to talk, she’s very considerate of you.”
Yu Jing held the envelope in her hand and looked at the cloak tied around her body. She carefully opened the envelope, put the hairpin in her hair, and slowly smiled. “Yes, Master has two very good relatives.”
Zhi You looked at Yu Jing, whose eyes were red but smiling. He actually didn’t understand whether his master was happy or not.
Laughing was happiness, crying was sadness.
What did it mean to laugh with red eyes?
-—–
As the first rays of dawn broke, Elder Xi opened her door and was startled to see the sect leader standing outside. She asked in confusion, “Senior Sister, why have you come to my quarters instead of teaching your two disciples?”
“Oh.” Yu Jing touched the hairpin on her temple and straightened the cloak on her body. “How did you know my disciple gave me the hairpin and cloak?”
Elder Xi: “Huh?”
“It’s getting late. I’ll go check out other places.” Yu Jing turned and left, leaving Elder Xi with a blank expression.
Jixiang Residence.
Elder Mo chased after two unworthy disciples with his sword. When he saw Yu Jing passing by, he stopped and asked, “Senior Sister, why are you up so early today?”
“Chang He and Luo Yan are both filial and good children. As their master, you need to be patient.” Yu Jing stroked her hair. “Unlike my two disciples, who don’t listen to me at all. I told them to rest well, but they insisted on giving me this hairpin and cloak. I couldn’t stop them. You’d think these two children are obedient and well-behaved, but why are their personalities so stubborn?”
Elder Mo：“……”
“Teach your apprentices slowly. You should learn more from me your Senior Sister.” Yu Jing patted Elder Mo’s shoulder, caressed her hairpin, and left with a graceful demeanor.
The wind blew Elder Mo’s hair into a mess, but his mood was even more chaotic than his windblown hair.
-—–
Three months passed by in the blink of an eye. Not only did Jiu Hui become as close as family with her fellow Senior and Junior Brothers and Sisters, but she also became friends with the animals of the sect. The Prime Minister Wu in the lake had already told her dozens of stories about his adventures under the sea. The aloof immortal cranes were willing to deliver letters for her for free. Even the masked civet in the forest was willing to share the fresh fruit it picked with her.
After the island’s fat cat lost a fight to a stray cat and Jiu Hui accompanied it to get revenge, Jiu Hui became the boss of all the furry creatures in Wangshu Pavilion.
“Junior Sister.” Elder Lin’s disciple, Xi Yuan, flew down on her sword and saw Jiu Hui digging a hole in the yard. She asked curiously, “What are you doing?”
“Senior Sister Xi Yuan, come in quickly.” Jiu Hui greeted Xi Yuan into the courtyard. “The courtyard is so big, and I don’t want to grow vegetables or herbs, so I just planted a few fruit trees.”
At least it made her seem less lazy.
Xi Yuan glanced at the neat and thriving medicinal herbs in Zhi You’s courtyard next door, then looked at Jiu Hui’s courtyard. There were rocking chairs, lounge chairs, and swings, but not a single spiritual herb or immortal plant.
“The tree grows so slowly that it will probably take two or three years before it bears fruit after you plant it.” Xi Yuan helped Jiu Hui support the sapling, making it easier for her to fill the hole with soil.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not in a hurry to eat anyway.” Jiu Hui filled in the soil, jumped up and stomped on the fluffy pit, and pinched her fingers to draw water from the lake to water the roots of the tree.
“Or I could accompany you to plant some spirit herbs, which might be used in the alchemy class.”
Jiu Hui washed her hands with the drawn water: “It’s fine, Zhi You planted a lot of them, he promised to share the herbs with me in the future, and I’ll share my fruits with him.”
Thinking of that taciturn junior brother, Xi Yuan paused for a moment and said, “That’s fine too.”
The little junior brother seemed difficult to get along with, but he was actually quite generous.
“Yesterday, you had the animals on the island help me find my lost bracelet, so I’m here today to give you a thank-you gift.” Xi Yuan took out a large package from her sleeve, which contained dried fish, fruit, and meat. “I didn’t know what they liked to eat, so I prepared a little bit of everything.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister Xi Yuan.” Jiu Hui put her hand to her mouth and whistled. In an instant, birds flew, beasts ran, monkeys jumped, and dogs barked. Dozens of various small animals ran into the courtyard like the wind, each choosing their favorite food.
“Squeak, caw, meow.”
“Woof, chirp, quack.”
The little animals came and left like the wind. Xi Yuan was stunned as she took the bird feather out of her hair. “Did they just say something to me?”
“They’re thanking you.” Jiu Hui led Xi Yuan to the lounge chair and sat down, pouring her a cup of tea.
Xi Yuan was an orphan. Back then, Elder Lin found her in the wilderness. He asked around in the villages within a few miles, but no one admitted to being her parents. In the end, Elder Lin could only take her back to the sect to raise her. The relationship between master and disciple was like that of father and daughter.
“Here you go.” Xi Yuan took out a palm-sized dagger with a scabbard. “I forged this a few days ago. I didn’t use any valuable materials. You’re going to attend Daoist Master Yin Ji’s Body Integration Grand Ceremony with Sect Uncle in a few days. It’ll be convenient to carry this with you to cut fruits when you’re out.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister Xi Yuan.” Jiu Hui happily took the dagger. “This dagger is so beautiful.”
“You’re welcome.” Xi Yuan saw that Jiu Hui liked it, and a smile appeared on her face. “I’m glad you like it.”
The disciples of Wangshu Pavilion were few in number, and since they were all taught by several elders together, the relationship between the fellow disciples was very close. The sect had not accepted any disciples for nearly decades, so now that there were new junior brother and sister, they inevitably wanted to take care of them more.
“Some disciples from major sects are arrogant and conceited. If they dare to offend you, don’t be afraid, and don’t endure it in silence. You must tell the sect uncle.” Seeing that Jiu Hui was still playing with the dagger with relish, Xi Yuan handed her the dagger that was refined for Zhi You: “This one was refined for Junior Brother Zhi You. You can keep it for him first, and give it to him when he comes back.”
“Okay, I’ll thank Senior Sister on his behalf first.” Jiu Hui agreed. “I’ll give it to him as soon as he gets back.”
Xi Yuan smiled and nodded. She touched Jiu Hui’s head and reminded her again, “Remember, if you’re wronged, you must tell the sect uncle master. With her around, she won’t let you and Zhi You suffer.”
“Master is so gentle. Will this cause her trouble?” Jiu Hui said with a smile, “But don’t worry, Senior Sister, I will definitely not let myself be wronged.”
Upon hearing the word “gentle,” Xi Yuan’s smile became slightly stiff. “Our elders at Wangshu Pavilion protect the younger generation, and we never fear trouble.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. I’ll keep it in mind.” Jiu Hui seemed to have understood something. This was probably what people meant when they said that if you hit the young ones, the old ones would come after you.
It was like the fat cat that couldn’t beat a wild cat outside, so it asked her to help it get its revenge.
“Remember that.” Xi Yuan stood up. “These past few days, my master has been trying to break through to the Divine Transformation stage. I must return to watch over him to feel at ease.”
“Alright.” Jiu Hui stood up and walked Xi Yuan to the courtyard. She watched Xi Yuan leave on her sword before sitting back down in her chair to look at the daggers that Xi Yuan had refined for her and Zhi You.
Xi Yuan was very attentive. Knowing that she liked flowers and plants, the talisman patterns on the dagger were all beautiful flower and plant designs, and there were several beautiful small gemstones inlaid on the handle.
Gently caressing the gems, Jiu Hui hung the dagger on her waist and squinted her eyes to bask in the sun. She slowly opened her eyes when she heard footsteps.
“Zhi You.” She called out to Zhi You and tossed him the dagger on the table over the fence. “This is the dagger that Senior Sister Xi Yuan personally refined. She came by just now, but you weren’t here, so she asked me to keep it for you.”
Zhi You caught the dagger and pulled it out of its sheath. The blade flashed with a cold light.
The materials were not rare treasures, but they were refined with great care. He looked up at Jiu Hui.
“I have one too.” Jiu Hui patted the dagger at her waist. “I’ve already thanked Senior Sister Xi Yuan for you.”
Zhi You hesitated for a moment, then learned from Jiu Hui and hung the dagger on his waist.
Accepting gifts from fellow disciples was also a form of etiquette?
The next morning, Jiu Hui and Zhi You followed Yu Jing to Jiutian Sect. Since they needed to buy some things, the master and disciples went to Taolin City, which was under the sphere of influence of Wangshu Pavilion.
Although Wangshu Pavilion was not a major sect, the people of Taolin City lived in peace under its protection.
This was Jiu Hui’s first time visiting Taolin City. She found everything novel and interesting, and she slowly browsed the stalls at the back by herself.
Until a piercing and noisy sound reached her ears, she frowned: “What’s going on?”
“It must be the City Lord’s second son acting up again.” The stall owner sighed. “Our City Lord is good in every way, except for his habit of spoiling his children. The City Lord’s second child has been pampered since he was a child. Whenever something happens that he’s not happy with, he throws a tantrum, hitting people, smashing things, and rolling around on the ground. No one dares to provoke him.”
As soon as the stall owner finished speaking, Jiu Hui saw a man in his twenties rush out of the crowd, then crash into a small stall on the side of the road, and even knocked down a child.
“Miss, be careful!” The stall owner saw the City Lord Second Master running towards him like crazy and hid under the stall in fright.
“Aaaaah!” The City Lord Second Master charged straight at Jiu Hui with a ferocious expression.
Jiu Hui didn’t dodge or avoid, and raised her hand to slap him on the left cheek. The City Lord Second Master, who had been howling, was stunned. He seemed to not believe that he would be hit.
Before he could regain his senses, Jiu Hui slapped him on the right cheek again. She used 50% of her strength in this slap, and the City Lord Second Master was sent flying two rounds in the air before he crashed heavily to the ground.
The entire street fell silent in an instant, staring at Jiu Hui’s fair and slender hand in astonishment.
Jiu Hui twisted her wrist. “A little brat acting crazy? That’s easy to fix.”
It was just a matter of two slaps in the face, right?
Author’s Note:
Little Garlic Chive: No one can go crazy in front of me, not even a dog!