Chapter 312 - 208: In a Fog, No Taking Risks

Chapter 312: Chapter 208: In a Fog, No Taking Risks

’If I can explain the secrets of the Sword Peak and offer some enlightenment to the Sword Sect, perhaps I can redeem myself. The outcome might just be house arrest.’

’Practicing martial arts slowly on Cloud Mountain... that would be pretty good too, not much different from how things are now...’

Xie Yuan shook his head. But if things really came to that, he couldn’t say for sure how they would unfold.

’It’s come to this. I’ll just have to take it one step at a time.’

’Maybe the Sect Leader has bad eyesight?’

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

A sudden series of knocks on the door startled Xie Yuan from his thoughts.

’They’re here?’

He took a deep breath, feeling like a prisoner awaiting his sentence, and solemnly opened the door.

A handyman disciple stood outside, respectfully handing him a letter:

"Senior Brother Zhang, a letter for you."

’A verdict? Is it this formal? The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect really does stick to its rules...’

Xie Yuan thanked the handyman disciple and took the letter with a heavy heart, then opened it.

"Master Xie—"

The opening two words made Xie Yuan pause. Then, looking at the elegant yet playful handwriting, his mood lightened considerably.

He sat on the edge of his bed and quietly read the letter to the end. When he saw the familiar simple sketch of a guqin at the bottom, he smiled again and let out a sigh of relief.

He didn’t need to see the end; just from the very familiar handwriting, he knew it was from Situ Qin.

’So she even knows that I ventured into the ruins in the West Desert,’ Xie Yuan mused. ’This letter must be several days old.’

Situ Qin hadn’t sent the letter to complain about him not taking her along. She knew that this time, Xie Yuan had stumbled upon the opportunity under his identity as Zhang Shan, a disciple of Cloud Mountain.

However, she was eager to hear the details of what happened in the ruins. Coupled with the fact that they had both been focused on their own cultivation and hadn’t seen each other in a while, she invited him to spend the New Year festival together—Situ Qin knew he had nowhere else to go.

Disciples of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect could ask their masters for leave during the New Year to go home. The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect placed great importance on filial piety and righteousness; there was no rule that a disciple couldn’t visit their family before completing their apprenticeship. It was just that many disciples lived far away, some not even from Yunzhou, so they usually remained on the mountain.

It was common for disciples who traveled to famous mountains and great rivers to seek a master not to return home for five or even ten years if they hadn’t reached the level of a graduate. During that time, if they missed their families, they could often only gaze at the moon and send their thoughts from afar.

However, after returning to the mountain and spending another nine days on the Sword Peak, Xie Yuan had already missed the New Year festival. If he wanted to meet Situ Qin, he would probably have to wait for the Lantern Festival—

Assuming he could even get off the mountain.

Xie Yuan thought for a moment, put the letter away, and didn’t rush to reply.

’If a letter can get out, then a person can get out. If not, then there’s no point in writing one.’

’I’ll wait for the verdict.’

Worrying was useless, so Xie Yuan stopped overthinking it. He drew some water, had a comfortable wash to rinse away nine days of dust and grime, then threw himself onto the bed in a starfish position and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, someone once again knocked on the door of Xie Yuan’s small courtyard.

This time, when Xie Yuan opened the door, he found a disciple from the Main Peak and knew what was happening.

’The time for judgment has come.’ ℯℯ𝑙.

"Junior Brother Zhang, are you well-rested? If so, please follow me to the Main Peak. The Sect Leader has something to ask you," the disciple said, cupping his fist.

’So polite?’

’It feels like they’re offering me a last meal... but not quite.’

Xie Yuan felt a strange premonition but knew he couldn’t refuse to go.

Right now, the invitation was polite. If he really thought he could get out of it, they would probably have to ’escort’ him.

’It’s the same blade whether I stick my neck out or hide. I might as well go see the result for myself.’

"I’ll have to trouble Senior Brother to lead the way."

Xie Yuan returned the courteous gesture.

The two walked all the way to the Main Peak Hall, then entered the Sect Leader’s study in a side hall, where they saw the youthful, white-haired Li Xingtuo.

After offering a salute, the guiding disciple excused himself and left, leaving only Li Xingtuo and Xie Yuan in the astonishingly spacious study.

"You’re here."

Li Xingtuo looked up from a pile of scrolls and gazed at Xie Yuan.

Being a Sect Leader wasn’t just about having a high cultivation level. The thousands of people in the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect—their cultivation, food, expenses, and even the Sect’s business operations in other places—all required his oversight. Supporting a massive Sect involved countless matters.

"Greetings, Sect Leader."

Xie Yuan bowed first, then said with an unchanged expression:

"May I ask why the Sect Leader has summoned this disciple?"

"Did you rest well? Among the reports submitted today, the public kitchen of Ruyun Peak’s Inner Sect applied for an increased budget. They said a new disciple has too big of an appetite and the old rations aren’t enough. That wouldn’t be you, would it?" Li Xingtuo said with a smile.

Xie Yuan’s mouth twitched. ’Are they really that efficient? Reporting yesterday’s incident today?’

’Or is Li Xingtuo just telling me in a roundabout way that he knows everything...’

Already feeling guilty, Xie Yuan’s mind couldn’t help but wander, but he still replied:

"Replying to the Sect Leader, this disciple has fully recovered."

"Good. In that case, after nine days of contemplation on the Sword Peak, what insights have you gained?" Li Xingtuo asked slowly.

’It’s starting.’

Xie Yuan’s focus sharpened. He had already prepared a response. He cupped his hands and replied:

"Replying to the Sect Leader, this disciple has comprehended the Cloud Mountain Sword Form."

"The Cloud Mountain Sword Form?"

Li Xingtuo seemed slightly stunned, as if he hadn’t expected that answer at all.

He nodded.

"What have you comprehended? Perform it for me."

As instructed, Xie Yuan drew his sword. Right there in the study, which was as spacious as a training ground, he demonstrated the Cloud Mountain Sword Form from beginning to end, focusing only on the movements.

A glint flashed in Li Xingtuo’s eyes as he watched. When Xie Yuan finished his demonstration, he nodded and said:

"To have already reached the state of perfection. Not bad. Although you didn’t comprehend any profound swordsmanship, this is still a considerable gain. Even many disciples of the Inner Sect cannot reach this level. Perfecting the basic sword form will be of great benefit to your future cultivation. Gaining such an insight on the Sword Peak was worth it."