Arc 2
Flawless Sword (5)
Another bonus chapter thanks to Vis~
Xie Wushuang was floored by Ye Chen’s boldness. Ye Chen scowled, “Why? You dislike me?”
“No, no…” Xie Wushuang blushed and lowered his head.
Ye Chen wasn’t ugly, it was the opposite, actually. It could be said that she was absolutely beautiful. There was no ugly cultivator in Cultivation Realm. Ye Chen’s appearance was considered extraordinarily beautiful even among cultivators. Like a jade, a pure and gentle beauty.
Xie Wushuang’s blush became more prominent. In the mortal world, girls around age of 15 or 16 would have their hairpin ceremony[1] and get engaged, so he didn’t think Ye Chen’s request was abrupt. He took a deep breath, “The grace of saving lives, Wushuang has nothing to repay the grace with, As long as guniang’s elders agree…”
“I disagree.”
Jun Yan’s voice came from the outside. Ye Chen turned back in surprise and saw Jun Yan strolled in.
He was wearing a long white shirt, covered with a blue robe with silver cloud patterns. Cold and indifferent, like a true Immortal.
Xie Wushuang was at loss. Jun Yan stop by Ye Chen’s side and looked down at Xie Wushuang.
Xie Wushuang felt Jun Yan’s undisguised hostility and frowned, “You are…?”
“Her Shifu, Tian Jian Sect’s Jun Yan.”
With that, Jun Yan, who rarely spoke, explained, “She likes to talk nonsense. Don’t take her words seriously.”
Xie Wushuang didn’t pay attention to his explanation. His attention was focused on the five words he spoke. “Tian Jian Sect’s Jun Yan”
The No.1 Sword Cultivator; The youngest Mahayana cultivator; The magnanimous gentleman who was known as the “Jun Zi Sword[2]”
Xie Wushuang has heard his name from countless elders of the Hua Qing Sect, all filled with jealousy and envy. Long ago, he thought that if he could, he would like to worship him as a Shifu and become his disciple.
In the past, they were so far apart that he dared not expect anything. But now, in the present, Jun Yan was right in front of him!
Xie Wushuang was thrilled in his heart, but he didn’t let it show on his face. He pretended to be calm and bowed, “This lowly one is from the Hua Qing Sect. Xie Wushuang, the son of Zuo-changlao, has seen the elder.[3]“
“Mn.” Jun Yan hummed. He inspected Xie Wushuang and realized he didn’t take Ye Chen’s words seriously. He was both relieved and infuriated at the same time.
Don’t worry. Calm down. Xie Wushuang doesn’t have the slightest interest in Ye Chen. But… His disciple is so good, how dare Xie Wushuang doesn’t even have the slightest interest in Ye Chen?!
This person must be blind.
Jun Yan’s complicated mood wasn’t apparent. Knowing Xie Wushuang wasn’t gravely injured, he said to Ye Chen, “Let’s go.”
“Jun Yan-daojun, wait!” Xie Wushuang couldn’t hold it anymore. The moment he saw Jun Yan was about to leave, he jumped off the bed. He knelt to the ground and declared respectfully, “Jun Yan-daojun, This one sincerely wants to worship Daojun as a Shifu. I hope Daojun will allow it!”
“Won’t.” Jun Yan spoke decisively. Ye Chen realized that the situation was a little bad. She hurried forward, “Shifu, he has exceptionally good qualifications…”
Jun Yan glanced at Ye Chen on the corner of his eyes quietly. His look was so cold, mixed with disappointment and slight anger. Ye Chen subconsciously took a step back. It was clear to her that Jun Yan not only didn’t want to accept Xie Wushuang but also repulsed him. She couldn’t persuade Jun Yan, but if Xie Wushuang didn’t worship Jun Yan as a Shifu, wouldn’t that mean he lost his first golden finger[4] as a Male Lead? As a responsible tasker, no matter what, she shouldn’t let the main plot collapse, right?
She thought hard. Jun Yan didn’t accept Xie Wushuang as a disciple but Jun Yan accepted her as a disciple, she was a part of Wen Jian Peak. Jun Yan taught her, then if she taught Xie Wushuang… would it be alright?
She asked the system, and the system said, “Wait for my calculation to finish.”
A moment later, the system replied, “Yes. If he is taught under you, technically he still can learn the Jun Zi sword skills handed down by Jing Yan-daojun for those in Wen Jian Peak. That sword skill is suitable for him. From then on, because he has Wen Jian Peak as his backer, he can have a smooth counterattack journey.”
“Good.”
Ye Chen smiled and cleared her throat, “Then, Wushuang, my Shifu won’t accept you, how about you worship me as a Shifu instead?”
As soon as the words were spoken, the room became even colder. Jun Yan stared at Ye Chen and said calmly, “Ye Chen, you’re still in Foundation Establishment.”
“Well… I know a lot…” Ye Chen was embarrassed by Jun Yan. Xie Wushuang’s eyes also darkened. He understood that Jun Yan really didn’t want to accept him. Both of them thought Ye Chen was joking, but Ye Chen was not. She touched her nose. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she couldn’t say anything more. She could only blink innocently at Xie Wushuang.
Under Jun Yan’s urging, she reluctantly followed Jun Yan back to Wen Jian Peak.
After returning, Jun Yan dumped a lot of books to Ye Chen and ordered Ye Chen to finish reading them. Ye Chen was dumbfounded, she dazedly stared at the pile of books, “Shifu, I don’t mind reading these books, but can I still go out every day?”
“Not allowed.” Jun Yan waved his hand and a circle appeared at the door of the cave. Unexpectedly, Jun Yan decided to put a barrier so she couldn’t go outside. Ye Chen was trapped here and Jun Yan’s irritation quenched, “You can’t go out until you finish reading all of it.”
Ye Chen’s heart dropped.
Xie Wushuang was injured. How could she win over Xie Wushuang if she didn’t take this god-sent opportunity to brush his favorability?!
Ye Chen was openly disappointed. The fire that had calmed in Jun Yan’s heart was ignited again. His expression was obscure, “What do you want to do with him?”
“I want to take care of him一”
“He has nothing to do with you!” Jun Yan coldly interrupted her, “Ye Chen, you are my disciple. Both of us cultivate the Ruthless Dao. The First Stage of Ruthless Dao, have you forgotten it?”
Indifferent. Willless. Heartless. Ruthless. Profoundness. Forgetfulness[5].
For those who would cultivate Ruthless Dao, those six stages were the things that must exist in their Dao Heart[6].
Song Yi said Jun Yan was Heartless, he was not wrong. Compared to mortals, he was a lot more unfeeling than them. But as long as he didn’t get to the last stage of Ruthless Dao, he would always have emotions, he would be moved, angry, and sad.
He didn’t like it when Ye Chen had too many emotions. He hoped Ye Chen would stay pure. Like a child, never have any desire, never miss anyone, and never regard anyone as special.
She should cultivate the Dao well and become Immortal.
Why should she love someone else? Why should she marry someone else? Wasn’t it good to be single-minded and ascend with him?
Everything in this world, if she wished for it, he would give it to her.
Everyone has always been afraid of him. They would say that Jun Yan was too heartless and ruthless. He didn’t bother to justify it. If they understood, he wouldn’t need to explain anything. If they didn’t understand, no matter how much he explained it, they still wouldn’t understand. However, a life like that was a little bit too lonely.
He also wanted someone to accompany him.
At first, he considered it an extravagant hope. He believed he would only have a sword beside him for a lifetime.
Later, he found that it was not true. He also had Ye Chen.
The little girl, who always looked wronged, tugged his sleeve and sprinkled sweetness to him just so she could eat sweet and sour ribs.
If Ye Chen became someone else’s; If Ye Chen wouldn’t accompany him for thousands of years, it would be too frightening and lonely. He dared not to even think about it.
That’s why he was worried when Xie Wushuang appeared.
He looked at Ye Chen, a Ye Chen he hadn’t seen in four years. His heart was disturbed.
“Xiao Chen,” he advised, “Don’t let someone else delay your Dao.”
Ye Chen didn’t respond, she pursed her lips. She gathered her courage, “But Shifu, my Dao, it’s not Ruthless Dao.”
Jun Yan was silent.
Ye Chen immediately noticed his displeasure. She cautiously probed, “Shifu, why don’t you like Xie Wushuang?”
Jun Yan ignored her and averted his gaze, like a child throwing a tantrum.
Ye Chen frowned and repeated, “Why?”
“Xiao Chen, my hope is that you can cultivate with all your heart.” Jun Yan glanced at her. “Full of aspiration to achieve your Dao. Then, you will ascend. Shifu will wait to ascend with you.”
“What if I ascended first?”
“Shifu will catch up with you.”
“What if you can’t catch up?”
Jun Yan tightened his lips. Ye Chen laughed, “At that time, will Shifu still want me to ascend?”
“Shifu will…catch up…” Jun Yan spoke hard. In his heart, he knew many cultivators fell on the road of cultivation before they could ascend, so he couldn’t make a promise confidently. Ye Chen understood Jun Yan’s feelings. She has compassion and pity in her eyes, “Shifu, you’re just too lonely.”
Jun Yan became a little stiff. Ye Chen sighed, “Shifu, go find me a Shiniang[7], okay?”
Ye Chen’s words silenced Jun Yan. He thought of her words seriously. The little girl in front of him observed him as if she understood everything about him.
He felt a little embarrassed and lowered his eyes.
“Shifu,” Ye Chen said cautiously, “After reading the book, I’ll go out to play, okay?”
He didn’t agree, but he also didn’t disagree.
It took a while before he answered, “Okay.”
He never took good care of his heart’s well-being, he was alone for too long. For the first time, someone came to him. Like a child, he refused to let the person go. But, she was too different from him. She didn’t cultivate the Ruthless Dao. She was never alone. She has her own world, Ye Chen’s own world. Sooner or later, he would be left behind. Then, it would be the same as before. With only swords as his companions. The things that he had gotten used to.
He comforted himself like that.
He meditated by Ye Chen’s side who was reading a book. She sat in a pile of books, with determination in her eyes. She was much quieter than she was as a child.
She would go out regularly for a while every day. He wanted to know where she was going, but he controlled himself and recited the Heart Purification Sutra while meditating in the cave.
Except for that, she mostly stayed in the cave. He hadn’t had the time to teach her when he retreated, so he made up for all that time. When she finished a book, he would reward her with a meal.
Jun Yan liked the way Ye Chen eats. Since he started cooking for her, she would always have a glow in her eyes when she looked at him. When she ate, it was as if a tail could pop out behind her, swinging around in joy.
It didn’t take long for him to hear that Xie Wushuang got accepted as a disciple by his shidi, Song Yi.
Ye Chen was aggrieved about this. Xie Wushuang looked so good, Ye Chen should have been able to watch him every day on Wen Jian Peak, alas.
It was a blessing for her that the main Peak wasn’t far from Wen Jian Peak. She sneaked to the main Peak, Yu Jian Peak, every day. Xie Wushuang avoided her at first, but he got used to her after she sneaked there for the nth time.
One day, when Ye Chen was passing by, she saw someone bullying Xie Wushuang. He came from a humble background, yet he became the Sect Leader’s personal disciple, which must arouse envy in others’ hearts. Ye Chen glanced at those people. They were all the fuerdai from a noble family like her. But compared to them, Ye Chen was the Beloved of Heaven, they were just a bunch of grass on the roadside.
Xie Wushuang fought back, but there were many of them. Ye Chen saw Xie Wushuang get kicked and she stormed up. Light shone from her unsheathed sword and it turned into 9 small swords. Those swords immediately impaled themselves in front of Xie Wushuang, separating him from the bullies.
The crowd took a step back. Ye Chen appeared behind Xie Wushuang and supported him. She glared at the crowd.
“It’s so fun to gang up on someone? How about you come and fight with me instead?”
“No… no need…”
Even though Ye Chen was only in the Foundation Establishment Realm. She was a monster that even the Golden Core Cultivator didn’t dare to offend. She was the apple of the Ye-jia of Penglai, they loved her more than their life and visited Ye Chen at least three times a year. If they ever dared to touch even a single hair on Ye Chen, the one they faced wouldn’t only be Ye Chen, but her entire family and her ancestors.
So they wisely stepped back when Ye Chen came.
Ye Chen smiled and patted Xie Wushuang on the shoulder, “It’s alright, da Shijie[8] will cover you.”
Xie Wushuang pursed his lips and said proudly, “No一”
Before he finished, Ye Chen already rushed out and punched one of them.
With no time, she had thrown all of those people out of the main peak.
She dusted her hand and realized something.
She took a peek at Xie Wushuang’s shocked face. If she continued to act like this, it would be hard for her to become his White Moonlight… wouldn’t it?
She cleared her throat, “That’s… Tian Jian Sect’s style is like this. Everyone will also act like this!”
Xie Wushuang’s expression was profound.
Ye Chen cried bitterly in her heart. She didn’t want to dig a pit for herself and returned to Wen Jian Peak.
As soon as she arrived, she saw the groups of people thrown by her before. They were kneeling in front of her Shifu with wronged looks, “Shishu, you have to serve us justice!”
Ye Chen gritted her teeth. Shit, she let her guard down!
She has been a bully for so many years that she has forgotten she still has a Shifu!
Uneasiness washed over her. Jun Yan seemed like an upright and honest person. She was scared she would be finished today.
As a result, Jun Yan’s brows furrowed. He examined both sides and glanced at Ye Chen, “Did you pick a fight with them?”
Ye Chen answered honestly, “Yes…”
Jun Yan nodded, “My disciple won’t hit people without reason. You can find your own Shifu to receive your punishments.”
Everyone was dumbfounded. When Jun Yan saw that they didn’t go, he frowned and waved his wide sleeve. The disciples were flown out of the Wen Jian Peak by a gust of wind.
This was an unexpected but pleasant development for Ye Chen. She couldn’t help asking, “Shifu, aren’t you spoiling me too much?”
Jun Yan’s expression remained the same, “You call this spoiling?”
Ye Chen blinked and Jun Yan smiled slightly, “Then I will spoil you a little more.”
“It’s only a few people,” Jun Yan walked toward his cave, “Do you need another reason? A Sword Cultivator with no temper is not worthy to be a Sword Cultivator.”
Ye Chen, “……”
Serve tea to the Big Boss[9]
This child would be led astray by your teaching ah, Big Boss.
Footnotes
笄礼 – jī lǐ; Hairpin ceremony (for woman). Gathering hair into a knot and using a hairpin to hold it in place, showing that they are now adults and have their social responsibilities. For men, it’s called 冠礼 – guān lǐ.↵
君子剑 – jūn zi jiàn; Lit. Gentleman Sword. Remember the title footnotes. Sword Cultivator was often referred to as a ‘Sword’, Jun Yan is Jun Zi Sword.↵
长老 – cháng lǎo; Elder. In addition, “Has seen the elder” is equivalent to a greeting, Like “Xie Wushuang greets Sir.”↵
金手 – jīn shǒu. Golden Finger. A cheat that could help the Main Character to have a smooth journey.↵
All of those stages mean the same thing, that is indifference, but the deepness is different.
淡心 – dànxīn Indifferent (to others)
明志 – míngzhì; Indifferent (to fame and fortune); Willness
薄情 – bóqíng; Indifferent (to infatuation); Heartless
无情 – wúqíng; Indifferent (to sentiment); Ruthless
深情 – shēnqíng; Indifferent (to love); Profoundness
忘情 – wàngqíng; Indifferent (to everything); Forgetfulness ↵道心 – dàoxīn. Dao Heart is the most important thing for a cultivator, its very foundation. It is perseverance in the search for knowledge and truth. Those who cultivate Ruthless Dao, they must go through each stage and reach the last stage to reach the truth.↵
师娘 – shīniáng. Own Master’s Wife. If Jun Yan has a wife, Ye Chen will be obliged to call his wife with the title Shiniang. That’s why she asked Jun Yan to find her a Shiniang. Find a wife ah, Shifu↵
大师姐 – dàshī jiě. Big/Eldest Senior Martial Sister. Xie Wushuang got accepted as a disciple later than Ye Chen, so Ye Chen seniority is higher than him even though she is younger than him. ↵
给大佬奉茶, gěi dà lǎo fèng chá; Give Big Boss a tea. Showing some respect/worship. Da Lao is Big Boss.↵
Ry’s Corner
The next update will be on Saturday! Remember my timezone is UTC+7, so some of you may receive it early on Friday.
Another day of me complaining about Xianxia terms. I love Xianxia, I swear. I hate translating their terms. Did someone even read the footnotes?
This is why I don’t like translating Xianxia!!!!
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Words count (excluding title, footnotes, TL’s corner): 2678
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The chatting guest on the seat went, so the book slept.
I swear every lifetime he will become more and more possessive of ye chen. Which is.. not the worst? Just as long as he doesnt go all the way and lock her up in a little black box