Chapter 52

Chapter 52 After Zhou Qingxue sent the earring to Wei Zhao, she was in a very good mood. Even when she returned to her mother, Yao Xintong, she didn't lose the smile on her face. While she was her mother, as a cultivator, Yao Xintong never worried about the passing of time. She looked extremely young and could easily be mistaken for Zhou Qingxue's sister. Seeing her two children return safely, Yao Xintong's joy was evident. "Qingxue, what makes you so happy? Tell me about it." "Oh, it's nothing special, just met an annoying girl, but she's quite interesting." Zhou Qingxue leaned on Yao Xintong's arm, thinking about the defeated expression of Wei Zhao and smiled. "Chengwen, you also went to the secret realm, tell us about it." Yao Xintong said, smiling at Zhou Chengwen. Zhou Qingxue immediately interrupted, "Brother, you better not say anything, or I won't talk to you." "Okay, okay, I won't say anything, alright?" Zhou Chengwen was completely helpless in the face of his sister. "Oh, by the way, Qingxue, how come you are only wearing one earring today?" Zhou Chengwen looked puzzled at his sister's empty left ear. Zhou Qingxue's face turned slightly unnatural, a hint of blush appeared on her earlobe. "I don't know, maybe it was taken by a passing cat or dog. Don't worry about it, brother." "Alright, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Zhou Chengwen conceded. Yao Xintong looked at her two playful children, her eyes filled with joy. Only when she was with her two children could Yao Xintong genuinely smile from the bottom of her heart. The next morning, Song Weizhi looked at the girl sleeping in her arms and hesitated to wake her up. She gently rubbed the girl's face, but the girl, still half-asleep, grunted and nuzzled her shoulder without opening her eyes. Song Weizhi then kissed the girl's forehead, cheeks, and lastly on the corner of her lips. Only then did the girl finally open her eyes under Song Weizhi's teasing. Still a little groggy after waking up, the girl complained in Song Weizhi's arms, "Sister, why?" Song Weizhi gently smiled and smoothed the girl's back. "Wake up Xiaxiao. We have morning lessons today. Let's change into our clothes and go together." The girl softly responded, "Okay, sister, you're naughty, bullying me so early." Song Weizhi ruffled the girl's head and said, "Does Xiaxiao not like it?" Through the thin inner garment, the girl lightly bit Song Weizhi's shoulder, and Song Weizhi chuckled and let the girl bite her. Eventually, she gently patted her before the girl let go. Song Weizhi then comforted the girl for a while before they got up, dressed in their pale blue inner disciple robes, and left. Arriving at Wei Zhao's door, Song Weizhi reminded him to change into his disciple robes, and Wei Zhao emerged shortly after. Natural and composed, Wei Zhao, who was usually aloof and often dressed in black, caught everyone's eye in his pale blue disciple robes. He also wore an emerald earring on his left ear, adding to his magnetic charm. Song Weizhi looked at Wei Zhao in confusion and asked, "Wei Zhao, that earring looks nice. I've never seen you wear it before." "I just got it yesterday. I've never worn it before. Zhou Qingxue brought it to me yesterday, and when I didn't accept it, she forced me to wear it." Wei Zhao awkwardly touched the earring on his left ear. Song Weizhi exchanged glances with Xiao Gu Niang and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Confused, Wei Zhao asked, "What's with the two of you?" Song Weizhi wrapped her arm around Xiao Gu Niang's waist, and with a mischievous grin, said, "Nothing, it looks good on you, so wear it well." When they arrived at the academy, several junior disciples had already gathered. The trio, attractive and formidable in their cultivation, drew everyone's attention. Liu Zhiyun and Meng Xing were among them. Before Song Weizhi and the others arrived, many male disciples had been around Meng Xing. When Song Weizhi's group arrived, the male disciples shifted their attention towards them. "Ha, what's the big deal about them? They're just good-looking. Cousin, don't pay attention to them. Remember how they treated us at the inn?" Meng Xing grumbled. Liu Zhiyun’s expression darkened, he gave Meng Xing a stern look, "Enough, let's find a place to sit." Song Weizhi and Xiao Gu Niang sat together. Behind them were Wei Zhao and Zhao Xuankun. Shortly afterward, the three elder instructors arrived. As Song Weizhi and her friends were new, the class was about the history of the Cold Mountain Sword Sect. Bored, Song Weizhi started meditating, as she hadn’t come to the sect just to find a mentor. However, the instructors were at the Unity Realm level, two realms higher than Song Weizhi, and noticed her meditating. After confirming her cultivation level, one of the elders approached her and knocked on the wooden table. "What's your name? You just joined, and you're meditating already. Go back to meditate. Don't meditate during a class. Who gave you permission?" It was then that Song Weizhi opened her eyes and stood up, "I'm Song Weizhi. Elder, what advice do you have?" "If you don't want to listen, leave. Don't disrupt the others. If you're conceited just because your cultivation is slightly higher than others, you won't achieve anything in the future," the elder reprimanded Song Weizhi. Song Weizhi had sensed the elder's cultivation at the Unity Realm and realized that this place wasn't as easy as Linhai City. Even an ordinary elder had a cultivation at the Unity Realm, so she had to be cautious. She respectfully saluted, "I will remember your advice, Elder." The elder glanced at her, finding her reply sincere. "Take a seat," he said. After Song Weizhi's instance, no one dared to do anything else during the morning class, and it wasn’t until the class was over that the disciples relaxed. "Cousin, see, not even the Elder approves of her. What future could she have?" Meng Xing's voice was audible to everyone present. Where there are people, there are cliques, and the Cold Mountain Sword Sect was no exception. Meng Xing had formed her own clique. "She's just pretty. What's so special about her? Just because she offended someone on her first day, she's nothing special," Wen Ying, who was by Meng Xing's side, said indignantly. She came from a humble background and was trying to climb up the social ladder by being close to Meng Xing, who was Liu Zhiyun's cousin. "I think our Meng Xing is the best. She is from a prestigious family. Where does Song Weizhi compare to her?" Sun Ke'er added, fearing comparison with Wen Ying. Meng Xing was pleased to hear this and looked disdainfully at Song Weizhi. However, Song Weizhi didn't even glance at Meng Xing, and they left with Xiao Gu Niang. "What’s there to feel proud about? She was scolded by an Elder on her first day here. Who does Song Weizhi think she is?" Meng Xing exclaimed. The girl, seeing her mentor being reprimanded, felt a bit down. Song Weizhi saw this and rubbed her head. “It’s okay. The Elder is at the Unity Realm level. Here at Cold Mountain Sword Sect, we need to focus on improving our cultivation and not worry about other things.” “All right, I'll listen to my mentor.” “I'll listen to my master, too,” Wei Zhao chimed in. This prompted Song Weizhi and Xiao Gu Niang to burst into laughter. After resting for a while, they began their swordsmanship practice on the martial arts field. This wasn't limited to a certain number of practitioners, be it novices or experienced disciples. Here, they were to learn under the tutelage of the Sect’s top disciple, Qi Yingzhe. Many disciples who had already mastered swordsmanship eagerly came to watch. Soon, the field was filled with many disciples. Qi Yingzhe arrived, landed gracefully in the middle of the disciples, exuding an aura of elegance and nobility. Addressing the disciples, Qi Yingzhe said, “The Cold Mountain Sword Sect accords the highest honor to the sword. Although the Cold Mountain Sword Technique is the basic swordsmanship of our sect, it encompasses all the sword techniques of our sect. All paths lead to the same destination, and I hope you all comprehend this well.” Qi Yingzhe then wielded his long sword, executing a set of sword moves that didn't seem overly intricate but, under his control, they flowed seamlessly, showcasing formidable power. This quickly caught the attention of the onlookers. "Meng Xing, look at Senior Brother Qi. He's truly graceful. I'd like to talk to him," Wen Ying whispered to Meng Xing. Meng Xing glanced at Qi Yingzhe and snorted. In her view, no matter how high one's cultivation level was, it was pointless. Her cousin Liu Zhiyun, who had a good family background, was better. “He’s okay, but my cousin is the best. Don't you think so, cousin?” She tugged at Liu Zhiyun's sleeve. Liu Zhiyun smiled faintly upon hearing Meng Xing's praise. He was still pleased to hear compliments about himself. Before long, Qi Yingzhe asked, "Any novice disciples wish to come forward and try?" Several disciples shoved each other, but ultimately none dared to step forward. Qi Yingzhe's gaze swept over the new disciples but settled on Song Weizhi. "Junior Sister Song is the top scorer in the secret realm. Are you willing to come forward and demonstrate a technique?" Glancing at Qi Yingzhe, Song Weizhi gracefully ascended the platform on her sword. With a pointed sword tip, she effortlessly executed the same sword technique Qi Yingzhe had just demonstrated, displaying skill equal to his. "Hey, isn't that the newcomer who ranked first in the secret realm, Song Weizhi? Her talent seems on par with Senior Brother Qi. She's even stronger than the sect leader's direct disciple, Senior Brother Li." "I agree, and I heard that Song Weizhi has already achieved great perfection in the Golden Core stage. She's achieved this level of cultivation shortly after arriving at our Cold Mountain Sword Sect, while Senior Brother Li spent over a decade in arduous cultivation to reach the same level." "I think this is just a battle between exceptional disciples. It's unrelated to us ordinary folks." Author's Note: Thank you to the angels who voted for me or provided nourishment between May 26th, 2021, and May 28th, 2021. Thanks to the angels providing nourishment: Bei'an, Puppet Cat, for 1 bottle.'