21 - Dungeon Growth Log

The elder waved his hand after speaking, "Recently, Lingshi Peak has been in a state of transition between harvests, and the demonic sects are becoming restless... Jiu'er, if you have any promising swordsmanship students there, send them to Sword Peak as well." "Yes," Gu Peijiu bowed her head in agreement. "That’s all for now. You’re dismissed." Leaving the council hall, Gu Peijiu gazed at the blooming scarlet hydrangeas at the entrance, her pitch-black eyes devoid of emotion. Indeed, Lingshi Peak is currently in a transitional period. Among the Dan Peak, Sword Peak, and Beast Peak, only Dan Peak and Beast Peak currently have senior disciples. Dan Peak has declined; most disciples now focus on formation and alchemy, with few new talents emerging. Hence, Gu Peijiu could be appointed as the senior disciple of Dan Peak by mere mandate from the sect leader. Bai Li Qing, the senior disciple of Beast Peak, earned his position through his extraordinary talent in beast taming, outshining others at the Beast Peak’s Hundred Beasts Gathering. Sword Peak, however, is unique. The inner disciples of Sword Peak are mostly prodigies from powerful families, trained from a young age in martial arts, each with lofty ambitions and numerous new talents. Naturally, the position of the senior disciple at Sword Peak is highly sought after, with fierce competition and stringent selection. The triennial "Sword Spirit Inquiry" is the most crucial standard for selecting the senior disciple. An inner disciple who wins the "Sword Spirit Inquiry" three times in a row is directly ascended to the position of senior disciple. Those who win twice or only once become alternate senior disciples. The current acting senior disciple, Chang Lan, was such a prodigy, winning three consecutive "Sword Spirit Inquiries." However, he refused the position due to family obligations and descended the peak to join 【Order】. But since Sword Peak cannot be left leaderless, Chang Lan returned as the acting senior disciple at the sect leader's request, until the next tenure. The leader of Lingshi Peak is chosen from these senior disciples. Usually, the one who becomes the leader of Lingshi Peak is the senior disciple of Sword Peak, the true standout among prodigies. Warm sunlight poured down; a girl in a red and white robe quietly looked at the towering peaks in the distance, her gaze indifferent. In the six years since Chang Lan left, only one person on the mountain named Sword Peak has won the "Sword Spirit Inquiry" twice, becoming the only alternate senior disciple. The prodigious daughter of the Chang'an Chu family, Chu Yao. After Chang Lan, she is an unrivaled cold sword. If nothing unexpected happens, after the third "Sword Spirit Inquiry," this prodigious daughter would step into the council hall of Lingshi Peak as Sword Peak’s senior disciple. Chang'an is the legendary imperial city, and Chu is the imperial surname from a hundred years ago. A noble family with royal blood carries an innate, untouchable arrogance. Gu Peijiu softly murmured, "The eldest daughter of the Chang'an Chu family…" Chu Yao. Three days later. Suoxi is a small stream flowing down from the top of Dan Peak, filled with spiritual energy. A small Dan Pavilion is built by the stream. Due to the abundant spiritual energy, the success rate of alchemy is very high here, but only inner disciples can apply to use the Suoxi Dan Pavilion. Warm sunlight filtered through the forest, sliced into countless tiny light spots by the dense leaves, scattered over the clean grass, and some fell into the crystal-clear stream, creating shimmering reflections that illuminated the swimming fish below. Gu Peijiu, wearing a robe of red and white interwoven Dan Peak attire, with delicate red maple embroidered on the cuffs, tied her long black hair into a ponytail with a red ribbon, which rested gently on her snow-white neck. She gazed at the phoenix tree in front of the Dan Pavilion, where a summer cicada, listlessly, vibrated its wings, buzzing. It was already past noon. The person who was supposed to come still hadn't arrived. There was no expression on Gu Peijiu's porcelain-like face; she just quietly waited in front of the Dan Pavilion’s vermillion door. Gu Peijiu was extremely patient in waiting for others. However, it turned out that some people wouldn’t come just because you’re willing to wait. The scorching sun slowly descended, the cicada's buzzing became more energetic, no longer listlessly like in the afternoon. Gu Peijiu stood at the entrance for a long time, her long eyelashes slightly dusted with evening dew. — No show. Wouldn't come. Gu Peijiu flicked her sleeve and left. The Suoxi stream remained crystal clear under the moonlight. While Gu Peijiu waited for someone by Suoxi all afternoon, Xia Ge was blissfully spending the afternoon drinking at a nearby village’s tavern. The system finally couldn't hold it in any longer. "Host, are you forgetting something?" Xia Ge munched on a peanut and played dumb, "Hmm? Forgetting something?" System: “I seem to recall that the senior disciple asked you to refine pills today...?" Xia Ge: “You must be mistaken. I don’t remember that." System: “If you don’t remember, then why did you sneak away to drink without telling Ye Ze?" Xia Ge seriously replied, “Ye Ze has a foul mouth. Having him here would spoil the drink.” System: “...” Sneaking away to drink in a secluded village using Ghost Shadow tricks... You’re basically cutting class like a guilty thief!! At this moment, the foul-mouthed Ye Ze was loitering in Dan Peak’s hall, typically used for council gatherings. Although night had barely started, the hall was already brightly lit. Ye Ze stood with his head down, enduring the cold scrutiny from the senior disciple above. "...I told him!" Ye Ze inwardly cursed Xia Wu Yin thoroughly; that damn kid skipped the senior disciple’s tutorial, leaving him to face the tea ceremony alone! "Where did he go?" Gu Peijiu’s voice was calm and indifferent. "…I honestly don’t know…" Ye Ze replied, head bowed, sweating profusely. "Where does he often go?" Gu Peijiu, observing the apprehensive boy with her clear black eyes, said. "…" Ye Ze was at a loss. Xia Wu Yin went to so many places. Where should he mention? Gu Peijiu saw his hesitation, "Where do you think he would be?" Ye Ze thought for a moment, uncertainly replied, "...A tavern?" Gu Peijiu’s eyes cooled slightly, "No." Ye Ze: "..." That suggests she had searched there already... ...She had already searched!!? Ye Ze began to sweat, "A teahouse, a brothel, a tavern, and also..." ...Also Beast Peak's Beast Taming Mountain, where he often went to steal bird eggs. "No." Gu Peijiu stood up, her red and white Dan Peak robe casting shadows in the swaying candlelight, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. She calmly watched Ye Ze, her voice as clear as a flowing stream, "Ye Ze, he’s neither in the villages at the foot of the mountain, nor at Lingshi Peak." Waiting for Ye Ze to respond, Gu Peijiu gazed at the flickering candle flame, her dark eyes reflecting the shifting light. Why. There were plenty of affairs at Dan Peak. But why had she waited at Suoxi for an outer disciple for so long? Clearly, just an outer disciple... whatever. Even if their actions appeared suspicious, with her there, no matter how cunning the person, they wouldn't have a significant impact on Dan Peak. Why... did she care so much. Ye Ze was stunned. ...If he's not in those places, where could he be? —“Ah, Brother Ye, I heard there’s a nice little tavern in Mo Family Village three miles away...” —“When should we go there for a drink?” Ye Ze’s temple twitched slightly. Gu Peijiu watched him, expression shadowed. Ye Ze hesitated, “Reporting to the senior disciple, Xia Wu Yin... might be at the Peach Blossom Tavern in Mo Family Village...” As soon as he spoke, a red shadow flashed before his eyes. When Ye Ze looked up again, the senior disciple was already gone. Like the wind. Meanwhile, Xia Ge was still blissfully unaware that her casual invitation to Ye Ze five days ago had given herself away. She continued happily drinking the unique peach blossom wine of Mo Family Village, munching peanuts, and listening to Jianghu folks chattering. “Any news about the legendary Yimei recently?” “Sigh, capturing a powerful Yimei isn’t so easy...” "The ancient Yimei in the world today, besides the Demonic Sect Leader’s【Blood-Stained Spring and Autumn】and the Chu family’s【Chu Blade Offering Spirit】, are incredibly rare indeed..." "..." Yimei. A fascinating yet troublesome entity. Xia Ge recalled the description of Yimei in the original book. Deceased puppets retain a portion of the "emotions" given to them by puppeteers. When these emotions burst out upon the puppet’s destruction, they transform into wandering wraiths with possession capabilities. These wraiths, blending with roaming evil spirits or other miscellaneous demon souls, possess clothes or artifacts, merging their past life’s strength into the possessed items, becoming【Yimei】. When someone contacts them, there are only two outcomes. Either they get controlled by the powerful Yimei and become its puppet. Or they control the Yimei and harness its power. And those ancient Yimei mentioned... In legends, there were gods in the ancient Fengyue continent. But all those gods fell, for unknown reasons. Ancient Yimei are puppet remnants combined with godly spirits, taking shape by possessing garments. The clothes that can house a god's spirit are naturally extraordinary. Therefore, when an ancient Yimei emerges, it invariably causes great upheaval and intense competition, though few succeed in truly controlling these ancient Yimei. Most of them are simply revered and worshipped, given that ancient Yimei contain the souls of gods. Even without harnessing their power, merely receiving a bit of their protection can ensure a smooth and successful life. "When will I ever get a powerful Yimei outfit?" Xia Ge sighed, sipping her drink. "Pass the exam, and you’ll naturally have one," a clear voice, as refreshing as a spring breeze, suddenly rang out. The entire tavern fell silent, everyone staring in shock towards the doorway where a stunning beauty, bathed in moonlight, stood like a celestial being. Senior-senior-senior-senior Sister?!!! Xia Ge's hand trembled, causing her wine cup to slip and fall— Good heavens, she, Xia Wu Yin, known for never getting drunk, must have gotten drunk today?!!!