Chapter 11: A Gust Approaches

In the midst of the clamoring crowd, Qiao You shielded the person behind him tightly. He furrowed his brows at the disciples of the Enforcement Division and asked with a touch of arrogance, "Do you not know who we are?"

"We know. Qiao You and Xi Yao, the second and fourth disciples of the Immortal Venerable Zhennan." The man speaking wore the uniform of the Enforcement Division. His gaze was sharp, lingering on Qiao You before shifting to Xi Yao behind him. "However, the sect rules are the sect rules. Regardless of who you are, you must abide by them."

"You!" Qiao You’s fiery temper flared instantly. As his Chase-Moon Bow appeared, the surrounding crowd scattered. Someone exclaimed, "Senior Brother Qiao has drawn the Chase-Moon Bow!"

This divine weapon, known as the treasure of the Xuantian Sect, was legendary for its immense destructive power.

Jiang Xiangnan did not show any signs of fear. Instead, he drew his own life-bound weapon—a gleaming scimitar engraved with intricate patterns. It was clearly a fine weapon, but compared to the Chase-Moon Bow, the difference was immediately apparent.

A trace of disdain flashed in Qiao You’s eyes. Just as their weapons were about to clash, a sharp sword flew from out of nowhere, wedging itself between the two weapons and forcing them apart before embedding itself into the ground. Someone immediately recognized it as the Gentleman’s Sword, carried by the first disciple of the Xuantian Sect.

This sword was arguably more famous than Ji Guanqi himself.

Ji Guanqi arrived belatedly. Ignoring Qiao You’s murderous glare, he cast a cold glance at him and turned directly to Jiang Xiangnan. "What is happening here?"

Jiang Xiangnan had expected Ji Guanqi to side with Qiao You and remained on guard, but he soon realized there was no sign of partiality from the senior disciple. After sizing up the renowned first disciple of the sect, he said, "The inner disciple Xi Yao trespassed near the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. We apprehended him, but Qiao You intervened, attempting to shield him and injuring an enforcement disciple."

"Xi Yao had no knowledge of the restricted area; he only just joined the Xuantian Sect. What would he know?" Qiao You immediately retorted, "You are just using the guise of law enforcement to bully him."

Having said this, Qiao You shifted the target to Ji Guanqi. "Say something!"

"If Senior Brother Ji also intends to shield these two, then there is no need to speak. You may as well report this matter to the Enforcement Elder yourself." Jiang Xiangnan did not fear Qiao You’s status, nor was he afraid of Ji Guanqi. However, given that Ji Guanqi had never done anything to bully others, Jiang Xiangnan’s tone remained relatively polite.

Ji Guanqi knew this was simply the man’s temperament and was not angered. He smiled instead. "I haven't spoken yet. How do you know I intend to shield them?"

Jiang Xiangnan looked up at the man, whose features were handsome and whose eyes held a smile. Then, he heard the renowned first disciple say, "If Xi Yao truly trespassed into a restricted area, he should naturally be dealt with according to sect rules. However, considering he is new to the sect and unfamiliar with his surroundings, he may be treated with leniency."

Before Jiang Xiangnan or Qiao You could respond, Ji Guanqi’s tone shifted, suddenly becoming cold. He turned to Qiao You and said, "Inner disciple Qiao You, knowing the rules yet breaking them, injuring fellow disciples, and attempting to use a highly destructive weapon like the Chase-Moon Bow within the sect—this matter shall be handled according to sect rules... with severe punishment."

"Ji Guanqi! You dare!" Qiao You was even angrier than before. He raged, "You are siding with outsiders, turning your back on your own! I will tell the Master!"

"Go tell the Master, and tell him you used the Chase-Moon Bow to bully fellow disciples. Qiao You, do you dare say that?" Ji Guanqi was finished pampering this young master. He gripped the Gentleman’s Sword and sheathed it, the dispersed spiritual energy immediately retracting. He said calmly, "I am sparing your dignity."

Ji Guanqi stood in the center of the crowd. Qiao You looked at him, feeling that he looked no different from before—the same white robes, the same Gentleman’s Sword, the same eyes—but for some reason, he felt this person had changed. At the very least, the old Ji Guanqi would never have humiliated him like this in front of everyone.

"Disperse." Ji Guanqi walked away, carrying his sword, and added, "Go to the Enforcement Division yourself. It will save you from further embarrassment if Elder Sun comes to get you."

The Enforcement Elder was known for his rigid, uncompromising temperament, a fact Ji Guanqi knew all too well.

***

The farce eventually reached the ears of the Immortal Venerable Zhennan and the Sect Master. The Sect Master was furious, wanting to lash Qiao You with a whip, but he was held back by others. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, "I knew this good-for-nothing would cause trouble!"

Qiao You was never one to learn from his beatings; he only grew more rebellious, leaving the Sect Master at his wit's end.

Immortal Venerable Zhennan, standing to the side, showed little reaction. Only when he heard that the Gentleman’s Sword had blocked the two weapons did he stir slightly, asking, "How is Ji Guanqi? Was he injured?"

A life-bound weapon is linked to its master’s spirit; if the master dies, the weapon shatters. Conversely, if the weapon is damaged, the master is naturally severely wounded. This reminded Wu Xingbai of things he preferred not to recall.

"Replying to the Immortal Venerable, Senior Brother Ji is fine," said Jiang Xiangnan, who had come to report.

Wu Xingbai only cared about Ji Guanqi’s condition; nothing else mattered. Unless it was a catastrophe like the destruction of the sect, rarely did anything move him to take action.

After the Enforcement Elder left with Jiang Xiangnan, the Sect Master sighed deeply. "You know, with Qiao You being like this, how am I supposed to answer to his mother?"

Qiao You’s mother had died in battle against evil cultivators, sacrificing herself to protect the sect. Qiao You was a mere infant then and had never known his mother’s love, leading the Sect Master to indulge him, never expecting he would grow up to be so spoiled.

Wu Xingbai listened to his friend’s complaints without offering an opinion.

"By the way, Xingbai," the Sect Master seemed to recall something critical, "I remember a prophecy that the Heavenly Dao would suffer a devastating blow within the next ten years. This Heavenly Dao... such an ethereal concept. I truly cannot make sense of this prophecy."

"When soldiers come, use generals to block; when water comes, use earth to cover," Wu Xingbai said as he rose. "I have matters to attend to; I shall take my leave."

"Wait!" The Sect Master tried to stop him, but Wu Xingbai moved too quickly, bypassing him and leaving him standing there alone. The Sect Master sighed, "You didn't even say how your closed-door cultivation went. Why are you leaving?"

Wu Xingbai remained uneasy about Ji Guanqi. That man never made a sound, even when injured. Wu Xingbai vaguely remembered a year when Ji Guanqi returned from the foot of the mountain, having been besieged by evil cultivators while saving others. Though he won, he had suffered sword wounds, yet he had endured the pain in silence, healing himself slowly. If he hadn't seen the scars on Ji Guanqi’s body later, he would never have known.

"Master?" Xiao Tangqing, who had been talking to Qiao You, suddenly sensed a fluctuation in spiritual energy. He reacted almost immediately, turning toward the courtyard and bowing respectfully. "Disciple greets Master."

"Master," Qiao You also quickly followed, "Disciple Qiao You greets Master."

"Where is Guanqi?" Wu Xingbai asked.

"He went to the woods to practice his swordplay." Qiao You wanted to say something disparaging about Ji Guanqi, but at the memory of Wu Xingbai’s previous look, he immediately clamped his mouth shut. His status meant nothing before Wu Xingbai; even his father, the Sect Master, wouldn't dare challenge him.

Upon hearing that Ji Guanqi was not there, Wu Xingbai lost interest in speaking to the other two disciples and headed straight toward the woods.

"What do you think Master is looking for him for?" Qiao You asked in a low voice.

***

"I don't know. But if you are that curious, you can go ask Master." Xiao Tangqing’s twin blades hung at his waist. He suddenly thought of something, looked around, and asked, "Where is Xi Yao?"

"Isn't he..." Qiao You started to point, then paused. He frowned, "Huh? He was just here. Where did he go?"

The spot where Xi Yao had been standing was now empty.

Wu Xingbai walked toward the woods with steady steps, his hands empty. The halberd he usually kept by his side had not appeared for days. However, as he headed in the direction of Ji Guanqi, he suddenly stopped. His gaze darkened, and he called out, "Come out."

The birds in the woods chirped as usual, and small animals hid in the mountain thickets.

"Xi Yao." Wu Xingbai spoke the name of the person hiding behind the tree with unerring accuracy. As soon as the words left his lips, a rustling sound came from a tree in the distance. Xi Yao appeared before Wu Xingbai, holding a rabbit. He bowed respectfully, "Disciple Xi Yao greets Master."

The rabbit sat quietly in his arms, blinking at Xi Yao, then at Wu Xingbai.

"Why are you sneaking around behind me?" Wu Xingbai asked, his tone so calm it seemed as if he were merely asking in passing.

"Disciple did not mean to follow Master, it’s just..." Xi Yao said softly, "Disciple has been here for a few days, and Senior Brother seems to dislike me. I thought I would give him a rabbit. I heard Senior Brother used to keep rabbits, but it ran away."

He had kept a rabbit? This caught Wu Xingbai off guard; he had not known this.

"To give a gift is to cater to one's preferences. If it is not something he likes, even a mountain of gold would likely be ignored by Senior Brother," Xi Yao said gently. "I did not mean to disturb Master with this act. It is this disciple’s fault."

"Give me the rabbit." Wu Xingbai walked up to Xi Yao, snatched the rabbit, and waved his hand. "You may go back."

Xi Yao’s hands were empty. He was stunned for a moment, then could only watch Wu Xingbai’s retreating figure. He stood in place, not daring to follow.

In the small grove, the sword intent was piercingly cold. From several yards away, one could feel that every strand of sword energy was imbued with the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, capable of taking a life from miles away. The precision of the blade was absolute, the control of the sword energy having reached the peak of perfection—it wounded only the target, never disturbing a single petal of the surrounding flowers.

To achieve this required not only talent but also bitter, arduous practice; every strike had to be constantly adjusted to find the right feel.

Just as Wu Xingbai stepped into the range of Ji Guanqi’s sword intent, the scattered energy seemed to find a direction in an instant. It paused abruptly, then shot toward him in a fierce, concentrated volley.

Had it been anyone else, they would have been unable to dodge and would have been pierced through like a sieve. Ji Guanqi made no move to pull back, letting the blade-like energy rush straight toward Wu Xingbai’s face.