Chapter 113 – Exchange Between Two Sects, With Natural Grace

“So… you were originally at Azure Cloud Peak, but because you wanted to find something to eat at the fire kitchen this afternoon, you ended up wandering over to our Danyang Peak instead?”

Hearing this, Shangguan Yunmeng stared blankly at Lu Chen and said woodenly, “The place I originally lived… is called Azure Cloud Peak?”

“…Isn’t it?”

“Is… is it?”

“…”

Lu Chen speechlessly patted his forehead, then couldn’t help but point towards a distant mountain peak and say, “You said you’re a cultivator from Jade Void Mountain, and all the Jade Void Mountain cultivators who came here for the Dao discussion are temporarily staying at our sect’s Main Peak, Azure Cloud Peak.”

“Look, that’s our sect’s Azure Cloud Peak over there. See it?”

“Oh… I see it.”

Shangguan Yunmeng nodded obediently, then suddenly changed the subject: “But I only want to go to the fire kitchen. Why are you pointing me to Azure Cloud Peak?”

“…”

It was only because Shangguan Yunmeng was exceptionally beautiful that Lu Chen could still maintain his patience instead of simply walking away.

If anyone else had said this, he would have turned and left long ago!

Looking at the not-very-bright Shangguan Yunmeng, Lu Chen said helplessly, “Exit the back mountain from here, then walk two hundred meters downhill. That’s where our Danyang Peak’s fire kitchen is located.”

Shangguan Yunmeng’s eyes instantly lit up, and she said to Lu Chen with complete seriousness, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist. You’re a good person.”

After saying this, Shangguan Yunmeng began walking toward the right side of the lake.

Seeing this, Lu Chen completely lost his composure.

“Fellow Daoist, the direction you’re heading… leads deeper into our peak’s back mountain.”

Hearing this, Shangguan Yunmeng showed no embarrassment and calmly turned to walk in another direction.

Except this time, she was still going the wrong way.

“Fellow Daoist, you’re now heading toward our Danyang Peak’s main hall this time.”

After getting the direction wrong twice in a row, Shangguan Yunmeng simply walked right up to Lu Chen and said after a moment’s hesitation, “Um, I wonder if you could show me the way, Fellow Daoist?”

“I can’t tell which direction you mean, because all the paths around here look about the same to me…”

Lu Chen thought for a moment, figuring it wouldn’t be much trouble, then nodded and said, “Alright then, follow me.”

Hearing this, Shangguan Yunmeng immediately broke into a happy smile and obediently fell in step behind Lu Chen.

As they walked, the two happened to chat casually along the way.

Before long, Lu Chen had learned about Shangguan Yunmeng’s circumstances.

Shangguan Yunmeng was originally the youngest princess of the mortal world’s Great Wei Dynasty. Because her mother was just an ordinary consort, she wasn’t given much importance within the Great Wei Dynasty.

Not only did her imperial father rarely see her throughout the year, but she only had two palace maids attending to her daily needs in the quarters where she lived.

To say she was practically invisible in the Great Wei Dynasty wouldn’t be an exaggeration at all.

However, she didn’t particularly feel lonely about this.

Because every time she fell asleep, she would meet a Fairy Sister in her dreams.

Perhaps because her mother had passed away early,

Shangguan Yunmeng came to regard the Fairy Sister in her dreams as both teacher and mother figure, obediently following whatever the other said.

Whatever the Fairy Sister told her to learn, she would learn.

And so she spent her days waiting in the courtyard for the palace maids to bring her food.

After eating, she would cultivate the immortal techniques the Fairy Sister had taught her right there in the courtyard.After falling asleep at night, she would continue her diligent cultivation training with Fairy Sister.

This kind of life lasted for ten years, from age four until fourteen.

Her eventual entry into Jade Void Mountain happened entirely by coincidence.

One day, when the Great Wei Emperor was hosting a banquet for an Azure Cloud Sect cultivator, the latter unexpectedly detected Sword Intent emanating from her and was immediately astonished, regarding her as a Celestial Being.

He promptly decided to bring her to the Azure Cloud Sect.

Naturally, the Great Wei Emperor at the time was more than happy to agree.

As for Shangguan Yunmeng, she had no objections either.

Having spent most of her life confined to her small courtyard, except for occasional outings during festivals, she felt it made little difference where she went.

So, somewhat bewildered, she set off for the Azure Cloud Sect with that cultivator.

However, an unexpected incident occurred during their journey.

While passing by a small village near Jade Void Mountain,

they accidentally discovered that an orange cat was impersonating a mountain lord, coercing and deceiving the mortals in the village into offering it one cow and ten ducks every month.

If the villagers failed to comply, the orange cat threatened to eat them.

The ordinary mortals, unable to see through the cat’s transformation technique, naturally had no idea they were being deceived.

In this way, the large orange cat, relying on its disguise as the mountain lord, successfully fooled the villagers for two whole years.

It truly allowed the little rascal to live a blissful life of eating its fill and sleeping to its heart’s content for two years.

But all of this came to an abrupt end with the arrival of Shangguan Yunmeng and Yi Hanqing.

Yes, the person tasked with escorting Shangguan Yunmeng to the Azure Cloud Sect was Yi Hanqing.

Initially, Yi Hanqing thought that a mere transformed mountain lord would be no match for him. With his cultivation at the seventh layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage, a third-grade Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, and innate Sword Intent,

subduing the troublemaking demon mountain lord should have been effortless.

So, he took Shangguan Yunmeng and went straight up the mountain to find the mountain lord, intending to rid the people of this scourge.

But upon actually encountering it, Yi Hanqing realized he had been mistaken.

The mountain lord he expected to be reeking of Demonic Qi turned out to be an enlightened orange cat following the Righteous Path.

Not only did the cat possess pure Qi, but it had also cultivated Fist Intent through its self-created ‘Tiger Style Meow Meow Fist.’

Although its cultivation was only at the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage,

its Spirit Beast physique far surpassed that of cultivators at the same level, making it impossible for Yi Hanqing to defeat it quickly.

Worried that Shangguan Yunmeng might get caught in the crossfire of his battle with the orange cat,

Yi Hanqing immediately instructed her to return to the small village at the foot of the mountain and wait for him to finish the fight before reuniting.

However, Yi Hanqing hadn’t anticipated that Shangguan Yunmeng, having lived in the palace for so long, had a poor sense of direction.

Coupled with her naturally somewhat absent-minded disposition, she ended up getting lost on her way down the mountain.

Just as Shangguan Yunmeng was at a loss, a passing Golden Core Stage cultivator from Jade Void Mountain noticed her.

At that time, Shangguan Yunmeng had only recently comprehended Sword Intent and was unable to conceal it properly.

As a result, the Jade Void Mountain cultivator immediately detected it and exclaimed that he had stumbled upon a treasure.

Thus, in a bewildering turn of events, Shangguan Yunmeng, who was supposed to go to the Azure Cloud Sect, ended up inexplicably heading to Jade Void Mountain instead.

Most crucially, that Golden Core Stage cultivator from Jade Void Mountain cunningly refrained from telling her that their destination was, in fact, Jade Void Mountain.For a long time, Shangguan Yunmeng thought she had actually arrived at the Azure Cloud Sect and found nothing strange about it.

As for Yi Hanqing, after a day of arduous battle, he ultimately gained the upper hand over the orange cat and subdued it completely.

Considering that the creature had never committed any killings, Yi Hanqing eventually decided to bring both the cat and Shangguan Yunmeng back to the sect.

For the villagers at the mountain foot who had been tricked by the little orange cat for two years, Yi Hanqing compensated for the losses caused by the cat out of his own pocket.

However, after completing all this, Yi Hanqing was shocked to discover that Shangguan Yunmeng had not returned to the small mountain village.

So he took the little orange cat with him and began searching all over the mountains.

After searching for a full month, Yi Hanqing finally learned from a hunter that Shangguan Yunmeng seemed to have left with a Jade Void Mountain cultivator wearing pale white robes.

At this point, Yi Hanqing realized he had been intercepted by Jade Void Mountain.

He immediately took the little orange cat to Jade Void Mountain to demand an explanation.

The outcome was predictable – Jade Void Mountain hit him with the classic three denials:

‘I didn’t do it, I wasn’t involved, I know nothing about it…’

Unwilling to give up, Yi Hanqing wanted to search inside Jade Void Mountain, but was deftly turned away by them.

After all, as a Direct Lineage Disciple of Azure Cloud Sect, if he forcibly entered Jade Void Mountain without permission,

Regardless of his actual intentions, others would assume this represented the Azure Cloud Sect’s stance.

Yi Hanqing didn’t want to bring unjust accusations upon his school due to his momentary willfulness.

He could only abandon his efforts and return to his sect.

In the canteen beside the fire kitchen at Danyang Peak,

After hearing this twisty story, Lu Chen couldn’t help but say: “So you were originally supposed to be our Azure Cloud Sect’s disciple, but because you got lost and encountered a Jade Void Mountain cultivator, you ended up joining Jade Void Mountain by mistake?”

Shangguan Yunmeng, who was happily eating chicken legs, absentmindedly replied: “Mmm… y-yes, that seems about right.”

Quite interesting.

Lu Chen could easily imagine how Senior Brother Yi’s mind must have conjured up eight hundred possibilities when he discovered Shangguan Yunmeng was missing,

Yet he never considered she had been intercepted by Jade Void Mountain.

Just as Lu Chen was about to ask Shangguan Yunmeng more about Jade Void Mountain, two voices came from outside the fire kitchen canteen.

“Old Jing, let me tell you, the food from your Danyang Peak’s fire kitchen is still the best in Azure Cloud Sect. Look at these generous portions of fish and meat.”

“Unlike at Azure Cloud Peak where I am, where we have nothing but clear soups and plain water every day, with the lofty excuse that Immortals shouldn’t consume mortal food and should feed on morning dew and clear wind instead.”

“Bah! I’m a big tiger – if I don’t eat meat, what would I do with morning dew? I’ve been nearly starving to death these past half month!”

“Haha, Wu Miao, you should say that to my Sect Leader senior brother instead of telling me.”

“Tell my master? It’s that old fogey who forces me to drink the northwest wind and eat morning dew every day! If I told him, I’d have to be crazy!”

Hearing one of the familiar voices, Lu Chen immediately looked toward the door.

Soon, he saw his master, Spirit Fire Daoist Jing Gong,

Along with a half-human-height large orange cat, both carrying enormous plates of food as they entered.

Although cultivators can achieve fasting after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, sustaining themselves on heaven and earth’s spiritual power instead.However, aside from a small number of cultivators, most Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators still frequently indulged in mortal delicacies.

“Eh, Little Lu, why are you here too?”

As soon as Jing Gong entered, he spotted Lu Chen sitting beside Shangguan Yunmeng.

The orange cat demon, Meow King, beside him also noticed Shangguan Yunmeng next to Lu Chen.

Holding his meal tray with both hands, he tilted his head out.

“Aren’t you that little girl who was with Yi Hanqing back then? He and I searched for you for a whole month, and here you are.”

“Wait, why are you wearing Jade Void Mountain robes? Did you join Jade Void Mountain after you disappeared?”

As he spoke, Meow King huffed and puffed as he placed his large meal tray on the same table as Lu Chen and Shangguan Yunmeng.

His half-human-tall orange cat body stood directly on the long bench, curiously gazing at Shangguan Yunmeng.

Hearing his words, Shangguan Yunmeng looked momentarily confused, then seemed to recall something and exclaimed in surprise, “It’s you, Big Cat!”

At this, Meow King angrily slammed the table.

“What Big Cat? I’m a tiger, a fierce tiger with upturned eyes and a white forehead!”

In his fury, Meow King raged fiercely.

Jing Gong, standing nearby, heard Shangguan Yunmeng utter Meow King’s forbidden term and stifled a laugh for a moment before mediating, “Alright, Wu Miao, this little girl can’t tell the difference between a big cat and a tiger. Besides, aren’t tigers a type of cat anyway?”

Even though he said this, Shangguan Yunmeng seemed completely unaware of social niceties and still muttered softly, “But you look exactly like the big cats I saw in the palace…

Meow King: (╬￣皿￣)

Can we even have a proper conversation?!

Do I need you to tell me whether I’m a big cat or a big tiger? Don’t I know myself?

Seeing that if Shangguan Yunmeng continued like this, Meow King might explode on the spot, Jing Gong quickly changed the subject.

“Little Lu, weren’t you secluded in your cave residence all this time? How come you have time to eat at the Fire Kitchen now, and with Yunmeng no less? Could it be you two knew each other before?”

Lu Chen shook his head and answered truthfully, “Reporting to Master, Fellow Daoist Yunmeng and I met by chance in the back mountains. Since she didn’t know the way to our peak’s Fire Kitchen, I offered to guide her.”

“I see.”

Jing Gong first glanced at Lu Chen’s calm expression, then at Shangguan Yunmeng happily eating beside him.

Suddenly, he revealed a meaningful look.

Lu Chen was all too familiar with that expression.

Wasn’t it the same look his teacher Chen Fugui and Li Youquan gave him whenever he appeared with Mu Xiaoye?

Thinking of this, Lu Chen hurriedly explained, “Master, please don’t misunderstand. Fellow Daoist Yunmeng and I truly met by chance.”

To his surprise, upon hearing this, Jing Gong’s already narrow eyes squinted into slits, and he said in a knowing tone, “I understand, I understand. No need to explain. Your master here… has been through it all.”

B-been through it all?

Considering Jing Gong’s Pure Yang Spirit Root physique, Lu Chen felt that this “been through it all” might not be the same as what he understood.

“Alright, alright. Since I’ve run into you, you’ll represent our Danyang Peak tomorrow at the banquet hosted by the Main Peak for our Fellow Daoists from Jade Void Mountain.”

“Ah?”Listening to Jing Gong’s casual tone that sounded like he was rounding up conscripts, Lu Chen couldn’t help but ask: “Master, I’m just a Qi Condensation Stage cultivator. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to represent all the Senior Brothers and Sisters?”

Before Jing Gong could respond, Meow King, who was eating a chicken leg nearby, said: “What’s inappropriate about it? These banquets are terribly boring, and most people aren’t willing to attend anyway.”

“Why?”

Lu Chen asked curiously.

Biting into his chicken leg, Meow King recalled similar occasions from the past and said helplessly: “What else could it be? It’s because there are Seniors from both sects present. Everyone’s too afraid to speak freely, keeping straight faces as if they’re serving prison sentences.”

Hearing this, Lu Chen immediately understood.

This so-called banquet was probably just like the business banquets between two companies in his previous life.

Only the higher-ups from both sides could speak freely.

Those lower down were just there to make up numbers and maintain appearances.

Apart from eating, they couldn’t really do anything else.

Thinking this, Lu Chen also began to feel reluctant to go.

“Master, perhaps you should…”

“No ‘perhaps’ about it. Each of Danyang Peak’s five Protectors must select two disciples to bring to tomorrow’s banquet. You’re the second disciple I’ve encountered today, so it’s settled.”

“Then who was the first?”

“Ji Chang. That kid happened to come find me today, so I included him as well.”

Hearing that Ji Chang had also been forcibly recruited by Jing Gong, Lu Chen immediately felt more balanced psychologically.

“Actually, this feline feels tomorrow’s banquet should be quite lively. You probably won’t be too bored, since I’ve received some advance information.”

“Oh?!”

Both Lu Chen and Jing Gong turned to look at Meow King simultaneously.

Even Shangguan Yunmeng, who had been focused on eating, now showed curiosity.

Looking at them mysteriously, Wu Miao said: “Just wait until tomorrow. Someone’s planning to put on quite a show for everyone.”

“What kind of show, Wu Miao? Just tell this old man directly, don’t keep us in suspense.”

At this, Wu Miao glanced at Shangguan Yunmeng sitting beside Lu Chen. After hesitating for a moment, he decided not to reveal Yi Hanqing’s plan to ‘drunkenly roast the elites’ tomorrow.

After all, he was worried that if Shangguan Yunmeng found out, she might directly inform the Jade Void Mountain’s Direct Lineage Disciples.

Then Yi Hanqing’s verbal barrage might not achieve its intended surprising effect.

“Never mind, Old Jing. You’ll find out tomorrow anyway.”

“I won’t say more. The only thing I can tell you is that this inter-sect exchange should be conducted with magnanimity. Tomorrow you’ll understand just how magnanimous us Direct Lineage Disciples can be.”

Since things had reached this point, Jing Gong naturally didn’t press further, knowing he’d learn everything tomorrow.

The group sat around the table eating for about half an hour, with even Lu Chen having some food.

After eating and drinking their fill, Lu Chen ultimately took on the task of escorting Shangguan Yunmeng back.

This was because Wu Miao and Jing Gong, both terrible chess players, still wanted to play a few games and had no time to see Shangguan Yunmeng home.

And since both he and Shangguan Yunmeng were at the Qi Condensation Stage, they ultimately had to walk to Azure Cloud Main Peak on foot.

But just as they reached the mountainside, several cultivators wearing Jade Void Mountain robes descended from the sky.

“Junior Sister Yunmeng, what are you doing here? We’ve been looking for you everywhere!”After landing, Li Xueke immediately ran to Shangguan Yunmeng’s side. After confirming she was unharmed, she turned to Lu Chen and said, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for escorting Junior Sister Yunmeng back.”

Lu Chen nodded politely and responded, “You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. It was merely a small effort on my part.”

After a brief exchange, Lu Chen bid farewell to the group.

Once Lu Chen had left, Li Xueke couldn’t help but say to Shangguan Yunmeng, “Junior Sister Yunmeng, didn’t we agree that after leaving the Sect, you would stay close to me and not wander off? It seems you got lost again, didn’t you?”

Facing Li Xueke’s admonishment, Shangguan Yunmeng replied with a serious expression, “Senior Sister, you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t get lost—I went to Danyang Peak intentionally to find something to eat.”

Li Xueke’s lips twitched slightly.

Seriously? You went all the way from Azure Cloud Peak to Danyang Peak, and you still claim you weren’t lost?

You Sword Cultivators are so stubborn, always forcing explanations.

Perhaps to spare Shangguan Yunmeng’s pride, Li Xueke ultimately didn’t press the issue further.

Instead, she brought up Lu Chen, who had just left.

“Who was that Fellow Daoist just now? Junior Sister, you didn’t tell him about the situation with our Jade Void Mountain Senior Brothers and Sisters, did you?”

Hearing this, Shangguan Yunmeng looked at Li Xueke with clear, earnest eyes and said solemnly, “Senior Sister, don’t worry. Despite how I may seem, I’m actually quite clever most of the time.”

“My trip to Danyang Peak wasn’t random—I went there to gather intelligence.”

“Oh?”

Li Xueke looked at Shangguan Yunmeng with amusement, curious to hear how she had been clever.

“Then tell us, what intelligence did you gather?”

Shangguan Yunmeng’s delicate face was filled with seriousness as she declared with great importance, “I found out that they plan to get you all drunk at tomorrow’s banquet so you won’t be able to participate properly in the Dao discussions.”

Inter-sect exchanges should naturally be conducted with grace and magnanimity.

Somehow, in Shangguan Yunmeng’s ears, this “magnanimity” had been misinterpreted as “alcohol tolerance.”

Taking a leap of logic, Shangguan Yunmeng naturally assumed that Meow King and the other Azure Clouds Direct Lineage Disciples were planning some underhanded scheme to get the Jade Void Mountain disciples drunk at the banquet.

After all, the banquet and the Five Peaks Tournament were only two days apart.

If they really got drunk, it would certainly affect their performance in the Dao discussions.

Hearing this, Li Xueke and the other Jade Void Mountain Direct Lineage Disciples actually found it quite plausible.

They soon began whispering among themselves, discussing strategies for the following day.

Seeing Senior Sister Li and the others’ reaction, Shangguan Yunmeng immediately lifted her chin proudly and secretly gave herself a mental thumbs-up.

Me, Shangguan Yunmeng, have accomplished a great deed!

(End of Chapter)