The Path Toward Heaven

Jing Jiu asked, “If Jing Yang were still alive, what would he tell you?”

Of course, Zhao Layue understood that she was selected by Senior Grandmaster to inherit the sword, and it was his hope that she would walk the path toward heaven; but…if Senior Grandmaster really had been mistaken, then as his inherited sword disciple, how could she leave it alone?

Jing Jiu said, “When I flew on the flying sword with you earlier, looking down at the earth, the rivers looking like slim tree branches, and the flowing torrents stood still to my eyes, and why? Because we were flying at a high enough latitude and the distance from the earth was far enough; it served the same purpose as the the Cultivation practitioners keeping their distance from the affairs of the mortal world.”

“If one can’t land on the ground, what meaning would there be in flying higher?” Zhao Layue snapped.

“The aim of Cultivation isn’t about winning or pursuing certain meaning, it’s simply about flying higher,” said Jing Jiu.

“Why?” asked Zhao Layue.

Jing Jiu said, “The aim of the Cultivation practitioners seeking longevity is to have more time to enjoy looking at heaven and earth; the aim of flying higher is to see farther. These are the ultimate purposes of Cultivation. The Cultivation practitioners are said to lack compassion; that statement is correct, because the Cultivation practitioners never pay attention to the happenings in front of them. They only pay attention to the tens of thousands of miles ahead. Their hearts may seem empty, but their hearts are instead used to contain heaven and earth.”

Zhao Layue didn’t respond to what Jing Jiu had just said, saying, “I know you have flown before.”

Only those who had flown in the sky freely could behave like Jing Jiu during their first flying sword riding, all calm and unexcited.

Jing Jiu didn’t say anything. Of course he flew before. He went to places nobody else had been before, saw sceneries which nobody else had seen before. So he understood better than anybody else what a lifetime should be used for, not for conspiracy and scheme, and not for revenge—those were simply the means to the end, not the end itself.

However, this was not what he meant when speaking to Zhao Layue; he was simply worried about her, pleading with her to give up.

If this young girl actually found out something, Jing Jiu was worried that he might not be able to protect her.

Even if he was Jing Jiu.

…

…

The next morning, Jing Jiu was woken up in the bamboo chair by the monkeys’ yelling.

The silvery charcoal was burning in the stove, and the water in the teapot started boiling, making puffing sounds. Holding a small round fan, Gu Qing squatted in front of the stove, performing his duty with proficiency.

“Did Shisui tell you to do this?” asked Jing Jiu.

“Yes,” answered Gu Qing, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“You don’t have to do this,” Jing Jiu said.

“I often did these chores on Liangwang Peak,” said Gu Qing.

Before proving his talent in sword work, he was merely sent by his family to Liangwang Peak, serving Guo Nanshan as a sword attendant.

He did many such chores, like making beds and pouring tea.

Walking out of the manor cave and seeing the scene, Zhao Layue said to him, “Gu Han would be upset.”

Gu Qing didn’t say anything. He poured the boiling water into the teapot, then left after bidding them farewell.

Looking at him walking on the mountain path, Zhao Layue asked, “What do you think?”

“His talent isn’t too bad, and though his isn’t as good as you and Shisui, his temperament is steadier than you two,” said Jing Jiu.

“He grew up in Liangwang Peak and is the Gu Han’s baby brother; why do you still want him here?” asked Zhao Layue.

She had to ask questions which Jing Jiu didn’t bother asking.

As the Peak Master, she must be responsible for the peak that had just reopened, for both the two people on the peak and for…those monkeys.

“He is already here,” said Jing Jiu after some thought.

…

…

Gu Qing returned to the broken cliff, carrying on his house-building task.

He had done many things since he was young, but he had never built a house, so his progress was very slow, and it seemed he wouldn’t finish building the house for another ten days.

Yet, he was a practitioner, having a strong and healthy body that could prevent him from getting sick while camping in the frosty wildness, though he might not be able to survive by eating and drinking nothing.

Gu Qing kept on trimming the small branches off the tree trunks with his sword, and also brought in a large amount of old vines from the cliffs for use as firewood.

While doing these chores, he started feeling sad for some unknown reason.

Though unlike Zhao Layue and Liu Shisui with natural Dao quality, he was quite talented himself, and entered the State of Inherited Will at a young age, which was higher than Jing Jiu’s state.

But now, it was Jing Jiu who had become the inherited sword disciple of Shenmo Peak, lying on his bamboo chair atop the peak and bathing in the sun all day; Gu Qing had to remove branches and build the house here.

A few days earlier, he didn’t know where he should go, but now he realized that he didn’t know why he had to do all these tasks.

He wasn’t complaining, or even envious; he simply felt somewhat miserable.

He was Gu Han’s baby brother, borne from a different mother; in fact, in the Gu family, he was an unimportant son, born of a concubine.

The reason he was sent to Liangwang Peak as a sword attendant was because the Gu family had wished to please Guo Nanshan.

Until Guo Nanshan accidentally discovered his talent in sword work, when his fate started changing.

A few days ago he lost to Jing Jiu in sword fight at the Inherited Sword Competition, Gu Han reprimanded him harshly, but Guo Nanshan remained reticent.

It was afterwards that he became the victim of sacrifice.

He admitted that he learned the sword style secretly by himself. In so doing, the Shangde Peak couldn’t use this incident to condemn the Brothers of Liangwang Peak, or the elders of Tianguang Peak. But, why must I be the victim of sacrifice? He of course shouldn’t employ the Six-Dragon sword style in front of so many people, but…didn’t you guys ask me to defeat Jing Jiu by any means necessary?

He wiped the tears from his face with the sleeve, continuing to chop the small branches with his sword.

As time went by, the ninth peak was bathed in the warm sunshine; Gu Qing put down his sword, wiping off the sweat and ready to take a rest.

He sat by the pile of branches with his legs crossed and eyes closed, beginning to absorb heavenly and earthly energy, the residual tears on his face dried by the gentle wind.

After a long rest, he was awoken by a cold voice.

“You actually are here.”

Gu Qing wheeled around.

Gu Han stood by the mountain path, watching him unemotionally.

Gu Qing became nervous, stood up quickly, trying to explain.

The expression on Gu Han’s face was extremely cold, like actual frost.

Sensing the heavy pressure from him, Gu Qing’s lips trembled slightly.

But Gu Qing thought of something right then, and his lips stopped trembling, returning to normal, his eyes becoming calm as well.

He remained silent, returning Gu Han’s gaze.

It was tremendously quiet in front of the cliff.

Gu Han didn’t see the expected panic in Gu Qing’s eyes, and was a bit surprised.

Since Gu Qing had learned the sword work with Big Brother Nanshan, this bastard started to fear him much less.

What made him even angrier was that he couldn’t sense a hint of remorse in Gu Qing’s eyes.

“You end up like this because you lost so badly that you had to use the sword style Big Brother taught you in secret,” Gu Han said sternly, looking at Gu Qing. “Do you actually think it’s all my fault, that you didn’t do anything wrong?”

“I know I was wrong,” said Gu Qing after a moment of silence.

Gu Han’s expression became slightly warmer.

Gu Qing continued, “So I admitted that I learned the sword style secretly by myself; as a result, I was expelled from Liangwang Peak and prohibited from inheriting the sword for three years, and those are the costs that I have paid.”

Gu Han was stunned, not knowing what to say.