Chapter 57: Killing Intent Resounds
Before returning to Green Leaf Peak, Song Yan stopped by the scripture library to return “Tales of the Ancient Sword.”
In the days that followed, he continued to draw in spiritual qi and refine it into spiritual energy, tempering his sword qi. In his spare time, he practiced and polished his sword-controlling technique.
Within the Twin Jade Realm, the black flames surrounding the “Heart Demon” seemed to be slowly spreading outward under the influence of the nascent Dao heart.
However, before it came to a complete stop, Song Yan did not intend to take the “Heart Demon” out of the realm for refinement.
The Twin Jade Pearl had helped him too much. It had even stored the flying sword without his consent, so it surely had its reasons.
This day, inside his cave dwelling.
Song Yan sat cross-legged on his stone bed. Under the enhancement of the Minor Spirit Gathering Formation, a vast amount of spiritual qi surged around him.
He took out a white jade pill bottle from his Cosmos Bag.
Just as he was about to take out a pill, he suddenly frowned and halted his movements.
He continued to refine the spiritual qi, absorbing all the spiritual qi within the Minor Spirit Gathering Formation before slowly withdrawing his cultivation.
“I’m still some way off from the sixth level of Qi Refining. It can’t be achieved overnight…”
“Bitter cultivation alone not only progresses slowly, but also easily breeds impatience.”
He took a deep breath and put the pill bottle away properly.
Pills were not cheap. Every single one had to be used where it counted most.
He got off the stone bed and stretched.
“Xiao He, I’m heading to the Mind Cultivation Hall to do some calligraphy. Want to come?”
“No, no!”
Xiao He had been very absorbed in the small trinkets she had collected recently.
While Song Yan was cultivating, she had gone out to play and somehow picked up a small jade sphere with a groove carved into it — deep in the middle and shallow on the sides.
That clay figurine with the detachable hairpin, sword, and wine gourd, along with this jade sphere, were now her favorite things.
“Alright, then guard the house properly.”
“Got it.”
Song Yan walked out of the cave dwelling, left Green Leaf Peak, and headed toward the Mind Cultivation Hall.
Come to think of it, that freckled girl he had met at the Spirit Source Market that day had never appeared again.
Obviously, sewing a Daoist robe did not take that long.
At first, he had thought the girl was a scammer.
But on second thought, ruining her own reputation over three spirit stones was hard to understand…
Since he did not need it right now anyway, he let it go for the time being.
“I have an appointment next month. If it still hasn’t been delivered by the time I leave the sect, I’ll have to go to the market and have a word with the owner of ‘Seamless Tailoring.'”
Three-pattern spirit stones were still spirit stones.
Resources were accumulated bit by bit like this.
North bank of Wendao Gorge, Ink Dao Academy.
Song Yan stepped into the courtyard. Senior Brother Sun Zhengfu was still sitting in the center.
The two nodded and smiled at each other without speaking, treating it as a greeting.
Today’s calligraphy copy was written in cursive script.
“Mid-Autumn Post.”
Song Yan was not very skilled at it. After tracing it several times, he could capture the form but not the essence.
“Huh? Senior Brother Song!”
He turned around in a daze and saw Senior Sister Gu Qingqing from Lotus Seclusion Peak, accompanied by a male cultivator wearing inner disciple robes.
“Ah, Senior Sister Gu, what a coincidence.”
“I came to complete this month’s assignment. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Gu Qingqing’s serene face broke into a smile, revealing two shallow dimples.
The male cultivator stepped forward, standing closer to Gu Qingqing: “Senior Sister Gu, may I ask who this is?”
“This is Senior Brother Song Yesheng. Last time at Peach Blossom Wharf, it was Senior Sister Qin who brought Senior Brother Song and a senior named Li Qingfeng to save me.”
“So it’s Junior Brother Song. Inner disciple, Shan Zifeng. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Heard so much about me?
Song Yan was taken aback. What fame could he possibly have that an inner disciple would have heard so much about?
After thinking it over, it seemed the only thing was the incident when the three elders of Profound Abyss Sect had come to the entrance plaza to make demands after he returned from Silent Valley.
An outer disciple caught up in the turmoil, losing all his cultivation. Everyone in the sect knew about it.
But this was hardly something to be proud of.
Song Yan caught the strange undertone in the other’s words and felt somewhat baffled.
This senior brother seemed to have hostility toward him?
Why?
His gaze shifted to Gu Qingqing beside him. Because of her?
No.
He wasn’t even close to Senior Sister Gu.
At that moment, Sun Zhengfu in the center of the courtyard suddenly glanced their way, his brow furrowing slightly as if hesitating.
His gaze fell on Shan Zifeng, darkened, and he murmured: “Trouble comes from the mouth… trouble comes from the mouth…”
Gu Qingqing, whether or not she caught the strange undertone in Shan Zifeng’s words, said: “Senior Brother Song has now recovered her cultivation. His sword-controlling technique is truly impressive. Even Senior Sister Qin Ying praised it.”
“Oh? Is it really that remarkable? Then I should properly exchange pointers with Junior Brother Song sometime.”
Song Yan waved his hand: “Hardly… I’m dull by nature and can only practice a move or two. I could never match Senior Brother Shan.”
He had no interest in chatting with the two, so he lowered his head and resumed writing.
Shan Zifeng seemed quite satisfied with Song Yan’s “humility” as an outer disciple. It fed his sense of superiority as an inner disciple.
But when he turned his head, he found that Gu Qingqing had already taken the seat beside Song Yan and arranged her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
“…”
“Senior Brother, this calligraphy copy is so difficult.”
Song Yan replied casually: “Indeed. It is cursive script after all. The demands on brush control should be higher.”
Gu Qingqing scratched her head: “Why can I never get this part right…”
“I’m not writing very well either.”
Song Yan casually picked up a sheet he had written earlier and handed it to her.
“Pfft.”
Gu Qingqing discovered that this Senior Brother Song was not being modest at all — her writing was really not much better than hers.
“Huh? Senior Brother Song…”
She suddenly let out a soft exclamation, leaning her small head over, and noticed that he was not tracing the Mid-Autumn Post.
“Ah, I’ve already completed the Mid-Autumn Post assignment. Right now I’m just writing freely — this is a calligraphy copy I obtained elsewhere.”
The Mid-Autumn Post was truly too difficult for Song Yan at this point. He was not tracing it now, but writing the Eight Desolations Return to Origin Sword Post purely from feeling in his heart.
Shan Zifeng sat to Gu Qingqing’s right, watching her laugh and chat with Song Yan, feeling irritated.
He was about to say something more, but Song Yan had already stood up, preparing to leave.
“Senior Sister Gu, Senior Brother Shan, I’ve finished my assignment, so I’ll be going now.”
“Alright, goodbye Senior Brother Song.”
Song Yan nodded and left. Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, a familiar voice called out to him.
“Junior Brother Song.”
“Hm? Senior Sun, is something the matter?”
Sun Zhengfu said nothing. He patted Song Yan on the shoulder and walked with him out of the Mind Cultivation Hall, still using voice transmission.
“Junior Brother Song, do you remember the day Profound Abyss Sect came to make their demands…”
“The Sect Master said he would have Profound Abyss Sect send some compensation?”
After hearing this, Song Yan nodded: “Yes, that did happen. But I imagine it was just meant as a deterrent…”
Sun Zhengfu smiled bitterly: “Junior Brother Song, our Sect Master is a Golden Core cultivator. In the State of Chu, his word is law.”
“Who would dare treat his words as idle talk…”
“There really is compensation?”
Song Yan was stunned. He thought to himself, then what had all these days of hardship been for?!
“Then…”
Sun Zhengfu said: “When Profound Abyss Sect sent the compensation, Junior Brother you were in seclusion. According to sect rules, it was handed over to the inner disciple Tongchen Peak for temporary safekeeping.”
“This Shan Zifeng is from the Tongchen lineage. These miscellaneous matters are managed by him.”
“While he wouldn’t dare embezzle it outright, delaying a few days is certainly within his power.”
“I imagine he originally planned to wait until you gave up hope of cultivation, then deal with you. By then, when he took these things, no one would have anything to say…”
“Those who know of this matter might think you’ve already received it…”
“But I know Shan Zidong’s character.”
“Not just yours — sect rewards, miscellaneous task stipends… anything that passes through his hands, he skims from.”
“He always comes up with bizarre excuses, pushing the blame onto those elders or direct disciples who stay in seclusion and never come out.”
“…”
Sun Zhengfu let out a soft sigh.
“I suspect he never even told you about the compensation.”
Song Yan’s eyes flickered.
“I’ve said my piece. What you do from here is your own decision.”
Sun Zhengfu waved his hand and turned back.
Song Yan bowed: “Thank you for telling me, Senior Sun.”
“…”
Song Yan walked slowly along the path back to his cave dwelling, his mind turning.
He was not thinking things like “What did I do to offend him?” or “How can such people exist?” Instead, he was thinking…
“How can I silently…”
“Kill him…”
Without question, Song Yan was usually a mild-mannered person.
But now, someone was trying to seize the cultivation resources that rightfully belonged to him.
Without cultivation resources, his progress would slow.
Falling short in a fight with others meant death.
Being unable to break through with limited lifespan meant death.
For Song Yan, this was no different from trying to take his life.
Strangely, the malice in his heart surfaced for only an instant before swiftly subsiding, leaving behind only infinite calm.
“Not yet…”
“Not yet…”
“I can’t make a move within the sect.”
He calmed himself slightly: “I need to come up with a foolproof plan…”
“Besides…”
Song Yan did not know Shan Zifeng’s spiritual root aptitude, but judging from his spiritual energy fluctuations, he was slightly inferior to Senior Brother Lin Qing — roughly at the late stage of Qi Refining, around the seventh level.
With his current strength, he was no match for him yet.
“At least I need to wait a few days, until the Foundation Establishment cultivator’s cave dwelling matter is settled…”
Other things, he could choose to endure.
But touching his cultivation resources…
At this moment, in Song Yan’s mind, there was only one crystal-clear thought: find a way…
By any means necessary…
He had to kill him!
…
In the Mind Cultivation Hall, Shan Zifeng had not touched his brush. He rarely engaged in such things, considering them a waste of time.
As an inner disciple, there were many ways to avoid such rules — for example, spending some spirit stones to hire another disciple.
“This junior brother is really rather rude. You came here because of him, yet he didn’t even wait for you before leaving.”
“What are you talking about, Senior Brother Shan? Everyone has their own things to do.”
Gu Qingqing traced the calligraphy copy in her hands, unconcerned.
“We outer disciples have to handle so many miscellaneous tasks while also keeping up with our cultivation. It’s really tough.”
“Junior Sister Qingqing, actually there’s no need for that. I…”
“Alright!”
Gu Qingqing set her brush down with a small hand, picked up the piece she was most satisfied with so far, examined it up and down, and looked very pleased.
“Hmm… not bad. Better than Senior Brother Song’s, wouldn’t you say?”
Shan Zifeng answered reflexively: “Of course.”
“Good! I’m keeping this one. Next time I see Senior Brother Song, I’ll show it to him.”
“Senior Brother Shan, since you’re already here, why don’t you finish your assignment properly? I’m heading back to Lotus Seclusion Peak now.”
“Ah, Junior Sister Gu…”
The young girl left the Mind Cultivation Hall, her expression quite cheerful.
Shan Zifeng’s face turned grim.
Song Yan did not concern himself with things that did not happen before his eyes.
He was now hurrying back toward his cave dwelling on Green Leaf Peak, his expression urgent.
Just now…
The Twin Jade Pearl had seemed to stir.