Chapter 21: The Melee

Although Puppet Threads are not a serious restraint for those with high cultivation and can be broken at any time, Vane was, after all, a newly initiated disciple. Jin Chuyang decided to find the person at the other end of the threads first. What if that person controlled his disciple to commit atrocities or harm himself?

He had expected Vane to be tight-lipped and the culprit hard to find, but to his surprise, after only a few short days, Jin Chuyang already had a suspect.

Jin Chuyang: "..."

If your disciple went out to find the same person every single morning and evening from the moment he entered the sect, you would know too.

It was Immortal Zhou Shijin's only disciple, Zora.

Every morning, Vane would go to the Fallen Stone Forest, stay for a brief while, and then return to practice his spear. In the afternoons, he was occasionally sent out on tasks. At night, he would head over once more, perhaps to spar with her, before returning to practice his breathing and meditation.

This wasn't something Jin Chuyang had discovered through spying; it was what Vane reported as part of his routine before leaving.

Sigh... how troublesome.

As expected, taking a disciple brought a basket full of trivial matters.

Arriving at the Fallen Stone Forest, Jin Chuyang found his path blocked by jagged stone peaks. The formations flared brilliantly, clearly signaling the owner's lack of hospitality. After waiting for a long while, Zhou Shijin finally appeared reluctantly, her tone far from friendly: "Something the matter?"

"I have a question for Immortal Zhou’s disciple."

Zhou Shijin gave him a sideways glance, let out a snort, and called Zora out.

After staying in the Fallen Stone Forest for a while, the girl seemed to have grown a little taller. Her clothes were like drifting clouds, incredibly light. She carried a spiritual sword, and thin braids tied on both sides of her head peeked out from her loose hair. Jin Chuyang could sense that her progress was remarkable and her cultivation had surged, living up to her exceptional talent.

He didn't use a formal or interrogative tone, but instead spoke kindly: "I am looking for the person who placed the Puppet Threads on Vane."

"Oh, it was me."

"..."

Jin Chuyang was momentarily dazed. "?"

She admitted it so quickly and with such nonchalance—as if admitting what she had eaten for breakfast—that he couldn't help but feel it was a trivial matter.

Before he could speak, Zora continued, "He tried to kill me when we first met. Since I dragged him out of the snow, I have to be wary of him. Naturally, I placed the Puppet Threads. Is there a problem?"

"...It seems there isn't much of a problem." Jin Chuyang stammered for a moment, pondering.

Zora and Vane were equal in cultivation and talent. Puppet Threads that required a specific cultivation gap could only be used continuously for short periods; it wasn't a major issue. Besides, fellow disciples were forbidden from killing each other, and prominent disciples like them were under constant scrutiny.

Jin Chuyang had also discreetly observed that this so-called "servant" merely combed her hair and organized her things—nothing compared to the truly filthy dealings behind the scenes in the cultivation world. He had overthought it. Since she had brought a servant up the Cloud Stairway and magnanimously allowed Vane to enter the immortal path, Zora must have a spark of kindness in her nature. There was no need to worry.

In the worst-case scenario, the only solution was for Vane to raise his own cultivation to remove the threads himself. Jin Chuyang couldn't exactly do anything to a junior like Zora.

Having thought it through, the naturally easygoing Jin Chuyang relaxed, returning to his lazy self. His eyelids drooped slightly as he said, "Then I apologize for the intrusion. I shall... take my leave."

Finally, he offered a slight smile. Though a high-ranking Immortal and elder, he spoke as if to a peer, his words tinged with a tease: "I also take the liberty of asking Fellow Daoist Zora to be a bit kinder to Vane. Don't work him to exhaustion."

Then, he used the "Shrinking Distance" technique and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Shijin stepped forward with a smile and patted Zora on the shoulder. "Come, let's continue practicing."

The Sword Gate had its own dining hall. The desires of the palate are common, and cultivation doesn't mean discarding everything. Once one reaches a certain level, they can follow their heart. Besides, cultivators aim to ascend to the heavens; their desires are inherently powerful. If one removed all desire, what would be the point of cultivating? One might as well retire.

They weren't on the Path of Heartlessness, after all.

After a morning of practice, Zora stepped out of the Fallen Stone Forest for the first time in a while. The dining hall’s ingredients were purchased by disciples from the town at the foot of the mountain. With the addition of various spiritual herbs and seasonings, the food was fragrant and even helped to calm the mind.

"There is a Sword Gate Melee today! The cooks are busy preparing, so the price of all dishes has increased by three spirit stones!" a disciple shouted in the center of the hall. No one objected; after all, the cooks were also Sword Gate disciples working part-time.

Zora: "Sword Gate Melee?"

Walking beside her, Vane scanned the entire hall and said, "Yes. It seems to be a celebration of the day the invasion of the Demon Realm succeeded over a decade ago. Every year on June 8th, the Sword Gate holds a disciple melee to commemorate that great war and to hone the disciples' abilities."

As he spoke, his expression was calm, as if he were merely describing something unrelated to himself—indifferent and detached. Zora watched him. That great war was the initial background event of the original story, which the author hadn't described in detail. According to the timeline, the villain had only just been born back then.

Vane turned his head and met her gaze in silence. He came from the Demon Realm; this would be a secret forever. No one would find out, and she shouldn't be able to tell either. His jawline was tensed.

Zora: "Do you have spirit stones?"

Vane: "..."

Vane: "I still have some."

Zora: "I need to go earn some spirit stones."

The December Sect issued a small stipend every month, but it was nowhere near enough. She had heard that many in the Sword Gate borrowed money to buy "Polishing Paste" for their weapons, not to mention formation scrolls, spiritual tools, and pills—everything cost money. Consequently, a steady stream of task requests arrived from the mortal world. These tasks not only allowed one to earn money but also provided combat experience by helping the common people deal with demons and monsters.

Zora flipped through the original story in her mind, looking carefully. She couldn't determine the exact timing, but she knew that before the Sect Competition in a few months, the female lead would run into trouble during a task. She would tear a talisman to summon her master. When the male lead arrived and successfully slayed the demon, he would be ambushed with an aphrodisiac by members of the Hehuan Sect, a minor sect nearby. Then the two would spend a night together. When the Sword Sovereign woke up, he would be horrified and reject her, causing their relationship to hit rock bottom again.

The only noteworthy thing was that the demon seemed to have escaped from the Demon Realm. Zora glanced at it, saw nothing that threatened her mission, and skipped over it.

The two finished their meal in the dining hall—paid for with Vane’s money—and walked out.

He said, "Master told me to go to Ning'an County tomorrow for a task to eliminate a demon."

Zora, who was on her way to the Great Hall of Contemplation to pick up a task, said, "Is the pay good?"

"Decent," Vane paused, then said casually, "Do you want to go?"

"Yes."

In the afternoon, for the Sword Gate Melee, the disciples gathered on a massive stone platform. A figure stood at the very front, her voice carrying across the platform: "I am Turi Qi. As the head disciple of the Sword Gate, I shall oversee this melee. Remember, do not take lives. Strike with restraint; this is primarily for training..."

Zora looked at the dignified and upright girl. This was the female lead. Since Zora entered the sect, the only person she heard people talk about was the Sword Sovereign, always in tones of absolute admiration. The male lead Lord Wanghua’s status in the sect was clear.

"...Then, let us begin." Turi Qi set down the scroll, and a tolling bell echoed through the clouds.

The silent crowd moved instantly, grabbing their weapons and excitedly striking at the person nearest to them.

"Demon brat, take my sword!"

"My sword is more beautiful than your face! What's there to compete with!"

"Who slashed my money pouch!! Curse you!"

"Heh, I specifically wore two outer layers today. You won't catch me off guard again!"

...

It wasn't exactly a formal competition; it felt more like a playful match. However, people generally sought out opponents of their own cultivation level. Who would be foolish enough to pick someone stronger? They would be knocked out in a few moves.

The crowd on the platform gradually split into groups. Zora drew her sword the moment the bell rang, but the sword cultivators on either side struck at others at the same time. She was left alone. She froze for a heartbeat, looking blankly at the two pairs fighting tooth and nail to her left and right. Having spent her time in the Fallen Stone Forest as if in seclusion, these people didn't know her, so they naturally sought out acquaintances of the same cultivation level to fight.

In the distance, Vane—whose reputation had risen because Jin Chuyang had been sending him on tasks—was surrounded by several people as soon as the bell fell. He couldn't pull himself away. In a gap between attacks, he caught sight of the lone Zora, his lashes fluttering for an instant.

Finish this quickly.

The few people fighting him as a group didn't know what happened, only that his attacks grew increasingly fierce and terrifying.

Zora was looking for someone else who was alone when a figure suddenly stood beside her. She looked over; it was Song Zhihuai. He wasn't looking at her but was instead gazing out at the melee with his hands behind his back, his face frozen in frost—a picture of mature stoicism.

With Song Zhihuai as the center, a large clearing appeared around them, as if everyone was afraid of being struck by him. Setting aside his high cultivation, his title as a future Heartless cultivator alone was enough to make people keep their distance.

Zora jogged over to find someone to fight, only to find the "hollow circle" moving with her. Everyone was fighting without looking, yet their feet never stopped moving further and further away; she couldn't catch them.

Zora: "?"

She looked back. Song Zhihuai was still in the same posture—the distance hadn't changed, as if he had followed her the whole way.

"?" She looked up and stared at him.

Zora took a few more steps, and Song Zhihuai followed her with his hands behind his back and an unchanged expression.

She was very confused. "Senior Brother Song."

Song Zhihuai finally turned his head to meet her gaze, nodding solemnly: "Junior Sister Zora, long time no see."

Zora said bluntly: "Why are you following me?"

Song Zhihuai was silent for a moment, seemingly struggling to organize his words. Though he remained expressionless and his aura chilling, he eventually said, "I just felt..."

Before he could finish, a gust of air surged from behind Zora. She instantly twisted around with her sword to block. The weapons met with a crisp

clink

. The spiritual power on the sword erupted, the resulting shockwave ruffling her hair to reveal her white forehead.

The red tassels of a long spear were like fire against the blade. The boy standing close was full of battle-spirit, making his handsome features look even more striking.

"In the middle of a melee, just chatting is a waste of time."

As he spoke, his eyes were on Song Zhihuai. Song Zhihuai was startled. Vane didn't wait for a response; after a brief glance at him, he refocused his attention on Zora’s face, concentrating fully.

Finally, someone who could fight. Zora didn't notice the undercurrent between them at all. She shifted her footing, spun around to draw her sword, and let the blade carve through the air as she struck down fiercely at Vane.

Song Zhihuai watched the two as they fought with broad moves, moving further and further away. He gazed from afar with his hands behind his back—face cold, heart surging.

What a wise proverb.

He had thought that a friend of the kind Junior Sister Zora must also be an easygoing person. It seemed he was right.

...

The melee wasn't all serious fighting. After all, there were people everywhere who slacked off or did anything but the task at hand—especially in the Sword Gate.

Near the stone platform was a small grove where a pair of lovers were meeting. In the heat of passion, they whispered shyly and began to discreetly touch. Amidst their kissing, the sound of clashing weapons drew near.

The two fighters drew closer and closer, causing the woman to grow panicked. The man smiled: "Don't be afraid. Those fighting will move away once they see us here."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a boy was kicked in the stomach and slammed hard into the tree behind the couple. He let out a dull groan. The force was so great that even the leaves above rustled.

The woman turned her head to see the boy standing barely a meter away: "..."

The man forced himself to remain calm: "Don't... don't worry, they will surely..."

A girl appeared immediately after, unhesitatingly spinning through the air to thrust her sword at the boy on the ground. The couple scrambled out of the way to avoid the strike.

Vane rolled across the ground to dodge, propping himself up with one hand to spin back onto his feet. He gave the spear on the ground a light kick, catching it as it flew up. He twisted the spearhead just in time to block her strike.

The two fought as if no one else existed. The couple was surrounded from all angles; they couldn't utter a single sweet word. The leaves and branches sliced off by the spear and sword fell all over the ground and onto the couple's heads.

"..."

"..."

In their daze, the male disciple had tried to comfort himself by thinking that few people were serious in a melee and there was no great danger. But when the youth's spearhead suddenly brushed past his face, the icy aura of death terrified him. He immediately grabbed his lover, used his spiritual power, and fled with feet that left afterimages.

...What was going on! And wasn't this supposed to be a playful match? Those two were clearly going for real!