Chapter 73: Song Zhihuai’s Circle of Friends

"Why don't we go find those array masters for help?"

The three were searching for the location mentioned by Song Zhihuai. Yiling Ke, trailing behind Zora, asked.

Zora turned her head and said sincerely, "None of them noticed anything was wrong. Either they themselves are wrong, or they are just stupid and can't be part of the team."

"Ah..." Yiling Ke's mouth twitched. That actually made a bit of sense. She shut her mouth.

In a secluded corner of Tao County, there were messy sword marks on an abandoned house, appearing as though it had undergone a fierce battle. Yiling Ke cast aside her joking manner and observed the scene with a serious expression.

Zora reached out and patted Vane’s arm, signaling it was time for him to step up. The youth looked at her and smiled, then skillfully utilized his spiritual power to search for minute clues.

Zora walked to a tree stump; the tree had been severed mid-trunk, leaving behind an uneven surface. A blood-stained, diamond-shaped stone lay quietly on the stump. Zora picked it up, turning it over in her palm; the blood had actually not yet coagulated, leaving mottled red prints on her hand.

Zora brought her palm close to her nose and sniffed cautiously, like an animal smelling dense pollen. Her nose wrinkled, and she immediately gave a short sneeze. It should have smelled like fresh blood, yet it was mixed with a strange fragrance. As some of the blood smeared on her palm, the "stone" revealed its original form.

It was transparent crystal material, refracting bright colors under the sunlight.

Crystal? The secret realm is crystal? Is this the entrance?

Just as Zora thought of this, the crystal struck by sunlight instantly emitted a scorching heat. The ground suddenly shook. Yiling Ke steadied herself, crying out in surprise, "What's happening!?"

The surrounding scene changed instantly. Beneath their feet was no longer soil but a vast, calm surface of water reflecting the blue sky. It stretched endlessly, and surprisingly, one could stand upon it without using spiritual power. Blue sky and white clouds—it was filled with the cleanliness of a fresh wash.

Yiling Ke looked around. "There’s crystal; this is the secret realm."

Crystals taller than a person were densely distributed all around, surrounding the three. At first glance, there seemed to be no path at all—or perhaps, paths were everywhere. Flight was restricted for cultivators here; at the highest point of the crystals, there was a barrier as large as the sky. Yiling Ke tried to fly up but hit an invisible wall and came back down covered in dust.

The insect by Zora’s side suddenly grew excited, flapping its wings and flying up and down in front of her, seemingly trying to get her attention.

Zora: "It seems Senior Brother Song is here."

Yiling Ke looked troubled: "But how do we get across? We can't tell where the paths are at all. And we can't use weapons or hands to touch them; I heard that in this kind of crystal realm, once you touch it, you'll be sucked in. Even if you hold a stick, you'll be dragged along."

Zora thought for a moment: "We can throw things and see if they disappear."

"..." Yiling Ke let out a sigh, looking at Zora with a compassionate gaze. "You know, there was someone from the Zen Meditation Temple who thought the same thing. He threw away everything he could throw, walking all the way until he ran out of things. Finally, he tore up his own clothes until he had none left, and still didn't get out. When he died, his naked corpse was spat out by the realm..."

Zora realized: "Is it because he was worried he didn't have enough things?"

She turned her head. The black-haired youth looked thoughtful, his brows slightly knit, but he was very sensitive to her gaze. Even while thinking, he instinctively looked over.

Vane said half a beat later, "It's fine. I have plenty of things in my storage bag."

Zora: "And we only need to reach Senior Brother Song’s location; we don't need to get out."

Yiling Ke was shocked: "What do you mean we don't need to get out?!"

Zora expressionlessly: "Because as you said, we can't get out."

Yiling Ke: "........."

That makes a lot of sense.

Vane explained: "Zora means we can find the weakness of the crystal realm from the inside. Like arrays, every array has an eye, and secret realms are no exception. Sometimes if there is no way to break it, you just find the weakness. Sometimes it's a person, sometimes it's just a blade of grass—everything is possible."

Yiling Ke looked at him with newfound respect for his top-tier ability to interpret Zora: "Alright, I understand."

The insect could indicate the general direction. The three headed to the right.

Yiling Ke was still worrying: "But what if Senior Brother Song has walked very far? Where will we get that many things?"

Zora: "He has them."

Vane naturally took out a low-grade spiritual tool—a bell—and threw it in one direction. Before them was the transparent blue sky; they couldn't see how many crystals there were or where their boundaries lay. Using a person's body width as the interval, one might need to throw five or six items for every step.

Zora showed a puzzled expression: "Just throw food. Why throw your spiritual tools and spirit stones?"

Vane lowered his eyes, his tone sounding as if it were a matter of course: "Because those are your things."

Yiling Ke, standing to the side and looking straight ahead, heard every word clearly: "..."

Master and servant—this is a loyalty deeper than employment, isn't it.

"True," Zora agreed, then patted his forearm. "Then I allow you to throw them. Throw away. When those are gone, then throw yours."

"Yes."

So the youth casually tossed a small piece of pastry to the left. The group advanced step by step. Yiling Ke originally thought the pastries would be gone quickly. Until they had walked several hundred meters and were still tossing pastries; she roughly estimated there had been hundreds of pieces already.

Yiling Ke’s face was wooden: "..."

What kind of Zora-food-storage machine is this.

The green insect became more active, but it could only charge ahead in straight lines. Zora, fearing it would fly into a crystal illusion, caught the flying insect in her palm. Whenever it tried to fly out, she pinched its wings.

A hundred steps away, the quieted insect suddenly struggled violently. Zora was startled and nearly killed it by instinct. Vane glanced over, knowing they were close. It had also learned its lesson, not approaching rashly but simply buzzing toward a specific direction.

That spot was a crystal. Just in case, the three took one more step forward; only after the insect changed direction to fly backward did they walk back.

Zora looked at it: "How many crystals are here?"

The crystals were transparent; one couldn't see the boundaries between them, so it was impossible to know how to enter the correct one.

Yiling Ke squinted: "I'm not sure. What if we go into the wrong one?"

Vane: "We should be able to estimate the position of each crystal based on the width of one person. Also, the angle of each crystal is different."

To be safe, Zora threw a few more pastries to confirm the angles and positions of each crystal.

Long ago, after the Great Competition ended, Song Zhihuai returned to the sect. Every day, aside from cultivating, he wanted to see his friends.

Four friends. Four.

On the first day, he went to Turi Qi’s residence. Turi Qi was often busy, and he never thought to intrude. Song Zhihuai had no experience in actively seeking out friends and no way to use a transmission talisman—at that time, neither he nor Turi Qi possessed one. So, he decided to wait at the entrance of Turi Qi’s peak.

This was also the domain of the Sword Sovereign, Wanghua-jun. Mist-shrouded and lushly green, the peaks were hidden in white clouds. Up close, the scenery was as beautiful as a painting.

Song Zhihuai held a respectful attitude toward Wanghua-jun. As he waited coldly outside the peak for Turi Qi to come out or return, the meditating Wanghua-jun easily captured the unfamiliar presence and opened his eyes in his quiet cave.

The Sword Sovereign wore white robes, his features cold and pale as water. His eyes held sword intent, frozen into ice. Lately, Turi Qi hadn't been coming to find him every day like she used to. Especially after that fiancée arrived, she avoided him even more, bowing respectfully whenever they spoke.

What is there to be dissatisfied about? Isn't this what I wanted before?

Yet his Dao heart was unstable. His sword spirit was defying his will, resisting any sliver of affection that sprouted within him. The Sword Sovereign’s blade was the famous Frostless Sword from a thousand years ago. Its first master was not of the Heartless Path, yet was more heartless than those who were. That person had no love or affection, was born cold-hearted, and pursued only the Dao.

So, the sword spirit formed using that person's soul as the source was equivalent to a clone of that person. It could not accept its master falling into love. It was even more sensitive than Wanghua-jun himself; before he was even conscious of it, the spirit had already generated strong resistance. A sword cultivator and their blade are one; the sword's rebellion felt like being torn in half. Wanghua-jun’s cultivation was heavily affected.

But a lean camel is bigger than a horse; dealing with a crisis like Drunken Lu Bay was still well within his capabilities. Wanghua-jun narrowed his eyes, his gaze reaching far, spotting the figure of Song Zhihuai waiting at the mountain entrance.

Quiet the mind. Quiet the mind...

The Frostless Sword vibrated. After a long while, Wanghua-jun rose—without taking the sword. The blade condensed into ice, refusing to go with him. He gave the sword a cold glance. This was the drawback of a divine artifact that came with its own sword spirit. Initially, it provided a massive boost, but later, the master and sword needed to share the same views. If a conflict arose, either the master compromised, or they had to erase the consciousness of the previous master—a task of immense difficulty.

Song Zhihuai was also very respectful toward the Sword Sovereign. Seeing a figure suddenly appear, he looked cold but bowed politely: "Immortal."

Wanghua-jun’s voice was colder than his: "For what purpose are you here?"

Song Zhihuai: "To seek Junior Sister Turi."

"..." His expression grew colder, uncontrollably so. Unfortunately, the person before him was completely incapable of reading the room. He didn't speak, and Song Zhihuai simply stared back quietly.

"..."

"..."

Mist drifted between the two. The air grew stagnant. Song Zhihuai was silent for a long time before he suddenly realized: "Please be at ease, Immortal. I will not disturb Junior Sister Turi's cultivation."

"Not disturb?" Wanghua-jun asked. "Then why come to seek her?"

Song Zhihuai: "Just to look."

Wanghua-jun: "........."

He didn't know if Song Zhihuai’s "just to look" was literal, so he felt a primal displeasure at the seemingly ambiguous answer. But what standing did he have to object? Wanghua-jun felt a slight, unfamiliar sourness in his heart, which he found exceptionally annoying.

Song Zhihuai, meanwhile, was silently admiring this master’s dedication. As a master, one should indeed vet a disciple's friends. Thinking of this, he straightened his back and toyed with the tassel on his sword hilt, showing its simplicity and cleanliness to prove he was not an extravagant or messy person. He thought for a moment, then took out an obscure book to read, demonstrating on the spot that he had a heart for learning and would seize every moment to enrich himself rather than standing idly.

The standing idly Wanghua-jun: "..."

The other party clearly has an attitude of refusing to communicate... could he have noticed my feelings?

A surge of exposed shame swept over him. Carrying irritation, Wanghua-jun turned and left coldly, unwilling to let anyone see his true thoughts.

When Turi Qi returned, she saw Song Zhihuai practicing his sword at the mountain entrance. She asked in surprise, "Senior Brother Song? Why are you here?"

Song Zhihuai sheathed his sword, his face like ice: "To look."

"I see," she said, naturally knowing his nature. "Apologies, Senior Brother, I have to go out again."

"Is there anything," Song Zhihuai paused, seemingly weighing his words, "I can do?"

"Mhm... when I have something I need help with, I'll call you. For now, I can manage alone."

"Alright." Song Zhihuai felt a sense of regret and turned to leave.

He went to find Yiling Ke. Yiling Ke was tirelessly studying arrays, consuming pills to stay awake. With her permission, Song Zhihuai stepped into the room, finding nowhere to put his feet as scrolls were scattered everywhere. Yiling Ke was disheveled, drawing talismans with squinted, half-dead eyes.

Song Zhihuai waited a while and asked, "Junior Sister Yiling, is there anything I can do?"

Yiling Ke, whose body hadn't yet reached the state of needing no sleep, spoke in a drifting voice: "...Want to sleep." She hadn't realized the consequence of saying that; it was just a habitual complaint.

"I see." Song Zhihuai nodded seriously. Then he carefully knocked her out and placed her on the bed. For a cultivator, she should have woken up quickly, but she fell asleep instantly. When she woke up refreshed, she was dazed.

What happened...?

As she kicked aside the scrolls on the floor and opened the door, a face with unfriendly looks was right in front of her.

"Junior Sister Yiling, you're awake. It's already the second day." His eyes held a trace of concern for having helped.

Yiling Ke: "...............Thank you." She said sincerely, "Senior Brother Song, have you visited Zora? Go find her."

He replied: "I was just going to visit Junior Sister Zora."

Yiling Ke smiled with true emotion: "That’s good then, that’s good."

When Song Zhihuai went to Falling Rock Forest, his heart was actually tightening with nervousness. Mainly because Junior Sister Zora was... a bit different. Everyone was a friend, but Zora's bond with everyone was the deepest and strongest. Inevitably, he valued his first friend the most.

Song Zhihuai took a few quiet deep breaths and landed outside Falling Rock Forest. Near dusk, Zora walked out. She saw Song Zhihuai and nodded expressionlessly: "Senior Brother Song."

Song Zhihuai was so nervous he was also expressionless: "Junior Sister Zora."

That counts as a greeting, I suppose,

Zora thought. So she walked back into the forest as a matter of course. He hadn't spoken up, so she had absolutely no awareness that he was there for her.

Song Zhihuai watched her back: "........."

Ignored. As expected of Junior Sister Zora.

The next morning, Zora walked out and saw Song Zhihuai. She greeted him politely: "Senior Brother Song."

"Junior Sister Zora," Song Zhihuai nodded. Before he could slowly squeeze out a sentence, Zora had already flown away on her sword.

Song Zhihuai: "........."

It's fine. There's still the evening.

For three consecutive days, twice a day, he missed his chance every time because he was a step too slow in speaking. He stood at the Falling Rock Forest like a gatekeeper. But he couldn't just not respond when she greeted him.

Until the fourth day, Vane returned with Zora. He looked at Song Zhihuai and smiled, saying, "Are you here to find Zora?"

Finally, a normal exchange began. Zora's attention was drawn; she walked back a few steps and looked straight at Song Zhihuai: "Is something wrong?"

Vane watched her interact with others with a smile.

Song Zhihuai: "Just... to look, if there is anything Junior Sister Zora needs me to do."

Zora: "No."

Song Zhihuai: "I understand."

The two stared at each other expressionlessly for a long while.

Zora: "Why are you still looking at me?"

Shouldn't he just leave?

Song Zhihuai: "Apologies, I thought you had more to say."

Zora: "I thought you had something to say."

"Ah, apologies..." Song Zhihuai paused, forcing out a sentence. "Then, goodbye, Junior Sister Zora."

"Goodbye."

Such was his interaction with her. Junior Brother Vane was usually nowhere to be found, but whenever he appeared, he was by Zora's side, so Song Zhihuai usually asked them together.

In the original, the background character of the Heartless Path candidate should have been in seclusion, cultivating all day, standing eternally in silence and solitude. Even with a father present, the father on the Heartless Path could no longer provide warmth. Even if they appeared to be father and son or master and disciple, countless details would reveal the cold heart of the path.

At this moment, when Song Zhihuai heard of the Drunken Lu Bay incident, he naturally thought of Yiling Ke. Her family was there, and while it was inconvenient for her to go, he could. Helping a friend was a matter of course.

Song Zhihuai lowered his eyes, looking at the twelve moons hanging high in the December Sect. He was only worried that the Song Zhihuai who entered the Heartless Path would look upon his friends' suffering with cold indifference. But the Heartless Path was his destined path; it couldn't be changed. So, he was urgent now.

While his heart was still warm, he hoped for his friends' happiness and that their cultivation would soar so no one dared bully them. While he could still feel friendship, he urgently wanted to do what was within his power. So he came to Tao County.

After talking to Yiling Ke with the transmission talisman, he naturally knew he had fallen into the crystal realm illusion. But the moment the talisman burned out, the surroundings shifted, and he was back in that secluded spot in Tao County. Before he could grow vigilant, his memory was easily modified.

This secret realm is truly hard to escape.

Song Zhihuai glanced at the severed tree stump. He had just entered the crystal realm but fortunately escaped. The transmission talisman on him was heating up; someone must be looking for him.

Song Zhihuai took out the talisman.

...Why has the count decreased?

The thought flashed by. He was busy contacting his friends to prevent them from worrying too much. Before he could use his spiritual power, a piece of pastry appeared out of thin air. Song Zhihuai unsheathed his sword by reflex, slicing the fragile pastry into crumbs.

...Osmanthus cake? Is someone giving it to me?

Having once had fresh vegetables thrown at him by kind people, he immediately looked around to tell the person he didn't need to eat. No one was there.

Suddenly, another pastry dropped. Before Song Zhihuai could catch it, three people abruptly appeared behind the pastry.

"Junior Sister Zora, Junior Brother Vane, Junior Sister Yiling?" Song Zhihuai said in surprise.

"Apologies, Senior Brother Song. We threw the pastry just now," Vane first explained with a polite smile.

"I see..." He understood in an instant; the pastry must belong to Zora. Song Zhihuai said seriously to Zora, "I will compensate you."

Oh, can one ask for compensation for this?

Zora looked at Song Zhihuai in confusion. But since he said so, she nodded: "Alright. I want the ones from Qingyu Terrace in Ning'an County."

"Alright. I'll remember."

Yiling Ke: "..."

Whatever. It's just a pastry, not a life,

she thought numbly. Vane merely smiled, not interrupting or over-explaining, so as not to disturb Zora's interest.