Free Web NovelChapter 325: Chapter 134: Peak Master’s Attention, Prefecture City Disciples
Yang Jing raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. His gaze fell upon a frozen stream not far away. The moonlight spilled across the ice, casting a faint, cold sheen.
He turned his head and scanned his surroundings. Pine and cypress trees shrouded the area in deep night. Aside from the sound of the wind and his own breathing, there was no other movement. He had been practicing his forms for more than two hours, and not a single other person had passed by. It was clear this place was truly remote.
At this thought, he immediately strode toward the edge of the stream.
Reaching the side of the frozen stream, Yang Jing thought to himself, ’Should I take a bath here?’
Days of hard travel, eating in the wind and sleeping in the open, had left him covered in dust and fatigue. He had just spent hours practicing his forms and was drenched in sweat. The sticky perspiration, mixed with grime, clung to his skin, feeling exceptionally uncomfortable.
He lowered his head and sniffed his sleeve, catching a faint scent of sweat. The urge to bathe grew stronger. This place was remote and deserted; he wouldn’t have to worry about being seen, which was convenient.
Yang Jing stood silently by the stream for a moment. He glanced down at his sweat-soaked robes, then looked up and surveyed his surroundings again. In the end, he gently shook his head, dismissing the idea of bathing. He decided to wait.
Although he hadn’t seen any rules forbidding disciples from washing up in the mountains when he’d flipped through the handbook earlier, and Jia Yuliang had said the outer disciples were generally free from excessive supervision, this was still his first day. He didn’t yet understand the Xuanzhen Sect’s ways or its unwritten rules. Bathing rashly in the mountains would be inappropriate if he accidentally broke some unspoken regulation or was seen by a passing senior brother or sister.
’Better to be cautious, settle in quietly, and slowly figure out how the sect operates.’
Having made up his mind, Yang Jing no longer hesitated and turned to walk back toward his living quarters.
Yang Jing’s figure gradually vanished into the depths of the night. Silence once again descended upon the streamside as a cold wind swept flurries of snow across the ice, creating a soft, rustling sound.
A moment later, a slender, upright figure silently emerged from the cover of the pines and cypresses. It was none other than Bai Bing, the Peak Master of Lingxi Peak.
She was dressed in plain white martial attire, her ink-black hair tied up high. Her face was icily beautiful, her expression calm, and her eyes held no ripples of emotion. She gazed faintly in the direction where Yang Jing had disappeared and nodded slightly.
If not for that bet, she would never have considered coming to observe Yang Jing personally.
However, this visit had allowed her to witness Yang Jing’s passion for the Martial Dao.
On his very first day on Lingxi Peak, Yang Jing had already begun to focus on his training. This dedication to the Martial Dao raised her estimation of the young man.
The next moment, her figure flickered and, like a cool breeze, melted into the night, vanishing without a trace. It was as if she had never been there at all, leaving only the cold wind to howl by the stream.
....
「Meanwhile.」
Yang Jing quickly returned to the courtyard where he lived.
As he pushed open the gate, he saw that faint candlelight was already glowing from two of the side rooms.
An orange-yellow halo of light spilled through the window paper into the courtyard. Evidently, the other disciples living with him had returned, but they were all staying quietly in their rooms.
The courtyard was silent, save for the faint, flickering shadows cast by the candlelight.
He returned to his own side room, gave himself a simple wipe-down to get rid of the sweat, and shed his damp robes. The moment he fell onto the bed, he sank into a deep sleep. The fatigue from days of travel and martial practice dissipated completely, and he slept dreamlessly through the night.
...
「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」
The winter dawn’s first light filtered through the window lattice, carrying a faint warmth.
Yang Jing woke up on time, feeling refreshed and not the least bit groggy.
He got up, straightened his clothes, and took out the brand-new, cyan outer-disciple robes to change into. The robes were made of a thick, well-fitting material. The Xuanzhen Sect emblem embroidered on the collar was simple and clear. Wearing them, he looked sharp and upright, which made his bearing seem even more steady.
After changing, Yang Jing gently pushed open his door. He planned to take a walk in the early morning to familiarize himself with the layout at the base of Lingxi Peak. Afterward, he would exchange some contribution points and, if time permitted, check on Senior Sister Ning Xiang.
He had learned from the handbook yesterday that most of the disciples’ daily necessities and Cultivation Resources in the Xuanzhen Sect had to be exchanged for contribution points. Exchanging them sooner rather than later would make things smoother for him down the line.
Just as he opened the door, Yang Jing saw four people gathered in the courtyard’s open space, chatting in low voices.
Two men and two women, all dressed in cyan robes. They were clearly the other outer disciples of Lingxi Peak who shared this courtyard.
Each of them had a different temperament, but all exuded an extraordinary air that was far beyond that of a common street-level Martial Artist.
The two women were also quite striking. One was tall and slender, with refined features and an upright posture that gave her a crisp, capable air. The other was buxom and full-figured, with a cute face and a beaming smile that made her seem particularly approachable.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, the four of them turned in unison to look at him. Their gazes, falling upon Yang Jing, held a hint of unfamiliar scrutiny.
After a brief silence, one of the young men, who looked to be in his early twenties, was the first to step forward. He was burly with a cheerful face. He clasped his fist to Yang Jing and spoke in a friendly tone, "Junior Brother, you look new. You must have just joined yesterday, right? I am Zhao Hongxiang. And you are?"
Yang Jing smiled slightly and returned the gesture, his tone polite. "I am Yang Jing. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior Brother Zhao."
After speaking, he turned to the other man and two women, lightly clasping his fist to greet each of them in turn. His attitude was humble and courteous, without a hint of awkwardness.
The other three, all around twenty years old, also clasped their fists in return and stated their names and origins.
The slightly thinner young man said with a smile, "I’m Lin Wenxuan, from the Lin Family of the Prefecture City."
The tall woman beside him nodded in acknowledgment, her voice crisp and clear. "Su Qingyue, a disciple from the Su Family of the Prefecture City."
The buxom woman’s smile deepened, and her voice was soft and friendly. "My name is Liu Rou. I’m also from the Prefecture City. My family is in the medicinal herb business."
As they mentioned their origins, their tones all carried a subtle undercurrent of confidence. Their status as disciples from the great families of the Prefecture City gave them an extra measure of self-assurance upon joining the sect.
After listening to the introductions, Zhao Hongxiang’s gaze returned to Yang Jing. He smiled and pressed, "I am from the Zhao Family of the Prefecture City. My ancestors had some connections with the Xuanzhen Sect, which is how I was recommended. I wonder where Brother Yang is from? To be recruited by Lingxi Peak alone, you must have some powerful connections, right?"
In their view, the Xuanzhen Sect was a top-tier Martial Arts Sect with an extremely high barrier to entry. Ordinary people couldn’t even get a recommendation. For Yang Jing to have successfully entered Lingxi Peak, he must have had an impressive background or deep connections. Otherwise, there was no way he could have stepped through the gates of the Xuanzhen Sect at this time.
Hearing this, Yang Jing spoke calmly, his tone unruffled. "I am from Yuhe County. I was fortunate enough to receive a recommendation and enter the sect."
He didn’t mention his master, Sun Yong, simply stating his origin and leaving it at that.
Across from him, the four of them were all stunned.
In their minds, Yuhe County was just a remote, barren little place, lacking in resources and with a shallow Martial Dao heritage.
They had never expected that this new disciple was actually from such a small place. Compared to them, disciples from the great families of the Prefecture City, his background was as different as heaven and earth.
