Chapter Sixty-Six: Alliance

Upon hearing Shang Gu’s words, Shen Qingyun asked instinctively, “Have I stayed in the Scripture Pavilion for a long time?”

Shang Gu nodded. “It’s already the next day. If you hadn’t come out soon, I was about to go in and look for you.”

“The next day?”

Shen Qingyun was taken aback. He truly hadn’t noticed the passage of time in the Scripture Pavilion. He had only finished reading one book—how could it already be the following day?

“In that case, I’ll take my leave and go prepare for the opening of Ghost Valley in four days.”

Shang Gu gave him a kindly nod. “Go on, then.”

Returning to the Bamboo Peak annex, Shen Qingyun saw seven or eight disciples gathered at the foot of the mountain, seemingly deep in discussion. As he approached, they quickly turned toward him and cupped their hands respectfully. “Greetings, Chief!”

With his keen eyes, Shen Qingyun could tell that none of them were particularly willing. Yet what did their reluctance matter? His position as chief of Bamboo Peak was already set in stone. Whether they liked it or not, they had no choice but to accept it.

He nodded to them and asked, “What are you all doing here?”

“Reporting to Chief, we’re discussing team formation,” one disciple replied.

“Team formation?” Shen Qingyun was a bit surprised. “You haven’t formed your teams yet?”

“It’s not that,” the disciple explained. “The eight of us have already formed a team.” The others nodded in agreement.

“It’s just that we heard the Ghost Valley trial is to open ahead of schedule, so Senior Brother Xing and Senior Brother Gu have been invited to the gathering of the true disciples. Apparently, they’re to discuss something—likely matters regarding team formation this time.”

Shen Qingyun nodded and asked, “So how many people on Bamboo Peak haven’t formed teams yet?”

The disciple thought for a moment. “Senior Sister Wu hasn’t. The Sword Maniac hasn’t. And neither has that guy who’s always chasing after Senior Sister Wu.”

He paused, then added, “Also, the disciples who are close to that guy haven’t formed teams either.”

Shen Qingyun was silent for a moment. He pursed his lips, deciding not to ask further—it seemed this disciple didn’t know much about the affairs of Bamboo Peak anyway. He simply said, “Do your best in the Ghost Valley trial.”

After bidding them farewell, Shen Qingyun climbed the mountain path back to his own cave. As soon as he entered, the protective wards sounded. He removed the restrictions to find Ling Xiao and Su Ye standing at the doorway, grinning from ear to ear.

“Senior Brother Shen!” they called out in unison.

“What is it?” Shen Qingyun looked at them.

“Senior Brother Shen, with the Ghost Valley trial about to begin,” Su Ye said with a smile, “all inner disciples have to participate. But neither I nor Senior Brother Ling have formed a team. So, we were wondering…”

He didn’t need to finish—Shen Qingyun already understood. Shaking his head in resignation, he replied, “Very well, you two can join my team.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Shen!” Su Ye exclaimed in delight, bowing repeatedly before pushing Ling Xiao away. “Then we’ll leave you to your cultivation, Senior Brother!”

Su Ye knew better than most how formidable Shen Qingyun was. Back when he was only at the third level of Qi Refinement, he could already contend with Foundation Establishment cultivators. Now, after half a year, though no one knew what realm he had reached, the fact that he’d become a true disciple and the chief of Bamboo Peak spoke volumes of his abilities. After all, the elders of the sect weren’t blind.

It was best to cling to such a powerful figure early on!

Shaking his head, Shen Qingyun reactivated the wards and returned to his mat to cultivate. Just as he was about to begin, the wards sounded again.

“Who could it be now?” Shen Qingyun raised an eyebrow. He got up to lift the restriction, and found Feng Chuxun standing at the entrance, sword in hand, expressionless.

Shen Qingyun gazed back at him without speaking.

The two simply stared at each other in silence.

After a long while—perhaps Feng Chuxun could last forever, but Shen Qingyun could not—he finally broke and asked, “What do you want?”

“Form a team, with me?” Feng Chuxun said.

Shen Qingyun nodded. “All right.”

“I’ll come find you when the time comes.” And with that, Feng Chuxun left.

Watching Feng Chuxun go, Shen Qingyun couldn’t help but shake his head. What a sword fanatic—pity it was Feng Chuxun.

Returning inside, Shen Qingyun sat down and took out the three spell manuals he had acquired from the Scripture Pavilion: one for finger techniques, one for fist techniques, and one more underneath whose contents he didn’t yet know.

These three arts he had chosen deliberately. In the Ghost Valley, he couldn’t rely solely on the Heaven-Suppressing Halberd and the treasured tome. Last time, the halberd had nearly gone out of control after he had unsealed too much of its power. Further use at that level risked losing mastery over it.

As for the treasured tome, Shen Qingyun was still far from meeting the requirements for its use. Whenever he activated it, it was only by force, never able to fully unleash its true power.

Overusing it would only harm his body.

At that moment, the wards suddenly sounded again.

Shen Qingyun’s brows shot up in irritation—would it never end?

He lifted the restriction and found Xing Wuque standing at the entrance, smiling.

“Senior Brother Xing, what brings you here?” Shen Qingyun’s brows tightened. No one came to the Hall of Three Jewels for no reason, and besides, he had always found Xing Wuque rather inscrutable, so he was constantly on guard against him.

Xing Wuque seemed always to wear that same smile, even when he spoke, leaving a favorable impression on others.

“Chief Shen, aren’t you going to invite me in to sit for a while?” Xing Wuque asked.

Shen Qingyun looked at him and said, “My cave is rather plain, Senior Brother. Perhaps we could speak right here.”

Xing Wuque seemed unbothered by the refusal. He replied with a smile, “Isn’t Chief Shen curious about how the Ghost Valley trial will be arranged this time?”

As expected, Shen Qingyun’s eyebrows rose at this, and he stepped aside. “Then please, Senior Brother, come in and speak.”

Once Xing Wuque had entered, Shen Qingyun added, “My cave is rather bare, never decorated. There’s only this meditation mat—afraid there’s nowhere for you to sit, Senior Brother.”

Xing Wuque was going to say it didn’t matter, but when he saw the state of Shen Qingyun’s cave, even he couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow. If he had to describe it, it was utterly spotless.

“Chief Shen’s cave is certainly… minimalist,” Xing Wuque remarked inwardly, adding silently, “He really did his best.”

Shen Qingyun didn’t care in the least. He sat cross-legged on his mat and looked at Xing Wuque. “So, Senior Brother, have you reached a conclusion today?”

Xing Wuque turned to him with a faint smile. “Of course!”

“If we hadn’t reached a conclusion, how would I dare face the chief of Bamboo Peak?”

Shen Qingyun remained silent and calm.

Seeing Shen Qingyun unwilling to engage in small talk, Xing Wuque pursed his lips and got straight to the point. “As for the Ghost Valley trial this time, the true disciples and I have discussed the matter and reached a decision: alliance!”