The Calm Amidst the Chaos of the Small Sword Sect

By the time Gu Bei emerged from Mu Qingsi’s room, the night sky was already strewn with stars.

Gu Bei let out a long sigh, gazing up at the brilliant points of light in the night sky.

He drew a deep breath.

With such beauty before him, nestled deep within ancient mountains and forests, that single breath was truly refreshing and uplifting.

His master, it seemed, remained unchanged; though prone to fits of temper, she was ultimately easy to placate.

Still, alas, he decided to let it be…

Mu Qingsi’s words and actions today had stirred Gu Bei’s dormant thoughts, making them subtly lively once more, yet he ultimately managed to suppress them.

Once one awakened from such romantic infatuation, it was best not to fall deeply into it a second time.

After all, he couldn’t even say for sure if he himself was prone to romantic infatuation; merely being able to view his relationship with his master with a touch more calm was already a good thing.

Gu Bei’s mind, which had just cleared slightly, became cluttered once more, and he slowly averted his gaze.

His priority, he realized, was still to return to the ninth stage of Qi Refinement.

As for when Foundation Establishment might occur…

He would consider that later.

However, before all that, he still needed to greet Yun Qingyi, the guest elder…

After all, the Minor Sword Sect was only so vast, Gu Bei mused, sighing softly as he trod upon the slightly damp earth.

From leaving his master’s abode to gently knocking on Yun Qingyi’s door, less than half an incense stick’s time had elapsed.

Yun Qingyi, surprisingly, opened the door herself; arriving at such an hour could indeed be considered presumptuous, especially with a lone man and woman beneath the moonlit flowers, yet Gu Bei, having never dated in either his past or present life, wouldn’t instinctively grasp such nuances, even with a slightly higher emotional intelligence.

Yun Qingyi, for her part, had long grown accustomed to Gu Bei’s utter lack of such reservations.

“Your master is quite the tyrant, keeping you in her room from the moment you returned until now,” Yun Qingyi remarked with a hint of sarcasm, stepping slightly aside.

“My apologies, Fairy Yun (TL Note: A respectful address for a female immortal or cultivator),” Gu Bei said with a chuckle, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

A lamp had been lit inside, though Yun Qingyi’s practical nature meant it was merely a simple oil lamp, unadorned and solely for illumination.

The furnishings offered little to describe: two wooden chairs, a tea table, and a bed in the corner that had clearly gathered dust for some time.

That was all.

Though the furnishings were simple, the room itself wasn’t large, making it just right for two people.

“What brings you here so late?” Yun Qingyi asked casually, moving to stand behind the tea table.

“Hmm… to say hello and report my safe return, perhaps?” Gu Bei replied, a touch bewildered, as he slightly followed her.

‘Wasn’t coming to greet her and chat something he ought to do upon his return?’

‘He was blamed for being late, yet questioned for coming at all…’

Gu Bei’s unspoken confusion naturally received no answer.

Nevertheless, as Gu Bei was a guest and had only just returned, Yun Qingyi still extended him some courtesy, brewing a cup of tea.

With a delicate hand, she gently pushed the teacup towards him. “Drink your tea,” she instructed.

“Might Chief Gu share his experiences in Sanchuan with me?” Yun Qingyi asked, raising her gaze.

“I shall only speak of what can be spoken,” Gu Bei said with a chuckle, settling into a chair. “It wouldn’t be good to share things best left unsaid with Fairy Yun.”

These words caused Yun Qingyi’s delicate brows to furrow slightly, though they slowly relaxed with a sigh that carried a hint of resignation.

“Then I shall trouble Chief Gu to speak of what he deems appropriate.”

“Let me think…” Gu Bei mused for a moment.

He slowly began to speak.

The lamplight flickered; after all, it was no magical treasure, not even a spiritual artifact, but merely an oil lamp burning some kind of spirit beast fat, naturally causing it to sway.

Yun Qingyi, meanwhile, listened with her chin propped in her hand, refilling Gu Bei’s teacup whenever she noticed it was empty.

The peculiar flicker in her eyes seemed somewhat unusual.

Yun Qingyi proved to be an excellent listener, interjecting with a brief question only on rare occasions during Gu Bei’s narration, mostly offering soft ‘Mm’s, ‘And then?’, or ‘Indeed’.

She was also beautiful.

Perhaps this had been one of the reasons Gu Bei had chosen her back then.

He simply favored attractive people.

Especially beautiful immortalesses; it wasn’t some ulterior motive, merely an initial bias of greater goodwill.

If left to his own inclinations, most of the male cultivators he associated with would likely be exceptionally handsome—though, naturally, he found those as outstanding as his ‘junior brother’ a little intimidating.

Alas, in the chaotic mortal world and on the martial arts circuit, there was little room for pickiness; most of the time, he had no say in the matter.

“So, in truth, if Chief Gu had a backer, he could accomplish many things,” Yun Qingyi summarized blandly.

“Look at you, saying that,” Gu Bei scoffed with a laugh. “Who with a backer couldn’t accomplish many things?”

Yun Qingyi merely lowered her gaze and smiled, offering no rebuttal. When she next lifted her eyes, her previous tranquility had vanished entirely. “It’s getting late,” she stated. “I imagine Chief Gu still needs to greet his junior brother and junior sister.”

Gu Bei didn’t find Yun Qingyi’s direct dismissal abrupt; the guest elder of his Minor Sword Sect simply possessed such a temperament, dismissing people and changing her demeanor on a whim.

Even if Fairy Yun were to suddenly pin him down and beat him now, he wouldn’t find it strange, only wondering where he had offended her this time.

Gu Bei thus rose to take his leave. “Then I’ll be off?”

“Go on,” Yun Qingyi replied, rising unhurriedly herself.

Gu Bei watched her rise, feeling as though something was amiss, yet unable to pinpoint what it was.

It wasn’t until the guest elder saw him out, and he had walked some distance, that he heard the door gently click shut behind him, belatedly realizing something.

But what, precisely, was it?

He frowned, turning back to gaze at the closed door and the room where the oil lamp had been extinguished.

He felt as if something had flashed through his mind, but standing there and pondering for a long while, he couldn’t grasp any conclusion.

Too lazy to dwell on it further, he ambled towards the residences of his junior brother and junior sister.

****

As it was quite late, he merely tapped gently on Nan Jiumu’s door, offering a brief greeting.

Nan Jiumu told him to wait a moment.

Gu Bei felt a touch helpless, explaining that he had merely come to say hello, to let Nan Jiumu know he had returned.

Yet, why had there been such a clatter from inside when he knocked, and why did his junior brother (TL Note: Gu Bei mistakenly perceives Nan Jiumu as male, hence ‘junior brother’ in the original text, but the glossary confirms Nan Jiumu is female) seem so flustered… Had he already prepared for sleep?

Gu Bei pondered this, then yawned, too lazy to think further, and headed to Wenren Qingluan’s (TL Note: ‘小青鸾’ xiǎo qīngluán, a diminutive and affectionate address for Wenren Qingluan) place. Seeing no light in her room, he merely tapped lightly on her door, and receiving no reply, he departed directly.

Finally lying on his familiar bed, Gu Bei gazed at the ceiling in the dim room, illuminated by the bright moonlight streaming through the window.

‘Ah, well…’

‘He was finally back; sleeping at home truly was the most comfortable.’

He shifted comfortably on the couch, hesitating for a moment between not sleeping at all tonight to immediately cultivate back to the ninth stage of Qi Refinement, or simply getting some rest and addressing it tomorrow.

After a moment of thought.

‘Things had come to this; he might as well sleep first.’

‘As for cultivation, he, a mere mediocrity, was no different from those geniuses; a moment here or there wouldn’t matter. Besides… he might have to disperse his cultivation again later anyway…’

With that thought, he contentedly closed his eyes.

‘Still, hadn’t he forgotten something?’

‘What could it be…’

As his consciousness gradually deepened, Gu Bei drifted into slumber.

****

When Gu Bei next awoke, his eyes fluttered open in bed.

As his brain slowly roused, he sat upright.

The blanket slid down his bare torso, and he stretched, glancing out the window.

“Mmmph—” Gu Bei stretched contentedly, then suddenly glimpsed another person in the room. “Hm?!”

“Senior Brother is awake?” Nan Jiumu asked, smiling softly.

Gu Bei choked on his own saliva.

“Cough, cough, cough… Good morning, Jiumu. Why are you in my room?” Gu Bei asked, a little flustered.

“This morning, when I saw that Senior Brother hadn’t risen for a long while, I worried something might have happened, so I came to check—Senior Brother hasn’t had breakfast yet, has he?” Nan Jiumu asked gently.

Only then did Gu Bei notice the porridge and pastries his ‘junior brother’ (TL Note: Gu Bei’s internal perception; Nan Jiumu is female) had brought.

“Oh, dear…” Gu Bei’s face flushed slightly. Not only had he overslept, but he had also allowed someone to bring his meal to his room; he wasn’t some young master, after all.

He felt quite embarrassed.

“Well then, thank you, Jiumu. But…” Gu Bei’s embarrassment lasted only a moment before fading; after all, this was the junior brother he had personally raised. “Where’s Wenren Qingluan?”

“She’s already eaten and is currently practicing her swordplay.”

“Oh…” Gu Bei nodded slightly, then observed Nan Jiumu’s inexplicable blush, seeing him hesitate to speak, then seemingly hesitate to stop speaking.

‘Wait, junior brother, why are you…’

Gu Bei’s smile became a little strained.

‘Why are you blushing so much?’

However, he couldn’t very well ask directly, so he inquired instead, “Where is the guest elder, Yun Qingyi?”

“Her?” Nan Jiumu’s expression suddenly darkened. “Guest Elder Yun Qingyi left early this morning.”

“Oh…” Gu Bei nodded.

A silence fell between them.

“Perhaps, Jiumu, you could step out while I get dressed?”

“Ah? Ah! Yes, yes, yes!” Nan Jiumu exclaimed, hastily clanging down the tray and fleeing in a panic.

Gu Bei watched his junior brother’s graceful (TL Note: Gu Bei still perceives Nan Jiumu as male, but her ‘窈窕’ yǎotiáo, meaning ‘graceful’ or ‘slender,’ hints at her true female identity, creating dramatic irony) retreating figure, his expression growing increasingly complex.

‘Junior brother… about this orientation issue… we need to be a little healthier about it, alright…’

He sighed softly, then rose, donning his inner garment and casually draping his daoist robe over himself.

Meanwhile, Nan Jiumu, having fled, clutched her chest, feeling a surge of panic.

‘Why is he suddenly avoiding me?’

‘Could it be that Senior Brother…’

‘…has discovered I’m a girl?’

“Alright, come in.”

Nan Jiumu’s heart fluttered and her hand trembled once more, then she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pushed the door open to re-enter.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Not… not long?” Nan Jiumu replied, her heart easing when she saw Gu Bei didn’t press the issue.

“The porridge is cold, yet you say ‘not long’? Next time, just wake me directly,” Gu Bei said with a touch of helplessness, holding the bowl of porridge.

“The porridge is cold?! I, I, I didn’t use a spell—”

“Oh, that’s not the point!” Gu Bei exclaimed, watching his ‘junior brother’ (TL Note: Gu Bei’s internal perception; Nan Jiumu is female) whose expression had instantly turned panicked again. His head began to throb.

‘Wasn’t this what they called being muddled by concern?’

‘Junior brother, you should be directing that energy towards female cultivators, not me!’

Gu Bei’s head ached somewhat.

Their Minor Sword Sect, from top to bottom, seemed to be filled with problem children.

Wenren Qingluan clearly seemed quite fond of Jiumu, so why didn’t they know how to cultivate a relationship?

That child wouldn’t know anything about romance; if such a cute Wenren Qingluan were to be snatched away by some wild man later, he truly would be heartbroken to the point of being unable to breathe.

Wouldn’t it be better if it was resolved within their own sect?

Gu Bei’s mindset had never been that of a ‘standard cultivator’; he always believed that a person’s life was merely fleeting fireworks in the mortal world, and there was no such thing as embarking on the path of cultivation meaning one was no longer on the same path as those without cultivation.

Nor was there any truth to the notion that the immortal path was long and at its end, one would find no old friends in the mortal world.

As for the immortal dao being harsh and desolate, that was even more absurd.

Thus, many times, his perspective on matters always appeared ‘worldly’.

This was also why he hoped Nan Jiumu and Wenren Qingluan would get together, but when it came to matters of the heart, he knew there was nothing to be done if the individuals involved didn’t feel anything.

However, Jiumu seemed to have feelings for him, which still left him a bit speechless.

‘Senior Brother saved you and led you onto the path of cultivation, helping you with food, clothing, cultivation techniques, and magical treasures. Is this how you repay Senior Brother?’

‘Oh, Master treated me the same way, and I myself harbor intentions towards Master. So, never mind.’

Gu Bei slapped his forehead in a sudden, speechless gesture.

Senior Brother Gu’s sudden action of slapping his forehead caused Nan Jiumu to blink in confusion.