Descending the Mountain

Cao Xueyan shut herself in for several days of secluded study.

It couldn’t be said she gained nothing, but it was fair to call it no progress at all.

That cheap teacher of hers, Xiao Menglan, knew well what “stopping at just the right point” meant.

Since that day, she had never come to find her again, let alone given any “close” instruction.

Working behind closed doors really didn’t work.

It was about time for Cao Xueyan to go out and interact with those senior brothers and sisters she had never met before.

Once she decided, she acted.

Cao Xueyan rose, washed, and dressed herself.

After being shut in for days, she really had become a bit sloppy.

When putting on her outer robe, her hair was so long that she had to tug it out from the collar one handful at a time, like pulling up radishes.

“Should I cut it shorter?” Cao Xueyan muttered to herself.

Unfortunately, the sect had no barbershops.

Cultivators seemed to prefer the image of long flowing hair.

That phrase from her past life—“Wait till my hair is long and flowing, then will you marry me?”—

If it applied in this other world as well, then here, there would be countless maidens waiting to be wed.

This time, Cao Xueyan did not bring Mosheng with her.

That maid puppet was quite useful—washing clothes, scrubbing floors, cooking meals, even helping with baths.

Oh, don’t misunderstand.

There was nothing strange hidden in it.

When Cao Xueyan bathed, Mosheng simply walked in on her own to help scrub her back.

She hadn’t given any orders to “force good women into prostitution.”

But if she brought it outside, it would be far too conspicuous.

Cao Xueyan didn’t want to become the focus of Talisman Peak the moment she stepped out.

Leaving Moon-Inviting Palace was just as Xiao Menglan had said a few days earlier—effortless.

Clearly, the palace was covered with dangerous-looking talisman patterns, like an oversized talisman seal.

Yet the whole structure seemed to recognize Cao Xueyan.

She hadn’t even reached the gate before it opened on its own.

Automatic.

Truly advanced.

Cao Xueyan sighed inwardly.

The Dao of Talismans was indeed vast and profound.

She really needed to keep studying hard.

As an inner sect disciple, naturally her clothing was a little different.

Outer sect disciples wore white robes, drawn from the word “commoners.”

Besides cultivation, they still had to handle daily chores.

Often, to make a living, they had to seek jobs from the Outer Affairs Hall.

As a result, many disciples’ white robes turned gray or yellow after years of wear.

Only true masters could wear white robes as pure as snow, unstained by dust.

Inner sect disciples, however, wore blue robes, a symbol of their status.

Becoming an inner disciple meant becoming one of the sect’s “own people.”

They were worth the sect’s resources and effort to cultivate.

This was also why, in the simulations, when demonic cultivators attacked, the sect expelled outer disciples but made inner disciples stay to live and die with the sect.

When Cao Xueyan donned her blue robe, she looked quite refined.

The style was still the same old style, but the fabric was completely different—smoother than the finest silk of the mortal world.

There was only one path down from the peak.

The other sides were all sheer cliffs.

The moss-covered stone steps twisted and turned, hard to walk.

No doubt, successive peak masters living in Moon-Inviting Palace never took this road.

They always flew up and down.

Only poor Qi-Refining cultivators like Cao Xueyan still had to walk.

After half an hour’s walk, she reached mid-mountain.

The view suddenly opened wide.

Before, the layers of cloud and mist had blocked her sight.

She had never seen the true shape of the peak.

Now, even catching just a glimpse, she was surprised at how vast it was.

Halfway up the mountain, it was like another world.

Some mighty figure had once sliced off part of the rock-hard mountain with a sword.

The resulting hollow became the living and training area for the disciples.

The rock faces around were smooth and flat, as if tofu had been cut.

Such great power—Cao Xueyan’s meager experience couldn’t even imagine what level of cultivator could do such a thing.

When she first descended, no one paid her much attention.

But as she drew closer, a few blue-robed men and women walked over.

At a glance, they looked like a group of Smurfs.

Even from afar, Cao Xueyan heard their voices.

“The junior sister in front looks unfamiliar. May we ask her name?”

“Senior Brother Liu, you’re too much. Just recently a new junior brother arrived, and you weren’t half this warm.”

“Hey now, don’t speak without proof. I only saw this junior sister walking alone and thought she might not be familiar with matters here, so I wanted to help.”

“Sure, sure, we all know what you mean.”

“Junior Brother Cai, if you keep talking like that, I’ll get angry.”

Cao Xueyan put on a rookie’s expression—truthfully, she was a rookie.

“I greet my senior brothers and sisters.”

She clasped her hands in salute.

The leader, Senior Brother Liu, wasn’t tall.

At his waist hung a sachet and jade pendant, and in his hand was a folding fan.

He looked rather like a frivolous young master.

The disciples beside him, at least, looked normal.

Seeing Cao Xueyan so polite, Liu’s smile grew broader.

“We are all fellow disciples. No need to be so formal.

Come, since junior sister has just arrived, why don’t I show you around the peak?”

“That is exactly what I hoped for. I’ll trouble senior brother then.”

“Ah, not at all, not at all.

My surname is Liu. Just call me Senior Brother Liu.

You’re lucky to have met me today.

If it had been someone else, they might have demanded an ‘entrance fee’ from you.”

Cao Xueyan was surprised.

“An entrance fee?”

That was basically protection money.

In the mortal world, street thugs extorted it from the poor.

They came every few days, making life harder and harder, despised by all.

Cao Xueyan had lived peacefully in the outer sect, never imagining such people could exist in the inner sect.

Senior Brother Liu said meaningfully, “Exactly.

Even in the inner sect, one must cultivate.

Without spirit stones, how could one manage?”

“Senior brother speaks true. Without spirit stones, one can’t take a single step.”

“Ah, you understand.

By the way, after chatting so long, I still don’t know junior sister’s name.”

He carefully revealed his true purpose, making himself look kind and approachable.

Cao Xueyan played along.

“My surname is Cao, given name Xueyan.”

“Oh, so it’s Junior Sister Cao.

Fate indeed to meet you.

Just in time—there’s a Talisman Gathering happening soon.

Would you care to join us?”

“Talisman Gathering?” Cao Xueyan asked curiously.

“What’s that?”

“The specialty of Talisman Peak is talisman-making.

Naturally, the Talisman Gathering is where we exchange experiences in talisman crafting.

Since junior sister is new, you may still lack a foundation in talismans.

If you don’t understand something, you can always ask me.”

“I’ll surely trouble senior brother then.” Cao Xueyan said politely.

“Not at all, not at all. Come along.”

Following the seniors, Cao Xueyan arrived at a spacious venue.

Many people were gathered there, the chatter loud and lively.

Some were even shouting at each other, red in the face, over differing opinions.

It didn’t feel like a place for exchange.

It felt like a gambling hall.

“They’re always like this.” Senior Brother Liu explained.

“Sometimes elders from the sect come to give guidance.

Then everyone quiets down.”

Cao Xueyan nodded, then thought of something.

“Will the peak master come?”

Liu shook his head.

“Someone like the peak master is not someone we can casually meet.

Many disciples have never seen her from the day they entered until now.

As for me, I only saw her once, ten years ago, during the disciple competition.”

The disciple competition was held once every ten years, open only to inner disciples.

Those below Foundation Establishment were basically just there to make up the numbers.

At that time, the sect master, elders, and all the peak masters came to observe.

Speaking of the peak master, admiration shone in Liu’s eyes.

“The peak master is unmatched in beauty.

If in this life I could receive even a single instruction from her, I could die without regret.”

Cao Xueyan gave an awkward smile.

In her mind appeared the image of Xiao Menglan “seriously” guiding her.

If the senior brothers around her knew the truth, wouldn’t they die of jealousy?