The Silkworm Gathering Assembly

As night fell, Chi Qiu walked through the streets of Sang City. Due to the curfew, the streets were deserted, utterly desolate.

Chi Qiu had shed the silver-white Transcendent Skirt she wore during the day, changing into a black silk gown. This elaborate gown was intricately structured, adorned with golden phoenix patterns that rendered it exceptionally exquisite.

Clad in this attire, Chi Qiu exuded an air of nobility. Coupled with her striking beauty, she truly possessed the demeanor of a refined young lady from an esteemed family, showing no trace of being a rogue cultivator.

Chi Qiu, however, paid little mind to such perceptions. She simply preferred this black gown over her daytime Transcendent Skirt, not for any profound reason, but purely because she favored black and gold.

Before long, Chi Qiu arrived at the City Lord’s manor. Even before she could enter, a foot soldier stepped forward to greet her.

“Is this Senior Immortal here for the Sanwei Meeting?” a soldier asked, holding a long halberd with its blade reversed, leaning forward respectfully.

Chi Qiu nodded, offering no verbal reply.

“Senior Immortal, please follow me.” The soldier handed his halberd to another, then gestured for Chi Qiu to enter the City Lord’s manor.

The two entered the manor and soon reached a brightly lit azure hall.

“Senior Immortal, this is the place. We foot soldiers are not permitted inside this hall, so I can only escort you this far.” The soldier pointed towards the azure hall, indicating the way for Chi Qiu, before retreating.

Chi Qiu stepped into the azure hall, which was furnished with numerous long mats and small tables. Delicacies and spiritual wine adorned the tables, and some cultivators were already seated, conversing and drinking.

Le Shan, seated at the head table facing the gathering, rose upon seeing Chi Qiu approach. He invited her to sit, “Fellow Daoist Chi, please take a seat.”

Chi Qiu had never before attended a banquet comprised solely of cultivators. Fortunately, Le Shan pointed out her seat. She cupped her fist in return, then gracefully walked to the indicated spot and sat cross-legged.

“This fellow Daoist appears so young. May I ask which sect’s talented young prodigy you are?” a brown-robed man, appearing to be around fifty years old, asked with cupped fists as soon as Chi Qiu settled down.

“Chi Qiu, without sect or affiliation.” Chi Qiu returned the gesture, her tone cool.

“May I ask which aristocratic family Fellow Daoist Chi hails from? I have not heard of a Chi clan in these vicinity.” A middle-aged man across from Chi Qiu inquired. He wore a grey Daoist robe emblazoned with a Taiji symbol on the chest, from which spiritual energy subtly emanated, marking him as extraordinary.

“I am not from an aristocratic family, merely a rogue cultivator.” Chi Qiu shook her head, denying it.

“So, an untamed cultivator, humph.” The brown-robed man beside Chi Qiu scoffed upon hearing her claim to be a rogue cultivator, turning his face away and falling silent. It seemed that if not for Le Shan hosting this gathering, he might have simply swept his sleeves and departed.

Even the middle-aged man in the Taiji Daoist robe shook his head slightly, lapsing into silence.

Chi Qiu, as if she hadn’t heard a thing, picked up her wine cup and took a shallow sip. She was long accustomed to such scenes, having experienced similar disdain during the martial arts tournament in the Daqi Imperial City. Arguing with such people was pointless, and Chi Qiu was not one for eloquent debate. Her only recourse was to silence them with strength, just as she had done at the tournament.

Of course, if they were not within this grand hall, but rather in the desolate wilderness, Chi Qiu would not hesitate to show them the true power of an ‘untamed cultivator.’

“Fellow Daoists, you must not underestimate Fellow Daoist Chi simply because she is a rogue cultivator. Just a few days ago, Fellow Daoist Chi faced an opponent head-on and beheaded a Heart Scripture cultivator. I wonder if any of you could achieve such a feat?” Le Shan stood to mediate. At a time when cultivators were scarce, if these two were to provoke Chi Qiu into leaving, the revenue from this Sanwei Meeting would be severely impacted.

Upon hearing Chi Qiu’s astonishing battle record, the brown-robed elder instantly quieted, his old face stretched long. Though he remained silent, his lips still twitched with lingering resentment.

Chi Qiu nodded at Le Shan, raising her wine cup and draining it in a gesture of thanks.

Following this minor interlude, the banquet grew considerably quieter. Everyone ceased their chatter, silently consuming their food and drink.

Before long, several more cultivators entered the hall. Chi Qiu surveyed the room, concluding that everyone must have arrived. Now, it was likely time to discuss matters related to the Sanwei Meeting.

As expected, once all the cultivators were seated, Le Shan raised his wine cup and stood. “All of you have arrived. I shall first drink this cup to thank you all for coming to assist my Sang City.” With that, he drained his cup.

Seeing Le Shan finish his drink, a blue-robed male cultivator also stood, saying, “City Lord Le, there is no need for such formality. We cultivators…”

Chi Qiu idly fiddled with the bronze wine cup in her hand. She truly held no interest in the pleasantries these people exchanged.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Le Shan set down his cup and began to speak of serious matters. He sat cross-legged in the main seat, his tone slightly grave as he began, “This time, due to the Imperial City’s martial arts tournament, many sects and families were spurred to recall their traveling disciples for further training. Consequently, very few cultivators are participating in this Sanwei Meeting.”

Le Shan then surveyed the cultivators in the hall and continued, “Among the cultivators who have come to my Sanwei Meeting, there are three Heart Scripture cultivators. They are Fellow Daoist Wang Ji of the Three Peaks Altar.” Le Shan gestured towards a young man seated to his right.

Chi Qiu’s gaze also shifted to that person. She knew of the Three Peaks Altar, having once defeated a genius disciple from that sect during the martial arts tournament. However, this individual was clearly not the one Chi Qiu had defeated, so she merely glanced at him before looking away.

“And this is Fellow Daoist Chen Ya of the Chen family.” Le Shan then pointed to a middle-aged man seated at the head of the left side. This man had a cold expression, with a scar running from his chin to his brow bone, making him appear quite formidable.

“Finally, this is Fellow Daoist Ji Feng of the Ji family.” This last individual wore a yellow robe, possessed a burly physique, and bore a friendly smile, appearing to be an easygoing sort.

“However, my Sanwei Meeting requires the assistance of at least four Heart Scripture cultivators. Otherwise, there won’t be enough time to harvest the mulberry sprouts before the demonic beasts break through the formation and plunder them all,” Le Shan said, changing the subject after introducing the Heart Scripture cultivators.

“City Lord Le, why are at least four Heart Scripture cultivators required? This is my first time at the Sanwei Meeting, and I am unaware of the details. I hope you can enlighten me,” Wang Ji, the Heart Scripture cultivator, asked with cupped fists.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, you may not know, but this Sanwei Meeting consists of three parts. First, City Lord Le is responsible for controlling the grand formation and defending against the demonic beast attacks. However, demonic beasts can also damage the formation, hence the need for at least four Heart Scripture cultivators to guard the four cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north—constantly sallying forth to disrupt the beasts’ attempts to break the formation. Only then can we buy enough time for the Spirit Nourishing cultivators to fully harvest the mulberry sprouts.” Ji Feng, the burly man, proactively explained to Wang Ji before Le Shan could speak.

Wang Ji nodded in understanding, while the several Spirit Nourishing cultivators below began to whisper amongst themselves.

“What should we do then?”

“I’ve been to the giant mulberry tree and inspected the formation. It spans nearly a thousand zhang, making it impossible for one cultivator to cover two directions.”

Hearing some cultivators considering retreat, Le Shan’s expression subtly shifted. He exchanged a glance with Chi Qiu, who nodded in silent understanding, before he tapped the table.

Knock, knock

The crowd instantly fell silent.

“Fellow Daoists, there’s no need to rush. The purpose of this assembly is precisely to resolve this matter.” Le Shan’s tone softened once everyone quieted down.

“This is Fellow Daoist Chi Qiu. A few days ago, she was attacked in her courtyard by a Heart Scripture cultivator. After a fierce battle, Fellow Daoist Chi beheaded that cultivator. I propose that Fellow Daoist Chi guard one of the formation’s directions. What are your thoughts?”

The previously quiet hall erupted in renewed clamor. The brown-robed elder was the first to speak, “How can such an important task be entrusted to an untamed cultivator? Her beheading that Heart Scripture cultivator was probably just a stroke of luck.”

Chi Qiu set down her wine cup, her expression utterly unperturbed.

“Guarding the grand formation requires means of long-range combat. Fellow Daoist Chi, though strong, is still only at the Spirit Nourishing stage. It will be difficult,” the man in the Taiji Daoist robe also interjected, advising caution.

“More words are useless. I request Fellow Daoist Chi to demonstrate her strength, otherwise, it will be hard to convince anyone.” Chen Ya, the man with the scar on his face, looked at Chi Qiu and spoke.

Chi Qiu nodded, rose to her feet, and looked at the brown-robed elder who had been consistently antagonistic towards her. Then, she casually waved her hand.

Whoosh!

This wave seemed to align with a profound fluctuation in the heavens and earth. Lunar spiritual energy gathered with her motion, forming a crescent-moon-like sharp edge.

With that single wave, Chi Qiu had unleashed a sword qi!

Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment. The brown-robed elder, seeing the sword qi flying towards him, frantically propelled his spiritual energy to retreat, clumsily knocking over many delicacies and spiritual wines.

“Fellow Daoist Chi, please show mercy!” Le Shan exclaimed, his heart filled with joy, yet his face betraying an anxious expression.

Chi Qiu nodded at his words and sat down. Subsequently, the sword qi transformed back into the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, dissipating into thin air.

This technique was one Chi Qiu had meticulously comprehended from the Moon Gaze Treasure Canon over the past few days. It was originally the final strike of the Moonlit Sky Sword Dance, but under Chi Qiu’s modifications, she could now unleash the sword qi directly, bypassing the full dance.

Since this attack fundamentally involved drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to form sword qi, Chi Qiu could unleash it whether or not she held a sword in her hand.

“Fellow Daoist Chi is truly worthy of City Lord Le’s high regard. Her understanding of the Dao is remarkably profound!” The burly Ji Feng was the first to react, cupping his fists in admiration.

What is Dao? Chi Qiu had never heard the term before, but she did not ask, simply returning the bow with an expressionless face.

Below, the brown-robed elder finally scrambled to his feet, his face etched with terror, no longer daring to utter a single word.

“Hehehehe… Does anyone still have objections now?” Le Shan asked, a wide smile on his face, his gaze pointedly falling upon the other cultivator in the Taiji Daoist robe.

That cultivator’s face flushed crimson. He lowered his head slightly and stated that he had none.

“Excellent. Let us drink another cup, and then I will arrange the tasks for each of you at the Sanwei Meeting.” Le Shan raised his wine cup once more.

Chi Qiu, having just vented her frustration, was now in high spirits. She, too, picked up her wine cup and took a sip.

It was late into the night before Le Shan finished explaining all the arrangements. Chi Qiu returned to her courtyard, beginning her preparations for confronting the demonic beasts.