Side story

Time holds no sway in the mountains.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed since Mu Hanyuan returned to the sect.

During these three years, after recuperating and nurturing his essence, his return to the path of immortality was as natural as water following a channel. While others’ spiritual power might flow like a narrow stream into a ravine, his was like an ocean becoming a waterfall; his cultivation grew day by day without encountering a single bottleneck.

Within Tianshan Peak, Yun Yao and Mu Hanyuan knew the reason behind this. However, outside the peak—from Qianmen to the entire Immortal Domain—people were repeatedly shocked by this Qianmen prodigy who had emerged overnight from among the many geniuses of the immortal sects.

After all, those within the realm of human understanding are called geniuses; those beyond it are more akin to monsters.

However, within Qianmen, few felt true wariness. Thus, in less than three years since joining, Mu Hanyuan had reclaimed his former status and was now publicly recognized as the foremost among the Qianmen disciples.

“…Senior Martial Aunt, you should have seen the scene at the Great Immortal Sect Tournament! That presence! It was as if the radiance of a bright moon suddenly rose over a sea of stars. All those ‘favored sons of heaven’ from the major sects who called themselves geniuses were overshadowed into dullness! Now, is there even one of them who dares to hold their head high in front of Senior Brother Mu?”

Inside the Tianshan Peak grotto.

Ding Xiao, among the first batch of disciples to return from the tournament, had come immediately to report to Yun Yao. As she spoke, she swayed her head, looking for all the world as if she were the “radiance of the bright moon” herself.

“You call Mu Hanyuan ‘Senior Brother’?” Yun Yao raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Ding Xiao said, her throat dry as she gulped down tea. “Everyone in the sect calls him that now. One casual move from Senior Brother Mu this time was enough to make everyone utterly convinced! It’s a real pity you didn’t go, Senior Martial Aunt!”

“What did you call me?”

“Senior Martial Aunt.”

“And what is my relationship with Mu Hanyuan?”

“Well, of course, he’s your Dao—ist… companion…?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ding Xiao looked a bit dazed herself. “Wait, you’re right. Senior Brother Mu is clearly Senior Martial Aunt’s companion. Why would we call him Senior Brother?”

Yun Yao asked, “Did it start with you?”

“No. I forgot who first mentioned it, but eventually, everyone just called him that.”

Ding Xiao set down her teacup, tapping her forehead in confusion.

“Come to think of it, there’s another strange thing. Senior Brother Mu looks so cold and otherworldly, someone you can only observe from afar, and he has the status of an elder’s companion. Yet, the disciples in the sect are instinctively very close to him. When I’m with him, I often get this inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if I knew someone like him before, but I just can’t remember no matter what…”

Yun Yao felt a surge of emotion and couldn’t help but glance up at the moon-watching opening above.

The Heavenly Dao could erase every trace of Mu Hanyuan’s existence in the world, but it could not erase the traces in people’s hearts.

They might have forgotten his name and face, but there was an unnamed, deep shadow in their souls that perhaps never truly vanished.

And now, he had finally returned, fulfilling expectations and filling that hollow shadow in their hearts.

Yun Yao was quite moved by her thoughts, but when she looked back down, she was startled by Ding Xiao’s face, which had leaned in close at some point.

“…Why are you suddenly smiling so sycophantically? What wicked plan are you cooking up now?” Yun Yao shifted an inch away in distaste.

Ding Xiao feigned bashfulness. “Senior Martial Aunt, don’t be so cold. After Senior Brother Mu led the team to the tournament, rumors are flying in the Immortal Domain. They say the Tianshan Peak lineage must have some secret method for boosting cultivation. As they say, ‘don’t let the good water flow to outsiders’ fields.’ What do you think of my talent, Senior Martial Aunt? Are you prepared to teach me a thing or two?”

“A secret method? You actually believe such nonsense?” Yun Yao found it both funny and annoying. “Just because Mu Hanyuan’s cultivation rose a bit fast?”

“A bit? Three years ago, he was a mortal with zero spiritual power; three years later, he stands among the powerhouses of Qianyuan! Even compared to the most famous geniuses in the history of the Qianyuan continent, Senior Brother Mu’s progress can be called ‘covering a thousand miles in a day’!”

“Oh.”

Yun Yao responded lazily, idly toying with the pieces on a go board.

Ding Xiao didn’t give up, leaning in closer. “Is it really all just because Senior Brother Mu’s talent is too overwhelming?”

“Not entirely,” Yun Yao said slowly. “You can understand it like this: for you, every realm requires pioneering, tempering, and accumulation. You have to gather spiritual power for years, decades, or even centuries to break through the natural chasm between realms and advance.”

Ding Xiao blinked. “And Senior Brother Mu?”

“Him? For him, there’s no need to pioneer, and he has already tempered and accumulated far too much. Those rivers, lakes, and seas are already there. He only needs to follow the path that once existed and pour in a new stream of living water to connect everything from start to finish.”

Ding Xiao: “…Isn’t that just talent then?”

Yun Yao set down a go piece and looked up, blinking innocently. “I suppose?”

Ding Xiao gritted her teeth. “Yes. It. Is.”

“Fine, if you say so.” Yun Yao stood up. “Anyway, once you leave Tianshan Peak, make it clear to the elders and disciples—I have no secret cultivation methods here. If I did, why would I have spent every day in the past practicing the sword and getting beaten until I was as tired as a dead dog?”

Yun Yao finished, but received no response for a long while.

Puzzled, she turned back and saw the silent Ding Xiao pursing her lips, wearing an expression of bashful, coy affection.

A bad premonition bubbled up.

Yun Yao narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell me the sect has already…”

“It’s the Grand Elder’s instruction! It has nothing to do with me, Senior Martial Aunt!” Ding Xiao immediately exonerated herself, nearly taking a solemn oath.

“Mu Jiutian again. He just can’t stand Tianshan Peak having a single day of peace,” Yun Yao gritted her teeth. “What did he say?”

“Well… he selected several brilliant disciples from various peaks and sent them to Tianshan Peak, waiting to receive ‘guidance’ from the Senior Martial Aunt…”

Ding Xiao spoke while carefully observing Yun Yao’s expression. Seeing a storm brewing, she quickly used the ultimate move Mu Jiutian had given her: “Grandmaster said! Only for three months! You have to give those longing elders a decent explanation!”

Yun Yao’s expression softened slightly. “That’s it?”

“One last thing,” Ding Xiao held up one finger. “Grandmaster said if the Tianshan Peak lineage loses its heritage, he would truly be ashamed before the sect. So, in three months, please select two decent-looking disciples from among them to take under your wing.”

Yun Yao: “?”

After the tournament, Mu Hanyuan was originally supposed to lead the team directly back to the sect.

However, they encountered a village suffering from a demon calamity midway. He had Ding Xiao lead one group of disciples back to the mountain ahead of schedule, while he took the remaining disciples as a second group to the desolate mountain where the demon resided. This served as both a trial for the disciples and a way to save the innocent village.

Thus, he was one step behind Ding Xiao.

By the time he received Ding Xiao’s “whistleblower” sword message, the demon calamity had just been resolved. Mu Hanyuan was at the foot of the desolate mountain, taking advantage of the rest period to review the battle’s gains and losses with the disciples.

“…The timing for the first team’s [All-Seeing Array] was excellent. However, after identifying the beast’s weakness, the coordination of the other two teams was a bit sluggish.”

Mu Hanyuan pressed a willow branch forward, pointing out three spots in the phantom image of the demon beast formed in mid-air. “Furthermore, in a cultivator’s combat, one should take the momentum rather than the proximity. If you keep this in mind, you won’t lose your composure during battle…”

A golden-light sword message arrived.

While the disciples pondered and discussed amongst themselves, Mu Hanyuan received the message.

It was indeed Ding Xiao: [Terrible news, Senior Brother! While you weren’t home—bah, not on the peak—Grandmaster selected a bunch of disciples and sent them to Tianshan Peak. He wants Senior Martial Aunt to pick a disciple from among them to stay on the peak forever!]

The golden light transformed into powder and dissipated before Mu Hanyuan’s eyes.

Mu Hanyuan slightly narrowed his long eyes. A layer of cold white frost seemed to cover the willow branch held between his long fingers.

At that moment, two oblivious disciples came over with their discussion results to seek guidance. “Senior Brother, I think I understand. Should we—”

“The remaining parts, I will lecture personally at Fengtian Peak tomorrow.”

Mu Hanyuan snapped back to his senses and gave a faint smile. He lowered his sleeves, hiding the willow branch behind his back. “It is getting late. To avoid worrying the elders of the various peaks, we shall delay no further. Qin Shuangheng, order the disciples to form a rank, mount their swords, and depart immediately.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

As Mu Hanyuan’s silhouette receded, the bowing disciples stood up.

“Senior Brother Mu is just too gentle.”

“Yeah, I always say Senior Brother Mu is definitely the best-tempered person under heaven. Having such incredible talent, yet he’s still so approachable.”

“I’m so envious of the Little Senior Grandmaster. Senior Brother must be so soft-spoken and pleasant every day, with no temper at all.”

“True—wait, what’s this?”

A disciple stepped over the spot where Mu Hanyuan had just been standing. Hearing a few cracks beneath his boots, he couldn’t help but look down.

The other disciples also gathered around in a circle.

“Looks like… crushed ice?”

“How is that possible? This midsummer heat is almost causing a drought; it’s so hot around here not a drop of rain falls. Where would ice come from?”

“And it’s not melting—ah!”

With a cry of pain, the disciple who reached out to pick it up hurriedly circulated his spiritual power to force the chill from his fingertip. “Wh-what kind of ice is this! It’s way too cold!”

Standing among the disciples, He Fengming glanced at the crushed ice on the ground—shattered so thoroughly its original form was unrecognizable—and the bit of willow-green hidden within. He couldn’t help but look at Mu Hanyuan’s silhouette in the distance.

“He truly is ‘gentle’, isn’t he?”

“Hmm? What did you say, Senior Brother He?”

“Nothing. I said we should hurry up,” He Fengming turned and summoned his flying sword. “Otherwise, if you delay Senior Brother Mu’s business, watch out or you might be turned into crushed ice too.”

“Senior Brother Mu is so kind and pure; he would never.”

One incense stick later.

Carried along by Mu Hanyuan’s spiritual power, the disciples—who had flown so fast they were nearly “sword-sick”—arrived at the sect gates. They supported themselves against tree trunks with pale faces, retching.

The scene was momentarily chaotic.

The disciples on duty today were bewildered. After a few breaths of daze, the four of them reacted and hurriedly offered salutes to Mu Hanyuan, who stood at the front with a gentle and peaceful expression. “Congratulations to Senior Brother Mu for returning victorious from the tournament. You’ve arrived a bit earlier than the message stated; we shall go inform the sect elders now.”

“No need. I will speak to the Elder Hall myself. Open the mountain gates first.”

“Yes.”

While two of the duty disciples opened the array, one of the others couldn’t help himself. He looked at the dizzy, retching, and pale-faced disciples behind Mu Hanyuan and asked curiously, “Senior Brother Mu, what happened to them…?”

“Rest assured, they are fine.”

The array was open. Mu Hanyuan, having gone through the motions of waiting for the “door to open,” had already lost his last shred of patience.

His silhouette vanished the moment his last words fell:

“I simply took them to experience the sword-flight speed of a high-realm cultivator in advance.”

Duty disciples: “…”

“?”

Three breaths later, a gust of wind rose before the Tianshan Peak grotto.

Mu Hanyuan’s white robes drifted down like falling snow. He quietly raised his dark eyes, looking into the grotto.

Even through the layers of restrictions, he could hear several unfamiliar voices inside the cave.

…Quite noisy.

Mu Hanyuan’s gaze darkened slightly as he took a step forward—

Inside the grotto.

Yun Yao leaned against her chair with a headache, her hand on her forehead. She waved her hand at the disciples kneeling on the floor, all of them holding up teacups to offer tea. “It’s not that I’m unwilling to take you in, it’s just that Tianshan Peak is used to peace and quiet, truly…”

Swish.

Like a light snow falling into the grotto.

Yun Yao’s heart suddenly skipped. In a moment of instinctive perception, she raised her eyes to look among the kneeling disciples.

As expected, at some point, a white silhouette had appeared in the grotto.

Perhaps he had traveled in a hurry; even his usually perfectly secured lotus crown and long hair were a bit disarrayed. Passing through the silhouettes of the disciples, he arrived in his white robes.

Reaching her side, Mu Hanyuan casually took a cup of tea from the hands of a disciple kneeling in front.

Under the bewildered and stunned gazes of the disciples, the man—carrying the dust of his journey—stopped beside the red-clad woman’s chair and knelt down.

Snow-white hair trailed down, and the jade on his lotus crown shone with a cold brilliance.

“Master.”

Mu Hanyuan offered tea to Yun Yao as naturally as could be, raising his eyes.

His long fingers rested on her hand, sliding across her wrist with a seemingly accidental touch. His eyes were dark and deep, yet he asked with a faint smile:

“Which one do you want to take as your disciple?”