Chapter Twenty-Five: The Scheming Stone Qingxiang

This turn of events not only left all the Qi Refining disciples wide-eyed, but even the Nascent Soul elders were quite surprised.

The young man from Mistcloud Sect was clearly cut from the same cloth as that Jiang Yan—relying on a bit of talent to take reckless shortcuts in cultivation. Dai Mingchi had already found their conduct intolerable and had coldly declared that if the two audacious boys were from his own Talisman Sect, he would have crippled their cultivation and expelled them on the spot. No one could guess why Ji Youyun had called the boy forward—was it to assess if he might become a hidden threat, and, like Gao Hongxin of Little Yingzhou, dispose of him preemptively?

Yet at this critical moment, Shi Qingxiang’s composure caught the attention of all the esteemed masters present. Unperturbed by the many stares, he betrayed neither fear nor awe on his face; he simply walked up before Ji Youyun, bowed respectfully, and appeared perfectly calm.

Ji Youyun’s peculiar art was exhausting; even though today’s subjects were all mere Qi Refining apprentices, there were too many of them, and the matter was far too significant to allow any error. Fatigue was inevitable. Seeing Shi Qingxiang approach, he did not hurry to examine him, but instead asked, “What martial art have you cultivated?”

Shi Qingxiang’s martial technique was no secret; many in Dancliff Sect had witnessed it. Yet, he hesitated for a moment instead of answering at once.

Since Shi Qingxiang’s name had been called, Hongjian’s heart had leapt into her throat, and now her vision went black as she thought, “Curse my luck!” Their wager was still valid; since Shi Qingxiang had conceded, he’d honored his word and, it seemed, intended to keep his vow of silence even in this deadly moment.

Sure enough, after a brief pause, Shi Qingxiang responded: he kept his mouth tightly shut, lowered his head, and pointed in front of his feet. Instantly, a vine as thick as a child’s arm burst from the ground before Ji Youyun’s seat. Though it vanished in a blink, it was enough for the Nascent Soul elders to see the thorns along its length with perfect clarity.

After a long moment, Jiang Yan drew in a sharp breath, and everyone finally realized—this boy had just displayed a martial technique in the Hall of Universal Splendor, in front of everyone, while still in the Qi Refining stage. Was he courting death? Where was Xing Wuya, who had just taken a life with a mere gesture? Why hadn’t he struck this boy down as well?

Hongjian was in utter despair, inwardly wailing, “Shi, my ancestor, what are you doing? Please, just open your mouth and speak! If you want to die, die on your own—don’t drag me into this!”

The elders’ reactions were mostly of genuine surprise; even Ji Youyun was taken aback as he slowly asked, “Demon-Subduing Vine?” Shi Qingxiang nodded honestly.

Ji Youyun’s tone held a hint of oddity. “Your fellow disciple seeks the ‘Heart Sword’ of Shang Qingzui, and you? You have learned the ‘Demon-Subduing Vine.’ What do you intend with it?”

Shi Qingxiang remained silent. This was a question that could not be answered with a nod or shake of the head, and so his face showed a trace of distress. Yet he knew ignoring Ji Youyun’s question could have dire consequences, so he quickly looked at him apologetically and then shook his head.

The boy’s behavior was simply baffling. Lingxuzi could not contain himself and barked, “Are you mute?”

How timely that question was. Shi Qingxiang’s eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously.

Mute, truly?

Lingxuzi froze, then quickly realized that was impossible. How could someone with such a rare wood spirit root be afflicted with muteness?

Lingxuzi’s face darkened. Perhaps because the boy possessed the wood spirit root, Lingxuzi had earlier thought of him as gentle and upright—unlike Jiang Yan, who was clearly unruly. Though both had been expelled from their groups, this one seemed innocent through and through. He hadn’t felt the slightest dislike for him, but now he realized Shi Qingxiang’s outward demeanor had deceived him.

Nor was Lingxuzi alone; many of the elders on the dais were having similar thoughts.

The great hall fell utterly silent. All the Qi Refining apprentices sensed this was but the calm before the storm. Even Ji Nanpu, Xie Yaofei, and the others who had already crossed the threshold to greater things felt suffocated. Hongjian, in particular, wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole, allowing her to escape this place of calamity.

Yet at that very moment, one dared to speak. With a loud thud, Jiang Yan dropped to his knees and knelt low, crying out, “Honored elders, Brother Shi cannot speak for a reason beyond his control. Please permit me to explain on his behalf.”

Everyone turned their gaze to Jiang Yan. When no one stopped him, Jiang Yan quickly continued, “Last month, after we arrived at Dancliff Sect, we had a minor conflict with some of their disciples. Later, Brother Shi accepted a bet with a Dancliff sister: whoever lost would be a mute for a month. Brother Zhang Yu, also present then, witnessed the contest. Brother Shi conceded, and the month is not yet over. As cultivators, we must honor our vows and the consequences thereof. I beg the elders’ forgiveness for his apparent disrespect.”

Sweat beaded on Hongjian’s brow. That scoundrel Jiang Yan was truly loyal—he was doing everything in his power to aid Shi Qingxiang, but did he have to drag Dancliff Sect into it with every sentence? Was he trying to roast her over the fire?

Sure enough, with every mention of Dancliff Sect, the expressions of Lingxuzi and several other elders turned subtly complex. This boy from Mistcloud Sect was clever—by tying Shi Qingxiang’s vow of silence to Dancliff Sect, how were they to handle it? Furthermore, to be honest, in both of today’s contests, Dancliff Sect, as the renowned host, had performed quite averagely. The news that one of their Qi Refining disciples had forced a seventh-level Mistcloud disciple to concede was surprising even to the elders.

Even Jin Donglou looked at Shi Qingxiang with interest and asked, “Oh? Whom did you lose to?”

A Nascent Soul elder had spoken, and Shi Qingxiang dared not remain silent. Kneeling before Ji Youyun, he drew from his sleeve a set of writing implements, laid the paper before him, and began to write swiftly.

The paper and brush were the very ones he’d received during the second round’s scripture transcription. While others had left theirs behind, he alone had kept his, knowing he’d be eliminated for using a martial technique anyway, and thus had nothing to lose.

Ji Youyun had been watching him quietly, but upon seeing this, his expression shifted slightly, and he exchanged a glance with Dai Mingchi that no one else noticed.

Jin Donglou waited patiently for Shi Qingxiang to finish writing, then swept it with his spiritual sense and said, “Fang Hongjian, ah, a young girl—I recall she is here and was not called up. Her performance in the second round was lacking. Come, come, let Mr. Ji have a look as well.”

All eyes turned toward Hongjian; there was nowhere left to hide.

Steeling herself, she rose and walked toward Ji Youyun, thinking bleakly, “It seems I’ll be carried out of the Hall of Universal Splendor today. If I’m to die, then so be it, but what will become of Fang Zheng after I’m gone?”