Chapter Five: To Do, or Not to Do

Hongjian tried her best to forget what had happened at the rocky shore. In her mind, provoking Qu Changhe over a suspicious stranger was nothing short of courting death; reporting the man’s whereabouts to her sect was surely the proper course. Yet for reasons she could not name, her instincts rebelled against that, too. Better, she decided, to take each day as it came and pretend none of it had ever happened.

But within a few days, Hongjian found herself wondering whether she could somehow obtain a Moon Radiance Pill.

With that mysterious figure lurking in the shadows, Hongjian dared not return to the cave at the rocky shore. In fact, she had spent the past few days staying wherever crowds gathered. There were so many powerful elders of Dan Cliff Sect—cultivators at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages—that the stranger would surely hesitate to stir up too much trouble. Hongjian felt certain that as long as she stuck close to Yao Zhen, Qi Xiuning, and a few others, she would be safe. The downside, however, was that she had to put on hold her plans to help Fang Zheng break through to the third level of Qi Refining.

Originally, Hongjian could have spent her time cultivating and improving herself. But ever since that day, whenever she tried to circulate her spiritual energy, a stabbing pain would shoot through her sea of consciousness. Just as the stranger had warned, her spiritual sense had been injured, and she had no idea how to heal it. She only vaguely felt that after several days of rest, her condition seemed to be improving a little. Perhaps, since she was only at the Qi Refining stage—her cultivation still shallow—with enough rest she would recover. These days, she even had to find ways to muddle through whenever Qu Changhe tried to instruct her in person. This was supposed to be a crucial period before the upcoming assessment, when everyone was giving their all, yet she was wasting this precious time. The regret kept her tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep.

If these troubles were not enough to make Hongjian reconsider her choices, another, even greater temptation soon presented itself—one so enticing that she could not help but carefully weigh the risks and rewards.

It seemed the visit from Xianyun Sect had not been without reason. In the following days, several prominent figures from other major sects arrived at Dan Cliff as well. These included the friendly Xiao Yingzhou, as well as Xianxia Cave, with whom there was no small history of rivalry. Without exception, the visiting elders brought along a number of their own Qi Refining disciples. Dan Cliff Sect became livelier than ever, taking on the atmosphere of a grand gathering of the continent’s cultivators.

With about ten days left before the end-of-month assessment, the news came that Dai Mingchi, the sect master of Futuzong—the foremost cultivation sect in the west—had also arrived.

Hongjian learned this from Yao Zhen. Ever since Yao Zhen had told her about the sect’s upcoming assessment, Hongjian had noticed a change in her senior sister—she was busier, more decisive, and far better informed. Yao Zhen, who did not get along with Qi Xiuning and the others, now confided everything to Hongjian.

“Hongjian, have you heard? Sect Master Dai broke through to the Divine Transformation stage two months ago. He’s the only one on the whole continent besides our own Elder Jin to have reached that level. I wonder what he looks like. If only I could find a way to catch a glimpse of him.”

“Big news, Hongjian! Do you know why all these elders are gathering at Dan Cliff? It turns out it really does have something to do with us. Elder Jin has emerged from seclusion, and rumor has it that he and Sect Master Dai have decided to each take on a few personal disciples—directly under their tutelage! Imagine, being chosen by one of them—wouldn’t that be like ascending to the heavens in a single leap?”

Despite being preoccupied by the unsettling encounter at the rocky shore, Hongjian was still startled by this unbelievable news. She stared at Yao Zhen, unblinking. “Where did you hear that? How can it be true? Would the disciples be counted as ours or Futuzong’s? Elder Jin and Sect Master Dai can’t be together all the time, and people of their stature—would they really have time to teach disciples?”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it, but it’s definitely true. In a few days, everyone will know. They say it’s to break down sectarian barriers—doesn’t matter which sect you’re from, as long as you fit the requirements, you could be chosen. Most importantly, they’re only considering Qi Refining disciples under eighteen. Do you think they’ll take girls?” Yao Zhen’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling with hope.

Hongjian nodded vigorously, half to reassure Yao Zhen, half to encourage herself. “I’m sure they will. We’re no worse than anyone else. Maybe Elder Jin will even look out for us since we’re from his own sect.” But as she spoke, she couldn’t help thinking of Chen Zaizhi and Zhang Yu, the most talented in their sect, who were both only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Meanwhile, the Shi Qingxiang she’d seen from Xianyun Sect the other day was clearly even more advanced. If all were considered together, it seemed Shi Qingxiang had the best chance.

Yao Zhen was thinking the same thing. “Hongjian, I know what this end-of-month assessment is for now. Look, each sect only brought a dozen or so people—only ours has so many. Even though we’re the hosts, they surely won’t let all of us participate. This is just the first round to weed people out.”

With this in mind, Yao Zhen seemed to lose hope again. She turned in a small circle, calmed herself, and sat down beside Hongjian, her pale, delicate feet dangling and swinging in the air as she pondered. Then she sighed, “If only I could break through again in the next couple of days. I’m even a year younger than Chen Zaizhi.”

At that moment, Hongjian was thinking the same thing: If only a breakthrough could come soon. But unlike Yao Zhen, the person she had in mind was not herself, but her younger brother, Fang Zheng.

She didn’t know what the assessment would focus on, but she was certain that if Fang Zheng could break through, a nine-year-old at the third level of Qi Refining would never be eliminated. Not only would he survive the first round, but he’d have a better shot than anyone in the next. Fang Zheng was young and simple-minded—traits that usually worried Hongjian half to death, but perhaps in the eyes of the elders, these would be considered strengths. He also had another advantage: he was from Dan Cliff Sect.

Hongjian had always wanted to find a powerful backer for her brother. Now, with a golden path suddenly opening before her, how could she not be tempted? What could be more secure than having a Divine Transformation master as a teacher—someone whose protection could last a thousand years? In fact, not just one, but the only two such masters on the continent. With a bit of effort, a bit of cleverness, and a little risk, she just might be able to hand over the burden of Fang Zheng—a burden that had nearly crushed her—and never again worry about his needs or his safety. Most importantly, she herself could be free from practicing that torturous Art of Myriad Transformations. How wonderful that would be.

When Hongjian snapped out of her daydream, she realized she was sitting there smiling foolishly, and Yao Zhen had slipped away at some point.

After indulging in her fantasy, Hongjian sobered and faced reality: even Jin Donglou of her own sect was not her or Fang Zheng’s parent; he would not look at Fang Zheng and simply grow more and more fond of him. What should she do? That strange man at the rocky shore was probably still around. As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold—perhaps she truly did need to get her hands on a Moon Radiance Pill.

But how?

Qu Changhe had always been cold and dismissive toward her. No matter how she tried—flattery, trickery, or manipulation—there wasn’t the slightest chance of success. It felt as if she would exhaust a lifetime’s worth of wit and resourcefulness on this one matter. After two days of restless distraction, she decided to stop hanging all her hopes on Qu Changhe and instead set her sights on Pan Cong, the instructor responsible for the Wood Spiritual Root students.