Chapter 116
Ascending the winding stone stairs toward the Kunlun Sect, Ji Wuye trudged ahead, his movements sluggish as weariness weighed heavily upon him.
The morning sun peeked over the peaks, casting blinding rays that momentarily dazzled his vision before his Quick Adaptation skill kicked in, automatically adjusting his eyes to the bright glare.
With a deep, fatigued sigh escaping his slightly parted lips, he raised his head, squinting against the sunlight to survey the remaining stairs snaking up the mountainside.
'This is so tiring...' he muttered inwardly, his brow furrowing as memories of the previous night's exertions replayed in his mind.
From the raucous shopping out with those lively women in the morning, to leaping from the towering waterfall in the dead of night, the icy spray stinging his skin, not to mention maintaining constant vigilance in the eerie shrouded mists of Tianji Village...
The relentless series of events had truly drained every last ounce of his energy reserves. The final bit of energy he had was spent recalling his tense conversation with the shopkeeper.
Ji Wuye shook his head slowly, his long white strands of sweat-dampened hair clinging to his temples, 'At least, once I ascend to a higher martial realm, I have a guarantee.'
The most mental demanding ordeal was undoubtedly in Tianji Village, where he had continually strained to use his Quick Adaptation skill.
His eyes straining as he meticulously scrutinized the pitch-black cloud shrouding the gambling table, not to mention another mental toll of meticulously calculating each move to avoid arousing suspicion by losing some games.
After several more grueling moments of ascending the interminable stairs, Ji Wuye finally reached the grand entrance to the sect grounds, a towering paifang gateway - two massive white pillars supporting an intricate horizontal beam, the apex adorned with an ornately tiled bamboo roof with upturned eaves.
At the very center of the beam, an ancient golden inscription shone brilliantly, proclaiming 'Kunlun Sect' in flowing calligraphic strokes. In the backdrop beyond the gate, the majestic peak of Kunlun Mountain pierced the heavens, its summit wreathed in wispy clouds.
"Huh?" A murmur of confused tone fell from the surrounding as Ji Wuye paused to inspect and appreciate the sect's imposing sight.
"W-welcome back, Fellow Martial Brother," the murmur came from a young disciple tasked with guarding the entrance greeted with a hesitant tone, clearly recognizing the famous figure standing before him despite Ji Wuye's withered looks.
Regaining his composure, Ji Wuye inclined his head politely, cupping his hands in a formal gesture of respect toward the disciple, who wore the white martial robe with aqua stripes matching his own, signifying their shared status as Outer Disciples of the sect.
"Eh...Greetings, Fellow Martial Brother, and good morning," he replied, a faint but cordial smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
With a courteous nod, Ji Wuye entered through the imposing paifang gate and, without hesitation, soon turned left, making his way along the winding paths that wound through the sect grounds.
An eerie stillness pervaded the spacious courtyards and pavilions which would normally be alive with activity at this hour, as the morning exercise drills that were constantly held here had strangely been absent ever since the Tower three-months break.
Crossing over a small arched bridge, Ji Wuye paused for a moment, gazing down to trace the path of the creek below with his eyes, noting how the flowing waters had erased any trace of his own footsteps from the day before, leaving the pebbled banks pristine and unmarked.
Only then did he continue his weary trek, plodding forward until at last arriving at the gate of his own long-abandoned private courtyard.
"Ah...home..." he murmured under his breath as he pushed open the courtyard entrance, the hinges creaking faintly with disuse.
Entering the weary, overgrown space, Ji Wuye felt his energy reserves finally depleting entirely as he unloaded all the boxes from his spatial inventory, causing them to randomly materialize around him in a cluttered heap, crowding the narrow confines.
"Sigh..." A deep sigh of fatigue escaped his lips, his shoulders slumping visibly as he surveyed the disorganized mess for a lingering moment. But soon his body seemed to regain a second wind, springing back into action as he began the arduous task of sorting through the jumbled pile of boxes, meticulously lining them up in neat rows within the courtyard space.
Only once this was accomplished did he finally allow himself to enter the dimly-lit living quarters for some well-earned rest.
…
Meanwhile, at the exact moment Ji Wuye finished organizing his boxes, far across the sect grounds in a livelier precinct—elevated from the lower grounds towards the prestigious Official Disciples' courtyard residences—a particular door opened.
Midnight-colored tresses fluttered and danced like silken banners against the pristine white of the figure's martial robe, which bore dark blue stripes denoting Official Disciple, as a gentle breeze wafted past this emerging presence.
Once they appeared, the surrounding disciples who happened to be nearby and caught a glimpse couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight.
"Good morning, Senior Sister," greeted one of the Junior female disciples warmly, as the residences in this particular courtyard wing consisted solely of women's dorms.
"Good morning," the elegant figure, clearly a respected Senior Sister of the sect, replied with a kind smile, waving her hands in a gracious gesture of greeting.
Her soothing, warm tone prompted the other nearby female disciples to echo the salutation as they began eagerly chatting and catching up with their beloved Senior.
The Senior Sister then turned, descending once more down toward the lower sect grounds, as was her daily routine to patrol the sect while enjoying the tranquil morning scenery.
Snippets of excited chatter and gossip from the other disciples wafted to her ears on the breeze as she made her unhurried way through the winding gardens.
Most of the chattering disciples discussed the harrowing craziness of their recent mission fighting unknown, otherworldly creatures, while others hotly debated the potential uses and implications of the mysterious magical arts that had been brought back from the Tower.
Yet another conversation centered around the increasingly daring common people who now dared to openly challenge and confront martial artists.
All fell respectfully silent for a brief moment as the elegant Senior Sister passed by on her morning patrol, murmuring respectful greetings.
However, one particular topic from a cluster of gossiping female disciples caused a flicker of surprise to flit across the listening Senior Sister's warm, composed smile:
"That shopping trip yesterday was just great!" one girl gushed enthusiastically to her friends.
"Yeah, maybe because we went along with Brother Ji!~" another giggled in response.
"Hehehe, that's right! Though it's a shame it ended so quickly...how about we go visit him again soon?"
The gaggle of girls dissolved into titters of laughter, mumbling and giggling conspiratorially as they lounged under the dappled shade of a plum blossom tree, its delicate pink petals scattering on the breeze to reveal the overhearing and suddenly surprised Senior Sister.
A faint blush crept unbidden into the Senior Sister's cheeks, her eyes taking on a distant, pensive look as half-forgotten memories stirred at the mere mention of 'Brother Ji's' name.
"Junior..." The word unconsciously slipped from her pondering lips in a hushed murmur, though she didn't seem to notice the female disciples' attention now avidly focused on her.
"Ah look! Greeting Senior Sisters!"
"Greeting Senior Sisters!"
"Hehe, look Senior Sister is blushing again!" one disciple naughtily called out, her eyes dancing with impish glee as she hinted for the others to rush over and surround the flustered figure. "Does Senior Sister perhaps have tender feelings for our Brother Ji?"
The Senior Sister sputtered, her poise shaken as a deeper crimson bloomed in her cheeks at the teasing accusation.
"D-Don't be ridiculous! Junior Brother Ji is just my Junior Brother. I..." Her voice trailed off helplessly as the gaggle of impish Juniors crowded around, feeding greedily off her obvious embarrassment.
"It's been so long since you last saw him, right Senior Sister? How about coming with us to visit Brother Ji?" one bold girl wheedled slyly.
"A-Ah no, you know I'm m-much too busy," the Senior Sister protested, shaking her head as she tried in vain to regain her composure, shyly covering her flushed face with one dainty hand. But her Juniors were relentless, pushing and refuting her feeble excuses.
"What business could you still possibly have? You've seemed so free and unoccupied recently. Lately, we've barely seen you around the sect at all, but now here you are, which means..."
Another disciple chimed in, trying her hand at persuasion, though hesitation and unwillingness were still clearly displayed in the Senior Sister's averted eyes.
"Ah, come to think of it, I heard from Senior Sister Qian that Brother Ji seems to be lacking money recently..."
No sooner had those words left the sly disciple's lips than the previously hesitant Senior Sister visibly started, her eyes widening almost imperceptibly.
For a pregnant pause, she remained frozen in place, an inscrutable expression flitting across her delicate features.
Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and began striding purposefully in the direction of the remote, abandoned courtyard where her Junior resided.
This abrupt shift in the Senior Sister's demeanor left the gaggle of gossiping female disciples momentarily stunned into speechlessness.
But it didn't last long before sly, knowing smiles bloomed on their faces as they exchanged conspiratorial looks and hurried to follow eagerly in the Senior Sister's wake.
Falling into step a respectful distance behind their Senior, the girls bit their lips to stifle girlish giggles of delight, whispering amongst themselves as they trailed after the rapidly disappearing figure in white robe.
Though her pace was brisk, the faint blush still lingering high on her cheeks did not go unnoticed by the keenly observant Juniors.
"You don't think..."
"She's still so obvious..."
"After all this time..."
"Our poor Senior Sister!"
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