The Immortal Lord of the Path of Ruthlessness Bends for Me - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: What Exactly Is the Reason You Took Me as Your Disciple?

Zhuang Jinfu seemed to understand something and said frankly, “You are no longer a child. I know mortals have certain… needs, but it is best to exercise moderation. Drink a few more cups of heart-clearing tea later.”

Ling Shu: “…”

Why isn’t there a crack in the ground I can crawl into?

After lunch and tea, Zhuang Jinfu led her into Zhujin Mountain. Located behind the Qingxi Palace, it was a precious sanctuary specifically reserved for Zhuang Jinfu’s rest and cultivation.

The mountain was covered in bamboo. A mist formation sat at the entrance, reducing visibility to a mere ten feet. Without a guide, it was impossible to navigate. Zhuang Jinfu walked in calmly; within five steps, the mist thinned to reveal a scene of serene beauty.

A small hut sat in the woods. Not far from the slope, a stream meandered down. Upon a giant boulder by the bank, a zither platform had been carved out, holding a guzheng protected by a faint spiritual aura. Climbing the stairs behind the platform led to the summit, where a massive grey-black rock stood under a ten-thousand-year-old pine. A chess table occupied one corner, while the rest of the rock extended out over the mountainside.

Zhuang Jinfu sat cross-legged, facing away from the pine. It was noon—not the ideal time for meditation—but Ling Shu’s spiritual energy was rampant. If not regulated, the power of the Demon Core would incinerate her from within.

Zhuang Jinfu instructed: “You may sit in a single lotus, double lotus, or a simple cross-legged position. Relax your upper body, keep your spine centered. Relax your lips and teeth, touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and lower your eyelids halfway. Form the Meridian Mudra with your hands.”

Ling Shu tried to stay centered but immediately tilted backward. “I can’t stay steady, Zhuang Jinfu!”

“Call me Master.”

“Ah, ah! Falling, falling!” Ling Shu yelped as she tumbled back, barely catching herself with her hands.

Zhuang Jinfu: “…” Zhuang Jinfu: “You are the only person I have ever met who can fall over while sitting still.”

Ling Shu: “So what if I fell? What’s the big deal?”

Zhuang Jinfu: “…” Zhuang Jinfu: “Change your hand seal to the ‘Wugu’ mudra. Brace your hands on your knees.”

Ling Shu followed suit. This time, she didn’t tip over.

“Sink your breath to your dantian. Slow your breathing. Let your lower abdomen rise and fall naturally. Do not rush.” “Feel nature. Draw the Qi into your body and circulate it through the ‘Small Orbit’.”

Ling Shu couldn’t master the “half-closed” eyelid look, so she simply shut her eyes. As her breathing slowed, she felt the surrounding spiritual energy enter her body. This new energy felt alive, leading her rampaging power into a state of rest. It flowed through her Governing Vessel to the Life Gate and back through the Conception Vessel. Her meridians were clear.

The spiritual energy here was pure—far more effective than her previous cultivations in the mortal world. After three cycles, she felt refreshed. Zhujin Mountain was truly a blessed land.

Zhuang Jinfu sat quietly beside her. Ling Shu felt her body heating up and her palms sweating. She asked, “Zhuang Jinfu, is it normal for my body to feel hot during meditation?”

Zhuang Jinfu replied slowly, “It is normal.” “Also, call me Master.”

“I won’t.”

The words had barely left her mouth when a sudden bolt of lightning from a clear sky struck Ling Shu dead-on.

Numb and in pain, Ling Shu’s body went rigid, and she fell backward with a “thud.”

Zhuang Jinfu didn’t even blink. She merely said coldly, “Get up.”

Ling Shu flipped herself up and stood on the rock, looking at Zhuang Jinfu sideways. “How did you know I’d be fine?”

Zhuang Jinfu sat as steady as a mountain. “Anyone with a Earth-grade Thunder Spirit Root or higher will be struck by lightning when breaking through from the Qi Refining stage to Foundation Establishment.”

“Fine, I really can’t hide anything from you.” Ling Shu felt awkward standing sideways, so she turned to kneel-sit facing her. “Zhuang Jinfu, I want to learn swordplay.”

Zhuang Jinfu opened her eyes and released her hand seal. “Very well.” She raised her hand, and an all-white sword appeared. The scabbard had no gems, only silver carvings of white plums and clouds. Even without touching it, one could feel the biting chill.

Zhuang Jinfu drew the blade and stepped back. “Watch closely.”

The sword moved with her body in a fluid, powerful dance. Between the swings, there was the suggestion of dragons and phoenixes, the grace of a startled swan, and the power of a swimming dragon. Her intent was profound, her movements ethereal—it was the heart of the Path of Emotionlessness, unmoved by the world.

Ling Shu momentarily forgot where she was. She felt dizzy and dazed, as if she had consumed a jar of strong wine. She was drunk on the beauty of it.

“Did you see clearly?”

Ling Shu was entranced, her mind wandering. Zhuang Jinfu waved a hand in front of her face. “You. Did you see it?”

“Huh? Oh, I… I saw it.”

“Perform it once for me.”

Zhuang Jinfu handed the sword to her. Ling Shu gripped it; the coldness of the hilt and the weight of the blade snapped her into focus. She was holding Zhuang Jinfu’s sword.

Ling Shu stepped forward with confidence, but her true skill was immediately revealed. She had spent the whole time looking at the beautiful woman, not the sword moves. She performed a chaotic mess; the Shangqing Sword Style looked like a wild cat scrap in her hands. Despite her wild movements, every strike was full of lethal force, yet the forms were so clumsy she looked like a fierce kitten trying to fight.

After the display, Zhuang Jinfu pressed a hand to her forehead. “You didn’t see a thing.”

Ling Shu was quick to defend herself: “I’m a beginner! I haven’t even learned basic sword forms, how am I supposed to learn a whole routine? I can’t do it…” Her voice trailed off into a slight pout.

Zhuang Jinfu seemed soft for this. She nodded. “I was too impatient. I have never encountered a disciple with such poor foundations. It was my oversight.”

Ling Shu pursed her lips. “…Did you have to insult me while saying that?”

Zhuang Jinfu took the scabbard to use as a practice sword. For every move she demonstrated, Ling Shu copied it. Ling Shu kept messing up a basic thrusting move. After five failed attempts, she complained: “It’s too hard! I can’t learn it. Zhuang Jinfu, can I stop? This is too tiring, I don’t want to do it, I—”

Ling Shu’s complaining stopped abruptly. Her cheeks flushed a deep red.

Just like in her dream, a cool embrace wrapped around her from behind. A cold hand covered the back of her own, guiding the sword and correcting her posture inch by inch.

“Don’t thrust so high. Move from the waist, strike toward the air,” Zhuang Jinfu’s gentle, patient voice whispered in her ear. Her warm breath brushed against Ling Shu’s sensitive earlobe.

“Do you remember now?”

The coolness left. Ling Shu nodded like a little chick pecking grain. “Mmh, mmh.”

“Show me.”

Ling Shu didn’t dare look at her. She focused on the sword, but her nerves made her unsteady. As she stumbled, a warm, firm hand caught her arm, stabilizing her.

Zhuang Jinfu’s voice was as calm as water. “Focus.”

Ling Shu gripped the sword and took her stance. “I… I’ll try again.”

“Good.”

This time, the movement was natural. Though not yet fluid, it was her best attempt yet.

At that moment, a figure in purple landed quietly in the distance, hidden in the bamboo forest. Zhuang Jinfu sensed the presence but didn’t tell Ling Shu, pretending not to notice.

The visitor’s aura was righteous and majestic, though she had deliberately suppressed her power. From where she stood, she could see both of them clearly.

Ling Shu was a beginner, her movements stiff. But whenever she did a move well, she would laugh heartily, celebrating her progress without restraint.

It’s good, the visitor thought.

But a moment later, conflict and hesitation flooded her heart like a tide. Out of selfishness, she wanted to keep her; Ling Shu was her only remaining link to Wen Ji. But if she kept her and she caused trouble in the future, what would happen to the Shangqing Realm?

As the sun began to set, Ling Shu wanted to continue, but Zhuang Jinfu stopped her. “Your basics are poor. Learning routines now is just for show. Starting tomorrow, you will attend classes with the inner disciples. Once you have a foundation, I will teach you personally.”

Ling Shu bristled at the thought of being with the other cultivators. “I’m not going. They want me dead. Why would I go there and wait for them to kill me?”

Zhuang Jinfu advised, “I don’t require you to be there for every roll call. Just go and listen to get a general understanding. I will teach you the rest. And perhaps you can make some friends.”

Ling Shu scoffed, “They aren’t worthy of knowing me.”

Zhuang Jinfu remained unruffled. “Not everyone is prejudiced against you.”

“Most cultivators hate demons. I’m not looking for trouble.”

Zhuang Jinfu sighed helplessly. “Even if they dislike you, the world is the way it is. You cannot stay in the Qingxi Palace forever.”

Ling Shu hung her head. “Give me back the sword,” Zhuang Jinfu said. Ling Shu returned it reluctantly.

“Let’s go down the mountain.” Zhuang Jinfu sheathed her blade and began to walk. Her sword, Meixu, was heavy and cold, yet it felt sentient, never freezing the one who held it.

Ling Shu regained her energy and sidled up to her like a cat. “Zhuang Jinfu, what’s your sword’s name?”

She corrected her as always. “Call me Master. It is called Meixu.”

“What does the name mean?”

Zhuang Jinfu said calmly, “It is from a poem: ‘The plum blossom lacks three percent of the snow’s whiteness, yet the snow lacks the plum’s fragrance.’ It means everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; we should learn from one another.”

As they reached the mist formation at the entrance, Ling Shu suddenly stopped. She knelt and started picking up rocks.

“What are you doing with stones?” Zhuang Jinfu asked. Without answering, Ling Shu grabbed a fist-sized rock and threw it with lightning speed toward the bamboo forest behind them.

Crack! The rock was shattered mid-air. A shadow flashed and vanished.

Ling Shu yelled at the empty forest: “Wang Lifu! Get out here!”

No response. Only the sound of birds.

Ling Shu continued: “You dog! Why are you following me?! Do you want me dead that badly?”

A cloud of purple smoke landed ten feet away. The dignified Wang Lifu appeared. She secretly clenched her fists, fighting her initial emotions. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Finally, she lowered her eyes and said coldly, “Yes.”

“I want you dead.”

Ling Shu’s temper flared. Her beastly features began to show; her fox ears popped out, and she looked ready to strike. Wang Lifu gave a calm wave of her hand. A powerful wave of spiritual pressure forced Ling Shu back thirty feet until her back hit a bamboo tree. An invisible force gripped her throat, making it hard to breathe.

Ling Shu showed no sign of begging for mercy. She choked out, “Wang… Wang Li… Fu, you dog!”

Wang Lifu threatened, “You are a mere Qi Refining ant. How do you plan to fight me? With your worthless life?”

Ling Shu struggled against the pressure. “Bullshit! I’m… I’m in the Foundation Establishment stage now!”

Wang Lifu let out a mocking laugh.

“Enough!” Zhuang Jinfu shouted.

The moment she spoke, the grip on Ling Shu’s neck vanished. Zhuang Jinfu’s stance was neither humble nor arrogant, her voice carrying a clear warning: “Sect Leader, I will discipline my own disciple.”

Wang Lifu stood with her hands behind her back, looking regal. “You had better.” Then, she vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

The encounter ruined the good mood Ling Shu had shared with Zhuang Jinfu. She looked at Zhuang Jinfu with scrutiny. She didn’t trust people easily and felt uneasy about Jinfu’s motives. Does anyone really help a stranger for absolutely nothing in return?

Ling Shu hung her head, the light leaving her eyes. “Zhuang Jinfu, tell me the truth. What exactly is the reason you took me as your disciple?”

Zhuang Jinfu replied without a second thought: “I believe life itself deserves a chance to choose.”

She spoke naturally, her voice carrying a sense of enlightened compassion.

“Really?” Ling Shu looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Really.” Zhuang Jinfu nodded. Under the setting sun, the bamboo forest was filled with warm light that rested peacefully on her.

Ling Shu stood in the shadows, with the sunlight just one step away.

“I won’t lie to you.” Zhuang Jinfu smiled slightly, a shallow dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth. She looked warm and approachable, making one want to sink into that tenderness.

“Master… thank you.”

Ling Shu took that step forward, planting her foot in the warm yellow sunlight, standing side by side with her.

Zhuang Jinfu was stunned for a fleeting moment.

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