Bu Wei

As soon as Ning Buwei opened his eyes, he was met with two large faces.

Feng Zizhang and Jiang Yizheng were stretching their necks like two ferrets, looking down at him from above.

Ning Buwei: “…..”

Truly deserved a beating.

“Senior, you’re awake?” Feng Zizhang waved his hand in front of his eyes, “Can you see?”

“I’m blind.” Ning Buwei said expressionlessly.

“Eh?” Feng Zizhang’s waving hand froze.

“Uh.” Jiang Yizheng choked.

Ning Buwei sat up from the bed, looked around the environment, “Where is this?”

He felt this conversation was somewhat familiar.

“Gen Prefecture, Zhangzhou, Song City, Wenxin Street, Mingbin Alley, the third house on the left, rented for 800 lower-grade spirit stones for a month and there are two days left until it expires.” Feng Zizhang immediately started reporting the location.

(TL: The character 州 in Zhangzhou, which I always translates to ‘State’ like ‘Zhang State’, I’ll use the pinyin from now on instead of ‘state’)

“And our house only has eighteen middle-grade spirit stones left plus two hundred lower-grade spirit stones—” Jiang Yizheng stuttered. “We’re about to run out of food.”

“But Senior, rest assured, Yizheng and I will go out to take on tasks to earn spirit stones.” Feng Zizhang assured.

“Yes, it’s good that you’re awake.” Jiang Yizheng echoed. “It doesn’t matter if you’re blind, we’ll earn enough spirit stones to replace your eyeballs.”

Ning Buwei’s eye twitched, he looked at the two tails with a heavy heart, “…I’m not blind.”

The two of them breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

After a moment, Ning Buwei noticed the large projection in the room, “Were you just talking about Yijian Peak?”

“Ah, yes.” Jiang Yizheng opened the three words ‘Yijian Peak’ for him, “The Wushi Sect’s once-in-a-century grand selection, this peak only recruits two menial workers, only a hundred spirit stones a month.”

“Middle-grade?” Ning Buwei asked.

“Lower-grade.” Feng Zizhang said gloomily.

Ning Buwei: “…”

He silently added a “poor” to his son’s mother in his mind.

Seeing Ning Buwei staring blankly at the projection, Feng Zizhang quickly explained, “This is the recruitment notice of the Wushi Sect, it’s…quite nice to look at.”

It was the kind of nice that you could only look at.

“Flashy.” Ning Buwei was very disdainful of anything from the Wushi Sect, but his gaze fell on the three words ‘Yijian Peak’, and he paused slightly.

It wasn’t as well written as his son’s mother.

“Senior, where should we go next?” Jiang Yizheng tentatively asked, “If we rent this courtyard for another month, we won’t have enough spirit stones…”

“Go to the Wushi Sect.”

****

Zhen Prefecture.

Wushi Sect.

Ruxu Peak, Lishang Pavilion.

“What’s the deal with this Yijian Peak?” The pavilion master, Chu Lingyun, frowned at the recruitment requirements on the notice that were so crude they were infuriating, and asked his subordinates, “The elders from the Shangong Department have all come to me, who is in charge of this peak? Who is their peak master? It’s fine that they only recruit two menial workers, but are they trying to dismiss beggars with a hundred lower-grade spirit stones! Also, they didn’t even record the projection charm, how many times have I urged you to check carefully! Are you all deaf?”

The senior disciple and the steward looked at each other, the steward quickly flipped through the records, and said hesitantly, “Pavilion Master, Yijian Peak is a remote little peak that isn’t even listed among the seventy-two peaks. The spiritual energy of this peak is thin, it has been abandoned for a long time, there is simply no one there…”

“No one? Are there ghosts then?” The Lishang Pavilion and the Shangong Department had always been at odds, and this time they had caught a handle and ridiculed him a lot, which made Chu Lingyun very angry.

The senior disciple was in a difficult position, “Master, before the recruitment notice was distributed to various states, this disciple had carefully proofread it with someone, and… and there was no page for Yijian Peak…This disciple really doesn’t know.”

Chu Lingyun looked at the strange silver characters inlaid with gold on the recruitment notice, and was also very puzzled, even the rules were different…

The people in the pavilion were in a state of anxiety because of this suddenly appearing page, when they heard a clear and distant crane cry outside.

“The sound seems to be from the crane group coming from the main peak.” A disciple said.

Chu Lingyun had to temporarily put down the matter at hand, and hurriedly went out to welcome them with a group of disciples.

Several immortal cranes came with the clouds and wind, followed by several cultivators riding swords, dressed in white jade crowns, covered in ink gauze, and landed gracefully at the main hall door of the Lishang Pavilion.

“Elder Ruoxu,” Chu Lingyun respectfully saluted the leading person, and said with a smile, “Does the sect leader have any instructions?”

Chu Bai returned the salute, and then handed a hot gold envelope to Chu Lingyun, “The venerable Jinghe will leave seclusion on the fifteenth of next month. The ceremony for the venerable’s exit from seclusion will be jointly organized by the main peak and the Lishang Pavilion. These are the specific matters instructed by the sect leader.”

Chu Lingyun was surprised, “Is it that martial uncle who has been in seclusion?”

“Exactly.” Chu Bai nodded, “The martial uncle does not like noise, but his exit from seclusion is after all a big event. The various peaks, valleys, and blessed lands of the Wushi Sect, guest officials, VIPs, and the various sects and families that have good relations within the same sect, must be invited to watch the ceremony… The sect leader’s intention is to make the ceremony particularly grand, but it must be simple and must not disturb the peace of the old man.”

Chu Lingyun: “…”

The sect leader’s contradictory requirements were indeed somewhat unreasonable.

But he dared not refute.

“Today is already the fourteenth, and there is only one month left at most. Will it be too rushed?” Chu Lingyun said.

“The sect leader only received the news from the venerable today.” Chu Bai said, “The venerable elder apprenticed under the Venerable Zhu, and is currently the oldest ancestor in our Wushi Sect, which gave the sect leader quite a shock.”

Ever since the venerable Zhu ascended seven hundred years ago, there have been no ascenders in the seventeen states. Except for a few demon cultivators who could live for thousands or tens of thousands of years, the existing great venerables who could live over a thousand years could be counted on two hands, most of them have fallen in tribulation and fighting.

Even the current sect leader of the Wushi Sect, Chu Linyuan, was only over six hundred years old.

“The venerable cultivates the path of purity.” Chu Bai reminded him, “According to the sect leader, the old man has been in seclusion on Yijian Peak. The grand selection is about to start these days, so be careful not to disturb the venerable’s tranquility.”

Chu Lingyun was stunned, “Yijian Peak?”

“Yes, I didn’t know there was such a peak in the sect before.” Chu Bai said, “The sect leader specifically instructed that the ceremony should not be held on Yijian Peak—”

Chu Lingyun quickly pulled out a stack of recruitment notices from his sleeve, pointing at the unique page belonging to Yijian Peak, “In your opinion, does the venerable elder… want to recruit two menial workers?”

Chu Bai: “??”

After a while, the two elders, who were among the top in the sect, looked at each other.

“Should we supplement the venerable with some spirit stones? The venerable certainly doesn’t lack them, maybe it’s been too long since he came out…”

“I’ll go and ask the sect leader.” Chu Bai took the recruitment notice and left the Lishang Pavilion in a hurry with his people.

Chu Lingyun breathed a sigh of relief.

The venerable elder was really…informal. (TL: Not being bound by the little things in life; now mostly refers to not paying attention to the little things in life.)

****

Half a month later.

Zhen Prefecture, Yizhou, Huiyuan City.

The city’s largest teleportation array was bustling with people coming and going, carriages and spiritual beasts were endless, there were innkeepers waiting here to attract customers, and even cultivators who served as guides were shouting.

As soon as Ning Buwei, holding Ning Xiu, stepped out of the teleportation array, he was surrounded by a crowd of people.

“Detailed explanation of the Wushi Sect’s recruitment notice! Tailored for you to choose which elder to apprentice under! Only ten spirit stones!”

“Exclusive news! The likes and dislikes of the seventy-two peak elders of the Wushi Sect—”

“Precautions for the Wushi Sect’s grand selection! Full accompaniment!”

“Help book at Sangyun Inn! Running errands for three lower-grade spirit stones!”

“Spirit beast rental—”

“.…”

Probably because he was dressed in expensive clothes and holding a child, he looked like a fat sheep, a group of people were enthusiastically recommending to him. Ning Xiu had never seen so many overly enthusiastic people, he was curiously staring with wide eyes in his father’s arms, tugging at a small piece of his father’s clothes, and shouted at those people in a milky voice, “Ya~ Ah~”

Father, go~ Start fighting~

Ning Buwei, with a cold and handsome face, was holding Ning Xiu with one hand, and was blocked from moving an inch.

If it was just him alone, with a cold face as if others owed him eight million spirit stones, these people would definitely not be so enthusiastic, but he was holding a white and tender baby in his arms, which greatly reduced the threat, and if one didn’t look carefully, it could even give people a gentle illusion.

Of course, this was an illusion.

Ning Buwei’s forehead was throbbing with blue veins, and his body was filled with killing intent, and the hand in his sleeve was itching to move.

Having traveled with him for this period of time and knowing his temper, Jiang Yizheng and Feng Zizhang were afraid that this ancestor would start a fight with others again. Jiang Yizheng, relying on her strength, pushed through the crowd and grabbed his sleeve, shouting loudly, “Father! Weren’t you going to buy medicine for Mother? Let’s go quickly!”

Feng Zizhang followed suit, grabbing his other arm, and said with full emotion, “Yes, Father, we only have enough money left at home to buy a bag of rice paste, and Mother is still waiting for you to come home!”

The two of them sang and responded, pulling Ning Buwei and Ning Xiu out of the terrifying encirclement.

Ning Buwei looked at the two of them with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Where did you two get a mother from?”

Jiang Yizheng blinked, “Xiao Shan’s mother?”

She quickly muttered a few words of guilt in her heart, the dead are the greatest, it’s an emergency, don’t blame, don’t blame.

“Ah~” Ning Xiu, who had been called Xiao Shan countless times by Feng Zizhang and Jiang Yizheng, cooperated very well.

I’m here~

Ning Buwei: “…”

It would be better to call him Pee.

“Don’t call him that stupid name again.” Ning Buwei warned.

“Okay, Senior.” Jiang Yizheng nodded in agreement, but when she turned her head and saw Ning Xiu’s smiling face, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Xiao Shan is really cute.”

Feng Zizhang looked up at the azure sky, “Ah, the sky of the Wushi Sect looks especially blue.”

Ning Xiu also looked up at the sky. “Ah!”

Ning Buwei lowered his head to warn Ning Xiu, “Don’t learn from him.”

The group hadn’t walked far when a young man with dark skin and dressed in hemp clothes came up and asked with a grin, “Are you guys here to participate in the Wushi Sect’s grand selection?”

“No—” Feng Zizhang had just opened his mouth when the man interrupted him.

“Do you know what your qualifications and cultivation are? Do you have a peak, valley, or blessed land that you fancy? Do you want to go deeper into the inner door or first practice in the outer door? Do you have a specific direction you want to major in? Do you have any elders you particularly admire?”

“Our qualifications are not enough.” Jiang Yizheng stared at him decisively, determined to scare him off, “We can’t get in!”

“As long as you want to get in, there’s no such thing as not being able to get in! The important thing is choice, my friend!” The dark-skinned young man chattered on, “Even if your qualifications are C-grade, as long as you’re bold enough, there’s no problem getting into the main peak! Lishang Pavilion, Shangong Department, Law Enforcement Hall, Task Hall, Yushan Hall, Treasure Pavilion, Library, Spirit Beast Garden, Kitchen, you can choose whatever you want!”

Jiang Yizheng hesitated for a moment, “Really, really?”

“Of course—” The dark-skinned young man was full of confidence, but before he could finish his sentence, the person in front of him was grabbed by the collar and pulled to the side.

Ning Buwei was looking down at him from above.

An inexplicable sense of oppression made the dark-skinned young man step back awkwardly.

He didn’t look like a good person.

“Which direction is Yijian Peak?” Ning Buwei asked.

“Eh?” The young man was stunned for a moment, “The Wushi Sect has such a peak?”

By the time he came to his senses, those few people had already disappeared into the crowd.

“Senior, are we really going to Yijian Peak?” Feng Zizhang, who was jostled by the people next to him and hurriedly caught up, advised, “This peak only gives a hundred spirit stones a month, which is not enough to buy a bag of rice paste for Xiao Shan.”

This time, Ning Buwei was unusually patient, and said, “The child’s mother is at Yijian Peak.”

At worst, he could leave some more spirit stones for the other party.

“Xiao Shan’s mother!” Jiang Yizheng was shocked, “Senior, didn’t you say that his mother died in childbirth!?”

Ning Buwei’s expression stiffened, “I…remembered wrong before.”

Feng Zizhang and Jiang Yizheng were greatly shocked.

The mother of the child who had died early in childbirth was now looking at the letter in his hand.

The letter was sent by the disciple of his senior brother.

–The general meaning was that upon hearing that the venerable Jinghe was about to leave seclusion, I, your disciple, was overjoyed and took it upon myself to prepare a simple and quiet ceremony for your exit from seclusion, so that the children of the sect could recognize each other’s faces, so as not to offend you on the road. In order not to disturb your peace, it was specially chosen to be held on the main peak… I sincerely welcome your presence.

And, if I may mention, I have a lot of top-grade spirit stones here, if you don’t mind, can I send them to you with a thick face?

The tone and wording were very respectful, and even the seal of the sect leader was affixed, but—why send spirit stones?

This was a cave mansion that he had casually opened up back then, with only a stone bed and a stone table inside, it was very simple. Chu Jun casually put the letter on the stone table, frowning slightly.

The exit ceremony, he didn’t want to go.