Volume One: The Millennium Stream Chapter 39: Old Stories of Bygone Years

The Sutra Repository of the Dust-Moving Sect was twice the size of the one belonging to the Yanming Sect. It spanned twenty floors, yet there was no strict hierarchical segregation; any disciple entering the hall was free to roam every level, and no elders kept watch over them.

Sun Zikai stepped inside, but he hurriedly parted ways with Wen Yiru, for right before crossing the threshold, he had sensed a peculiar wave of energy. He deliberately lingered on the lower floors for a long while before finally reaching his destination on the seventh level.

That energy was, in reality, a vast accumulation of spiritual intent.

Spiritual intent differed from spiritual Qi; it possessed no physical form and resembled something on a mental plane, though it fell far short of true consciousness. Properly speaking, it was a phenomenon that only cultivators at the Soul-Splitting Realm could condense, yet the foundation of spiritual intent remained threads of energy, which was why Sun Zikai was able to perceive it.

He brushed aside the barrier of a spell, but instead of pulling out a book, he reached out and touched a wooden patch fixed upon the bookshelf.

That piece of wood was the very source of the unusual energy aura, and Sun Zikai could even discern multiple elemental auras emanating from it, alongside a small, incomplete energy imprint—seemingly a remnant of a shattered spell.

A little black cat let out a sudden meow, and Wen Yiru caught up to him, asking, "Have you made your choice?"

Sun Zikai replied straightforwardly, "They sent you to keep an eye on me, didn't they?"

Wen Yiru's face flushed as she retorted, "No," though it was obvious her true intentions had been guessed.

"Hah! Wanting to maintain the magnanimity of a major sect while unwilling to let me reap any tangible benefits—in my opinion, this Dust-Moving Sect is far too petty. Look here, even the shelf carrying these exquisite spells has a patch nailed to it. Does your sect not possess a single intact wooden board?"

Wen Yiru glanced curiously at the bookshelf and then said, "That patch has been there for ages. This bookshelf was part of a female elder's dowry four hundred years ago, and it once made for quite a romantic tale. Back then, a disciple of the Dust-Moving Sect went out on a mission and unfortunately fell victim to treacherous villains, but he was rescued by a woman from a minor sect. Over time, the two grew fond of each other and secretly pledged their lives to one another. The woman's parents had both passed away, so that minor sect acted as her maternal family, sending along a shelf of spell books as her dowry. The minor sect was exceedingly poor, and after painstakingly selecting the finest bookshelf they had, they accidentally punched a huge hole through it while moving it out. Being unable to afford a complete replacement set, they simply knocked a plank of wood off another shelf, nailed it over the hole, covered it with spell scrolls, and delivered it draped in red cloth. The Dust-Moving Sect bore no disdain and placed the bookshelf right here. It has stood here for many years, all the way up to the present day."

Sun Zikai murmured softly, "That's a fine piece of wood indeed, surviving all these years without rotting."

"The original fine shelf rotted away long ago; it is only this patched piece that remains intact. Although that female elder passed away many years ago, her husband—that very same disciple—is still alive today. To commemorate his late wife, he issued an order that whenever the bookshelves were replaced, this patched piece must always be fitted onto one of the frames."

"Alive to this day? On what grounds has he lived this long?"

"He reached the Golden Core Realm at the age of thirty-five or thirty-six. Later, he achieved sudden enlightenment regarding the Great Dao and attained an even higher cultivation base. He is the previous Grand Elder of the Dust-Moving Sect and is currently in secluded cultivation within the forbidden grounds, having not shown his face for decades."

"I see. To think the Dust-Moving Sect harbors such a deeply affectionate and loyal person. Does that minor sect still exist? I would like to pay a visit."

"It exists," Wen Yiru replied, "but it has had no contact with the Dust-Moving Sect for over three hundred years. It long ago declined into a rustic country temple. They might still take in disciples on ordinary days, but..."

"So that's how it is. Well, I suppose I won't go; they've likely even changed their name by now."

"They haven't changed it," Wen Yiru said innocently. "It's still called the Qingyi Sect, located just to the southeast of the Three-Mouth Huang Family Town."

"Oh, is that so?" Sun Zikai resumed wandering through the floors, showing no inhibition toward Wen Yiru as he even asked her to introduce some fine spells to him.

Sun Zikai was clever; he did not wish to embarrass the Dust-Moving Sect, so wherever Wen Yiru led him, he went, and whichever manual she told him to choose, he chose.

In the end, what landed in his hands was a spellbook from the second floor entitled *Vanguard Command*. This spell was utterly ordinary, devoid of any highlights, and Sun Zikai had no intention of studying it either. After merely flipping through a few pages, he closed it, tucked the book under his arm, and walked out the door with Wen Yiru.

Outside the entrance, a crowd of inner-door disciples had already gathered, looking aggressive. It seemed today's events had brought disgrace upon the Dust-Moving Sect, yet not a single one dared to step forward, because instructions had been passed down from above forbidding anyone else from coming out and further shaming the sect.

The young boy walked out from the crowd once more, approached Sun Zikai, and said, "The Sect Master invites you to a meeting at Spring Pavilion."

Sun Zikai followed the boy, cutting through the crowd. Walking at a leisurely pace for four miles, they skirted around a small lake where an old man was indeed fishing inside a pavilion by the water.

Sun Zikai stepped forward, dropped to one knee, and saluted: "Sun Zikai, disciple of Fu Zhe from the Yanming Sect, pays his respects to the Sect Master."

The old man smiled amiably and asked, "When did that child Fu Zhe take on a disciple?"

"Recently, less than ten days ago."

"No wonder," the old man remarked, sizing Sun Zikai up once more. "To possess such strength at such a tender age—this generation of disciples will rely entirely upon you."

"This disciple lacks talent and is actually guilty of a grave fault; my cultivation focuses on the physical body, and I am utterly ignorant of spells. If those two senior brothers had engaged me from a distance with spellcraft, I would certainly have suffered a crushing defeat. I only won a narrow victory by relying on my habitual sneak attack, which truly tarnishes the reputation of the Yanming Sect. I hope the Sect Master will keep this secret for me and not let word spread."

"Remarkable, you brat..." The Sect Master scrutinized him closely. "Is that old fellow Cui Qingrui still in good health?"

"Sturdy and robust," Sun Zikai replied.

To everyone's surprise, the Sect Master burst into hearty laughter, leaving Sun Zikai utterly bewildered. The Sect Master maintained his amiable smile, shifted the topic, and said, "A figure like you indeed cannot cram yourself into that tiny backwater of Anshēng Pass. Having killed so many people, you won't meet a peaceful end."

"How does the Sect Master know that I come from..." Before Sun Zikai could finish, he understood. Without bothering to conceal it, he smiled and said, "It seems you have planted quite a few informants within my Yanming Sect."

"Courtesy demands reciprocity, you see." The Sect Master pointed to a servant holding a cup of tea standing slightly behind him, and said indifferently, "Cui Qingrui sent him to infiltrate my side. It's been ten years now, hasn't it?"

The servant started in shock. The tea in his hands spilled onto the ground, and he dropped immediately to his knees, panic and terror written all over his face.

In a calm tone, the Sect Master said, "Don't be afraid, it's fine. I knew about you the moment you first arrived. The fact that you were able to walk step by step right up to my side was something I supported behind the scenes, after all."

For a fleeting second, the servant leaked spiritual Qi, but he quickly reined it in. Having concealed his identity as a cultivator for ten years, he had never imagined that he had been exposed all along. Just then, he had harbored thoughts of dying together with his foe, but while the other party was a shark-catching net, he was merely a clumsy bighead carp, leaving him with no choice but to give up.

Sun Zikai asked, "Is the Sect Master hoping to use this incident to reclaim the dignity of the Dust-Moving Sect?"

"Brat, your tongue is like a blade."

"My heart is even more like a blade; it is sharp, yet sentimental and full of feeling." Sun Zikai respectfully placed the spell manual on the ground and said, "This disciple of the Yanming Sect deeply thanks the Dust-Moving Sect for their instruction, but this disciple is of shallow learning and unable to comprehend your esteemed sect's spellcraft. I shall come again another day to pay a formal visit of study."

"What? You wish to leave?"

"If I don't leave now, this disciple won't be able to leave at all."

The Sect Master laughed and said, "Brat, among the new generation, you have the greatest audacity. Go on then!"

"Many thanks to the Sect Master for sparing my life!" Sun Zikai rose and departed immediately. Lacking even the time to bid farewell to Cheng Xu, he merely exchanged a few parting words with Wen Yiru, promising her that he would bring Jiang Yujin to visit her, before hurrying away from the sect.

Exiting through the eastern gate, he entered the desert, followed the river into the domain of the barbarians, yet once he confirmed that no one was tailing him, he made a wide detour to the south, circling back to the northern side of Qunying City. Suppressing all of his energy and aura, he became indistinguishable from an ordinary mortal.

Afterward, inquiring along the way for the direction of the Three-Mouth Huang Family Town, he walked forth toward the Qingyi Sect.