Chapter 17: The Summon to the Gathering

That morning, everyone on Big Bamboo Peak of the Qingyun Sect was in high spirits, especially the disciples. Every one of them wore a smile. Though there was no lack of nervousness, most of it had been drowned in excitement.

Among them, the only ones who had taken part in the previous Seven Branches Tournament of Qingyun were Eldest Senior Brother Song Daren, Second Brother Wu Dayi, Third Brother Zheng Dali, and Fourth Brother He Dazhi. As for Fifth Brother Lü Daxin and Sixth Brother Du Bishu, they were disciples Tian Buyi had only taken in over the past few decades. Young Tian Linger and Zhang Xiaofan, meanwhile, had naturally never witnessed this grand event that came only once every sixty years in Qingyun.

At this moment, Tian Linger was the happiest of all. Taking advantage of the fact that Tian Buyi and his wife were making their final preparations, she clung to the most experienced Song Daren and chattered away without pause. “Eldest Senior Brother, are there really that many fellow disciples going to the Seven Branches Tournament?”

Song Daren wore a smile; clearly, he too was in an excellent mood. “That’s right. The Seven Branches Tournament is the greatest event in our sect. Every branch of fellow disciples regards it as the highest priority. And all those selected to represent their branch in battle are outstanding among the outstanding. There’s no need to say how grand and thrilling the scene will be.”

At that moment, Fourth Brother He Dazhi, who had overheard from the side, walked over. Secretly winking at Tian Linger, he said with a grin, “Little Junior Sister, what you don’t know is that Eldest Senior Brother still left something unsaid!”

Tian Linger gave a cry of “Ah!” Ignoring Song Daren’s startled expression, she immediately pressed, “What is it, Fourth Senior Brother?”

He Dazhi smiled. “At the martial contest, hundreds of fellow disciples gather to watch. If you win and stand atop the platform to thunderous applause, that pride is certainly not to be escaped. But if, on top of that, some beautiful young junior sister from another branch is captivated by Eldest Senior Brother’s bearing and cheers and screams for him—wouldn’t that be one of life’s great joys?” At this point, he turned solemnly toward Song Daren and said, “Eldest Senior Brother, wouldn’t you agree?”

Song Daren’s face abruptly turned red.

Seeing this, Tian Linger found it most strange. “Eldest Senior Brother, why did you suddenly blush?”

Song Daren shook his head like a rattle-drum and said over and over, “No, no, when did I blush…”

He Dazhi coughed, only to realize that at some point the other senior and junior brothers had all gathered around. The younger ones like Du Bishu and Zhang Xiaofan didn’t quite understand, but Wu Dayi and Zheng Dali both wore knowing smiles.

So He Dazhi laughed and said, “Oh my! Second Brother and Third Brother are here too. My memory’s been poor lately, but it seems that during the last tournament, when Eldest Senior Brother won two matches in a row and entered the third round, there was a young and beautiful junior sister from our sect—eh, I’ve forgotten her name…”

Wu Dayi immediately took up the thread. “Ah! I can’t remember too clearly either, but she seemed to be a junior sister from Little Bamboo Peak. Her looks were truly extremely beautiful, but as for her name…”

Zheng Dali’s face was full of amusement. “As for her name, we’ve all forgotten. But the appearance of the person who applauded the loudest in the arena that day, and traded glances with Eldest Senior Brother—we all still remember that.”

“Wah!”

At once, everyone burst into an uproar, with Tian Linger leading the interrogation. “Eldest Senior Brother, which senior sister was it? To be so good to you?”

Song Daren looked utterly embarrassed. He glared fiercely at He Dazhi and laughed awkwardly. “N-no such thing. Don’t listen to Fourth Brother’s nonsense. Junior Sister Wenmin from Little Bamboo Peak only cheered a little more for us out of regard for Shiniang.”

“Oh?” He Dazhi instantly said, “Eldest Senior Brother, that’s strange. Second Brother, Third Brother, and I didn’t know her name, so how did you blurt it out at once? But speaking of it, Senior Sister Wenmin really was so good to Eldest Senior Brother…”

The crowd roared with laughter. Song Daren knew he had misspoken, and knew even better that when it came to sharp words, he was far inferior to He Dazhi, the cleverest man on Big Bamboo Peak. The more he said, the more mistakes he would make.

So he gave a snort, relying on his rather thick skin, and forced a laugh. “Bored people, hehe. I’ll go see if Master and Shiniang are ready yet.”

Tian Linger still wanted to pursue the matter, but Song Daren fled faster than the wind; in the blink of an eye he was nowhere to be seen. She could only seize He Dazhi in one grab, her bright, watery eyes brimming with excitement, and say, “Fourth Senior Brother, hurry and tell me—what does that Senior Sister Wenmin look like?”

He Dazhi smiled. “Little Junior Sister, don’t you often go with Shiniang back to Little Bamboo Peak to visit Master Shuiyue? How could you never have seen Senior Sister Wenmin? She’s Master Shuiyue’s prized disciple.”

Tian Linger shook her head. “When I go to Little Bamboo Peak with Mother, we go straight to see Master Shuiyue. I hardly know any of the other senior sisters there. Hurry and tell me!”

He Dazhi smiled. “Don’t rush, don’t rush. Today we’re going to Tongtian Peak of the Head Branch for the Seven Branches Tournament. You’ll most likely see her there.”

Tian Linger let out an “Oh.” Her eyes rolled, as if she had suddenly realized something. “No wonder Eldest Senior Brother looked so full of spirit the moment I got up this morning. So he’s harboring ulterior motives!”

Everyone froze for a moment, then understood and burst out laughing. Tian Linger laughed too, and what little nervousness she had felt about the Seven Branches Tournament vanished without a trace.

Her gaze shifted. She saw that everyone was smiling and in fine spirits, but when she looked at Zhang Xiaofan, her heart suddenly gave a jolt. Though Zhang Xiaofan had a smile on his face, over the years Tian Linger had become the closest to him, and with a single glance she could tell that he seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Taking advantage of the lively laughter and chatter, Tian Linger secretly pulled Zhang Xiaofan aside and asked in a low voice, “Xiaofan, is something wrong?”

Zhang Xiaofan stared blankly for a moment. His lips moved, and his right hand unconsciously touched his chest. At last he still said, “I’m fine, Senior Sister.”

Tian Linger looked at him and said directly, “What is it? Let me see.”

Zhang Xiaofan hesitated, then took the object from his robe and let Tian Linger have a look. It would have been better if she had not looked; the moment she did, she was even more astonished. “Why are you carrying that blackened fire-poking stick around with you?”

Seeing the surprise on Tian Linger’s face, Zhang Xiaofan noticed that even with a trace of scolding in her expression, she was still so beautiful. Stammering, he said, “Master, in his kindness, is letting me go and broaden my horizons too. My cultivation is shallow, I don’t have any magical treasure, and I don’t know how to use one either…”

Tian Linger suddenly understood, yet could not help laughing aloud. “Ah! Hehe, so that’s it! Then you’re going to take this—this fire-poking stick—to the Seven Branches Tournament? In Qingyun’s two thousand years, having a Sixth Senior Brother who refined dice into a magic treasure was already strange enough, but who would have thought, who would have thought you—you would actually bring a fire-poking stick… Hahahaha! I—I’m dying of laughter.”

The disciples of Big Bamboo Peak standing nearby heard Tian Linger suddenly laughing so hard, and all came over. After learning the reason, they could not help breaking into another fit of laughter. Yet as Zhang Xiaofan looked around at the smiling, cheerful senior brothers and sisters, a surge of anger suddenly rose in his heart.

This fury hidden in the depths of his heart passed in the blink of an eye, but it was so intense that it almost made Zhang Xiaofan choke.

He lowered his head and clutched that ugly fire-poking stick tightly. Its familiar chill spread into his palm.

“Xiaofan,” Tian Linger suddenly put away her smile and said seriously, “I’m sorry.”

Zhang Xiaofan’s body trembled, and he raised his head.

Tian Linger said, “I originally wanted to give you some treasure to make you look better, so you wouldn’t be laughed at by the other fellow disciples when you went out. But these past days Mother has been pushing me so hard in my cultivation that I forgot all about it.”

Zhang Xiaofan unconsciously shook his head. “Senior Sister, your cultivation is more important. There’s no need to keep thinking about me.”

Tian Linger patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, “But it’s nothing much. Everyone knows your abilities. This time, just think of it as going to gain some experience.” She lowered her voice. “If anyone bullies you, you must come tell me. Hmph, I’ll stand up for you right away.”

Looking at his senior sister’s warm gaze, Zhang Xiaofan did not doubt her promise in the slightest. He could even feel the goodwill in the words and actions of everyone around him.

And yet—and yet, what emotion was it that still surged so violently? What sort of flame was blazing in the deepest part of his heart, so fierce that he could scarcely breathe?

Tian Linger was still smiling as she patted the shoulder of this junior brother she loved best and whispered, “Let me tell you—there are lots of fun places on Tongtian Peak. This time, let’s sneak off and play, all right?”

Zhang Xiaofan’s vision swam with that beautiful face. Suddenly he found himself not daring to look at her directly. Lowering his head, his heart both sweet and troubled, full of all the tangled feelings of youth, he murmured, “Yes, Senior Sister.”

Tian Linger smiled radiantly, and just then He Dazhi said from behind, “Master and Shiniang are here.”

Everyone turned to look. Tian Buyi and Su Ru were walking out from the Hall of Keeping Quiet. Tian Buyi wore a sky-blue robe, his bearing rather solemn. If only he had been a little taller and his belly a little smaller, he truly would have possessed the awe-inspiring air of a grand master.

As for Su Ru, she made everyone’s eyes light up. She was already strikingly beautiful in ordinary times, but today she wore a light green dress, jade floral ornaments in her hair, and a golden hairpin. Her brows were like distant mountains touched with dusky green, her skin like congealed cream and white jade, her gaze soft as water, and a smile rested on her red lips. She truly could topple all living beings.

Song Daren followed behind the husband and wife, looking more solemn than ever. Yet the moment the younger brothers caught sight of him, every one of them wore odd, half-smiling expressions that were anything but solemn.

Behind Song Daren, the yellow dog Da Huang and the monkey Xiao Hui came out as well. Xiao Hui now seemed already accustomed to sitting on Da Huang’s back. The moment it saw Zhang Xiaofan standing ahead, it cried “zhi zhi zhi zhi,” jumped down from Da Huang’s back, scampered over to Zhang Xiaofan, and in two or three leaps landed on his shoulder.

Tian Buyi looked over the disciples, nodded, and said, “Let’s go.”

As he spoke, he swept his right hand. At the guiding of the spell in his palm, a flash of red light appeared as his famed immortal sword Chiling rose into the air. Scarlet radiance blazed in all directions; it was truly a treasure of the immortals.

Tian Buyi was just about to step forward when suddenly his trouser leg was tugged. Turning back, he saw that Da Huang had bitten onto it. The yellow dog he had raised since it was young wagged its head and body, making muffled “woo woo” sounds through Tian Buyi’s trouser leg, its tail wagging energetically, a pair of dog eyes fixed on Tian Buyi without blinking.

Tian Buyi hesitated, muttered something indistinct under his breath, but in the end still flicked his sleeve and rolled Da Huang up with him. Then he floated onto the Chiling sword, greeted Su Ru, and took the lead in shooting through the air.

Su Ru shook her head with a light laugh and said to the others, “You all come too.” After a pause, she said to Song Daren, “Daren, Xiaofan’s cultivation isn’t enough. You take him.”

Song Daren nodded. “Yes.”

Su Ru nodded back. Without any visible motion from her, a pale green light flashed, matching her clothes as if made for them, and carried her straight into the blue heavens in pursuit of Tian Buyi’s scarlet light.

Among the disciples of Big Bamboo Peak, Wu Dayi, Zheng Dali, and Lü Daxin had not yet reached the fourth level of cultivation and could not control magical treasures in flight. So Song Daren went to Zhang Xiaofan, while He Dazhi, Du Bishu, and Tian Linger each took one of the others and set off.

Among them, Tian Linger’s magic treasure was the Amber Vermilion Ribbon. The treasure He Dazhi cultivated was a Jiangshan Brush, fitting well with his usual scholarly tastes. But the most comical of all was Sixth Brother Du Bishu’s dice treasure. Once activated, in a flash of white light, the three dice grew ten times larger and spun ceaselessly in the air, every number appearing in turn. If one spoke of gambling implements under heaven, there was surely none to surpass it.

Fifth Brother Lü Daxin cautiously stepped forward for a closer look, then said to Du Bishu with a miserable face, “Old Six, that thing of yours isn’t going to drop out of the sky, is it?”

Du Bishu lifted a brow and grinned. “Fifth Brother, how about we make a bet? If it falls from the sky, you win, and I’ll—”

Lü Daxin spat repeatedly. “Pah, pah, pah! Then would I still dare win that bet?”

Du Bishu paused, then said, “That’s true too!”

Song Daren walked up to Zhang Xiaofan and said with a smile, “Xiaofan, are you ready?”

Just as Zhang Xiaofan was about to nod, the monkey Xiao Hui on his shoulder suddenly shrieked. Both of them were startled, only to see Xiao Hui alternately pointing at the sky and then at itself and Zhang Xiaofan. Zhang Xiaofan froze, then said, “You want to go too?”

Xiao Hui immediately bared its teeth in delight. Zhang Xiaofan hesitated and looked at Song Daren. Song Daren thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “Since Master took Da Huang along, we might as well bring Xiao Hui too!”

Zhang Xiaofan felt happy and nodded. Xiao Hui was even more delighted.

Song Daren turned to the others and said, “Let’s go too. If we’re late, Master will scold us again.” Everyone answered and set off on their various magic treasures. Before leaving, Tian Linger even came over to Zhang Xiaofan and reminded him, “Be careful! Hold tight to Senior Brother.”

Zhang Xiaofan nodded. “I know, Senior Sister.”

Tian Linger smiled at him. With a guiding spell, the Amber Vermilion Ribbon burst into rosy light and shot through the air. Song Daren then raised his own magic treasure, the immortal sword Shihu.

He was the eldest disciple of the Big Bamboo Peak line. Though the magical treasures cultivated by his younger brothers varied, he still cultivated an immortal sword.

The Shihu sword was entirely yellow, four chi long and three fingers wide. Among immortal swords it counted as rather large, though unfortunately the power of a magic treasure could not be judged by size alone.

Song Daren pulled Zhang Xiaofan up onto it. Zhang Xiaofan had ridden Tian Linger’s Amber Vermilion Ribbon before, and when his foot came down, Shihu dipped slightly, then steadied. He was no longer too alarmed. The monkey Xiao Hui, however, seemed to know something and clutched tightly at Zhang Xiaofan’s head.

Song Daren smiled faintly. “Little Junior Brother, we’re off.”

As he spoke, he raised his right hand in a spell toward the heavens. A low vibration came from the sword body of Shihu. The immortal sword, which had been floating calmly one foot above the ground, suddenly rose another three feet. Zhang Xiaofan instinctively grabbed hold of Song Daren.

At that moment, a mountain wind blew past, and the tip of the Shihu sword slowly tilted upward. When it had risen to what seemed about a seventy-degree angle, so that Zhang Xiaofan was only kept from falling by clinging tightly to Song Daren, a sharp whistle sounded, and Shihu shot straight upward into the sky.

Standing on the immortal sword, Zhang Xiaofan held Song Daren tightly. Though he was nervous, no matter what he could not bear to close his eyes.

He saw the green peak of Big Bamboo Peak growing farther and farther away. Suddenly, everything before him turned white. Vast whiteness filled his sight—they had plunged into a thick sea of clouds, and he could no longer see anything clearly.

Now above, below, before, and behind, there was only boundless cloud vapor. The wind roared endlessly, cutting painfully across his face. Zhang Xiaofan’s body trembled slightly, half from nerves, half from excitement.

To gallop through the blue heavens and white clouds—what a dream that was!

The sea of clouds stretched endlessly. It was hard to say how long they flew. Just as Zhang Xiaofan’s heart was beginning to settle again, as though to astonish him one more time, the Shihu sword burst out of the cloud sea amid its piercing cry through the air.

The boundless blue sky above was like an inverted deep ocean, so blue it was almost pure, limitless, magnificent, and grand.

As they emerged from the sea of clouds, the white clouds beneath their feet seemed like splashing water. Their forward momentum sent long trails of cloud vapor rippling outward, as though reluctant to part, or like the faint waves of a great river lifting into midair before slowly sinking back into the sea of clouds.

The vast sky was washed clean. The Shihu sword soared upward until they were nearly another three hundred zhang above the endless sea of clouds beneath them. Only then did Song Daren level the blade and begin flying straight toward Tongtian Peak.

In the distance stood a majestic mountain that towered into the clouds—no, into the heavens themselves. There, amid drifting white clouds, the faint sound of bells echoed through the vault of sky and earth.

Tongtian Peak seemed as if it truly reached the blue heavens.

Zhang Xiaofan held his breath and gazed far into the distance. Beneath the boundless blue sky, around that towering peak, countless rays of different colors danced and circled. The closer they drew to Tongtian Peak, the denser those lights became.

Zhang Xiaofan knew those were all the magical treasures controlled by Qingyun’s disciples. Because of the five elements to which the treasures belonged, they shone in many different colors, brilliant and beautiful to behold.

Those streaks of light flowed toward the mountain like a rain of colored stones, and the spectacle was immensely magnificent.

And he and the Shihu sword, too, were soon swallowed into that multicolored torrent.

Accompanied by a whistling rush, Song Daren brought Zhang Xiaofan down by sword onto a huge plaza. The instant they touched the ground, the monkey Xiao Hui began looking everywhere, then leapt off Zhang Xiaofan’s shoulder and bounded all over the plaza in excitement.

Zhang Xiaofan paid it no mind and looked around. White jade railings bordered the place, and waves of immortal vapor drifted all around. In the center of the plaza stood nine great bronze tripods arranged in groups of three. Most astonishing of all was that cloud vapor billowed across the plaza itself, so that one seemed to be walking among clouds, giving a feeling of becoming immortal.

The sight struck Zhang Xiaofan as deeply familiar. He remembered that this was the “Sea of Clouds,” one of the so-called Six Scenic Wonders of Qingyun, where he had come when he first ascended Qingyun Mountain.

Five years had passed, and this place was just as before, unchanged—still as beautiful and ethereal as ever. Only today it was far livelier than it had been five years ago.

The plaza was already bustling. It was likely that the disciples of Qingyun who had come to participate in the Seven Branches Tournament had all temporarily gathered here. Looking from afar, heads packed the square densely; there must have been several hundred people.

Most of those standing on the plaza wore Qingyun Sect garments. There were both Daoists and lay disciples, men and women alike, with especially many from the younger generation. There were no shortage of spirited and heroic figures among them. It could be seen that over these years, Qingyun had worked hard to train and cultivate its younger disciples.

Though several hundred people stood on the plaza, it still appeared spacious.

Song Daren looked around in all directions when suddenly he heard a clear voice call from the distance, “Eldest Senior Brother, we’re over here.”

Song Daren and Zhang Xiaofan looked over. It was the people of Big Bamboo Peak. Needless to say, the one shouting was Tian Linger. They were standing beside a huge bronze tripod in the middle of the plaza, and Tian Linger was waving at them.

Song Daren answered and walked over with Zhang Xiaofan.

Along the way, Zhang Xiaofan glanced around. He saw disciples from the other branches standing in groups of three or five all over the plaza, every one of them looking cheerful and discussing something animatedly. Presumably all of them were filled with anticipation for the martial contest that was about to begin.

When they reached the group, He Dazhi, standing behind Tian Linger, spoke first. “Eldest Senior Brother, was the journey smooth?”

Song Daren smiled. “It’s not as if this is my first time here. What could happen?”

Tian Linger glanced at Zhang Xiaofan and said with a smile, “Xiaofan, was the scenery on the way nice?”

Recalling the breathtaking scene high in the blue heavens just now, Zhang Xiaofan said sincerely, “It was beautiful beyond words.”

Tian Linger giggled, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “In the future, work harder yourself. Once you refine a magical treasure and learn to fly through the air, you can go up into the heavens every day and stare your fill.”

Zhang Xiaofan said nothing, but a smile appeared on his face, and he nodded heavily.

Song Daren looked around, then asked He Dazhi, “Fourth Brother, where are Master and Shiniang?”

He Dazhi said, “We followed Master and Shiniang here, and then a senior brother from the Head Branch received them and led them up to the Yuqing Hall. He said the branch leaders and elders of the Seven Branches were going to gather and discuss some details of the martial contest. Master told us to wait here.”

Song Daren nodded. Then he beckoned his junior brothers over, gathered them near him, looked around, and lowered his voice. “Why does it seem to me there are so many unfamiliar senior and junior brothers from the other branches? You’ve been here a little while already—have you heard any news?”

He Dazhi shook his head. “I feel the same way. Looks like the various branches have taken in quite a few new people over the years.”

Second Brother Wu Dayi looked around and said, “There are plenty of new people, but I’d guess that when they go onstage tomorrow, most of those competing will still be the senior brothers with deeper cultivation from before. After all, in terms of cultivation experience, they still…”

Song Daren suddenly sighed and said, “Second Brother, that may not be so. Do you remember that young disciple from Dragon Head Peak who came two years ago to deliver a message—Lin Jingyu?”

Wu Dayi paused, then fell silent. Everyone exchanged glances, and no one spoke. Only in Zhang Xiaofan’s heart a complicated emotion suddenly swept through—something like joy, something like envy, perhaps even carrying a trace of jealousy.

“What is that fellow worth?” someone suddenly said coldly.

Everyone was startled, only to see that it was Tian Linger who had spoken. Her pretty face was slightly flushed, her beautiful eyes wide with anger, as she said resentfully, “If he doesn’t come to compete this time, then so be it. But if he dares to come, he’d better run into me. Then I’ll settle the winner and loser with him once and for all!”

The people of Big Bamboo Peak looked at one another. Sixth Brother Du Bishu, always quick-witted and fast to react, laughed and said, “Little Junior Sister speaks quite rightly. If by some coincidence that really happens, hehe, fellow senior brothers, why don’t we make a bet and see who wins and who loses—”

“Get lost, get lost, get lost!” Fifth Brother Lü Daxin, standing beside him, kicked him away.

Song Daren gave a smile and was just about to say something when he suddenly heard a soft cough behind him. A woman’s gentle voice said, “Senior Brother Song, it’s been a long time.”