Qingyun Sect · Elder Hall, the morning bell has not rung, dark clouds are pressing down.
The bluestone floor, with night rain seeping through the crevices, felt like stepping on the back of a snake that had just woken up, cold and slippery. When Chu Xuan was "invited", the corners of his clothes were still stained with the mist that had drifted in through the bamboo window, his wooden sword was slanted, his shoulders were loose, and he looked as if he had "come for morning tea".
The door of the hall closed, and darkness arose. The elders sat on either side, their eyes either scrutinizing or doubting, like rows of ancient lamps hanging on the wall, their flames glowing green. The main seat in the middle was empty, but Elder Li sat on the left with a large golden sword, a scroll of rubbings spread out on a long table in front of him, the ink not yet dry, and the runes twisted like centipedes.
"Chu Xuan, do you know sin?" Elder Li spoke, his voice like a blunt knife dragging through wet wood.
Chu Xuan scratched his ears and sighed, "I was dragged here early in the morning and haven't had the chance to commit it yet."
A few soft coughs rang out in the hall. Some people held back their laughter, while others frowned. Elder Li's face darkened and he slapped the table: "Don't be so smooth-talking! You have an evil seal on your hand, make a pact with a demon cultivator, and practice ancient forbidden arts. The evidence is conclusive. How dare you justify yourself?
"Evidence?" Chu Xuan raised his eyebrows, his gaze fixed on the scroll of rubbings. The runes are fierce and indeed sinister, but he sneers, "Elder Li, this rubbing of yours was engraved last night, wasn't it? The ink is not even dry, and the smell makes me sneeze."
Elder Li's eyes twitched and he forced a cold voice: "The authenticity of the rubbing can be verified. Deputy Director Duan of the Law Enforcement Hall, please 'Verify the Spirit mirror'!
A faint light flashed on the mirror, shining directly on Chu Xuan. The coldness crept along the meridians into the sea of consciousness like countless ice needles, trying to force out the aura of the Dao Qi. Chu Xuan's mind turned sharply, but he appeared laid-back, his fingertips secretly pinched the sword form in his sleeve, and the faint light of the cold star quietly covered the sea of consciousness.
The mirror light swept over, reflecting only a pale ice-blue - cold spiritual power, pure and unadulterated. There is a faint sound in the hall, and an elder whispers: "No evil breath?"
Elder Li's face turned ashen and he rose abruptly: "The Spirit Mirror can go wrong too! I beg - Soul search!"
As soon as the word "Soul-searching" was spoken, there was an instant silence in the hall. The soul-searching technique, at the very least, causes damage to consciousness, and at the worst, turns one into an idiot. It must not be used lightly unless it is a serious crime of treason. Lin Hao frowned: "Elder Li, the evidence is insufficient, the soul-searching is too cruel."
The elder Li looked at the empty seat of the main hall and raised his voice: "Deputy Hall Master Duan, this son's magic is extremely hidden. If we don't search the soul, there will be endless troubles!"
Duan Qianshan pondered, his gaze falling on Chu Xuan's face. The young man still laughed with a carefree smile, but the knuckles of the wooden sword were slightly pale. Duan Qianshan sighed in his heart and was about to speak when suddenly a cold female voice came from outside the hall --
"Soul-searching? Elder Li is so imposing."
The door of the hall was pushed open, and sunlight poured in. Ling Qingxue, dressed in white, was like snow. The Cold Moon sword leaned on the arm, and every step was like wind. She didn't even glance at Elder Li, walked straight to Chu Xuan's side, raised her hand, and the mark of the Taoist covenant flashed on her wrist, burning slightly along with the back of Chu Xuan's hand.
"The contract of the Dao is formed by me, and the Cold Star Sword Technique is taught by me." Her voice was not high, but every word was as cold as frost. "Elder Li keeps talking about sorcery. Is he scolding me, Ling Qingxue, or is he scolding the ancestors of the Qingyun Sect for being blind and mistaking sorcery for the sect's sword technique?"
Elder Li choked, his face turning bluish and purple. Duan Qianshan's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the two of them 'synchronized marks, a trace of deep thought flashing across his eyes.
Ling Qingxue raised her hand, and an ice-blue token emerged: "The order of the Supreme Elder, I, Ling Qingxue, guarantee with my Daoist heart that what Chu Xuan has cultivated is all orthodox. If anyone dares to be unreasonable again -- "she flicked the tip of her finger, the token hung in mid-air, cold light shining," ask me first, no answer from the sword."
The air pressure in the hall dropped sharply. Elder Li's lips quivered, but he dared not speak any more. Duan Qianshan rose to his feet and said indifferently, "The evidence is insufficient. The accusation is dismissed. Chu Xuan, release at once. Elder Li, if you have any objections, you may report to the patriarch and then decide."
"Elder Li gritted his teeth, but could only shrug his sleeves with a cold groan and slunk away. The grey-clad old man followed closely behind, his gaze 阴鸷, like two venomous snakes unwilling to give up.
The sun was shining brightly outside the hall. Chu Xuan stretched, turned his head and smiled at Ling Qingxue: "Qingxue, you were so handsome just now that I wanted to applaud."
Ling Qingxue gave him a faint glance: "Stop flattering. The lotus seal has been exposed, and Elder Li will not let it go."
Outside the stone steps, the sunlight was blinding. Chu Xuan stepped out of the threshold in one step, stretched his body, and with a "click" of his bones, as if he were swinging a folding fan. He turned his head and winked at Ling Qingxue: "Qingxue, your 'Ask me about the sword first' just now was so cool that I almost wanted to applaud for you - unfortunately, the atmosphere in the hall is too dull and I'm afraid clapping will be regarded as a provocation."
Ling Qingxue placed the Cold Moon sword in his arm and said in a soft voice, "It's not too late to clap now."
"Command!" Chu Xuan did indeed clasp his palms together, and with a crisp "pop", the sparrows at the eaves flapped up. The young man laughed out eight white teeth. "The clapping is over. Sister's sword is left behind."
"Come less." The corners of Ling Qingxue's mouth curled up quietly, and the tips of her ears turned pale pink in the sunlight. "Elder Li, having suffered a setback, will not let it go. From now on, he will only be more sinister."
Chu Xuan shrugged his shoulders as if he were wearing the wind of indifference: "So be it. For those who come out of the mortal world, the least afraid thing is the gutter." Before he could finish his words, an old voice came from beneath the stone steps --
"Young man, the gutter can drown."
They looked in the direction of the sound. At the end of the cliffside path, an old man in a grey robe stood with his hands behind his back, his hair streaked white, and a purple and gold token hung at his waist - "Duan Qianshan", the chief deacon of the Presbyterian Council. His eyes were sharp, like two deep Wells, and he looked at people with an alluring force.
Chu Xuan clasped his hands, smiling: "Deputy Hall Master Duan, are you deliberately blocking me for fear that I won't have enough prison food?"
Duan Qianshan's beard was shaken by his teasing, but his face was stern: "There's no food, but a basketful of talk. Elder Ling, young Chu, come with me to the 'Stargazing platform' - Master of the sect to hear the whole story of today."
Ling Qingxue's eyes flicker and she whispers: "The master has been in seclusion for three years and has come out of seclusion for this matter? Be careful."
Chu Xuan blinked his eyes and sent the same voice: "Don't worry, I cry poor."
...
The observatory was built on the top of Qingyun Peak, with its base suspended in the air and the wind howling all around. There was nothing on the platform except a bluestone chessboard, two cups of cold tea, and a middle-aged man in a blue robe. With his back to the crowd, he looked up at the stars, his robe rustling in the wind like a flag that refused to yield.
"Master." Duan Qianshan bowed his hands. The man in the green robe turned around, his eyes gentle and refined, yet with the solemnness of the mountains. It was Shen Huaiqiu, the leader of the Qingyun Sect. His gaze swept over Chu Xuan and landed on Ling Qingxue's face in a gentle voice: "Qingxue, three years apart, you are willing to come out of seclusion?"
Ling Qingxue lowered his eyes and bowed: "The sect is in trouble, Qingxue dares not do good alone."
Shen Huaiqiu let out a soft sigh, then turned to look at Chu Xuan and smiled slightly, "You're the one who made Elder Li jump up and down?"
Chu Xuan clasped his hands solemnly: "Back to the master, disciple Chu Xuan, seventeen years old, five feet eight inches tall, good-looking, not married --"
Shen Huaiqiu was made to laugh loudly and raised his hand to press: "All right, I didn't ask about marriage." He motioned for the two to sit down, and he himself sat down opposite the chess table. With a flick of his sleeve, the chessboard showed light and shadow - it was the runes from today's hall rubbings.
"This talisman," said Shen Huaiqiu, tapping his knuckles, "Elder Li calls it an 'ancient forbidden technique'. "Qingxue, you speak."
Ling Qingxue looked calm. With a touch of her fingertip, the chessboard played with light and shadow, the rune lines were disassembled and reassembled, and eventually transformed into a lotus-shaped mark, exactly the same as the one on the back of Chu Xuan's hand.
"The lotus is the contract, the cold light is the lock, heaven and earth are the evidence, and the heart of the Dao is the engagement." Her voice was cold, but each word was clear. "This talisman is not a forbidden technique, but a legacy of the ancient path. Three thousand years ago, our ancestors used this to seal the Taotie and protect the peace of the three realms. Elder Li's rubbing deliberately erased the word 'Dao Xin' and took it out of context with the intention of framing."
Shen Huaiqiu's gaze narrowed slightly as he turned to Chu Xuan: "Do you dare to release the aura of the Daoist contract for our sect to see?"
Without saying a word, Chu Xuan raised his hand, the lotus seal emerged, a warm blue light flashed, reflecting the heavenly wind, pure and flawless. Shen Huaiqiu gazed for a moment and nodded slightly: "There is indeed not a hint of evil."
He ponted for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand, a white jade token emerged and was pushed towards Chu Xuan: "The Great Competition of the Sects will be opened in half a month. The sect gives you a chance - to rank and silence the crowd; Take the first place and I'll clear your name myself. If anyone dares to say again that the contract is a sorcery, ask our sect for an answer first."
Chu Xuan took the token, his fingertips slightly warm, as if grasping a small hill. He grinned, his tiger teeth shining: "Master, I have noted down your words. I can't guarantee first, but I'm sure I won't let you lose money."
Shen Huaiqiu laughed and turned to look at Ling Qingxue: "Qingxue, the person you guarantee, you are responsible to the end. If he loses a hair during the competition, I'll ask you."
Ling Qingxue rose and bowed in response, his voice soft but firm: "Disciple obeys."
The wind howled and lifted her white dress like a freshly washed snow flag. Chu Xuan glanced sideways at her, his heart beating for no reason - not the resonance of the Dao, but the pure joy and exuberance of a young man.
"Let's go," he said in a low voice, "to get the first place and by the way - to take apart a few old bones."
Ling Qingxue glanced at him, her lips curved slightly: "Be civilized, don't see blood."
"All right, then see the sweat." The boy laughed, his voice being blown high into the air like a flamboyant flag.