Beyond the Divine States

Chapter 74 The Ruler

The morning fog was cold.

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes, which were bloodshot. He pushed open the window, letting the cold wind billow his white clothes and rush through his collars. He felt dry and cold.

Of course, cultivating for one night couldn't really change anything.

Considering his current constitution, cultivating was literally the constant work as if drops of water outwore the stone.

He had anticipated it so he only felt regretful instead of losing heart.

He opened the door and got out. In the morning sunshine, he walked out of the inner peak.

As it snowed, the aura roamed like the mist, enshrouding the whole peak.

Ning Changjiu raised his head to look afar. Staring at the rocks floating in the sky, he was lost in thought.

The rocks always hung above the Tianku Peak. People gradually got used to them.

According to Ning Xiaoling, the rocks were the sword stars, which were hung by the founding master in the sky.

The sword stars could be illuminated by the sword fire. After the sword fire lit up a sword star, a sword-armored person would be projected. Anyone who defeated this sword-armored person could acquire a part of sword intent. The higher the sword stars were, the more profound the sword intent contained within would be.

The earlier one lit up the sword stars, the greater the benefits would be. However, when he reached the realm of Long Life, the sword intent of the sword stars would be only slightly better than none.

In the early morning, it was still too early. A few disciples were practicing swordsmanship in the snow on the summit of the peak. The majority of them were obsessed with swordsmanship so they didn't look at him. Wandering on the summit, he arrived somewhere and stopped. Suddenly, he glimpsed a figure dressed in white staring into the distance by the cliff behind a rock.

Lu Jiajia stood by the cliff, holding her sword. Her tall and curvy figure was bathed in the morning sunshine, showing her pretty snow-like face. Her hair that dropped by her cheeks was slightly swinging in the wind. Viewed from aside, she was staring at the snowy landscape outside the peach curtain. The morning glow outlined the silver-white threads on her body, which faintly offset her inherent fierceness, so the threads around her appeared richer and softer, which surpassed the beautiful scenery in her eyes.

Ning Changjiu was a bit surprised to meet her here.

Lu Jiajia noticed his arrival and then slightly turned around to watch the young man in white nearby. Likewise, she was also somewhat surprised. "Why are you so early today?"

Ning Changjiu grinned and shook his head. "I didn't sleep last night," he said.

Lu Jiajia felt a bit confused so she asked, "Anything on your mind?"

Ning Changjiu answered, "No, I just work on cultivation."

Lu Jiajia didn't believe him. "You work hard on cultivation?" She sneered.

Ning Changjiu laughed and replied, "Are you having a bias against me, Miss Lu?"

Lu Jiajia glared at him and looked a bit angry.

With a smile, Ning Changjiu amended his mistake. "Okay, Master."

Lu Jiajia's expression got softened. "Then how do you feel after cultivating diligently for a night?" She asked.

Ning Changjiu said resignedly, "I can only comfort myself by telling myself that constant dripping wears away a stone."

Lu Jiajia said banteringly, "You did great in the imperial city. What? Why the grief now?"

Ning Changjiu asked, "You preach about the sword method and teach the disciples about the swordsmanship every day, which also delays your cultivation too. Since when the peak master has to give lessons in an immortal sect?"

Lu Jiajia withdrew her smile and said in a light voice, "Of course not. I just care a lot about the future of the disciples."

Ning Changjiu wanted to take the opportunity to talk back. "Is it because your body also..."

Lu Jiajia snapped coldly, "Shut up. You are my disciple now. How can you talk to your master like this?"

Ning Changjiu had to shut up sulkily. "Yes, Master."

Lu Jiajia felt somewhat satisfied. "If you have any questions, don't keep them to yourself. You are an outer disciple in name but I...make no social distinctions in teaching."

Ning Changjiu said, "It is not appropriate, I suppose. If it is found by others, they may accuse you and me of contacting each other in secret."

"Emm?" Lu Jiajia asked and then snorted, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Ning Changjiu answered, "I dare not."

Lu Jiajia was a bit confused. "I feel you are in a good mood today?"

Ning Changjiu thought maybe due to the effect of the realm, he became worse and worse at concealing his mood.

"Just fine." Ning Changjiu asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"

Lu Jiajia also answered, "Just fine."

That was the answer for yes then. Ning Changjiu sighed lightly. He knew what the crux of her problem was.

Lu Jiajia stopped looking at him and then turned aside to stare at the landscape, asking, "What do you think of this place?"

Ning Changjiu looked at her and said with a smile, "The beauty is as gorgeous and flawless as the jade."

Lu Jiajia was slightly dazed and turned her neck aside, her eyes full of intent. "I was asking what you thought of Tianku Peak."

Ning Changjiu pretended to look as if taking a tumble and then said calmly, "Layer upon layer of peaks and knolls make a marvelous view here."

Lu Jiajia suddenly thought of something and then took a deep breath. She looked at Ning Changjiu, saying with a faint smile, "You really want to court death?"

Several streaks of thin white sword Qi spurted out of her sleeves and dashed to the sky, which turned into sword ropes then and went at Ning Changjiu, seemingly trying to capture him.

Ning Changjiu knew that he was in trouble so he immediately said, "Someone is coming. Goodbye, Master."

"Freeze!" Lu Jiajia shouted. He dared to flirt with her face to face. How could she reserve the dignity of the rules of the sect if she didn't punish him?

The sword ropes went forward, trying to tie him up.

Of course Ning Changjiu wouldn't stay. He made a Taoist gesture and tried his best to run for life.

Now, it happened that several disciples who came to practice swordsmanship walked past the mountain path.

Lu Jiajia also sensed their arrival. She heaved a sigh and withdrew the sword rope helplessly. Staring in the direction where Ning Changjiu ran away, she snorted.

The several disciples were all astonished to meet Lu Jiajia and hastened to salute her.

Lu Jiajia nodded lightly and told them not to be late for the morning class before leaving.

Looking at her go away, the several disciples were all confused. How come their master looked so sulky today...

...

In the morning class, Lu Jiajia knocked on the wooden ruler, causing the copper bells at the four corners to ring, which marked the beginning of today's cultivation.

Today, Lu Jiajia didn't ask the disciples to read the sword classic but said in a cold and majestic voice, "I heard that yesterday, some of you went down the mountain without permission and even had a conflict with the disciples of Xuanri Peak?"

There was a deadly silence in the hall.

With her hands placed at her back, Lu Jiajia glanced over the sword hall slowly with her eyes as clear as the night rain and the cold mist. Her majesty due to her cultivation level and identity of the peak master was so overwhelming to the disciples present that even their sword minds were shaken.

Ning Xiaoling covered her chest and also felt perturbed. She glimpsed Ning Changjiu aside and only saw him still put on a composed look with his eyes half-closed, about which she couldn't help feeling awed. "Changjiu is so calm that he can even ignore Master's intangible coercion," she thought.

In fact, Ning Changjiu just felt a bit tired for not sleeping last night and failed to hear clearly what Lu Jiajia had said. He took a catnap and felt that the atmosphere was a bit tense so he looked around.

He found that at the rear of the hall, two young men and a young girl slowly stood up, lowering their heads with grieved and frightened expressions.

Of course, Ning Changjiu didn't know them. He only felt that girl was a bit familiar... Maybe it was because there were not many disciples in the sword hall.

"Master, it was my idea and it was me who caused the conflict. I shall take the blame alone."

The three disciples were Xu Weiran, Yunze and Lerou.

It was Xu Weiran who spoke first. He was the senior among them all.

Lu Jiajia asked, "You want to stand up for them?"

Xu Weiran said, "No, I dare not. It's just that as the senior, I should set a good example for them... But when the two of them proposed hunting demons outside the peach curtain, I didn't stop them. It's my fault."

Lu Jiajia said, "You are not strong enough. It is extremely risky to go out and hunt demons at will. If anything untoward happens to you, are you sure you can protect them?"

Xu Weiran lowered his head and didn't dare to answer.

Ning Xiaoling tugged at Ning Changjiu's sleeve and said lightly, "Look, that man is Yunze, who called you pig last time."

Ning Changjiu took a look according to her gesture and saw the young man standing there with his head lowered, whose sword clothes were slightly ragged. Although the young man was being reprimanded, he was still standing indecently, his shoulders one high and the other low.

Lu Jiajia didn't look at Yunze but the young girl, saying, "Lerou, was it you who made them go with you again?"

Lerou seemed to have done this a lot of times. She didn't even try to defend herself. "Yes," she murmured.

Lu Jiajia sighed, "Among the female disciples, you are the eldest one of the young generation. Why are you always so reckless?"

Lerou answered in a low voice, "Master, it is my fault that I got out of the peach curtain without permission but the disciples of Xuanri Peak did the same thing. We met each other by accident..."

Lu Jiajia said coldly, "Xuanri Peak's business will be dealt with by their own master. If you didn't meet by accident, you wouldn't be found then, would you?"

Lerou puckered her lips and didn't dare to answer.

Lu Jiajia continued, "Rather than hunt demons, you only dispersed some ghosts wandering in the caves. Why did you pull a stunt like that? Do you really regard yourself as the sword immortals? When the four peaks send the disciples out to hunt demons during the yearly Deity Deserting Month, why aren't you so proactive?"

Yunze lowered his head and slowly raised his hand.

"Say it," Lu Jiajia said coldly.

Yunze said, "This matter is Weiran's fault but as to the conflict with Xuanri Peak, it is the disciples of Xuanri Peak who went too far. They said blatantly that Tianku Peak was doomed and even mocked your cultivation level. We were so furious that we struck out wildly with them."

Lu Jiajia stayed silent for a while and then asked, "So, you just showed disregard for the rules of the sect?"

Yunze answered embarrassedly, "We simply wanted to defend our master's dignity."

Lu Jiajia asked, "Did you...win?"

The three of them were lost for words.

Lu Jiajia's face became even sterner.

"You are cultivators outside the secular world pursuing the Taoism of longevity. If you still follow the aggressive and competitive brotherhood style of the martial society in the secular world, how long can you proceed on the road of cultivation in the future?"

"I always ask you to cultivate your mind and inner peace but you were provoked only by a few words. How did you cultivate your mind before?"

"Moreover, they are right. Given my current cultivation level, I'm not qualified for being the peak master."

Lu Jiajia's voice subsided gradually and there was a glint of unconcealable loneliness on her face.

Xu Weiran raised his head and held his tongue with an extremely guilty face. Yunze also realized that he had said something wrong. He lowered his head and shut up. Lerou was a young girl anyway. She was fine with being scolded by her master whom she always admired. After all, she was used to that. However, upon hearing her master say so, she had tears welling up in her eyes.

Lu Jiajia looked at them and felt dejected inwardly. She still withdrew her hand from the ruler. Looking at the three disciples, she said, "Given that it was your first offense, well... the first offense in this month, I decide to spare you for now. If you make such a mistake again, I will punish you with due severity."

Xu Weiran let out a sigh of relief and immediately said, "Yes, Master."

The other disciples were all as quiet as cicadas in late autumn. Ning Changjiu was not affected. He only had a feeling that Lu Jiajia appeared so majestic while educating the disciples.

He slightly tilted his head and whispered to Ning Xiaoling, "Master asked the disciples to cultivate their mind but actually, she is angry too. About this, Xiaoling, you should learn from me rather than her."

Ning Xiaoling nodded her head reflectively.

Lu Jiajia slightly moved her earlobes and slowly turned around to settle her gaze on Ning Changjiu, asking, "What did you say?"

Ning Changjiu was shocked. He knew that she was able to hear him for sure but he didn't expect her to take it seriously.

However, he had just talked about mind cultivation with Ning Xiaoling. Of course he must stay composed now.

Ning Changjiu said calmly, "I told Xiaoling never to mess around in case she might piss you off."

Lu Jiajia didn't want to let him muddle through. "Is that so?" She asked coldly.

It was then that Ning Changjiu recalled that he seemed to have peeved her and then got away this early morning. Now, she was going to...take the opportunity to seek revenge?

"You defied your master openly in the sword hall. How should I punish you according to the rules of the sect?" Lu Jiajia asked indifferently.

Ning Changjiu thought she could clearly pretend not to hear him. After all, he who had a mind to beat his dog would easily find his stick. What else could he say?

As expected, Lu Jiajia had grabbed the long ruler, saying, "Show your hand."

"It is also my first offense this month..." Ning Changjiu tried to defend himself.

Lu Jiajia asked, "So, you've admitted your mistake?"

Ning Changjiu swallowed his words back.

"Yeah..."

In front of so many people, Ning Changjiu hesitated a bit and still reached out his hand. He gazed at Lu Jiajia, seeming to accuse Lu Jiajia of her vengeful behavior.

Lu Jiajia still looked cold, her eyes filled with a glimmer of a smile. It seemed that she was saying, "So what? I just want to vent my anger on you."

The other disciples were still guessing what this bold outer disciple had said in secret when they heard a few claps. The ruler hit Ning Changjiu's palm, causing it to become slightly red.

Ning Xiaoling begged in a low voice, "Master, please spare Changjiu..."

Lu Jiajia's heart got softened. She withdrew the ruler and said, "Just this once."

Ning Changjiu kept looking at her calmly and then said with a sigh, "As my master commands."