Beyond the Divine States

Chapter 64 Need a Knife

At the door of the sword hall, an old man was sleepy with his eyes half-closed, holding a stick.

Ning Changjiu walked to him and knocked on the table.

The old man slightly raised his eyes and took a glance at him, asking, "What's the matter?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Lu Jiajia asked me to get a wooden tablet."

"Lu Jiajia... Who is that?" The old man thought for a while and scratched his hair. Then, he was astonished and widened his eyes, saying, "How dare you call the deputy peak master's name directly?"

Ning Changjiu nodded and said, "Yes, she asked me to come here."

The old man looked him up and down, saying, "I've heard of what happened outside. It seems that she also brings back a disciple?"

Ning Changjiu said, "That's my fellow disciple."

The old man asked, "Where is your fellow disciple?"

Ning Changjiu said, "She is in the sword hall now, performing the ritual of acknowledging Lu Jiajia as her master."

The old man was startled again. "She is an inner disciple?"

Ning Changjiu nodded. "She is quite talented. Of course, she is made an inner disciple."

The old man looked him up and down and then suddenly said with a grin, "No wonder you call the peak master her name. You are upset because you are a name-recorded disciple only while your fellow disciple is taken as an inner disciple."

Ning Changjiu said, "She doesn't want to me call her Miss Lu so I just call her full name."

Taken aback, the old man gave a thumbs-up gesture and said, "You are so dauntless!"

Ning Changjiu asked with a frown, "Is Lu... the peak master very difficult to get along with?"

The old man thought for a while and said, "Five years ago, she was quite gentle and kind. Since her master passed away and no one of his peers could fill the vacancy. Hence, she had to take over the post across the generation. From then on, she has become cold, lonely and taciturn. Actually, she can't help it. All lay load on the willing horse so she has to put on a cold look. Alas, despite that, our branch has suffered wrong from the other branches these years."

Ning Changjiu nodded his head to show understanding. "It is quite difficult for the peak master indeed."

The old man took out a wooden tablet and a carving knife and then gave them to Ning Changjiu, saying, "Carve two of them. Take one away and leave one here."

Ning Changjiu fetched the carving knife and immediately finished carving.

"Well carved," the old man complimented on his writing. "Your carving looks quite potent. Have you practiced it deliberately?"

Ning Changjiu said, "The style is the man."

The old man clenched the stick and stared at the young man in white, saying carefully, "It is a pity that you are only a name-recorded disciple."

...

...

Ning Xiaoling finished the ritual of acknowledging Lu Jiajia as the master.

"Jiajia, is everything done?" Ning Xiaoling scrawled her name on the roster following the example of her name.

Lu Jiajia smiled and said, "You mustn't call me Jiajia anymore."

Dazed, Ning Xiaoling took a tumble and said seriously, "Yes, Master."

Lu Jiajia rubbed her head with satisfaction.

Ning Xiaoling said, "What about Changjiu?"

Lu Jiajia heaved a sigh. "I can't be bothered to mind his business."

Ning Xiaoling widened her eyes, saying, "Actually, you are quite concerned about Changjiu, right?"

Lu Jiajia poked her forehead and said, "Call me master."

"Yes, Master."

"Yeah. In the following life of cultivation, you may be less and less involved with your fellow disciple. If any one of the seniors makes things difficult for you, you can tell me."

"Okay, noted."

"Alas. If your cultivation level is far higher than Ning Changjiu's, don't be too bothered then."

"I understand. It is my dream to cultivate. Now that I can be your disciple, I'm quite happy... Changjiu must have his own business to do. I'm already quite satisfied that we can live near each other. Actually... I'm rather smart."

Lu Jiajia stopped and looked back at her.

Ning Xiaoling also stood in situ with her both hands placed behind her. Her Taoist dress made her skin look quite fair. She stared at Lu Jiajia with a faint smile on her face, as if the spring river melted.

Lu Jiajia slightly curled up her lips and suddenly burst out laughing. "It turns out you were playing dumb before?"

"No, I wasn't..."

Ning Xiaoling chuckled.

In the corridor, Ning Changjiu stood there awaiting. When he saw them, he raised the wooden tablet and waved slightly.

Ning Xiaoling trotted forward and said happily, "Changjiu, we are in the same sect again."

Ning Changjiu said smilingly, "Yeah. You are also the prestigious inner disciple. Remember to protect me in the future."

Ning Xiaoling frowned and said, "You are mocking me again."

The shadows of trees danced in the breeze down the corridor. Lu Jiajia walked quietly and slowly through the shadows of the trees. Down the stairs of the corridor, she looked at Ning Changjiu, saying, "I want to talk to you in private."

"Okay," Ning Changjiu replied neatly.

Lu Jiajia patted Ning Xiaoling's head, saying, "You go out to meet Yazhu first and then ask her to show you around the sect. Don't take this place as the garden of the secular imperial city only. There are a lot of profound mysteries within."

Ning Xiaoling nodded her head obediently.

After the young girl left, in the yard of the sword hall, only Lu Jiajia and Ning Changjiu were left.

The long corridor was as straight as a sword. One side was deep and quiet while the other side was immersed in the light and wind. Holding the sword, Lu Jiajia strolled in the shadowy corridor gracefully. Dimly discernible, the scene was of artistic conception.

"I know you only want to find a place to settle in temporarily or just wait here for the sovereign to come back and treat your fellow disciple," Lu Jiajia said first.

"Both." Ning Changjiu nodded.

Lu Jiajia said, "Yeah, you've done a great favor for me and your fellow disciple is exceptionally gifted, which is of great significance to Tianku Peak. Therefore, I'll respect your decision about staying or leaving, as long as you don't violate the rules of the sect."

Ning Changjiu said, "Thank you, Miss Lu. However, you've requited the favor as you let me and Xiaoling go that day. No need to mention it in the future."

Lu Jiajia hesitated for a moment and finally slightly nodded her head, saying, "You can ask Yazhu to tell me if you need any help. Or you can come to me in private if you have any problem in terms of cultivation."

Ning Changjiu said with a soft smile, "I may turn to you for a lot of problems in the future."

Lu Jiajia asked, "What's your plan next?"

Ning Changjiu said, "I need some time to think about some things. Perhaps I will stay in the room for the closed-door training. I won't come out until I think it through."

Lu Jiajia stared into his eyes and felt pitiful somehow, saying, "If you have a new body, in terms of your temperament and constitution, your achievement will be unmeasurable."

Ning Changjiu asked, "You also feel pitiful for me, right?"

Lu Jiajia hesitated and still said, "Yeah."

Ning Changjiu asked, "Jiajia, I heard of stone gambling. That is, before the stone is cut open, no one knows whether it is a useless stone or priceless jadeite inside."

Lu Jiajia heard of it too and also understood what he meant. Then, she asked, "You mean you are the concealed jadeite?"

Ning Changjiu slightly shook his head. "I mean I need a knife that can cut the stone open."

...

...

After parting from Lu Jiajia in the sword hall, he walked out of the hall. Several disciples gazed at him from the distance, who seemed to be saying something.

He paid no heed to them and directly walked forward.

Ning Xiaoling and Yazhu didn't walk far. They were waiting for him outside the hall.

"Changjiu, Yazhu asked me to pick a room. I can't make my decision so I want to ask for your opinion." Ning Xiaoling waved her hand merrily and exposed her white teeth while smiling.

Ning Changjiu said with a smile, "It's okay. Whichever room you pick must be a good place."

"Emm, Why?" Ning Xiaoling raised her head and asked.

Ning Changjiu said, "According to the ancient book, where the white fox stays, it is a good place. Just pick a place as per your preference."

Upon hearing the two words--white fox, Ning Xiaoling immediately thought of the little fox which lost its demonic nature and became the innate spirit, lying in her Zifu.

What her fellow disciple said made her recall the strange dream she had before.

In her dream, there seemed to be a tree on the mound she was lying. If she kept having the dream, she wondered how tall the tree would grow.

"Okay. I'll take you to pick the room." Ning Xiaoling grabbed his sleeve and dragged him forward.

Yazhu looked at them and smiled casually.

However, upon thinking that they would increasingly drift apart on the road of cultivation and that the sincere fellowship would be gone sooner or later, she couldn't help sighing. Such similar things had happened too many times.

Outside the sword hall, the woman in white pushed the door open and went out, staring at Yazhu lead them away. As she was in a trance, there seemed to be something white falling outside the clouds from the sky.

She put her fingers together and reached them out. A snowflake landed on the pad of her finger, taking on the shape of a hexagon and vanishing soon.

She withdrew her fingers and put them into her sleeve. Her gaze went across the rocks floating on Tianku Peak and settled beyond the distant sky.

The sunlight was still shining but it started to snow.

It was then that she remembered it was winter again.