Che Yutao's residence was not luxurious. A few flowers and herbs were simply planted in the courtyard. Nearly all Shaohua Mountain disciples at or above late Foundation Establishment who were stationed at Xuanlu Pass had arrived, aside from the few who had just walked in.
Qin Sang spotted a few unfamiliar faces, presumably having arrived from the sect one after another during this period.
These people stood neatly in the courtyard. No one spoke; it was utterly quiet.
Standing below Che Yutao was a burly man with a complexion like ripe jujube and a steady, composed bearing. Unusually, he carried an extremely heavy dark iron greatsword on his back, wrapped in cloth strips, resembling a mortal chivalric hero.
Qin Sang had never seen this person before, but seeing the dark iron greatsword on his back, he immediately guessed his identity.
Ji Qing!
Che Yutao's eldest disciple.
It was true that Zhan Yi was deeply favored by Che Yutao, but when it came to the most renowned personal disciple under Che Yutao, it was still this burly man named Ji Qing—once the foremost expert of Shaohua Mountain.
This "foremost expert" title, unlike Qin Sang's reputation, had been forged match by match during the Grand Tournament of the Eight Righteous Sects.
When the grand tournament took place, Qin Sang had still been cultivating in seclusion at Qingyang Market, having broken through to late Foundation Establishment not long before. Even if he had returned to participate, without resorting to his refined corpse or magic treasure, it would have been difficult for him to achieve a high ranking.
However, Qiu Mubai had not taken part in that grand tournament. Ji Qing had never fought Qiu Mubai, so it was unknown which of the two was stronger.
After the grand tournament, Ji Qing received his rewards and vanished. He had not shown himself during the subsequent unrest across the Lesser Cold Domain, either out roaming for experience or quietly cultivating to prepare for Core Formation.
From the looks of it, his attempt at Core Formation had failed; he was still in the False Core stage.
The woman in the seat of honor wore a cloak, her face hidden from view.
To have Che Yutao accompany her in person, her status was certainly extraordinary. Could she be one of the sect's reclusive Golden Core cultivators?
He did not recall any Martial Uncle having a penchant for wearing a cloak.
The thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and he could not resist stealing another glance. Suddenly, he froze. For some reason, though the woman was completely shrouded by the cloak, she gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Uncertainty and astonishment churned in Qin Sang's heart.
"Mubai, come over!"
Seeing the group walk in, Che Yutao put on an amicable expression, waving Qiu Mubai forward, before catching sight of Qin Sang.
"Oh? Qin Sang is at Xuanlu Pass as well? You come forward too."
Qin Sang and Qiu Mubai exchanged a glance.
Seeing that Qiu Mubai was equally puzzled, Qin Sang felt somewhat reassured. Though he did not know why Che Yutao had summoned them, since Qiu Mubai and Ji Qing were involved, it likely was not a bad thing.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle Che."
The two stepped forward together and bowed.
Che Yutao signaled that they need not stand on ceremony, then asked Qin Sang, "If I recall correctly, you specialize in water-attribute spiritual power?"
Qin Sang immediately replied, "Yes."
Che Yutao nodded, then turned his head toward the cloaked woman and said, "Lady Chenyan, Mubai's strength is beyond doubt. Having him wield the White Tiger Beast Seal will be foolproof. This is also Master's intention, to let Mubai go along to temper himself.
"This is Martial Nephew Qin Sang. Since Lady Chenyan has been in closed-door cultivation, you likely have not met him.
"He is known by the moniker 'Shadowless Sword' and distinguished himself brilliantly during the clashes with the Heaven-Traversing Alliance at the Yuncang Great Marsh. His strength ranks among the very best of the younger generation. Apart from Mubai and Ji Qing here, likely no one among them is his match, so he can wield the Xuanwu Beast Seal.
"With Ji Qing wielding the Gouchen Beast Seal as well, we only need to select two more people."
The instant Che Yutao uttered the name "Lady Chenyan," Qin Sang froze solid on the spot.
It was her!
The only woman in his life with whom he had shared intimate physical contact—a bond forged for a reason that was difficult to speak of. How could Qin Sang ever forget her?
She was also the culprit behind his damaged foundation, the very reason he had hesitated so long to attempt Core Formation.
Of course, Qin Sang bore no resentment.
Sacrificing his foundation to achieve Foundation Establishment had been his own choice; there was no reason to blame anyone else.
Such was the way of the world: when faced with hardship, taking a shortcut meant one might eventually have to pay hundreds or thousands of times the price to make up for it.
Were it not for serving as a cauldron, he might never have had the chance to reach Foundation Establishment.
Foundation Establishment and Core Formation were entirely different matters.
A False Core stage cultivator could be considered an expert in the cultivation world; when venturing out in search of opportunities, they had more than enough ability to protect themselves and the capital to take risks. A Qi Refinement cultivator roaming outside, on the other hand, could lose their life for any unpredictable reason.
Back then, it had been a fair trade. After a single night, neither had anything to do with the other.
Since then, both had strictly honored the pact, tacitly consigning the matter to oblivion.
No matter how great a difficulty Qin Sang encountered, he had never entertained the thought of seeking her help. In fact, after that event, he had never spoken the name "Chenyan" to anyone.
Chenyan had been the same: she never helped Qin Sang along, nor did she ever make things difficult for him, treating him as though he did not exist.
Nearly a hundred years had passed since then, and Qin Sang was finally seeing Chenyan again.
For a century, Chenyan had vanished without a trace, to the point where disciples who joined later were unaware such a person even existed in the sect.
A short while ago, on a sudden impulse, Qin Sang had thought of Chenyan and wondered whether she had succeeded in Nascent Soul formation. Never had he imagined he would see her with his own eyes under these circumstances!
Judging from Che Yutao's tone, even he was kept in the dark and had no idea about the entanglement between Qin Sang and Chenyan. No wonder so much effort had been taken back then to use Martial Uncle Mawu's name to throw others off the scent.
Waves surged in Qin Sang's heart, yet his expression showed nothing out of the ordinary. With apparent composure, he glanced at Chenyan.
He saw that Chenyan simply sat there in silence, listening to Che Yutao speak, completely disregarding both him and Qiu Mubai.
*Adhering to the old precedent is best.*
*We act as strangers to each other, forgetting one another in the rivers and lakes.*
Qin Sang thought silently to himself.
Yet he could not help letting his thoughts wander. Why had Chenyan quietly ended her seclusion and come to Xuanlu Pass? Had she formed a Nascent Soul? What had she summoned them all here to do?
Hearing Che Yutao mention the White Tiger Beast Seal, the Xuanwu Beast Seal, and the Gouchen Beast Seal, Qin Sang remained completely at sea.
He had never heard of them before. What were these beast seals, and why did they want them to wield them?
Qin Sang glanced sideways at Qiu Mubai, asking with his eyes.
Qiu Mubai gave a slight shake of his head.
Qin Sang had no choice but to wait patiently for Che Yutao to explain, looking away from Chenyan.
When Che Yutao finished, a placid voice came from beneath the cloak: "Acceptable."
It was just as in the past.
The familiar voice stirred memories of the past once more, but Qin Sang suppressed them in an instant.
Old acquaintances had met, yet acted as strangers.
***
Che Yutao deferred completely to Chenyan. Turning around, he looked outside.
At this moment, apart from Qin Sang, Qiu Mubai, and Ji Qing, everyone else stood neatly in the courtyard, including False Core stage experts such as Zhan Yi and Mu Yifeng.
Che Yutao addressed the people in the courtyard: "Disperse, bring out your best abilities, and undergo Lady Chenyan's test. Remember, do not even think of holding back. Maintain your footing with all your might until you can hold out no longer."
Hearing these words, the people in the courtyard looked at one another.
Though they did not know the purpose of the test, Qiu Mubai and the other two inside were all prominent figures in the sect. If they could stand in their ranks, it certainly would not be a bad thing.
Immediately, everyone obeyed Che Yutao's command, dispersing to each claim a patch of ground.
Chapter 550