"You're lucky King Fong hadn't fully mastered the early stage of the Soul Transformation realm, Shun Jin. Otherwise, the outcome of the duel would have been reversed."
Shun Jin nodded slightly. She was indeed aware that she was quite fortunate because her opponent in the duel a few days ago was a lazy, arrogant type of man. Otherwise, Shun Jin would have lost her life in two attacks.
"But even so, during the duel against King Fong, it seems you gained an enlightenment, Shun Jin."
Shun Jin nodded. "For a moment, I seemed to see a path. Then I moved my hand according to that path and ended up piercing King Fong's heart."
"You should be happy, Shun Jin."
"Why?" Shun Jin turned to me with a questioning look.
"From what you said, you gained an enlightenment of a sword path that is very rare among swordsmen. Even im never seen it. The few people I've known who could see that path are you, Ye Jing, and old man Yamato."
Shun Jin smiled happily, puffing out her chest. "Hehe. Does that mean I'll be much stronger than you someday?"
I ruffled Shun Jin's front hair. "If you train diligently and don't get lazy, it will take a thousand years for you to reach my level of strength."
Shun Jin puffed out her cheeks, displeased with my answer.
We both walked through the high mountains. Fog obscured our view so that only ten steps ahead, behind, left, and right were visible. It seemed the weather wasn't good today.
"What do you think, why did Rastella ask us to meet her in Nanjing? Also, why did she even tell us?"
I thought for a moment to answer Shun Jin's question.
But there was no answer I could think of.
"I don't know. Maybe because there are many people there? Rastella must be planning something in Nanjing because her plan in Jin valley was foiled by us."
Only one week had passed since Shun Jin's duel with King Fong. Four days had passed since Shun Jin was treated by healer Quowun. Two months and one week had passed since the agreement with the spirit king, Rei Han.
Shun Jin's condition was improving every day. She started to gain weight again after I took care of all her needs, considering she was in the post-recovery period. I even thought Shun Jin's cheeks were plumper than before now. She was like a squirrel when I fed her.
"By the way, how about your kingdom, Shun Jin? Their king died. The legitimate heir left without taking responsibility or leaving a single message. Your kingdom is left without anyone on its throne. Aren't you worried about the fate of the people living under your kingdom's name?" I asked Shun Jin, who was walking beside me. She shook her head.
"There's my older brother. I'm sure he can handle everything. Although we never got along, between me and him, I think my brother is more suitable to inherit father's kingdom. My brother, though a coward, is ambitious to be father's successor. He's also smarter at solving kingdom problems than I am.
"Besides, I'm a woman, and women cannot be kings," Shun Jin said with a faint smile.
I didn't continue the conversation because i didn't understand matters of kingdoms and families.
"What a pity. You could have returned to your old life."
Shun Jin shook her head. "For me, life now feels more meaningful than before. I've grown stronger, and I've matured. If my father were still alive, I would only end up as a man's wife and a mother who gives birth to a child without knowing the vastness of the world.
"The crane that was once kept in a golden cage for its beauty. Now that bird has tasted the joy of freedom. It will continue to live with the wind of freedom on its wings."
I whistled softly. Shun Jin was indeed starting to grow into a mature woman. Is this what it feels like to have a child grow up? I'm quite touched.
"But freedom comes at a price. Freedom is merely a word born from dissatisfaction with one's circumstances. One who never appreciates their circumstances is always constrained."
A voice accompanied us as we walked through the thick mountain fog. It had just drizzled yesterday, and this morning the fog still held many of its clouds.
I stopped, pulling Shun Jin back, upon hearing the man's voice answer Shun Jin's words.
Shun Jin turned to me. "Did you say that?"
I shook my head. "No. I just whistled."
"Then who said that just now?" Shun Jin questioned, looking back and forth. Checking if there was a stalker following us.
"Then what about someone who is constrained and grateful? Are they foolish? Or are they a wise person hiding their inability?" I called out to the fog. Then the fog answered.
"One who possesses wisdom will be patient through all trials. One who possesses strength will overcome all obstacles. One who possesses intelligence will try to resolve all matters. Everyone has the right to choose. Which path they will take, and where they will go. But those who do not know where they stand, they are nobody. Merely lost wanderers."
Shun Jin was about to step forward, ignoring the fog's words, before the ground ahead suddenly gave way. Fortunately, I grabbed the collar of her robe before she fell with the crumbling rocks.
"Wise words, oh fog! How about we sit and brew some warm tea in this welcoming cold fog?"
I sat cross-legged at the edge of the chasm. Shun Jin also sat cross-legged beside me.
"It seems it would be better if we left here immediately, crazy man. I'm not sure I've ever heard stories of talking fog. Or are you and I so crazy that we can both hear the fog giving advice?" Shun Jin nervously tugged at my robe sleeve. She seemed a little scared to hear the talking fog.
I grinned.
"There's no talking fog. Just a human speaking from behind the fog. Come out, I want to know what your offer is."
Slowly, the fog surrounding us disappeared. As if its arrival was something honored by nature.
"Oh, what are you doing on my mountain?"
A man wearing a white robe with long gray hair, a long beard and mustache reaching his chest. Although his face looked like an old geezer, a sharp silhouette and clear gaze were hidden within. His cheeks were gaunt, it seemed he had meditated on this mountain for too long, so much so that he could create Qi fog that covered the entire mountain.
Shun Jin's mouth dropped open in surprise to see a man flying on a cloud approaching from the front. Yet, beneath that cloud was a chasm. At the bottom of the chasm, tall pine trees towered.
"We are walking." I answered briefly. "Who are you?" Then I asked.
The old man stroked his beard. His gaze was fixed on Shun Jin rather than me who asked.
"Your disciple has high potential in swordsmanship. I can tell at a glance that your disciple has achieved sword enlightenment that even high-level cultivators may not necessarily attain."
"Answer my question, old man."
"Crazy man." Shun Jin pulled my robe sleeve. "That old man has been staring at my chest for 30 second." Shun Jin seemed scared to be stared at by the old man who could float on a cloud of fog.
"One who desires a name must first give their name. That is the etiquette of youth."
"I don't need etiquette from an old man who stares at a girl's chest for 30 second long."
"Haiya, who can escape the pull of the earth? Who can avoid the charm of a beautiful girl?"
I nodded in agreement. Quite reasonable. Shun Jin pinched my cheek, annoyed for no reason.
"So? Should I call you a perverted old man?"
"Hais... you really have no manners towards your elders, young man. My name is Wu Tian. Patriarch of the Misty Sword Sect."
"My name is Long Yi. Can you give us a ride across that chasm? We need to get to Nanjing quickly."
Wu Tian stroked his beard while still staring intently at Shun Jin's chest. It was clear he hadn't heard a word I said.
"On earth and in heaven, the gods always bestow blessings upon those with beautiful bodies. Do you want to go to Nanjing to participate in the young cultivator martial arts competition?" Wu Tian said, but his gaze never left Shun Jin.
Shun Jin grew increasingly uncomfortable and uneasy being stared at like that by the perverted old man sitting on a floating cloud above the chasm. She covered her entire chest with both hands, but that only seemed to amuse the perverted old man.
"Young cultivator martial arts competition?" I asked. I had just heard about that martial arts competition.
"It is only right that all sects and martial arts disciples know about this competition. All cultivators, both orthodox and unorthodox, are looking forward to this event. Because whoever wins this year's young cultivator martial arts competition will be known as the strongest young cultivator in jianghu (the inner continent) for the next twenty years." Wu Tian explained, he couldn't take his eyes off Shun Jin, so Shun Jin was forced to hide behind my back.
"I've never heard of this competition." I said, Wu Tian clicked his tongue several times.
"This event is held once every twenty years, and most participants are in their teenage years to late teens, which is 20 years old. Your beautiful female disciple can participate. She's still 18, isn't she?" Wu Tian pointed at Shun Jin who was hiding behind my back.
"Should I cut off your annoying long mustache and beard, you crazy old man?" Shun Jin felt annoyed but she held it in. She didn't seem to like the perverted old man.
"You can tell from that girl's cultivation level, huh?" I picked my nose. "Well, it's not a bad idea to participate in that competition. It could give Shun Jin more experience fighting other cultivators. Do you want to join, Shun Jin?" I glanced back.
Before Shun Jin could answer, Wu Tian coughed and interrupted her first.
"Ahem ahem. If you want to participate, you must have an identity from a sect. I'm sure they don't accept unknown outsiders." Wu Tian tried to appear sincere and wise, even though his true intentions were as clear as the sun at night.
"So?" Shun Jin asked.
"Do you want to participate in this competition under the name of my sect? My sect is not a famous sect, just a simple small sect that I built as best I could. But it wouldn't be a loss to bring our name there, would it? Crazy demon, Long Yi?"
So he knows me? He should have said that from the beginning.
"Not bad."
"This is bad." Shun Jin shook her head, not wanting to accept his offer. But the decision was in my hands, not hers.
"In that case, let this old man take you across."
After that, the three of us rode the cloud formed by Wu Tian's dense Qi across the chasm while Shun Jin kept grumbling behind me, feeling the air currents constantly entering her robe with perverted intentions. But what could she do, she couldn't fight it so she accepted it in silence.
***