The heavy snow quickly covered the mountaintop.
As dusk fell, the young girl tending the flowers and plants, dressed in a thick fur coat, her face red from the cold, rubbed her little hands together as she went to the edge of the cliff to tend to the plum blossoms, afraid they would be damaged by the snow.
Normally, the sect leader didn't need them to do this. With a thought, the entire mountaintop would be neat and tidy, requiring no servants. Besides, the flowers and plants in the mountain were all celestial plants, not susceptible to damage from snow.
However, since the sect leader occasionally went into seclusion, the sect would still arrange for people to tend the mountaintop. It was for the sect's reputation; it wouldn't look good if the sect leader were all alone and without anyone to serve him.
Qiu Wuji let them do as they pleased. It was good to have someone to relay messages when needed.
In reality, they were essentially maids and servants, usually only newly initiated Qi Refining stage disciples did this.
But the disciples were still eager to come to the main peak to serve; helping the sect leader was an honor! Besides, although the sect leader appears aloof, he's incredibly kind to his disciples, often personally guiding them. Disciples who leave the main peak frequently become the backbone of the sect.
Over the years, those chosen to serve on the main peak are invariably overjoyed, displaying unparalleled initiative. Even on snowy days, they happily come to tend to the flowers and plants, hoping the main peak will remain beautiful, worthy of the sect leader's residence.
But today, the young girl arrived at the cliff edge and was dumbfounded…
A man was squatting there, sniffling, clearing snow from the plants. Snow had fallen on his head, covering it completely in white, making him look pitiful.
The young girl recognized him as the sect leader's chosen direct disciple… Everyone had been so jealous before, but seeing this scene, all their jealousy vanished. This looked like abuse!
Does the sect leader actually bully his direct disciple?
The young girl leaned closer and cautiously asked, "This senior brother... oh wait, your seniority..."
She thought for a moment, then clapped her hands, "Greetings, Junior Grandmaster Uncle."
Chu Ge looked up, a snowflake flying, "Eh, young lady, your seniority isn't low either. Only Grandmaster Uncle, isn't it Madam Grandmaster Uncle?"
"There aren't that many Madams!" the young girl said, hands on her hips, "Elders only accept disciples in batches every many, many years! Just like how the Sect Master only accepted you after so many years!"
The word "accepted" was a bit ambiguous, young lady... Chu Ge chuckled, "That tone when you talk to your Grandmaster Uncle? Come, come, give me a bow first."
The young girl reluctantly clasped her hands in a martial arts greeting.
Chu Ge didn't mind, finding it quite amusing.
Seeing that this junior grand-uncle seemed quite easygoing and didn't seem to mind her rudeness, the little girl glanced around furtively and whispered, "Junior grand-uncle, were you punished by the sect leader?"
Chu Ge smiled and looked down at the flowers: "No, this is my homework for today."
"Homework? Squatting here looking at flowers?"
"Yes, looking at every blade of grass, every tree, every clod of earth, every stone, the falling snow, the lurking insects... seeing every inch of texture, so real."
The little girl: "..."
"We're cultivators," Chu Ge laughed. "This is a state of mind. Grandniece, watch carefully, learn well."
"Before saying all this, could you wipe your nose?"
Chu Ge subconsciously wiped his nose, only to realize that his soul form couldn't possibly have a runny nose; he'd actually been fooled by the little girl...
The little girl laughed heartily: "Hehe... You're just a new disciple who's only just started, yet you're acting all old-fashioned, talking about a state of mind!"
Chu Ge said irritably: "Really? Your sect leader said so..." "Otherwise, I'd be a fool to squat outside looking at flowers in this snowy weather!" The little girl hesitated. "Really?" Chu Ge nodded vigorously.
The little girl hesitated for a moment, then squatted down beside him, hugging her knees, imitating Chu Ge's attempt to look at the flowers.
There's nothing interesting to see, no matter how you look at it, it's been like this for so many years…
"Grandmaster Uncle… is there really something to see?"
"Maybe, I don't know…"
At least in my heart, this world has a real feel to it; snow can be cold, flowers can be fragrant, and there's this silly little girl.
That's something words can't replace.
Actually, Chu Ge hadn't even written about this little girl… He only wrote about disciples managing the mountain, and he hadn't even considered what kind of disciples they were; they were chosen by the Yunji Sect themselves…
But when that minor character, mentioned only briefly, stood before him, every smile and frown felt so real.
Chu Ge was even a little moved; this feeling was truly indescribable.
Qiu Wuji stood in the room, looking through the window at the two figures, one large and one small, squatting on the cliff edge, lost in thought. Snowflakes piled up, making them look like two snowmen.
She smiled slightly, not jealous of the little girl; she knew what Chu Ge was thinking.
This was indeed cultivation, a cultivation unique to him.
What use would it be for others to squat on the cliff edge watching flowers like him… just to have their noses run.
Qiu Wuji finally spoke: "Xuanji, observing the plants and trees has indeed yielded some insights, but it's not a realm you can understand at this moment. Why not remember your junior grand-uncle's guidance, and look at it again a hundred years from now." The little girl, supporting herself on her aching knees, stood up and groggily uttered an "Oh."
Remembering her unfinished work, she said, "Oh dear, Sect Master, I didn't mean to be lazy. I'll go sweep the snow now..."
"Go sweep the backyard. Your junior grand-uncle will take care of the snow removal and pruning here on the mountain."
The girl bowed, "Yes. This disciple will go to the backyard."
"Go ahead." The girl stole a glance at Chu Ge, who was still admiring the flowers, his expression unchanged. She felt a pang of sympathy; what kind of direct disciple was he? His treatment was almost the same as theirs, the menial disciples...
The girl left along the mountain path. Qiu Wuji slowly strolled to Chu Ge's side, hands behind his back, looking down at the misty haze below the cliff: "Want to go out for a walk? Staying on the peak all the time."
"Go out and explore the sect's peaks?" Chu Ge laughed, "I feel like I'm just going to show off."
"Sure, feel free to show off, but it's definitely better to maintain a bit of mystery... Besides, not many people in the sect recognize you. If you're wearing your uniform and carrying your life token, just wander around like an ordinary disciple and no one will question you. But there's at least one condition." "What prerequisites?"
"You need to at least grasp the sect's inner cultivation method and introductory sword techniques, otherwise you'll just be skimming the surface and won't feel any real connection."
"I've already learned the inner cultivation method." Chu Ge smiled without looking up, "Just now when we were chatting while looking at the flowers."
"Hmm?" Qiu Wuji was taken aback, "I only had you memorize the incantation, I haven't explained the flow of energy or anything..."
"A long time ago, before I even started cultivating, you taught me, the Twelve Meridians and stuff... Back then, my health was poor, so I stopped, but after I recovered, I switched to the Golden Bell Shield." Qiu Wuji's expression was somewhat reminiscent.
Oh, right, there was such a thing... You did teach him the flow of energy back then, but his meridians couldn't handle it.
So he still remembers…
"Then I'll teach you basic swordsmanship." Afraid he wouldn't learn, Qiu Wuji added sternly, "Although swords aren't suitable where you are, you're acting as my disciple here, so you can't not learn swordsmanship!"
"Of course I have to learn… I won't always be in the mountains. One day, I want to travel the world with you, sword in hand. How can we do that without swords?"
Qiu Wuji's expression brightened, but he quickly regained his composure and handed him a precious sword: "This is from my youth… uh, I'm always young. This is the Lone Goose Sword I used before. I'm giving it to you now, hoping you'll treat it like a teacher…"
Chu Ge took the sword, touched it twice, and kissed it.
Qiu Wuji: "?"
Chu Ge took a half-step back, clutching the sword: "Treat it like a teacher…"
Qiu Wuji drew his Autumn Water Jade Sword: "You unfilial disciple, take this!"
Chu Ge took off running.
"Don't run, come here!" He was grabbed by the collar, and Chu Ge's legs kicked in the air for a long time before he slumped down, head drooping. Qiu Wuji, both amused and exasperated, pressed him down onto the snow, making sure he stood properly. "You have no swordsmanship background, so I'll start with the very basics. Follow my movements..." Atop the snow-capped peak, amidst swirling snowflakes, a female master and male disciple were practicing swordsmanship, their movements graceful and elegant.
A little girl sweeping the backyard peered through the railing, thinking the sect leader was very handsome, and her junior grand-uncle was also very good-looking. The scene of the sect leader teaching his disciples was more beautiful and heartwarming than she had imagined; it didn't seem like a lesson, but rather like butterflies fluttering and dancing among the clouds.