“Let’s finish here for today” Wu Long said taking a step back.
“Okay, thank you as always, disciple Wu” Liu Li said as she also took back the sword and sheathed it.
“By the way, do you know how I can get a permit to go on a trip outside the sect?” he asked casually.
“Outside? Are you going somewhere specific?” she asked, surprised, but also excited for some reason.
“No, I don’t have a specific destination but preferably a large city or its vicinity.” he replied truthfully as he didn’t have a reason to hide it.
“That is actually very convenient, I was wondering how to approach this theme. I will have to travel next week, the destination is a big city. I will be accompanied by another elder and some disciples so that they can gain experience, but this trip is my personal business, not sect related.
And since I did not want to stop the sparring as I sensed a potential breakthrough in my sword Dao, I was wondering if you would like to come.
However, it is quite far, so the trip will take at the bare minimum three months, quite possibly longer, counting the two-way trip and the stay there, so I was hesitating whether you will be up for a long trip.” she said, speaking in a familiar way. In these past weeks, she became much more comfortable around him, in fact more comfortable than anyone in the sect with one exception of the sect master, who she treated almost as a parent.
She enjoyed Wu Long’s company, he would sometimes make her laugh, and entertain her with some trivia knowledge he picked up who knows where.
He never spoke impolitely or inappropriately, but he also never spoke as a disciple would to an elder, more like a peer, sometimes it even mysteriously felt that he was even a senior who just did not bother with ceremonies, letting others talk to him freely without formality. This would surely unnerve quite a lot of elders, but she somehow felt that it was so natural, as if it would instead be strange if he talked like a disciple.
There was also this mysterious feeling that made him trustworthy and reliable in her eyes. Something she only felt towards the sect master, who was also her master. She only recently told him that she used to be a Prime Disciple and the next sect master candidate in the past, despite that being something she rarely liked to talk about. She did not tell him why she now was an Outer Court Elder though, but he surprisingly didn’t ask.
And she somehow felt a connection to him. Especially when their swords crossed, she would sometimes know what move he would do next even if he performed it for the first time in front of her.
“Of course, I would love to.” Wu Long smiled and nodded.
Wu Long was genuinely but also very pleasantly surprised as this was a perfect opportunity for him.
His main reason for not just leaving the sect without any permission was actually her. Otherwise, even if he felt a slight connection to this sect because it was, as he recently learnt from books, the first and only dual cultivation sect in this world that did not yet fully embrace it, he still was not bound to it enough to ignore his needs when this sect impeded him.
His list of priorities when he first arrived was to first boost his immediate strength and improve the pathetic state his body and cultivation was in as he would not be able to do any other moves and move as freely in that state. Thus he set off into the surrounding lands.
Second was to learn more about his situation, as being clueless about his current situation was not a safe state to be in, as well as not at all comfortable.
And lastly third was to fix his broken sword so that he could unblock his cultivation’s progress in preparation for the future. He initially thought that he might accomplish that while in the surrounding lands, but since he did not, he decided to move on to his second priority and collect information.
Now that he has completed his first and second priorities he could simply leave the sect. To accomplish the third priority efficiently he predicted that he needed to go outside. That was the gist of his plan for the case that the third priority was not possible to accomplish in the Treasury Hall or in the wild with the first, when he first organized his thoughts after awakening.
But meeting her on the second day threw his priorities into a disarray as he simply could not ignore her existence.
So, if it wasn’t for her, he would have left the sect for his goals by around now.
However, since he also could not delay his third priority that much, he needed to find if there was a way to go on a trip without breaking rules so he could then return.
“Great, I will notify the sect for you, just be ready as we will set off in about a week.” Liu Li smiled as she was worried about interrupting the sword training now that she was so close to a potential breakthrough in her Dao of the sword.
They talked a bit more and then went separate ways.
Wu Long went to his living quarters where he saw an old man standing before the small courtyard gate.
“Greetings, Elder Hai” he said with a smile as he recognized this person as the one who supposedly brought him to the sect, elder Hai.
“You… you were outside?” Elder Hai looked at him with surprise, and even a little bit dazed.
“Yes, I had something to do, may I know why are you seeking me?” Wu Long simply nodded and asked the dumbfounded elder Hai.
‘What the hell happened to this kid?’ elder Hai thought to himself as he almost could not recognize Wu Long. There was no sheepishness in his attitude that was now filled with confidence, and his lost and almost soulless eyes were calm, sharp and steady. He exuded a strong presence and his handsome features were now shining with the brightest light because of it.
“Khm, I came to take you to the Mission Hall for a monthly mission as alway… y-you broke through to 7th level?” he eventually cleared his throat and started stating his business, but as he was talking he was shocked to realize that Wu Long’s realm has risen dramatically.
“Yes, I got lucky and broke through. Thank you for taking care of me Elder Hai, you don’t need to do this anymore as I can get around myself now.” Wu Long replied with a genuine smile. Although this elder Hai was most likely doing this not out of the kindness of his heart, he still took care of him for 5 months, usually checking in on him every week. The fact that he did not see him for a bit over a month was probably something related to his personal matters.
“… You-…, is your- … um, do you remember something before I found you?” Elder Hai first was shocked, then a bit nervous, he hesitated and then asked, acting as if he too wanted to know about his past before he ‘picked him up’. This act was not knew, as he checked if his memory seal was intact this way a few times in the beginning.
“No, still nothing. I will let you know if I do.” Wu Long just went along with it as he wasn’t particularly concerned with this matter.
“I see, don’t worry and don’t force it, I am sure it will naturally come back to you. Well, you know where to find me if you need any help or questions” Elder Hai said what he always said after asking about his memory with a bit more composure than earlier, and seeing that his help was no longer necessary didn’t linger.
He then traveled to the depths of the sect to one of the five peaks of this mountain sect, the Peak of Unity. He went through multiple security checks and went through the gates that blocked the only and spiraling trail to the top of the Peak of Unity. The path to the top of this mountain peak was riddled with cave entrances, on one side and a cliff on the other as the path spiraled around the peak. Some of these cave entrances were shut with stone sliding doors.
These cave chambers were where the sect’s inner court disciples, core disciples and elders could apply to cultivate for specific amounts of time as the effects were much better in this place. This mountain peak was a specific spot on the dragon vein of this spiritual land the sect was located in.
On the top of the mountain peak stood the palace of the sect master.
As he arrived, one of the Sect Masters’ attendants greeted him, and informed him that the Sect Master was with a visitor.
“Tell her it is about disciple Wu Long and it is urgent” elder Hai said anxiously.
After some time waiting in one of the waiting rooms, he was led to the study.
When he came in he lowered his head and saluted. .
“Disciple Hai Licheng greets the Palace Master.”
When he raised his head again he noticed that the person who visited the Sect Master was actually elder Liu, the sect master’s disciple and the former Prime Disciple.
“Come in, tell me what are those urgent news about disciple Wu that made you so agitated? Coincidentally Li’er is also here to discuss something concerning him so we can get it all clear in one go. There are only trustworthy people here so we can speak without qualms.” A soft but powerful female voice said with a hint of being intrigued.
A stunningly beautiful woman with a sensual figure and jade like skin welcomed him in with a tranquil smile on her face. There was something majestic about her presence as if she commanded the surroundings and everything around was within her control.
She looked as young as Liu Li, in her mid twenties, but there was something in her aura that told of her wisdom and experience, vastly higher than of Lui Li’s.
This was the sect master of the Yin Yang Unity Palace, Lian Zhiqiu.
—
After her trusted subordinate and first disciple left, Lian Zhiqiu stood up, told her attendant that she should not be disturbed unless it is urgent, and went through the wooden bridge that connected to her personal part of the palace where no one was allowed.
She then went through her quarters and arrived at a secluded room that corresponded with a cliff with an open roof and where the exterior walls were made of jade columns, through the gaps of which you could see the scenery far and down below. At the center of he room stood a big tree that was blooming with pink flowers year round, and beneath it and to its side was a stone pond, with clear and steaming water covered in petals.
As she walked into the room, she started to take off her robes, revealing her perfect figure while walking, her clothes falling to the floor in a line until she entered the pond and submerged her beautiful body into the water.
She sighed as she felt the soothing feeling of hot water enveloping her and closed her eyes, reeling in the relaxation of body and mind.
“Hmm… Wu Long’s sudden transformation… and that girl Li’er, I’ve never seen her make such an expression…” she muttered.
After a few moments, she opened her eyes and a smile that exuded fatal attraction appeared on her cherry lips.
“Interesting… it seems that it may become lively here soon” she said with a chuckle.