Chapter 19 — Reunion
劍問蒼天 · Page 5 of 7
Zhang Qingyue said nothing and simply walked on. The scene before him was just as it had been that year: as the Rainbow Bridge climbed, the white clouds gradually fell away beneath their feet, and the azure sky, clear as if washed, stretched overhead.
"Why doesn't anyone fly up on a sword?" Zhang Qingyue asked suddenly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Jinghong's face. "You do not know? Disciples of our generation are not permitted to fly on swords near the main hall of Jietian Peak. I heard Senior Brother Qi Hao say that this is first to show respect for the head branch—at the sacred ground of Yuqing Temple one must ascend on foot; and second, so I hear, in the early days of the Canglan Sect, Patriarch Qingyun, to protect this place, set up an exceedingly powerful restriction atop Jietian Peak called the 'Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation.' Anyone who dares fly into the airspace above Jietian Peak without leave will inevitably be slain by it."
Zhang Qingyue was startled. "No wonder there are so many masters among our fellow disciples, and yet not one is flying on a sword. By the way, is that 'Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation' powerful?"
Lin Jinghong looked toward the peak towering ahead. "I have never seen it myself, but I imagine it is exceedingly powerful. I hear the formation was handed down from Patriarch Qingyun, and a thousand years ago Patriarch Qingyun perfected it further, until its might was peerless. Since then I have never heard of anyone daring to run wild on Mount Canglan."
Zhang Qingyue followed his gaze to that majestic, towering peak and sighed in admiration. "How formidable!"
So the two of them walked on, talking as they went, crossing the Rainbow Bridge with the rest of the several dozen. Along the way Zhang Qingyue looked over these young elites of the Canglan Sect: of the sixty-odd, men made up the greater part, and of the female disciples there were perhaps only thirteen or fourteen, most of them in the attire of Xiaozhu Peak. Yet be they men or women, nearly every one of them had an uncommon bearing—the men dignified and commanding, the women beautiful and gracious; handsome men and lovely women met the eye everywhere. Anyone who saw them would say the Canglan Sect had successors worthy of it, and a bright future.
Past the Rainbow Bridge lay the Bishui Pool, where dwelt the Canglan Sect's guardian spirit beast, the Water Qilin. Unlike five years ago, when Zhang Qingyue and Lin Jinghong had first arrived, this ancient and exotic beast—reverently called "Spirit Sovereign" by the sect's disciples—was not hiding in the pool but had long since sprawled on the open ground by its edge, basking in the sun. Yet to judge by its languid air, it was no different from five years before.
The Qingyun disciples came down from the Rainbow Bridge, bowed one by one to the enormous creature, then mounted the steps by the pool and headed for the lofty main hall of Yuqing Temple. Lin Jinghong and Zhang Qingyue followed at the back of the crowd, and Lin Jinghong whispered to Zhang Qingyue, "Do you remember what happened when we first came?"
Zhang Qingyue nodded, still shaken by the memory. "I remember. We got soaked through—but that was nothing. Seeing such a huge monster scared me half to death."
A faint smile crossed Lin Jinghong's lips. "Exactly. Back when we lived in Liumiao Village, when had we ever seen anything like that? I thought the biggest animal in the world was the bears on Mount Canglan."
Zhang Qingyue burst out laughing, and for a moment everyone turned to look. Startled, he quickly stifled his laughter. Lin Jinghong was startled too; he coughed twice, his face slightly red.
The others glanced at them a few times, then turned and walked on. Only then did Zhang Qingyue breathe a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Lin Jinghong, their eyes met, and both smiled knowingly.