Chapter 160 — The Recluse
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 3 of 9
None of the disciples dared answer. Master Shuijing flicked her sleeve, turned, and said calmly, "Let us go. The Sect Master is still waiting for us on Jietian Peak."
The words had scarcely fallen when a white light wrapped around her form and shot skyward. Wen Pei glanced at Lu Xueling; Lu Xueling forced a smile. Wen Pei said in a low voice, "It's all right. Don't think too much."
With that, she turned back to the others and said, "Let us go as well."
In an instant, radiant light flashed dazzlingly over Xiaozhu Peak, and streaks of exquisite, wondrous light rose into the air, flying toward the heavy black clouds at the horizon and lending them a touch of color—though the sky-spanning black clouds swallowed up those beams of light in the blink of an eye.
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Canglan Mountain, Dazhu Peak.
Song Dayi stood with his five junior brothers outside the Shoujing Hall, waiting for Tian Buhui and Su Wan to appear. But it seemed a long while had passed, and still the couple had not come out.
The sixth disciple, Du Biyan, was losing his patience. In a low voice he said to Song Dayi, "Eldest Senior Brother, why haven't Master and Mistress come out yet? What are they doing in there?"
Song Dayi shot Du Biyan a glare and snapped, "How should I know? If you're so curious, why don't you go in and see for yourself!"
Rebuffed, Du Biyan shrank back muttering, "Fine, fine. Just because you can't find yourself a wife doesn't mean you have to take it out on me."
Song Dayi had sharp ears and caught every word. Fury surged through him, and he slapped Du Biyan hard on the back of the head. "What did you say?"
Du Biyan jumped in fright. He was a timid soul by nature, and apart from the reverence he held for Master and Mistress, he feared this eldest senior brother most of all. Song Dayi was ordinarily easygoing, but it seemed his thwarted hopes with Wen Pei had dealt him a heavy blow, enough to make him lash out. The other senior brothers nearby were all straining to hold back their laughter, stealing sidelong glances at Du Biyan. His face flushed with embarrassment; he turned to the others for support, only to find He Dachuan, Wu Dayi, and the rest either gazing up at the sky or staring off at the distant mountains, wearing expressions of serene detachment, for all the world like immortals untouched by worldly affairs.
Du Biyan glared fiercely at these faithless senior brothers, then managed a dry laugh at Song Dayi. "E-Eldest Senior Brother, don't fret. Once this calamity is over, I'll go down the mountain straightaway and hire the finest matchmaker to find you a wife..."
Before he could finish, Song Dayi, his face purple with rage, lashed out with a kick that sent Du Biyan tumbling far across the ground with a thud. He Dachuan and the others snickered and shook their heads, while Du Biyan alone sat on the ground, crestfallen.
Faint laughter drifted in from outside the hall. Tian Buhui and Su Wan both heard it. A rare smile touched Su Wan's grave face, then she sighed and said softly, "Buyi, the disciples are all waiting."
Tian Buhui straightened his long robe, his expression solemn, and stood before the Three Pure Ones' statues in the Shoujing Hall. He gave a silent nod. Then, gazing at the three statues, he stepped forward, took three sticks of incense from the altar table, lit them on the candle, and raised them reverently in a bow, bending three times.
After planting the incense in the burner, Tian Buhui stood in silence. Su Wan likewise bowed three times, her manner respectful. Just as they were about to turn back, Tian Buhui suddenly seemed to remember something and stopped in his tracks. Su Wan, taken aback, turned and said, "What is it, Buyi?"
Tian Buhui's brow furrowed. He turned abruptly and strode off, circling around behind the Three Pure Ones' statues. Su Wan's expression shifted; she seemed to understand, yet her face betrayed hesitation. In the end, she followed him.