Chapter 15: Another Encounter with Roray

A few days later.

The Azure Cloud Gathering had arrived.

In the early morning, veiled in graceful mists, the snow-clad peaks of the Eastern Spirit Sect exuded a lingering chill. Yet upon the mountain hosting the Azure Cloud Gathering, countless flying vessels descended from the skies. The vast bluestone square was a sea of people, the atmosphere ablaze with excitement.

At the center of the square stood ten broad stone platforms—the arenas for this year’s Azure Cloud Gathering. In the end, ten victors would emerge from these ten arenas, earning rewards that stirred envy in countless hearts.

Even Jiang Min and the other menial disciples of Flowing Cloud Peak arrived by flying vessel. Aside from the three who had recently feasted and drunk with her—Zhong Qu and the others—there was also Ming Ruoshui, who seldom ventured out from her seclusion.

Ming Ruoshui was a year older than Jiang Min, born into a renowned family of cultivators. She was stunningly beautiful, delicate in feature, her aura ethereal and aloof. Her hair was simply gathered, revealing a smooth, striking forehead that rendered her radiant and captivating. Yet she was habitually reticent, her expression cold and forbidding, disinclined to social interaction. Of all on Flowing Cloud Peak, only Jiang Min was truly close to her.

Ming Ruoshui had declared her intention to participate in the Azure Cloud Gathering. This did not surprise Jiang Min and her companions; Ming Ruoshui had cultivated from a young age and had already reached the second level of Qi Refinement, more than qualified to compete.

As soon as they disembarked, Jiang Min eagerly linked arms with Ming Ruoshui. “Senior Sister Ming, let’s hurry and register! I’ve heard there are only three hundred and twenty slots—if we’re late, we’ll miss out.”

Ming Ruoshui was unaccustomed to such intimacy, but Jiang Min often clung to her this way, and eventually she had grown used to it. On the way, Ming Ruoshui’s brows were slightly furrowed, as if weighed down by unspoken concerns.

At Jiang Min’s words, she frowned and asked, “Are you serious? You’ll have many chances in the future. Why not wait and cultivate for a few more years?”

Jiang Min’s eyes curved in a grin. “Don’t you know me, Senior Sister? Even if there are more opportunities ahead, I want to seize every one from this moment on.”

Ming Ruoshui opened her mouth as if to advise further, but found herself at a loss for words.

What kind of person was Jiang Min?

When Jiang Min first sought her out, Ming Ruoshui had made it clear that she did not wish to be disturbed during cultivation. Yet Jiang Min shamelessly blocked her from closing the door, bargaining to exchange labor for literacy lessons. Originally, Ming Ruoshui spent two hours each day on chores, but in exchange for teaching Jiang Min for an hour, Jiang Min took over her workload, effectively granting Ming Ruoshui an extra hour for her own cultivation.

Yet Jiang Min never complained, and studied with remarkable diligence—within a year, she recognized most common characters and mastered the basics of cultivation theory, successfully opening her spiritual orifice.

Ming Ruoshui had long since realized that Jiang Min was adept in all directions, always grasping every chance to better herself. Someone like that, even with only a five-element spiritual root, would be highly valued in any cultivation clan, including the Ming family.

“Do as you wish,” Ming Ruoshui said coolly, though Jiang Min caught her next, softer words: “...Just be careful.”

In Jiang Min’s heart, she felt both delighted and amused.

Senior Sister Ming was still as sharp-tongued and soft-hearted as ever.

She recalled her first winter at the Eastern Spirit Sect, never expecting the cold to be so biting. Still mortal then, she was stiff with chill, unable to afford coal, and could only burn what she scrounged, nearly suffocating herself with smoke. Ming Ruoshui had found her, scolding her for her stupidity while thrusting fine charcoal into her hands, giving the excuse, “If you freeze to death, who’ll do my chores?”

If not for Ming Ruoshui, she might not have survived that winter.

There were many such moments—though Ming Ruoshui was aloof, her heart was kind, and Jiang Min treasured these debts of gratitude.

The two registered their names, received their number tokens, and awaited the drawing of lots to determine their opponents.

The entire Azure Cloud Gathering had only three hundred and twenty spots. Each round was fought one-on-one, for five rounds, until the top ten emerged.

“You really are stubborn. Since I can’t talk you out of it, just be careful,” Zhong Qu said helplessly as Jiang Min clutched her token. “The matches are supposed to stop short of real harm, but on the arena, the overseers often turn a blind eye unless there’s real danger to life. If you’re ever in trouble, surrender immediately, and the overseers will intervene. Do you understand?”

“Mm, absolutely!” Jiang Min nodded vigorously, agreeing without hesitation.

Once all three hundred and twenty spots were filled, the matches began.

Ten arenas operated simultaneously. After each set, the next group was drawn. Most of the menial disciples were only at the first or second level of Qi Refinement, with only a few at the third. The matches were simple, and each ended quickly.

In the first round, Jiang Min was lucky—her opponent was only at the first level of Qi Refinement. She closed in with her elusive footwork, set her dagger against her opponent’s throat, and the match was over.

Ming Ruoshui also won easily. With considerable resources, she had a soft armor for protection and a mid-grade spiritual sword, sharp as a razor and capable of unleashing sword energy. Her opponents had no chance to strike back.

The second round began. Ming Ruoshui was drawn first, and her opponent was—

“Luo Lei?”

Jiang Min frowned, remembering Luo Lei well—Li Mao’s crony, Jiang Ziyi’s lackey, who had once tried to slap and search her. In the years since, he’d grown even more imposing, now tall and brawny, every inch a formidable foe.

On the arena, Luo Lei too frowned as he regarded his opponent, thinking:

“I clearly bribed Uncle Master to pair me against Jiang Min of Flowing Cloud Peak, but Uncle Master Zheng must have misunderstood and drew the other one from Flowing Cloud Peak.”

At the registration point, seeing Jiang Min sign up, Luo Lei had decided to deal with her. Conveniently, the one in charge of drawing lots was his friend’s clan uncle; he’d arranged for Uncle Master Zheng to fix the match in his favor. Unexpectedly, there had been this mix-up.

“This girl has a distinguished background, but facing me, she’s doomed.”

Luo Lei gripped his hands together and pulled out a pair of heavy paired meteor hammers from his storage pouch. The weapons bristled with sharp spikes, glinting wickedly—a single touch would mean blood.

Ming Ruoshui, seeing the weapons, frowned and drew a long sword that gleamed with a cold light. Faint azure radiance flowed along its blade—a clear sign of a precious spiritual weapon.

Though from a cultivation clan, she had only heard of meteor hammers, never having faced them. Her sword was at a disadvantage against such flexible weapons, and her opponent was also at the second level of Qi Refinement. This would not be an easy bout.

“Begin the match!” the overseer announced.

Luo Lei’s thick, powerful arms hefted the heavy hammers and sent them whistling toward Ming Ruoshui.

She darted aside, but Luo Lei’s next swing swept one hammer at her while the other arced through the air, cutting off every avenue of retreat.

His display of the paired hammers was fierce and impressive, drawing cheers from the crowd below.

“Well played!”

“Those meteor hammers may not be spiritual weapons, but his skill and technique rival Feng Yu’s fire scorpion whip—they’re hard to counter.”

“Who is this beauty? She’s unfamiliar, but striking. Still, facing those hammers, she’s likely to lose.”

On the arena, Ming Ruoshui, cornered with nowhere to go, tapped her toe and leapt, dodging the sweeping hammer. She infused her sword with spiritual power and slashed at the hammer descending from above—a razor-sharp wave of azure sword energy shot out, striking the meteor hammer.

A metallic clang resounded.

The sword energy left only a shallow notch on the hammer, failing to split it. Ming Ruoshui’s pupils contracted in shock—her sword was a mid-grade spiritual weapon, its blade and energy able to slice through iron, yet it couldn’t sever this non-spiritual hammer?

In a flash, the hammer came crashing toward her. She twisted in midair to evade, but Luo Lei flicked his wrist. The seemingly clumsy weapon turned nimbly and struck her left arm.

Crack!

With a sharp snap of bone, the hammer slammed into her arm, the spikes driving deep into flesh. Ming Ruoshui cried out in pain and plummeted from the air.

Luo Lei let out a booming laugh and yanked the hammer back, the spikes tearing out blood-streaked shreds of flesh. Ming Ruoshui’s vision went black from the pain; she nearly lost consciousness.