Watching the Mountain

A few days later, Xu Ran finally understood what Ye Shan had meant by "giving it a try."

Over the past few days, he had heard a lot of gossip within the Sect. It was said that the Little Witch, Ye Qingxue, and Ye Shan had a child, but that the child was exceptionally dull.

Never mind his sluggish temperament; even his cultivation was slow. After nearly ten years of practice, he was still only at the Qi Cultivation First Layer, having inherited none of the talent from her and Ye Shan.

This piece of gossip instantly blew up within the Sect.

The Little Witch, Ye Qingxue, was already a legendary figure in the Sect. Possessing a peerless beauty that could bewitch the world, she was a goddess beyond the reach of many.

More importantly, after nearly a century of silence, the name Ye Shan had reappeared in the sights of the Profound Pure Sect.

Either of their names, taken alone, was enough to become the talk of the Sect, to say nothing of them appearing together.

Thus, the entire Sect was suddenly abuzz with discussion on the matter. Many were intensely curious about Ye Shu, wanting to see what the child of two prodigies would be like.

But when they came to the Instructor Hall on Qing Xuan Peak and saw Ye Shu, who bore a slight resemblance to a young Ye Shan, they all left disappointed.

Judging by looks alone, Ye Shu was indeed strikingly handsome.

But when they saw how slowly he spoke and acted, and how he was always a step behind everyone else in class, they couldn’t help but sigh. Even without knowing about his Qi Cultivation First Layer Cultivation, everyone could sense it: ’This boy is a lost cause.’

When Xu Ran first heard these rumors, he was quite worried. ’I know the Little Witch’s temper,’ he thought. ’If she finds out about this, she’ll fly into a rage and turn the whole Sect upside down.’

To his surprise, though the rumors had been spreading for days, he heard no news of the Little Witch flying off the handle.

It wasn’t until over a month later that he happened to run into the Little Witch on Qing Xuan Peak as she was picking Ye Shu up from the Instructor Hall.

She was quietly leading Ye Shu along the path, and Xu Ran happened to overhear her whispering a word of advice to him:

"Pay no mind to the rumors. They call you dull because they can’t see your potential, but Mother knows you have a great deal of it. They’re just common folk; don’t let them get to you."

Ye Shu nodded, then asked slowly, "Then will you get angry, Mother?"

The Little Witch clenched her fists and forced a smile, her voice strained. "No, Mother won’t get angry with a bunch of common folk."

Ye Shu nodded and replied, "As long as you’re not angry, Mother, then I won’t be angry either."

"Good. Now that is a child of Ye Qingxue." The Little Witch let out a long breath and smiled faintly.

Watching the backs of the "mother and son" pair as they walked away, Xu Ran fell into a deep silence.

’Honestly, Ye Qingxue’s reaction is completely unexpected,’ he thought. ’I never imagined that not only would she not fly into a rage, but she’d also teach Ye Shu to keep his cool. There’s none of the Little Witch’s usual aggression.’

He wondered if it was because everyone naturally matured and grew more restrained after becoming a parent, or if it was because the Sect’s rumors about Ye Shu being her and Ye Shan’s biological child had struck a chord with her, neutralizing her anger.

’But regardless, judging by her advice to Ye Shu, she’s certainly a qualified master and mother. I wonder what Senior Brother Ye Shan would think if he saw this. He must be pleased with this change in Ye Qingxue, right?’

*

*

*

After agreeing to Little Xiyue’s request and restoring his youthful appearance, Xu Ran had worried it might cause a stir. But he soon realized he’d been overthinking things.

He had moved from Spirit Stream Peak to Qing Xuan Peak and kept a very low profile; he didn’t have many acquaintances here.

Besides, it was common for Cultivators to take things like Rejuvenation Pills or Youthful Appearance Pills, and people who knew him well could recognize him by his aura alone.

When he met Ye Shan and Ye Qingxue, for instance, neither of them commented on his restored youth. At most, they just gave him a few extra glances, which left him feeling rather dejected.

’I was so worked up about it, too,’ he lamented internally. ’It’s like someone who agonizes for ages, finally works up the courage to get a new hairstyle, and then nobody says a thing.’

’Say something, anything! Even a bit of teasing would be better than nothing. What’s with the silence?’

However, his disappointment was soothed by Yue Qingyu.

Yue Qingyu’s beautiful eyes studied him up and down for a long moment before she finally broke into a gentle smile.

"I’ve seen what you looked like as a child, and I’ve seen what you looked like when you were old. Now, I see you in your youth. It’s as if I’ve witnessed your entire life."

"I hope your path of cultivation, like your appearance, will be filled with new vitality, and that it takes you far."

Hearing her blessing, Xu Ran’s heart stirred. ’As expected of Senior Sister Yue,’ he thought, ’so gentle and considerate, never forgetting to offer a word of encouragement.’

"It’s only thanks to Senior Sister’s guidance that I am where I am today," he said, his voice filled with emotion as he gazed at the ethereal woman before him.

Yue Qingyu gave a light wave of her hand, her gaze retracting as her expression turned serious. "Perfect. Since you have a new face, we’ll announce that your ’former self’ suffered a mishap during cultivation and has passed away."

Xu Ran was taken aback. "Do I need a new identity then?"

She shook her head. "No need. Just act as you always have. When truth is taken for falsehood, falsehood can seem true. In the affairs of this world, absolute perfection is, in itself, an absolute flaw. Things are fine just the way they are."

*

*

*

After leaving Yue Qingyu, Xu Ran was struck by a sudden question. ’Why would Senior Sister Yue suddenly bring up announcing my death to the world?’

’Does this mean someone has been watching me? Or that something has happened within the Sect?’

’Otherwise, there’d be no reason to emphasize it so deliberately.’

Things seemed to be unfolding just as he’d suspected. He didn’t know if he personally was being watched, but the Sect’s situation was clearly not looking good.

When one power grows strong enough to shatter the regional balance, it invites others to band together and attack.

This seemed an inevitability. The Profound Pure Sect must have anticipated such a situation when they decided to allow their eleven additional Nascent Soul True Monarchs to appear openly.

The only thing they might not have anticipated was being labeled as an Immortal Ancient Influence where demons lay hidden.

Overnight, a flurry of rumors had spread throughout the Cultivation Realm, claiming that the Profound Pure Sect’s very existence was bizarre and defied all logic.