After Breaking Off the Engagement, I Started Pursuing My Master-Chapter 19 - Oh

Chapter 19: Oh

The disciples from Alchemy Mountain did not stop there.

Once Zhao Shiyi’s injuries healed, they came to his courtyard again, challenging him to spar. According to sect rules, he could refuse without consequence. But he couldn’t swallow his pride and accepted the challenge again, ending up with more broken bones, though he also left a sword mark on his opponent.

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From then on, Alchemy Mountain became relentless, sending different disciples daily to challenge him. If he refused, they would stand at his door, laughing and hurling insults.

Adversity did not necessarily lead to growth.

Zhao Shiyi’s cultivation stagnated with each one-sided sparring match. All he could do was fight back at the cost of serious injuries, just to leave a mark on his opponent. But while the other party could recover with a healing pill, he had to endure long periods of healing and pain in the dead of night.

Thus, the news of “the fool of Huangjian Mountain” began to spread among the disciples.

If Zhao Shiyi had grown up in the inner sect, his senior brothers would not have allowed him to be humiliated like this. But he was just an outer disciple who had moved up, with only average talent and hard work. No one wanted to offend Li Qiusheng, the top disciple of Alchemy Mountain, for his sake.

In those three months, Zhao Shiyi accepted thirty-one challenges. When Jiang Huai heard the news and came to his side, Zhao Shiyi was covered in internal injuries. If he continued to spar like this, his body might recover, but his spirit might never bounce back.

That’s when Jiang Huai realized that his good intentions might have led to bad consequences.

……

Zhao Shiyi looked at Jiang Huai in front of him.

Jiang Huai, his senior brother, still seemed as gentle and peaceful as ever. Zhao Shiyi had heard of Jiang Huai back in the outer sect but had never met him.

The day he first met Jiang Huai was supposed to be his last in the inner sect. Covered in internal injuries, he couldn’t face the upcoming inner sect competition and would likely have to return to the outer sect. Once back there, it would take years to gather the resources to heal.

That’s when Zhao Shiyi suddenly realized that perhaps the inner sect was not a place for ordinary disciples like him.

His efforts seemed like a joke.

Jiang Huai stood before him, asking softly about the cause of his injuries. At first, he refused to say a word, just standing there stubbornly until Jiang Huai forcefully handed him the healing pills and sighed,

“I’ve heard all about it.”

“This is my oversight. Take these pills to heal, and here are five hundred spirit stones. Focus on your cultivation, and if you have any issues with sword techniques, you can find me at Guangxue Mountain.”

He tried to refuse, but Jiang Huai was already talking about something else.

“Also, if you’re interested, come with me to Alchemy Mountain now.”

“What for?” Zhao Shiyi looked up, puzzled.

He knew Jiang Huai was an inner disciple, the eldest senior brother of all inner disciples. Why would he stand up for an outer disciple like him? But Jiang Huai just looked at him seriously and said softly.

“To give you justice.”

He didn’t understand how Jiang Huai intended to give him justice.

When he followed Jiang Huai to Alchemy Mountain, it was deep into the night. They stood under the towering ancient trees of Alchemy Mountain, and Jiang Huai used his spiritual energy to project his voice, reaching the entire Alchemy Mountain.

“Guangxue Mountain’s Jiang Huai has come to Alchemy Mountain, wishing to spar with the disciples here.”

His words stunned all the Alchemy Mountain disciples.

Everyone knew Jiang Huai was the number one in Tianxuan Sect, but why would he come to spar with them for no reason? The disciples of Alchemy Mountain weren’t fools, so no one accepted the challenge.

They just watched from afar until Jiang Huai said, “You gutter-born beasts…”

In the past decade or so, no one had heard Jiang Huai speak so crudely.

No one knew he could be so venomous.

When no one accepted the challenge, Jiang Huai stood under the ancient tree, cursing the Alchemy Mountain disciples for half an hour with his spiritual energy until finally, someone couldn’t contain their anger. Hearing Jiang Huai’s taunts, dozens of Alchemy Mountain disciples surrounded him, each drawing their life-bound spirit swords, hoping to vent their frustration.

The outcome was that Jiang Huai spent the night crushing the tendons of every disciple who challenged him.

Although the Alchemy Mountain disciples were not short of healing medicines, the pain was real. And with the inner sect competition the next day, none of them would be able to participate.

Not long after the absurd sparring began, the elders of Alchemy Mountain tried to mediate, but that day, Jiang Huai’s master, Chu Xianning, stood by his side. Whenever an elder tried to speak, Chu Xianning would glance at them and ask, “Do you also wish to spar with me?”

No elder from Alchemy Mountain was qualified to withstand a strike from Chu Xianning. Even with her hidden injuries, she was an eighth-realm cultivator, the number one female sword immortal in the Eastern Region.

Neither master nor disciple was reasonable that day.

The matter eventually alarmed the sect master, who personally intervened, trying to get Jiang Huai to stop. But Jiang Huai just looked directly at the sect master and recounted Zhao Shiyi’s situation. He said he was there to seek justice for Zhao Shiyi and if the sect master insisted on interfering, then please expel him, Jiang Huai, from Tianxuan Sect.

So the sect master stood aside, watching as one hundred and twenty-seven Alchemy Mountain disciples swarmed up, only to end up lying on the ground, filling the mountain with their moans of pain.

And Jiang Huai remained in his white clothes, unblemished by a single drop of blood.

After that day, Alchemy Mountain stopped troubling Zhao Shiyi.

And while Jiang Huai had made enemies with the young disciples of Alchemy Mountain, he still maintained good relationships with some of the Alchemy Mountain elders. These elders, who had no wives or children and were obsessed with alchemy, recognized Jiang Huai’s alchemy skills and treated him as a peer.

Zhao Shiyi’s thoughts returned to the present as he looked at Jiang Huai, who was earnestly asking,

“If the Alchemy Mountain disciples have troubled you recently, tell me.”

“No,” Zhao Shiyi shook his head.

“That’s good. Take care of your injuries. You’ve already lost two matches?” Jiang Huai continued.

Zhao Shiyi nodded, and Jiang Huai turned to the elder in charge of the match, saying, “I concede this match as well.”

The elder was puzzled but quickly announced the result of the match.

The audience below was utterly baffled.

What was this about? Joining the inner sect competition only to concede the first match against the weak Wen Wanwan… one could argue it was out of chivalry, but to concede again against an obviously injured disciple with no fighting capacity, what was the point of participating in this competition?

Jiang Huai didn’t care about these reactions. He continued,

“I know you’re stubborn, and I’m not saying you’re wrong. But sometimes being too rigid can lead to breakage. If you face an opponent you absolutely cannot beat, there’s no shame in admitting defeat. Keep practicing, and one day your efforts will pay off.”

Zhao Shiyi lowered his head, his voice trembling, “I will remember Senior Brother’s teachings.”

“Alright, go and heal. If anyone troubles you, remember to come to me. Don’t be embarrassed; there’s nothing shameful about it.”

“I understand.” Zhao Shiyi said, bowing his head.

He wasn’t good with words, and his voice shook uncontrollably.

Jiang Huai patted his shoulder and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, feeling sleepy, he yawned and quietly stepped down from the sparring stage. The disciples below watched him with strange looks, but Jiang Huai didn’t notice at all. Luo Qingyu was already waiting for him below.

Luo Qingyu didn’t ask Jiang Huai why he conceded. She knew he always had his reasons for what he did. In any case, Jiang Huai, her brother, was surely right.

Luo Qingyu gently grabbed Jiang Huai’s hand, happily leaning against him. Jiang Huai couldn’t help but grumble,

“How can we walk if you lean so close?”

“We can walk,” Luo Qingyu said, as if she wished to stick to him completely.

Jiang Huai, resigned, let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around Luo Qingyu’s waist to stop her from clinging. But as soon as he did, Luo Qingyu stiffened like a cat that had its tail stepped on, her body becoming rigid, and she could hardly walk.

“Jiang Huai, brother…”

“Hmm?”

“This is… really embarrassing…”

“Should I let go then?”

“No, no, no, don’t!”

Luo Qingyu hurriedly replied, her cheeks turning red, “Qingyu likes it this way…”

Chu Xianning watched them leave from the stands, calmly standing up and heading towards the courtyard as well.

……

Late at night.

After coaxing Luo Qingyu to sleep, Jiang Huai went to the courtyard where his master, Chu Xianning, had finished practicing swordplay and was sitting in the pavilion. Since the master was still awake at this hour, Jiang Huai knew she must have something to discuss with him. He hurried over to sit opposite her and began to brew tea for her.

Chu Xianning’s favorite jasmine tea was also personally prepared by Jiang Huai. He used the best jasmine flowers that could be found in the Eastern Region, carefully watered daily with spiritual spring water. Even the soil was specially dug from the Valley of a Thousand Flowers in the Eastern Region. The meticulousness was extreme; a pot of this tea was worth two spirit stones, an extravagant indulgence.

Seeing that Chu Xianning remained silent, Jiang Huai thought for a moment and then said,

“About today’s match with Wen Wanwan, since she was injured and her cultivation is weak, if she lost another match, she might be eliminated to the outer sect. So, I thought of giving her a win.”

“The opponent for the second match, Zhao Shiyi, was the disciple previously humiliated by Alchemy Mountain. If he lost again, he would have to fight in the resurrection match. With his severe injuries, I was afraid he would ruin his health, so I also gave him a win.”

“In the upcoming matches, no matter who I face, I won’t lose a single one,” Jiang Huai assured Chu Xianning in a soft voice.

“Oh,” Chu Xianning responded indifferently.

Jiang Huai was slightly startled, realizing that this was not what his master was concerned about. His mind quickly began to race, and after a few seconds, he said,

“After the inner sect competition ends, I will send Luo Qingyu back to the sect.”

“Oh,” Chu Xianning uttered again, softly.

However, Jiang Huai noticed a slight change in her brows, indicating that this was the matter she cared about.

This was Jiang Huai’s mastery of Chu Xianning’s microexpressions after over a decade of learning.