Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 59 - Personal Disciple (1)

Zanxing had a long dream.

In the dream, it seemed like someone was speaking urgently in her ear. There were vague flashes of blood in the distance, and she struggled to see who was speaking, but her eyelids felt as if they were glued shut. She could vaguely make out the snow-white hem of a dress, soft as clouds.

Her whole body felt immobilized, as if sinking slowly into mud, and the suffocating feeling grew worse and worse… But then suddenly, Zanxing opened her eyes.

Mimi, with her enormous butt, was sitting on her face, stuffing cat hair into her mouth.

Zanxing moved slightly, and only then did the fat cat realize she was awake. She casually stepped off her face and walked to the side.

Tian Fangfang’s delighted voice came from beside her: “Junior Sister Zanxing, you’re awake!”

Zanxing sat up and looked around, puzzled, and asked, “How did I end up here?”

“You fainted and got injured during the assessment. After coming out of the ‘Xumi Mustard Seed Diagram,’ Seventh Senior Uncle carried you back,” Tian Fangfang said, getting excited. “Junior Sister, who would have thought you were the real deal, single-handedly killing the Mo Sha and becoming the top scorer in this assessment! Brother, no, Sister, in the future, when you become a personal disciple, this Brother will rely on you to soar to great heights!”

It took Zanxing a while to understand what Tian Fangfang meant. She asked, “You said I killed the Mo Sha?”

“Yes, don’t you remember?” Tian Fangfang was surprised, then nodded. “Well, it’s understandable. You must have put in a lot of effort fighting that Mo Sha. Now, everyone in the sect is talking about it. It’s been nearly ten years since Taiyan Sect’s assessment, and it’s the first time someone encountered a Mo Sha. You and Junior Brother Mu have become legends in the sect. Killing a Mo Sha as a new disciple is something to be proud of in the cultivation world!”

“Mu Cengxiao?” Zanxing was stunned. “Did he encounter the Mo Sha too?”

“Yeah, it’s quite a coincidence. Both of you encountered the Mo Sha at the same time and both of you killed it. When the qi was tallied up, Junior Brother Mu was just a hair short of you. You came in first, he came in second. This time, Sixth Senior Uncle is selecting personal disciples, and you and Junior Brother Mu are among them,” Tian Fangfang said in one breath, then chuckled embarrassedly. “But hey, I’m not too bad either. I came in third, so I’ll manage. Maybe I can still become a personal disciple.”

With so much information, Zanxing couldn’t help but ask, “What about Hua Yue? How’s Hua Yue doing?”

“You mean Senior Brother Hua Yue?” Tian Fangfang recalled for a moment and said, “I heard from fellow disciples that he encountered a tough high-level demon cultivator inside the ‘Xumi Mustard Seed Painting’ and was eliminated early on. Not only that, it seems he also contracted some illness, and recovering won’t be easy. Don’t worry about him causing trouble for you. Now that you’ve become Sixth Senior Uncle’s personal disciple, with him backing you, what is there to fear?”

Zanxing breathed a sigh of relief. The Grave of the Dead was born from a plague-ridden demonic mound. Once consumed, one would naturally be plagued by illness. It wouldn’t necessarily lead to death, but it would be troublesome nonetheless. Come to think of it, Hua Yue wouldn’t have the time to think about her for the next two years.

But… she had actually come in first, and Mu Cengxiao had come in second?

Not only Tian Fangfang, but Zanxing herself was also surprised.

“How do you feel now?” Tian Fangfang asked, “Sixth Senior Uncle told me that the Sect Master has emerged from seclusion. When you wake up, you will have to go and see the Sect Master.”

Zanxing thought about it for a moment, got up and put on her shoes, and said, “I feel much better. I’m going to see the Sect Master now.”

*

Each of the uncles of Taiyan Sect had their own Dharma Hall. For example, Li Danshu’s Dharma Hall was filled with pill furnaces and Cui Yufu’s Dharma Hall was full of talisman arrays. Yue Qin’s Dharma Hall was clean and elegant, while Xuan Lingzi’s was warm and practical… The Dharma Hall of the Sect Shaoyang Zhenren seemed to be very suitable for someone who was the Sect Master.

The Jinhua Hall was extremely large and wide, but it did not feel empty. The vermilion columns were finely carved with the image of a phoenix riding the clouds, and the main hall was covered with a golden carpet, on which the Taichi Yin and Yang pattern was embroidered with vermilion silk threads, which was both lively and gorgeous.

The tables and chairs were in a deep brown color, with red columns and carved beams, green tiles and vermilion ridges. Compared to the high-end gray and cold style that Taiyan Sect usually used, this style was obviously the one that older people preferred, dignified and elegant with a touch of festive exaggeration.

Therefore, when Zanxing saw Sect Shaoyang Zhenren, she was very surprised.

Different from Zanxing’s imagination, Sect Shaoyang Zhenren was not an old man with white hair and benevolent eyes like the statue of the Yushan Sage. He looked no more than thirty years old and was very handsome, but his expression was extremely indifferent, so much so that it seemed not to belong to this world. He had long white hair that reached his waist and was wearing a dark red robe embroidered with phoenixes. The sleeves were wide and full of ethereal aura. Standing here, his eyebrows and eyes were like paintings.

Zanxing inwardly marveled at the sight. Nowhere in the original text did it mention that Shaoyang Zhenren was such a divine and handsome man.

“Zanxing,” Xuan Lingzi said, noticing Zanxing’s silent gaze on Shaoyang Zhenren, “Quickly greet the Sect Master.”

Zanxing snapped out of her reverie and respectfully bowed to Shaoyang Zhenren, saying, “Disciple Yang Zanxing pays respects to Sect Master.”

Shaoyang Zhenren raised his eyes to look at Zanxing.

The girl in front of him didn’t seem very old. A slight probing would reveal her average aptitude and not exceptionally high cultivation level. There was a hint of a smile on her face, indicating a pleasant disposition. Despite a scar on her right cheek, she showed no signs of self-pity or distress. The sect emphasized removing oneself from worldly affairs, with everyone striving to appear detached from mundane concerns. However, this girl exuded vitality and vigor, leaving a deep impression.

Shaoyang Zhenren slightly curved his lips and asked softly, “In the ‘Xumi Mustard Seed Diagram,’ you killed a Mo Sha. How did you manage this with your mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation?”

Zanxing instinctively looked at Xuan Lingzi. “Senior Uncle, didn’t you see it?”

Xuan Lingzi cleared his throat. “When the Sect Master came out of seclusion, we were all focused on watching Qinghe. When we turned back, you were already out of the diagram…”

Who would have known that in such a short time, Zanxing had defeated the Mo Sha?

Zanxing was taken aback. She had assumed that her every move in the Xumi Mustard Seed Diagram had been closely observed by her senior uncles. She hadn’t expected them to miss it entirely. Could this be another trap in the original text? Her thoughts raced as she replied, half truthfully, “I confronted it with an iron staff and used the ‘Qing’e Flower-Picking Staff.’ The Mo Sha was powerful, and I couldn’t defeat it. I fainted, and when I woke up, I was already in the Miaokong Hall. Senior Brother Tian told me about defeating the Mo Sha, and at first, I couldn’t believe it. I wanted my senior uncles to clarify things for me, but even they don’t know what happened.”

Cui Yufu asked in a solemn tone, “You don’t know either?”

Zanxing nodded.

“Could it be sheer luck?” Li Danshu muttered softly. “Your luck seems too good.”

Gu Baiying stood with his arms crossed, raising an eyebrow. “Yang Zanxing, did you use some secret treasure and take advantage of the situation?”

Zanxing looked at him.

The boy’s eyes were full of suspicion, but he had also guessed eight or nine out of ten.

Zanxing smiled slightly: “Seventh Senior Uncle, you need evidence to say that.”

Gu Baiying was speechless. As early as when he carried Zanxing back to Miaokong Hall, he had probed her with his qi and found nothing unusual about her. However, Men Dong had also said that Yang Zanxing’s qi flow was different from ordinary people’s, and coupled with the fact that she had stolen the Qinchong seeds, Gu Baiying didn’t feel right no matter how he looked at the situation.

“If she had used a secret treasure, it was due to her own destiny.” Shaoyang Zhenren said as he looked at Yang Zanxing, his calm eyes seemingly containing some deep meaning. He spoke indifferently: “You defeated the Mo Sha in this inner sect assessment and ranked first. No matter what method you used, since the Xumi Mustard Seed Diagram has acquiesced in your behavior. Therefore, it is not considered a violation of the rules. It is also pre-destined. Xuan Lingzi,” he called Xuan Lingzi’s name, “Now that the ranking stone has come out, the places for personal disciples can be determined.”

“Yes,” Xuan Lingzi replied with a bow. “In my heart, I favor Zanxing, Mu Cengxiao, and Tian Fangfang. One has her own destiny, one has exceptional aptitude, and one has a profound understanding of the path of cultivation. It would be ideal if they could become my personal disciples.”

Zanxing listened to Xuan Lingzi’s words, and for some reason, she felt a little nervous in her heart.

In the Jinhua Hall, no one spoke for a while.

After a while, the man’s cold voice sounded, he said: “Since you have made up your mind, do as you say.”

Shaoyang Zhenren turned around and walked towards the steps of the hall: “From today on, they will be your personal disciples.”