It’s Not Easy Being a Master, Chapter 74: Stone Wall

The mountain was not small. With a loud boom, it began to move clumsily, causing stones and boulders to tumble and roll on to the ground.

Everyone dodged aside, trying to avoid the large falling debris.

After falling for a long time, the rocks suddenly stopped and consciously began to lift back up and follow the secret realm mountain’s ascent.

The secret realm moved slowly at first, little by little. It’s bottom dragged awkwardly against the ground, like a scooting toddler, and then gradually became faster. Those large fallen rocks couldn’t catch up fast enough.

The rocks were in a hurry and followed the secret realm one after another like a tail.

Everyone stood in front of the mountain, their figures as small as flies in comparison.

Lian Qin leaped in front of the mountain, raised the guqin in his hand, and slammed it against the ground.

Dust and gravel rose as a large pit was cratered on to the ground. Spiritual power passed along the guqin to the ground, stirring up a high wall of earth and stone in front of the mountain.

The mountain was momentarily blocked. It crashed into the high wall with a loud bang but couldn’t manage to break it. It staggered backward and paused. The rocks and boulders trailing behind slammed into the mountain, then happily circled around it.

Shen Zhixian shot Lian Qin a complex look. His gaze lowered to the guqin—Couldn’t he play this guqin?

Perceiving his gaze, Lian Qin looked back at him, hugged his guqin to his chest and very calmly said, “Time is tight. Hitting is better.”

Only then did Shen Zhixian discover that his guqin was a stringless guqin. “…..”

What guqin?! This was actually just a mallet!

However, before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the mountain regained its strength and once more slammed against the high wall!

The wall of earth, which was solidified with spiritual force, shuddered and numerous cracks began to appear. Finally, the wall crumbled completely, leaving the mountain unhindered. It began to move away faster and faster.

No one could stop it. They could only create obstacles, like Lian Qin and his walls. However, this only momentarily delayed the large mountain before it soon managed to overcome the obstacles and continue to move forward.

Seeing it moving faster and faster away, Shen Zhixian gritted his teeth and clenched the hilt of his sword.

After imbuing the sword with spiritual force, he said in a deep voice, “Frost Return!”

Sensing the devil qi lingering in the secret realm mountain, the restless Frost Return issued a clear hiss. It soared in the air and, under Shen Zhixian’s command, began to emit a bitingly cold sword intent as it hung suspended over the top of the mountain.

The sword spirit looked just like the real sword, only slightly smaller and more transparent. Although it looked tiny hovering at the top of the mountain, it felt extremely oppressive. Under its oppression, the mountain began to tremble, causing more rocks and debris to tumble down.

Yan Jin waved his hand to strengthen the barrier for Shen Zhixian, firmly protecting him and allowing him to concentrate on controlling Frost Return’s sword spirit. The others realized what he was doing and began to focus on preventing the rocks from falling on Shen Zhixian.

Dangerous and motionless, the sword intent was firm.

Shen Zhixian took a deep breath and communicated with the sword intent. Circulating his spiritual force, he flipped his wrist, commanding the sword to ruthlessly pierce down. “Frost Return, fall!”

The sword spirit burst with great strength, it’s body gleaming. After condensing into a sharp blade, it shot straight down.

The mountain suddenly jerked to a stop.

Everyone watched as the small but powerful Frost Return sword spirit penetrated the entire mountain, piercing straight through the middle, and completely pinning it to the ground.

The large mountain seemed to be angry. It made a booming sound, like muffled thunder echoing from a distance. But, no matter how much it struggled, it couldn’t go any further.

Shen Zhixian’s eyes briefly fluttered closed. His hands trembled imperceptibly as he returned the physical sword back to its sheath. After settling his mind, he said, “Frost Return can’t hold it for long. Should we go in or leave?”

When the secret realm mountain had tried to run, they could see that it was very heavy. But, it also seemed to be very smooth and very hard to stop. The whole mountain was like a hard tortoise shell, unmoved by force or persuasion. If they leave now, the next time they returned, the demons and monsters inside would be more prepared. Even then, they would have to worry about finding it first.

Wu Xuan calculated on his fingers and found that the outcome was still unclear. His expression grew somewhat heavy, and his eyes had a trace of hesitation. Finally, he broke the jar and said, “Since we’re already at this stage, it’s better to go in and take a look. The mountain is like a steam bun. We shouldn’t be trapped or killed inside.”

After saying this, he moved forward as if to enter the dark cave. Xue Ci’s thoughts were deeper than his. He pulled him to a stop and said, “Wait, now’s not good.”

Wu Xuan frowned. “What’s the matter?”

“Our disciples haven’t arrived yet. This secret realm can move. Should we enter now, this secret realm could take us along as it tried to run again…” Xue Ci pondered and said, “If you really want to go in now, you should leave someone to guard outside.”

This also made sense.

But, who should stay outside?

Wu Xuan turned around to face several people. His gaze finally fell on Shen Zhixian but before he could speak, Shen Zhixian said, “Master Wu is an expert at calculating and tracking. It would be better for you to stay outside to meet the disciples. Frost Return’s sword spirit was already half-buried inside the mountain. I am its owner and can somewhat perceive its location. It is only appropriate for me to enter the secret realm.”

This statement was also reasonable and fair. Since the situation was urgent, they didn’t hesitate for too long. Wu Xuan decisively said, “In that case, I’ll guard outside. Gentlemen, please defend the rule of law.”

After the mountain was nailed down by Frost Return’s sword spirit, it was irritable for a while. However, since it was unable to break free, it calmed down and returned to its original appearance. Occasionally, a low roar would come out from within the cave.

Shen Zhixian and the other four men held their weapons and carefully entered the cave.

Shen Zhixian and Yan Jin were the first to advance. As soon as Shen Zhixian entered, he realized that it was so dark, he could hardly see his five fingers. He suddenly thought of that time in the wasteland. But, as soon as he thought this, a hand closed over his own.

Their fingers weren’t intertwined. It was more like an adult holding a child’s hand. He was holding Shen Zhixian’s entire hand protectively against his palm, rubbing his thumb reassuringly on the back of his hand.

Shen Zhixian struggled a little, but the other person only gripped tighter. He glanced in Yan Jin’s direction. His mouth opened, and he silently cursed, “Bad cub.”

Even though he knew that the other party couldn’t see, he couldn’t help making this childish gesture.

After doing this childish action, Shen Zhixian immediately snapped out of it. He let out a light cough and gave up the struggle. After moving forward a few steps, he frowned doubtfully and said, “Where are the others?”

Silence wrapped around them. Except for his and Yan Jin’s breathing, he couldn’t hear anything else.

Xue Ci and Lian Qin, who were supposed to follow them, had disappeared.

Shen Zhixian let out a small flare of spiritual qi, illuminating the surrounding area.

This room was made entirely of hard stone. Shen Zhixian moved closer to the stone wall and saw the thin, delicate lines etched on to its hard surface.

However, the stone wall had been scratched by some sharp things, destroying most of the delicate and beautiful murals.

“It seems that there was a monster hiding here, grinding its claws.” Shen Zhixian noticed a thin strand of black qi hugging the stone wall. He shook his finger and sent a spark toward the black qi. The moment it came into contact with the spark, it let out a hiss and was immediately burned out.

They carefully looked around and finally found a dark stone door standing slightly ajar.

Yan Jin shoved at the door. The door wasn’t too heavy and crunched open, revealing a path so narrow that it would only allow one person to pass through at a time.

Stone walls hugged both sides of the narrow path, looking so close together that it appeared as if they would move closer and touch at any moment. She Zhixian let out a sound and stepped in first.

There were several luminescent night pearls lining the path, with a few were inlaid along the wall. They were rather small so the light was fairly dim. Shen Zhixian put away the small sparks and walked forward.

The stone walls were uneven, its murals scratched into a mess by monster claws. Even most of the night pearls lining the grounds were scratched by them.

Shen Zhixian stopped and studied the painted murals, but he still couldn’t understand what it was about. After pondering for a while, he turned his head to look at Yan Jin and asked, “What do you think happened?”

Shen Zhixian was looking at the original pictures, but Yan Jin instead focused on the scratches. “This seems to be… the wasteland.”

“What?”

Yan Jin raised his hand and traced a few places on the scratches with his fingertip. He vaguely sketched out a scene. “This is the Dark Sea that leads outside the wasteland. These irregular circles are probably demons and monsters.”

Shen Zhixian took a closer look and found that it really did look a bit like it. He wondered, “What’s the point of them scratching such a picture?”

“On both sides of the Dark Sea, one bank lies deep in the wasteland while the other bank is opened to the outside. The wasteland’s seal allowed for easy entrance but made it difficult to leave. Little demons couldn’t leave so they would often wander near the Dark Sea. Some would even try crossing it.”

Yan Jin added lightly, “So monsters and fiends from within the depths of the wasteland would often stay at the edge of the Dark Sea in order to catch and eat those little demons.”

Shen Zhixian murmured “Ah,” and continued to move forward thoughtfully.

After they’d walked for a while, another stone door came into view.

“There’s no other route. Shall we push open the door and see?”

Shen Zhixian reached out to touch the door, but Yan Jin hugged him, whispering, “I’ll do it.”

The surroundings made it difficult for them to change positions. Shen Zhixian was about to say he could do it; he wasn’t weak. But, Yan Jin had already clasped his hands around Shen Zhixian’s waist and forced him around. As they changed positions, their chest pressed and dragged against each other.

Shen Zhixian, “….”

Before he realized it, Yan Jin was already standing in front of him. He lifted his eyes just in time to see Yan Jin placed his hand on the stone door and pushed hard.

— “Supreme Lord, the bald monk is here again! He wants to see you! Will you see him?”

In front of Shen Zhixian, there was only darkness. He could sense that he was leaning against a man’s arms and the man’s warm hands were wiping him down, his movements incredibly gentle.

“No.”

“Yes, but he said that it’s about the young master…”

The hand’s movement paused. After a moment, Shen Zhixian felt himself being laid down on a soft mattress and was covered with a comforter.

A small stove was hidden inside the comforter. It was very warm but the temperature didn’t feel as good as the warmth from the man’s body. Shen Zhixian shrank in the comforter, feeling cold and hungry. The main thing was hunger. He hadn’t felt so hungry in such a long time. He was so hungry that his stomach burned and he felt as if he would faint.

It was this hunger that helped Shen Zhixian regain his senses.

Supreme lord, bald monk, young master.

These three titles made it easy for Shen Zhixian to recall the previous life.

Shen Zhixian wasn’t sure if Yan Jin was also stuck in the illusion. He struggled to wake up, but the hunger left him with no energy, and even his eyelids couldn’t be forced to open. He could only hear the bald monk’s voice, “The Soul Tracing Grass has been nourished by your heart’s blood for many years, and it’s almost ripe. I have a way…”

There was a rummaging sound, followed by the sound of papers, as if the pages of a book were being flipped through. “…Right now, his soul is too weak. I can send him to a small world inside the book to allow him time to raise his soul and wait until the Soul Tracing Grass is fully matured. Afterward, fate could be retraced and reversed. It’s just that, for the Soul Tracing Grass to completely mature, you might have to offer up this life…”

The bald monk spoke very tactfully, but with this sentence, combined with the previous words, Shen Zhixian could guess what “offer up this life” meant.

Shen Zhixian’s heart began to pound loudly, sounding as if the heart would burst at any moment—no wonder Yan Jin never went into details about their rebirths. It was because of this!

No wonder he was able to connect with Yan Jin in the truest sense of the word. He thought it was because of the contract. Now, he knew that it was because Yan Jin used his own heart’s blood to raise Soul Tracing Grass, and Soul Tracing Grass, in turn, saved Shen Zhixian and brought him back.

They had long been united in heart and blood, as if they were a single entity.

As Shen Zhixian struggled to wake, he heard the illusioned Yan Jin said, “Good.” Suddenly, the entire illusion shattered and, before he could even blink, Shen Zhixian returned.

The real Yan Jin still had his hand on the stone door, his eyes closed. He seemed to still be caught up in the illusion, and his expression was tense.

The space was too narrow, allowing only for Shen Zhixian to hug him hard from behind. He lightly patted his face. “A’jin, wake up.”

Yan Jin didn’t open his eyes. His lips moved and when he said, “Good,” the word was so achingly sad.

Shen Zhixian froze. Before he could react, Xiao Caoya suddenly shot out from his sleeves and two blades of grass slammed against Yan Jin’s face.

Shen Zhixian, “….”

Xiao Caoya was not an ordinary little bud sprout. Back at Qingyun Sect, when it wanted Shen Zhixian to get up, it would shred countless comforters with its leaf blades.

Shen Zhixian lifted Xiao Caoya and set it aside, “… Don’t slap.”

Xiao Caoya let out a tsundere humph, drifted aside, and chirped a few times.

However, those few slaps were very effective. Yan Jin’s expression gradually returned to clarity. After seeing Shen Zhixian, he held his hand tightly, and said, “Sui Xian.”

His tone of voice carried a vague sense of having regained what was lost.

Shen Zhixian looked at him, and suddenly asked, “What did you see? What happened in the last life?”

Yan Jin grunted, looking like he still had no intention of speaking about it. Shen Zhixian silently remembered this in his heart and decided that later, when they have more time, he would recount the last life with Yan Jin piece by piece.

Yan Jin, who was taller than him, obstructed the door. Shen Zhixian lightly pushed him aside and placed on foot out the door to have a look around. The area on the other side was pitched black, making him unable to see anything. However, he felt a vague sense of danger.

As he was wondering whether to go in or not, the stone door began to rumble shut, blocking the dangerous aura from the other side.

When Yan Jin reached out and tried pushing it again, they found that it wouldn’t bulge.

The path was becoming increasingly more narrow. Shen Zhixian tilted his head to look and found that the stone walls on both sides were beginning to slowly move toward one another.

They both reached out at the same time to push against opposing walls. This slowed the walls somewhat, but it was still inching forward. Shen Zhixian frowned. “This is forcing us to go back?”

It was already very narrowed in here. If they continued to stay, they would become flattened sooner or later. Shen Zhixian turned decisively, holding Yan Jin’s hand, and took a step back. “We’ll talk later–”

Even though the path back to the previous door was fairly short, Shen Zhixian began to worry that they wouldn’t be able to get out in time. He was so worried that he was ready to use spiritual force to increase their pace. Who knew that before he’d even completely finished speaking and just as his raised foot was about to touch the ground, their surroundings suddenly changed.

They had returned to the original stone room.

The difference is that although the stone room was still dark, this time, there was some light. A few luminescent night pearls were embedded at the top of the stone wall, emitting a mild light.

Xue Ci and Lian Qin stood not far away, looking as if they were deeply pondering over something. When they heard movements, they turned their heads, and their eyes fell on Shen Zhixian and Yan Jin’s clasped hands.

Shen Zhixian, “…”

He smiled casually but didn’t let go of Yan Jin’s hand. “Just now, I felt really hungry. I reached out to grab it, thinking that it was a big drumstick.”

———————–
Xixi: When I first read about Lian Qin and his guqin, I was imaging an elegant xian playing the guqin and using its beautiful notes as weapons. But, the reality was…it might as well be a hammer the way he was using it. LOL. Fantasy bubble, shattered.