NEBM Chapter 14.1: Falling Ill

It was too cold and snowy outside so Shen Zhixian turned slightly sideways to point inside the room. “Let’s go inside?”

Yan Jin shook his head and said, “Disciple just wanted to ask Master something. Teacher Shao from third peak wants to hold a small sword comprehension exchange, and he invited this disciple to go to third peak to participate…”

“A small sword comprehension exchange?” Shen Zhixian muttered to himself. This was a small meeting wherein the disciples under the elders of the main peaks gathered together to discuss sword techniques and exchange sword experience. This practice of exchanging and learning from each other could improve progress and comprehension.

In the past few years, Shen Zhixian had watched the youth grow up little by little, and he realized that the young man was becoming more reticent day by day. He was very annoyed, afraid that he was raising a person perfect for blackening. At present, it was already very rare for Yan Jin to even want to participate in these group activities. Therefore, he readily agreed allow Yan Jin to participate.

“Will Yan Shen also be present?”

Yan Jin nodded.

Shen Zhixian urged, “Stay away from him.”

In the past years, he’d deliberately given Yan Shen the cold shoulder. However, Yan Shen was still unscrupulous in his heart and continued to backhandedly encourage and brainwash people into giving Yan Jin a hard time. Despite Shen Zhixian’s overt and covert warnings, these incidents had not dissipated but had instead intensified.

Sooner or later, he would find evidence that would allow him to directly punish Yan Shen.

Yan Jin murmured an assent.

Shen Zhixian knew his character well and knew that he was a man of few words. As a result, he merely waved his hand to allow Yan Jin to leave.

As Yan Jin was about to leave, Shen Zhixian suddenly remembered something. “I’ve asked Third Elder to set up an array for me. On your way back, you can bring it with you.”

Third Elder was an expert in array formations. Recently, Shen Zhixian had begged him to set up a warmth array to help with the cold chill of heavy winter. Even if he wasn’t afraid of the cold, he still didn’t like breathing in the cold air when he sleeps!

After Yan Jin left, Shen Zhixian found that his sleepiness had disappeared. After pondering for a moment, he briskly walked toward the back of the mountain, saying to himself, “Might as well take the little grass bud and go soak in the hot springs. I’ll bring a plate of fruit and a jug of wine.”

The former sect leader was truly very good to the original Shen Zhixian. Not only did his peak have the most spiritual qi, the terrain was easy to defend and difficult to attack. There was also a hot spring in the back mountain. The hot spring was full of spiritual qi, such that one could feel it on approach.

Shen Zhixian fell in love with this hot spring as soon as he discovered it and would often come to soak in it every few days.

The jade pot grew warm as it floated along the surface of the hot spring, and the jade plate was ladened with various fruits cut into small pieces. The sweet fruity aroma and the scent of clear wine blended together, creating a pleasant, decadent fragrance.

Xiao Caoya plunged into the bottom of the spring before surfacing and shaking its small leaves, scattering water droplets on Shen Zhixian’s face.

Shen Zhixian poured a handful of water over the small grass bud and drowned it all over again.

It took awhile for them to stop playing around. Finally, Xiao Caoya lazily spread itself on the shore, basking in the sun. Shen Zhixian leaned against the water’s edge as he sat on a stone ledge with his eyes closed, thinking.

In the blink of an eye, three years had already passed and the plot was changing every day.

In the book, as early as three years ago, Yan Jin’s spirit root was severed by the original Shen Zhixian, and he was expelled from Qingyun Sect. It didn’t take long for him to become a devil cultivator. Once he become strong enough, he returned to kill everyone who had harmed him in the past.

His former master received the worst death.

However, since Shen Zhixian’s transmigration, he’d taken pains to change the plot. At this moment, Yan Jin was still alive and well, and he’d been raised delicately and tenderly. He’d also not been expelled. Thinking about this, Shen Zhixian naturally felt a sense of achievement.

He just wasn’t sure when this little hedgehog would completely put down his grudge.

Shen Zhixian raised his hand up to massage his eyebrows as he mulled over another matter.

For some reason, he just couldn’t fully integrate the original Shen Zhixian’s memory. Usually, he could access normal information without much trouble. But, whenever he carefully wanted to investigate certain things, he found that there would be huge gaps in the memory.

One of these gaps was the death of the former sect leader.

He’d always felt that the death of the former sect leader was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. Everything was normal before his retreat, and leveling up was a sure thing.

But, he suddenly died.

Before the former sect leader stepped down…or rather, before the former sect leader’s death, Song Ming was the last person to see him.

Song Ming was the only one who knew what had happened in the short quarter hour after their meeting.

Shen Zhixian took a deep breath, rubbed his eyebrows again, and had an epiphany—Wait! The sword spirit!

Shuanghui’s (1) sword spirit had been sleeping for many years so he hadn’t considered this option. A superior sword who’d been with a master for a long time would give birth to a sword spirit, which would assist with cultivation and remain forever at its master’s side.

The former sect leader’s sword had a sword spirit, which had been with him for hundreds of years. As long as Shen Zhixian find the former sect leader’s sword and allow the sword spirit to replay the scene of his death, he would finally discover the truth.

As soon as Shen Zhixian smiled, he immediately froze. Wait. He remembered now that Sect Leader Wen had personally destroyed his sword when he cultivated incorrectly and had a qi deviation.

The sword was gone so the sword spirit would naturally have also dissipated.

Shen Zhixian’s mind turned at great speed. In addition to the former sect leader’s sword, there was still Song Ming’s sword spirit.

A sword spirit will only reproduce the true past events and would not lie!

He took a deep breath. After so many years of cultivating and practicing, Yan Jin had gradually became stronger and now had a better chance of protecting himself. Now, Shen Zhixian had more time to ponder these mysteries around him.

After taking a last drink and putting the pot on the shore, Shen Zhixian moved to stand up but suddenly felt a familiar dizziness swept over him. In these years, the dizziness had appeared many times and became the known precursor to a heart attack.

But, it’d never been this serious!

Shen Zhixian’s heart pounded as if it would jump right out of his chest. It felt too intense and a burst of pain detonated, turning his rapid heartbeat into a full-fledged heart attack!

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