NEBM Chapter 5: Putting On a Show

Shen Zhixian rubbed the brocade between his fingers.

The golden white cloth was embroidered with flowing clouds, the stitching smooth and delicate. Even though it was high-quality brocade silk, it could not avoid being worn down by age.

This belonged to Yan Jin. Although he didn’t know where it originally came from, Shen Zhixian knew that Yan Jin valued this piece of ribbon so much that he would rather be injured than damage or lose it.

He was eighty percent certain that the plot involved stealing this brocade ribbon and throwing it into the Hidden Sword Pavilion. The perpetrator probably spoke some provocative words, causing Yan Jin to rush into the Hidden Sword Pavilion without any consideration for the consequences. Otherwise, considering Yan Jin’s calm temperament, he would not have taken such a big risk.

Shen Zhixian stared down at the ribbon caught between his fingers, thought for a moment, and finally made up his mind.

Under normal circumstances, his temperament was usually calm, relaxed, and easy-going. However, he didn’t like living under an unknown danger. It was unpleasant to feel like there was a knife hanging over his head, not knowing when it would drop.

After he resolved all the strange things around him and fixed things with Yan Jin, he would be able to live his own life in peace. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Another gust of wind blew through, and the dead leaves that had just landed once again scattered with the wind, attracting the disciples’ attention.

This group of junior disciples had just entered the sect, and the senior disciple was only seventeen to eighteen years old. He usually practiced with all his heart and soul. There weren’t so many twists and turns in his mind, let alone suspecting that the Elder Shen, who was “unrestricted,” would really sneak in and out under their eyelids.

They were still whispering and laughing at the stupid dead leaves when Shen Zhixian quietly left.

After transmigrating and being directly tossed from side to side this evening, it was almost dawn by the time he returned to his room.

He hadn’t slept all night…Ah, no. He had actually gone two nights without sleep now, and he was mentally exhausted. He poured himself a cup of cold tea, gradually calmed down, and tried to figure out everything that would need to be done next.

The injury at the back of his hand was not serious and only required treatment with some Flesh Regenerating Powder. There was a momentary chill when the medicine was applied, but after a while, it was more than half healed, leaving the injury site looking only slightly red and swollen.

Shen Zhixian glanced at it, shook his sleeves and dangled them over his hands to cover the injury. This complexion was too white, white as porcelain, and the redness and swelling were especially noticeable.

When dawn seeped through the windows, it found Shen Zhixian digging through the original owner’s wardrobe to familiarize himself with it. Then, after carefully reorganizing it, he changed into a new set of clothes and left the house. The destination: the place where the leaders of the sect meets.

Truthfully speaking, Song Ming wasn’t a terrible sword sect leader.

Every day, he would diligently have a morning meeting, approve sectarian matters, practice, and preside over all kinds of major events. He often handled matters smoothly and skillfully.

If the original Shen Zhixian became the sect leader, he might not be as good nor as diligent as Song Ming.

Shen Zhixian’s eyes flashed for a moment, recalling the simple description written about the original owner in the book and then linking it with the original owner’s memory in his mind, barely managing to give shape to the type of person the original Shen Zhixian was.

From his rough estimation, the original owner was an arrogant, conceited man. His heart was higher than the sky but his life was thinner than paper. (1)

However, the memory before the heart ailment was always vague. Occasionally, there would be brief flashes of images but they were difficult to catch or follow.

Leaving these behind for the time being, Shen Zhixian nodded and pushed into the room before Song Ming could leave.

The meeting hall was not restricted. Naturally, the disciples would not dare interrupt the Sect Leader and the elders in charge of major affairs.

He was one of the five elders.

In fact, there were originally only four elders in Qingyun Sect. These elders were in charge of personnel, finance, diplomacy, and internal affairs. However, after the original Shen Zhixian lost the position of sect leader, the former Sect Leader established a main peak for him and made him the fifth elder.

But, before he could plan more for Shen Zhixian, the former Sect Leader suddenly died.

The status of fifth elder was a little awkward. For the sake of the former Sect Leader, he had a very high status and was respected by Song Ming. However, he didn’t have any clear power, which gave him a delicate identity.

In the early years, the original owner would occasionally attend these meetings, but later, when his heart ailment could not be resolved, he became impatient with these trivial matters and stopped setting foot here.

So when Shen Zhixian appeared here today, even Song Ming was slightly surprised.

“Junior Brother Zhixian?”

Shen Zhixian nodded slightly at him, called “Sect Leader” nonchalantly, calmly found a place on the side to sit down, and motioned for them to continue.

This morning meeting was almost coming to an end. Before Shen Zhixian came in, Song Ming was sitting erect on the customary seat of honor and saying his usual closing remarks. However, after Shen Zhixian entered, everyone immediately cast their eyes to him.

Song Ming’s eyes were deep and serene, and a mild smile hung on his lips. He stopped talking and calmly said, “It’s rare to see Junior Brother Zhixian at these meetings.”

Shen Zhixian saw that they had no intention to continue the discussion and didn’t bother speaking nonsense. He just said, “Sect Leader has finished speaking?”

Song Ming didn’t know what he meant, but he nodded his head and listened as Shen Zhixian said, “I have something to say to you.”

He said “say” and not “discuss.” These calm words conveyed a firm meaning. “I intend to look into the matter of Yan Jin trespassing into the Hidden Sword Pavilion.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned. Even Song Ming’s smile slipped a little.

During yesterday’s chaos, Song Ming hadn’t appear from beginning to end. But it didn’t take long for him to make his judgement, proclaiming, “Yan Jin broke into the Hidden Sword Pavilion to steal the swords inside.”

By this point, the original Shen Zhixian had already beaten Yan Jin and ordered his punishment to the Cliff of Reflection. Soon after, he had another heart attack and was sent back to his peak.

Song Ming’s heart had three points of doubts and seven points of anger, but his outer appearance remained calm. “It’s clear that Yan Jin is at fault.”

“Sect Leader,” Shen Zhixian interrupted with a smooth smile, “yesterday, Yan Jin said that he acted against his will. I didn’t think too much about it at the time and didn’t ask, so I ended up punishing him first. But, after thinking about it later, I realized that it was a bit suspicious. First, Yan Jin is a calm person and wouldn’t do such a ridiculous thing. Second, he lingered on the first floor. Even the new disciples know that the swords on the first floor are very ordinary in terms of qualities. It didn’t make sense that Yan Jin would take such risks for these mere swords.”

What he said was a bit irrational. More to the point, there were no supportive evidence.

Song Ming had originally thought that Shen Zhixian was satisfied with his judgement on the incident. After all, the relationship between this master and his disciple was not good. When he went to see Shen Zhixian yesterday, the latter didn’t raise any objections. Why, then, did this person suddenly so disregarded his face by saying such things. Wasn’t this directly slapping him in the face?!

The first elder couldn’t help but speak out, “Elder Shen may not know your disciple that well. Maybe he was not capable enough and could not get beyond the first floor?”

Shen Zhixian asked indifferently, “You also said that he is my disciple. As his master, shouldn’t I understand him well?”

Everyone: “…”

Everyone’s heart felt a sense of absurdity. The discord between Shen Zhixian and Yan Jin was large enough for everyone to see. When had Shen Zhixian ever spoken up for his disciple?!

Understand him?

More like you know how to hit him!

Each person had their own thoughts. Song Ming’s smiling expression was the model of a “good brother,” which he had maintained for so many years. As a result, he could only bear the fire in his chest and helplessly agree.

When Shen Zhixian saw him nodded, he immediately said that he was going to pick Yan Jin up from the Cliff of Reflection.

Aside from the Hidden Sword Pavilion incident, there had been no major events in the sect recently. Much like the distinguished Sect Leader Song Ming, the first elder, who presided over the sect’s finance, always held himself aloof. Meanwhile, the second elder was too busy with managing the disciples. Therefore, it was the two other elders who expressed their willingness to assist Shen Zhixian.

Shen Zhixian glanced at them, thinking that these two were most likely idle and wanting to see a fun show.

But, he didn’t care. The more the people, the bigger the trouble, and the bigger the trouble, the more he liked it.

So, within two hours, Shen Zhixian once again stood outside Yan Jin’s cave on the Cliff of Reflection. Next to him was the two elders and several stewards.

The terrain was narrow, and everyone had to stay on the stone steps. They didn’t move forward but merely waited for Shen Zhixian to call his disciple out.

Shen Zhixian stepped toward the shallow cave, facing away from the crowd. He calmly walked through the thick snow, stepped on the green leaf bud he had purposefully left behind the last time he was here, reached deep inside for his acting skills, adjusted his mood, took a deep breath, and called out, “A’Jin!”

This cry was thickly laced with a mixture of distress and pity, care and worry. Let alone the crowd, even Yan Jin, who was unconscious, couldn’t help but shudder at this frightening cry, nearly waking up.

First, everyone: ???

Then: !!!

At last, they watched in dumbfounded astonishment as Shen Zhixian dramatically lifted the unconscious boy into his arms, turned to look at them coldly, and left behind a sentence, “This matter needs to be carefully examined,” before hurrying down the mountain.

Everyone: “…?”

What distress? Wasn’t your disciple like this because of you?!

Translation Notes:
(1) His heart was higher than the sky but his life was thinner than paper – A proverb that originated from Dream of Red Mansion. It basically means that he has a lot of ambitions but can’t, either due to lack of talents or due to circumstances, realize said ambitions.