Volcanic Age

"Can't you think about it a little?"

"Honestly, it's not that I haven't desired it before. However, I'm well aware of my own limitations."

Sect Master.

Moreover, the Sect Master of the Mount Hua Sect of the Nine Sects and One Gang.

It would be a lie to say that he had never desired the position. After all, it's something everyone has dreamed of having at least once.

However, befitting a role of such stature, only a select few had the ability to hold that position, and Zhou Xuchuan knew he wasn't one of them.

Someone like me isn't qualified to be the Sect Master.

The only reason he seemed better than others was because he was cheating with a second life. Other than that, he had no merits.

Yes, in his previous life, he had become one of the Five High Elders of Mount Hua. However, that wasn't through talent, as he didn't have any. He had only reached that position by chance, not because he had any real ability.

Zhou Xuchuan had reminded himself of that fact several times after returning so that he wouldn't forget it.

He had to make sure he remembered that, in the end, he himself was nothing special.

Just lucky.

Even if he started out in a more advantageous position than others, if he became complacent because of his newfound strength, he would fall behind and collapse.

He had to be careful about this fact.

Over and over again.

Most importantly, it's too difficult!

The pressure of responsibility.

Zhou Xuchuan also didn't like his freedom being limited. He wanted to live freely, as he wanted.

"Besides, I think that there's someone more suitable than me for the position."

"Hmph! I don't know if it's because you lack ambition or because you're not greedy enough, but…"

You Riwen sighed regretfully.

While he still had a hint of hope in his eyes, Zhou Xuchuan was so firm with his stance that You Riwen gave up.

"Follow me. Since Mount Hua's Greatest Fortune has come all this way, I can't let you leave empty-handed. I'm in a good mood, so let me teach you a sword."

"I was already bullied by the Alliance Leader before I returned. Please show mercy."

"I'm just teaching you the Twenty-Four Sword Forms, don't worry. To think you reached all the way to the Harmony Realm with just the Fourteen Sword Forms."

Zhou Xuchuan had actually already mastered all of them, but had kept it a secret.

Great!

Now, he could officially(?) use the Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom.[1]

Zhou Xuchuan decided to pretend to learn them while acting.

***

After that day, You Riwen taught Zhou Xuchuan the Twenty-four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom whenever he had the time.

At first, Zhou Xuchuan was just going to act, but when You Riwen began to teach him seriously, he accepted each and every lesson wholeheartedly.

No matter how much of the sword technique he may have mastered, there were differences between the technique he had taught himself and the technique taught by one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords.

You Riwen didn't keep the fact that he was teaching Zhou Xuchuan a secret.

While rumors began to spread right away, it was properly explained as a reward for earning merit and raising the reputation of the sect.

It was common for a Sect Master to teach techniques to disciples he liked, so there were no strange speculations.

Then, about half a month later…

"Did you say that things have only been half solved?"

"Yes," Ling Zhen answered while pressing various parts of Zhou Xuchuan's body.

Since the moment he had returned to Mount Hua, Ling Zhen had been forcibly dragging him around and kept taking his pulse with the excuse of wanting to inspect the Thousand Poisons Immunity.

"There are more than one or two bastards who have a grudge against you for burning the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic."

There were actually quite a few Demon Heads outside Mount Hua shouting how Zhou Xuchuan had burned their property.

And although the war only lasted a day, hadn't it already broken the peace? That was the starting point, and now, everything that had been held together by a fragile tension was slowly collapsing.

The first time was hard, but the second became easy.

The Righteous Dao, Evil Dao, and Demonic Dao.

The balance that the three had maintained had collapsed for the first time.

It makes sense. The Dark Heavens Association isn't the type to let this go.

The Dark Heavens Association didn't collapse in despair because of their failure but immediately prepared their next best operation.

They most likely had been constantly moving their informants around, fanning the flames of war.

"Not just you, but all of the disciples who are out in the gangho are coming back. It's absolute chaos outside the sect right now."

"Then what happens next?"

"While the decision hasn't been finalized, they'll probably decide that all disciples will train within the sect for the next six months to a year. It's not like we can keep you all within the sect forever."

"I see."

It was a blessing in disguise. Putting aside the frustration, there was still much to do in order to deal with the Dark Heavens Association.

Zhou Xuchuan could endure things for six months to a year.

While he would find a way to leave if things lasted longer than that, until then, there were things he could still prepare for even if he was stuck within Mount Hua.

There were also the lessons with the Sect Master, the Exalted Sword Immortal. It wasn't all that bad.

"More than that…"

Ling Zhen's eyes narrowed.

"You. Did you consume another elixir while you were on your cultivation journey?"

"Was I caught?"

"I've taken your pulse more times than your own master. Not only has your cultivation increased, but there have also been changes within your meridians. It seems like you didn't just increase your qi with elixirs."

"How perceptive."

"My title is Pill Apothecary. But are you eating them all by yourself? Leave some for this old man!"

"I just happened to be lucky and found a few. Besides, where can one easily find elixirs?"

"Hmph. I guess you're right."

"Ha… I also want to be able to find elixirs easily!"

Zhou Xuchuan was being absolutely shameless.

***

Zhou Xuchuan stretched out under a plum tree, his eyes closed.

In that moment, he had no thoughts.

No worries about the future, no organizing of memories from the past.

The wind brushing past by his head was chilly, but thanks to the warm winter sun, he didn't feel any cold.

The sunlight beaming from overhead filled him with a warmth that made him feel drowsy.

All the usual sounds of swords being swung and people's whispers had vanished.

He rested, embracing the moment of reprieve, where he thought of nothing and simply enjoyed the silence around him.

"Senior brother."

Just as he was about to take a nap, an intruder appeared.

He cracked open one eye and saw a familiar face.

Luo Xiaoyue dropped the letters in her hand onto his head.

Letters dropped down like falling leaves, blocking his vision.

"Do you have any problems with this senior brother of yours?"

"Don't you think you've become a little lazy lately?"

"I can proudly say that I have been more diligent and sincere than anyone else. I only take breaks like this every now and then."

Still sprawled out, Zhou Xuchuan raised his upper body slightly and checked the letters that had fallen haphazardly on his lap.

Half of them were from the Gold Will Merchants, and the other half were from the Martial Alliance.

Has the Sword Demon's daughter settled down safely?

According to the letter sent by Wu Qu, Li Yicai welcomed him grandly upon his arrival in Shandong.

Not only had Li Yicai appointed Wu Qu as the Drillmaster, but he had also assigned Wu Zhenhua a famous doctor to take care of her health and a bodyguard.

Wu Qu wrote that Wu Zhenhua was getting the best treatment possible and expressed his gratitude for the care he had received.

He added that Zhou Xuchuan should just let him know if there was anything he could do to help him.

And… as expected, the imperial government approached us.

It seemed that the Ministry of War had shown interest in the Multiple Fire Lance Launcher and had even sent someone to take one of the finished products.

Zhou Xuchuan had a rough idea of what it was for.

The imperial government would likely use them in battles against the Mongols, who regularly eyed the Central Plains from the north.

There was no reason to reject the offer just because they weren't on good terms—the government wouldn't attack the Martial Alliance with the Multiple Fire Lance Launcher.

On the contrary, Zhuge Shengji, the creator of the weapon, welcomed the fact that others recognized and needed what he had created.

He had given his approval as long as his name was kept on the weapon and handed it over.

Meanwhile, the Gold Will Sword Sect, from the First Corps to the Third, was steadily growing in power.

And now, the Martial Alliance…

While Zhou Xuchuan had a rough idea of what the Gold Will Merchants wanted to report, he had no clue what the Martial Alliance had sent.

His curiosity piqued.

It's not because she's my granddaughter, but she really is a suitable candidate, and…

"This elder is really crazy."

The letter had come from the Martial Alliance Leader, not the Martial Alliance.

"What's with the tired expression?"

"It's nothing, just a request for an arranged date. I think he wants to introduce me to all of the women in the Nangong Family."

Zhou Xuchuan shook his head.

"…"

Luo Xiaoyue flinched at the words, 'arranged date.'

Her face, which had been bright a moment ago, darkened slightly.

Zhou Xuchuan, who had been mumbling without much thought, noticed the change in her expression and grew concerned.

"Gasp, are you, by chance, actually worried that I might be taken away?"

She doesn't look too good. Is there something wrong?

Zzzt.

'Oh no!'

Luo Xiaoyue said the opposite of what she really felt, belatedly reacting after a moment of silence.

"N-no, of course not!" she stuttered as her face, neck, and ears turned red.

She could feel her temperature rising, and it was adorable how she desperately tried to cover her face with her sleeves.

"This is just my advice, but don't show this side of yourself too often. Not only men, but even women would go crazy seeing you like this."

"Please don't say such weird things."

Luo Xiaoyue fanned herself, feeling hot. Her face was still flushed, but she turned to the side, as if trying to hide it.

Thump. Thump.

Zhou Xuchuan's heart, which didn't move much unless he was fighting an expert, began to race as if he were excited. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

In his whirlwind of emotions, he began to circulate his Daoist cultivation method subconsciously to try to maintain his composure, to no avail.

He knew what this feeling was.

However, he wasn't used to it, so he couldn't figure out how to describe it.

Above all, the last time he had felt like this was so long ago. The memory was foggy and hazy.

A memory from decades ago. Zhou Xuchuan wondered how things had ended then.

Although he didn't remember the details, he could at least remember that he hadn't gotten what he wanted.

Instead of warmth, only loneliness remained.

If things had ended well, he most likely would have thought of that person's face before his death in his previous life.

Had it really been love? Or had it been liking mistaken for love?

Zhou Xuchuan didn't know the right answer.

"S-senior brother… if you look at me like that, I-I…"

"You want to spar, right?"

"Yes. I want to spar… huh?"

Both Zhou Xuchuan and Luo Xiaoyue blinked in confusion, then looked around.

"Kyaaaaa!!!"

Shen Yulian was standing in front of them.

"I'm not a ghost, Zhou Xuchuan."

Shen Yulian frowned and glared at Zhou Xuchuan.

"Senior brother, calm down. It's my master."

Luo Xiaoyue patted his back as if to calm him down.

"I-I'm sorry, Elder. I was rude," Zhou Xuchuan quickly apologized, regaining his composure.

"I was only able to see you briefly at the palace. It's been a while since I've seen you in such a private setting, hasn't it?"

What, is she saying that she'd kill me now that we're in private?

Zhou Xuchuan tried to figure out what Shen Yulian meant.

"I won't eat you, so don't worry," Shen Yulian said indifferently.

"Then, what could I do…"

"As you may know, this child isn't an ordinary talent," Shen Yulian began to brag, her expression unchanged.

"M-master!"

Luo Xiaoyue was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do. Her face, which had only just calmed down, turned bright red again, the blush deepening.

"Even when she spars with the other Plum Blossom Swordsmen candidates, most of them fall before they even exchange a hundred moves."

"Yes, junior sister is quite strong," Zhou Xuchuan agreed.

Luo Xiaoyue was a real genius, not a fake like himself.

She was a monster who not only had talent but also worked hard.

"Among your peers, there is no one who can fight her properly, let alone beat her."

"Then…"

"I want you to spar with her while you're staying in the sect."

"I don't mind doing so, but would that really be okay?"

"..."

Shen Yulian fell silent.

Luo Xiaoyue, who was beside her, looked bewildered.

"I'm not blind."

Well, considering you haven't recognized that I'm at the Harmony Realm, are you sure about that?

Zhou Xuchuan stopped himself from refuting her.

"Then I'll assume you accept."

"Please trust me."

Well, it wasn't as if he minded spending time with Luo Xiaoyue or anything.

Since things have gotten like this, I guess I should teach her how to use the sword while we spar.

It seemed like he wouldn't be bored during his time at Mount Hua Sect.

1. Once again, the (?) is in the raws. ☜

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