Chapter 95 – Not a Moment Too Soon!

  Shen Ruolan kept her word and came to Jun De’s courtyard the very next day, carrying a lacquered Go board tucked under her arm and a bold, confident smile on her lips. After nearly winning the game, she came again the day after to try again, and the following day as well.

  Her visits were so frequent that Shen Ruolan’s presence became as much a part of Jun De’s daily routine as his morning cultivation or afternoon nap.

  At first, their time together was innocent enough. They would play a match of Go, and now that she was accustomed to his play style, Shen Ruolan would win nearly half the time. She was quick to gloat when she won, and equally quick to pout when she lost.

  Jun De was impressed with Shen Ruolan’s play style. She had a sharp mind for strategy, and Jun De found himself enjoying their verbal sparring and banter as much as the game itself. The games would creep into the afternoon, and his quiet courtyard was often filled with the click of black and white stones.

  But, as the days passed, the rhythm of her visits shifted. Every time she left, she would lean in and press a kiss to his cheek. It started light, casual and was almost teasing. At first, he thought nothing much about it.

  Yet slowly, the pecks began to linger. Her hand would rest a moment longer on his arm, her head would linger near his neck, and the smell of her perfume would wrap around him like a snare.

  The kisses slowly grew warmer, softer, and they carried an unmistakable intent that Jun De would have to be a complete idiot not to notice.

  Each time she left his courtyard, Jun De would promise himself that the next time she tried to kiss him, he would resist her. He was young, yes, but not so na?ve as to miss the danger in letting her continue her intimate actions.

  But every time Shen Ruolan came back the next day, Jun De didn’t push her away.

  He enjoyed spending time with her, playing Go or just talking about the Sect or the things she found interesting. She was intelligent, funny and strikingly beautiful. Jun De just didn’t have the experience with women to stop himself from giving in to her.

  Whether it was in this life or his previous on Earth, Jun De just wasn’t used to having someone pay that sort of attention to him. His resolve, already razor thin, frayed under the warmth of her touch. Each time she leaned in to kiss him, his willpower slipped a little further, until it felt almost unnatural to push her away.

  Jun De’s days weren’t just spent with Shen Ruolan. Lin Yue would visit him as well, although never at the same time as Shen Ruolan. He looked forward to her visits just as much, and they would sit together in the courtyard to enjoy the remaining good weather before it became too cold to sit beside the pond.

  Lin Yue would share the latest Sect gossip or discuss her insights into the recipe book he had given her. She would gush about her progress in pill refining, and she even brought several of her successes for Jun De to use.

  And when Lin Yue would leave, she would lean in and kiss him on the lips as well. They were chaste, which he found odd after their time together in Green Willow Hamlet, but they were enough to leave him watching her leave with an odd tightness in his chest.

  On the last day before the Entrance Ceremony into the Inner Sect, Shen Ruolan’s parting kiss broke whatever unspoken boundary she had been dancing around all week. She didn’t aim for his cheek this time. Instead, she cupped his face in her hands before he could pull away and kissed him deeply.

  Her lips were warm, and it was clear that she was unwilling to let him go. There was nothing teasing about her actions, and when she finally pulled away, Jun De was left half-stunned. She smiled at him, and he was sure that she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life.

  Afterwards, Jun De was certain of one thing with absolute clarity. His transfer to the Inner Sect was coming at the perfect time. If he stayed around Shen Ruolan and Lin Yue any longer, he was simply asking for more trouble.

  The morning of the Inner Sect Entrance Ceremony dawned clear and bright; the winter sun spilled its weak light across the tiled rooftops of the Outer Sect. The air itself seemed to hum with excitement, filled with the distant murmuring of the gathered Outer Sect Disciples and the occasional cry of a soaring spiritual bird wheeling overhead.

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  Jun De stood amongst half a dozen other new inductees at the base of the wide marble stairs that led up to the Inner Sect’s main plaza. Only a cultivator who had reached the 7th Level of Qi Condensation or higher could make the climb.

  Those who would be entering the Inner Sect were all arrayed in a line, wearing identical new robes that were the familiar deep blue of the Tranquil Mountain Sect, but trimmed in silver along the cuffs and hem. The fabric was much finer than those worn by Outer Sect Disciples, and they caught the light with their every movement.

  On the chest, near the shoulder, was the symbol of the Tranquil Mountain Sect, the solitary mountain wreathed in mist.

  Directly on Jun De’s right side, Zhao Wuxian was making sure that everyone noticed him. His robes hung loose around his waist despite the cold. They were knotted carelessly so that the top half lay bunched up against his hips.

  The morning sun glinted off the faint sheen of oil that he had smeared across his skin, and even while standing, he made sure to roll his shoulders and flex his arms.

  Jun De caught a few of the watching female Disciples giggling behind their sleeves, and Zhao Wuxian smirked at them and winked.

  If his humiliating defeat in their duel had left any mark on Zhao Wuxian’s pride, he didn’t show it. If anything, he carried himself with even more swagger, as if his quick recovery was proof of his superiority.

  The plaza where the ceremony took place was a broad expanse of white stone that was ringed by towering pillars carved with the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s history. It detailed the Sect’s founding and momentous events, such as famous battles against monstrous beasts or the ascension to immortality of prominent Elders.

  At the far end was a platform where the Outer Sect Elders were waiting, along with several Inner Sect Elders that Jun De didn’t recognize from the expedition against the Demonic Cultivators.

  Standing at the base of the platform were a half dozen more Inner Sect Disciples that had made the trip down the stairs, and their cultivation ranged from the 7th Level of Qi Condensation all the way to the peak of the 10th Level.

  The Inner Sect Disciples stared at the newcomers with sharp eyes, appraising their appearance and strength. Some looked openly curious about Jun De and Zhao Wuxian, or were amused by what they saw. But the strongest amongst them were clearly disinterested in the ceremony.

  Jun De stood with his hands clasped behind his back and tried to ignore the stares of both the Inner Sect Disciples, and the thousands of Outer Sect Disciples gathered to watch behind him. He was aware that Lin Yue and Shen Ruolan were standing at the front of the crowd, and when he snuck a peek at them, he saw that they were smiling back at him.

  Oddly, Mei Lian was nowhere to be seen.

  ‘I haven’t seen her since I came back to the Sect. I hope she’s alright.’ Jun De thought.

  He had gone to look for her at her residence, but found it empty. A Servant Disciple had told him that she had gone back to Nan Ao City to visit her family, but Jun De had thought she might return before the ceremony.

  While Jun De frowned at the thought of something bad happening to Mei Lian, one of the Inner Sect Elders stepped toward the edge of the platform to begin the ceremony. His cultivation was at the Early Stage of Core Formation, and his sharp eyes locked onto the six Outer Sect Disciples who would be ascending to the Inner Sect.

  “Newcomers to the Inner Sect, today you take a step forward on your cultivation path. By virtue of reaching the 7th Level of Qi Condensation, you have earned the right to stand here. That is no small feat, but do not mistake it for glory.” The Elder began, and those gathered immediately fell silent to listen.

  “The Inner Sect is not like the Outer Sect. Nothing is given freely. Every privilege, every resource, and every opportunity must be seized with your own hands. Your cultivation brought you here, but it will be your willpower and strength that will determine if you remain.”

  “In the Inner Sect, every Disciple is ranked. The weakest amongst the Inner Sect is rank one thousand, two hundred and fifty-six.” The Elder gestured to the young man at the end of the line of Inner Sect Disciples, who was in the middle of the 7th Level of Qi Condensation.

  “The six Inner Sect Disciples standing in front of you represent your seniors in the Qi Condensation stage. The highest amongst them is ranked within the top three hundred, and stands at the peak of the 10th level.”

  The strongest was a beautiful young woman on the right side of the line. A tall and statuesque figure with long, platinum-blond hair that was so pale that it was almost white. Her features were sharp and exquisite, and she possessed the sort of beauty that few could match.

  Zhao Wuxian openly stared at her, and his eyes swept over her tall frame with unrestrained hunger. The woman didn’t even glance in their direction, and she made her disinterest in the ceremony well known.

  “For this ceremony, you will be measured and challenged, for the Inner Sect does not coddle the unworthy or weep for those who fall behind. The ranking you may obtain in the future is a reflection of your worth, of the effort you put into your cultivation and your will to advance.”

  “You will find that many areas of the Inner Sect will be off limits to those lacking the prerequisite rank.”

  “All of you will be at the very bottom of the Inner Sect, lacking in any rank until you earn one through the challenges facing you within.” The Elder said, and his words paused as a slight smile touched his lips.

  “Unless you feel that you are deserving of something more. If that is true, you may challenge those standing in front of you to obtain your rank and the privileges it provides.”