The Journey of Flower - Chapter 19

When she returned to the classroom, it was the middle of a lesson. Hua Qian Gu’s legs still felt a little sore and she drifted back to her seat. Qing Shui hurriedly asked her what happened. She had been scared stiff when she heard that Qian Gu had been taken to see the Three Sovereigns..

” How did it end up like a hearing with the Three Sovereigns. Wasn’t it just answering it a few questions? Why did he have to make such a big deal! This Tao Weng is too petty!” Qing Shui indignantly said and patted Hua Qian Gu back. “You were scared silly right? How do you feel about your first meeting with Shi Zun and Ru Zun?”

Hua Qian Gu’s did not know how to answer her. * Cries “I don’t have any thoughts, only I seemed to have offended Shi Zun.”

Qing Shui’s eyes widened and said “You are a goner. Shi Zun is very vengeful. They din’t punish you right? Chang Liu ‘s punishments are very terrifying.”

” They actually didnt. They let me come back after asking some questions”

“Phew. Then it shouldn’t be too serious. That Tao Weng was making a mountain out of a mole hill. Hey hey, what do you think of Ru Zun?” Qing Shui asked cheekily.

“Ru Zun?” Hua Qian Gu rested her chin on the back of her hand, cocking her head to one side and considered her question. “Still alright. I don’t have a deep impression of him. However he is completely doesn’t seem like Ru Zun. He seems more like…”

“Like what?”

“Like a fox. He keeps snickering connivingly, making my hairs stand…”

“Haha, let me tell you, Shi Zun is too stern, Zun Shang is too cold. Only Ru Zun is the easiest to talk to. Moreover he is so good looking, refined and approachable and he is a gentle and elegant. He has all the young girls under his spell! He is the idol of the entire Chang Liu Mountain. If you don’t believe me I can bring you to the rooms of other disciples. His drawings are pasted everywhere. Even drafts that were written by him or his Xiao playing that have been recorded down in recording conches can be sold for a lot of money!

“Ah?” Hua Qian Gu was dumfounded.

“How about Zun Shang?”

Qing Shui stared at her: ” You think anyone dares to have any improper thoughts after they see Zun Shang? Everytime I see him, I don’t even dare lift my head. He is too high and lofty. It almost feels like a sin to just think about him. If not, with Zun Shang’s looks, everyone in Chang Liu Mountain and even the Immortal Realm would go crazy over him. Other than Shi Zun and Ru Zun respectively, Tan Lan Dian and Xiao Hun Dian each have their own respective disciples and a few disciples who are there specially to serve them. On the other hand, Zun Shang has always stayed alone in Jue Qing Dian alone all this years. Most of the matters in Chang Liu Mountain are handled by Shi Zun, hence Zun Shang rarely shows his face. Only during important matters or ceremonies does he leave the mountain or go down to Chang Liu Dian.”

“Alone?” Hua Qian Gu recalled how there seemed to be a layer frost on him that had not melted for over ten thousand years. She could not help but feel a bit sorry for him. She wanted to always accompany him in the future. What kind of feeling was this?

“It is time for lesson, quickly get into your seat. I promise you won’t be so bored that you will fall asleep this time.”

“Whose lesson is this?”

“Shi Yi Shi Xiong.”

“Arh?”

“He is Chang Liu’s eldest disciple of his generation. He is mature and steady in handling matters and is well liked by the Three Sovereigns. Moreover, he is very interesting when he teaches. His popularity is always in the top 5!”

“”Ah? There is even a ranking?”

“Of course. Currently, according to the votes collated by the unofficial <Immortal’s Magazine> which is secretly being circulated, the most popular is Ru Zun, the second is Shi Yi Shi Xiong, the third is Zun Shang and the fourth is Ru Zun’s disciple Huo Xi. In fifth place is Shi Zun.”

“Are you serious? Even Shi Zun has fans? What’s wrong with the taste of girls these day?” Hua Qian Gu looked up and gave a long sigh.

“Chh-, there are many masochistic people these days. Some love bad boys, while others love mature men! Moreover Shi Zun looks so commanding, like a god from the heavens. I guess a lot of people were won over by his stern commanding presence.”

Hua Qian Gu knitted her eyebrows into a knot and was speechless.

She then saw the elegant and calm Luo Shi Yi walk empty handed into the class. He glanced at Hua Qian Gu before giving her a small nod and said ” Today, we will be having a practical outdoor lesson. Everyone, please gather outside.”

Around her, there was a loud cheer, and within moments everyone rushed out.

“What does Shi Yi Shi Xiong teach?”

“Sword-flying, the most basic among the flying techniques. You are too behind in your studies and you don’t have any foundation at all. It will be very tiring for you to learn this on your first day.”

Hua Qian Gu followed the rest to the open area and lined up. Luo Shi Yi pointed at wooden swords on the rack at a side, saying “Similar to the last class, everyone pick one sword.”

Hua Qian Gu distractedly looked around. When she reached out to take the sword, she did not expect a wooden sword to be so heavy, and she immediately bent over and sank down in one swift motion.

There was a wave of sniggers around her.

Hua Qian Gu was stunned : “How can it be so heavy! This is clearly made of wood!”

“This is Hai Xuan Wood. It doesn’t grow on land, but only on the surface of the see. It is even heavier than Xuan Tie ( A fictional type of metal that was first introduced in Louis Cha’s wuxia novels. It is extremely rare and strong, and is said to cut through metal as though it is dirt. Some believe that Louis Cha invented it with reference to asteroid metal)” Qing Shui was also straining herself as she swung the sword in her hand.

” I want to faint. It will be strange if such a thing can even fly.”

As she said this, she suddenly heard something fly across the top of her head with a swoosh. The people around her started to cheer.

Hua Qian Gu raised her head and saw a glamorous Ni Man Tian soaring in the sky.

Ni Man Tian had clearly learned sword flying before she entered Chang Liu. She was clearly trying to show off as she flew up and down, twisting and turning in the sky. Her technique was really quite good. Hua Qian Gu and the others were awestruck by her display.

Luo Shi Yi once again revised the theory and the key points of sword flying with everyone. However, Hua Qian Gu could not understand anything at all. She squatted on the ground and stared at the stupid piece of wood that she could barely lift. She stared so long she felt as though she was growing mushrooms out of the top of her head.

Most of the people in Jia class could more or less stand on the sword and levitate in mid air. They just could not fly freely in the air like Ni Man Tian.

On the other hand, most of the people in her own class could not even move the sword no matter how they chanted their spells or kicked the sword.

Qing Shui was really considered quite good. The sword could already float over one metre in the air under her command.

Around them, there was a continuos streams of painful cries form disciples who had fallen off their sword. Hua Qian Gu and Qing Shui could not held but giggle quietly as they saw how most of them fell on their backs, like overturned turtles.

Hua Qian Gu jumped on the sword on the ground and kept stepping on it. Fly, quick fly. That sword was much wider than a normal sword, however, it was still not as wide as the length of a good, Hence, perhaps why they used such a heavy wooden sword to practise was so that they would not injure others and it would be more stable. However, it was very hard to balance on the sword on the ground.

Luo Shi Yi came over to tell Hua Qian Gu the essential points about flying and let Hua Qian GU memorise it at a side first. After all, sword flying was a more advanced immortal technique and it could not be learned in a short period of time. Even though Hua Qian Gu had been exposed and immersed in a lot of immortal aura now, her current strength was still insufficient to manipulate the sword and she still needed more practice.

Hua Qian Gu nodded away. As, she looked at Ni Man Tian soaring and dancing freely in the sky, like a colourful and radiant seven coloured rainbow, mesmerising all the boys on the ground, she secretly resulted to quickly learn how to fly as well. Only then could she be closer to the sky, closer to Jue Qing Dian and closer to the lofty Zun Shang.

She raised her head to look at Jue Qing Dian which was floating in the sky at the east. Compared to the enormous main island, Chang Liu Mountain, it seemed quite small. A waterfall flowed straight down from above like a silver chain, linking Chang Liu Mountain and Jue Qing Dian. It did not seemed to be blown off course by the wind. And Zun Shang lived each day all alone in such a high and cold place

The three Dians (Dian is something like a small manor or hall) formed a giant clear barrier which enveloped the entire Chang Liu like a cover. Hence, a rainbow would occasionally flash briefly across the blue horizon. During evenings as the sun sets, the barrier would cast a giant reflection of Chang Liu Mountain against the sky. It was almost like a mirage, grand and spectacular. As the reflection in the sky shined against the reflection in the sea, there seemed to be three Chang Liu Mountains.

Hua Qian Gu lazily lay on the grass and fell into a daze as she looked at the sky. Suddenly she heard a slight disturbance at a side. Qing Shui who had been tirelessly battling the wooden sword immediately pulled Hua Qian Gu up and rushed towards the noise.

They saw Ni Man Tian standing in front of Ni Feng, clearly challenging him to compete with her in Sword Flying.

Hua Qian Gu seeing his covered face and ice cold pupils and decided that he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. She looked at Qing Shui, who whispered in her ear saying :”That boy is called Ni Feng. He is also very powerful, but very mysterious. Nobody knows his background. He is good in every subject and hence he is always fighting for first place with Ni Man Tian in Jia class. Thus, Ni Man Tian doesn’t like him and takes him as her biggest rival to winning the Xian Jia Da Hui (Immortal Sword’s Meet). However she doesn’t know his background and he is not to be messed with. Hence she can only think of other ways to compete with him.”

Around them there were loud cheers . Hua Qian Gu looked all around for Luo Shi Yi, only to find him standing far away. It was clear that he was not going to interfere.

Ni Feng did not fly on his sword even once before that. He looked at Ni Man Tian and gave a cold snort. He was too lazy to argue with her. However, he suddenly took to the skies with his sword. Before anybody realised what was happening, he had disappeared with a swoosh. Everyone looked at each other and searched high and low. There wasn’t a single trace of him in the sky.

Waaa. What amazing speed. Is he really a disciple who had just entered the sect!

Hua Qian Gu gaped and looked at the roof of the Chang Liu main hall. She did not know why, perhaps it was because of the powers and cultivation that Priest Qing Xu gave her, or because her sense became clearer after coming to Chang Liu, she found that her vision was getting clearer and clearer.

Hence, while everyone was still searching, she could quickly register Ni Feng’s flying figure speeding towards the roof. Even though there was quite a large distance between them, she could still clearly see him lying leisurely on the roof. He was even chewing a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth. He seems to realise that he had been spotted. His sharp gaze stared straight at Hua Qian Gu from far.

Their gazes crossed and duelled in mid air, and almost seemed to emit sparks. At last Hua Qian Gu lowered her head in defeat