Chapter 2: The Handiwork of Beishan Heihu

The boat dove straight down from the sky, entering the estate of Beiming Peak.

"Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning."

The three Zifu cultivator servants, Wang Wei, Yun Zhou, and Yun Lu, all spoke respectfully. The Whitewater Hound beside them also looked at Ji Ning. Ji Ning smiled at the Whitewater Hound. "Uncle White, I'm going to the quiet room to meditate and comprehend. Call me if something extremely important comes up."

The Whitewater Hound nodded.

Ji Ning then walked directly toward his cultivation quiet room.

Yun Lu bit her lip as she watched Ji Ning. "He just glanced at me, didn't even look me straight in the eye. Hmph, there are plenty in the tribe who want to become my dao partner. This senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning hasn't even had a real conversation with me yet." Yun Lu's allure was indeed top-notch. The fox girls and beautiful maidservants Ji Ning had seen in Wuyou Cave were not her match, and even Senior Apprentice-Sister Jiulian was slightly inferior.

Only the reincarnated immortal, Fire Rainbow Immortal Yu Wei, could compare. No wonder Yun Lu was always so confident. She naturally wanted to seduce this disciple of the Black-White College. This Ji Ning was indeed the best candidate for a dao partner in her heart. Unfortunately... Ji Ning hadn't spoken a single word to her so far.

"I don't believe it!" Yun Lu thought to herself.

"I wonder how the battle in the Dao Debate Hall went." Yun Zhou beside her, however, had bright eyes full of anticipation.

"None of us know." Wang Wei said solemnly.

Yun Zhou glanced at Wang Wei and curled his lips.

...

Inside the quiet room.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged, surrounded by streaks of sword energy that danced, sometimes slashing, sometimes thrusting, sometimes blocking... Each move seemed ordinary but contained a heart-stopping sharpness.

Suddenly, all the sword energy around him dissipated.

"Hoo." A smile appeared on Ji Ning's face. "After meditating all night, I've indeed gained something. I've also consolidated my previous insights."

"The Dao of the Sword? Sword Immortal?" Ji Ning's eyes held anticipation.

Whoosh.

Ji Ning stood up, and the stone door rumbled open. Soon he reached the courtyard outside.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Standing in the courtyard, Ji Ning breathed in the dense natural energy of heaven and earth, feeling even more elated.

"Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning." A pleasant, gentle voice sounded beside him.

Ji Ning turned his head and saw Yun Lu, dressed in a light pink dao robe. Though the robe was loose, it still exuded a subtle yet bone-deep allure on her graceful figure. Her jet-black hair, simply tied up, also carried a natural charm.

"Truly a seductress. I wonder why Baiwei sent her to be my servant." Ji Ning thought to himself. Although Yun Lu was extremely beautiful, Ji Ning sought true freedom and ease. How could he casually choose a dao partner? Even if he did, it would be a matter of utmost importance. At least at this moment, Yun Lu did not stir any feelings in him.

"Having been accepted into your tutelage and entered the Black-White College, I have yet to thank you, Senior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning." Yun Lu swayed her body and bowed in gratitude.

Ji Ning nodded lightly.

Suddenly, a figure ran over from outside. It was a young male servant. He couldn't help but glance at the supremely beautiful cultivator Yun Lu, then said nervously, "Master, outside there is someone claiming to be your senior apprentice-brother. He's at the gate and has been waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

"Oh?" Ji Ning nodded, then laughed loudly, "I wonder which senior apprentice-brother it is. To have kept you waiting so long is my negligence. Please come in quickly."

"Go prepare some wine." Ji Ning glanced at Yun Lu beside him.

"Yes." Yun Lu bowed and quickly withdrew.

The mortal youth, his back covered in cold sweat, also hurried away. Stealing a glance at the supremely beautiful Yun Lu was like looking at a legendary fairy. He sighed inwardly, "If I could have such a fairy as my woman, even living for a moment would be worth it. But to the master, such a fairy means nothing."

"Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning." A young man in a black dao robe walked in, his eyes like stars, a smile on his face. "I saw you at the entrance ceremony and the Dao Debate Hall, but never had a chance to exchange words. My name is Hu Yongchun, and my dao name is also 'Yongchun'."

"Senior apprentice-brother Yongchun, please." Ji Ning, as a cultivator, had a clear memory. He recalled that at the Dao Debate Hall, this senior apprentice-brother Yongchun had stood beside the slovenly true man, the fat youth. Being able to stand beside that slovenly true man likely meant he was among the more outstanding Wanxiang disciples.

The two brothers sat facing each other, and Yun Lu served fine wine and fruit.

"Junior apprentice-brother, you have a beauty here." Senior Apprentice-Brother Yongchun praised with a smile.

Yun Lu's face flushed slightly.

Ji Ning smiled. "She's just taking the opportunity to cultivate under me."

"Oh." Senior Apprentice-Brother Yongchun nodded. He immediately noticed that this junior apprentice-brother had no interest in the alluring servant beside him and dropped the subject.

...

Watching Ji Ning and Senior Apprentice-Brother Yongchun, two formal disciples of the Black-White College, chatting and laughing, Yun Lu, who was serving them, went from eager to secretly disheartened. Earlier, Senior Apprentice-Brother Yongchun had praised her, but later, both he and her master Ji Ning didn't even glance at her as they talked.

These two favored sons of heaven clearly didn't care about her beauty, which saddened her deeply.

"Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning!" A voice came from outside.

"Another one." Ji Ning thought to himself. The reason he had come out of the quiet room early this morning was that he understood his performance at the Dao Debate Hall yesterday would likely attract some senior apprentice-brothers and sisters willing to befriend him. The more connections he made, the better it would be for him.

After all, formal disciples of the Black-White College were not easy to befriend.

...

One by one, formal disciples of the Black-White College arrived, some alone, some in pairs or groups, making the courtyard quite lively. Some senior apprentices left, but there were always three to five people in the courtyard.

Yun Lu, as the maidservant, naturally attended to them personally.

What saddened her was that, apart from a few kind words of praise, among the more than twenty formal disciples who came, only one senior apprentice-brother actually took a good look at her. It was Senior Apprentice-Brother 'Huanxi', who, from what he said, was most fond of dual cultivation.

"These Black-White College disciples, except for that one who likes dual cultivation, all have extraordinary dao hearts." Yun Lu marveled inwardly. To enter the Black-White College, one had to be a peerless genius.

And from what she heard...

Her master, Ji Ning, was the most outstanding among these peerless geniuses, almost monstrous! That was why so many senior apprentices came to befriend him.

"Junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, I've brought two senior apprentice-sisters. Would you be willing to meet us?" A gentle voice sounded. Ji Ning and the two others who were talking turned to look, and soon saw three streaks of light flying in from the distance.

"If Senior Apprentice-Sister Jiulian wishes to see me, how could I dare refuse?" Ji Ning looked up at Senior Apprentice-Sister Jiulian in the sky.

Beside Senior Apprentice-Sister Jiulian were a graceful woman in red and a silver-clad girl with a sharp aura. The three women descended together from the sky.

"They..."

Seeing these three senior apprentice-sisters, Yun Lu instantly felt inferior. Their outstanding auras truly made them worthy of being called fairies.

"This is Junior Apprentice-Sister Qingqing, and this is Senior Apprentice-Sister Baishui." Senior Apprentice-Sister Jiulian smiled at Ji Ning.

"Greetings, Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning." The graceful woman in red looked at Ji Ning.

"Greetings, Junior Apprentice-Brother Ji Ning." The silver-clad girl also spoke.

...

By evening, Beiming Peak finally quieted down. The senior apprentices had all left, but another person arrived—Beishan Baiwei.

"Baiwei, have a seat."

Ji Ning and Beishan Baiwei sat down.

"I knew you'd be busy today, with many fellow disciples visiting. So I deliberately waited until almost dark to come." Beishan Baiwei smiled.

"Baiwei, you're truly sharp." Ji Ning praised.

Beishan Baiwei laughed heartily. "I could guess that easily. By the way, I came today on my father's orders."

"Your father?" Ji Ning was startled.

Beishan Heihu...

That man whose aura was terrifying, no less than the Black-White College's leader, and even more domineering! One of the candidates for the next Marquis of Anhui.

"Coming to see me?" Ji Ning was puzzled.

"Clap, clap." Beishan Baiwei clapped his hands.

Immediately, the two Zifu cultivator servants behind him stepped forward and took out several black jade plates from their storage treasures. These black jade plates were exquisitely carved with black tigers, translucent and beautiful, like works of art. On the black jade plates were various items.

At a glance, there were six black jade plates.

There were two jade bottles, a small boat, black wings, and two sets of flying swords as small as embroidery needles.

"These two sets of flying swords, one set of seventy-two, the other of eighteen, are both high-grade human-ranked flying swords."

"These black wings are also high-grade human-ranked wing-type treasures."

"This boat is a top-grade human-ranked flying treasure."

"This jade bottle contains a miasma treasure, an escape item."

"This jade bottle holds a thousand catties of liquid elemental essence." Beishan Baiwei spoke casually. "Take all of these."

Ji Ning was stunned.

With his judgment, these items were all extraordinary. Except for the black wings, which were slightly inferior, the rest were extremely valuable.

"This, how can I accept this?" Ji Ning quickly said. "It's too valuable."

"My father ordered me to deliver them. I've brought the items; the rest is none of my concern." Beishan Baiwei waved his hand. "You don't need to be modest. You've met my father once, and he sends this gift as a goodwill gesture. Just accept it."

Ji Ning hesitated.

Since Beishan Baiwei was already his friend, his connection to the Beishan Heihu estate was undeniable. In that case, he might as well accept.

"Alright." Ji Ning nodded.

"That's more like it. There's no reason not to take my father's gifts. These are nothing to him." Beishan Baiwei quickly added, "By the way, I looked into that Meng Yan you asked about. He indeed failed to join any sect. Do you want me to send him to the Black-White College?"

...