Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 187: Chapter 160: Ascending the Peak

The young man and woman stepping into the courtyard were none other than Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun.

They had rested for a night and recovered some of their energy. By circulating the Celestial Concealment Skill, they had the perfect disguise, ensuring that Cui Zhi and the other members of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect in the courtyard would not notice anything amiss.

Xie Yuan’s gaze swept across the scene. The person in charge was, coincidentally, Cui Zhi, the Outer Sect deacon from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect who had previously visited Yunzhao. He sat behind a large table in the center of the courtyard, flanked by two assisting disciples: Lin Cheng and Lin Zhen.

The siblings were both dressed in the attire of Outer Sect disciples, having clearly passed the assessment ahead of them and become official disciples of the Sword Sect.

Seeing them standing tall with their heads held high, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but feel happy for them. Joining the Sword Sect, regardless of whether they could one day avenge their clan, had at least filled their expressions with hope. It was a vast improvement from the deep-seated hatred they had shown not long ago.

When the Lin siblings saw the two new applicants look their way, they both nodded kindly. After all, it wasn’t long ago that they were in the same position, and they could empathize with the pair’s nervousness.

Their presence was a minor, not entirely unexpected coincidence. It was the person behind them who truly surprised Xie Yuan.

A princely young man, wearing a jade-adorned headband and fine brocade robes, stood not far away, watching him with great interest.

Although his attire was different from the other Sword Sect disciples, the silver tassel on his sword identified it as a standard-issue Long Sword of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect. He was clearly a member of the sect as well.

Xue Yanwen, the Heir of Prince Cloud Mountain. Xie Yuan had met him once at a banquet he attended with Situ Qin.

’Hmm, his father’s fief is Cloud Mountain County. I heard he holds a nominal position in the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect’s Outer Sect, so it’s not that strange for him to be here...’

Situ Qin had said this man enjoyed fun and excitement. While he seemed like a typical second-generation heir, he never caused any major trouble, making him a much smarter person than he appeared.

Xue Yanwen’s father, Xue Zhizuo, was a genuine Martial Arts Grandmaster. The emperor had placed Xue Zhizuo’s fief in Cloud Mountain, and Xue Zhizuo, in turn, had his son take up a nominal position in the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect’s Outer Sect. There was a great deal of hidden meaning in these arrangements. The relationship between the imperial court and the sects had always been exceedingly complex.

Xue Yanwen was here, most likely using "watching the excitement" as an excuse. The more important matter was probably to see what kind of talent the Sword Sect was recruiting.

Seeing Xue Yanwen’s scrutinizing and enthusiastic gaze fixed on him, Xie Yuan looked away, unconcerned that he might see through his disguise.

His Celestial Concealment Skill had reached a level where he could sneak up on a fully alert Grandmaster in the middle of a battle. Even without using its full power, he had no fear of anyone below the Grandmaster realm spotting a single flaw.

"We’ll be in your hands, Deacon."

Taking in the scene in the courtyard, Xie Yuan cupped his hands in a salute toward Cui Zhi and stepped forward with Mu Chaoyun.

Cui Zhi nodded and asked,

"Which of you will go first? Or..."

To his surprise, the woman stepped forward first, extending her hand and revealing a snow-white wrist.

’I thought the man who’s been doing all the talking was the one in charge and would go first. I didn’t expect it to be the young lady.’

’And why does she seem so familiar with the procedure? She put her hand out without me even having to say anything.’

’She’s come well-prepared...’

Cui Zhi nodded lightly and placed his hand on Mu Chaoyun’s forearm over her sleeve, as if a doctor taking a pulse, and remained perfectly still.

A look of pain suddenly appeared on Mu Chaoyun’s face. She bit her lip tightly but didn’t make a sound.

Her delicate brows furrowed, and beads of sweat even formed on her forehead, rolling down her cheeks and landing on the table with a soft PAT. But her body remained steady, her expression resolute and unmoving.

Cui Zhi’s eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly. The others were also slightly moved. They had been testing people all morning, and this was the first one who hadn’t cried out in pain—and a slender-looking young woman at that.

Xie Yuan’s expression also twitched. He watched the test out of the corner of his eye, the corner of his mouth twitching.

’Miss Mu, aren’t you being a little too dramatic...’

’How could a qualification test for ordinary people, at the level of the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm, make a Grandmaster like Mu Chaoyun sweat buckets from pain?’

’Even if she was injured, with the strength of a Grandmaster’s meridians, this would probably feel like nothing more than a tickle.’

However, Mu Chaoyun’s acting was so convincing that, aside from Xie Yuan who knew the truth, no one could see through it. They all thought she was just an ordinary person struggling to endure.

Xie Yuan had seen her impersonate Lin Zhen before. Indeed, aside from her appearance and aura, even her speech and actions had been nearly identical.

This acting skill wasn’t something the Celestial Concealment Skill could provide; it was purely her own talent.

Seeing Mu Chaoyun’s pretentious display, Xie Yuan found it amusing. He stared, committing her expression to memory.

He suddenly saw Mu Chaoyun’s gaze flick toward him, carrying a hint of warning and vexation. He couldn’t help but smile back, then quickly schooled his features into a look of somewhat insincere concern.

After a good while, Cui Zhi withdrew his hand, his expression satisfied. He stroked his beard and said,

"Your meridians are clear, and your bone structure is excellent. Your aptitude is upper-mid grade. You may enter my sect. Not bad, not bad at all."

The Lin siblings nearby smiled; finally, a new person had passed today. Xue Yanwen, who had been quite interested, gave Mu Chaoyun a once-over after hearing the evaluation but didn’t show much of a reaction.

Mu Chaoyun gave a slight salute, then stood to the side, making way for Xie Yuan.

The onlookers all looked on with a bit of anticipation, thinking that if the woman had such aptitude, her companion couldn’t be too bad, right?

With a hopeful expression, Cui Zhi reached out and placed his hand on Xie Yuan’s.

The next moment, a cry of alarm rang out.

"Aiyah, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

As if electrocuted, Xie Yuan snatched his hand back and shook it vigorously, his face a mask of pain.

The Lin siblings were a bit baffled. ’That was way too fast, wasn’t it? He barely touched him.’

Xue Yanwen let out a chuckle.

"The one who lasted the longest and the one who lasted the shortest time appearing together. Interesting, very interesting."

Cui Zhi was also stunned. ’Why do I feel like I hadn’t even exerted any force yet, and this young man already couldn’t take it?’

His expression was strange. At the first touch, he had clearly felt that the young man’s bone structure was superior, that he was promising material for practicing swordsmanship. But before he could get a closer assessment, the man had given up.

Among all the people whose aptitude he had tested, no matter how poor their talent or how weak their will, they would always endure for at least a little while, not wanting to miss the opportunity. This one, however, was so afraid of pain he shattered at the slightest touch, like a porcelain doll...

Cui Zhi shook his head. The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect prized mental fortitude above all. This young man wouldn’t do.

Mu Chaoyun watched coolly from the side, subconsciously taking a step back, wanting to pretend she didn’t know him.

’With a constitution improved by the Celestial Cyan Fruit, even someone born a complete waste would now be a cultivation genius. There’s no way it could hurt.’

’Even though this was the plan we agreed on, his acting is so terrible it’s embarrassing to watch.’

As a Grandmaster, Mu Chaoyun had her own methods to make Cui Zhi’s probe produce the result she wanted without revealing her true talent and strength.

Although Xie Yuan’s Celestial Concealment Skill was a realm higher than hers, he couldn’t guarantee it would be enough to deceive an internal probe, so they had planned this little show.

As for how to get up the mountain next...

Cui Zhi was about to declare Xie Yuan unqualified and tell him to leave, but Mu Chaoyun spoke up first:

"He and I are childhood sweethearts, and we vowed to ascend the mountain together. Although his aptitude is lacking, his will to seek the Dao is extremely firm. I’ve heard that even handymen on the mountain have a chance to learn martial arts. With the new recruitment of disciples, you must be short on handymen. He is excellent at odd jobs, quick-witted and nimble-fingered when serving others, and he’s also swift at Chopping Wood. I implore you, Deacon, to allow him to come up the mountain with me to do some menial tasks."

’His will is hardly "firm"...’

However, Cui Zhi saw that Mu Chaoyun spoke with great sincerity, her words clearly coming from the heart. He pondered for a moment, and for the sake of the rare disciple who had actually passed, he gave a slight nod.

At the same time, he was a little surprised. ’These two seem to have done their homework. Could it be this isn’t their first time here? They even know about the handyman positions...’

The first hurdle was passed. Next, Cui Zhi had others meticulously question the pair about their identities and origins, check their travel permits and household registrations, and verify their backgrounds, but no issues arose.

They had "borrowed" their identities from people in town using the Celestial Concealment Skill. Their attire and backstories were all taken from those individuals, just as Mu Chaoyun had impersonated Lin Zhen—a perfect imitation.

After this round of scrutiny, the two had earned the preliminary qualification to ascend the mountain. As for formal entry into the sect, that would have to wait for later assessments.

Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun exchanged a glance and went to wait in a corner.

He saw that Mu Chaoyun seemed to have quickly adapted to her new identity, acting far more naturally than he was. He couldn’t help but secretly give her a thumbs-up.

"You’re really something else. My mom used to say that beautiful women are good at telling lies."

Hearing him say this, Mu Chaoyun’s face grew warm, and her heart inexplicably skipped a few beats.

Although people had praised her appearance since she was a child and she had long since stopped paying it any mind, if she remembered correctly, this was the first time Xie Yuan had ever complimented her... ’Well, usually he just stares at me like a dope. This is the first time he’s actually said it out loud.’

Mu Chaoyun tilted her head slightly, remaining silent. She didn’t bother pointing out that his words weren’t exactly a compliment.

"You two, ah, I should call you Junior Sister from now on! Congratulations, congratulations!"

Just then, Lin Zhen came over and greeted them with a smile.

Xie Yuan froze for a second, his expression turning incredibly strange as he looked at the enthusiastic Lin Zhen.

’Miss Lin, do you have any idea what you’re saying... No, do you have any idea who *she* is?’

Mu Chaoyun, however, remained calm, offering an innocent smile that fit her persona.

"Hello, Senior Sister."

Seeing Mu Chaoyun play along so well, Lin Zhen’s eyes lit up with excitement. It seemed she had become quite interested in being a senior sister right after joining the sect, and she started chatting animatedly with Mu Chaoyun.

Mu Chaoyun, without batting an eye, acted as if they were hitting it off splendidly. Within a few sentences, she had Miss Lin ready to call her a kindred spirit.

’This... is not quite right...’

Watching this scene unfold, Xie Yuan opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. He wanted to intervene, but then he saw Mu Chaoyun shoot him a cool glance.

So he sighed, put on a blank expression, and looked down at his nose to contemplate his navel, pretending he knew nothing and had seen nothing.

By the time dusk fell, the only ones to pass that day were still just Mu Chaoyun and Xie Yuan, who had gotten in through the back door.

"Let’s go. I’ll take you up the mountain for today."

Cui Zhi said to the pair, his hands clasped behind his back.

They left the Sword Sect’s courtyard at the foot of the mountain and, under the envious gazes of the countless people outside the gate, followed Cui Zhi and the other sect disciples up the mountain path. They passed through the sect gate that innumerable people dreamed of entering.

The mountain path was rugged, with a seemingly endless flight of stone steps stretching up into the clouds. For an ordinary person, reaching the summit this way would be difficult; it was clearly another test.

Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun put on a timely performance, appearing out of breath, drenched in sweat, utterly exhausted, and gritting their teeth. Relying on sheer "perseverance," they finally climbed to a platform near the peak of Cloud Mountain, where the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect’s Main Peak Hall was located.

Looking at the incredibly spacious and imposing plaza, Xie Yuan nodded to himself. ’Worthy of being the number one sect in Yunzhou. It couldn’t have been easy to construct such a large plaza on this mountain peak.’

Suddenly, he paused.

Cui Zhi had been observing them the whole way and was quite satisfied with their performance. He was even a little surprised by Xie Yuan’s display.

But he didn’t dwell on it and simply began his introduction.

"This is the Main Peak Hall, but as you can see, it’s not the highest point."

"Behind the hall is the rear mountain. That is a forbidden area of the Sect, and also a sacred ground. It is the legendary Sword Edge."

"Starting from the second-generation patriarch, countless sect seniors have comprehended profound Swordsmanship there, leaving behind innumerable sword marks. If you formally enter the sect in the future and perform great deeds for the Sect, you may have the opportunity to go to the Sword Edge to comprehend the sword. This is the greatest honor and opportunity for us disciples of the Sword Sect."

Cui Zhi’s tone also held a hint of longing. For a deacon of his standing within the sect, such an opportunity was also highly coveted.

He glanced around and nodded.

"Since you’ve reached the summit and had a look, let’s head down. The Outer Sect is located halfway up the mountain. Today was just to bring you up for a tour."

After speaking, he started down the stone steps first, but when he saw that Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun hadn’t followed after a moment, he asked in surprise,

"Let’s go. What are you standing there dazed for?"

Hearing Cui Zhi call out, both Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun shuddered as if waking from a dream.

They instinctively looked at each other, and both saw the shock in the other’s eyes.

’This feeling...’

Xie Yuan couldn’t help but touch his left arm, remaining silent.

The two-petaled black lotus there was burning hot.

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