101: Chapter 101 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (Forty-Nine)

After pondering for a moment, Chu Shi rubbed the cool teacup with his fingertips, interrupting the two who were still enthusiastically chatting about sect anecdotes, and spoke solemnly:

"Brother Xiao, Princess, my Master will be holding my official Apprenticeship Ceremony at Lieyang Peak on the tenth of next month. I wonder if you two would be free to attend?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan opposite him nodded and agreed without the slightest hesitation.

His tone carried genuine amusement: "For Brother Chu's Apprenticeship Ceremony, my sister and I will certainly be there to offer our congratulations."

Subsequently, he changed the subject and feigned a sigh, saying:

"Sigh, if only I could have Brother Chu's cultivation speed. Then, I could be just as impressive and have a Master host a ceremony for me. Unfortunately, my sister and I will likely have to wait until next year to break through. By then, everyone else will have already broken through, and I'm afraid there won't be any ceremony left."

Afterward, he spoke up spiritedly, carrying the unique, unyielding sharpness of a youth:

"However, Brother Chu, don't be complacent. Although my sister and I are a step behind now, once we pass this grinding bottleneck, we will catch up soon enough. When that time comes, we shall meet again at the same cultivation level and go on adventures together."

Before he had finished speaking, Princess Xiao Xiao beside him leaned forward. Her almond eyes were very bright, her chin slightly raised, carrying an air of feigned arrogance:

"Exactly! Don't think that just because your cultivation is rising fast now, we will be left behind by you. Sooner or later, we will catch up!"

Getting carried away, she even huffed, winding the tassel on her waist around her fingertip, her cheeks slightly puffed out, looking like she was itching for a fight:

"Once I break through to the Iron Skin Realm, I must find you for a proper sparring match. I haven't had the chance to fight you properly before; this time, you aren't allowed to dodge!"

"Very well, I will wait for you." Chu Shi was amused by her arrogant demeanor and immediately agreed.

Before the smile faded, a trace of doubt quietly surfaced in his heart. Where did this little princess get her confidence from? Was it the mysterious constitution she might possess, which he had heard about on the flying boat back then? Or... her almost undisguised identity as a transmigrator?

As these thoughts swirled, Chu Shi's gaze darkened imperceptibly. After spending so much time together, from the occasional modern vocabulary that slipped out—words unique to this world—to her innate dissonance with the many tedious rules and rituals of the Holy Land. Along with the sense of cynicism hidden in her eyes, which didn't belong to her age at all. With all the clues gathered to this point, he could be almost one hundred percent certain that this girl was definitely a fellow traveler.

It was only because this world was relatively peaceful. If it were any of the worlds from the web novels he read before he transmigrated—worlds where they shouted about killing transmigrators from beyond, where they would soul-search and refine spirits at the drop of a hat—with her undisguised personality, she would have likely been cold and dead long ago. For instance, that Cihang City, where one had to call the underworld the underworld, and even breathing required following rules...

Thinking of this, Chu Shi couldn't help but laugh at himself in his heart. What right did he have to judge others? When he first transmigrated in his first life, before his true spirit had awakened, wasn't he just like this? In order to survive at the bottom, how many flaws had he revealed, and how many inappropriate things had he said? Looking back now, it was as if he had the word "careless" carved onto his face.

When all was said and done, it was just being forced by life; how could he worry about so many twists and turns? Fortunately, that was all several hundred years ago. The old bones of the past had long turned into a handful of fly-ash, and even the traces had been worn clean by time. Even if there really were organizations hidden in the shadows of this world hunting for transmigrators, it was absolutely impossible for them to find him by following those traces that had long been obliterated.

Moreover, in these subsequent cycles of reincarnation, as he gained a deeper understanding of the world, he had gradually regained his caution and had almost never revealed any flaws that didn't belong to this world. However, it was precisely because of this caution that even though he held a golden cheat that allowed for infinite reincarnation with almost no death restrictions, he still hadn't let himself go or acted recklessly.

After all, the thing this world lacked the least was the "lurkers" hidden in the shadows. No one knew if this world was truly the ordinary high-martial arts world it appeared to be, or if it was a trap. Nor did they know if there were organizations like the Heavenly Secret Pavilion that hunted transmigrators across realms—that purple energy which helped him raise his true spirit certainly didn't look like something from this world.

Amidst these shifting thoughts, in reality, only a snap of the fingers had passed. Chu Shi's eyelashes trembled slightly as he returned to his senses, just in time to meet Princess Xiao Xiao's almond eyes, which were glaring at him. Seeing that he hadn't responded for a long time, the young lady bent her finger and lightly poked his arm: "Hey, what are you thinking about? You haven't said a word for ages; don't tell me you're scared?"

"Scared? Not quite." Chu Shi withdrew his thoughts, smiled, and swatted her hand away. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said: "I was just thinking that when we spar, I won't go easy on you."

This remark earned another huff from Princess Xiao Xiao. Just as she was about to say something else, Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan beside her raised his eyes and looked outside the corridor. The sun had already climbed to the zenith, warming the stone path in the courtyard, and the shadows had shrunk into short clumps; it was already time for lunch.

"We've been talking for so long that it's already this hour." Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan put down his teacup, stood up, and smiled as he urged him to stay. "Brother Chu, no matter what, please stay for lunch before you leave. The kitchen has already prepared dishes; they are all light and palatable, not any grand feast. Just treat it as a simple home-cooked meal, and consider it us offering our congratulations to you in advance."

Chu Shi pondered for a moment; it was hard to refuse such hospitality, so he finally smiled and agreed.

This meal was indeed, as Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan had said, a pure family dinner. It wasn't set in the main hall but at a small round table in the warm pavilion overlooking the lotus pond. There weren't many dishes, but each one was exquisite. The freshly picked Jiangnan bamboo shoots were stewed until soft and flavorful, the clear stewed squab soup had a thin layer of oil floating on top, and it was paired with a few refreshing seasonal side dishes. Even the celadon bowls and plates holding the food had a warm, moist luster.

During the meal, there were no tedious rituals, and no one urged others to drink. They only used newly brewed spiritual tea in place of wine, and as they chatted and laughed, the atmosphere was exceptionally relaxed. Princess Xiao Xiao didn't forget to whisper in Yun Mengyao's ear, complaining that Chu Shi was a cultivation fanatic and would surely forget to eat tasty snacks once he went into seclusion. This made Yun Mengyao smile with her eyes curved, and she gently patted the back of Princess Xiao Xiao's hand. After the meal, both host and guest were thoroughly pleased.

After the tea break, as the sun tilted slightly to the west, Chu Shi stood up again to formally bid farewell to the siblings.

"Before the Apprenticeship Ceremony, I plan to go to the sect's Scripture Pavilion to receive the inheritance. Afterward, I will go into deep seclusion to polish my cultivation and stabilize my realm."

His tone was solemn as he looked at Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan and Princess Xiao Xiao. "Patriarch Chu Hongyuan of the External Affairs Hall in Canglan Courtyard is my cousin. If you two have anything urgent to find me about while I am in seclusion, you can send a message through him."

Upon hearing this, Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan first laughed, then shook his head helplessly. He raised his hand and pointed at him, his tone half-complaining and half-admiring: "Brother Chu, oh Brother Chu, I just told you at the foot of the mountain that cultivation requires steady progress and a balance between work and rest. You, on the other hand, haven't listened to a word. You've only just come out of seclusion a few days ago, haven't even caught your breath, and you're already thinking of going back into seclusion. I truly admire this drive of yours."

"Exactly, exactly!" Princess Xiao Xiao immediately chimed in, reaching out to hook her arm around Yun Mengyao's and shaking it, her face full of disapproval. "Every day it's just cultivation, cultivation. How boring. Mengyao, we shouldn't learn from him. Let's go browse the market at the foot of the mountain later. We can go look at the new magic artifacts and jewelry; isn't that more interesting than being cooped up in a cave abode?"

Watching the two of them acting so intimately, Chu Shi helplessly raised his hand to rub his brow, sighing half-jokingly and half-seriously: "There's no help for it; I'm forced by life. Our Chu family ultimately has shallow foundations, and in the Holy Land, aristocrats like you cannot offer me much support. Now that I've finally emerged as someone who can hold up the family reputation, everyone from top to bottom is counting on me. I have no choice but to push forward."

As soon as these words fell, he heard Princess Xiao Xiao opposite him huff. That huff had nine twists and eighteen turns, the tail end drawn out long, carrying an indescribable meaning. She cast a sidelong glance at Chu Shi, her almond eyes clearly saying, "Keep pretending." Afterward, she added half a sentence with a mysterious smile: "You and the Chu family... heh."

Everyone present could understand; after all, it was common knowledge that Chu Shi had not been valued in the Chu family before and did not have much affection for them.

Seventh Prince Xiao Yuan, listening from the side, was speechless. He raised his hand and lightly tapped his sister's forehead, interrupting her teasing. He then turned to look at Chu Shi, the playful expression on his face fading, replaced by a touch of genuine seriousness.

"Alright, we can't talk you out of it." He looked at Chu Shi, his tone solemn. "Although I don't know why you are in such a rush to improve your cultivation, since we acknowledge you as our friend, if you have any trouble in the future, just speak up. Don't bear it alone. Within the Holy Land, my sister and I can still be of some help."

"Many thanks." A warmth spread through Chu Shi's heart, and he solemnly bowed to the two. "I will remember this favor."

Afterward, he bid farewell again, went down the mountain, and headed in the direction of Lieyang Peak.