132: Chapter 132 A promising talent!

Elder Qian's hand holding the cattail fan paused, and he glanced at Elder Sun.

He had known Elder Sun for decades and knew the old man's temperament.

Most people from Moxia Peak were men of few words, and Elder Sun was the most taciturn of them all.

For him to voluntarily make a trip to Baicao Valley to ask about someone, the matter was certainly unusual.

Elder Qian didn't intend to hide it either; he set the cattail fan on the stove and said, "Lin Tian."

"Lin Tian?" Elder Sun went over the name in his mind, but had no impression of it. "Which peak is he from?"

"Zixia Peak. A new Disciple who joined this year."

Elder Sun's brow twitched slightly. Someone from Zixia Peak. No wonder he was wearing the purple Disciple robes.

However, for a new Disciple to be able to throw a flying knife that could pierce Ironwood, this talent was truly extraordinary.

The art of hidden weapons is easy to start but difficult to master.

Disciples of Moxia Peak began training from the moment they joined, yet after a year or two, very few could leave a piercing mark on Ironwood.

A newcomer from Zixia Peak, having only listened to half of his lecture, managed to achieve such an effect with a casual throw—this wasn't something that could be achieved through hard work alone; it was an innate feel for the weapon.

Elder Sun didn't ask anything else; he stood up, nodded to Elder Qian, and turned to leave.

Elder Qian watched his back disappear into the twilight, picked up the cattail fan to continue fanning the stove, and muttered, "This old thing, he sure runs fast."

After leaving Baicao Valley, Elder Sun did not return to Moxia Peak but instead walked along the mountain path toward Zixia Peak.

The twilight had settled at the foot of the mountain, leaving only a final trace of dark red on the horizon.

A few stone lanterns lit up along the mountain path of Zixia Peak, their dim yellow light reflecting off the pine and cypress trees on both sides, stretching shadows to varying lengths.

The managing Elder of Zixia Peak was surnamed Zhou; he was a round-faced, slightly chubby middle-aged man with a good temper, always smiling at everyone he met.

But at this moment, he couldn't smile, because Elder Sun of Moxia Peak was standing right in front of him, saying something that made him think he had misheard.

"Your Zixia Peak has a new Disciple named Lin Tian. I would like to see him and ask if he is willing to transfer to Moxia Peak to Cultivate."

Steward Zhou's mouth opened into a circle, and it took a long while for him to close it.

Moxia Peak coming to Zixia Peak to ask for a person? This was a rare occurrence.

Although the seven branches of the Qixia Sect appeared harmonious on the surface, who wasn't competing with the others behind the scenes?

Snatching Disciples was something that usually happened during the entrance ceremony; transferring peaks after joining was not unheard of, but it was extremely rare.

Moreover, for Moxia Peak to come and ask for someone—did he not know what kind of character those people from Moxia Peak had?

Their eyes were always looking down on everyone, considering everyone else beneath them. For them to take the initiative to ask for someone, what kind of person must he be?

But this Lin Tian... Steward Zhou racked his brain and finally dug up this person from the corners of his memory.

Ah, the Purple Qi Diagram one, the one the Peak Master personally snatched.

It caused quite a stir at the time; Peak Master Su Hanyan had intercepted him from several other Peak Masters and had been smug about it for quite a while.

But later, there was no news. It was said that his talent wasn't very good, and the Peak Master stopped teaching him after a few days. He wasn't clear on the specifics.

Steward Zhou rubbed his hands together and put on a smile: "Elder Sun, this... this I cannot decide. Lin Tian is not an ordinary Disciple; he was personally chosen by the Peak Master. Please wait a moment, I will go ask the Peak Master for instructions."

Elder Sun nodded and sat down on a nearby chair, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees, motionless like a statue.

Steward Zhou turned and left, walking quickly toward the Peak Master's Hall.

The Peak Master's Hall of Zixia Peak was built at the highest point of the peak, a three-story pavilion with copper bells hanging from the eaves that chimed whenever the night wind blew.

Peak Master Su Hanyan stood on the second-floor balcony, dressed in purple robes, her long hair casually pinned up with a jade hairpin, holding a cup of tea, staring blankly at the lights below the mountain.

Hearing footsteps, she did not turn around.

"Peak Master." Steward Zhou stood outside the balcony and bowed. "Elder Sun from Moxia Peak is here."

Peak Master Su Hanyan lifted her teacup and took a sip: "What is he here for?"

"He wants to see Lin Tian. To ask if Lin Tian is willing to transfer to Moxia Peak to Cultivate."

Peak Master Su Hanyan's hand paused. The teacup hung in mid-air, and it was two breaths later before she set it down. She turned around and looked at Steward Zhou, her expression unreadable—neither surprise nor anything else.

"Lin Tian?"

"Yes. The new Disciple who joined this year, the one you personally snatched from the other Peak Masters."

Peak Master Su Hanyan certainly remembered. How could she not?

Half a year ago, when the Qixia Sect opened its gates to accept new Disciples, the Peak Masters of the seven branches gathered. Among that batch of new Disciples were a few good seedlings; Chixia Peak wanted them, and Qingxia Peak also wanted them, with the Peak Masters arguing until their faces were red.

Among them was a youth whose bone structure test results made everyone's eyes light up—innately clear Meridians, pure Qi, an excellent Material for practicing the Purple Qi Diagram.

The Purple Qi Diagram of Zixia Peak had extremely high requirements for bone structure; for many years, those who could practice it could be counted on one hand.

Having finally encountered such a one, Peak Master Su Hanyan slammed the table on the spot, used the Peak Master's priority selection right, and forcibly snatched the person from the other Peak Masters.

She thought she had snatched a peerless Genius.

And the result?

She taught the Purple Qi Diagram for several days, but he couldn't even enter the first level. What was the use of clear Meridians? What was the use of pure Qi? The Cultivation Technique was right in front of him, yet he just couldn't learn it.

Peak Master Su Hanyan had taught no fewer than eighty or a hundred Disciples, and she had never seen one so dull. Every move and technique, she explained in the simplest, most broken-down way; the other party would nod and say they understood, but when they practiced, everything was wrong. She explained it again, and it was still wrong. By the third time, she smashed her cup.

From then on, she never went to look for Lin Tian again. She gave him one year—if he could master the first level of the Purple Qi Diagram within a year, he could stay. If he couldn't, he would be kicked out of the Qixia Sect directly, out of sight, out of mind.

Only half a year had passed now. She had almost forgotten about this person. With hundreds of Disciples up and down Zixia Peak, as a Peak Master, how could she have the spare time to remember the name of a waste?

But now, people from Moxia Peak had come to ask for him.

Peak Master Su Hanyan's first reaction was—give him away. Give him away quickly. The longer this waste stayed on her Zixia Peak, the more annoyed she felt.

If Moxia Peak wanted him, let them take him. It was useless for her to keep him anyway; he was going to be kicked out after a year, so what difference did it make if he left early or late?

She opened her mouth, the words on the tip of her tongue, but suddenly she swallowed them back.

No.

If she gave the person to Moxia Peak so readily, what would others think? At the time, she had slammed the table and snatched him in front of six other Peak Masters.

Old Chen of Chixia Peak had been so angry his face turned blue, and Peak Master Liu of Qingxia Peak had been sarcastic for days. Now, only half a year later, she was transferring the person to Moxia Peak—wouldn't that be slapping her own face?

If someone asked, "Peak Master Su Hanyan, where is the Genius you snatched back then?" what would she say? Say he was transferred because his talent was too poor? Why didn't she see that when she snatched him? Was her judgment that bad?

No. She couldn't let Lin Tian go.

Not only could she not let him go, but she also had to make sure he stayed properly at Zixia Peak. When the year was up, she would quietly kick him out of the Qixia Sect.

By then, no one would remember a waste of a Disciple who had been kicked out, and no one would question what her judgment was like when she snatched him.

Peak Master Su Hanyan lifted her teacup and took another sip, her tone indifferent: "This is a Disciple I personally chose; how could I give him to someone else? No."

Steward Zhou acknowledged this and turned to go downstairs.

Elder Sun was still sitting in the chair, his posture unchanged. Seeing Steward Zhou return, he raised his head, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Steward Zhou rubbed his hands and squeezed out a smile: "Elder Sun, I am truly sorry. The Peak Master said that Lin Tian is a Disciple she personally chose and cannot be given away. About this matter..."

The expectation in Elder Sun's eyes extinguished. He was silent for a while, then stood up, not saying anything, just sighing.

"What a pity."

He said these three words and walked toward the door. When he reached the entrance, his footsteps paused as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and walked straight into the night.

Steward Zhou watched his back and scratched his head. Elder Sun of Moxia Peak had personally made the trip to ask for him; what exactly was so special about this Lin Tian?

Elder Sun descended Zixia Peak and walked back along the mountain path. The night wind rushed up from the valley, blowing his robes until they snapped. He walked very slowly, much slower than when he came.

What a pity. It was truly a pity.

He had taught hidden weapons at Moxia Peak for decades and had seen many talented Disciples, but someone like Lin Tian could be counted on one hand.

That innate feel for hidden weapons, that Comprehension Ability that allowed him to understand as soon as he heard and master as soon as he practiced, coupled with that ruthless and accurate drive when attacking—these things could not be taught.

Some people practice for a lifetime, yet their flying knife throws remain soft and weak, lacking that murderous intent. Others have it innately; their every strike is aimed at taking a life.

If he had known this, he should have had the people from Moxia Peak snatch this Lin Tian during the entrance ceremony.

He didn't know who was responsible for selecting people at that time; such a good seedling for hidden weapons had actually been missed and given to Zixia Peak.

Elder Sun shook his head and quickened his pace. The night mist of Moxia Peak rolled up from the mountainside, swallowing his figure bit by bit.

Zixia Peak, a remote courtyard.

Lin Tian was completely unaware of all this.

After returning from Moxia Peak, he had locked himself in the courtyard.

The content of Elder Sun's lecture was still spinning in his mind; those words about concealment, surprise, and timing, when verified against his own insights while Cultivating, became more meaningful the more he pondered them.

He stood in the courtyard, facing the old pine tree. New knife holes had been added to the dense cluster on the trunk. It was completely dark, and in the courtyard, there was only the moonlight from above, casting the shadow of the old pine tree onto the ground, flickering and indistinct.

Lin Tian's hands hung by his sides, his sleeves slightly bulging. The moonlight shone on him, casting a long shadow on the ground.

There was no warning.

His wrist seemed to move, or perhaps it didn't. A thin black line flew out from his sleeve, so fast that even the moonlight couldn't keep up.

With a soft "thud," another knife hole appeared on the trunk of the old pine tree. This time, the flying knife pierced through the middle of the trunk, exited from the other side, flew another zhang or more, and nailed itself into the courtyard wall, sending a few stone fragments flying.

Lin Tian walked over, pulled the flying knife from the wall, and examined the blade by the moonlight. The blade was intact, not even a nick on it.

He looked at the piercing hole in the trunk again; the moonlight shone through the hole, looking like a tiny, round moon.

The power had increased by another notch.

He tucked the flying knife back into the knife pouch in his sleeve, returned to his original position, closed his eyes, and went over Elder Sun's words from today in his mind once more.

Concealment—no signs before the strike, to the point where even he couldn't feel his wrist moving. Surprise—the exertion of force was short to the extreme; from the decision to strike to the release of the flying knife, it was almost the time of a single thought.

Timing—this needed to be honed in actual combat; it couldn't be achieved by practice alone.

He opened his eyes and flicked his wrist again.

Another black line flew out. This time, the flying knife was almost completely invisible under the moonlight; the blade, polished from the scales of a black flood dragon, did not reflect light and blended into the night, like a drop of ink falling into a deep pool.

"Thud"—the position of the knife hole was less than half an inch off from the previous one, still piercing through, still clean and crisp.

Lin Tian walked over to pull out the knife, walked back, and struck again.

Over and over again. There were more and more knife holes on the old pine tree, and the moonlight shone through those holes, casting speckled light behind the trunk, as if someone had lit a lamp there.