The Path Toward Heaven

The Grandmaster and the highly achieved swordsmen of the Hanging-Bell Sect had all

gone to that small courtyard in an attempt to capture Jing Jiu.

But, Jing Jiu was in Near-Star Building seven miles away at the moment.

Ada had finally demonstrated his special talent as a cat. He hung upside down under

the eave as he held an evidently uncommon bell in his mouth, making sure it wouldn’t

give off a sound.

Though this scene looked a bit ridiculous, it was actually quite hazardous. Save for Ada,

who was a Principal Guard in the Heavenly Arrival State, what kind of cat could hold the

life bell of the Grandmaster in their mouth as if it were merely a mouse?!

The breeze arose in Near-Star Building as Jing Jiu glided like a band of smoke in the

building at a high speed. He was looking for the control center of the formation at an

unimaginable pace.

The Sect Master Chen didn’t know where the control center of the formation was; the

Grandmaster was the only one who knew this secret. She had relied on this secret to

control the Hanging-Bell Sect for several decades after his son died.

After a long while, Jing Jiu stopped short and looked at a flower pot in front of the

window.

The flower pot was made of ceramic, in which an exceedingly precious three-night

cereus was planted.

Hanging upside down under the eave, Ada’s saliva dripped uncontrollably onto his own

body because he had held that bell in his mouth for a long time; he had reached the

point of being fed up a long time ago. Seeing Jing Jiu gaze at the three-night cereus in

stupor, Ada wondered resentfully how Jing Jiu could choose such a critical moment to

take a fancy to a pot of flowers when he was suffering so badly.

What Ada didn’t know was that Jing Jiu suddenly felt this flower was a bit strange.

Soon after, he remembered those precious ceramic wares destined to break in the

Manor of State Duke Lu.

He pulled the precious three-night cereus out with his hand and tossed it onto the floor.

Seeing this, Ada’s mouth opened agape in surprise, almost dropping the bell in his

mouth before he sucked it back in.

Thinking that the bell was covered in his own saliva, Ada revealed an indignant

expression in his eyes.

Jing Jiu picked up the flower pot, emptied the soil in it, and lifted it up toward the

sunlight. He nodded satisfactorily after checking it thoroughly.

Ada was even more bewildered now, wondering if this flower pot was the control center

of the formation.

However, even though this flower pot looked like an enlarged bell, was it truly the

control center?

…

…

The waves formed on Morning Lake without the aid of the wind; the pine waves on the

mountain were also making a whistling sound.

The Great Formation of the mountain gate had been dismantled.

The formation of wind-bell on that small island was also dismantled as a result.

The control center of the formation was discovered and snatched by someone.

The Hanging-Bell Sect didn’t think this was a funny thing.

Yet, the Cultivation practitioners of various sects were not in the mood to comfort the

Hanging-Bell Sect. They called up their colleagues and friends and flew away from

Morning Lake.

The figures of flying and running could be seen everywhere in the buildings by the

lakeside. The Hanging-Bell Sect was in chaos; it seemed that an internal turbulence

would ensue.

Looking at Near-Star Building, Jing Jiu remarked, “She didn’t kill you as I expected,

meaning she is not completely senile.”

“Why were you so certain that she wouldn’t kill me?” He Zhan asked.

The Grandmaster hadn’t liked the Fruit Formation Temple, and she disliked He Zhan

even more. Though He Bumu and the Cultivation practitioners of various sects were

present, the Grandmaster could still kill He Zhan if she wanted to. The situation was

dicey nonetheless.

“I calculated it,” replied Jing Jiu.

He had also calculated that He Zhan was at the Hanging-Bell Sect.

Two elders of the Hanging-Bell Sect were killed two days ago at almost the same time.

Jing Jiu had only killed one of them, so who was the other killer?

That assassin also had a peculiar movement, traveling invisibly like a ghost. It occurred

to Jing Jiu that he must be He Zhan.

Back in the Royal Palace of the Zhao State, He Zhan had learned a mysterious and

peculiar skill from that old eunuch Hong.

There was an upper limit for the Cultivation state in the Illusionary Realm of the Green

Sky Mirror; but it didn’t mean that the magic method the people developed in there was

in a low state. On the contrary, when those magic methods were employed in Chaotian,

their true power could be fully realized.

After returning to the real world, He Zhan’s Cultivation state had improved very fast, and

his actual fighting prowess had also become truly strong.

Jing Jiu figured that three and half of the five most promising young Cultivation

practitioners were on Green Mountain, and another half at the One-Cottage House,

save for He Zhan and Su Ziye. As long as they could all survive, Green Mountain would

still be in charge two hundred years later.

He Zhan suddenly said, “I don’t understand why the Grandmaster had suddenly

changed her mind and acted against the Sect Master Chen.”

“The Center Sect must have promised her something,” returned Jing Jiu.

He Zhan pressed doubtfully, “But, shouldn’t the Grandmaster wait until the Cloud-

Dream opens their mountains?”

Jing Jiu said, “The problem is, she can’t live past this year.”

This was the information learned by the Curtain Rollers after trying to do so for a long

time.

It would be easier to understand why the Grandmaster was so anxious after learning

this information and why she didn’t even take the Green Mountain Sect seriously.

What could be more dreadful than the end of one’s life in this world?

Morning Lake was not peaceful in the darkness of the night. The two camps of the

Hanging-Bell Sect were contending with each other. The battles on a small scale would

occur once in a while, but they were soon suppressed. It was evident that the camp

supporting the Sect Master Chen was gaining the up-hand in the struggle.

“You people should leave now. It is better that Green Mountain doesn’t get involved

directly.”

He Zhan continued, “Let us deal with the aftermath.”

By saying this, He Zhan had actually regarded himself as a member of the Hanging-Bell

Sect.

Jing Jiu thought that Sese would be irresistible for a regular man, even if she were

merely half as attractive as her mother.

Even though He Zhan was not a regular man, but the disciple experiencing the mortal

world at the Fruit Formation Temple, it seemed that he would be trapped in the mortal

world.

With this thought in his mind, Jing Jiu turned around and headed to the deep part of the

Eastern Ridge.

“Who on earth are you?” He Zhan suddenly asked after him.

Jing Jiu halted his steps.

The whole of Cultivation circle was guessing his identity after the turmoil of the West

Ocean.

This had been going on for two years.

Many people knew that Jing Jiu was not present when the battle of the West Ocean

started.

He had suddenly appeared on the sword boat as that sword light illuminated heaven

and earth.

Most importantly, when Zhuo Rusui summoned the main swords of various peaks to

compose the formation against Nan Qü, the Lone Sword showed up!

If the Great Grandmaster of the Foggy Island, Nan Qü, hadn’t died that day, the Godly

Swordsman of West Ocean hadn’t been exiled, the Immortal Taiping hadn’t shown up,

and many other events hadn’t happened, the presence of the Lone Sword would have

definitely caused sensational unrest.

Even though nobody had discussed it at the time, many theories were offered

afterwards.

The Lone Sword was the main sword of Liangwang Peak, which had ascended along

with the Immortal Jing Yang; why did it suddenly appear in the human world?

Many people had learned that the Lone Sword was in the hands of Liu Shisui.

And everybody knew the relationship between Liu Shisui and Jing Jiu.

As such, suspicions began to form regarding Jing Jiu’s identity.

Over the last two years, the Cultivation circle had come up with innumerable theories

about Jing Jiu’s origin and identity.

The Green Mountain disciples were no exception.

Looking at the back of Jing Jiu, He Zhan said, “I’ve gone back to the nunnery once, and

learned that it was you who had brought my auntie back, hadn’t you?”

Jing Jiu uttered “hmm”.

He Zhan demanded, “Who on earth are you then?”

The four of them back at the Baotong Zen Temple and Bai Zao had guessed Guo

Dong’s identity.

As He Zhan had more contacts with the Water-Moon Nunnery, he was more certain of

the conclusion.

It was Jing Jiu who had brought back the severely wounded Guo Dong; what was the

relationship between the two of them then?

After a moment of hesitation, He Zhan asked, “Are you really the bastard son of the

Immortal Jing Yang?”

This was the most popular conjecture circulating in the Cultivation world.

Jing Jiu turned around and looked at He Zhan, while uttering an “hmm”.

Then anther “hmm”.

He didn’t get upset or wanted to ask He Zhan “Do you have a death wish”. He was truly

surprised that people would come up with such an idea.

He Zhan said with a smile, “I think it’s the most sensible conjecture.”

“No,” Jing Jiu said.

He Zhan asked confusingly, “What is the matter with the Lone Sword then?”

“I’d just like to remind you,” said Jing Jiu. “Liu Shisui and Liu Ci have the same family

name.”

He Zhan uttered “ahh” in surprise, and seemed to have a handle on the matter.

Jing Jiu turned around and left.

He Zhan didn’t discuss the scheme plotted by Tong Yan and Su Ziye at the West Ocean

with him.

And Jing Jiu didn’t talk to him about the conversation he had with Bu Qiuxiao in Zhaoge

City.

The mortal affairs were pointless to begin with. It wasn’t always better to know the truth.

The mountains in the Eastern Ridge were all connected; they looked like the scenery in

a pot. It was magnificent to look at.

Arriving under a pine tree on a peak top, Jing Jiu turned around and looked in the

direction of where he had come from.

Morning Lake looked like a small mirror, and the lights in Near-Star Building looked like

a firefly.

Ada crawled out of Jing Jiu’s sleeve and climbed proficiently to his head, squatting on it.

His line of sight fell onto the distant lakeside of Morning Lake. His spiritual awareness

asked, “Don’t you worry that something bad might happen by walking away?”

Jing Jiu uttered “hmm”.

Ada didn’t quite understand it.

“Even though we stole the control center and gave it to that beauty Chen in secret, the

Grandmaster must have other hidden magic treasures. If the two camps fought against

each other, more people would die.”

“Jing Shu will give up,” Jing Jiu said.

Ada opened his eyes wide.

“Jing Shu? Is this the name of that Grandmaster? Why are you so certain?”

“It’s because I know what she wants,” said Jing Jiu.

Glancing at Jing Jiu once, Ada wondered how Jing Jiu knew her, when Jing Jiu met her,

why he himself didn’t know about it, and if Nan Wang knew about it.

Jing Jiu added, “When she was still a young girl.”

…

…

The turmoil by Morning Lake had gradually been settled.

The Cultivation practitioners of various sects had left a while ago by taking advantage of

the chaos.

The lights in the Near-Star Building were bright. The building looked like a huge lantern

in the darkness before dawn; it was a bit blinding.

Nobody but three women was in Near-Star Building.

Sese knelt before the bed, saying nothing.

Her eyes were slightly red, meaning she had cried earlier. But she appeared calm and

composed right now; in fact, she looked a bit nonchalant.

The Woman Chen sat in a wheelchair with a blanket on her lap, so her legs broken off

from the knees were not visible.

Though she had encountered such a tragedy, she still wore an amiable countenance,

not a trace resentment to be seen in her eyes.

Looking at the Grandmaster on the bed, she asked, “Mother, have you had a good time

in the last few days?”

“Of course not,” snapped the Grandmaster. “I have always done things incomplete all

my life, and liked to have a chance of going back. It looks like I was wrong.”

She looked at Sese and continued, “It’s also your fault. Women are always helping

other families.”

Sese was unconvinced, as she exclaimed, “Aren’t you the same? You were not born

with the family name De.”

“You’re right,” the Grandmaster said. “I haven’t done anything for my family at the Mirror

Sect since I married your grandpa. I’m afraid that you will be the same. How can I not

worry about the future of our Hanging-Bell Sect?”

The Sect Master Chen returned softly, “In this case, why are you still concerned about

me, your daughter-in-law?”

The Grandmaster said to her expressionlessly, “No matter how much I didn’t like you, I

had tolerated you all this time since you treated my son very well. But he is dead now. I

believe you will remarry based on your temperament.”

The Sect Master Chen said with a faint smile, “Your daughter-in-law has done well in

Cultivation. I might be able to live a few hundred years more. It would be hard for me to

live this long without somebody accompanying me. To say nothing of the remarriage, I

at least need to have a partner.”

The Grandmaster demanded while staring into her eyes, “In this case, will the Hanging-

Bell Sect still belong to the De family a few hundred years from now? How can I let you

stay at our sect?”

“Sese will be at the sect by then. You don’t have to worry about these trivial matters,”

said the Sect Master Chen, in an effort to comfort the Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster glanced at her icily before she turned to Sese and said, “Speaking of

you, I tried to find a husband who would join our sect for you, but you were unwilling to

do so. You’re determined to marry that monk instead. Can monks take off their robes

and come back to the secular world? Can he join our sect after marrying you?”

Sese pursed her lips, saying nothing.

The Sect Master Chen urged, “It’s late. Mother, you should get some rest.”

Getting rest, in this case, was more than sleeping for a night; it meant that the

Grandmaster would have to live in this building from now on. What the Sect Master

Chen attempted to convey was clear enough; though the Grandmaster tried to murder

the mother and daughter, they didn’t wish to do the same to the Grandmaster. However,

she had to stay in the building and wait for her final death, which would be soon

anyway.

Yet, the odd thing was that the Grandmaster hadn’t done anything drastic until the last

moment.

Even though she was weak and old, she was still the one with the highest Cultivation

state and most profound prowess at the Hanging-Bell Sect.

If she chose to strike with all her strength, the final outcome would be hard to fathom.

Sese pushed the wheelchair heading toward the outside of the building.

“The Center Sect will open their mountains soon. How will you deal with them then?” the

Grandmaster suddenly asked.

The Sect Master Chen said, “If you are still alive by then, I’ll ask you to finish yourself

off. Actually, you shouldn’t be concerned about this matter at all.”

“Do you think the Center Sect will let the matter go?” the Grandmaster demanded

sharply.

The Sect Master Chen curled up the corners of her mouth as she said, “With the help of

Young Master Jing Jiu, your daughter-in-law is not afraid of them.”

The Grandmaster couldn’t maintain a calm and nonchalant countenance anymore. She

heaved herself up on the bed and shouted angrily, “You’re such a damned lustful

woman. I should have torn you apart back then!”