Chapter 10: Do You Want to Change Your Path? The Library Pavilion

On the first day after entering the sect, disciples had to collect their sect robes.

The uniforms of Gui Xian Sect were… plain. The styles differed depending on the type of cultivator. The robes for alchemists were the best-looking—indigo blue, and quite practical. The artificers’ robes had long sleeves, making them look elegant and dignified, fitting for masters of their craft. The talisman cultivators’ robes were nowhere to be seen since there were too few of them in this batch of new disciples.

However, for sword cultivators, there were only three simple sets of white robes. The design was thin, with narrow sleeves—convenient for practicing swordplay, but…

“Why do artificers get a fur cloak as a bonus, while we sword cultivators get nothing?” someone below complained.

“Alchemists have warming pills! We want them too!”

New disciples had to choose their primary cultivation path. There was an adaptation period, and if their chosen path was unsuitable, they could switch later. Among this batch of disciples, most chose the sword cultivation path.

Lian Mu also chose sword cultivation. Though everyone else brought a sword when they ascended the mountain, she was the only one without one. But she still made her choice.

She really wanted to ask the same question. Not only were sword cultivators stationed on the coldest peak, but their clothes were also the thinnest. They did not even receive any warming artifacts or medicinal pills.

Gui Xian Sect was located in Xuanwu North, one of the four great regions, where the weather was cold for most of the year. It only warmed up slightly in June.

New disciples had not yet reached the level where they could ignore temperature changes, so keeping warm was still necessary.

The senior brother distributing the robes explained, “In the future, you will all be responsible for fighting and killing. Don’t act so pampered. Be grateful you have clothes at all. Body cultivators train shirtless, and you don’t see them complaining.”

Lian Mu, shivering from the cold, raised her hand and asked, “Senior brother, where are the body cultivators? I don’t see anyone shirtless.”

Indeed, none of the disciples in this batch had chosen the body cultivation path.

The senior brother: “…”

It was only the first day, and she was already calling him out.

The senior brother coughed lightly and said, “Anyway, this is how the sect has arranged things. I trust that my fellow sword cultivators are all capable of enduring hardships. Just train more on Hanlai Peak, and you’ll get used to it.”

With that, the senior brother left. The sword cultivators could only look enviously at the artificers and alchemists, who were hauling large bundles of supplies, while they themselves carried nothing but a few lightweight robes.

Lian Mu felt like she was about to freeze solid. She grabbed her robes and ran back to her residence.

Though her sect robes were thinner compared to the others, they were still an improvement for her. After all, the clothes she had been wearing before were so thin that they might as well have been nonexistent. Standing outside, she could feel the wind cutting straight through the fabric, making her whole body uncomfortable.

After changing into her new robes, she received her first sect-wide notification.

Through the Fish-and-Goose Stone, the senior brother informed all sword cultivators to gather at Hanlai Peak.

Lian Mu was reluctant to go. She was only here for the free meals and had no interest in attending lessons. So she cautiously replied, “Can I not go?”

The senior brother on the other end of the Fish-and-Goose Stone seemed surprised that someone actually responded. He was silent for a long moment before asking, “Do you have a reason?”

Lian Mu thought for a moment and said, “I caught a cold?”

“When?”

“J-just now?”

The senior brother on the other end of the stone: “…”

Her request for leave was denied, and Lian Mu had no choice but to head to Hanlai Peak for the gathering.

As its name suggested, Hanlai Peak was colder than all the other peaks. The moment she stepped onto it, she felt like she was being wrapped in layers of ice.

Lian Mu’s residence was in a remote area, and Hanlai Peak had three entrances. Since she was running out of time, she took the nearest path.

The wind and snow on that path were so strong that they almost blew her away. She had to grab a tree branch to use as a walking stick. By the time she emerged from the narrow path, she looked like a living snowman.

“You training to be a statue or something?”

By the time Lian Mu found the meeting point, everyone else had already arrived. Dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at her, along with the red-clad man leading them.

She remained calm, patted the snow off her body, and quietly found an empty spot in the crowd.

Murong Yi smiled faintly. “At least you have the right mindset.”

Any other disciple who arrived late would probably be bowing their head and apologizing profusely, but she was completely unfazed by his expression.

Now that everyone had gathered, Murong Yi crossed his arms and said with a grin, “You all stood out among thousands of candidates. I am the elder responsible for teaching you. My name is Murong Yi. No need for formalities—just call me by my name.”

The disciples fell into dead silence: “…”

Who would dare?

“No one?” Murong Yi’s smile became even gentler. “Fine, then.”

The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly appeared in front of the foremost disciple and kicked him away. In quick succession, he struck again, sending five or six unsuspecting disciples flying.

Everyone: “!”

Murong Yi said, “From the moment you set foot on Hanlai Peak, the lesson had already begun. I don’t like following rigid rules when teaching—I do whatever comes to mind. And clearly, this batch of sword cultivators is far too weak.”

“Respected senior, why didn’t you give us a warning just now…?” A sword cultivator who had just been kicked in the rear spoke through clenched teeth while lying on the ground in pain.

“As sword cultivators, do you expect your opponent to announce before they draw their sword?” Murong Yi stepped out of the group of disciples, his gaze sweeping over the others.

Lian Mu felt that this senior was a bit hot-tempered. She hid within the group, quietly shifting backward, using a tall man in front of her as cover.

It was her first day in the sect—she didn’t want to get beaten up. The way this senior kicked was ruthless; if she took one of those kicks, she’d probably be bedridden for half a month.

Others could afford to buy medicinal pills and recover overnight. She couldn’t.

After this warning, everyone instantly became more alert. However, Murong Yi didn’t make a second move.

Instead, he casually sat down on a nearby tree stump and said indifferently, “Since you’re new here, I won’t scare you too much just yet. Stand for two hours and get used to Hanlai Peak’s chill.”

The disciples immediately straightened their backs, not daring to move.

The freezing cold wind howled, snowflakes drifted down, yet Murong Yi acted as if he felt nothing. He even pulled out a fan and began fanning himself while speaking to them in a relaxed tone:

“When I called you outstanding, I was just being polite. I hope you didn’t take it seriously.”

The disciples gritted their teeth, their shivering bodies trembling. “…”

“One month from now will be the real test to decide whether you stay or leave.”

“I know you’re all just fledgling newcomers, still inexperienced, with nothing to your names. Some of you are even too poor to afford a decent sword. But don’t worry—once you pass the second trial, Gui Xian Sect will allow you to pick one from the Sword Pavilion.”

A certain penniless Lian Mu: “…” Emotional damage!!.

But she couldn’t help but think—Gui Xian Sect actually provides swords to its disciples?

She was a little tempted.

Two hours wasn’t particularly long, and for Lian Mu, it wasn’t much of a challenge. But the other disciples were different—by the end, they were all shivering violently, and some had even fainted from the cold.

“Take the unconscious disciples to Yinxiang Peak,” Murong Yi closed his fan, turned, and walked away. “You all still need more training.”

The group of disciples collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Before leaving, Murong Yi glanced back, intending to warn the disciple who had arrived late.

But when his eyes landed on her, he saw Lian Mu staring blankly at the ground, completely unaware that he was looking at her.

“You were late today,” Murong Yi reminded her.

Lian Mu raised her head and looked around. There was no one nearby, so the esteemed elder must have been talking to her.

Lian Mu: “So what?”

She was genuinely asking.

Murong Yi: “…”

For some reason, hearing those words with her expression gave him an inexplicable sense of arrogance.

Murong Yi silently classified her as someone who was probably not very obedient. Without saying anything further, he turned and left.

Once the elder departed, the disciples also dispersed. There was only one class today, and after it ended, they were free to move around. Most of them wanted to explore the various peaks of Gui Xian Sect.

“Sigh, I knew Gui Xian Sect would be cold, but I didn’t expect it to be this cold. My legs are completely numb.”

“Just endure it and buy some warming pills.”

Lian Mu was completely unaware of the elder’s thoughts and continued contemplating what kind of sword she should choose when she reached the Sword Pavilion.

She wasn’t sure if the swords in this world were the same as in her previous world. However, given the existence of Artifact Refiners, she suspected they were different.

In her previous world, there were no such people as Artifact Refiners.

“The elder said that after the second trial, the sect will issue us swords. Is that true? Does that mean I won’t need to find a Artifact Refiner?” Two disciples were chatting as they walked.

Another disciple replied, “You still need one for now. Without a sword, how will you participate in the second trial? But of course, private Artifact Refiners can’t compare to the major sects. The swords in the Sword Pavilion were all crafted by renowned Artifact Refiners of the past.”

“That makes sense.”

Lian Mu: “?”

So that meant the second trial required them to bring their own weapons?

Then she…

“You’re not leaving?”

Lian Mu noticed that all the other disciples had left, except for one tall disciple who was still standing in place. His teeth were chattering, but he was stubbornly holding his ground.

“The elder said we still need more practice.” Guan Shize’s voice trembled.

Lian Mu found him somewhat familiar. He seemed to be the disciple who lived closest to her residence, making him something like a half-neighbor.

Out of courtesy, Lian Mu asked, but then she stopped paying attention, patted the snow off her clothes, and headed back.

—

After the first lesson upon entering the sect, Lian Mu received no further class notifications. The reason was that the instructors of Hanlai Peak had all gone out, though the other peaks continued their lessons as usual.

With nothing to do, Lian Mu took the opportunity to explore every peak.

Clearly, some disciples on the other peaks recognized her. Upon seeing her face, they first looked shocked and then showed expressions of disdain.

Lian Mu had a thick skin and didn’t care at all. Instead, she waved and greeted them.

Over the past few days, she visited every peak but failed to find the Library Pavilion.

Lian Mu had only two goals for joining Gui Xian Sect: eating and finding a way to reconstruct her spiritual root. Now, she had a new goal—passing the second trial and getting a free sword from the Sword Pavilion.

Her goal of getting food was already achieved. Now came the second step—without a spiritual root, she couldn’t cultivate.

“Fellow cultivator, may I ask where the Library Pavilion is?”

Lian Mu found Guan Shize, who had insisted on “practicing” in the snow a few days ago. He seemed more familiar with Gui Xian Sect than she was.

Guan Shize lived in Qingzhu Nine Lodge, just beyond a bamboo forest. When Lian Mu arrived, he was practicing his sword in front of his door. She observed his movements—it appeared to be a complete sword technique.

Guan Shize paused and turned to look at her. “Why do you want to go to the Library Pavilion?”

Lian Mu casually made up an excuse. “To read books.”

Guan Shize looked puzzled. “The basic sword techniques required for entry-level sword cultivators are all in Yinian Hall on Hanlai Peak. There’s no need to go to the Library Pavilion. That’s a place for Artifact Refiners and alchemists.”

“So, the Library Pavilion is on Yinxiang Peak? Or Qianling Peak?”

Guan Shize’s voice was gentle, but he frowned slightly. “What I mean is, the things we sword cultivators need to learn aren’t in the Library Pavilion. Are you thinking of changing paths?”

Change paths? Impossible.

Lian Mu had been exposed to swords from birth in her previous life. The sword had defined her entire existence. In this life, she would still cultivate the sword.

“I’m asking for someone else.” Lian Mu responded vaguely. She instinctively didn’t want others to know she was searching for a way to reconstruct her spiritual root.

“The Library Pavilion is between Qianling Peak and Yinxiang Peak. You’ll need a registration token for alchemists or Artifact Refiners to enter.”

Guan Shize advised, “Since you’ve chosen the sword path, you should stay dedicated to it. I remember you were late to Elder Murong’s class a few days ago. Next time, he might keep an eye on you, so you should be careful.”

Lian Mu’s mind was entirely focused on the Library Pavilion, thinking of ways to sneak in. She completely ignored whatever he said afterward.

—