ATPnovel Chapter 90 Sword Cultivator Mo Wentian is Gone
Chapter 90 Sword Cultivator Mo Wentian is Gone
Shen Qing, posing as Mo Wentian, sat at the very back. Only after most of the disciples had left did he return to his quiet room alone.
Shen Qing sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to plan for tomorrow.
January 16th, morning.
As dawn broke, the mountain breeze, though still carrying a hint of chill, already carried a touch of early spring dampness.
In the open space in front of the Ancestral Hall, the disciples were already lined up in neat rows.
The effects of last night's intoxication had not completely worn off. Some people were rubbing their temples, while others were yawning with their eyes half-closed. But knowing that today's matter was of great importance, everyone stood ramrod straight.
Sun Wenyuan, Ma Wenzhong, Zhou Shi'an, and others stayed overnight on the mountain yesterday. Knowing that today is different for Qingyun, they stood on the periphery of the disciples to watch the ceremony with solemn expressions.
Shen Qing, disguised as Mo Wentian, stood at the threshold of the Ancestral Hall, with Zhou Bo, disguised as Shen Qing, standing beside him.
"I have summoned you here today to tell you something."
Shen Qing, disguised as Mo Wentian, spoke first, "Today I will leave Qingyun to travel to Shuzhou and pursue a higher realm of the sword. The entire Qingyun Sect will remain under the leadership of Sect Leader Shen Qing."
A slight commotion arose below, and the disciples on the left and right exchanged glances. In the end, all eyes fell on their eldest brother, Zhao Shoucheng.
Seeing this, Zhao Shoucheng stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and asked, "When will Grandmaster return?"
"The return date is undetermined."
Shen Qing glanced at him and said, "You are now the senior disciple of the inner sect. Please take on more responsibility for things on the mountain in the future."
Zhao Shoucheng gritted his teeth and knelt on one knee: "This disciple will certainly not fail the trust placed in him by his master."
Shen Qing nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the disciples.
"You should all devote yourselves to cultivation and strictly abide by the rules of the sect. Cultivate your mind to strengthen your will, refine your body to solidify your foundation, do not seek shortcuts, and do not fall into the trap of inner demons."
The honor and disgrace of our sect rest on your shoulders. Diligence and striving for excellence are essential to living up to the sect's nurturing and the future of our path. When the storms of war return, you will be able to stand firm, defend our sect, and protect its foundation.
If anyone becomes negligent, neglects their duties, or acts arrogantly, the rules of the sect are paramount, and I will not show favoritism or leniency. They should take heed of these rules.
Upon hearing this, all the disciples bowed their heads and replied in unison, "We will humbly obey our Master's teachings!"
Zhou Bo, disguised as Shen Qing, bowed slightly and said, "Take care on your journey, Uncle-Master. Within the sect, we juniors will take care of you, so there's no need to worry."
After saying this, he turned around and addressed the disciples below the steps, saying, "Everyone, line up and follow me to see our Martial Uncle off on his journey."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Shoucheng straightened up and stood respectfully with his hands at his sides.
The remaining disciples stood in orderly rows on both sides, each holding their breath and standing solemnly with their heads bowed.
Shen Qing stood at the front of the crowd, her clothes fluttering in the wind, and raised her hand as a farewell gesture.
All the disciples bowed deeply, their voices echoing throughout the courtyard:
"We respectfully bid farewell to our Grandmaster! May your journey be smooth and your path to enlightenment peaceful!"
Shen Qing didn't say anything more. He turned around and bowed to the Ancestral Hall. Then, he drew his sword and the long sword behind him was unsheathed, turning into a streak of green light that hovered beneath his feet.
The Azure Cloud Sword, representing the sect leader's identity, had long been left in the Ancestral Hall by him. Shen Qing stepped onto the sword, and a blue rainbow pierced the sky. In a few breaths, it disappeared into the clouds and vanished into the horizon.
The disciples looked up at the gradually fading blue light, remaining motionless for a long time.
Zhou Bo, disguised as Shen Qing, stood before the Ancestral Hall. Only after the last wisp of sword light dissipated into the clouds did he slowly speak: "Disperse, everyone. Perform your duties diligently and do not slack off."
His voice was hoarse and deep, quite different from Shen Qing's own voice.
But those present simply assumed that the sect leader had not yet recovered his strength, and no one suspected anything.
The disciples gradually dispersed, and Sun Wenyuan approached Ma Wenzhong and Zhou Shi'an, cupping his hands in greeting, "My lords, the academy will reopen soon after the New Year. I have drafted some regulations and would like to invite you both to the academy to sit down and discuss them."
Ma Wenzhong rubbed his temples and said with a wry smile, "Alright, but Mr. Sun, please don't prepare any more wine."
The three of them walked together toward the academy, and Mr. Li Molin and Mr. Fang Jingzhi followed them.
Meanwhile, dozens of miles away.
A streak of blue light plummeted from the clouds and landed in the pine forest behind the mountain.
As the sword light dissipated, Shen Qing landed under an old pine tree. He spread his divine sense to confirm that no one was around before activating the Illusionary Form Technique.
A faint cracking sound came from the facial bones, the brow bone flattened, the jaw returned to normal, and within a few breaths, the person regained their original appearance.
He changed back into his usual Taoist robe in the pine forest, put Mo Wentian's green robe into his storage bag, and put away the long sword at his feet.
After doing all this, Shen Qing scanned the surroundings with his divine sense again to make sure no one was watching before using the Earth Escape Technique.
The spiritual energy in his dantian circulated throughout his body, and his body sank into the ground, disappearing along the earth's veins towards Qingyun Mountain.
Zhou Bo had been waiting for him for a long time at the back of Qingyun Mountain.
The illusion spell on the old man had been lifted, and his original face, weathered and lined with wrinkles, was now back. He was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, meditating.
He opened his eyes upon hearing footsteps.
"Sun Wenyuan invited Instructor Ma and the others to the academy, and it's estimated that things won't be finished anytime soon."
Zhou Bo said, "The disciples on the mountain are all busy with their own things, and no one has noticed the back mountain."
"Thank you, Uncle Zhou."
Shen Qing sat down cross-legged opposite him. "You should go down the mountain and stay here for a while. I will come to fetch you back after some time."
Uncle Zhou stood up, patted the dirt off his knees, and stopped at the mouth of the valley. Without turning his head, he said, "Xiao Qing, if our master is watching from heaven, he will be pleased to see you like this."
Shen Qing did not answer, but watched the old man's figure disappear into the path behind the mountain, then stood up and headed towards the Ancestral Hall.
That afternoon, Shen Qing appeared before the Qingyun Sect members in her original appearance.
The disciples were not surprised by this, as the sect leader had already "returned" at the New Year's Day ceremony; he had simply been in seclusion for cultivation during this period.
Now that the Grandmaster has departed, it is only natural for the Sect Leader to emerge from seclusion and take charge of Qingyun.
Only when Zhong Xiu passed by him did a smile, which only Shen Qing could understand, flash beneath her lowered eyes.
She knew that Sect Leader Shen Qingzhen had truly returned.
The seventeenth day of the first lunar month, early morning.
Shen Qing formally summoned all the disciples who remained on Qingyun Mountain.
In front of the ancestral hall, bright candles burned high.
The memorial tablets of past patriarchs glowed with a warm, soft light in the candlelight, and wisps of incense smoke rose from the offering table.
Fifty-two disciples stood in a line, and Shen Qing's gaze slowly swept across their faces.
"I have called you here today to announce the arrangements for your respective duties."
Shen Qing slowly spoke, "The Huang family's affairs are over, and Qingyun has been re-established."
"But for a sect to truly gain a foothold, having just one mountain is far from enough. We need manpower, we need a livelihood, and we need to let Qinghe County know that the Qingyun Sect is still here, and stronger than before."
Shen Qing paused for a moment, then continued, "Zhao Shoucheng, Lin Shouwei, Chen Shouxin, Wang Shouzhuo, Zhong Xiu, Xu Ping, and Fang Xue, step forward."
The seven people stepped forward and knelt in a row in front of the ancestral hall.
Shen Qing looked at them and slowly said, "From this day forward, you seven will be my personal disciples, Shen Qing's disciples."
The room fell silent upon hearing this.
"Personal Disciple"—this was the first formal title bestowed upon him by the sect leader.
Today, the sect leader formally accepted disciples in front of the ancestral hall, which means that the Qingyun Sect will henceforth establish rules and set seniority.
Zhao Shoucheng's eyes reddened, and he was the first to kowtow: "Disciple Zhao Shoucheng kowtows to thank Master!"
Lin Shouwei followed closely behind, Chen Shouxin third, Wang Shouzhuo fourth, and Zhong Xiu, Xu Ping, and Fang Xue bowed in turn.
The voices of the seven people overlapped and echoed in front of the ancestral hall.
Shen Qing originally intended to have Zhong Xiu and the other two as his personal disciples, but choosing more people was to provide cover for them.