Chapter Eight: The Gathering Request

Seeing the bandit chief collapse lifeless to the ground, he was suddenly overcome with self-reproach. He knew his master would never do such a thing, nor would he advocate for it. But he was different; from a young age, he never fully accepted the sect leader's views. At this moment, he could not help but feel a twinge of guilt for going against his master’s teachings, though he did not deeply regret his actions.

This was his true nature, his genuine way of doing things. To answer evil with evil—that was the path he truly believed in. For the first time in years, he felt he had reclaimed himself. The long years at North Spirit Mountain had nearly smothered his spirit, making him almost forget what kind of person he was. Now, he remembered—and the troubles that had plagued him over Zheng Linran vanished.

A true man must be able to yield and to stand tall as the occasion demands. In North Spirit Mountain, he had to endure in silence. There was nothing more to dwell upon. Even if this incident were to disappoint his fiancée or cause their engagement to end, he would have no regrets.

Bu Jingxian was never meant to be distracted by love and longing, neglecting the great responsibilities on his shoulders, nor forgetting the realization of his spiritual will. The distinction between what mattered and what did not was perfectly clear. To err because of emotion was one thing, but to wallow endlessly in remorse and lose sight of what must be done—that was the height of folly!

A single spark can set the prairie ablaze. The Spirit Will Sect had suffered countless casualties; his master too had died on the mountain. Yet, in that final moment, his master did not despair—he only urged him to live on, to carry forward the conviction of the Spirit Will, because a single spark can ignite a raging fire. As long as the conviction of the Spirit Will survived, even if only one person remained, that flame could one day consume the land.

But if the conviction faded, then the Spirit Will Clan would truly be extinct!

He did not believe in his master’s doctrine; had he followed it, Bu Jingxian would never have survived to this day. To act purely detached from the world, with no ambition, always enduring hardship, never stirring up trouble, never caring for what others said—such a person was, in most eyes, a madman, a fool, a daydreamer.

And all this had led only to the destruction of the Spirit Will Sect. When he was captured, he had seen with his own eyes that there were those in the Zheng army who had once abandoned the sect.

Though he was not certain what the right path was, he was sure it was not his master’s doctrine of inaction; such a path could neither move nor change people.

Bu Jingxian bore the responsibility of carrying forward the Spirit Will, of embodying the hope of countless fallen souls of the sect. Matters of love and affection came after that—how could he let them delay what truly mattered?

He let out a long breath, feeling his mind and body lighten as he strode out of the treasure vault. To the bewildered bandits, he declared, “Your chief is dead. I will take half the treasure in the cave; the rest you may divide among yourselves as you see fit. You’d best disband and leave the life of banditry behind; if you cross my path again, your fate will be the same as his!”

The bandits were utterly unprepared for this turn of events. Few truly cared about their chief’s fate; when they heard there was treasure to be had, they were overjoyed, bowing and scraping as they escorted Bu Jingxian out. The moment he left, they rushed inside, trampling over their chief’s corpse as they fought for silver and valuables.

Leaving half the money was not an act of kindness but a sign of his lack of greed.

Most of these bandits were ordinary people or slaves driven to desperation. With their chief dead and wealth to divide, they neither despaired nor plotted against him, nor did they nurse any lasting resentment. Inevitably, some among them, unwilling to serve another chief, would return to farming. In a way, it was a small act of mercy.

Bu Jingxian returned to North Spirit Mountain with three hundred taels of silver. When his fellow disciples saw him, some sneered ambiguously, remarking that the sect leader had been looking for him for days.

When he reached the summit, Ling Luo, having already heard the news, confronted him about the destroyed tree and pressed him about his whereabouts over the past five days. Bu Jingxian laughed, patting the bundle on his back, and replied, “I was earning money to pay for the damaged tree.” He opened the bundle a little to show Ling Luo, who could only laugh helplessly and said, “Such a trivial matter, why go to such lengths?”

“If I have a way to resolve it, why borrow from my senior? Borrowed money must be repaid all the same.”

“That’s your nature! Ah… Never mind, come with me to see Master. With the money, it shouldn’t be a big issue.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Upon meeting Old Man Beiling, Bu Jingxian noticed his master’s grim expression. He had already anticipated that the matter would not be easily settled. Now it remained to be seen whether his master would still seize on the opportunity to lecture him, despite the money.

He hurriedly explained his absence and revealed the silver, earnestly pleading for forgiveness.

Old Man Beiling sneered, “Originally, this matter could have been excused. But you left without informing anyone, making it seem as though you’d fled out of guilt. The entire sect has been in an uproar, rumors spreading that I, as master, am petty and heartless, willing to expel a disciple over a mere tree. Do you think silver can make up for these faults? North Spirit Sect does not—and will not—tolerate such disciples. Pack your things and leave. Do not call yourself my disciple again. But since your mistake was unintentional, I will not strip you of your martial arts.”

“Master!” Ling Luo was shocked and knelt, kowtowing in plea. “Please forgive Third Junior Brother’s unintentional error. He knows his fault, and in his confusion only thought of making amends, neglecting to inform you first. I beg you to consider that he recognizes his mistake and does not shirk responsibility. Please, forgive him this once!”

Hearing Ling Luo’s plea, several disciples of the Spirit Formula Sect entered and knelt, all for Ling Luo’s sake, with only a little true sympathy for Bu Jingxian. Others hesitated outside, but Chu Gaoge led the way in, and the disciples from the Wang Formula Sect followed. Soon, everyone was kneeling at the door, pleading for mercy.

Only a few, either indifferent or disdainful of the crowd, remained standing to watch the spectacle.

At last, Old Man Beiling relented. “Since so many of your brothers and sisters plead for you, I will not expel you. But if you ever act out of line again, do not expect mercy, nor to be spared by the pleas of others! Do you understand?”

Bu Jingxian quickly replied, “I understand, Master! Thank you for your forgiveness, and thank you all, seniors and juniors, for your kindness.”

“That’s enough. Go now!” Old Man Beiling then added, “A mere tree is nothing; take your silver with you.”

Bu Jingxian said, “I have never had the chance to show my filial piety. Now, by good fortune, I have obtained some money. Though it may not be worth your attention, Master, please accept it as a token of my devotion.”

Ling Luo added, “Please accept it, Master! Third Junior often speaks of your kindness and regrets not being able to repay you. Let him express his filial gratitude!”

With Ling Luo’s support, the disciples of the Spirit Formula Sect echoed the plea, and a chorus of voices rose in unison.

Old Man Beiling nodded slightly and dismissed them.

Outside, Bu Jingxian feigned gratitude, thanking each disciple who had pleaded on his behalf, giving special thanks to Chu Gaoge. After they dispersed, Ling Luo comforted him along the way.

“You should actually be pleased, Junior Brother.”

“Pleased?” Bu Jingxian caught on and replied, “You think Master will start to teach me more now?”

“You’ve guessed it. Master is always fair. Although three hundred taels is not a large sum, since he has accepted it, he will not treat you the same as before. He will certainly give you guidance.”

Bu Jingxian had already thought as much, and having recently put aside his troubles over Zheng Linran, he had given up the idea of spending the money on a useless gift for her. But whether things would unfold as he expected, he could not be certain. Ling Luo, knowing their master better, shared his outlook, which strengthened Bu Jingxian’s confidence.

With this, he set aside thoughts of Zheng Linran, waiting patiently and expectantly for Old Man Beiling’s instruction.

Meanwhile, Zheng Linran, feeling deeply humiliated, returned in a huff to the Flying Immortal Sect.

Zheng Feixian, seeing her return so soon, asked the reason. Hearing her indignant and flustered complaints, and seeing her cheeks flushed with agitation, Zheng Feixian could not help but laugh. “Good! Ambitious and able to endure humiliation—such a nature is rare indeed!”

“Master! How is someone like that any different from a shameless beggar or slave on the street? A person without shame is not worthy to be called human! I cannot endure such disgrace! I truly wanted to kill him on the spot, but everyone who looked at me had ridicule in their eyes. People in the sect are gossiping, saying I’ve lost my mind and chosen to stoop so low. Master, you have no idea how cruel their words are!”

“Street beggars do not care for dignity, only for a full belly. They spend all their days thinking only of their next meal, making no effort to change their lot. Such indifference to scorn cannot be compared to Bu Jingxian. He endures because he is ambitious, diligently cultivating every day in hopes of surpassing himself. To compare him to idle beggars is your mistake!”

But Zheng Linran would hear none of it, convinced her master was simply finding excuses for Bu Jingxian and being unreasonable. She began to protest, but Zheng Feixian cut her off sternly, “Enough of this childishness. Go to North Spirit Mountain again in two months!”

Zheng Linran was furious but knew her master’s will was ironclad; further protest would only anger her more. Pouting, she snorted heavily and withdrew on her own.