After tending to the flowers and feeding his little pets, Jiang Beiran had just returned to the Purple Bamboo Courtyard when he saw Wu Qingce already waiting for him.
"Ready?"
Jiang Beiran asked, setting down the two jars in his hands.
"Yes," Wu Qingce replied with a solemn nod.
"Then follow me."
Leading Wu Qingce into the formation room, Jiang Beiran retrieved two dark-red crystalline fangs from his Universe Ring and placed them in the center of the room. These fangs, taken from a Flame-Sealed Bi'an, served as talismanic treasures to power the formation. They contained ample spiritual energy, capable of continuously generating the profound energy required for the formation.
Next, he arranged golden-red paper, crimson cloud crystal shards, and flame lion-hide talismans, among other materials, until the Spirit Gathering Formation took preliminary shape.
"Come in," Jiang Beiran called to Wu Qingce outside the door.
"Yes."
Bowing respectfully to Jiang Beiran, Wu Qingce slowly entered the formation room. He knew full well how valuable these talismanic materials were. Moreover, Senior Brother’s practiced ease in setting them up suggested he had long prepared for this breakthrough.
In life, I belong to Senior Brother.
In death…
"What are you spacing out for? Sit down already."
Seeing Wu Qingce standing there dazed, Jiang Beiran grabbed him and pulled him over. Once Wu Qingce was seated cross-legged at the formation’s center, Jiang Beiran assessed the ambient spiritual energy distribution before saying, "Activate your cultivation technique." Following the instruction, Wu Qingce immediately closed his eyes and began circulating the Heart Returning Technique.
After waiting a moment for the spiritual energy to shift, Jiang Beiran took out five low-grade earth spirit stones from his Universe Ring and buried them in the five "spiritual spring" positions of the formation. Simultaneously, he arranged three yellow earth formation flags in a Three Flowers Gather at the Summit formation.
"The formation is complete. The rest is up to you."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Wu Qingce opened his eyes to express his gratitude, only to find the door already closed—Senior Brother had left. I absolutely cannot let down Senior Brother’s meticulous preparations. This time, I must succeed in my breakthrough!
Steeling his resolve, Wu Qingce closed his eyes again and devoted himself fully to circulating the Heart Returning Technique. --- Though he hadn’t slept all night, Jiang Beiran didn’t feel particularly tired. After tidying up the alchemy room, he returned to the Blue Heart Hall, which he hadn’t visited in quite some time. …Where is this?
Staring at the bustling, packed, noisy, and overwhelmingly crowded Blue Heart Hall, Jiang Beiran was dumbfounded. The congestion on Returning Goose Peak reminded him of the time he had climbed the Great Wall during National Day—so packed that he couldn’t move forward or backward.
After squeezing through the throngs of outer-sect disciples on Returning Goose Peak, Jiang Beiran finally managed to find a junior brother from his own hall and quickly pulled him aside.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang."
Upon realizing it was Jiang Beiran who had stopped him, Liu Yuezhang bowed in greeting.
"Why are there so many people on Returning Goose Peak today?"
"Reporting to Senior Brother, they’ve all come to our Blue Heart Hall to challenge each other in chess."
I’ll challenge their— Suppressing the urge to curse, Jiang Beiran took a deep breath and smiled.
"I’ve been in the Blue Heart Hall for five years, yet I never knew the Heart Returning Sect had so many chess enthusiasts."
Liu Yuezhang chuckled in response.
"Ever since the Blue Heart Hall and the Water Mirror Hall began collaborating, disciples who love playing chess suddenly multiplied in the sect."
"Alright, I understand. You may go."
Once Liu Yuezhang left, Jiang Beiran couldn’t help but sigh and shake his head. He could roughly guess why this had happened. First, chess was much easier to pick up than musical instruments.
Even if one’s skills were mediocre, simply knowing the rules of Go meant they could claim to "play chess"—giving them a pretext to visit the Blue Heart Hall. But if they went to the Water Mirror Hall without understanding music theory or an instrument, things would get awkward.
Second, the Water Mirror Hall had its own rules, limiting the number of male disciples who could visit, so it never devolved into such an exaggerated situation. Sigh, don’t these people need to cultivate? Why aren’t the higher-ups in the hall doing anything about this…
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Jiang Beiran spotted a blue-bannered disciple from the Silent Words Hall brushing past him. Well, when the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam tilts. This Heart Returning Sect is doomed sooner or later.
After mentally grumbling, Jiang Beiran returned to the dormitory area. Compared to the bustling crowds outside, it was much quieter here—or rather, this was the only place that remained unchanged. Entering his small room, Jiang Beiran noticed two pieces of paper on the floor as soon as he opened the door.
Bending down to pick them up, he first examined the first letter.
"The long winds fan the summer heat; the lush willows cast cooling shade."
From the opening line, Jiang Beiran knew this had to have been slipped in by Lin Yuyan. Using seasonal imagery for greetings was her signature style. The rest of the letter was mostly expressions of gratitude and praise for the craftsmanship of the straw hat he had woven.
However, phrases like "For the trouble taken, I kowtow in thanks" and "For your efforts, I shall never forget" still made Jiang Beiran slightly uncomfortable. Upon reaching the final line—"Enclosed is my humble work, placed upon your shelf for your esteemed critique"—Jiang Beiran lifted the lid of the nearby water vat and retrieved a thread-bound book from inside.
Since Lin Yuyan had chosen the Silent Words Hall upon entering the sect, it was clear she had a literary inclination. She often submitted her essays and musings for Jiang Beiran’s evaluation. But in Jiang Beiran’s eyes, it was essentially her periodically sending him her diary to read.
After storing the thread-bound book away, he turned to the second note. This one was far less ornate than Lin Yuyan’s. "Could not find you, so left this note." The signature read Lu Bogui.
Knowing that Senior Brother Lu wouldn’t seek him out without reason, Jiang Beiran pocketed the note, closed the door, and headed to the Flying Feather Hall. Familiar with the route, he soon arrived outside Senior Brother Lu’s door and knocked twice.
"Who is it?" came Lu Bogui’s voice from inside.
"It’s me, Beiran."
"Ah, Beiran."
The sound of footsteps followed, and with a click, the door opened.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Lu."
Jiang Beiran bowed respectfully.
"Come in and sit."
After pouring a cup of hot tea for Jiang Beiran, Lu Bogui asked, "You saw the note?"
"Yes. I’ve been spending most of my time at the Water Mirror Hall recently, so I haven’t returned much."
"Oh? I did hear about the collaboration between your two halls. No wonder the Blue Heart Hall is livelier than usual."
Jiang Beiran smiled wryly before asking, "What did you need me for this time?"
"Well… this is a bit embarrassing. The Soothing Fragrance Pills you gave me last time are almost gone, and I haven’t found a substitute yet. So, shameless as it is, I had to ask you for more."
"Senior Brother, you flatter me."
Jiang Beiran retrieved two bottles from his Universe Ring and placed them on the table.
"Take these two for now. I’ll bring more later when I return."
"This is more than enough."
Lu Bogui then took out a book from his own Universe Ring and slid it toward Jiang Beiran.
"I won’t take your pills for nothing. This is a heart technique manual I stumbled upon. Take it back and study it—see if you can glean any insights."
(End of Chapter)