ARLQLCC chapter 1

 

Chenxin Sect, Xin Jue Hall.

The entire mountaintop was utterly silent; occasionally a bird would chirp, but the sound quickly faded away.

Inside Xin Jue Hall, the main path stretched straight ahead. On both sides stood the peak masters of each peak. At the highest seat in the center sat a middle-aged man wearing a jade crown, with an immortal-like bearing.

Outside the hall stood a crowd of disciples watching. Though there were many people, it was not noisy; all eyes were focused on the person kneeling in the center of the hall.

The middle-aged man glanced at the delicate young girl standing in the hall. After their eyes met, the girl said, “Father, since everyone has arrived, let’s begin.”

The middle-aged man walked to the center, swept his gaze across inside and outside the hall, and finally placed his eyes on Su Ji, who was kneeling in the middle.

“Today’s public announcement concerns disciple Su Ji’s misconduct and the theft of the sect’s inherited cultivation technique. Su Ji, the evidence is conclusive. Do you have anything to say?”

Su Ji did not answer.

Su Ji was in a daze.

He should have been at the Cliff of Reflection behind Chenxin Sect, yet after only a moment of meditation, when he opened his eyes again, he was already in Xin Jue Hall.

Hearing the familiar yet distant words by his ears, a storm surged in Su Ji’s heart.

Fang Lanting, Xin Jue Hall, stealing cultivation techniques.

Su Ji raised his head and swept his gaze around, slowly coming back to his senses from the shock.

Rebirth, something shocking to the world, had actually happened to him.

In the hall, Su Ji still did not respond. Fang Que asked again, “Su Ji, what do you have to say in your defense?”

As his words fell, probing gazes came from all directions, almost piercing through the person in the center.

Under everyone’s watch, this was not a good time to be stunned. Su Ji let out a light breath of turbid air. When he opened his eyes again, the look he gave Fang Que had already changed.

He slowly stood up and said coldly, “No need to defend myself. I am not at fault.”

His voice was like ice tempered in the far north, echoing through the hall.

Fang Que still smiled gently, but the smile did not reach his eyes. Others did not notice it, but Su Ji saw it clearly.

The reason he would end up suffering at the bottom of the Cliff of Reflection for twenty years—this hypocrite Fang Que had played no small part in it.

Fang Que did not speak. The delicate young girl let out a sneer and said loudly, “Whether you are at fault or not, once I finish speaking, everyone will judge! Everyone, a few days ago Father granted me the sect’s inherited cultivation technique. I originally kept it properly in my room, but unexpectedly, after only a few days, it disappeared.

I sent people to search from the sect’s Heavenly Ladder all the way to the sect leader’s hall, but found nothing. Who would have thought it would be found in the cabinet on Senior Brother Su’s peak! There are patrolling disciples who can testify to all of this!”

These words explained the whole sequence of events. The disciples outside, who had been confused, all revealed looks of disdain.

Compared to Su Ji, who stood apart from the crowd, they clearly trusted the sect leader’s daughter more. She had a noble status and had no grievances with Su Ji in the past, so she had no reason to harm him.

After Fang Lanting finished speaking, she stopped and waited for Su Ji to respond.

Su Ji showed no reaction to her eloquent speech and said calmly, “Since it is an inherited cultivation technique, it should be very valuable.”

Fang Lanting showed a mocking expression. “The inherited cultivation technique of Chenxin Sect is only passed to the next successor of the sect leader. Of course it is important!”

Su Ji said strangely, “If it is so valuable, why didn’t you store it in your dantian space, but instead left it casually in your room?”

Fang Lanting choked, just about to answer, when she heard Su Ji continue, “If it is so valuable, why would I not hide it elsewhere after stealing it? Knowing you would definitely search the mountain, why would I obediently leave it in the original place waiting for you to find it?”

“Is it that I am stupid, or that someone did it on purpose?”

With this series of counter-questions, the doubts that had been glossed over were clearly brought to the surface.

His words were like a fish entering water, stirring up ripples.

Discussion gradually rose around them. Fang Lanting clenched her hands at her sides and sneered, “Sharp-tongued. How would I know what you’re thinking?”

Su Ji smiled. “You can’t answer.”

Fang Lanting shouted, “It’s just an excuse for you to clear yourself of suspicion. I have patrolling disciples as witnesses. If you have evidence, bring it out and confront me. Don’t say useless things!”

Su Ji shook his head. “I have no evidence.”

Fang Lanting let out a laugh. “No evidence? Then obediently admit your fault and accept punishment. For the sake of being fellow disciples, I will ask Father to deal with you lightly.”

She thought the matter would end here, but unexpectedly Su Ji curled his lips and laughed softly twice.

“Although I have no evidence, there is one place that can prove my innocence.”

The next moment, a green spiritual power wrapped around something and, with a sound of breaking wind, arrived in front of Fang Lanting in the blink of an eye.

The surrounding discussions grew louder. Fang Que’s face darkened as he watched Fang Lanting open the object. When he saw what it was, his expression immediately turned grim.

In Fang Lanting’s palm floated a bright yellow teleportation talisman. As the spiritual power dissipated, several large characters appeared on it—

Yiyan Pool!

The destination connected to this teleportation talisman was actually Yiyan Pool!

Gasps of surprise rose everywhere, startling several birds into flight.

Yiyan Pool was an ancient relic located in the central valley of the four major sects. To test lies, a cultivator would enter it, and a great power at the Mahayana realm would inject spiritual power to activate it.

During this process, a witness would ask questions. If the cultivator spoke falsely, they would suffer the pain of their bones being corroded by the pool water. At best, their cultivation would be destroyed and they would become useless; at worst, their soul would scatter and they would not enter reincarnation.

The price was so great that anyone who was not staking everything to prove their innocence would avoid it.

Fang Lanting looked at the teleportation talisman in her hand as if holding a burning potato, unable to throw it or smash it.

Su Ji asked, “Can this place prove my innocence? If Junior Sister Fang is so certain, why not enter the pool with me? If I lie, there is no need for the sect to punish me—Yiyan Pool can take my life.”

At this point, the matter had reached its end. In a hundred years, countless people had sought justice, yet not a single one dared step into Yiyan Pool. Su Ji, as the accused, dared to propose going there in front of the sect’s disciples and peak masters. If he was not truly innocent, then he must be tired of living.

Sect punishment could be light or heavy, but it would never take his life. But once entering Yiyan Pool, it was life or death. If Su Ji was only trying to clear his name, he would not gamble with his life.

Fang Lanting was already drenched in cold sweat. Originally, when those questioning gazes fell on Su Ji, she felt satisfied, but now that the pressure had shifted onto her, the feeling became obvious.

In her panic, she quickly walked to Fang Que’s side and forced herself to stay calm. “Father, Father, look at him—he’s clearly jumping the wall in desperation. Let’s just announce the punishment.”

As soon as she said this, the discussions nearly exploded, clearly showing disagreement with her conclusion.

Fang Que looked at his daughter’s trembling eyelashes and her wandering gaze, then noticed the looks from the elders coming from all directions. For a moment, he felt something stuck in his throat.

He could guess that Fang Lanting was lying, but with the evidence found, dealing with a disciple like Su Ji for his daughter was not difficult.

But Fang Lanting clearly had a guilty conscience. If she really entered Yiyan Pool, how could she come out alive?

Yet if he forcefully punished Su Ji now, by tomorrow the entire cultivation world would likely be discussing him…

He remained silent for too long. Fang Lanting bit her lower lip, about to speak, when the Sword Peak Master, who had been observing her expression, finally couldn’t stand it anymore and snorted coldly, “If you don’t dare enter Yiyan Pool, then declare that Su Ji was wronged. If you insist on punishing him, then after entering Yiyan Pool, who is right and who is wrong will become clear!”

Once he spoke, the other peak masters also began to speak one after another.

“If there’s no lie, why fear entering Yiyan Pool? Making a conclusion directly is inappropriate.”

“If Su Ji was truly wronged, punishing him directly would invite criticism. After today, won’t the cultivation world say that our Chenxin Sect cannot distinguish right from wrong?”

“Senior Brother Sect Leader, don’t act impulsively.”

Facing the successive advice from everyone, Fang Que weighed the pros and cons. In just a moment, an apologetic smile appeared on his face. “There may indeed be omissions in this matter. It truly should not be concluded so easily.”

He raised his hand and pushed Fang Lanting forward, then faced the disciples and said righteously, “My daughter was misled by slander and nearly wronged Su Ji. Starting tomorrow, she will be confined for one month as punishment.”

Fang Lanting widened her eyes and turned back in disbelief. “Father! I didn’t—”

Before she could finish speaking, Fang Que cast a silencing spell on her.

Fang Que sighed inwardly.

This daughter of his was truly foolish. If she really went into Yiyan Pool, not only would it damage his reputation, but it would also cost a life for nothing.

He had been clever all his life—how did he end up with such a fool?

Keeping the smile on his face, Fang Que said to Su Ji, “This time, the sect has wronged you. Whatever compensation you want, you may tell me.”

Su Ji silently looked at Fang Que’s face—a face that clearly hated him yet still maintained a polite smile. After a moment, a spiritual sword wrapped in green spiritual power appeared in his hand.

The smile at Fang Que’s lips stiffened. Just as he was about to speak to stop him, he saw Su Ji raise his hand and bring down the sword. A pale golden hem of his robe, severed by the spirit sword, floated up from the cut before slowly drifting back down.

At this moment, silence speaks louder than words.

Su Ji had already made his stance clear. As Fang Que gritted his teeth and said, “Since Junior Disciple Su has decided to leave, I naturally support it,” Su Ji turned and left, his back resolute.

Standing on the swiftly moving spiritual sword, mountains and rivers retreated in his peripheral vision. The exclamations from Xin Jue Hall grew more distant until they could no longer be heard.

…

There were many things in the courtyard, all of which Su Ji gathered and took with him.

He flew aimlessly on his sword, staring blankly at the clear sky ahead.

Thinking back to his previous life, on the day of the public announcement, he still had a trace of attachment to the sect and did not know the true vicious nature of Fang Que and his daughter. He was not as decisive as he was now.

On that day, he obtained five days to search for evidence to prove his innocence.

If he could not find evidence after five days, he would request to enter Yiyan Pool.

Three days passed. Fang Que invited him to the main hall for a late-night talk. Out of trust in the sect leader, he did not find it strange.

In the following two days, he completely disappeared within the sect. When the five-day limit arrived, they labeled him as fleeing in fear of punishment and naturally bound him and threw him into the Cliff of Reflection.

Only then did he realize that no evidence was needed. If the sect leader of Chenxin Sect wanted to help his daughter harm a mere disciple like him, it was as easy as turning his hand.

Afraid that the truth would be exposed in Yiyan Pool after five days, and afraid he might find some loophole, they simply added another crime to him.

The best time to fight back was the day of the public announcement. Under everyone’s eyes, it was difficult to make any small moves.

It was just that in his previous life, he placed his trust in the wrong place and wasted decades.

Now that he had regained his freedom, he hoped it was not too late.

In the past, he had always lived within the sect. Occasionally he went out with his master to travel. After his master passed away, he rarely left.

Now suddenly reborn, leaving the sect where he had lived for over a hundred years, he truly had nowhere to go.

Clouds swirled beneath his sword, the scenery changing. Su Ji came back to his senses and looked down, his gaze drawn to a low, barren mountain.

The top of the mountain was extremely wide. In the center stood several buildings. Though somewhat dilapidated, it could still be seen that it was a cafeteria.

Su Ji stopped in the air above the mountain, his thoughts stirring.

This mountain was called Linggu Mountain. It used to be full of spiritual grains and plants. Someone used local materials to build a cafeteria here.

Unlike cafeterias within each sect, this mountain was located right in the center of many sects. There were teleportation arrays connecting the various sects, which would automatically activate at mealtimes to bring disciples from different sects to dine.

However, for unknown reasons, this cafeteria was no longer in operation.

The mountain became an unmanaged wasteland.

Standing on his sword, Su Ji looked at this somewhat simple and honest-looking mountain, and an idea arose in his heart.

Aside from cultivation, he rarely interacted with other disciples. His greatest hobby was tending spiritual plants and cooking for himself.

Thus, his residence even had a small kitchen. When leaving the sect, he did not forget to take the pots, bowls, utensils, and various seasonings with him.

Now that he had nowhere to go, this uninhabited mountain with its own kitchen was quite a suitable place for him.

Thinking of this, he followed his thoughts and landed on the cafeteria roof with his sword.

At a glance, it was the backyard of the cafeteria, with large abandoned spiritual fields and even a clear pond where fish could still be seen swimming.

Next to the fields was an open area enclosed by a fence. If Su Ji was not mistaken, spiritual beasts had once been raised there.

He looked around the place and found it more pleasing the longer he looked.

Although the cafeteria was old, it had all the necessary tools. It was truly a good place for retirement and cultivation—only needing some repairs to be lived in.

Su Ji jumped down from the roof. After a day of turmoil, his mind was tense, and hunger came from his stomach.

His mouth had been bland for too long at the Cliff of Reflection. Back then, aside from hoping to leave one day, his greatest wish was to have a big meal once he got out.

Now that he had left the Cliff of Reflection and started a new life, it would not make sense not to have a feast.

Holding his sword, he walked to the pond. The next moment, with a splash, a plump fish was speared on his blade. After struggling twice, it went still.

Su Ji gathered some firewood and piled it by the pond, then took out a fire talisman from his storage artifact. The talisman flew with the wind and landed on the wood.

He tossed the fish into the air. Under flashing sword light, the scales and innards were completely removed, and several cuts were made on the body for seasoning.

After rummaging in his storage artifact for a while, he found a thin stick, pierced the fish, and began roasting it over the fire.

The aroma gradually spread in all directions.

Before long, a grilled fish with excellent color, aroma, and flavor was ready.

The fragrance of the fish overflowed. Su Ji took a small bite.

The tender fish meat, wrapped in just the right amount of seasoning, was so delicious it could make one’s tongue melt.

Just as Su Ji was about to take a second bite, he heard a rustling sound from the grass behind him. He suddenly stood up and summoned his sword. As he turned around, the sword gleamed sharply.

The sound continued. Holding his sword, he shouted, “Who?!”

The next moment, a round, palm-sized kitten poked its head out from the grass. With a pair of bright, watery eyes, it looked at Su Ji… and the grilled fish in his hand, and softly let out a “meow.”

 

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