Love & Redemption
Chapter 42 - 2: Return to Shaoyang Peak

Chapter 42: Chapter 2: Return to Shaoyang Peak

Honest and faithful, today sees the return to two updates a day. This is the second update.

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At dinner time, Chu Lei, who had been too busy to be seen, actually came back. Zhong Minyan, who had been invited to stay for dinner by He Danping and stuffed his mouth full with food, almost spat everything out when he looked up and saw his master. He quickly composed himself and stood up to bow: "Disciple greets Master."

Chu Lei appeared in good spirits and even wore an unusually rare smile on his face, waving his hand at him, "Get up, have dinner."

He Danping smiled and said, "Big Brother, have you been busy arranging the young disciples’ roster for downhill practice these days? Have you decided yet?"

Linglong had eagerly awaited her father’s return to ask him, and couldn’t hold back now: "Daddy, is there Xuanji?"

Chu Lei pondered for a moment before saying, "A preliminary roster has indeed been made, but there are too many names. Just now, I discussed with several fellow cultivators and decided to recommend three people from each peak to go downhill after making selections, to be finalized before the New Year. After the New Year, they will go downhill."

Linglong anxiously asked, "Dad, you’re saying so much, but is my sister included or not? I haven’t seen her for more than four years now!"

Chu Lei smiled, "That will depend on her cultivation progress over these years. If she is exceptional, Junior Sister Chu will certainly recommend her. If not, there’s nothing I can do."

He Danping sighed, "That child has always been negligent. I’m afraid..."

Chu Lei also shook his head. He too hadn’t seen his younger daughter for more than four years, but for a cultivator, cultivation is paramount. If she doesn’t make the cut, there’s no help for it.

"This time for our Shaoyang Peak, I’ve chosen Min Yan and Linglong. I originally planned to let Minxing go too, but considering that next year’s Flower Pinning Conference is beginning, Minxing might need to go into isolated cultivation, so I let that be."

Upon hearing that she would get to go downhill for practice, Linglong was so delighted that she hugged Chu Lei’s neck and cheerfully exclaimed, "Good daddy! Good daddy! I finally get to go play downhill!"

He Danping laughed, "You only think about playing; you’re a fifteen-year-old girl, yet you still act like a child. This time downhill is different from before. You need to be more careful and not cause trouble. Min Yan, look after her for me, don’t indulge her mischief."

Zhong Minyan promptly agreed.

"Hmph, as if he would!" Linglong rolled her eyes.

"Min Yan is your elder brother, how can you be so disrespectful?" He Danping scolded her daughter, "You’re not children anymore. You need to curb that spoiled temperament, maintain decorum outside, and don’t tarnish Shawyang Sect’s reputation."

Worried her mother would continue to nag, Linglong quickly agreed in successive bursts.

Subsequently, each peak’s hall masters counted the disciples slated for downhill practice on the roster, each selecting three individuals, and submitted the official roster before the end of the year.

When Chu Yinghong went to deliver the roster, Chu Lei was in the Martial Arts Arena, unfazed by the wind and snow, instructing his disciples in sword techniques.

"Sect Leader, I’ve brought the roster."

Chu Yinghong walked over, and suddenly seeing a new disciple slip and about to fall, she instantly reached out to help, smiling, "Be careful, the ground is icy."

Chu Lei hastily received the roster and saw the names recommended by each hall, and notably, Little Yang Peak’s Yuyang Hall clearly listed Chu Xuanji, which surprised and delighted him. He asked, "Is Xuanji ready to go downhill now?"

Chu Yinghong smiled, "Of course. Even if Xuanji returned to Shaoyang Peak, she could still be considered exceptional."

Chu Lei was overjoyed, "Is that really true?"

"When has Yinghong ever deceived?"

Chu Yinghong smiled again, "Brother, do you remember? When I first took her to Little Yang Peak, I said then that Xuanji is a special child, not to be treated by ordinary standards."

In his lifetime of cultivation, Chu Lei had never considered the issue of not treating someone by ordinary standards. From his own youth, and with his disciples, those with talent naturally remained, while those without were eliminated and left Shaoyang.

He could not deny that he had always thought Xuanji lacked talent, a block of rotten wood that could not be carved. Yet, unexpectedly, someone had carved this block of rotten wood into a phoenix. It was impossible not to be surprised and delighted.

"Now that the roster is finalized, arrangements for them to go downhill after the New Year can be made."

Chu Lei placed the roster in his sleeve, feeling deeply moved.

Chu Yinghong saw Linglong and the others making faces at each other in the Martial Arts Arena, looking over in this direction, knowing they wanted to hear something, so she smiled and said, "Xuanji has also been at Little Yang Peak for over four years now, the Sect Leader must be looking forward to a family reunion. Why don’t I have Xuanji come up to Shaoyang Peak, and take the chance to gather for the New Year before descending the mountain."

Chu Lei originally wanted to refuse, but he also wanted to see Xuanji, to see if she was as exceptional as Chu Yinghong described, thus he nodded and said, "That would be good, my wife has mentioned Xuanji these past few days. Let her come back then, and after the new year, she can descend the mountain with her sister and brothers."

Over there, Linglong and the others were all ears, only hearing things like "Xuanji, come back, descend the mountain," which delighted them so much that they exclaimed, "There really is a younger sister! That’s great! We will see her very soon!"

Chu Yinghong heard the young people cheering, smiled, and saluted Chu Lei saying, "Then I will immediately go to have Xuanji pack up and return to Shaoyang Peak. Sect Leader, I take my leave."

With her departure, Linglong and the others no longer had the heart to practice their swordsmanship, and even Chu Lei wasn’t in the mood to continue instructing his disciples, merely saying a few words and letting them practice on their own.

He sat back down in his chair, gently blowing on the steam rising from his tea, his view before him misty.

In a little while, his younger daughter who had been away for four years was about to return, but who knew what she had become? Was she like Linglong, who had grown tall and slim, turning into a graceful young lady? Might she have become a bit more outgoing?

Although Xuanji and Linglong were twins, they looked quite different. Linglong was more radiant, while Xuanji was delicate and frail like a Liuli beauty. He really couldn’t imagine what Xuanji looked like now; lifting his head, he suddenly saw Linglong not practicing her swordsmanship but merely sneakily looking over here. He was so happy today that he didn’t feel like scolding her but just gestured with his hand and warmly said, "Linglong, come here."

Linglong hurried over, asking anxiously, "Daddy, is my sister coming back soon?!"

Chu Lei inspected her carefully, the young lady in front of him was slim and spirited, he tried to see some hints of Xuanji in Linglong and momentarily lost himself in thought.

Linglong, anxious to the point her hair was nearly falling out, grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously, "Daddy! Is my sister coming back? Just say something!"

Chu Lei came back to his senses and smiled, "Indeed, your martial uncle has already gone to Little Yang Peak to call her. She should arrive soon."

Linglong was both shocked and delighted, and quickly asked, "Does that mean she’s also among the disciples descending the mountain this time?"

Chu Lei nodded, still somewhat incredulous, "Your martial uncle said she is exceptional at Little Yang Peak, the first among those descending the mountain. Let her come back this time, have a family New Year, and then you all can descend the mountain together after that."

Linglong suddenly jumped up, so thrilled that words couldn’t describe her feelings; she actually felt like doing dozens of somersaults right there or shouting out loud to feel satisfied.

She turned around and waved vigorously, laughing and calling out, "Sixth! Senior Brother! Come over here quickly! Xuanji... Xuanji is coming back very soon!"

Upon hearing this, everyone threw down their swords, running over together, some rejoicing, others clapping their hands.

Zhong Minyan laughed and said, "I wonder if she has become a female hero, we really must see."

Du Minxing remained composed, simply smiling and saying, "Whether she becomes a female hero is secondary, but I wonder if our junior sister is still as absent-minded as before, I hope she has become more cheerful."

"Exactly, exactly," Chen Minjue nodded and wagged his head, "Her temperament indeed needs some improvement, otherwise descending the mountain would be pointless."

While everyone was babbling about Xuanji, a disciple who watched the mountain came over to report, "Sect Leader, someone from Little Yang Peak has come flying on a sword. They didn’t go through the main gate nor present a token, I don’t know who it is..."

As soon as the words fell, everyone saw a streak of white light flash above their heads, and upon looking again, a young lady in green clothes stood in the center of the Martial Arts Arena.

Just then, it started snowing again, with dense goose feather-like snowflakes, and from such a distance, one couldn’t see her face clearly. Her clothing seemed thin, her figure graceful, a light green robe fluttering in the snow and wind, making one afraid she might be shattered by the storm.

She retracted the sword under her feet back into the scabbard, stepped forward slowly, and her black hair softly floated behind her shoulders, while a white bead flower trembled windy next to her ear.

However, her cheeks and hands were even whiter than the bead flower, almost as if she was made of Liuli and ice.

"Ah, that is..." Linglong softly exclaimed.

The young lady walked closer, bowed elegantly, and said in a low voice, "Yuyang Hall disciple, Chu Xuanji, greets the Sect Leader."

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Here’s a good book recommendation, "The Deep Night Battle of Changsha" by Que Que.

Book number: 1009072

Filled with a patriotic spirit, it’s a generous tragic ode to the Resistance against Japan.