Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 263 - 230: Hitting Faces and Exposing Shortcomings

Chapter 263: Chapter 230: Hitting Faces and Exposing Shortcomings

Zhou Ping’an and his companion naturally had nothing to pack up.

With Zhou Ping’an’s portable space, they casually took out a couple of pieces of cloth, meaningfully tied them into two bundles, and prepared to descend the mountain.

The sun hung high, and the weather was clear and bright.

It was a perfect day for travel.

The previous day, they had already bid farewell to Su Lianxue, their master, and now with the master not on the mountain, it conveniently saved them a lot of trouble.

Under the watchful eyes of the disciples of Xinyuan, they walked less than a mile to Beiwang Pavilion, where they saw a familiar figure in white clothes, with a few maids in attendance, sitting in the pavilion playing chess.

This Young Master Gu’s left hand was still wrapped in bandages and branches, careful not to move it.

He only stretched out his right hand, drinking tea.

During the game, he suddenly flipped the chessboard.

Scaring Steward Xu on the opposite side into retreating again and again.

This guy had a spell of madness again.

Presumably, having felt suffocated staying indoors, Steward Xu had thought of a way to bring him out to relax and play chess to alleviate the mood.

The result, it seemed, wasn’t very effective.

"Heh heh..."

Zhou Ping’an shook his head, looking at the fierce-looking Gu Ning, and actually found it amusing.

The crazier this guy got, the better.

Zhou Ping’an was a man who held grudges.

He still remembered when the other casually recommended him and his companion to Su Wenhao as disciples.

Zhou Ping’an didn’t believe for one moment that Gu Ning’s actions were unintentional.

At that time, he clearly sensed the faint malice rising in the other’s emotions.

However, considering Lin Huaiyu’s dreams, he thought it was better to endure—better to avoid making a fuss...

In the end, he could not hold back.

Although Zhou Ping’an did not understand why the pampered only son of his master could be so antagonistic toward the benefactors who had provided medicine, whom he had never met before.

But he could not pretend as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, Senior Brother Gu is playing chess..."

Zhou Ping’an greeted with a beaming smile.

"Zhou... Ping’an."

Gu Ning turned his head and saw the two standing on the mountain path with bundles on their backs, their faces full of joy, clearly about to descend the mountain.

But it wasn’t just about descending the mountain.

What mattered was that the two stood side by side, the man handsome and dashing, the woman delicate and charming.

Just their presence alone resembled a pair of celestial beings, causing onlookers to yearn... what bullshit!

At that moment, every time Gu Ning saw a handsome man and beautiful woman, he felt a hidden pain below the belt, as if a blade were sweeping by...

Especially when he thought of the reprimands he’d received from his father and mother, who would compare him with Zhou Ping’an and Lin Huaiyu, it felt like swallowing a hundred flies.

Love wouldn’t lessen, it would just shift elsewhere.

He truly felt his mother’s once doting glances at him now tinged with annoyance.

Yet, when facing Lin Huaiyu and Zhou, her eyes shone brightly.

How could he stand this?

"Scram!"

Gu Ning clenched his molars, struggling to suppress the fury within.

After all, his mother had commanded him not to target the two junior martial siblings in any way, or else she’d deal with him upon return.

However, not targeting didn’t mean he liked to see them; ’out of sight, out of mind’ was the best policy.

Zhou Ping’an’s smile remained unchanged, seemingly oblivious to Gu Ning’s disdain, he clicked his tongue and said, "Brother’s arm injury seems to have healed nicely.

That Ye Xiaoqian really is something, recklessly crippling people’s limbs...

I heard that down in the mountains, she even injured Senior Brother Gu’s vitals, resulting in impotence.

This is truly a deep and abiding hatred, Brother. Rest assured, when I see that demoness, I will surely take revenge on your behalf."

"You... you you!"

Gu Ning’s face turned the color of an eggplant with rage.

His perfectly fine right hand pointed at Zhou Ping’an, nearly at a loss for words.

Could such a matter be discussed in public?

Others might whisper about him being plagued by a heart demon, but they would never bring up the harm done to his lower body.

What heart demons? It was nothing but a man who had lost something vital, too ashamed to speak of it, and deeply resentful of his own lack of power to seek vengeance, causing his internal suffering.

No matter how noble his identity or how accomplished his parents were.

What was gone was gone.

Even if he found Ye Xiaoqian and killed that demoness.

That thing wouldn’t grow back.

All the waters of the five lakes and four seas couldn’t wash away such humiliation.

In this moment, he had forgotten how he had first seen Ye Xiaoqian, how he was enchanted by her, and how he acted on his feelings in secret.

A delicate and cunning little white rabbit on the surface turned into a big bad wolf in a blink of an eye.

One could say that he struck iron with absolutely no room for regret.

"I am Zhou Ping’an. This is Lin Huaiyu, Junior Martial Sister Lin. We’re all fellow sect members, no need to stand on ceremony.

I hold Senior Brother in the highest regard, and sharing some of your worries is only right and proper, no thanks needed.

By the way, during this trip down the mountain, I’ll make sure to inquire which families have pregnant widows, to arrange a few marriage prospects for Senior Brother.

In this way, Senior Brother wouldn’t have to bother himself, directly gaining a joyous child, wouldn’t that be wonderful..."

"Pfft..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ning spurted out a mouthful of blood.

He fell back, looking up at the sky.

His hands and feet shook with anger.

This time, he couldn’t even utter the word "you."

But the veins on his forehead bulged noticeably.

"Young Master."

The attendants, five or six men and women around him, were all thrown into a panic.

Steward Xu’s face was filled with horror, and the look he gave Zhou Ping’an was as if he had seen a ghost.

"What are you standing around for?"

Zhou Ping’an shook his head, "Help Senior Brother Gu inside to recuperate. He is already injured and troubled by inner demons, and without proper rest in bed, taking him out in the cold wind is no good."

His gaze fell on Steward Xu, and he said with an amused smile, "Steward Xu, the master is getting on in years and is burdened with the affairs of the sect, too busy to be distracted...

Being a little busy or troubled is nothing, but when she gets back to Emerald Peak, to be greeted with such domestic vexation is not good for her health.

As the steward, it’s your duty to take more on your shoulders and relieve the Peak Master of some of her worries."

"Yes, of course, I understand," Steward Xu replied, his expression wooden as he repeatedly agreed.

"No, you don’t understand."

Zhou Ping’an sighed, "The master personally said that Junior Martial Sister Lin has exceptional talent, her cultivation is advancing quickly. Now at the tender age of eighteen, she has already begun operating the Minor Heavenly Cycle, and she has hopes for the True Martial in the future.

Whether we from Emerald Peak can live comfortably and proudly depends ultimately on Junior Martial Sister Lin.

Anything that affects Junior Martial Sister Lin’s cultivation should be punished, even if it involves chastising one’s own sons."

"Yes..."

Steward Xu’s forehead became increasingly sweaty.

He discovered.

The Young Master Gu, Gu Ning, whom he was supporting, had spat out another mouthful of blood.

His eyes were unfocused and his condition seemed to be worsening.

Clenching his teeth, he turned to look at the servants by his side and said in a deep voice, "Later, all of you will be moved to Xinyuan, from now on, you will be under its authority. Haven’t you come to pay respects to the master?"

"We pay respects to Master Zhou and Master Lin."

These people were selected to attend to Gu Ning because they were sharp and clever.

Hearing the tone, they all breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly came forward to pay their respects.

"Alright, go there later, find Steward Li of Xinyuan to register and arrange various matters.

You should know what should and should not be said."

"Yes."

Zhou Ping’an turned to glance at Gu Ning, only to see that at this moment, the young man’s emotions were all over the place. His eyes darted around as if he could barely recognize anyone.

"Tsk, tsk, such a powerful inner demon. Junior Sister, we must pay attention to the cultivation of mind and spirit, we can’t just focus on qi cultivation and neglect the study of the Daoist Canon."

"That’s right, I’ve heard that the cultivation of Sword Intent also tests the power of the spirit. Perfect goodness is like water, water benefits all things without strife. We must not neglect our disposition."

Lin Huaiyu covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, her slender eyebrows arching high unconsciously.

She was obviously in a very good mood.

Of course, she knew.

Zhou Ping’an was venting her anger for her.

Her journey to Emerald Peak this time had yielded much.

But no matter how great the gains,

The cold reception and grievances she experienced when she first arrived on the mountain

were always kept in her heart, impossible to dispel.

Unfortunately, Gu Ning was the only son of her master Su Lianxue.

Even if she wanted to hold a grudge, she had to consider the deep teacher’s kindness.

This complex emotion made it difficult for her to act on her feelings, yet she couldn’t quite forgive him either.

Over time, it left a knot in her heart that was detrimental to her cultivation.

Zhou Ping’an had obviously seen through this.

In a nonchalant manner,

He cleared the obstacles from her mind.

Making her thoughts clear and paving the way for her cultivation.

Such meticulous care, whether intentional or not, was especially comforting.

"Let’s go, I don’t know if our horses are still at the station. If we rush, we can make it to Wangshu Town.

Tomorrow we reach the Wei River, and we can take a boat southward, which will be more comfortable..."

"Alright, let’s go down the mountain. This time, let’s try to refine more elixirs.

The main ingredient for the Yellow Sprout Pill is rare but not impossible to find.

We should try to increase our cultivation as much as possible before the martial competition in August."

Zhou Ping’an nodded, agreeing with Lin Huaiyu’s plans.

Riding horses was indeed faster.

But on the journey, they could not cultivate at full strength.

It might seem like wasting two days,

But for them, who had just obtained the Blue Wave Heart Method and were in a state of rapid advancement in the True Qi Realm, it was becoming unbearable.

"I want a spot as a True Disciple as well."

Zhou Ping’an looked back at the towering Floating Cloud Main Peak, his eyes filled with longing.

Missing out on this great opportunity would obviously make entering True Martial much more difficult.

According to the master,

Every sect, both orthodox and unorthodox, would send their most esteemed elite disciples to seek their fortune.

Even with confidence,

one cannot simply forge a Divine Aperture out of thin air.

Seeing a shortcut and still insisting on reinventing the wheel, trying to surpass others, is nothing short of delusional.

Of course, it meant competing with others.

An era of great contention.

How could one not compete?

...

As the two made it down to the foot of the mountain, they collected their horses kept at the station.

They rode swiftly, bypassing the town, kicking up trails of dust, and headed south.

...

Asking for Monthly Pass.