I’m Afraid It’s Too Late

The mountain path of Shenmo Peak was narrow and worn, and the stone steps were uneven, with some steps missing.

Immortal Jing Yang had never come down the mountain, and there were no disciples here. When the Sect Master came with the elders to visit him at Shenmo Peak once every few years, they came riding their flying swords. Since it was not in use, the path had not been repaired for a long time.

The further they went up Shenmo Peak, the worse shape the path was in, and the stronger the Prohibited Sword Formation.

No matter how careful she was, Zhao Layue had received more wounds on her body. Her clothing gradually reddened with blood.

The Tempered Will of the Sword was not enough to avoid the dangers in the Sword Formation and to completely defend Zhao Layue from being cut by the wills of swords.

Jing Jiu followed her with his hands behind his back.

"I’m tired," Jing Jiu said.

Zhao Layue stopped, sitting cross legged, absorbing the heavenly and earthly energy, recuperating.

After a long period of time, she opened her eyes.

"Why are you following me?"

Looking at Jing Jiu, she found he had no wounds. "It looks like you don’t need to follow me at all," she said.

"As I said, I’m just curious," said Jing Jiu.

While speaking, he didn’t look at her, but stared at the ceramic plate in front of him, considering where to place the sand grain in his hand.

Looking at the rearranged sand grains in the ceramic plate, and thinking about the space divided by the wills of swords on Shenmo Peak, Zhao Layue pondered something.

She stood up, looking at the scarily quiet mountain path. After a moment of silence, whipping her wrist, the sword rope came out of her bracelet and landed in her hand.

This common looking sword rope wasn’t a normal object, since it had bound the Senior Master Zhuo of Bihu Peak with the State of Undefeated on Sword Peak.

Jing Jiu realized why the sword rope looked familiar that night.

He knew Zhao Layue was going to use the sword rope to test the path, and he shook his head.

It was a clever move, but not a good choice.

"Why not?" asked Zhao Layue.

"Don’t use it until it’s absolutely necessary. Somebody is watching us," Jing Jiu said.

Shenmo Peak was blocked by the Sword Formation, so the scene atop the peak couldn’t be seen from the outside, making it more mysterious than the clouds on the peak.

Thinking of the hardship ahead of them, she was about to use her powerful magic relic.

But everything has an exception.

Those in the State of Heavenly Arrival could see through all the clouds and fog.

All across the land, there were few who had reached this state. Unfortunately, there were possibly two in the Green Mountain Sect who had.

Jing Jiu believed that they hadn’t presented themselves by the Stream of Sword Washing. They sent messages only through the Sword Voice, and at this moment, they were watching them from their peaks.

Zhao Layue recalled that Jing Jiu mentioned Yuan Qijing had probably secretly entered the State of Heavenly Arrival.

Then whom did Jing Jiu guard against? The Sect Master or the Sword Justice?

Zhao Layue retrieved the sword rope and marched forward along the mountain path.

This time she moved at a slower pace, and the number of cuts she suffered reduced, which might have had something to do with the rearranged sand grains on the ceramic plate.

…

…

The night was late.

"I’m tired," Jing Jiu said for the third time.

Zhao Layue stopped, looking at the peak top.

She had already walked for a long time, and the peak still seemed far away.

"I have overestimated myself."

"It’s not so easy to climb Senior Grandmster’s peak," said Zhao after a moment of silence.

There were two meanings in what she had just said.

"You did pretty good," said Jing Jiu in a voice which was plain but honest.

Zhao Layue ate a tablet, and wrapped up her wounds; it looked like she was well prepared.

Jing Jiu didn’t do anything to help her. He just stood to one side, watching.

Silence is sometimes a form of senselessness.

He was like a spectator.

…

…

Since Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue had already entered Shenmo Peak, people not on the peak couldn’t see them anymore.

This was the way the prohibited peak worked. All views and everything else would be blocked from anyone not on the peak.

Watching the deserted and quiet path, different people had different emotions.

The young girl of the Hanging-Bell Sect lay in the bosom of her senior master, yawning.

She had already taken two naps, but didn’t want to leave.

She thought it was the most interesting part of her trip to the Green Mountain, so she didn’t want to miss the end of the story.

It didn’t matter whether it was a happy or tragic ending.

The two princes from Zhaoge City looked worried, but whom they were worried about and why were unknown.

On the top of Tianguang Peak with its clouds as vast as the ocean, a tall figure stood by the cliff edge, watching in the direction of the peaks.

The Elder, who had just come back from Shenmo Peak, saw the figure and felt worried.

"Brother.. Sect Master…later…when you save…that little girl…, don’t forget…to save Jing…Jing Jiu."

On the top of Shangde Peak, the cave chamber was as cold as an ice cellar. Yuan Qijing stood by the bottomless well, reticent, his thoughts unknowable.

Chi Yan walked in hurriedly, coughing, telling Yuan about the situation at Shenmo Peak.

Yuan Qijing sauntered outside the cave, looking at the clouds under the starlight and the lone peak above the layer of clouds in the distance. "Can’t tell the difference between life and death," he said with a sneer.

It was hard to tell if he was talking about Zhao Layue, Jing Jiu, or both.

…

…

The peak wasn’t on the horizon, but still four miles away.

The night was dark as ink. The still clouds near the peak reflected the starlight, as white as paper.

Zhao Layue was matted with bloodstains. Her clothing was covered in cuts, as were her bandages. She looked awful.

"You must want to know why I have to climb this mountain."

She sat down against a pine tree.

This was the first time that she had taken the initiative to stop.

Her face was pale as snow, with uncertainty and tiredness in her eyes.

Jing Jiu walked over and handed her a big green leaf, full of crystal clear dew.

The night would soon near its end, and morning would come.

Taking the green leaf, Zhao Layue brought it to her lips and drank all of it.

"Why?" asked Jing Jiu.

"Because I was the disciple of inherited sword chosen by Senior Grandmaster."

"You might think I am lying or make up an excuse," she said while looking at the peak top, "but it’s true."

By the stream, when she said she was the inherited sword chosen by Senior Grandmaster Jing Yang, nobody could dispute it, because nobody could ask the ascended Jing Yang to verify it. However, as she said, not so many people actually believed it. Immortal Jing Yang was focused only on Cultivation, and he never took a single disciple over hundreds of years. Why would he break the rule just for her?!

A person with natural Dao quality was rare and special, but it was nothing as far as Immortal Jing Yang was concerned.

"I believed in you," said Jing Jiu.

Without hesitation or much thought, the four simple words came out.

"Thank you."

Besides thanking him for his trust, there was another reason.

"Without you, I couldn’t have come this far," said Zhao Layue.

On the way Jing Jiu said that he was tired a few times.

In fact, that was when Zhao Layue was tired to the extreme.

She didn’t know how Jing Jiu could judge so precisely, but she was grateful.

It looked like Jing Jiu was taking the shortcuts, following her and copying her footwork to break the formation.

But Zhao Layue knew the truth was far from this. The actual reason was that he was quite familiar with the Sword Formation of Shenmo Peak.

If he didn’t have to be with her, he would probably have already reached the peak top.

Without his company and his seemingly careless suggestions, she couldn’t come this far by herself.

"Even if you are the chosen one, you don’t have to be in such a hurry," said Jing Jiu.

If Zhao Layue was only worried about the lost inheritance of Shenmo Peak, she could simply go to Liangwang Peak and practice for another three years.

After three years she would be much stronger than she was now, and she could wait till the next Inherited Sword Competition to climb the peak again. By then, her chances of success would be much higher.

"I’m in a hurry." Zhao Layue said, "Because I’m afraid it’s too late."

Jing Jiu thought that perhaps she wanted him to hug her.

Zhao Layue couldn’t tell him the secret.

I just want to go up to the peak top to see whether the sword is still there and that man is still there.

"I’d like to take a nap," she said.

"If you sleep now, it’ll be hard for you to wake up," said Jing Jiu.

"I’m really tired. It’s been three or four years," said Zhao Layue, looking at the peak.

Afterwards, she closed her eyes and lay against the pine tree. Soon she was snoring gently.

Her long eyelashes were not fluttering.

Her short hair moved slightly with the wind.

She seemed really tired.

Looking at the deadly cliffs, Jing Jiu felt a hint of regret.

He didn’t regret coming with the girl, or climbing the mountain.

The prohibition of Shenmo Peak was too strong. Even he found it a bit troublesome. This was an embarrassing problem.

…

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