Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

21. Uninvited Guests

When Ye Xinglin first founded Star Pavilion Sect 100 years ago, he was universally recognized as one of the top sword cultivators in the Middle Realms. By then he already had two disciples under his wing and attracted a small group of loyal followers who wished to learn from his methods and Dao. In the beginning, there were no peak lords or elders, but once Fei Chenling and Ouyang Che matured enough to teach students of their own, Ye Xinglin had them each take a mountain for themselves. Three other cultivators who respected Ye Xinglin's teachings were made peak lords as well.

Fei Chenling later found Jun Zhen and presented him to Ye Xinglin, while Ouyang Che brought back Mu Yelian due to her superb understanding of healing. Ye Xinglin himself took in Mo Yixuan from the streets. Years passed and the sect's numbers swelled, especially as its founder and his disciples made a name for themselves at the inter-sect competitions held every 10 years.

Of the three elders who were first made peak lords, two of them retired to permanent seclusion within the sect, never bothering with worldly affairs. They were thus named sect elders. The last also withdrew from his title of peak lord when Mo Yixuan and Mu Yelian matured enough to assume peak lord titles of their own, but kept an eye on happenings within Star Pavilion.

That man was the Elder Han currently standing beside Peak Lord Ji. As the only elder of Star Pavilion Sect who publicly showed his face, he was a bridge connecting the past and present. He had seen each of Ye Xinglin's disciples grow to adulthood and witnessed the addition of four other peak lords to the sect who had never learned under Ye Xinglin but respected his strength and principles. In terms of seniority, even Sect Leader Fei Chenling had to give him face.

Elder Han had always kept to himself, but that changed with Ye Xinglin's abrupt death almost a year ago. He began to get closer with the other four peak lords who joined the sect later—what Ouyang Che casually referred to as the Four Peaks Alliance—who had ambitions and goals of their own. They wanted to help Star Pavilion Sect grow in strength and prosperity, raising its name and influence in the cultivation world; they even wanted the sect to involve itself in politics between nations and dynasties of the Lower Realm where non-cultivators lived. Fei Chenling was more inclined to follow the wishes of his late master, who simply wanted all disciples to reach the utmost perfect of Celestial Sublime Sword Style in their lifetimes. The contrasting goals of material gain versus pure cultivation advancement maintained a tenuous balance while Ye Xinglin was still alive but began to fray at the edges after his passing.

Mo Yixuan had a basic understanding of these sect politics, but he was more interested in the main attraction in the crowd: Peak Lord Ji. If he remembered correctly, this was the same man who'd lost a rare pill formula to him and Nan Wuyue—one of the two people Ouyang Che had warned him to stay away from in the sect.

Who knew that Peak Lord Ji would come to his doorstep instead?

Elder Han was next to act, greeting the newest addition to their crowd with hands folded inside his sleeves. In the sea of white he stood out in stark contrast with his deep blue outer robes accented by a single jade medallion hanging from his waist. To Mo Yixuan's eyes he fit the classical mold of a Daoist with long beard and hair in a topknot; even his face looked kindly and clean, not over a man of 40 years. The only thing missing to complete the look was a whisk in his arms.

"Peak Lord Ouyang," Elder Han defended,"This is only a small matter between peak lords, nothing worthy of consideration."

"If it's a matter between peak lords, then it naturally involves me as one of their peers," Ouyang Che smiled back thinly. He was as polished and unrestrained as ever, but there was a frazzled edge in his voice. "Has Peak Lord Ji confused his directions on the way to Mt. Yongning? You're rather far from your own mountain."