Dao of the World Walker (Xianxia) Book 2

“Are you thinking of claiming another sword, Junior Brother?” Senior Brother Qing An asked. “Your Cherry Blossom Sword is vastly superior to anything in here.”

“No, my sword is good enough. I already lack affinity with the sword path. I wouldn’t know what to do with another sword.” Yang shook his head. “I was just wondering if I am allowed to give one of these to someone else?”

“Of course, you may gift one to whomever you wish.” Senior Brother Weilong assured him. “Were you thinking of that outer sect disciple who guided you?”

Yang shook his head softly. “My brother, actually. The friend I mentioned, the one who joined the Azure Sword Sect.”

Senior Brother Qing An gave the pile of swords a cursory look. “It will be a thoughtful gift for a sword cultivator.”

“Which one did you have in mind?” asked Senior Brother Lu Feng.

Yang rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted with a wry smile. “I was hoping one of you could guide me. It’s not like I know the first thing about judging a blade.”

“Is there a particular style of sword he prefers?” Senior Brother Lu Feng asked with a smile, apparently accepting the request to help him choose. “Or an affinity he has?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Yang said, disappointed at the lack of information he had to offer. “We haven’t had a chance to communicate since joining our respective sects,” Yang explained. “I sent him a letter some months back, but I never received a reply,” Yang said, a worried frown on his face.

Senior Brother Lu Feng nodded thoughtfully, his gaze sweeping over the pile of swords. 

“Don’t be disheartened, Junior Brother.” Senior Brother Weilong comforted him. “It’s not easy to get a message sent from one Sect to another, especially for a new disciple with mortal roots.”

“I managed to send him one,” Yang muttered.

“Yet you should know well enough by now that our Sect is not a good example of the norms in the cultivation world.” Senior Brother Qing An retorted.

Yang inclined his head in agreement and turned his attention back to Senior Brother Lu Feng, who was reaching to retrieve a sword stuck halfway under the pile. 

He pulled out a straight, double-edged sword with delicate swirl patterns carved on both the flat sides of the blade. The crossguard was made of oxidized silver with the hilt was wrapped in black leather for a firm grip.

“This one,” Senior Brother Lu Feng declared as he drew the sword out of the sheath and held it up. He turned to Yang as he pushed the sword back inside and held it out to Yang, who grabbed it with both hands. “It’s the finest one among these and, fortunately, is of the most common style. It’s a traditional jian, so chances are your friend will find it suitable.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Yang gave a slight bow of his head as he put away the sword in his storage ring.

“How are you going to send it to him?” Senior Brother Yuan Shen asked as he placed the remaining swords into an empty storage ring, leaving the table looking a bit less cluttered.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Yang confessed ruefully. “I just saw so many swords, and my mind immediately went to whether he had one good enough to rely on. Maybe I will send it the same way I sent the letter?” 

Although he said it, he wasn’t sure sending it the same way as the letter was a smart idea, considering the lack of response. He trusted White Cloud Sect well enough to know the letter was sent, but who knows what goes on in the Azure Cloud Sect.

“It’s to your credit that you still remember and think of your friend even now, Junior Brother,” Senior Brother Qing An said with a smile. “How about we stop there on our way to the Starry Sea?”

Yang blinked, caught off guard. “Can we? We are not going back to the Sect?” He asked in quick succession.

“Of course not,” Senior Brother Qing An said. “Starry Sea was the plan even before Master sent us all here. As for your first question, while it is not exactly on the way, it is not an issue to make a stop at Azure Point City on our way there.”

“It’s not like we are in a rush,” added Senior Brother Yuan Shen with a smirk. “We prefer to enjoy the journey. We’ll be stopping at many places. We rarely travel as we did when we came to the Vermillion Cloud Realm.”

“And I’ll be furious if I gave up the competition only to have to go back to the sect after visiting this disappointing realm,” muttered Senior Brother Zhen Hao.

“That was just for secrecy’s sake,” Senior Brother Weilong explained. “Usually on our travels, we make a point to enjoy the sights and local cuisine as we pass through the cities, unless we are in a hurry.”

Yang let out a broad smile. “Then yes, I would love to visit Li San on our way there.”

Senior Brother Qing An let out a laugh. “Look at that smile! Junior Brother, you’re making me think you don’t care as much for your own Senior Brothers.”

“Never.” Yang denied before he went on to flatter without missing a beat. “My Senior Brothers are the best.”

Senior Brother Zhen Hao slung an arm around his neck and dragged him into a playful headlock, practically choking him. “Ah, Junior Brother, I always knew I would make the best Senior Brother.”

Senior Brother Yuan Shen smiled in amusement. “No one is better than Zhen Hao when it comes to adding gold to their own face.”

“Enough,” Senior Brother Fan Xiao said as he waved his hand and the pile of spirit stones split into four, levitating smoothly towards Yang and Senior Brothers Weilong, Yuan Shen, and Zhen Hao. “Put these away, and let’s get to what we were doing before we waste the whole day bantering.”

Yang and the others quickly put away their share of spirit stones, not even making a peep about the older brothers not getting a share. 

Yang, after receiving his snack money from Master, had a completely fresh concept of wealth. He had no doubt the spirit stones they had liberated from others were a pittance in comparison to what his Senior Brother could put out.

“Senior Brother Fan Xiao, you should take the herbs and pills.” Senior Brother Weilong said as he put away his goblet of wine. “You would know best how to test these things to figure out which are worth keeping.”

The others nodded, and Senior Brother Fan Xiao inclined his head as he swept all the pills and herbs into his storage ring before reaching for a jade slip.

This seemed to be the cue, as the rest of them also reached out to grab a jade slip or manual.

Yang casually grabbed a manual near him, flipped open the page, and started reading.

It was a basic cultivation manual to draw in qi, similar enough, if less detailed, to the one White Cloud Sect standard issues to every disciple.

Yang placed it in the center, which apparently seemed to be the place for manuals that were of no use to them. There were already two jade slips, and Senior Brother Yuan Shen was about to place a paper manual, a second behind Yang. 

“A basic fist manual,” Senior Brother Yuan Shen said as their gazes met. 

“Mine was a simple qi drawing technique,” Yang explained.

“This one as well,” Senior Brother Qing An interrupted as he tossed his own manual in the center before picking up another one.

“There are bound to be multiple qi drawing manuals.” Senior Brother Lu Feng said without looking up from his own manual. “It’s the most common technique that every cultivator has, especially the lower realm ones.”

Yang nodded as he grabbed a green jade slip, pushing a wisp of spiritual sense into the jade slip.

He smiled as he went through the technique. 

While it seemed like a good technique, it was not well suited to him.

“I have something,” Yang said aloud.

Everyone paused as they turned to Yang, who passed the technique to Senior Brother Yuan Shen, who reached out first from across the table.

His eyes went distant for a moment as he looked through the contents of the jade slip before he looked at Yang with a smile. 

“Rain Shower Sword Technique.”

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