Watching the Mountain

Chapter 317: Chapter 185: Wuchen’s Refusal

”He invited me for a drink back then, and while we were talking, nine out of his ten sentences were, ’My grandson is the Evergreen Sword Saint.’ He was practically praising you to the high heavens.”

”As his senior brother, I was also incredibly proud. It was an honor for me as well.”

He shook his head as he spoke. ”But the thing was, I couldn’t stand your grandfather constantly going on about it. I got tired of hearing it, so I told him my disciple, Xiyue, would be even stronger in the future. That’s how we started arguing. We went at it for a whole night, and in the end, neither of us would back down.”

”From then on, almost every time we met, we would argue about this for ages. The result was always the same: neither of us would give an inch.”

”It was strange, now that I think about it. We were always arguing about the same thing, just repeating the same few lines over and over. But somehow, we could argue all night every single time, and we’d even enjoy it, feeling like we could have kept going.”

”Even I can’t figure out why...”

After hearing Xu Ran’s words, Zhang Zhentian looked dazed. His gaze flickered, and after a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

”Perhaps it’s because both you, Senior Brother, and my grandfather wanted to prove that the person most important to you was the best and the strongest.”

As he spoke, he tilted his head back slightly, his thoughts drifting to the distant past.

”I always knew, actually. Grandfather loved showing off to others how talented I was, but whenever he was in front of me, he’d deliberately put on a very stern expression.”

”He rarely praised me. At least... not to my face.”

”Every time I saw him put on those two completely different faces—one for outsiders and one for me—I would laugh to myself. ’So that’s what Grandfather is really like,’ I’d think. ’And he thinks I don’t know...’”

Once Zhang Zhentian started talking, he couldn’t stop. He poured out story after story to Xu Ran about True Monarch Flowing Clouds’ little quirks—the side of him he would never show to outsiders, the side only his grandson ever got to see.

”The worst was what Grandfather did that time I lost to you, Senior Brother, in the arena. The sigh he let out... even thinking about it now makes my heart pound.”

”I thought he was truly and completely disappointed in me, that he didn’t want me anymore. A part of me wondered if he was just putting on an act for my sake, but I didn’t dare take that chance. I was too afraid it was real, because then I would have no family left...”

Zhang Zhentian kept talking, and Xu Ran kept listening. After they had finished more than a dozen jars of Spirit Wine, Zhang Zhentian suddenly fell asleep mid-sentence.

He was slumped crookedly over the table. It was hard to imagine a Nascent Soul True Monarch acting this way.

But to Xu Ran, it seemed perfectly normal.

’Perhaps for Zhang Zhentian, this is the last time in his life he’ll ever fall asleep like a child.’

’After tonight, he would only be the Evergreen Sword Saint, the one who reassures everyone.’

Zhang Zhentian slept soundly and didn’t wake up until the following afternoon.

He opened his eyes and looked at Xu Ran, who was sitting silently across from him. After a brief silence, he spoke slowly.

”Senior Brother, I heard from Supreme Elder Zi Yun that the Sect plans to send Junior Brother Shen to the Overseas Archipelago to break through once he reaches the threshold of the Divinity Transformation Stage. Is that correct?”

Just as Xu Ran expected, upon waking, Zhang Zhentian had cast aside the previous night’s vulnerability and adopted the bearing of the Evergreen Sword Saint.

Xu Ran gave him a slightly surprised look, wondering why he was suddenly bringing this up.

He nodded lightly. ”That’s the plan.”

”You know Wuchen’s combat strength better than anyone. He can’t bear the burden of being a Divinity Transformation Influence, so we can only have him lay low for now.”

Zhang Zhentian frowned in thought for a moment before saying, ”I think maybe it’s time for Junior Brother Shen to leave now.”

He glanced at Xu Ran and added, ”It would be best if you left with him, Senior Brother.”

He let out a soft sigh, his voice low.

”Senior Sister Yue told me that the Sect’s current situation might be a probe from those who fear Senior Brother Ye Shan.”

”During that last battle, I could feel it. The resentment of those who attacked our Sect was real, not an act.”

”They truly hate Senior Brother Ye Shan, and they hate the Sect. They want to see our Sect destroyed to vent their hatred.”

A complicated expression crossed Zhang Zhentian’s face. He shook his head and said:

”Of the five Nascent Soul Cultivators I killed earlier, four were from our Eastern Domain. The fifth was from the Western Domain.”

”Senior Brother, do you know what this means?”

He didn’t wait for Xu Ran to answer, continuing on his own.

”It means that those who resent Senior Brother Ye Shan and our Sect exist in every corner of the Cultivation Realm, not just in the Eastern Domain. We can no longer expect to face only the sects in and around Changqing County.”

”The Cultivation Realm, the Demon Race, and even the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race... even if only one in a hundred thousand, one in a million, or one in ten million of them hold a grudge, that’s still a terrifying number.”

”Even for me...”

He trailed off, not finishing the thought. Instead, he changed the subject and remarked with a sigh:

”Sometimes, I really can’t understand how those people think. They know perfectly well that Senior Brother Ye Shan is a benefactor to this world, that they themselves benefited from his grace. Yet, because of their own misfortunes, they’ve twisted that gratitude into hatred, all so they have someone to blame, someone to vent their frustrations on to feel a little better...”

”I’d always heard people say the human heart is treacherous, but I never truly understood because I’d never met anyone like that. Now, I think I’m finally starting to get it.”

After he finished, he looked at Xu Ran with great solemnity and said:

”No one can predict what kind of situation the Sect will face in the future. I believe Junior Brother Shen will one day reach the Divinity Transformation Realm and even go beyond it, but he needs more time to grow.”

It’s said that when a man truly stands on his own, his thoughts and actions naturally mature.

Looking at Zhang Zhentian now, Xu Ran felt this was exactly what he was witnessing.

The Zhang Zhentian from a few days ago, with all his pride, would never have been able to say such things.

After experiencing such a loss, he had reined in his arrogance and chosen a more stable path.

It wasn’t a retreat, but a refusal to let tragedy strike again.

Before Xu Ran could respond to Zhang Zhentian’s proposal, the array in the Cave Mansion signaled a visitor. He rose, opened the door, and Shen Wuchen walked in.

Shen Wuchen greeted Xu Ran. ”Master Xu.”

His expression was normal at first, but the moment he caught sight of Zhang Zhentian sitting there, his eyes hardened, and he instantly put on a cold, aloof mask.

He had come specifically about Zhang Zhentian. He’d seen how Zhang Zhentian had been acting the past few days and felt it wasn’t the right way for someone who had lost a loved one to behave. He was worried there was a problem with Zhang Zhentian’s Dao Heart.

He just didn’t know how to counsel someone. Before coming, he had specifically sought out Ye Qingyue for advice, and he’d planned on asking Master Xu as well before going to find Zhang Zhentian.

He never expected to run into Zhang Zhentian here. Caught completely off guard, he didn’t know how to react. Everything Ye Qingyue had taught him flew right out of his mind.

Xu Ran nodded to Shen Wuchen, then turned to Zhang Zhentian.

”Perfect timing. The man himself is here. Why don’t you tell him?”

Shen Wuchen heard this and looked at Zhang Zhentian in confusion.

At this, Zhang Zhentian paused for a moment before repeating his proposal for Shen Wuchen to leave the Sect now and travel to the Overseas Archipelago.

After listening to Zhang Zhentian, Shen Wuchen stared straight at him. With a cold and arrogant snort, he spoke in a stiff tone.

”Are you giving me orders?”

’There’s no way I’m leaving at a time like this.’