“I had a dream in which someone here begged to become my disciple, so I came here. To my surprise, I didn’t encounter another person besides you. Alas, my journey would be in vain; I’ll take you on board without further ado. Good disciple, quickly call me Master and promise to kowtow three times before I let you go,” said Master Xuan.
“You damn bird! If you want to take a disciple, go find someone else. Your skills are utterly mediocre—I’d rather take this old wretch as my apprentice. Hmph, I’ll go down right now and crush you like an ant,” Ye Yu shouted.
“Ha ha, then come down and let me give your little bottom a good pat,” said Master Xuan with a smile. “Whether you like it or not, I’m going to take you as my disciple—period.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Yu grew even more furious and began cursing incessantly. Master Xuan remained silent, merely sitting below with a smiling expression as he watched him. After a considerable amount of time, Ye Yu finally recalled, “Oh, how did you know my name?” he asked.
“In my dream, you told me yourself that you were hanging here by a wicked man. Seeing how pitiful you looked, I traveled thousands of miles to come here—originally intending to drive the villain away for you—but to my surprise, he slipped away, leaving only you in utter distress,” said Master Xuan. He knew that the stranger his words sounded, the more curious the child would become.
“Dreaming? How is that even possible!” Ye Yu exclaimed. “I’ve been hanging here for three days and three nights—how could I possibly have any dreams? You old man must be completely deranged, ha ha! How could I ever be bullied by villains? I’m the real villain! Tell me, have you ever met someone worse than me?” He had encountered many domineering masters before, but a child with such arrogance and tyranny was truly unprecedented. So irritable at such a young age—what would he become when grown up? It seemed Qingye was right; one must not show leniency toward this child.
With that thought, he turned and plunged into the forest, swiftly racing toward the summit. No cliff dozens of zhang high could stop him; the mystic rode on his qi and ascended rapidly to the peak. At the top stood a green pine tree, beneath which lay a smooth, flat bluestone slab polished clean by the strong mountain wind. Seeing this, the mystic felt secretly pleased, thinking to himself, “This is indeed an excellent place for rest.”
On this mountain, two lush green vines, as thick as an arm, sprouted directly from the hard, steep rock face—exquisitely resilient—as they swayed gently with the drifting night feathers in the air. Master Xuan marveled inwardly; surely the vines on another peak were no different, seemingly born specifically for those floating night feathers.
Night Yu struggled fiercely in the air, but those four green vines seemed to cling firmly to his limbs—there was no way to break free. Moreover, he was hundreds of feet above the ground, completely unable to use any leverage. Below lay a patch of jagged rocks; if he were to fall headfirst from such great height, his life would be in grave danger, and his head would likely shatter into pieces.
“Haha, good disciple! Once you’ve figured it out, shout a few times—I need to rest for a moment,” Master Xuan shouted at him. Only when Ye Yu turned his head did he realize that Master Xuan had already reached the summit of the mountain.
“You old thief! How dare you come and watch the spectacle here? Pah! I wouldn’t take you as my disciple. I’m just swinging on the swing—I don’t need your help. Have you ever seen a swing this tall and so impressive? Let me tell you, I’m having a great time; there’s no way you can even hang on!” Yet Yu remained stubborn. Master Xuan paid him no mind and simply fell asleep. The blueston slab felt exceptionally cool, making lying on it incredibly comfortable.
After boasting for a while, Yu discovered that Master Xuan had paid him no attention. He became disheartened and cursed Qingye, the sun in the sky, and even the white bird that had accompanied Qingye.
When the mystic woke up, it was already noon. He slipped down the mountain peak and discovered a peach grove not far away; the bright red peaches were fully ripe. He tried one—its sweetness was extraordinary—and overjoyed, he gathered them in his arms before returning to the summit to enjoy them to his heart’s content.
“Good boy, you haven’t swung on this swing enough yet. Hurry and ask your master—he’s picked many peaches that are incredibly sweet. Would you like some?” Master Xuan called out to Ye Yu, then moved swiftly toward him, walking along the green vines.
In the blink of an eye, he was above him, sitting on the green vine below. With his hand, he parted Ye Yu’s hair, revealing a stubborn expression; beneath his sharp eyebrows, his eyes sparkled like lightning. The master was secretly astonished—this child was truly extraordinary.
“Hmph, are you actually asking me to eat a peach? Then I won’t hold back at all.” Seeing his audacity, Ye Yu was secretly surprised, yet his tone remained utterly unyielding.
“Haha, Ye Yu—let’s see how long you can hold on. I’m going to test your patience,” the master said with a laugh, then reached for the pitch-black blade tied around his waist. Ye Yu immediately let out a loud cry.
“Don’t touch my precious sword, or I’ll make you pay for it right away!” he said.
How could the mystic fear him? He simply removed the blade. The knife felt exceptionally heavy in hand; both the hilt and sheath were pitch-black, offering a refreshing coolness. The sheath was carved with a mysterious star map. When he exerted great force, he failed to pull the blade out—leaving the mystic utterly astonished.
“Haha, this young master’s blade is beyond your reach, old man. If you can draw it, I’d rather give it to you,” Ye Yu laughed heartily. “If you can’t, then just return it obediently.” “Haha, what’s so difficult about that!” Xuan Shi said with a smile, gathering energy in his palms; a flash of blue light erupted from both hands as he drew the blade, and a wave of lethal energy surged toward him.
The master sorcerer was taken aback; a powerful, intangible blade energy emanated from the weapon, struggling fiercely against his strength. Yet having attained the realm of a Divine Swordmaster, he knew that despite the blade’s ferocity, it could do him no harm.
“Ah!” Ye Yu was utterly startled, unable to speak for a moment. He wanted to change his mind, but found it difficult to utter a word.
The master sorcerer laughed heartily as he drifted back to the mountaintop along the green vine. “Ha ha, you were right—this blade now belongs to me,” he said, inserting it back into its sheath before lying down on the bluestone slab and examining the peculiar weapon closely.
Yu Ye hurriedly shouted, “Hey, don’t go! Let me discuss something with you—how about I redeem that blade? I have many treasures; if you agree this time and sell it to me, you’ll get whatever you desire in the future. I know you must have come from the mainland, where many people are fond of pearls and treasures—I possess plenty of them; take as much as you like.” “Ha ha, unfortunately I don’t want to return. Those items you mentioned are useless here. Don’t waste words—I’ll keep this precious blade for myself and pass it on to my disciple later,” said Master Xuan with a smile.
“Uncle, alright, I yield to your request. Return the knife to me—I have many other weapons at home; you may choose another one. This blade isn’t suitable for you,” Ye Yu said humbly, though inwardly thinking: “You old scoundrel, I’ll see you for what you’re worth once I escape!” Having led troops for over twenty years, Master Xuan had seen all kinds of people; nothing in the young Ye Yu’s mind could escape his notice. “Don’t waste words—I simply love this blade. Well, I understand now. Once I dissipate the power contained within it and infuse it with my own strength, ha ha, it will become my treasured weapon. Thank you, Ye Yu, for giving me such a fine item,” he said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Yu Ye became so anxious that he began moving restlessly in the air, swaying back and forth. Suddenly, he flipped over; the green vines intertwined as he rose upright with his head facing upward—a position far more comfortable than an inverted stance. “Uncle,” he asked, “we can discuss this further. What exactly do you want in order to return the knife to me?”
To his surprise, the boy’s tone abruptly shifted. Master Xuan was delighted and decided to capitalize on the situation: “Call me’ Master ‘obediently several times, then promise to kowtow three times before me—I will naturally return your knife. Otherwise, don’t even mention it,” he instructed.
At the mere mention of this, Yu Ye was instantly filled with anger and resentment. Just as he felt utterly helpless, a group of monkeys began climbing up from another mountain peak.
Overjoyed upon seeing him, he immediately began shouting loudly. The mystic master was greatly startled: “Oh no—this child must be insane; I must rescue him right away.” With that thought, he looked up at Ye Yu in the sky and instantly witnessed an incredible scene that left him utterly amazed.
Several monkeys swiftly climbed down from the green vines and soon reached Nightfeather’s side. Two of them placed a banana-leaf hat on his head, while others brought peaches to his mouth and fed them to him carefully.
As he ate, Yu said, “Good, good—you’re finally here! Well done. Now quickly bite through that damn vine.” After saying this, he muttered a few more words and secretly gave Master Xuan a sly wink.
“This little thing really has some skills—does it actually expect these monkeys to deal with me?” Master Xuan found the scene utterly amusing. The monkeys gave him a few stern glances before lowering their heads and biting at the green vine on Ye Yu’s hand; the vine was exceptionally hard for them to chew. Several monkeys grew so frustrated that they began chirping incessantly, scratching their ears and faces, utterly helpless.