In front of the Ink Plum Courtyard, just outside the room.
Chen Jinshu sat cross-legged beneath the plum-blossomed ink tree for quite some time. The incense nearby had burned halfway, and the spiritual energy within her had mostly recovered.
"The Enlightenment Tea is finally ready!"
Catching the drifting scent of tea, she opened her eyes and smiled faintly.
How could one comprehend the Sword Melody without the aid of the lotus birthmark? Moon Spirit Honey wasn't nearly as effective—only the Enlightenment Tea gifted by her Master possessed the powerful force of Dao comprehension.
As she drank the tea in a single sip, her fingers slowly moved across the strings of her green lacquered zither. All the while, she softly recited the incantation of the Nineteen Phrases of Falling Notes.
The moment a golden mist of enlightenment energy drifted within her spiritual sea, she immediately guided it inward, absorbing it and quickly diving into comprehension.
A moment later, a realization struck. Her right index finger strummed the seven strings in succession while her left hand pressed the notes of Gong and Shang.
Suddenly, frost-colored sword energy surged from the zither stand, shooting forward like snowy geese skimming over a frozen lake, shedding their plumage. Several branches of the ink plum tree were swiftly sliced off, leaving behind a trail of icy frost.
Within a dozen heartbeats, the surrounding atmosphere transformed into a scene of winter plum blossoms and falling snow. The bright red of the flowers contrasted against the frost-white snowflakes, chilling the very air. Frost began to creep across her fingers as well, a biting cold like the edge of a blade.
"The First Form—Snow-Brushing Soaring Swan!"
The moment she played the first form, the name of the technique suddenly surfaced in her mind. What shocked her more was the icy might it carried. Though she had only cut a few plum branches, the lingering frost was chilling to the core. Even as the one playing, she could feel the bitter cold—the frost on her hands was not just an illusion.
Moreover, during the playing of this first form, she found her mind unusually calm, entirely free from distractions. It seemed to suppress inner demons.
"This first form might even act like an Ice Talisman," Chen Jinshu mused as she stared at the frost markings left on the tree.
"But just playing the first form consumed an entire song's worth of spiritual energy. If I want to study all nineteen forms, it may take one or two years."
She planned to comprehend at least the first three forms before the grand sect competition. That should be enough to secure her place among the top outer disciples. Then, she steadied her heart again, using the remaining enlightenment energy to comprehend the second form. But even after exhausting that energy, she still hadn't grasped it.
"Trying to derive a melody from swordsmanship is still too difficult. Even using so much enlightenment energy yielded nothing..."
A faint discouragement bloomed in her chest.
But she quickly regained her composure. Considering how powerful the first form was, the second one would only be stronger. It was understandable that it required more enlightenment energy.
Soon, dusk approached—three-quarters past the You hour.
At long last, with the remaining Enlightenment Tea, she successfully comprehended the second form.
The Second Form—Green Vines Embrace the Moon. With a pluck from her pinky on the Jiao string and a hover of her palm over the harmonic node, the sound condensed into sword qi in the form of vines.
The surrounding illusion became a green forest beneath a full moon. The nearby vegetation seemed to heed her commands, transforming into sword-like whips. For instance, the plum branches before her turned into thorned vines, striking with both quantity and power. However, this form consumed a great deal of spiritual awareness, as it relied on harmonizing with spiritual plants.
Two days later, Chen Jinshu used her practice time to comprehend the third form.
Its illusionary realm was vast—seemingly able to draw an enemy into a separate space entirely.
The Third Form—Stars Fall into the Dark Pool. With rapid strikes using the backs of her fingernails, she plucked out scattered notes that caused seven resonating echoes. Each pluck dragged the opponent into a dark, watery abyss, evoking a sense of sinking and loss of control.
The illusion centered around her—an enormous, shadowy pool surfaced. The reflection of the Big Dipper floated across the water, imbued with a dreamlike power. Sword qi rained down like falling stars.
But this form consumed twice as much energy as the first two combined. A single use would drain half her spiritual energy. Using all three together would leave her utterly depleted.
Still, with these three forms, she could now handle cultivators at the late Qi Refining stage.
Her goal during the competition wasn't ranking high—it was simply to earn the reward: a spiritual treasure and access to the Moon Cleansing Pool. That was enough. She would keep her true strength hidden.
Now, in the courtyard, she was practicing the first three forms. The zither melody was sharp and graceful, stirring sword winds across the grounds.
Then, the disciple token at her waist vibrated.
She quickly stopped playing and channeled spiritual energy into the token.
Her Seventh Senior Sister, Dai Yuzhu, spoke through it:
"Junior Sister! The competition draws near. Don't overwork yourself. It can harm your body. Come treasure hunting with me instead!"
Chen Jinshu raised an eyebrow. "Treasure hunting? Outside the sect?"
"No, no! When disciples from the Medicine King Peak leave or change residences, the sect arranges for others to clean the courtyards. Anything left behind can be taken by the cleaners. We call it treasure hunting."
"Oh, I see! Then, please wait a moment, Senior Sister. I need to prepare."
"I'll wait for you outside the Bamboo Shadow Courtyard."
With that, the light in the token dimmed.
"Cleaning disciple courtyards, huh? Sounds fun. Maybe I'll find something interesting." Now that she knew it was about cleaning out the quarters of former disciples, her interest was piqued.
Those disciples may not have had high cultivation levels, but who knew what kinds of treasures they might've left behind? Especially in Peng Qi's old courtyard—there could be surprises.
She quickly packed away the green lacquered zither and incense burner, then returned to her room and added a flower pin to her hair.
"Little Shadow, come with me." She stopped by the bird's nest in her courtyard.
With its auspicious aura, Xiao Yin might just boost her luck and help her find something good.
"Sure, Master!" Xiao Yin chirped, hopping in excited circles.
"Alright, but you need to change your form—just like last time."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yin activated the lotus pattern on its feathers. Its dark plumage began to fade into a pure white sheen, transforming it into a beautiful white spirit sparrow.
Even the crown feathers on its head turned white.
This transformation had been a surprise discovery by Chen Jinshu—she suspected the lotus pattern held unique properties and had Xiao Yin experiment with it. To her delight, it worked.
Now, the Xiao Yinlooked nothing like its original dark form—she barely recognized it herself. Soon after, Chen Jinshu arrived at the Bamboo Shadow Courtyard where her senior sister awaited.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior Sister!"
"It's fine! But when did you buy a white sparrow? It's lovely."
"This little one and I share a fate. I found it by chance, and over time, it transformed like this."
"Looks a bit like a Melody Sparrow." Dai Yuzhu studied the bird, recalling the image of a Qingyin (Clear Sound) Sparrow (Que). It did resemble one, though slightly different.
"Its chirping is lively and melodious. Probably a Melody Spirit Sparrow."
"Alright! There are quite a few courtyards to clean today. Let's get started." With that, Dai Yuzhu led her toward the courtyard ahead.
Chen Jinshu caught sight of the ten or so tokens in her senior sister's hand. Clearly, being a disciple of a Golden Core elder came with its privileges.