Chapter 30: Senior Sister Bai is devastated
Bai Yuexin bit her lip lightly, holding back her shame and standing on the sword trial stage, waiting for the next sword tester to come on stage. She could now hear the discussions of those in the audience.
“This senior sister must be too weak. She was defeated by a young cultivator who was a level below her.”
“The one named Feng Yudie just now isn’t very powerful. I think maybe I can defeat that senior sister’s move.”
Although not everyone was questioning her, these words were particularly loud and harsh to her now.
Bai Yuexin even wanted to retort loudly to those people, “You have the guts to come up and try it! You don’t know what is right and what is wrong!”
It was a pity that she couldn’t shout, so she had to suffer the pain. She kept recalling Feng Yudie’s previous sword test in her mind, trying to find the reason why she was defeated. However, no matter how she recalled it, she could not figure out why Feng Yudie slashed her sword with a wooden sword. It was broken, but Feng Yudie’s wooden sword was unscathed.
At this point, Bai Yuexin felt even more sad.
If she could figure out where she lost, then she could think that she was defeated because of her sloppiness, but if she couldn’t figure it out, it meant that the gap between her and the silver-haired girl just now was as big as heaven.
Bai Yuexin had doubts in her heart. What was the purpose of her decades of sweat and fatigue?
“For those geniuses, can people like me always be just a foil?” Bai Yuexin lowered her head and smiled bitterly uncontrollably, “Hehehehehe…”
Pei Lianxue also walked up to the stage. Because it was the first time for her to be noticed by so many people, she was quite uncomfortable for a moment. Her whole body was stiff. She followed Feng Yudie’s example before and went to the side to pick up a wooden sword. “Come, clasp your fists, and bow deeply to Bai Yuexin.”
“Senior, please enlighten me!!!”
This roar drew the attention of the entire audience, and even the autistic Bai Yuexin was startled.
Bai Yuexin came back to her senses, looked at her with a strange expression, and asked, “Why are you shouting so loudly?”
“Ah…” Pei Lianxue kept clasping her fists and saluting and replied weakly, “My senior brother said before that saluting must be spirited and not lifeless, so…”
Bai Yuexin let out a breath and glanced at the disciple taking notes.
The disciple quickly said, “The three spiritual roots of water, wood, and earth are perfect for refining Qi.”
Bai Yuexin understood, nodded, and reminded her according to the procedure: “You are here as an accompanying student, and the standards are not so strict. I will let you go. If you can’t stand it in the middle, just throw away the sword and stop. good.”
“Thank you, senior, for reminding me, I’m fine.”
Anyway, let’s finish trying out the group I’m responsible for… Bai Yuexin let out a long breath and picked up a wooden sword from the sword stand next to her.
“Come on then.”
“Then, senior, be careful.”
Pei Lianxue closed her eyes and lowered her body as if she was brewing something.
Just when Bai Yuexin was curious about what sword technique this girl had practiced, she suddenly felt a biting killing intent, and the next moment, she saw Pei Lianxue swinging a sword in the air at her.
“Shout!”
Along with a sweet voice, Bai Yuexin’s eyes suddenly widened.
In those pupils filled with terror, six figures were reflected, each wielding a wooden sword and slashing towards her from six different directions.
“What?” Bai Yuexin was startled and quickly raised her sword to defend, but facing twelve hands, she couldn’t withstand the onslaught. Although she managed to block three figures, the swords of the remaining three landed on her shoulder, left wrist, and left thigh.
With a resounding crash, Bai Yuexin was sent flying to her right, colliding with several disciples who were preparing to participate in the sword test.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The disciple recording the events was once again dumbfounded, even more so than after Feng Yudie’s sword test.
In his eyes, Pei Lianxue had merely swung her sword at Senior Sister Bai, and then Senior Sister Bai flew off the sword-testing platform.
After a moment of confusion, he turned to look at the seats of the great elders. After receiving a nod from one of them, he announced, “Pei Lianxue, break the move!”
This announcement rendered the sword test venue silent once again.
The disciples from other sword-testing platforms looked towards the Tianyun Peak platform once more. However, unlike before, Bai Yuexin was no longer standing on the platform. She had disappeared.
After some contemplation, they realized that Bai Yuexin must have been knocked off the stage.
Normally, after being knocked off, one should immediately jump back on stage, salute, and continue with the next round of sword trials. However, Bai Yuexin was lying on the ground, motionless.
She hadn’t returned to the stage, not because she was knocked unconscious, but because she didn’t want to.
She was tired…
Being defeated by the Qi-refining junior Feng Yudie was uncomfortable, but she could endure it, considering Feng Yudie’s extraordinary talent.
However, this time, the one who knocked her down wasn’t a genius. It was a junior cultivator with three spiritual roots whose qualifications were even lower than hers.
If Feng Yudie’s appearance made her doubt her decades of effort, Pei Lianxue’s appearance told her that all her sweat and hard work had been in vain. She felt that returning to the stage would only continue to bring shame to her master, senior brothers and sisters, and Tianyun Peak.
“Woo-“
Bai Yuexin thought I was just a useless person! Woo woo woo…
The buzzing discussions in the sword test venue seemed to be about her, but Bai Yuexin couldn’t listen anymore.
At this moment, several Tianyun Peak disciples rushed over to check on her. Seeing her lifeless eyes, they were at a loss for words. They decided to bring a stretcher and carried her back to the disciples’ quarters on Tianyun Peak.
Several senior sisters who had completed their trials at Tianyun Peak hurried over after hearing the news. They were aware of Bai Yuexin’s not-so-resilient nature, and fearing that she might take drastic measures after such a significant setback, they brought her favorite candied fruits. They took turns comforting her with soothing words and gentle gestures. However, Bai Yuexin lay on her bed, gazing towards the window with eyes devoid of luster.
“Junior Sister Bai, it’s okay. I just asked the master. Feng Yudie has the Heavenly Spiritual Root and is a direct disciple of Master Tai Xu. It’s not a shame if you can’t beat her,” One senior sister reassured.
“Junior Sister Bai, I brought you your favorite candied fruit. You can rest for a while and eat it. It’s so sweet…” another senior sister chimed in.
“Let Junior Sister Bai take a good rest,” a different senior sister added. “Junior Sister Bai, just take a nap, and you’ll be fine. Our senior sisters will help you if you need anything. You don’t have to worry about the Master.”
…
The sun descended behind the mountains, gradually casting darkness over the surroundings. Night cicadas in the mountains began their chirping symphony. The senior sisters who came to visit Bai Yuexin had left by now.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Bai Yuexin’s lifeless eyes gradually regained some spark. She moved off the bed, observing the condolences brought by her senior sisters. Her nose tingled, but she took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and silently walked to the desk in her room. Sitting down, she ground ink and prepared her pen.
Picking up the pen, tears streaming down her face, she began to write a letter.
“Master, brothers and sisters,
Looking back on the past, Bai Yuexin is but a humble individual with limited knowledge and capabilities, unable to repay the kindness of the sect. Therefore, I request to resign and seek another path.
— Bai Yuexin”
Satisfied with the letter, Bai Yuexin removed her Xuanxing Sect Tianyun Peak disciple’s attire, neatly folded it, and placed it on the bed. She also removed her disciple’s waist badge and sword, placing them under the letter.
Taking two steps back, she bowed respectfully to her clothes.
“…”
Wiping her tears, she packed her belongings, hoisted them over her shoulders, and walked out of her room. Summoning the flying sword she had saved up for two years to purchase, she gracefully left the Xuanxing Sect.
…