Eastern Continent, Taiyi Sect.
The year has been unusually cold.
Though it was only early winter, a light yet persistent snowfall had already covered the mountainside.
Within the boundless expanse of white, a gray-robed young man was sweeping the snow.
This scene lay at the foot of Qingyu Peak, in an unremarkable medicinal garden.
The Taiyi Sect was one of the most prestigious great sects in the Eastern Continent, with a total of seven main peaks, with Qingyu Peak being one of them.
Unlike the other peaks, however, Qingyu Peak has long served as the residence for outer disciples; all newly admitted youths cultivate here until they reach the peak of the Qi Condensation stage.
Every disciple training on Qingyu Peak may undertake assignments from the Deacon Hall in exchange for rewards.
Tending this medicinal garden has been Gu An’s responsibility for nearly three years.
Gu An entered the Taiyi Sect three years ago, and his cultivation has reached only the seventh stage of Qi Condensation, still some distance from the peak.
The young man swept away the excess snow from the spiritual field, then casually wiped his forehead as if brushing off sweat that was not there. He set down the broom, brought two fingers together, and formed a hand seal in front of him.
Minor Cloud-and-Rain Technique.
It wasn’t a high-level spell. Every outer disciple knew it.
Its primary use was to water and fertilize spiritual fields.
Other than that… perhaps its convenience for washing one’s hands anytime and anywhere could also count?
Gu An let his thoughts wander as he controlled the technique, distributing a fine and even drizzle across the surrounding area.
Irrigating ten mu of spiritual fields was no difficult task for him as a seventh-layer Qi Condensation cultivator, though it still required a fair amount of time.
After roughly half an hour, sensing that his spiritual power was nearly depleted, Gu An ceased the technique and returned to the small courtyard.
Compared to before, his complexion had grown noticeably pale, and a large portion of his light gray robe was soaked through with sweat.
He was just about to find a clean spot to sit and rest when a clear, ringing crane cry suddenly echoed from the sky beyond the courtyard.
The crane was not yet in sight, but its call had already arrived.
Gu An’s expression shifted; he quickly rose and pushed the door open to greet it.
A pure white immortal crane about half as tall as he was descended slowly from above. It landed on one leg in the medicinal garden with head held high and its bearing elegant and composed.
Gu An’s gaze settled on the crane’s leg, where an object was clearly tied.
“Gu An, you have a letter!”
Upon seeing the young man emerge, the white crane spoke in human language. I had a steady, deep male voice.
Although he knew it was only a voice-recorded spell, Gu An still respectfully cupped his hands in salute and smiled. “Many thanks, Senior Brother Mo.”
“Caw!”
“Hehe, thank you as well.”
The youth broke into a smile, gently stroking the crane’s long neck before taking out a small handful of spirit grain from his pocket and spreading it across his palm.
The white crane did not stand on ceremony. It picked up a grain with its long beak, tilted its head slightly, and the spirit grain slipped smoothly into its stomach.
Judging by how familiar the two appeared, they had likely done this many times before.
Gu An placed the remaining spirit grain on the ground and proceeded to retrieve the letter tied to the crane’s leg.
Taking the opportunity, he opened the letter and began to read.
The handwriting was delicate and elegant, filling the page with flowing script.
As he read, the image of a bright and lively young girl seemed to reappear before his eyes.
This letter had been sent by his betrothed in the mortal world.
Gu An had arrived in this world ten years earlier.
Originally from Earth, he had transmigrated into this xianxia world due to an accident.
He had arrived in his physical body, only to find that it had shrunk significantly, leaving him with the appearance of a child of about seven or eight years old.
That same year, heavy snowfall sealed off the mountains. Gu An had believed himself doomed, yet at the brink of despair, a passing hunter rescued him and took him in.
After learning that he had no family, the hunter adopted him as his son and raised him.
The hunter also had a biological daughter who was two years younger than Gu An. She was gentle, lively, and kind-hearted.
The two lived and grew up together, and over time, mutual affection gradually developed between them. However, unlike the melodramatic scenarios often depicted in romance dramas, they simply confessed their feelings to each other during the Qixi Festival and pledged themselves to one another under the moonlight.
In this sense, their relationship may be regarded as that of childhood sweethearts who ultimately came together.
Initially, Gu An was unaware that this was a world where immortals existed.
He merely wished to devote himself to his studies, hoping that he might one day succeed in the imperial examinations, bring honor to his family, and provide his adoptive father and younger sister with a peaceful and happy life.
This aspiration, however, was shattered when he was fourteen years old.
A fairy once passed through Jiangjia Village. Upon seeing the young man studying quietly in the courtyard, she was greatly pleased and remarked that Gu An possessed a spiritual root and innate insight.
She then asked whether he would be willing to follow her back to the sect to pursue immortality and seek the Great Dao.
There was no doubt that this was an event of great significance for the entire Jiangjia Village.
The villagers quickly spread the news, and both his adoptive father and childhood friend strongly supported his decision, even encouraging him to go.
While deeply moved, Gu An became increasingly determined to distinguish himself. He silently vowed that he would one day achieve success and return home to repay their kindness.
With this, his thoughts returned to the present.
Reflecting on his current circumstances, a faint sense of bitterness arose in his heart.
Time flew by in the mountains.
In the span of three years, he had yet to rise beyond the status of an outer-sect disciple assigned to menial duties in the Taiyi Sect.
He had once believed himself to be some kind of prodigy in cultivation, the sort destined to follow the protagonist’s path from the xianxia novels of his previous life. But reality had dealt him a harsh blow.
What he thought was extraordinary talent was, in truth, nothing more than barely meeting the threshold to step onto the path of cultivation.
“Caw!”
A clear cry of the crane interrupted the young man’s daze.
Gu An snapped back to his senses, then took out a small handful of spirit grain from his pocket and placed it before the white crane.
“Wait a moment. I’ll write the reply now. It’ll be ready soon.”
“Caw, caw!”
Unexpectedly, even the immortal crane had its pride. It immediately let out two cries, lifting its head arrogantly.
Its pair of phoenix-shaped eyes as brilliant as red gemstones glanced sideways at him, as if to say: “Do you take this official to be tempted by such trifles?”
The boy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Knowing its temperament, he reached out and gently stroked its neck in reassurance.
“Alright, alright, I know you’re not that kind of crane…”
Only then did the white crane settle down.
Gu An returned to the room, found paper and brush, and began to write a reply to his betrothed.
Jiang Hongying. That was the young girl’s name.
Three years had passed in a flash. The little girl whose handwriting was once crooked and uneven had gradually developed into an elegant writing style and every line revealed how much she missed him.
[Brother An, it snowed in the city yesterday. I listened to you and Father and went to the private school, but why does it feel like that old teacher starts chanting scriptures the moment he opens his mouth? It makes people so sleepy… I asked the girl next to me, and she said she feels the same. Hmph, so it definitely isn’t my fault!]
[Haah, I wonder what the life of an immortal is like… By the way, do immortals still need to use the toilet?]
[Father was so annoying today. The moment he saw me writing a letter, he said I must be missing you again. Nonsense….I’m not missing you at all! So annoying, just as annoying as you!]
[Oh right, Brother An, that spirit herb you sent last time…Father had someone sell it a few days ago, and it fetched a lot of money. So you’re not allowed to send anything again this time, okay!]
The letter was long and filled with many such trivial details, recording bits and pieces of everyday life.
Gu An picked a few of them to reply to. For example, the girl complained that being able to send a letter only once every three months was far too long and asked whether she could use her personal savings to bribe the immortal crane responsible for delivering mail so that it would come more frequently next time.
For example, that old teacher was truly detestable. She had merely played a game of chess with the Duke of Zhou, yet was made to stand as punishment for an entire lesson. She asked whether Gu An had any magical treasure that would let her keep her eyes open while “playing chess” with the Duke of Zhou.
(TN: Meeting the Duke of Zhou is a humorous way of saying I was sleeping.)
She asked many scattered questions, all kinds of strange and curious things.
Only one thing she never asked. It was when they would be able to meet again.
Gu An quickly finished his reply, carefully folded it, and placed it into an envelope.
Holding the letter, he stepped out of the small courtyard.
The white crane in the spirit field had already grown somewhat impatient. As soon as he finished tying the letter, it immediately spread its wings and soared into the sky.
Watching the crane disappear into the distance, the young man fell slightly into a daze.
His little sister did not ask, because she did not wish to distract him.
But he could not help thinking about it.
The Taiyi Sect’s disciple recruitment allowed a limit of three years.
If by the end of the year, which was just one month from now, he could not reach the peak of Qi condensation, then according to the rules, he would have to leave the mountain and seek another path.
Only…
Could he truly accept that?
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