Fusang Sword Heart Diagram

Chapter 3 Star Sword Token
Xiao Qiu opened her bright, clear eyes and said with a grin, "Miss, it's not crowded at the foot of the mountain now, you should hurry up and go up the mountain!"

Xu Jianjia helped Xiao Qiu down from the sedan chair, gave the sedan bearers a few taels of silver, and told them they could take the sedan chair back.

Gu Pingsheng's eyelids twitched involuntarily as he watched this scene. This was hardly the kind of thing people did to seek immortality and enlightenment; it was far too childish!
If this girl successfully reaches the top and joins the sect, he will probably find it difficult to live a peaceful life in the future.

The rule of the Southern Star Sword Sect is that each elder in charge of the disciple recruitment assessment will lead this batch of disciples, and this year it just so happens to be Gu Pingsheng's turn.

He kept telling himself that this clever girl might not pass the test, and if she did, she wouldn't be able to take the Star Sword Token back for him.

Being far away, Ning Fusang and the others did not hear what Gu Pingsheng and Xu Jianjia were saying, but they did see that Elder Gu seemed to have accepted something from them.

"Elder Gu accepts bribes so openly? It's truly an insult to civility!" Xiang Xiaozhi said with a pained expression.

She had always held Elder Gu in high esteem and had even hoped to become his disciple after the sect competition. Seeing Gu Pingsheng openly accepting bribes, her heart shattered into two pieces.

Ning Fusang was bored and was about to leave when a fierce blizzard swept in. She raised her hand to cover her face, and after the blizzard stopped, she lowered her wrist, revealing a young man on the cloud platform.

The young man was dressed in white, the same color as the snow, with a jeweled necklace hanging at his waist, which perfectly dispelled the blandness around him. He smiled gently in the wind, and with a light turn of his right hand, his sword flew into its sheath automatically. His skillful swordsmanship made the girls envious.

But everyone remembered their manners and bowed slightly to the boy:

"Greetings, Senior Brother Shen."

Shen Yuanxi smiled, full of confidence: "No need for formalities."

His gaze shifted, and he was quite surprised to see Ning Fusang there as well, a hint of interest appearing in his eyes.

I wonder who has such great ability to invite the Fusang junior sister here.

Joking aside, Shen Yuanxi didn't need to say anything sarcastic and make himself unpopular. He turned his gaze back to the foot of the mountain.

“Elder Gu did not accept bribes,” Shen Yuanxi said calmly. “He accepted the Star Sword Token.”

The words had barely left his mouth when the group of girls widened their eyes and asked in unison, "The Star Sword Token?"

Ning Fusang, who was about to leave, paused slightly upon hearing this.

"Is the Star Sword Token that Senior Brother Shen is referring to, which was sent out by our Southern Star Sword Sect's founding ancestor at the beginning of the sect's establishment?"

"I heard that those who possess the Star Sword Token can enter the mountain without taking the test."

"The last time the Star Sword Token appeared in the world was a hundred years ago. I never thought we would be so lucky to witness the appearance of the Star Sword Token."

"Xu Jianjia is the lucky one. She possesses a Star Sword Token, so it's a sure thing that she'll become our junior sister."

A young girl turned to Bai Qingci and asked, "Qingci, you and Xu Jianjia used to be neighbors. Have you ever heard of the Star Sword Token before?"

Bai Qingci shook her head.

It's possible that Xu Jianjia obtained the Star Sword Token in Dongyao Mingzhou, but these speculations would only lead to further discussion. Bai Qingci found this annoying and simply shook her head, indicating that she didn't know.

The girls chattered away like sparrows on a branch, but their voices were beautiful and didn't annoy anyone.

Shen Yuanxi finally found a chance to speak:
"Actually, the Star Sword Tokens were issued twice. The first time was the one that everyone knows about after the founding ancestor established the sect. There were five tokens in total, and four have already been collected."

"Another time, the sect's records did not contain details, nor did they specify the date. All that was known was that eleven pieces were distributed. There was no record of who received them or why they were distributed. Perhaps the relevant records were lost."

After all, such a major event would not go unrecorded by the sect, and Shen Yuanxi could only think of the possibility that the records had been lost.

No one thought there was anything wrong with it. Besides, the Star Sword Token had nothing to do with them anyway, so why bother with such things?
Amidst their laughter and conversation, no one noticed Ning Fusang's departure.

The spring chill was biting, and when the wind blew, it chilled one to the bone and froze one's blood. Ning Fusang circulated the meager spiritual energy within her body, and only then did she feel a trace of warmth. She walked through the mountains, climbing the steps steadily and unhurriedly, her demeanor relaxed, as if taking a stroll. Occasionally, she would stop to appreciate the mountain scenery.

The mountain streams solidified into transparent icicles, like jade ribbons, hanging on the cliffs, crystal clear and without the slightest impurity.

The rocks are mostly dark in color, solemn and silent. Covered with white snow, they resemble a silent ink painting. Plum branches peeking out from the forest bring this painting to life.

The wind and snow carry fragrance, along with rouge.

Ning Fusang opened her hand and caught the bright red petal, without clenching her fist. In just a moment, the petal was swept away by the wind and snow.

It would take her about three hours to walk back from here, which would be the warmest time of the afternoon, perfect for washing the sword.

Ning Fusang finally revealed a gentle smile in her eyes.

She looked at the Dudao Peak next to her. Above the halfway point, the peaks were graceful, refreshing and beautiful. A hundred feet down, countless dark heads were piled up together, making the mountain look very heavy and cumbersome.

At all times, people have been eager to become immortals.

Ningfusang continued upwards.

As the sun gradually moved from the east to the center of the sky, Ning Fusang climbed up, and even without using spiritual power, she felt an indescribable heat within her body.

Beads of sweat glistened on her thin cheeks and fell silently into the snow.

Ning Fusang casually wiped his hand and then walked towards the Sword Washing Pool.

Someone called out to her from behind.

Ning Fusang stopped, turned around, and raised a faint smile. The smile on her lips was like an ice flower swaying in the cold wind, both clear and beautiful, making people feel dizzy.

"Elder Yu."

Ning Fuguang readily agreed.

Yu Wanwu was a middle-aged man with stern features and an imposing presence. His eyes were deep and clear, as if they could see through everything.

The person the sect disciples least wanted to deal with was Elder Master Yu.

Unlike ordinary elders, he did not carry a sword at his waist, but a ruler. Yu Wanwu said, "I have already asked the sect leader for a favor, and you will no longer need to go to the Sword Washing Pool to wash your sword."

Yu Wanwu glanced at Ning Fusang, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "After the new disciples have entered the sect, you will study with them."

He spoke earnestly, like a senior who had worked tirelessly for his students: "Ning Fusang, don't waste your talent for a moment's anger."

"Practice your swordsmanship diligently. With your talent, you won't be much worse than He Jiaxiu."

Three years ago, it was Yu Wanwu who insisted on punishing her by sending her to the Sword Washing Pool; three years later, it was also Yu Wanwu who persuaded her to leave the Sword Washing Pool.

Ning Fusang chuckled: "Elder Yu, you're overthinking it. I'm not being stubborn."

"Furthermore, you have taught me before, and you should know better than anyone that I am slow-witted."

Seeing her like this, Yu Wanwu said with exasperation, "Even if it's a stubborn rock, can't I, Yu Wanwu, carve it out?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Wanwu realized that he had spoken rashly, comparing Ning Fusang to a stubborn rock. He awkwardly explained:
"I'm not saying you're a stubborn rock."

"Only by cutting open a stubborn rock can one recognize jade, and only by sifting through mud and sand can one find gold. Ning Fusang, you may be jade hidden in a stubborn rock, or gold covered by mud and sand. You should not let yourself give up and waste your youth until it is too late to regret."

(End of this chapter)