Chapter 15: A Celestial Meridian Revealed

The senior disciple, utterly humiliated, clutched their chest and fled in haste. Barely two steps out of the room, they stumbled upon the Sect Master and his retinue, who had been observing in the courtyard for quite some time.

Their mind was thrown into disarray, and they even forgot to pay their respects, their steps quickening in their desperate escape.

***

“Heh heh~ So this is the child the Sect Master asked me to treat? From what I see, he’s full of vigor; he doesn’t need treatment at all! What does it matter if his right hand is crippled?

With the left-handed swordsmanship he just displayed, he could still become unparalleled in the world!”

A gaunt, wizened old man with a sharp face cackled.

“If this Venerable One is not mistaken, the child must be left-handed! He actually hid his true strength during this grand competition! It truly opens my eyes!

If both his hands were intact, I couldn’t even imagine what heights he would reach in the future! What a pity! A true tragedy!”

Ji Wushuang’s twin sister shook her head, her regret for her miscalculation in ruining such a promising talent growing deeper.

Had she known this earlier, she would have certainly claimed the child as her disciple. It was only because she had underestimated him then; now, it was too late for regrets.

Elder Mu, who had initially been filled with worry, now found his anxiety considerably lessened.

A hint of joy even flickered in his eyes as he pondered inwardly: ‘Despite his right hand being crippled, the child remains composed. This unwavering resilience surpasses even that of adults; his future achievements are boundless.

With such a talent in the Demonic Sect, how could we ever lack successors? How could our clan’s bloodline fail to continue? Compared to the child, Wolf Girl immediately pales in comparison.

With Wolf Girl’s impulsive, hot-headed, and emotional nature, let alone leading the sect against enemies, she might well ruin the Demonic Sect’s century-old legacy!’ (Elder Mu had truly seen the light.)

The child was like an inexhaustible, endless treasure trove. For such a talent to fall into his hands was his sheer good fortune! In this life, he would undoubtedly impart all his knowledge, determined to cultivate the child into a peerless swordsman.

What was Wolf Girl? What was Wudang’s genius, Zhuo Yihang? In his eyes, none could compare to his own disciple.

Glancing at Elder Mu, whose expression was slightly agitated, Ji Wushuang’s vexation and anxiety deepened even further than when he arrived.

This child had repeatedly astonished him, evolving from initial admiration to his current fondness. He genuinely felt a reluctance to part with the child, and the surging waves of regret in his heart gave him a headache.

“Enough! Stop with the pointless chatter and quickly treat the child!” Irritated, Ji Wushuang’s tone turned harsh.

Hearing their conversation, the children in the room filed out, one after another, and collectively paid their respects to the Sect Master and his retinue.

“How are your injuries?” Ji Wushuang disregarded the other children, focusing solely on Shui Jingxuan, a hint of concern in his eyes.

“The pain has subsided, and I’ve regained sensation, though I’m still a bit weak. Thank you for your concern, Sect Master.” Shui Jingxuan bowed in reply, his attitude distant, entirely devoid of the docile obedience he had shown at the start of the competition.

At that time, he had believed he would be taken in as Ji Wushuang’s disciple, so naturally, he had tried to curry favor with his future master.

Now, having offended Wolf Girl, he feared Ji Wushuang might hold a grudge and make things difficult for him, so he naturally wanted to keep his distance.

The child’s distant attitude infuriated Ji Wushuang, yet facing the child’s innocent, pure phoenix eyes and his scarred right arm, he couldn’t bring himself to vent even a fraction of his frustration on him.

He could only turn to the High Priest, urging sternly, “What are you still standing there for? Go examine him at once.”

“Yes, yes, High Priest, please come in and treat my poor disciple!”

Elder Mu quickly agreed, dismissing the other disciples before stepping forward to embrace his beloved disciple’s shoulders, carefully leading him into the room and settling him onto a chair.

“Master, please don’t worry. I am quite well now.” Shui Jingxuan, touched by Elder Mu’s meticulous care, quickly offered words of comfort upon seeing his anxious expression.

“Whether you are well or not isn’t for you to decide. Let me examine you first.” The High Priest sat beside Shui Jingxuan, taking his right hand to inspect it repeatedly, occasionally channeling internal energy to probe.

“Oh?” He let out a sound of surprise, his expression utterly astonished.

Shui Jingxuan feared someone would discover his body’s unique nature, so he had been forcibly suppressing the extraordinary power in his dantian, inhibiting its healing effect on his wound.

Now, with his meridians still severed, he couldn’t guess why the High Priest was surprised, and a slight unease crept into his heart, causing his brow to furrow.

“What is it?” Ji Wushuang asked in a deep voice.

“Allow this subordinate to probe again!” The High Priest suppressed the astonishment in his heart and spoke with gravity.

Shui Jingxuan maintained a calm facade, but secretly, he rapidly circulated his extraordinary power, compressing the fist-sized, aquamarine energy into a pea-sized speck, terrified the High Priest would detect anything unusual.

Composed and solemn, the High Priest probed for a full quarter of an hour before releasing Shui Jingxuan’s pulse point. He slowly began, “The meridians in his right hand are shattered inch by inch, beyond repair! But…”

He paused, a hint of excitement showing in his expression, “But this child possesses a Celestial Meridian body; he has a great future ahead of him.”

“Celestial Meridian? You’re not mistaken?” Ji Wushuang and his twin sister spoke in unison, their voices filled with disbelief and uncertainty. Elder Mu was still in a state of extreme shock, momentarily speechless.

Although he didn’t understand what they were discussing, it was clearly not about his own extraordinary power, and Shui Jingxuan’s tense mood immediately relaxed.

He tugged at Elder Mu’s sleeve and asked, “Master, what is a Celestial Meridian?”

“A Celestial Meridian means one is born with the Ren and Du Meridians already opened. Those with Celestial Meridians cultivate internal energy with twice the efficiency, making rapid progress, and becoming a peerless master is merely a matter of time.”

Without waiting for Elder Mu’s response, Ji Wushuang explained eloquently, walking over to the child as he spoke, taking his pulse to examine it personally.

When the child was injured, Ji Wushuang’s twin sister had only used her internal energy to check his right arm, not probing deeper. Consequently, they had failed to detect such a significant matter immediately.

Shui Jingxuan nodded, understanding that his so-called ‘Celestial Meridian’ was a result of his extraordinary power refining his body. As his power flowed throughout his entire being, his Ren and Du Meridians had long since been opened.

“Indeed, it is a Celestial Meridian!” Releasing the child’s pulse point, Ji Wushuang announced with solemnity, then turned to the High Priest, his tone serious,

“Is there truly no way to heal his right hand?” It pained him intensely that such a rare talent, seen only once in a century, could not be taken as his disciple to learn his Demonic Poison Art.

Given the child’s aptitude, cultivating the Demonic Poison Art would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort.

Within a few years, he would surely achieve great mastery, becoming invincible and easily helping him avenge his clan’s extermination. Alas, it was now an impossible dream.

“Reporting to the Sect Master, if his meridians were severed by a single cut, this subordinate could still reattach them with silver needles.

However, his meridians were shattered inch by inch by a long whip. Unless a Great Immortal were present, it would be difficult to heal them,” the High Priest replied, shaking his head regretfully.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wushuang turned to stare at Shui Jingxuan’s right hand, which was wrapped in whip marks and lacerated skin. His sinister gaze seemed to wish it could penetrate the flesh and directly reattach each broken meridian.

Elder Mu, too, looked pained, continuously stroking his beloved disciple’s head, sighing repeatedly, “Heaven envies talent, heaven truly envies talent!”

“Master, there’s nothing to regret. As the saying goes, misfortune and fortune are intertwined.

Although my right hand is crippled and many martial arts cannot be learned, I can focus more on cultivating left-handed swordsmanship in the future, perhaps achieving even greater mastery in the way of the sword.

The essence of martial arts lies in focus and single-mindedness; losing my right arm might even be a good thing for me.”

Seeing Elder Mu so distressed, his old face twisted into a knot, Shui Jingxuan couldn’t bear it and quickly offered comfort.

He shouldn’t have comforted him. Elder Mu, who had only been somewhat conflicted, now had tears welling up in his eyes. Such a smart and sensible child; it was hard not to feel heartache for him.

“Haha, good! Excellently said! With these words, you are destined to soar to the heavens and rise to prominence!” Ji Wushuang’s twin sister clapped her hands and laughed heartily. As her words fell, she affectionately patted the child’s head.

The child’s unyielding spirit reminded her of her own and her younger brother’s childhood struggles learning martial arts.

They, too, were physically impaired, yet now, were they not standing among the ranks of peerless powerhouses? Physical imperfections could not hinder one’s destiny; what mattered was one’s spirit and perseverance.

The child’s words deeply moved her, adding another layer of genuine affection for him.

If even his iron-willed twin sister developed affection for the child, how much more so Ji Wushuang, who already admired him greatly?

He was now suppressing his inner regret and reluctance, almost to the point of internal injury. Hearing the child comfort Elder Mu, his cold, numb heart felt a dull ache.

Seeing Elder Mu embrace the child, looking both excited and content, made him feel irritated beyond measure.

“Very well! Although the meridians cannot be reattached, the High Priest must still do his best to treat the child’s right hand so that it isn’t completely useless, at least allowing him to manage daily tasks like dressing and eating independently,”

Ji Wushuang frowned, turning his head to avoid the scene of profound master-disciple affection before him, and instructed the High Priest.

“This, this subordinate can guarantee,” the High Priest quickly nodded in assent.

“Excellent.” Ji Wushuang nodded, gazing deeply at Shui Jingxuan before leaving with a somber expression. The intimate scene between the master and disciple was truly an eyesore, making him grit his teeth.

“This should have been my disciple!” Having walked a considerable distance, Ji Wushuang finally couldn’t help but murmur,

“If both his hands were intact, he could cultivate our Demonic Poison Art. Once he mastered it, he would surely help us cleanse the eight great sects, slaughter all the Manchu Tatars, and avenge our clan’s blood feud!”

“Little brother, what’s the use of saying all this now? It’s all because of your ‘good’ disciple! Hmph!” Ji Wushuang’s twin sister sneered, her own heart also deeply unsettled.

Ji Wushuang frowned fiercely at her words, his lips tightly pressed. He didn’t speak another word to his twin sister for the rest of the day.

Only he knew that, for the first time since raising Wolf Girl, a sense of dissatisfaction with her had arisen deep within him.

***

Despite Shui Jingxuan’s extraordinary talent, he was, for now, merely a minor inner disciple and did not attract much attention from the High Priest.

The High Priest bandaged Shui Jingxuan’s wound, left a few boxes of ointment and a prescription, instructing him to change the dressing daily, and then departed.

The High Priest’s lack of intention to personally check on his injuries daily actually brought Shui Jingxuan a sense of relief.

This way, he could immediately activate his extraordinary power to repair the wound.

Honestly, the sensation of severed meridians was not pleasant, especially for Shui Jingxuan, who was accustomed to a robust body and rarely experienced pain.

Thus, that very night, he completely mended the inch-by-inch shattered meridians. From then on, he only needed to wrap bandages daily for show.

Once the bandages could also be removed, Shui Jingxuan began his arduous journey of diligently cultivating left-handed swordsmanship.

Due to his exceptional talent and unparalleled comprehension, Elder Mu’s demands on him were particularly stringent, making the hardships of his training self-evident.

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