Chapter 442: “It’s Time (1)”

It was thought the staying within the bamboo grove would give them the peace that was desired. They had never thought the the other disciples would be so bold to breach the boundaries to disrupt the tranquility.

Fan Zhuo stared with disapproval at Ah Jing, knowing very well what he had done.

“Ah Jing, if anything like this happens one more time, you can go back to the academy.” Fan Zhuo said with a sigh. Ah Jing had been around so long that Ah Jing had been thought to have as good as grown up together with him. Ah Jing had put Fan Zhuo’s interest before his own from young and though he was fiercely loyal, he had not been entirely bright. The fact was that Jun Xie had treated Fan Zhuo for quite a while and his condition had shown considerable visible progress. But even that had still not deterred Ah Jing from believing in the rumours in the academy, and Fan Zhuo had no choice but to issue an ultimatum.

Ah Jing stood blankly in the yard as he saw the cold stare that Fan Zhuo was giving him. Ah Jing felt as if he had been struck by lightning and he clenched his fists tightly, before he turned his stare towards Jun Xie.

Jun Wu Xie glanced at Ah Jing and pulled off a leaf from the bamboo and put it before her eyes before she turned to walk away without a word.

The Fan brothers followed Jun Xie into the hut and Fan Zhuo observed Jun Xie carefully. However, he did not notice anything different from usual and there was no anger.

“Little Xie, what did your action mean earlier?” Fan Zhuo noticed Jun Xie’s earlier action when he had put a leaf before his eyes and that had made Fan Zhuo curious.

** “Can’t see the forest for the trees.” Jun Wu Xie poured herself some tea and sat down to sip at it slowly.

The Fan brothers exchanged a glance and they understood immediately.

Jun Xie must have known of Ah Jing’s enmity towards him right from the beginning and in today’s incident, Jun Xie must have thought exactly as they had. Jun Xie had not said a word but had only thrown a hint as a reply to Ah Jing’s actions today.

“Cough, you shouldn’t take today’s incident to heart. I assure you that things like this will never happen again.” Fan Jin cleared his throat self consciously as he said those words. If it had been anyone else, he would have given that person a thrashing. But Ah Jing had been unwavering in his loyalty to Fan Zhuo for many years and his fists were a little hesitant to land heavily upon Ah Jing.

Jun Wu Xie gave Fan Jin a glance but remained silent.

Guarantee that such things would never happen again?

Jun Wu Xie’s mouth curled up at the corners, but there was absolutely no warmth in that.

As expected, two days later, the same farce played out once again within the bamboo grove. It was another group of disciples this time but the script had been almost the same.

Ah Jing did not even bother to appear this time and allowed the shouting and admonishments to continue unhindered.

Fan Jin was not around this time around and only Fan Zhuo and Jun Wu Xie were there. Faced with those shouting disciples, Fan Zhuo was just about to go out and drive them away when Jun Wu Xie stopped him.

“Leave them be.” Jun Wu Xie was perfectly calm within the room.

“You’re not angry?” Fan Zhuo stared at Jun Xie’s expressionless face and he totally admired Jun Xie for his impossible composure.

“I’m listening.” Jun Wu Xie replied.

“Listening to what?”

“To hear what the one behind all this is up to.” Jun Wu Xie was looking at the tea within her cup and her eyes were fixated on a pale green tea leaf floating in the middle upon the tea’s surface. Jun Wu Xie pushed her little finger onto the floating tea leaf lightly and the tea’s surface broke as it rippled towards the sides of the cup.

Fan Zhuo did not answer, not understanding what Jun Xie had meant.

“The day of the Spirit Hunt is coming up fast.” Jun Wu Xie looked up, as she looked out the window, staring at the lush green grove of bamboos.

“That’s right.” Fan Zhuo could not fathom what Jun Xie was thinking.

“It’s time.” Jun Wu Xie turned her gaze back into the room. Things have come to a point. She had completed redesigning the Spirit Healing technique. And the time is ripe.

“Little Xie?” Fan Zhuo’s eyes had remained on Jun Xie all this while. He suddenly felt a change come over Jun Xie and he seemed to be different from his usual self. That impenetrable calm had gradually faded from his eyes and was replaced by a terrifying chill.

** Translator’s note: Chinese idiom was used here, read as “yī yè zhàng mù” and 一葉障目 in Chinese characters.

Literal translation says “eyes obscured by a single leaf”, meaning when a person cannot see the wider picture and sees only what is foremost before their eyes. Hence I inserted “Can’t see the forest for the trees” in translation.

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