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In recent days, even the fragments of conversations overheard from Senior Sister Linglong were enough for him to grasp the intricate power dynamics of the mountain.
Thus, he now understood that dealing with Lu Chen was far from the simple task he had initially imagined.
If luck wasn't on his side, the incense meant for the Seventh Peak's Main Hall might never reach its destination.
If possible, he was willing to lend a hand where he could.
"Xu Taiping, don't you look down on me!"
Zi Jin clung tightly to the box of incense, her face set with stubborn defiance as she stared at Xu Taiping.
"If I can't even avenge my sister's death, what's the point of me clinging to life?"
After saying this, she fiercely wiped away her tears and turned to leave.
But just as she was about to leave Xu Taiping's line of sight, she suddenly turned back, gave him a deep bow, and said:
"Thank you, Taiping. Thank you for extending a hand to my sister in her most desperate moment."
With those words, she hesitated no longer and walked away.
Xu Taiping returned the bow from afar.
"Fairy Lingyue, perhaps it wasn't wise to entrust the incense to Senior Sister Zi Jin."
Xu Taiping murmured to himself as he watched Zi Jin's retreating figure.
"Taiping, remember, you're just a new disciple of the Qingxuan Sect, while Zi Jin has already secured her place at the Fifth Peak," Fairy Lingyue reminded him calmly.
Hearing this, Xu Taiping felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, snapping him back to reality.
Indeed, he was just an ordinary disciple of the Seventh Peak, capable of far less than Zi Jin.
Of course, the slight difference was that he had caring Senior Brothers and Sisters.
As Xu Taiping thought this, he turned to look at the entrance of the Wanjuan Tower.
Zhao Linglong and Dugu Qingxiao had just exited the tower.
Seeing him look over, Zhao Linglong grinned and waved vigorously at him.
"Little Junior Brother, hurry up! I'll take you to see your new residence!"
Zhao Linglong shouted to Xu Taiping.
Her voice dispelled the shadows in Xu Taiping's heart, leaving him feeling refreshed.
"I'm coming."
Xu Taiping smiled and nodded.
***
Seventh Peak.
High above the azure sky.
A flying sword and a celestial ribbon glided through the air, one after the other.
On the sword stood Xu Taiping and Dugu Qingxiao, while Zhao Linglong stood alone on the ribbon.
"I can't believe that Lu Chen from the Fifth Peak committed such atrocities down the mountain," Dugu Qingxiao frowned and snorted coldly after hearing Xu Taiping's story.
But that was all.
It wasn't that Dugu Qingxiao was heartless; it was just that he had seen too much of this on the mountain over the years.
"Even with the incense, at most, Lu Chen would be expelled from the mountain, only to return after a few years through the Seventh Peak's selection," Qingxiao said somewhat helplessly.
"Such a light punishment for such heinous acts?" Xu Taiping was puzzled.
"After all, Liu Qingmei was just an Outer Disciple with a White Spirit Bone, while Lu Chen is an Inner Disciple with a Black Spirit Bone. How do you think the Seventh Peak's Main Hall will weigh their importance?" Dugu Qingxiao said indifferently.
Xu Taiping fell silent.
Indeed, in the eyes of the mountain disciples, the lives of those below the mountain were as insignificant as weeds.
"However, this matter involves another Inner Disciple, so the outcome is still uncertain. Moreover, as far as I know, Zi Jin's talent for cultivation is quite extraordinary. Although she has a Black Spirit Bone, it's the rare Black Fire Bone. How this matter will be judged really depends on how Zi Jin handles it," Dugu Qingxiao added.
Hearing this, Xu Taiping felt somewhat relieved.
It seemed that Zi Jin carried much more weight among the mountain disciples than he did, and indeed, the matter could only be resolved by her.
"Even if I wanted to help, I probably couldn't do much," Xu Taiping murmured to himself.
"Junior Brother Taiping, look! That floating mountain on the side, connected by an iron chain, will be your new training ground!"
At that moment, Zhao Linglong, standing on the celestial ribbon, excitedly pointed to a floating mountain not far below.
"Come on, Junior Brother, let's go check out your new place," Qingxiao looked back at Xu Taiping.
"Thank you, Senior Brother," Xu Taiping nodded.
He no longer dwelled on the affairs of the Liu sisters and looked forward to the floating mountain with anticipation.
***
"Twilight Drum Mountain, Moon Perch Pavilion."
Atop the floating mountain, Zhao Linglong happily pointed to the plaque of a courtyard and said:
"This will be your new home and training ground, Taiping."
The scene felt strangely familiar to Xu Taiping.
It reminded him of three years ago when Senior Sister Linglong introduced him to the Green Bamboo Residence in the same way.
However, this Moon Perch Pavilion was more than ten times larger than the Green Bamboo Residence, not to mention that Twilight Drum Mountain, floating in the air, was also registered in his name.
The disparity between the treatment of Inner and Outer Disciples was evident.
Following Zhao Linglong and Dugu Qingxiao's lead, Xu Taiping carefully explored his future abode.
Firstly, it was a three-section courtyard.
Upon opening the gate, he was greeted by a large courtyard paved with azure gold bricks, its area alone comparable to his former Green Bamboo Residence.
The front courtyard had several rooms, including the gatehouse and storage rooms on either side.
Xu Taiping detected a strong scent of herbs in these rooms, guessing that the previous owner used them for storing dried medicinal materials.
The front courtyard was spacious, with a large ginkgo tree thick enough for two people to embrace and a grape trellis laden with fruit, under which stood a table and chairs.
Passing through the front courtyard led to a large main hall, where portraits of the Qingxuan Sect's five ancestors were enshrined.
Further back was the middle courtyard, ingeniously designed with a small pond with flowing water at its center and a gallery on either side for enjoying the view.
Through the gallery, one reached the study and bedroom of the courtyard's master.
Both the study and bedroom had large glass windows, offering a leisurely view of the middle courtyard's scenery.
Deeper in was the back courtyard, a separate space altogether.
Unlike the front and middle courtyards, this area had no decorations. Upon entering, one saw an open training ground paved with dark iron rock, surrounded by rows of weapon racks.
At the end of the back courtyard stood a three-story stone building constructed against the cliff.