Chương 109: 1.106 In which Ning is exposed~

Ge Xuan sat comfortably at the small stone table, a steaming bowl of braised short-rib stew before him and a small dish of cloud-milk ice cream waiting beside it. He took a bite of the tender meat, paused briefly at the taste, then immediately went back for another.

"Oh, this is good." Ge Xuan looked genuinely pleased.

"I knew I smelled something delicious when I came over. Good thing I was hungry too." Ning maintained a polite smile, though internally he deadpanned. Of course you did. The Sect Master had barely finished asking about his condition before mentioning the smell. It was a wonder how he even smelled it in the first place given the distance, but Ning wasn't going to question it.

"I'm glad it suits Sect Master's taste."

"It does." Ge Xuan nodded, then noticed the small dish beside his bowl.

"What's this?"

"Cloud-milk ice cream. It's a frozen dessert." Ge Xuan tried a spoonful, and his eyebrows immediately rose.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." While Ge Xuan continued eating, Ning took the opportunity to study the man sitting across from him properly. He still found it somewhat difficult to believe that this was Sect Master Ge Xuan, the person he'd heard so much about over the past week. He'd already had quite a reputation beforehand, but the recent incident had only made that reputation even more ridiculous.

Ning himself had gained quite a bit of clout after everything that happened, especially once word spread about his involvement in stopping the ritual, but whatever attention he received had been thoroughly overshadowed by Ge Xuan. Which, honestly, was good for him. The man had arrived at the very end, cut through space with his sword, dealt with the remaining enemies, and then somehow used a fucking sword to heal people. It was stuff like this that reminded Ning just how far he still had to go.

Whatever path Ge Xuan had chosen with the sword, the man had clearly walked frighteningly far along it. Several recordings of the incident were already circulating among the disciples, and Ning had naturally watched them. Repeatedly. Purely for research purposes, of course, and definitely not because watching someone slice through space like a piece of cloth was cool as hell. He had also taken the opportunity to gather some information about the Sect Master himself.

From everything Ning heard, Ge Xuan was famously carefree, rarely concerned himself with formalities, and generally behaved not at all as one would expect of a dignified sect leader of one of the leading golden core sects. Looking at the man happily eating stew in his little hut, Ning could certainly see where that reputation came from. Still, carefree or not, the person sitting before him was the Sect Master. Ning straightened slightly and cupped his hands.

"May I ask what this humble disciple can do for the honored Sect Master?" Ge Xuan's face immediately scrunched up.

"Don't give me that crap. Just talk normally." Ning paused, then lowered his hands.

"... Yes, Sect Master." He adjusted quickly enough. From everything Ning had learned about Ge Xuan, the man had always preferred people who acted like themselves rather than putting on airs around him. He had even once famously said that if everyone kept bowing and scraping whenever he entered a room, he might as well start talking to the walls.

"Much better." Ge Xuan took another spoonful of stew, apparently satisfied.

"Anyway, I'm here to give you your rewards." Ning's eyes immediately lit up. Rewards? Truly, there were few words in the cultivation world more beautiful. Ge Xuan seemed entirely unaware of the sudden shift in Ning's priorities.

"You and Xiao Fan played a major role in stopping the ritual and preventing considerably more damage to the sect. Normally, contributions like that would be handled through merit, but considering the circumstances, we've decided to reward you directly." Ge Xuan briefly went over the rewards: increased monthly subsidies, star-marked pills, improved spiritual qi in their residences, a technique of their choice from the Scripture Pavilion, and one entry into the Spirit Tempering Pond.

Ning blinked after hearing the list.

"... Uh." Ge Xuan looked up from his stew.

"What's wrong? Not satisfied?"

"No, no. This disciple is deeply grateful for the sect's generosity." Ning smiled politely while privately reassessing the rewards. The pills were... alright. A year ago, he probably would've been ecstatic, but now that Ling Xin had taken him as a disciple, ordinary cultivation pills had lost some of their former appeal. Having an alchemist for a master had rather dramatically altered his standards when it came to drugs. The increased spiritual energy density, on the other hand, was excellent.

There was nothing flashy about it, but an entire year of faster cultivation was exactly the kind of boring, reliable reward Ning appreciated. Similarly, the technique reward was also pretty good. Then there was the Spirit Pond. Ning's smile faded ever so slightly. He didn't know much about it beyond the fact that it was one of the sect's more valuable cultivation grounds, and under normal circumstances, he would have been delighted to receive the opportunity.

Unfortunately, something about it was making his instincts itch. A special cultivation ground. A rare opportunity. Limited access. Almost certainly filled with talented disciples. Ning could already feel his plot sense tingling. Once upon a time, he might have dismissed that feeling as simple paranoia. After everything he'd experienced since meeting Xiao Fan, however, Ning had learned to trust it.

If his instincts told him that entering some rare, highly coveted cultivation ground sounded suspiciously like the beginning of another arc, he wasn't going to ignore them. Still, while the rewards were undoubtedly generous, Ning felt there was one rather important thing missing.

"Sect Master, may I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Would it be possible for the sect to reimburse me for the resources I used during the incident?" Ge Xuan paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. Ning continued, entirely serious.

"I used quite a few talismans, pills, arrows, and other materials. If possible, I'd like to submit an invoice for everything." Ge Xuan slowly lowered his spoon and stared at him for a moment.

"You know, that's a first."

"..." Ning blinked. Ge Xuan looked openly amused.

"I told you to treat me casually, but I didn't expect you to immediately start billing the sect." Ning wasn't entirely sure whether that meant he had crossed a line, and he sincerely hoped not. If there was one thing he desperately needed right now, it was spirit stones. After everything he'd spent during the incident, he was well and truly broke. Forget expensive cultivation resources; he didn't even own a storage bag, for heaven's sake.

"... So, rejected?" Ning asked cautiously. Ge Xuan chuckled.

"Who said anything about rejecting it? You used your own resources to help save the sect. Write up the expenses and give them to me. I'll pass it along to Shen Kuo. He handles the treasury." Ning's expression shifted slightly at the familiar name. Elder Shen Kuo was the Foundation Establishment elder responsible for the sect's finances and treasury. More importantly, Ning knew of him through his brother, Elder Shen of the Scripture Pavilion.

Ning had heard Elder Shen complain more than once about how stingy his brother was, how he never gave him anything, and how every request for spirit stones was treated as though some penniless bum had wandered in off the street to beg for money. And honestly, Ning could see why.

Unlike most Foundation Establishment elders, Elder Shen seemed perfectly content to lounge around the Scripture Pavilion all day, reading questionable books in full view of young disciples and generally living the life of a cultivator who had discovered the Dao of doing absolutely nothing. If Ning weren't cursed with an insatiable curiosity to see how far he could push himself, that kind of life would actually be rather appealing.

Though he would definitely need to introduce some proper entertainment to this world first. Illusion techniques combined with virtual reality would go crazy.

"Then I sincerely appreciate Sect Master's generosity." Ning reached for the Frozen Breath Wine and refilled Ge Xuan's cup. Ge Xuan accepted it with a pleased smile. He found himself rather entertained by the disciple sitting across from him. Ning addressed him respectfully and clearly understood the difference in their positions, yet he wasn't so intimidated that he became stiff or afraid to ask for what he wanted. The moment Ge Xuan told him to relax, Ning had apparently taken him at his word.

It was much more pleasant than dealing with disciples who looked ready to prostrate themselves every time he opened his mouth.

"Alright." Ge Xuan finally set his spoon down, and some of the amusement faded from his expression.

"Now that we've settled your rewards and your future invoice, let's talk about the more serious stuff." Ning's expression also became serious. He knew there was something more to this matter; it would be strange for the Sect Master to come here just to deliver the rewards. Ge Xuan's expression grew a little more serious.

"Lei Shen prepared far too many contingencies for my liking, so I want to make sure he didn't leave anything behind in you." Ning blinked.

"Anything behind?"

"A fragment of his soul, demonic qi, some kind of possession method, a backup body plan. Something along those lines." Ge Xuan waved a hand casually.

"Don't worry. It'll only take one slash." Ning's expression changed.

"One what-" Ge Xuan's fingers moved. There was no warning and barely any sense of spiritual energy gathering. One moment the Sect Master was sitting across from him, and the next, a thin sword light had already crossed the table. Ning didn't even have time to flinch. The slash passed through his body. For one terrifying instant, Ning genuinely felt as though Ge Xuan had cut him in half. His eyes went wide, and his entire body locked up as his mind desperately tried to process what had just happened.

Yet there was no pain, no blood, not even a tear in his robes. Instead, the sword light seemed to have passed straight through his flesh and touched something far deeper. Before Ning could even recover from the shock, the diamond-shaped mark hidden beneath his bangs suddenly blazed with golden light. A faint ripple spread through his consciousness as the Soul Ferrying Scripture activated on its own, responding to whatever Ge Xuan's sword had touched. Ge Xuan's eyebrows rose.

"Oh?" Ning, meanwhile, remained completely rigid, one hand instinctively pressed against his chest as if checking whether he was, in fact, still in one piece. He was. The golden light lingered for several breaths before gradually fading. Ge Xuan leaned back, visibly impressed.

"Well, I'll be damned. The Tower Spirit wasn't exaggerating. You really did complete the Soul Ferrying Scripture." Ning stared at him.

"Sect Master."

"Hm?"

"You could have just asked me," Ning said flatly. Ge Xuan grinned.

"Where's the fun in that?" Ning opened his mouth to argue, only to slowly close it again. This was the Sect Master he was talking to. Who exactly was he supposed to complain to, the Disciplinary Committee? Hello. I'd like to report the Sect Master for randomly slashing me. Yeah, he was sure that would go wonderfully. Ning sighed. Hierarchy really was a beautiful thing when you were the bastard standing at the very top of it.

"Besides, asking wouldn't tell me what I actually needed to know." Ge Xuan's tone remained relaxed, but his eyes were considerably sharper now.

"Lei Shen managed to survive death several times through methods nobody expected. After everything that happened, we can't simply assume the soul you ferried was his final contingency. I needed to make sure there wasn't any foreign soul fragment hiding inside you, any demonic influence affecting your thoughts, or anything waiting for the right moment to take control." Ning's blood ran cold. Was he checking for possession?

Only then did Ning fully understand what that slash had been examining, and for perhaps the first time since Ge Xuan arrived, he felt genuinely frightened. There was, technically speaking, a foreign soul inside Ji Ning's body. His. Ning had spent months worrying about people discovering his unusual knowledge, questioning his behavior, or somehow realizing that he wasn't originally from this world.

Yet he'd never seriously considered the possibility of someone simply possessing a sword technique capable of checking whether the soul inside his body belonged there. Holy shit. He had almost been exposed without even knowing he was being tested. Fortunately, the Soul Ferrying Scripture had reacted normally, and whatever Ge Xuan's sword had examined apparently hadn't found anything suspicious about him.

Ning had no idea whether that was because his transmigration was fundamentally different from possession, because his soul had completely integrated with this body, or because the scripture itself had somehow obscured the difference. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Whatever the reason, Ning wasn't about to investigate while Ge Xuan was sitting three feet away. For once, ignorance seemed considerably safer.

Ge Xuan, completely unaware of the crisis Ning had just experienced, nodded with satisfaction.

"You're clean. No foreign influence, no demonic qi attached to your soul, and nothing that looks like Lei Shen preparing to crawl back out of you in a few months."

"That's... reassuring." Ning meant that far more sincerely than Ge Xuan could possibly know.

"You're also ridiculously lucky," Ge Xuan continued.

"Completing the Soul Ferrying Scripture at your cultivation is impressive enough, but you somehow managed to use it successfully on the remnant soul of a Purple Mansion cultivator on your first proper attempt."

"He was severely weakened, and I couldn't have done it without Xiao Fan's help," Ning pointed out.

"I figured. If Lei Shen hadn't been weakened, you'd be dead." Ge Xuan said it as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. It kind of was, to be honest.

"But weakened or not, a Purple Mansion soul is still a Purple Mansion soul. The difference in quality alone should have made ferrying him far beyond what someone at your cultivation could normally handle." Ge Xuan looked at Ning for a moment, his earlier amusement returning.

"You survived, completed the scripture, successfully ferried Lei Shen, and apparently came out of the whole mess without anything possessing you." He chuckled.

"I'd say you did pretty well." Ning gave him a polite smile. Internally, he was still stuck on the words without anything possessing you. That had been far too close for comfort. He had come this close to being exposed. Ning's attention returned to the faint warmth still lingering between his brows. Ge Xuan noticed Ning's expression and continued, "Still, I didn't expect you to have accumulated this much merit already. Ferrying a Purple Mansion soul really is something else." Ning's attention shifted toward him.

He knew that the Soul Ferrying Scripture granted heavenly merit for ferrying ghosts, lingering souls, and other spiritual existences that had fallen outside the natural order of life and death, but he hadn't known exactly how much Lei Shen's soul had been worth. Ge Xuan seemed to read the question on his face.

"Merit isn't spiritual qi, so you can't normally use it for cultivation, but having it around is rarely a bad thing. It wards against evil influences, protects the mind and soul, and is even said to improve one's karmic fortune." Ning's eyes sharpened slightly. Karmic fortune? So... luck? If that was true, Ning certainly wasn't going to complain. Living this close to a protagonist, he would take every scrap of additional luck heaven was willing to throw his way.

"And if you accumulate enough merit," Ge Xuan continued, "you can eventually condense it into a Merit Lotus. That's when it becomes truly useful. A Merit Lotus can protect the body and soul, suppress evil influences, and even assist with cultivation. There are probably other uses as well, but I've never personally met anyone who formed a merit lotus of that level."

"I see." Ning nodded. He was getting a much clearer idea now.

"You're nowhere near that point, obviously, but you did start with a rather ridiculous target." Ge Xuan chuckled.

"Lei Shen may have been reduced to a miserable remnant, but he was still the soul of a former Purple Mansion cultivator. Ferrying him earned you far more merit than dealing with an ordinary wandering ghost." He gestured toward Ning's forehead.

"That's also what stopped my sword just now. The merit surrounding your soul naturally resists harmful spiritual influences, so when my sword touched your soul, it reacted on its own." Ning nodded slowly, then paused. Wait. If the merit had protected him from the sword, then surely that protection hadn't come for free. He immediately focused inward. The warm golden presence surrounding his soul was still there, but compared to before Ge Xuan's little experiment, it had noticeably thinned.

Ning's expression slowly flattened. He had nearly killed himself ferrying the remnant soul of a Purple Mansion cultivator to earn that merit, and Ge Xuan had just casually burned through a noticeable chunk of it to satisfy his curiosity.

"... Sect Master."

"Hm?" Ge Xuan looked up, noticing the subtle change in Ning's tone.

"Doesn't that mean your sword just used up some of my already limited merit?" Ge Xuan paused. Ning stared at him across the table. Ge Xuan stared back, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. Ge Xuan finally laughed.

"Alright, alright. I'll keep that in mind next time." Then, with absolutely no shame, he changed the subject.

"More importantly, where did you learn the Soul Ferrying Scripture? The Scripture Pavilion?" Ning sighed inwardly. The man had just used the exact same tactic Ning himself employed whenever a conversation started moving somewhere inconvenient. Still, he nodded.

"Yes, Sect Master." Ge Xuan's eyebrows rose.

"Really? I thought the copy stored there was incomplete."

"It was incomplete," Ning admitted.

"I managed to reconstruct the missing portions with the help of my supernatural ability." Fortunately, since he'd already decided to reveal his supernatural ability, there was no real need to hide how he'd done it. The safest secret was often one that contained enough truth to survive scrutiny. Ge Xuan's interest immediately sharpened.

"Oh? An ability capable of completing an incomplete scripture?" He set his spoon aside and gave Ning a more careful look.

"I remember your reports mentioning that your comprehension of spells was unusually high as well. What did you awaken? Bodhi Mind? Heavenly Deduction? Myriad Law Insight?" Ning shook his head as soon as the words left the Sect Master's mouth.

"Nothing like that. My ability is called Know Thyself." Ge Xuan paused, clearly not having expected that answer.

"Know Thyself? The one that improves a cultivator's awareness of themselves?"

"That's the one." Ge Xuan stared at him for several seconds, as though waiting for Ning to reveal that he was joking. When no further explanation came, his disbelief only grew.

"You're serious?" Ning's eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Completely serious."

"Huh." Ge Xuan leaned back, looking genuinely puzzled now.

"I didn't know Know Thyself could do anything like that. I met a disciple with the same ability years ago, and he wasn't particularly remarkable."

"Can you please tell me about it?" Ning became curious. Maybe he could derive another path for Know Thyself.

"The only interesting thing I remember about him was that he awakened spiritual sense during the first stage of Qi Condensation," Ge Xuan continued.

"Ridiculously early, obviously, but that was about it. His Know Thyself seemed to manifest almost entirely as an unusually precise awareness of his own body and spirit." Ning blinked. That actually made quite a bit of sense. Know Thyself didn't appear to grant one fixed ability. It manifested according to how its owner understood the concept of the self.

If that disciple had grown up in a cultivation family and already knew about spiritual sense, then perhaps his mind had naturally associated greater self-awareness with perceiving his own body and spirit through something similar. In Ning's case, his understanding of the self had been shaped by an entirely different life, along with a far broader collection of concepts to draw upon. It wasn't surprising that the same supernatural ability had developed differently.

"I think it depends on how we perceive ourselves, or perhaps on how the ability manifests for each individual," Ning explained.

"Could be." Ge Xuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Supernatural abilities can be strange like that. Still, turning Know Thyself into something capable of helping you reconstruct techniques is impressive." Ning nodded, satisfied that the Sect Master finally understood the glory of Know Thyself. After all, this was the ability responsible for helping his numbers go brrr. What greater proof of greatness did one need?

"Especially considering how weak the ability normally is." Ning's satisfaction immediately vanished. He wanted to defend his supernatural ability's honor, but unfortunately, recent events had given him a painfully clear idea of what genuinely powerful supernatural abilities looked like. And that wasn't even mentioning whatever ridiculous sword-related ability Ge Xuan himself possessed. From what Ning had heard, the man had cut apart an intangible inner demon with his sword. Oh well.

Comparing Know Thyself to absurdly overpowered abilities like that was just asking to feel inadequate. Ning decided to spare himself the comparison and changed the subject.

"Since I've completed the Soul Ferrying Scripture, should I give the completed version back to the Scripture Pavilion?"

"Only if you want to." Ge Xuan shook his head.

"The sect isn't going to demand a technique you completed through your own comprehension. If you contribute it, you'll naturally receive merit for it, but the decision is yours." He paused before adding, "Though I'm not sure how many disciples could actually cultivate the completed version."

"Why?" Ning asked. He already knew firsthand how useful the technique could be. The merit it granted had just protected his soul from Ge Xuan's inspection and, more importantly, kept his transmigration from being exposed.

"Simply because very few people can meet the prerequisite for cultivating it," Ge Xuan explained.

"The Ferrying Mind may only be considered the first level of Buddhist mind cultivation, but even that is difficult for an ordinary person to attain." He tilted his head and studied Ning for a moment.

"Honestly, I'm a little surprised you managed it yourself. The scripture has given your spirit a certain calm, compassionate quality, but I can tell that wasn't part of your natural temperament." Ning understood what he meant. A cultivator's path often left subtle traces upon their presence. Sword cultivators could carry an almost tangible sharpness, while those who practiced certain demonic arts might feel cold or oppressive. The Soul Ferrying Scripture was no different.

Since mastering it, Ning had begun to exude a faint sense of purity and compassion, almost like the peaceful presence associated with Buddhist cultivators. A faint grin appeared on Ge Xuan's face.

"Simply put, you don't exactly strike me as the monk type." Ning couldn't really argue with that. He certainly wasn't the sort to devote himself selflessly to the good of all living beings.

"Luck," Ning said simply.

"I happened to understand it at the right moment." Ge Xuan looked at him for a moment before chuckling.

"That's some luck." Ning gave a modest smile. For once, he wasn't even being humble. It really had been luck bestowed by the protagonist halo. Unfortunately, taking advantage of Xiao Fan's luck required being close enough to get caught up in his protagonist-grade shenanigans. Ning wasn't particularly eager to test that strategy again.

"Well, you don't need to worry about handing the completed version over," Ge Xuan said.

"For one thing, the version you reconstructed through your supernatural ability may not even be identical to the original. And if the sect truly wanted the complete Soul Ferrying Scripture, we could simply buy a copy."

"You could?" Ning blinked. Obviously, a sect as large as the Pure Qi Sect could purchase techniques from elsewhere. What surprised him was that they had kept an incomplete copy in the Scripture Pavilion instead of simply acquiring the missing portions.

"It's not some priceless lost inheritance." Ge Xuan waved a hand.

"The Soul Ferrying Scripture is quite famous in the Western Desert, where the Buddhist sects flourish. A complete copy would be expensive, but getting one wouldn't be particularly difficult for the sect."

"Then why keep an incomplete version in the Scripture Pavilion?" Ning actually had this question for a while.

"Because buying every interesting technique we come across would bankrupt the sect within a decade." That was considerably more practical than Ning had expected. Ge Xuan chuckled at his expression.

"The Scripture Pavilion isn't filled only with techniques we expect disciples to cultivate directly. Over the centuries, we've accumulated damaged manuals, fragments recovered from ruins, and incomplete inheritances obtained through one means or another. As long as they're safe to study, why throw them away?" He leaned back slightly.

"A disciple might find inspiration in one, repair part of it, or use its principles elsewhere. And if someone shows exceptional compatibility with an incomplete inheritance, then we know spending the spirit stones to obtain the complete version might actually be worthwhile." Ning nodded. That made considerably more sense. For a sect that had existed for generations, incomplete knowledge was still knowledge. There was no reason to discard something merely because it wasn't immediately useful.

In his case, the system had worked rather better than intended. Instead of proving the technique was worth purchasing, he'd simply filled in the missing pieces himself.

"I see." That explanation also reminded Ning of something.

"Sect Master, you mentioned earlier that one of my rewards was access to a technique, correct?"

"That's right." Ge Xuan nodded.

"Could I choose it now?" Ge Xuan glanced at him with mild surprise.

"Now?"

"If that's alright."

"Sure." Ge Xuan shrugged.

"You've earned it. What do you want?" Ning didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head toward Fenghuang. The bird had been nearby throughout their conversation, and the moment Ning looked over, Fenghuang raised its head and stared back at him. Their gazes met for a moment. Ning had actually been thinking about this for some time.

"I want the Beast King Technique." Ning had chosen the Beast King Technique for several reasons, and he would freely admit that the first was simple greed. From what he had learned, the Beast King Technique was one of the finest beast-taming arts in the sect. Its greatest advantage was the bond it established between cultivator and beast, allowing their cultivation to gradually synchronize and benefit one another.

As the technique advanced, that connection would only deepen, and at sufficiently high mastery, the bonded beast could even be summoned directly to its master's side regardless of distance. After everything Ning had gone through recently, that last part had become particularly attractive. There had been several moments during the disaster when having Fenghuang beside him would have made his life considerably easier. Unfortunately, there was no convenient way to call him over. But that wasn't the only reason.

As if sensing that the conversation had finally become relevant to him, Fenghuang wandered over and pressed himself against Ning's side. Ning smiled faintly and ran a hand through the bird's feathers. He knew how hard Fenghuang had been training. When Ning first obtained him, Fenghuang's strength had been roughly equivalent to the sixth stage of Qi Condensation. Now, the bird was already approaching the peak of the sixth stage.

Part of that ridiculous improvement naturally came from Ling Xin feeding him beast-raising pills and other resources that Ning couldn't possibly have afforded himself, but resources alone didn't account for everything. Fenghuang genuinely worked hard. Whenever Ning trained, Fenghuang trained with him. The bird possessed a strange streak of persistence that Ning hadn't expected when they first met.

Once he started practicing, he refused to stop until Ning did, even if that meant pushing himself so hard that he collapsed afterward. That tendency had only become more pronounced recently. Ning wasn't entirely sure how much spiritual beasts understood about events around them, but Fenghuang clearly understood one thing: when Ning had needed help most, he hadn't been there. There was a reason the bird had barely left Ning's side since the incident.

Ning scratched gently beneath Fenghuang's chin, earning a pleased trill in response. If he could obtain the Beast King Technique, then Fenghuang wouldn't merely be his contracted beast following along as Ning grew stronger. They could advance together, and perhaps the next time trouble arrived, Fenghuang wouldn't have to remain helpless somewhere else while Ning fought for his life. It was probably the best thing Ning could give him right now. Ge Xuan watched the two for a moment before rubbing his chin.

"The Beast King Technique, huh? That's a little troublesome." Ning's hand paused on Fenghuang's head.

"Is it impossible?" He knew he was pushing the boundaries of the reward somewhat. Ge Xuan had offered him his choice of a technique from the Scripture Pavilion, while the Beast King Technique was not considered one of the techniques of the Pavilion.

"Not impossible," Ge Xuan said.

"But the Beast King Technique is one of the Beast Taming Hall's most important inheritances. They generally don't appreciate disciples from outside the hall learning it." He gave a small shrug.

"It's not as impressive as my sword art, obviously, but it's still quite good." Ning smoothly ignored the bragging. Ge Xuan had the opportunity to learn the sect's other three great arts, yet he had still devoted himself almost entirely to the sword. Expecting an unbiased opinion from this man about any technique that wasn't a sword art was probably asking too much.

"So, that's a yes?" Ning asked. Ge Xuan considered him for a moment before nodding.

"But I have one condition." The slight change in his tone made Ning straighten.

"Please tell me."

"It's nothing complicated." Some of the casualness faded from Ge Xuan's expression, making it clear that, unlike most of their conversation, this wasn't something he intended to joke about.

"I want you to swear a heavenly oath that you will never reveal what you learned about Xiao Fan's inheritance or the seals he possesses." Ning blinked.

"That's it?" He had been bracing himself for the other shoe to drop, like being sent on some dangerous quest before he could actually claim the reward. Instead, he only had to swear an oath about something he already intended to keep secret. Ning considered it properly anyway. A heavenly oath wasn't something to make casually, and restricting what he could say about Xiao Fan could become inconvenient in the future.

If another situation arose where revealing the truth was necessary to save their lives, the oath could become a serious problem. On the other hand, what did he actually gain from telling anyone? Nothing. Xiao Fan's inheritance was valuable enough to attract trouble, and spreading the secret would only put Xiao Fan in danger while potentially dragging Ning into the aftermath. Keeping quiet cost him practically nothing, preserved Xiao Fan's trust, and, in exchange, he got access to one of the sect's four great arts.

The calculation wasn't particularly difficult. Ning could live with that.

"Yes." Ge Xuan leaned back slightly.

"That inheritance is far more valuable than you probably realize. If word spreads that a young Qi Condensation disciple possesses it, some people would do absolutely anything to get their hands on him. The fewer people who know exactly what Xiao Fan obtained, the safer he is." Ning nodded.

"That makes sense." He didn't swear immediately. Instead, Ning stood, retrieved a brush and paper, and spent the next few minutes carefully writing something down. Ge Xuan watched the entire process with growing amusement. Once satisfied, Ning placed the paper before him.

"Sect Master, would this wording be acceptable?" Ge Xuan picked it up. I, Ji Ning, swear before Heaven that I will not knowingly reveal Xiao Fan's inheritance, nor the secrets concerning the seals he possesses, to those who do not already possess such knowledge, without Xiao Fan's consent, unless revealing such information becomes reasonably necessary to protect my life, his life, or prevent grave harm to either of us. Even under such circumstances, I shall reveal no more than reasonably necessary.

Ge Xuan read it quickly. Ning quietly awaited judgment. Ge Xuan glanced over the paper, then at Ning.

"You know, most disciples would have just sworn the oath." Ning smiled politely.

"A heavenly oath can follow me for the rest of my life. I thought it best to be precise." Ge Xuan grinned and tossed the paper back to him.

"Quite clever. Fine by me. Make the oath." Ning nodded and swore the oath immediately. For a brief moment, an indistinct pressure descended upon him before disappearing, leaving behind the unmistakable sense that his words had been acknowledged. Ge Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. The oath has been made." Ning lowered his hand and immediately returned to his usual expression.

"What oath?" Ge Xuan paused. Ning looked at him innocently.

"Did something happen today that required me to make an oath?" A grin slowly spread across Ge Xuan's face before he burst out laughing.

"You're right. Now that you mention it, I don't remember anything happening either." With the matter apparently erased from history by mutual agreement, Ge Xuan extended one hand. A sword-shaped token appeared between his fingers, its dark metal surface engraved with the emblem of the Pure Qi Sect. He traced a finger across it, and several characters briefly shone with pale sword light before sinking into the metal.

"Take this to the Beast Taming Hall. Show them the token, and they'll give you access to the Beast King Technique." Ning accepted it carefully and cupped his hands.

"Thank you, Sect Master."

"Don't mention it." With their business finally concluded, Ge Xuan stood and stretched lazily.

"Well, I should get going." Ning rose with him.

"Then I won't keep Sect Master any longer." Ge Xuan gave him a casual wave and headed for the door. The meeting had gone surprisingly well. Ning had received his rewards, secured reimbursement for the resources he'd spent, obtained access to the Beast King Technique, survived an unexpected inspection of his soul without exposing his transmigration, and was now successfully sending the Sect Master on his way. All things considered, that was a victory. Ge Xuan reached the doorway. Then he stopped.

Ning's sense of victory vanished immediately.

"Oh, right." Ge Xuan glanced back as though he'd nearly forgotten something trivial.

"A few of the elders were talking about something."

"Hm?" Ning tilted his head.

"They want the next volume of your book." Ge Xuan grinned.

"Apparently, you've left quite a few people waiting." With that, Ge Xuan walked out, leaving Ning standing there as the meaning of those words slowly sank in.

"... oh shit."... Thanks for reading~