The Cannon Fodder’s Inner Thoughts Were Overheard by the Villain [Transmigration Into a Book] - Chapter 49

Elder Nishang asked in disbelief, “D… destroyed?”

Jiang Minghuan nodded earnestly. “Its current state is merely a desperate attempt to cover up its disgrace. There’s no point in keeping it. We should tear it down and rebuild, symbolizing the Cloud Sect’s rebirth.”

‘Tear it down, tear it down! This half-elegant, half-shabby appearance is humiliating! Just thinking about Yun Heming sitting inside there makes me furious!’

‘Oh, Pei Jingyuan was also humiliated in the Hall of Righteous Sound. There’s no reason to keep this dump around.’

‘If you make me Sect Leader, just wait for me to tear the place down. Yun Heming and the others won’t leave a single trace here. Besides, Pei Jingyuan probably wouldn’t object.’

A glimmer of amusement flashed in Pei Jingyuan’s eyes.

Elder Nishang opened her mouth, looking at the Hall of Righteous Sound with reluctance. The hall had stood here for six hundred years; she had grown accustomed to its presence.

But Jiang Minghuan’s argument held truth. The hall’s dilapidated state made it better to demolish and rebuild. Moreover… she glanced at Pei Jingyuan, suspecting that Jiang Minghuan was using this opportunity to help Pei Jingyuan overcome his Heart Demon.

Many in the Cultivation World knew Pei Jingyuan harbored a Heart Demon, but few knew its nature or whether he had suppressed it.

Even those aware of his weakness wouldn’t dare provoke him.

What if this was merely a deliberate leak from the Sword Pavilion of the Years? Anyone who thought they could sneak attack him while his Heart Demon was uncontrolled would likely end up dead themselves.

That Fiend certainly hadn’t hesitated to do such things before.

Forget about getting reliable information from the Sword Pavilion of the Years. Their disciples were tighter-lipped than gourds, and anyone who tried underhanded methods would be courting death.

The Sword Pavilion of the Years protected its own with unwavering loyalty. Anyone who dared harm their disciples would be relentlessly pursued to the ends of the earth.

Jiang Minghuan, as his Dao Companion, likely knew something about this—perhaps even something related to the matter at hand.

After convincing herself, Elder Nishang turned to Jiang Minghuan and asked, “If we dismantle it, how will we rebuild? The Cloud Sect has few resources left. I fear we cannot afford the cost of reconstruction.”

Elder Nishang didn’t need to explicitly warn Jiang Minghuan against asking Pei Jingyuan for funding. Even as Dao Companions, the Cloud Sect and the Sword Pavilion of the Years must remain distinct.

Jiang Minghuan smiled faintly. “That’s simple. It won’t require much money. If Elder Nishang has no objections, I’ll begin immediately.”

Elder Nishang couldn’t figure out what Jiang Minghuan was up to. But seeing his unflappable confidence, she suddenly remembered something: according to legend, a portion of the profits from the Sword Pavilion’s sales of grain and vegetables went to Jiang Minghuan.

Given the current volume of sales at the Sword Pavilion of the Years, even a ten percent cut for Jiang Minghuan would amount to a substantial sum.

Elder Nishang suddenly felt she had been rather rash. She wondered if Pei Jingyuan and Jiang Minghuan might misunderstand her intentions, thinking she was interested in Jiang Minghuan’s wealth.

Ah, I’m still no good at these things.

Still, she had to admit that remembering this fact immediately eased her mental burden considerably.

Well, I was drawn to Jiang Minghuan’s current reputation and capabilities anyway. A little wealth doesn’t matter; it’s not for my own gain.

Once the Cloud Sect was on a stable footing, she would enter secluded cultivation. Though the chances of breaking through to the next realm were slim, she couldn’t quite give up the hope.

Just as Elder Nishang finished thinking this, she saw the newly appointed Sect Leader draw his long blade and strike the Hall of Righteous Sound twice.

She was surprised by the two strikes. She had seen Jiang Minghuan’s Blade Arts before, but this was completely different.

Before, Jiang Minghuan’s Blade Arts had been impetuous and lacking in substance. Now, they were harmonious and dense, the blade movements light yet unbroken, embodying the principle of responding to motion with stillness.

Elder Nishang instinctively glanced at Pei Jingyuan, then shook her head inwardly.

Jiang Minghuan’s transformation probably has nothing to do with Pei Jingyuan.

But could a person truly change so drastically? Blade Intent reflects one’s true nature, and as the saying goes, “Mountains may crumble and rivers may shift, but true nature is hard to change.” How could such a fundamental aspect of a person be altered so easily?

What exactly happened to Jiang Minghuan to cause such a profound transformation?

Elder Nishang speculated endlessly but dared not dwell on it too deeply, fearing that if she thought about it too much, she wouldn’t be able to resist seeking an answer.

The current Jiang Minghuan was exactly what the Cloud Sect needed most.

Elder Nishang stopped her conjecturing. Seeing that Jiang Minghuan had nearly pulverized all the rubble from the collapsed Hall of Righteous Sound into dust, she summoned a gust of wind to sweep the debris into a distant valley for later disposal.

She watched Jiang Minghuan. Before she could speak, Jiang Minghuan produced a Storage Pouch, shook out a handful of seeds, and scattered them.

The seeds sprouted rapidly. Some grew into towering Phoenix Trees, while the rest transformed into vines that wove themselves into a roof and walls.

In the blink of an eye, a sprawling dwelling made entirely of trees and vines had taken shape, even larger than the original Hall of Righteous Sound.

Elder Nishang stared blankly at the new hall, momentarily stunned. Though young, her understanding of Wood Cultivators was limited to mere legends, and she had always thought of them as cultivators who simply grew spiritual plants.

She never imagined Wood Cultivators… could do something like this.

Jiang Minghuan surveyed his new creation with satisfaction. He had designed it after the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, the walls and roof were beyond replication; even the most powerful vines couldn’t mimic those exactly. The structure merely resembled the Tang style in form.

However, the roof was supported by tree branches as beams, with vines forming the ridge and leaves substituting for tiles. These vines and trees were still living, allowing him to walk inside and begin rearranging the interior.

Jiang Minghuan wasn’t sure what layout would be best. Since this was primarily a place for holding ceremonies and receiving guests, he simply replicated the layout of the Sword Pavilion of the Years’ Reception Hall.

Accompanying Jiang Minghuan on a tour, Pei Jingyuan remarked, “It does have a certain uniqueness now. However, without a plaque, have you decided on a name?”

Jiang Minghuan paused and glanced at him.

‘I knew your resentment ran deep, to the point you wouldn’t even preserve the name ‘Hall of Righteous Sound.’ Fine, if you insist on changing it, so be it. As long as Elder Nishang agrees, I have no objections.’

Pei Jingyuan lowered his gaze and remained silent.

Of course, he didn’t harbor resentment. He simply believed that since Jiang Minghuan had inherited the Cloud Sect and was rebuilding it from ruins, it would be better to erase all traces of the past and leave only Jiang Minghuan’s mark.

After all, the future legacy of the Cloud Sect would revolve around Jiang Minghuan. As for the original legacy… only Elder Nishang still retained a fragment of it. As for Yun Ning… he was only slightly more capable than the Outer Sect Disciples. Relying on him to carry on the legacy would make the Cloud Sect no different than if it had been completely annihilated.

He didn’t explain this. Nearby, Elder Nishang belatedly realized something. She glanced at Pei Jingyuan but said nothing, silently acknowledging that the main hall of the Cloud Sect was about to be renamed.

Jiang Minghuan looked at Pei Jingyuan and asked, “I’m no good at naming things. What do you think would be a good name?”

Pei Jingyuan gazed at the two Phoenix Trees and said, “Xiao Shao Hall.”

Elder Nishang murmured, “When the Nine Perfections of Xiao Shao are played, the phoenix will descend in solemn ceremony.”

She glanced at Jiang Minghuan, thinking to herself that Pei Jingyuan seemed quite attentive to this young man.

The name of the main hall perfectly matched Jiang Minghuan’s name and courtesy name. Moreover, this ancient saying itself symbolized prosperity and flourishing, serving as a fitting aspiration for the Cloud Sect.

Jiang Minghuan nodded immediately. “Let’s use that name.”

Since Jiang Minghuan was so bad at naming things, any name would have been about the same to him.

The establishment of Xiao Shao Hall was merely symbolic. There were still many troublesome matters to be addressed. Jiang Minghuan had originally intended to return to the Sword Pavilion of the Years, but Pei Jingyuan stopped him.

“It’s your first day back at the Cloud Sect,” Pei Jingyuan said. “You should stay and reassure the disciples.”

“Huh? Reassure the disciples?” Jiang Minghuan was momentarily confused, but quickly remembered that, besides himself and Elder Nishang, dozens of Outer Sect disciples were also at the Cloud Sect.

He didn’t mind where he stayed, but… he glanced at Xiao Shao Hall and said, “This place… isn’t exactly suitable for living.”

It wasn’t designed for lodging. If he insisted on staying here… he’d have to sleep on the floor.

He didn’t mind personally, but… wasn’t it a bit embarrassing for the esteemed Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion of the Years to be sleeping on the floor here?

Pei Jingyuan glanced at him and said, “The main peak where the Sect Leader once resided has been destroyed. Choose another place.”

Elder Nishang immediately suggested, “Qiwu’s former residence is still intact. That would be a good place.”

As the former Chief Disciple, Jiang Minghuan’s residence had naturally been in the core area.

The reason Jiang Minghuan’s residence remained intact was primarily because he wasn’t at the Cloud Sect. However, Yun Heming, wishing to express his longing for his direct disciple and to win over Jiang Minghuan, had forbidden anyone from occupying his quarters.

Standing on the Peak of Inquiring Dao, Jiang Minghuan surveyed the surroundings and indeed spotted the only mountain peak that remained perfectly preserved.

He immediately let out a sigh of relief.

To be honest, he’d almost forgotten where the original owner’s residence was located.

After all, he’d gone straight to the Sword Pavilion of the Years within days of transmigrating, barely even understanding the situation at the Cloud Sect, let alone remembering where he lived.

He turned to Pei Jingyuan and said, “Let’s go, then. We should check it out.”

Pei Jingyuan summoned his spirit sword and stepped onto it, extending his hand to Jiang Minghuan.

Jiang Minghuan climbed onto the sword with a wistful expression, realizing he still needed to practice his sword flight technique and overcome his fear of falling.

‘Well, I’m now the sect leader,’ he thought. ‘I’ll need to frequently travel between my residence and Xiao Shao Hall. I can’t keep relying on Pei Jingyuan, can I?’

‘Wait a minute… The Cloud Sect is in dire need of revival. If I have to stay here and handle affairs, that… means I’ll have to separate from Pei Jingyuan?’

‘The Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion can’t remain at the Cloud Sect indefinitely, can he?’

‘Why do I suddenly feel so anxious? He’s gone, and I don’t know anyone here. Will I be okay?’

Pei Jingyuan glanced at Elder Nishang beside him but held his tongue.

Forget it. I’ll deal with everything tonight.

With Elder Nishang present, Pei Jingyuan remarkably refrained from his usual reckless sword maneuvers. When he landed steadily, Jiang Minghuan could scarcely believe his eyes.

‘He’s actually being steady today. Sword Flight doesn’t seem so scary after all.’

‘Wait a minute… Why is he being so steady? Does that mean he could have controlled himself all along? Was he deliberately being reckless before?’

The thought sent a dangerous glint into Jiang Minghuan’s eyes as he stared at Pei Jingyuan.

Before Jiang Minghuan could ask, Pei Jingyuan said, “Although the buildings are intact, they’re in a state of disrepair.”

Perhaps because the place was uninhabited, the cultivators hadn’t deliberately destroyed it. But they hadn’t left it untouched either, leaving the courtyard in utter disarray. Apart from the house and the walls remaining standing, everything else had been thoroughly vandalized.

Pei Jingyuan turned to Jiang Minghuan. “We might as well abandon these structures.”

Without waiting for a response, he proceeded to demolish the entire courtyard and clear the debris.

Jiang Minghuan stared blankly at the cleared space. “Then… where will we stay tonight?”