Thinking Too Much

That was why they never worried about their lecturers running over their allotted time each day. Their only concern was that they might not learn enough.

That was also why Lin Xiao had said what he did.

Sure enough, after hearing Lin Xiao’s words, everyone eagerly opened the monthly report in their hands.

The monthly report itself was not particularly attractive to them, but its contents were another matter entirely.

Although they had visited the sect before and had already spent several months living and cultivating there, they had never had anything that brought together all the sect’s latest news and old information in one place.

To the disciples of Qingyun Peak, this was both novel and delightful.

Moreover, the Sect Master had said that news from outside the sect would be published in the monthly report from then on!

Though they were all strong-willed people who could devote themselves wholeheartedly to cultivation, anyone who stayed in the same environment for too long would inevitably grow somewhat numb to it.

Being able to learn about new developments in the outside world was naturally a wonderful thing.

The disciples at Qingyun Peak found the Lingxian Monthly endlessly fascinating, but they still had lessons to attend. After giving them some time to look through it, Lin Xiao began the day’s lecture.

The others within the sect, however, were under no such restraint.

In the cultivation rooms halfway up the mountain, the younger members and the elders had already gathered into two groups. Each person held a copy of the monthly report as they launched into lively discussions.

They did more than discuss it. They even decided on the spot to form groups and set out for a visit to Everbright Mountain.

Although Everbright Mountain and the halfway point of the mountain were located at opposite ends of the entire Northern Mountain Range, with eight peaks between them, that distance was nothing to the people of Lingxian Sect now.

Several spirit ships sat gathering dust in the Artifact Refinement Hall.

There was usually no need to use them, so this was the perfect opportunity to take them out for a spin.

Besides, now that everyone possessed cultivation, flying on a sword was well within the abilities of most of them.

And so, those with higher cultivation flew directly on their swords, while those with lower cultivation borrowed two spirit ships from the Artifact Refinement Hall. Together, they set off for the newly unlocked area of the sect: Everbright Mountain.

The Lingxian Monthly contained detailed explanations of how to enter Everbright Mountain and what it was used for, so naturally no one was turned away when they arrived.

After entering according to the instructions in the monthly report and looking around, the younger people had little reaction. They even felt that the place was rather ghostly and gloomy.

Qin Jianghe was faintly worried. From time to time, he stole glances at the elders’ expressions, especially those of the older ones.

After all, Everbright Mountain was, in plain terms, the sect’s graveyard.

He was afraid the elders might feel uncomfortable upon realizing that Brother Xiao had prepared such a place so early.

Everyone had been intrigued when they first saw the news in the cultivation room and had said they wanted to come visit. But now that they had seen the place for themselves, who knew whether they might start thinking too much into it?

As it turned out, the elders had not overthought anything at all. Qin Jianghe was the only one who had.

After touring the mountain, the older members merely felt that Brother Xiao had considered everything very thoroughly.

They had lived through more than half a lifetime and witnessed far too many partings caused by life and death. They had seen countless elders and relatives off, so they did not regard matters of life and death as heavily as they once had.

Although they were now cultivating, the more they learned about the path of cultivation—and the more they listened to Senior Liao’s explanations in their daily lives—the more they understood that, for the vast majority of cultivators, immortality was ultimately something they could see but never reach.

Cultivation might allow one to live longer, but for everyone to become an immortal? That was far too difficult.

With Everbright Mountain, the elders instead felt that their final arrangements were secure.

After all, down below, natural disasters and man-made calamities could strike at any time. Who could say whether one’s grave might still be there the next day?

But within the sect, the place was clearly much safer, wasn’t it?

What was more, Everbright Mountain contained many independent spaces, allowing everyone to have a private place to pay their respects without being disturbed.

Someone like Lin Dayou, who had a whole basketful of things to say whenever he paid his respects, was especially satisfied with this. He felt that his youngest son had finally managed to do something dependable for once.

Just as everyone finished their tour and gathered at the entrance, Yang Jinshu solemnly bowed to the group and began to tell them that she had found her parents. She also informed them that her father had already passed away, and that her mother had brought his ashes with her when she joined the sect.

The matter had actually occurred several months ago. Liu Yunan had originally wanted to tell everyone directly over dinner, but his mother had stopped him.

When Lin Xiao first learned about Liu Yunan’s maternal grandfather and came up with the idea of building Everbright Mountain, he had told Liu Yunan about it at once.

Liu Yunan had naturally informed his own mother afterward.

At the time, Liu Yunan had wanted to tell everyone immediately, but Yang Jinshu felt that the timing was not right.

Although Brother Xiao had mentioned the matter, he had not said when it would actually be completed. It would not have been appropriate for them to tell everyone too early.

Thus, Yang Jinshu had temporarily kept even the matter of her parents to herself.

Now, however, the right time had come.

“My father wandered through foreign lands in another world for many years. At long last…” Yang Jinshu’s voice caught. “As his daughter, I want him to be laid to rest as soon as possible, so that he can rest peacefully beside my mother and me…”

She choked up slightly, but quickly composed herself. After clearing her throat, she continued, “I wonder what everyone thinks? If anyone else has similar needs, perhaps we could discuss a suitable date and begin the burials together.”

Yang Jinshu had not said this for any other reason.

This was the graveyard of Lingxian Sect.

Although Brother Xiao had first conceived the idea of building Everbright Mountain because of her family, she did not want her father to be the first person buried there.

Yang Jinshu knew that even if she said nothing and simply took her father’s ashes there for burial, the people of the sect would not object or harbor any resentment.

But she did not want to do that.

Instead, she sincerely hoped that others would be willing to move their family graves and bury their loved ones alongside her in Everbright Mountain.

Her suggestion got the elders thinking.

Should they move their own family graves up from the village?

Some of them considered it, but ultimately decided against it.

After all, people were attached to their native soil. The distance was not particularly great—the graves were just down the mountain. Their ancestors had lived there for generations, and it was not as though they were moving far from home and would rarely be able to return.

Others, however, began to reconsider.

Wouldn’t it be more convenient to pay their respects if the graves were inside the sect? If they ever had something weighing on their minds and wanted to speak with those who had passed away, they would not have to wait for a specific day of remembrance.

And since each person would have an independent space, they could say whatever they wanted without worrying about others overhearing them. Those who were embarrassed to cry in front of others could also shed their tears without restraint.

Quietly, several of them spoke up in response to Yang Jinshu and decided to choose an auspicious day to begin the burials together.

There were four of them in total, led by Lin Dayou.

However, just as everyone had finished touring Everbright Mountain and decided who would be the first to use it, one person was still lingering inside.

More precisely, he had no intention of coming out.