https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-14-Scenery-on-the-Main-Road-Crowding-on-the-Plank-Bridge/12586123/
Chapter 13: The Eldest Senior Sister and the Little Senior Sister
Chapter 13: The Eldest Senior Sister and the Little Senior Sister
What impact would it have on the Celestial Masters' Mansion if something were to happen to the Celestial Master?
Lei Jun reined in his wandering thoughts.
He spoke calmly, "The Eldest Senior Sister introduced me to the path, and it is already a regret that I cannot become her disciple. During this time, I have benefited greatly from the guidance of Elder Yuan and Wang. If Elder Yuan is willing, I would still like to join Elder Yuan's sect."
Wang Guyuan was taken aback.
Yuan Mobai's smile didn't falter. "A master chooses a disciple, and a disciple also chooses a master. Who wouldn't want such an excellent disciple? I'm just lucky that the Sect Leader and Yuan Zhen have found such a good disciple."
Xu Yuanzhen said, "Don't count me in."
"Congratulations, Master, on gaining such an excellent disciple," Wang Guyuan said with a smile after recovering his wits. "Lei, now we are truly fellow disciples."
"In the future, please guide me, Master, Eldest Senior Sister, and Wang," Lei Jun said.
Although he had started addressing them differently, the formal change in address would have to wait until the transmission ceremony when his master-disciple relationship was officially confirmed.
However, since only the four of them were present, it was fine for Lei Jun to address them differently.
"What do you think will happen during the transmission ceremony this time, now that the Celestial Master has emerged from seclusion during the new year?" Wang Guyuan asked in a low voice. "I imagine that many people will want to try their best to become personal disciples of the Celestial Master, right?"
"That's only natural," Yuan Mobai said.
He smiled at Xu Yuanzhen, "Xiaotang will finally have her wish fulfilled. It hasn't been easy for her to wait for almost ten years."
"As long as she can accept the path she has chosen, that's all that matters," Xu Yuanzhen said.
"I remember that Tang Shizhi also went into seclusion before," Wang Guyuan said. "Has she come out yet?"
"Just two days ago," Xu Yuanzhen replied.
At first, Lei Jun didn't realize who they were talking about, but after listening for a while, he recalled a legendary figure from the Daoist academy whose name he had heard but never met.
Tang Xiaotang.
Some time ago, at Qingyun Beach in Qingyun Swamp, the other Daoist initiates had mentioned this Senior Sister Tang because of the uproar caused by the Great Battle of Fumo Tower.
She was a legendary super genius, a figure of great talent who had caused the Daoist holy land of the Celestial Masters' Mansion to break its rules more than once.
The Daoist academy had eight branches, and one of them had always been a stronghold of the Li family in recent years.
The only exception was Tang Xiaotang, because she liked to be the best, no matter where she was.
As far as Lei Jun knew, this young lady had entered the Daoist academy almost ten years ago and had missed three transmission ceremonies during that time, never officially becoming a true disciple of the Celestial Masters' Mansion through the transmission ceremony.
Of course, it wasn't that she wasn't qualified to participate in the transmission, but that she wanted to become a personal disciple of the Celestial Master.
Unbeknownst to her, the current Celestial Master had been in seclusion for over a decade, so Tang Xiaotang had been waiting all this time, spending ten years as a Daoist initiate.
This was only because the current Celestial Master was still alive; otherwise, people might have taken the liberty to accept disciples on his behalf.
It was said that the Mansion couldn't bear to hold back such a super genius, so many elders had secretly made exceptions to give her special treatment.
While Li family disciples receiving special treatment was mostly about having more resources, the treatment this genius girl received was rumored to involve many true transmission secret methods and divine abilities that Daoist initiates normally wouldn't be able to access...
However, these matters were never discussed openly, and everyone tacitly agreed not to mention them.
Someone had started calling her "Little Senior Sister," half in jest and half as an honorific, to distinguish her from the Eldest Senior Sister, Xu Yuanzhen.
Before Lei Jun joined, Tang Xiaotang had already started appearing less frequently in the Daoist academy, gradually becoming a legendary figure in the mouths of the younger Daoist initiates.
It was only after she left that the other young geniuses began to shine again.
For example, this year's new rising star, Chen Yi from the Eighth Branch.
"Has Lei Jun not met Xiaotang yet?"
Elder Yuan smiled at Lei Jun, "It seems that you also have some connection with her. In the past ten years, Yuanzhen has only brought back two people, including you."
Lei Jun was a little surprised and turned to look at Xu Yuanzhen.
"Two is already a lot," Xu Yuanzhen said.
Lei Jun suddenly remembered that when Xu Yuanzhen first brought him back, the instructor at the Daoist academy had complained that the people she brought back bullied other Daoist initiates, and that one person bullied a whole group.
So they were talking about that legendary figure, Tang Xiaotang?
"I'll take Lei to meet her," Wang Guyuan said. "It's quite a coincidence that after the New Year, you two will be able to attend the transmission ceremony together and officially join the sect."
"I'll do it since they're both people I brought back." Xu Yuanzhen stood up.
After bidding farewell to Yuan Mobai and his disciple, Lei Jun, the two left the cave abode together.
Xu Yuanzhen seemed to know where Tang Xiaotang was at the moment, and the two returned to the Daoist academy at the foot of the mountain, heading straight for the First Branch.
When they arrived, the instructor saw Xu Yuanzhen as if she were a savior:
"Eldest Senior Sister, you've finally come. That... Senior Sister Tang rarely returns to the Daoist academy, and now that she's back, she..."
Xu Yuanzhen: "And then?"
Instructor: "She... she altered our lesson plans."
Xu Yuanzhen: "How exactly did she change them?"
Instructor: "...More ingenious, more precise, and easier for the Daoist initiates to learn."
Upon hearing this, Lei Jun gained a more intuitive understanding of Tang Xiaotang's capabilities and her flashy, boastful style.
The instructor smiled bitterly: "Eldest Senior Sister, she certainly has the ability to do so, but generally speaking, other Daoist initiates don't have the opportunity to access higher-level talisman scriptures and Daoist classics. The consistent rules and disciplines of the academy are still very important..."
It was one thing to have special treatment as an exception.
It was another matter entirely to publicly proclaim it so that everyone knew about it.
Xu Yuanzhen remained noncommittal: "We'll wait for her here."
As if no special notification was needed, a glimmer of light soon flashed from the Daoist academy up ahead.
The next moment, a tall figure landed in front of them.
"Senior Sister!" The newcomer greeted them with a smile.
She had a stunning aura, a tall figure that surpassed many males, and even compared to the tall Lei Jun, she was only half a head shorter, making the petite Xu Yuanzhen appear even younger than her.
Xu Yuanzhen: "Are you afraid that the Daoist initiates will forget you?"
The tall girl chuckled: "Before the formal farewell, I wanted to leave a memento for everyone."
She turned to Lei Jun: "Senior Sister, who is he?"
"Lei Jun." Xu Yuanzhen replied: "You haven't met him before. I brought him back to the mountain and introduced him to the Dao over a year ago. He's preparing to join Little Master Uncle's sect."
The girl named Tang Xiaotang immediately smiled at Lei Jun:
"Then he's one of us. Come on, call me Senior Sister as well."
Lei Jun looked at Xu Yuanzhen first, then turned back to Tang Xiaotang: "Little Senior Sister."
Tang Xiaotang widened her eyes.
Xu Yuanzhen: "You're already taking advantage. Lei Jun is two years older than you, and neither of you has officially become a disciple yet."
Lei Jun: "I'm two years older?"
Xu Yuanzhen: "When I brought her back, she wasn't even eight years old yet. Before that, she was climbing trees and stealing bird eggs in the village..."
"Senior Sister!"
Tang Xiaotang grabbed Xu Yuanzhen's sleeve: "When was that? Why bring it up now?"
She turned to Lei Jun again, cleared her throat, and said: "Age doesn't matter. As the saying goes, in learning, there is no first or last; the only difference is in achievement."
Lei Jun: "Little Senior Sister's words are reasonable."
Tang Xiaotang pouted: "...Never mind, anyway, I plan to achieve the first step soon after the new year, and the second and third steps won't be far behind. At that time, you'll naturally drop the 'Little' from my name."
Lei Jun: "Plan? First step?"
"First step, become the Heavenly Master's true disciple. Second step, become the first under the Heavenly Master. Third step, take over the position of the Heavenly Master and become the next generation Heavenly Master."
Xu Yuanzhen calmly introduced Tang Xiaotang's three-step plan: "She can try other things, but there's no hope for the second step."
Tang Xiaotang chuckled: "It's normal for you to be afraid, Senior Sister. I'll soon catch up to you and surpass you, starting from next year!"
After a moment's thought, Lei Jun spoke up: "Is it possible that the Heavenly Master, in his old age, has reached a critical moment in his understanding of the profound arts, and so he won't come out of seclusion as expected this new year?"
Tang Xiaotang glared at him: "Are you trying to upset me?"
"What I mean is," Lei Jun said, "it's better to lower your expectations. If it turns out better than expected, you'll be pleasantly surprised."
Tang Xiaotang waved her hands: "No need for that. Since the Heavenly Master has issued an edict, how could it be a joke?"
And so, a month later.
The first gift of the new year for the genius girl.
The Heavenly Master did not come out of seclusion as expected.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
