Chapter 231: The Heir to the Sect Master!
Chapter 231: The Heir to the Sect Master!
Gu An glanced at the distant figure for a moment before averting his gaze. Without knowing the other party's intentions, he had no desire to court trouble.
The Great Ocean Rift had existed for many years without causing any disasters, and Gu An hoped this tranquility would last a little longer, giving him time to grow stronger.
He picked up the "Legend of the Green Hero" from the table and began to browse. This was the latest volume of the series, sent to him by Xuan Tianyi. He had read it several times, and each time, he discovered new nuances.
Xuan Tianyi seemed carefree and uninhibited, but he was actually meticulous and excelled at writing about women.
Time passed, and midnight arrived.
Yang Jian approached the Blood Prison Great Sage, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.
The Blood Prison Great Sage stood up, uttered a sentence, and then turned and left with his bovine backside swaying. "Follow me."
Yang Jian had no choice but to comply.
"Oh well, I'll humor it. Maybe it'll bother me less in the future," Yang Jian thought to himself, and his mood improved.
The man and the bull arrived at a forest tens of miles away. The forest was spacious, echoing with the chirping of insects.
The Blood Prison Great Sage turned around, his gaze fixed on Yang Jian. He began to channel his energy, and in an instant, his red bovine hair started to flutter as if engulfed in blood flames. A fierce aura burst forth from his body.
"Hmm?"
Yang Jian's eyes widened, and he immediately became alert.
That aura...
Could this lazy bull actually know magic?
The Blood Prison Great Sage let out a low, booming bovine roar that made Yang Jian's ears buzz and his head ring.
It took him a while to recover, and when he did, he looked at the Blood Prison Great Sage with astonishment. The Great Sage maintained his imposing aura, which was even more intimidating in the darkness of the night.
Yang Jian's gaze toward the Blood Prison Great Sage became fervent.
The Blood Prison Great Sage raised his bovine head and said, "This is a magic technique of the Blood Prison Divine Art, called the Blood Prison Roar. When cultivated to a minor achievement, it can confuse the souls of enemies in battle. If cultivated to perfection, it can even kill them with a single roar."
"So powerful? I want to learn it! I must learn it!" Yang Jian felt as if his entire being had been ignited. The image of the Blood Prison Great Sage in his eyes had undergone a tremendous transformation.
The Blood Prison Great Sage proudly said, "Cultivating the Blood Prison Roar is not that easy. Are you prepared for the hardships ahead?"
"I'm not afraid of hardship!" Yang Jian declared resolutely.
The Blood Prison Great Sage opened his mouth in a bovine smile. Under Gu An's spiritual sense probing, the sight of a smiling bull seemed rather bizarre.
Could this fellow have ulterior motives?
...
Autumn and winter passed, and a new spring arrived.
The Third Medicine Valley began preparations for the Spring Festival once more. On this day, Wu Jue also arrived, but since Gu An was not around, he could only wander within the valley.
He spotted the young monk who had guided him before, now carrying buckets of water. Wu Jue walked over and asked with a smile, "Little brother, aren't you a cultivator? Why are you drawing water personally?"
Yang Jian's eyes lit up at the sight of Wu Jue. He couldn't forget Wu Jue's graceful movements from that day, akin to an immortal.
Yang Jian replied, "This is... our... a way of... cultivating..."
His voice was hoarse, and his speech was disjointed, causing Wu Jue to feel uncomfortable just listening to him.
"What happened to your voice?" Wu Jue asked with a frown.
Yang Jian answered, "It's from... practicing..."
Wu Jue shook his head and chuckled, patting Yang Jian on the shoulder before turning to leave.
The reason he remembered Yang Jian was because, before he left last time, Gu An had asked for his opinion about Yang Jian. The fact that Gu An had kept Yang Jian in his thoughts made Wu Jue naturally develop a slight interest in the young man.
However, from what he could see now, Yang Jian's talent was quite ordinary, and despite the passing years, his cultivation had barely progressed.
Yang Jian was unaware of Wu Jue's thoughts, and he was simply happy to be acknowledged by him.
Wu Jue began to wander around the valley.
Half an hour later, he finally sensed Gu An's aura, but when he turned to look, he furrowed his brows.
There were two women beside Gu An!
"Why isn't it Shen Chong?" Wu Jue wondered in confusion. He had always assumed that Gu An and Shen Zhen cared for each other, but now, seeing Gu An laughing and chatting with the two women, he felt displeased.
Brother Gu, you're doing Miss Shen wrong!
Gu An arrived with Ye Lan and Zhen Qin, who were curious about the sights in the Third Medicine Valley and kept asking him questions, to which he happily replied.
After the three of them landed, Wu Jue approached and pointed at Zhen Qin, asking, "Gu An, who is this?"
His tone was sharp, causing Zhen Qin to look at him in confusion.
He recognized Ye Lan as Gu An's junior sister, but seeing Zhen Qin clinging to Gu An's arm coquettishly made him feel that something was amiss.
Zhen Qin's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Are you Wu Jue?"
Ye Lan nodded. "Yes, he's the recently famous true disciple of the Tai Xuan Gate, Wu Jue."
Looking at Wu Jue, she felt a surge of emotions.
Back at the Golden List Assembly, she had met Wu Jue through Gu An, and although Wu Jue had surprised her then, she never expected him to achieve such greatness.
Why are there always geniuses popping up around my senior brother?
Gu An laughed and said, "This is my disciple, Zhen Qin. Let's go inside and talk."
Hearing this, Wu Jue's expression softened.
"When is Miss Shen arriving?" Wu Jue asked.
He still believed that Gu An and Shen Zhen were meant to be together.
Gu An casually replied, "How would I know when she'll be here?"
Upon hearing this, Zhen Qin's gaze shifted between Gu An and Wu Jue, deep in thought.
The four of them headed toward the pavilion, with Zhen Qin enthusiastically questioning Wu Jue along the way, making him feel a little shy.
Before they reached the loft, a figure swiftly flew towards them.
Gu An inwardly cursed his bad luck.
"Miss Shen!" Wu Jue exclaimed happily, waving at Shen Zhen.
Ye Lan and Zhen Qin turned their gazes towards Shen Zhen, who wore a white dress and a veil over her face, looking like a fairy descending from the heavens. Her aura was exceptional.
Shen Zhen landed beside Zhen Qin and smiled, "Wu Jue, long time no see."
Having been in seclusion for years, she was unaware of Wu Jue's growing reputation.
Her eyes then shifted to Ye Lan and Zhen Qin, filled with curiosity.
Gu An feigned composure and began introducing the three women to each other. They exchanged pleasantries, creating a harmonious atmosphere, but Gu An sensed undercurrents beneath their polite words.
"I never expected this, Gu An. You have quite a few female acquaintances, huh?"
You Yingying suddenly stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she asked.
Wu Jue's loud voice had drawn her attention, and seeing Ye Lan and the other two women gathered around Gu An, she anticipated an interesting development.
Gu An's face darkened as he scolded, "Don't spout nonsense!"
Ye Lan turned to You Yingying and inquired, "Who might you be?"
So, my senior brother's jokes were true. There are indeed many female disciples in the valley who admire him!
"I'm You Yingying, I help out with odd jobs for Gu An." You Yingying giggled, but her claim was met with skepticism from the others. It seemed unlikely that someone tasked with odd jobs would address the Valley Master so casually by name.
You Yingying continued, "I forgot to tell you, Senior Lu should be returning for the festival."
Gu An's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Then so be it."
Ye Lan narrowed her eyes and asked, "Is Senior Lu a man or a woman?"
You Yingying answered, "She's a woman, Lu Lingjun by name. You should have heard of her if you're disciples of the Tai Xuan Gate. She's a great cultivator at the Xuan Heart Realm!"
At this revelation, Ye Lan and Zhen Qin's faces paled. They had indeed heard of Lu Lingjun, but they never expected her to be connected to Gu An.
Shen Zhen's eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled at You Yingying, her gaze filled with appreciation.
What a talented person!
I like her!
Gu An took Ye Lan's hand and led her towards the loft, saying, "My junior sister is here for the first time, so I should entertain her first."
Ye Lan's cheeks reddened slightly, and Zhen Qin quickly followed, looking triumphant and proud. She even shot a challenging glance at You Yingying.
You Yingying glared at Zhen Qin before turning away, and Shen Zhen silently trailed after her.
Wu Jue stood where he was, watching the backs of the three women. After a moment's thought, he decided against following them.
If a fight really breaks out, I'll step in to protect Gu An.
"Tsk, no wonder Gu An doesn't focus on cultivation. He's been busy tending to his romantic pursuits. Indeed, as Master said, women are obstacles on the path of cultivation, they are heart demons." Wu Jue shook his head and continued wandering through the Medicine Valley.
Upon entering the house, Gu An served tea to the three women.
Ye Lan initiated a casual conversation with Shen Zhen, skillfully navigating the interaction as someone experienced in handling affairs for the Enforcement Hall. The three women chatted happily, appearing like close friends.
After Gu An sat down, Shen Zhen asked, "Will you continue writing after 'Journey to the West'? I'd love to read about Sun Wukong's journey to becoming the Battle Victorious Buddha."
Although Ye Lan and Zhen Qin already knew that Gu An was Pan An, they still looked at him curiously, anticipating his response.
Zhen Qin gazed at Gu An, inwardly marveling. Although her master's cultivation talent was average, the books he wrote were truly extraordinary.
As time went on, more and more people discovered Gu An's identity as a writer, and he no longer bothered to hide it, especially since his apparent cultivation level was no longer weak, and he could protect himself.
"No, I'm busy researching other miscellaneous arts," Gu An replied casually.
Shen Zhen expressed her disappointment and began praising "Journey to the West," finding it more captivating and meaningful than "The Investiture of the Gods." She felt that "Journey to the West" seemed to be critiquing something.
Ye Lan joined the discussion about "Journey to the West," and Zhen Qin looked at Gu An with shining eyes, full of admiration. In the past few years, while she had been busy cultivating, she never expected "Journey to the West" to have such a significant influence, even surpassing "The Investiture of the Gods."
Half an hour later, the Medicine Valley welcomed another guest, whose arrival provided Gu An with a much-needed reprieve.
Lu Baitian!
As Lu Baitian entered the house, Ye Lan and Zhen Qin quickly stood up and greeted him respectfully. As true disciples, they had naturally heard of Lu Baitian.
Shen Zhen also bowed to Lu Baitian, maintaining proper etiquette.
"Hmm, why don't you three go out for a walk? I have something to discuss with Gu An," Lu Baitian said indifferently, a faint smile playing on his lips.
This kid has quite a few romantic entanglements. He's not doing too badly for himself, not too shabby at all!
Zhen Qin couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master, are you and my master very close?"
Lu Baitian turned to her, knowing that she was Gu An's disciple, and smiled, "Of course. He is my chosen successor as the Sect Master. The Golden List Assembly, the Heaven's First Sword Assembly, the Pill Refining Assembly, and more, were all his ideas. You can call me Master from now on."
Upon hearing this, the three women's eyes widened in shock.
Gu An inwardly panicked.
Shen Zhen was also surprised. She knew that Gu An and Lu Baitian were close, but she had assumed it was because of Gu An's identity as Pan An. She never expected Lu Baitian to hold Gu An in such high regard.
Seeing Gu An's expression, Lu Baitian laughed and said, "Forget it, you three don't have to leave. Just stay and listen."
The three women quickly thanked him, their gazes towards Gu An making him feel uncomfortable.
(End of Chapter)
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