https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-8-Divine-Pure-Yang-Art-the-Position-of-the-Senior-Brother/12573970/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-10-Alchemy-A-Promise-as-Firm-as-Jade/12573972/
Chapter 9: The Life of the Head Disciple
Chapter 9: The Life of the Head Disciple
Seeing Gu An's concern for him, Zhang Chunqiu felt deeply comforted.
As he prepared to descend the mountain, it was not his master that Zhang Chunqiu felt most reluctant to leave behind, but his junior disciple, Gu An.
Gu was too obedient and honest.
Zhang Chunqiu shared similar sentiments with Li Ya, and he worried for Gu An, fearing that he would be bullied in the future.
"I've spent forty years in Medicine Valley, and it's time for me to leave. My talent for cultivation is mediocre, and I have no hope of building a foundation. Instead of wasting my life here, I might as well go down the mountain and enjoy the rest of my days. Junior disciple Gu, you should take up the position of Senior Brother. As for Meng Lang, that lazy kid, he's not cut out to be a senior brother." Zhang Chunqiu patted Gu An's shoulder and spoke earnestly.
Gu An hesitated and said, "But...without Senior Brother here, I'm afraid that I..."
Before Cheng Xuandan could finish his sentence, Gu An interrupted hastily, "I can do it too!"
Zhang Chunqiu, who had intended to comfort him, was left stunned.
Cheng Xuandan gave Gu An a deep look without saying another word.
Gu An cleared his throat and said, "I must not disappoint Senior Brother's expectations. Well, to be honest, I'm also afraid that if Meng Lang becomes the senior brother, he'll make me do all the work."
Hearing the latter part of his sentence, Zhang Chunqiu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The atmosphere eased, and Zhang Chunqiu began to encourage Gu An, who listened intently.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Chunqiu tucked in his robe, bowed to Cheng Xuandan, and knocked his head three times before getting up to leave, leaving Gu An alone with Cheng Xuandan.
"You've seen it for yourself. This Medicine Valley doesn't offer much of a future. If you don't want to spend your entire life here, you can tell me ahead of time, and I might be able to lend you a helping hand," Cheng Xuandan said, his eyes calm.
Gu An quickly replied, "Disciple wishes to stay in Medicine Valley for life."
"Don't be too quick to answer. It might truly be for a lifetime."
"Master, your disciple dares not lie. I truly want to stay here for life. Perhaps in the eyes of others, the work in Medicine Valley is dirty and tiring, but to me, these have been the most carefree days of my life. Master has taken good care of me, and my fellow disciples have been kind to me as well. I truly wish to stay here forever," Gu An said sincerely. At this critical juncture, he felt it was important to express his true feelings.
Cheng Xuandan replied in a low voice, "You must have some background. It wasn't mere coincidence that you managed to survive the Greedy and Angry Demon. Moreover, the riot of heavenly spiritual energy yesterday also originated from your courtyard."
Gu An grew anxious. "Master, I truly have no background. My only connection is probably with the third young miss of the Ji family, Ji Xiaoyu, but I'm merely her servant."
"The Ji family?"
Cheng Xuandan's expression changed, and this was the first time Gu An had seen him so disturbed.
In that moment, Gu An saw wariness, anger, and fear in Cheng Xuandan's eyes—a mixture of negative emotions that made his countenance look sinister and terrifying.
Oh no!
Could it be that this old man has a grudge against the Ji family? Gu An felt uneasy, thinking that he might have said too much.
"I understand now. From now on, you will be the head disciple of this Medicine Valley," Cheng Xuandan said, taking a deep breath.
A turn for the better!
Gu An heaved a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether Cheng Xuandan's intentions were sincere or not, he would first take up the position of head disciple! Even if Cheng Xuandan had malicious intentions, he wouldn't live much longer anyway.
Gu An was also unafraid of Cheng Xuandan scheming against him. With his frail body, how could he withstand the Greedy and Angry Demon?
"Disciple will work diligently and will not disappoint Master's expectations," Gu An assured hastily.
Cheng Xuandan waved his hand and said, "Go and call Meng Lang and Xiao Chuan."
Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately bowed and then turned to leave.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Gu An, Meng Lang, and Xiao Chuan descended from the tower. Xiao Chuan was excited, constantly addressing Gu An as Senior Brother.
Meng Lang, on the other hand, was indignant. He angrily asked, "Why are you the senior brother? Why not me? My cultivation and background are higher than yours!"
Hearing Meng Lang's words, Gu An remained calm and turned to smile at him. "Meng Lang, being the senior brother isn't easy. Once you take up the position, it's for life. Master saw that you have a heart for cultivation, so he let me take the role instead."
"Really?" Meng Lang's anger began to dissipate.
"Of course. Look at our Senior Brother Zhang. He stayed here for forty years. How many forty years does a person have?"
Meng Lang fell silent, his expression changing. The look he gave Gu An was filled with sympathy.
He patted Gu An's shoulder and said, "Gu An, I'm sorry for you."
Xiao Chuan also fell silent.
Deep down, he too harbored dreams of cultivation and naturally didn't want to spend his entire life in Medicine Valley.
Gu An pretended to be silent, but inside, he was laughing.
Meng Lang was indeed easy to fool.
And so, Gu An's life as the head disciple began.
Cheng Xuandan put him in charge of all affairs in Medicine Valley. Gu An directly assigned the tasks of planting and cultivation to Xiao Chuan and Meng Lang, while he himself specialized in harvesting.
Perhaps out of guilt, Meng Lang didn't complain.
Harvesting only occurred a couple of times a month, so Gu An spent most of his time cultivating. However, he kept his cultivation level hidden, never revealing it to others.
Three months passed.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Gu An had reached the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Realm.
The Pure Yang Divine Wood Art was indeed formidable! Gu An's cultivation time was shorter than Meng Lang's, as he made sure to leave time for reading.
The Medicine Valley was covered in autumn leaves, and the surrounding peaks were tinged with autumn colors, infusing the air with a sense of melancholy.
Gu An stood at the wooden railing, looking at the nearly mature third-grade spirit herbs, his hand stroking the White Spirit Mouse.
Suddenly, Gu An heard something and turned his head. He saw Cheng Xuandan approaching from the valley entrance, with two people, a man and a woman, following behind. They looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old.
Out of habit, Gu An used his lifespan to probe them.
【Ye Lan (Qi Refining Realm, First Layer): 14/110/130】
【Lu Jiujia (Qi Refining Realm, Second Layer): 15/140/190】
Perfect!
Two more helpers had arrived!
A smile tugged at Gu An's lips, and he quickly strode towards Cheng Xuandan.
When he reached him, Gu An clasped his fist in a respectful greeting.
Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan curiously glanced at Gu An, who possessed handsome features and an exceptional aura, reminding them of the Tai Xuan Gate cultivators they had seen before.
"An'er, these two are your junior martial brothers and sisters. Take them and settle them in," Cheng Xuandan said before turning to leave.
An'er?
Gu An almost shuddered at the nickname, but he still bowed to Cheng Xuandan's departing figure.
He turned to face Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan, who immediately bowed to him respectfully. Their polite manners pleased him.
Perfect!
They were more polite than Li Ya and Meng Lang. Back then, those two hadn't shown any respect to Zhang Chunqiu.
Gu An immediately felt a sense of camaraderie with his junior martial brothers and sisters, and he began to introduce himself while also asking them to do the same.
Lu Jiujia had tanned skin and wore tattered clothes, resembling a farmer's son. However, his eyes were bright and sharp.
Ye Lan, on the other hand, was petite, dressed in fine clothing, and had a fairly pleasant face.
"Let's go. Senior Brother will take you to your residence," Gu An said with a smile. Seeing his gentle demeanor, the two newcomers relaxed a little.
On their way to the disciple courtyard, Ye Lan couldn't help but ask curiously about the other disciples in Medicine Valley.
Gu An honestly introduced them.
Later, he called Meng Lang and Xiao Chuan to meet the new arrivals.
Unlike Zhang Chunqiu, Gu An truly wanted to foster good relationships among his fellow disciples, as he was destined to become the Valley Master.
With the addition of Ye Lan and Lu Jiujia, Gu An was reminded of Zhu Moyi and the Greedy and Angry Demon.
No!
He had to resolve that issue soon to ensure his junior martial brothers and sisters' safety.
Gu An kept this worry in mind as he began teaching his junior disciples how to do their chores.
That night.
Gu An closed the door to his room and took out Chu Jingfeng's spirit stone, infusing it with a strand of spiritual power. The stone began to heat up.
This was the first time Gu An had used such cultivation technology, and he found it fascinating.
After a few breaths, Chu Jingfeng's voice echoed from within the stone, "Who is it?"
Wow, how many people have you given these spirit stones to? Gu An forcefully suppressed the urge to tease and replied, "Senior, it's me, Gu An from Medicine Valley."
Chu Jingfeng remained silent.
Gu An sensed the awkwardness and was relieved when Chu Jingfeng finally spoke, "Do you have any information about the Greedy and Angry Demon?"
"Yes!"
Gu An replied emphatically and then recounted everything he had witnessed.
After he finished speaking, Chu Jingfeng asked in a deep voice, "Is that true?"
"It's true, and I speak without exaggeration. He's not far from our Medicine Valley, and I'm afraid he'll harm us," Gu An said earnestly.
"Good. Leave this matter entirely to me. I'll go to the outer sect to find the location of his cave abode, and you won't have to worry about it anymore," Chu Jingfeng assured him.
"Thank you, Senior, for your understanding. If this matter is resolved smoothly, I also hope that Senior will not mention me. I am of mediocre talent and do not wish to attract trouble. I just want to live a peaceful life," Gu An said.
"Mmm, I will be discreet," Chu Jingfeng replied.
With that, he cut off the connection through the spirit stone.
Gu An placed the stone on the table and carefully reflected on his interactions with Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Moyi, checking for any potential loopholes.
What a hassle.
He hoped this matter would be resolved smoothly.
All he wanted was to live a quiet life of farming.
Gu An thought to himself, preferring the peaceful life of herb-gathering to constant battles.
...
After informing Chu Jingfeng, Gu An patrolled the valley every day, keeping a close eye on his junior disciples to ensure they didn't wander out of Medicine Valley.
For three consecutive days, there were no disturbances.
However, on the fourth night, Gu An sensed a riot of spiritual energy outside the valley, along with the faint sounds of weapons clashing.
A fight had broken out!
He quietly slipped out and made his way to the valley entrance, intending to stand guard and prevent the Greedy and Angry Demon or any other malicious individuals from sneaking into the valley and slaughtering his junior disciples.
The distant battle was intense, and by the time Gu An reached the valley entrance, it still hadn't ended.
Due to the numerous peaks along the way, Gu An could only rely on his exceptional hearing to gauge the situation.
Suddenly.
Gu An sensed something and spun around, his gaze falling on a pavilion within the valley. He saw Cheng Xuandan standing by the window, looking at him from a distance.
The bright moonlight illuminated the dark pavilion, and Cheng Xuandan's figure resembled a vengeful ghost, sending shivers down Gu An's spine.
Damn!
He's found out! Gu An frowned, unsure of what to do next.
As he hesitated, Cheng Xuandan slowly closed the window, but his gaze, like two beams of light, made Gu An feel uneasy.
Gu An wasn't afraid of Cheng Xuandan, but he was worried that Cheng Xuandan would expose the matter.
However, he quickly dismissed that thought. If Cheng Xuandan was truly connected to the powerful cultivator behind the Greedy and Angry Demon, why would he invite Chu Jingfeng to guard the valley?
It would be redundant!
If these miscellaneous disciples died, the other party wouldn't even need to make excuses to report it to the sect.
(End of Chapter)
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