Chapter 43 Yanghua Cloud Sea (Thirty)

The things Wei Feng bought filled the entire cave to the brim.

"Master, do you think our cave is a bit small?" Wei Feng leaned closer to Jiang Gu, wanting to reach out and massage his shoulders.

Jiang dodged his claws without leaving a trace, after all, Wei Feng had just used these hands to pierce his shoulders not long ago. "The cave doesn't need to be too big."

“But there’s really no room for all the things.” Wei Feng looked at him expectantly. “Master, look, I need a pill-refining room to refine pills, and I have to spend a lot of spirit stones and wait in line for a long time every time. Besides refining pills, I also need to learn to draw talismans, but there isn’t even a decent table in the cave. Not to mention weapon crafting, formations, music playing… Master, Liu Xian and Xuan Zhiyan’s caves are huge.”

“You can go back to Lianyun Peak.” Jiang Gu remained unmoved.

"That won't do!" Seeing that he wouldn't let him massage his shoulders, Wei Feng simply switched sides and tugged at his sleeve, softening his voice as he said, "Master, you are my only family in Yanghua Sect. I can only feel at ease when I'm by your side. If you send me back to Lianyun Peak, I'll be all alone again, and anyone can bully me then. We're so far apart that I won't even have time to ask Master for help. For me, there's no better place in this world than Qingping Peak..."

He was like a small animal that had suddenly found its home on Qingping Peak, refusing to move no matter what.

He pleaded softly, "Master, please have pity on me and don't send me away."

Jiang Gu looked at him, puzzled. "When did I kick you out?"

"Then let's expand our cave dwelling!" Wei Feng smiled broadly, resting his chin on his hand as he squatted down in front of him. His smile was brighter than the wildflowers on the mountain. "A comfortable cave dwelling is essential for better cultivation!"

"No need." Jiang Gu pulled out his sleeve and glanced at him without looking at him.

They are completely impervious to reason.

Wei Feng sighed in disappointment, and after a moment of frustration, he hurriedly chased after him, "Master, Master, please, I really need a large cave dwelling, Master!"

Jiang Gu originally thought that ignoring him for two days would make the matter drop, but he underestimated Wei Feng's persistence. Whether it was practicing swordsmanship and running in the mountains in the morning, running into him in class during the day, or meditating at night, he would always put on a pitiful expression with that silly face and beg him to expand his cave.

That night, Jiang Gu was meditating when something lightly tapped his shoulder twice.

He slowly opened his eyes. Everything around him was quiet, except for the bright luminous pearl in Wei Feng's small cave. Everything was as usual.

Looking at the empty cave, Jiang Gu paused, then slowly raised his head.

On the cave ceiling, there was a creature that resembled neither a shark nor a kite. Its arms clung tightly to the rock wall, and its wings, which were taller than a person, drooped. The thing that had hit its shoulder was the creature's drooping tail, with several pieces of its silver-blue scales missing, revealing the pinkish-white flesh underneath. A few intact feathers swayed and fell to the ground.

Wei Feng was still asleep with his eyes closed, but he was restless in his sleep, mumbling incoherently, his voice filled with grievance, "A big cave, Master, I want a big cave, this place is too small to crawl around in... I can't stretch my wings out, and my tail can't soak in the water... Master, you are so cruel!"

"…………" Jiang Gu raised his hand and silently pushed away the large shark tail that was trying to stick to him.

For several nights in a row, after Wei Feng fell asleep, he would transform into a divine kite and crawl around the cave, exuding resentment, which greatly disturbed Jiang Gu.

Wei Feng was so anxious that he lost his scales and feathers in a rush.

Jiang Gu looked at the cave filled with scales and feathers, and then at Wei Feng, who was squatting in front of him with an innocent and obedient expression. His temples throbbed slightly, and for the first time he understood what the elders meant when they said that raising disciples was a hassle.

"Whatever you say," he relented.

Wei Feng jumped up from the ground and hugged him. Before he could push him away, the boy quickly let go and said excitedly, "Thank you, Master!"

Jiang Gu frowned slightly.

Wei Feng raised his hand and swore, "Master, I promise I won't delay my cultivation."

Jiang Gu then nodded.

Although Wei Feng was impulsive, he was very proactive when it came to things that interested him. Knowing that Jiang Gu loved peace and quiet, he took advantage of the time when Jiang Gu was teaching at Touchun Peak during the day to smash the spirit stones and hire someone to repair the structure.

In just one day, Jiang Gu returned to Qingping Peak and even repaired a wide, winding road from the foot of the mountain to the cave.

Jiang Gu gazed at the luxurious palace that rose atop the peak and fell into a long silence.

"Master, isn't it beautiful?" Wei Feng had just returned from class and looked at the new "cave" with great curiosity. He pulled Jiang Gu inside to take a look. "Master, I hired the most famous architects in Longyun City, and thousands of cultivators used their spiritual power to build it... Oh, and Master, I also had them build a hot spring..."

Jiang Gu looked at the ancient treasures and top-quality magical artifacts displayed in the room and felt that they looked vaguely familiar.

"I brought all the good stuff from Lianyun Peak, and I even picked some from my father's Purple Mansion," Wei Feng said with a smile.

In fact, he moved all his wealth to Qingping Peak, and even secretly moved the entrance to the Cloud Sea Purple Mansion to the hot spring behind the palace. He naturally used the best for Jiang Gu. Ordinary things and simple caves were not worthy of his immortal master. He spent tens of millions of top-grade spirit stones. It would be good if he could make his master smile.

Unfortunately, Jiang Gu didn't laugh, and his reaction was indifferent.

Wei Feng was not discouraged and led him into the largest room. "Master, this is your room. Your usual clothes and things you are used to are all arranged here. You can just focus on your cultivation."

Jiang Gu was somewhat satisfied.

However, the large cave dwelling did have its advantages. At least Jiang Gu wouldn't be hit by Wei Feng's fallen scales in the middle of the night anymore, allowing him to cultivate in peace all night. Moreover, since Wei Feng had set up many rooms to draw talismans, refine pills, plant spiritual herbs, and forge musical instruments, he wouldn't be bothering Jiang Gu by wandering around, making it very quiet.

"Master!" A head popped out of the window.

Jiang Gu glanced at the sky outside. "What is it?"

Wei Feng went around to the door and took out a stack of talismans from behind his back. "Master, Elder Shen assigned us homework. We have to hand in a Hunyuan Songjing Talisman tomorrow. I wrote it down in class, but... I forgot it after taking a Bigu Pill."

Actually, it wasn't the Bigu Pill's fault at all. It was just that the Hunyuan Talisman was far too complicated, with nearly a hundred key points. He was so dizzy from drawing it in his room that he couldn't even finish half of it. So he decisively came to find Jiang Gu.

Jiang Gu was too lazy to waste words with him. "Draw it once and let me see."

Wei Feng sat down at his desk, nervously picked up a brush, dipped it in cinnabar, held his breath, and began to draw talismans in the order he had memorized during class that day.

Jiang Gu stood beside him watching him draw. Although his brushstrokes seemed smooth, his spiritual energy was insufficient. After a while, his wrist began to tremble slightly. When he was halfway through the drawing, Wei Feng's brush tip suddenly paused slightly, as if he was hesitant.

"Continue," Jiang Gu said.

Wei Feng turned to look at him, "Master, which way should we go?"

“Right,” Jiang Gu said.

Wei Feng held the brush to the right, but still couldn't remember the next step. Just as the stroke was about to break, he was getting anxious when Jiang Gu suddenly leaned down behind him and grabbed the hand holding the brush.

The cold, faint smell of blood instantly enveloped him, and Wei Feng's breath caught in his throat. He caught a glimpse of a long, slender, and strong hand. That hand was large and powerful, covering the back of his hand, and without hesitation, it guided him to put pen to paper.

The candlelight flickered, casting two intimately intertwined shadows on the wall. Wei Feng stiffened with tension, his back rigid. Jiang Gu was right behind him, his warm breath brushing against his ears and neck, causing a slight tickle. He dared only stare intently at the talisman on the table, trying his best to concentrate, but he couldn't help but glance at Jiang Gu's wide sleeves tucked into his wrists.

As for how exactly the Hunyuan Talisman was drawn, he still couldn't remember.

"Did you remember?" Jiang Gu asked him, looking down at him.

"I...I remember." Wei Feng stammered, feeling that the room was a bit stuffy, and a few small beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose.

Jiang Gu released his hand, straightened up, and said, "Draw it again so I can see it."

He had deliberately slowed down and even taught Wei Feng how to guide spiritual energy. This Hunyuan Talisman is notoriously difficult to draw and useless. Shen Yuxin must have been bored to assign such homework.

Wei Feng, unaware of Jiang Gu's thoughts, reluctantly changed the talisman paper and, under Jiang Gu's indifferent gaze, painstakingly drew... half of it.

"Master, I'm sorry," Wei Feng looked up at him with pleading eyes, feeling guilty. "I didn't remember."

“It’s alright. This Hunyuan Songjing Talisman is generally used to gather the soul and spirit of the dying. It’s much more complicated than ordinary talismans.” Seeing that he had stopped drawing, Jiang Gu stopped teaching him step by step and took out another piece of talisman paper. “You can draw it after me.”

This time, drawing the talisman was much easier. Wei Feng dared not let his mind wander anymore and focused intently on the brush in Jiang Gu's hand, drawing it stroke by stroke. Jiang Gu deliberately slowed down, and it took him a full quarter of an hour to finish the last stroke of the talisman.

After Wei Feng finished drawing the talisman, he let out a long sigh of relief, took out a seal from his sleeve to stamp it, and held it up for Jiang Gu to see. "Master, look."

“Not bad.” Jiang Gu nodded.

Although his technique was still immature, it was already quite good that he could draw it after only being taught twice. He had spent nearly half a month learning this talisman, only to later find out that it was not very useful, but some elders liked to use it to test their disciples' patience.

Wei Feng was overjoyed to receive the praise. He happily put away the talisman he had drawn, stood up and bowed to Jiang Gu, saying, "I have disturbed Master's rest tonight. This disciple will take his leave."

"Go ahead." Jiang Gu lowered his head to collect the paper and pen on the table.

Suddenly, a bluish-green seal was pressed onto the talisman paper, along with an oval-shaped jade pendant.

"Master, this is the seal I carved for you and the token for Qingping Peak." Wei Feng said, "Remember to keep it safe."

"Hmm." Jiang Gu didn't care about these things and picked them up, preparing to throw them into the drawer.

Before he could put them down, Wei Feng's expectant voice came from the doorway, "Master, I made both of these myself."

Jiang Gu looked up at him, holding the seal and token.

Wei Feng leaned against the doorframe, smiling as he pointed to the brocade box beside him, "It's best to put it in there, Master."

Wordy and rambling.

Jiang Gu put the seal and jade pendant into the box as he requested, and Wei Feng left satisfied, carrying the talisman.

——

The next day.

Touchun Peak.

Xuan Zhiyan, Wei Feng, Liu Xian, and the others squatted together beside the alchemy furnace, waiting for the pills to be produced. Wei Feng leaned against the wall, staring at his right hand, turning it over and over. Finally, someone couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "Wei Feng, what's wrong with your hand?"

Wei Feng chuckled twice. "Nothing much."

Liu Xian looked at Xuan Zhiyan curiously, but Xuan Zhiyan shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.

“Actually, Elder Shen set up a Hunyuan Tranquility Talisman yesterday, but I couldn’t draw it no matter what I tried, so I went to my master for help.” Wei Feng grinned and said, “Then my master held my hand and personally taught me how to draw this Hunyuan Talisman. He taught me for a long time.”

Liu Xian and Xuan Zhiyan exchanged glances, and Xuan Zhiyan asked in confusion, "And then?"

"Then I left." Wei Feng showed him his hands. "The important thing is that my master taught me step by step!"

"Shouldn't this be... normal?" Liu Xian said weakly, "My master often teaches me how to draw talismans step by step."

Wei Feng looked at him in shock. "Really?"

“Of course. Drawing talismans requires not only memorizing the strokes but also the pressure and speed. More complex ones require spiritual energy guidance. Usually, it’s taught step by step.” Xuan Zhiyan said, “You learned some basic talismans in the Qi Refining Academy before, without needing to be taught personally. Now that you’re in the Foundation Establishment Academy, the elders will personally guide you in learning talismans. What’s so strange about that?”

“I can’t help but tremble with nervousness whenever my master gets close.” Liu Xian sighed and said, “Every time my master says my wrists are stiff, it’s no wonder I’m stiff when he’s so close. It’s terrifying.”

Xuan Zhiyan deeply agreed, "That's why I learned talismans the slowest. If I channeled my spiritual power incorrectly, my master could break my fingers."

"..." Wei Feng's face was blank.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Xuan Zhiyan snapped his fingers in front of him.

Wei Feng snapped back to reality, raised his hand and rubbed his face vigorously, stammering absentmindedly, "Nothing, I thought..."

"What did you think?" Liu Xian asked curiously.

"It's nothing." Wei Feng looked at the alchemy furnace. "Hurry, hurry, the pills are about to be produced."

Xuan Zhiyan and Liu Xian hurriedly stepped forward to check.

He lagged behind, rubbing his slightly burning fingertips. He couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart. He couldn't help but recall the chilling aura Jiang Gu exuded when he leaned down, the warm touch of his hand when Jiang Gu held it, and the candlelight shadow that fell on his cheek when he looked up as he picked up the seal.

It might just be a normal teacher-student interaction, but he just felt that Jiang Gu was different.

So patient, earnest, and unreserved, even guiding his spiritual power was done very slowly and gently. Even if all the masters in the world taught their disciples this way, Jiang Gu would definitely be the best teacher.

Wei Feng licked his dry lips and stepped forward to help Xuan Zhiyan and Liu Xian pick up the pills.

"Hey, don't touch this, I refined it." He quickly grabbed a pill. "I'm taking it back to my master."

Xuan Zhiyan said helplessly, "You really can't stop talking about your master these days."

"I'd love to," Wei Feng said smugly. "You have no idea how wonderful my master is."

Xuan Zhiyan said with a toothache, "Alright, alright, we know Elder Jiang is unparalleled in heaven and earth. You've spent all your wealth to build such a huge mansion on Qingping Peak. The people on those peaks are green with envy."

"Go ahead and be jealous. I didn't spend their spirit stones." Wei Feng walked out with them. "You don't know, my master actually didn't—"

Before he could finish speaking, he heard several harsh sounds coming from across the corridor.

"...Who knows what his relationship with Jiang Gu is? Jiang Gu only accepted him as his disciple. Who knows what dirty things the two of them might have been up to on Qingping Peak."

"Exactly, what kind of disciple would build such a big mansion for their master? Wei Feng is a womanizer, he probably just took a fancy to Jiang Gu's face."

"Jiang Gu is probably after Wei Feng's things, otherwise who would take a good-for-nothing as a disciple?"

"...Heh, Foundation Establishment is definitely built up with pills, you know. Didn't you see Wei Feng running around the pill room all the time? He was exposed in just two moves."

In the connecting corridor separated by a wall, Wei Feng's face gradually darkened as he listened.

Xuan Zhiyan grabbed his arm and shook his head at him, signaling him not to act impulsively.

"...But then again, Jiang Gu is really good-looking. Several times during class, I couldn't help but want to..."

Wei Feng gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his neck, nameless rage instantly filling his heart. He violently shoved Xuan Zhiyan aside and kicked the partition wall in half.

"Wei Feng!" Xuan Zhiyan gasped.

Behind the wall, seven or eight Foundation Establishment disciples were gathered together nurturing their swords. The loud crash of the wall being kicked down instantly put them on alert, and they all gripped their swords tightly.

Upon seeing the people standing outside the wall, one of the tall, thin men let out a sinister laugh: "Who do we have here? It's our young master Wei."

The surrounding disciples were all mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators preparing to leave the peak. Upon seeing Wei Feng, they burst into laughter.

"It's true what they say, whoever it is, comes true."

"Did they hear us?"

"Junior Brother Wei, calm down. Everyone was just joking. Please don't take it to heart."

"Yeah, yeah, if your beautiful master finds out, don't be surprised if she cries on your shoulder—"

These people clearly knew that Jiang Gu was ruthless, and they dared not overstep the bounds in class. When they saw Jiang Gu, they would only run away with their tails between their legs. But they were not afraid of Wei Feng and his group at all. They even deliberately used words to humiliate and provoke them, only because they knew that Wei Feng's cultivation was low and he could not do anything to them.

Xuan Zhiyan angrily said, "Watch your mouth!"

"What are you yelling about, you lackey who lost your master?" the tall, thin man sneered. "This is the first time I've seen someone so eager to be someone's dog."

"You—" Xuan Zhiyan was not good at arguing, and his eyes turned red with anger.

With a flick of his wrist, Wei Feng produced a long sword in his palm. He stared coldly at the group of people and said, "If your tongues are useless, I can cut them off for you."

Before the tall, thin man could even utter a mocking laugh, a flash of snow-white sword light streaked past his eyes.

"Ahhhh—"

After a scream, the blood-red strip rolled into the ground.

The disciple standing nearby was stunned for a moment before realizing it was a tongue, and immediately took a big step back in fright, "Wei Feng!"

The tall, thin man was already kneeling on the ground, writhing in pain.

Wei Feng's gaze swept over the terrified crowd, and he said in a gloomy tone, "Do you even deserve to call my master by his name?"

——

Jiang Gu was preparing to return to Qingping Peak when he received the message. He looked up at the person who had come and asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"Your disciple, Wei Feng!" Shen Yuxin exclaimed anxiously, grabbing his arm and pulling him outside. "Hurry, hurry! He's gone mad! He rushed into the sword-nurturing room near the alchemy room and cut out the tongues of several Foundation Establishment disciples! Luckily, two elders happened to pass by and stopped him from dying. The elders are on their way there after receiving the news—oh, Elder Jiang!"

Jiang Gu moved extremely fast and arrived at the sword-nurturing room in the blink of an eye.

The spacious courtyard was a mess. Seven or eight Foundation Establishment disciples lay on the ground howling and wailing, blood seeping from between their fingers. Several others had their tendons severed, their bodies covered in mud and grass, howling and rolling on the ground in a pitiful state.

The culprit was standing in the center of the courtyard with his back to him, gripping his sword tightly. His disciple's robes were tattered and torn, and he was covered in wounds. Clearly, he hadn't gotten much out of it either.

Wei Feng glared fiercely at the two elders in front of him and said impatiently, "I told you they provoked us first!"

"But you clearly barged into the sword-nurturing room first! And you injured someone first!" an elder said. "Put down your sword now!"

"Don't even think about locking me up in the Discipline Hall again," Wei Feng laughed. "It's just a matter of paying spirit stones. I'll sever a few more Achilles tendons, and you can keep your change!"

"Wei Feng!" another elder shouted angrily, "You still show no remorse!"

"You come here and accuse me without even asking what happened, and you expect me to change my mind?" Wei Feng sneered. "Don't you old fogies have any new ideas?"

"We've wronged you?" The elder was nearly driven mad with anger. "With witnesses and evidence, no one can wrong you. You should go to the Discipline Hall and confess your sins!"

"Put down your sword now, or don't blame us for being impolite." Another elder's eyes flashed with impatience, and he flicked his wrist, ready to strike.

Wei Feng gripped his sword tightly, ready to fight head-on. "Fine, I did it. I'm going to kill them all one by one. Come and kill me if you dare!"

"Wei Feng." A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

Wei Feng turned his head sharply, staring in astonishment at Jiang Gu, who had appeared out of nowhere. The fierceness and ferocity on his face vanished instantly, and he slowly blinked twice through his blood-covered eyes. "Master?"

"Put the sword down," Jiang Gu said.

Wei Feng hurriedly protested, "But Master, it was clearly them—"

"Put down the sword." Jiang Gu's voice turned cold.

Wei Feng stood in the pool of blood, staring blankly at him, his face full of shock and grievance, but after a moment, he still let go with red eyes.

The longsword clattered heavily to the ground.