Chapter 29: Recruiting a Disciple "I rejected a disciple with such high talent, Yun...
Xie Wuyang smiled as he watched Anan take the token in his hand, flipping it over and over again. He frowned when he saw the three words "Xie Wuyang", then he flipped his finger to look at the word "Yun" engraved on the token.
"Now you finally believe me, right?" Xie Wuyang moved the numb half of his body, his eyes falling on the disciple token in Ye Nan's hand, "Come to think of it, you still have to call me Senior Brother..."
Before Xie Wuyang finished saying the word "brother", there was a "clang" sound in his ear, and a cold light flashed past his ear. Anan drew his sword and stabbed it into the tree next to Xie Wuyang's ear.
A familiar wooden sign swung before Xie Wuyang's eyes. An Nan sneered, "How come you have two disciple tokens?"
Xie Wuyang paused and stopped breathing.
The token in front of him did not have the translucent luster of the Emperor's Heavenly Wood. It was a little dull, but it was exactly the same as the one Wu Hanfeng gave to An Nan that day.
This is clearly...
It was clearly the piece he lost because he lied!
What would happen if Yun Wanzhou found out?
Xie Wuyang's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he said in a cold voice, "Give it back to me."
Anan took two steps back and tucked the token into his waist in front of Xie Wuyang. "I trust your identity, but just in case, I'm going to wait until I meet Yun Xianzun and hand it over to him personally."
Xie Wuyang said: "This is my own thing."
"Although I haven't cultivated to become an immortal, I've heard a little about the rules within the immortal sect." Ye Nan met Xie Wuyang's gaze without showing any fear. "A disciple's token is used to prove one's identity. Each disciple only has one. You have two. There must be something fishy going on."
"I lost one before and found it again later. Is that not possible?"
Anan shook his head, "That should also be submitted to the elders."
Xie Wuyang was very angry at Anan's stubborn attitude. Seeing that Anan's approach was not working, Xie Wuyang simply accepted his fate.
What he was afraid of was that Yun Wanzhou would find out that he was lying and question him.
But now Yun Wanzhou has disappeared, how can An Nan see him?
Just as Xie Wuyang felt relieved, Ye Huixuan's voice rang out from outside, "Anan, Cangqiong Mountain has sent someone to pick you up!"
The sound came before the person arrived. When Ye Huixuan saw Xie Wuyang tied to the tree, his jaw dropped in shock.
Anan pulled the sword out of the tree and wiped the blade with his sleeve, which was not embedded in the wood. He asked casually, "Are the elders coming this time the same ones as last time?"
Ye Huixuan shook his head, his expression excited, "No, it's the sword cultivator elder you want to worship, the famous Yunxianzun in the world of cultivation!"
"Puff—" Xie Wuyang choked on his own saliva and looked at Ye Huixuan in shock, "Who are you talking about?"
Ye Huixuan scratched the back of his head and repeated in confusion, "The Immortal Yun of Cangqiong Mountain."
Xie Wuyang was struck by lightning.
Didn’t Yun Wanzhou say that he had never met Ye Nan?
After hearing Ye Huixuan's words, Ye Nan thought for a moment, went behind the tree and untied the rope that bound Xie Wuyang, leaving only one section to tie Xie Wuyang's hands together.
Ye Huixuan looked at An Nan, who was only as tall as his shoulders. His heart tightened, and he quickly took the rope into his own hands, "Let me hold it."
An Nan did not refuse, but added an explanation when handing the rope to Ye Huixuan, "This is the last disciple of Yun Xianzun."
Ye Huixuan tightened his grip on the rope and swallowed cautiously, "Oh...oh."
With his hands and feet tied, Xie Wuyang didn't dare to use his spiritual power. He could only rack his brains to think of a countermeasure, or make up an excuse to cover up the matter of the token.
Xie Wuyang suddenly remembered that this illusion memory happened several years ago.
This was An Nan's memory, so the more likely person to appear here was Yun Wanzhou in his youth. At worst, he'd be accused of impersonating a Cang Qiong Mountain disciple, but that was better than the real Yun Wanzhou finding out he was lying, right?
The more Xie Wuyang thought about it, the more it made sense.
Besides, he had never seen Yun Wanzhou when he was young, and he didn't know whether Yun Wanzhou could recognize him as his little disciple.
When Xie Wuyang arrived, Yun Wanzhou was sitting next to Ye Liang drinking tea.
A bag of broken snow hung at her waist, and her hair was tied up on top of her head with a silver crown.
Ye Liang on the side kept talking, Yun Wanzhou had a cold expression, and nodded from time to time in response.
Because the distance was too far, Xie Wuyang couldn't see Yun Wanzhou's expression clearly. He could only see that Yun Wanzhou's hair was different. He couldn't tell whether this person looked like a younger man. He could only wait for Ye Huixuan to pull him closer and called out in a low voice, "Master?"
Yun Wanzhou didn't respond, and Xie Wuyang understood.
It seems like I really saw a younger Yun Wanzhou.
"Ye Nan, what have you done again?" Ye Liang frowned unhappily.
Ye Nan took the rope that bound Xie Wuyang from Ye Huixuan and took two steps forward. "This man was sneaking around the Ye Mansion. After being discovered by Cui Zhu, he claimed to be a disciple of Yun Xianzun. I came to see the Xianzun to identify him."
Ye Nan turned his head to look at Yun Wanzhou and extended the rope in his hand forward. "Immortal Venerable, do you know this person?"
Yun Wanzhou seemed to raise his eyes, glanced at Xie Wuyang casually, and then shook his head, "I don't know him."
Ye Nan turned around and glanced at Xie Wuyang, "But he has the disciple token of Cang Qiong Mountain."
Yun Wanzhou stretched out his hand, "Ms. Ye, can you let me see it?"
Although he knew that Yun Wanzhou sitting in front of him didn't recognize him, Xie Wuyang was still inevitably a little nervous.
Ye Nan handed the Emperor Tianmu to Yun Wanzhou.
Yun Wanzhou took the token and examined it carefully, frowning, "This token is from Cang Qiong Mountain, but..."
As he spoke, Yun Wanzhou turned the token over and stared at the three characters engraved with Xie Wuyang. "I only have one disciple named Fu, and I don't know him."
After saying that, Yun Wanzhou shook his head and handed the token back to Ye Nan.
Ye Nan didn't take it. Instead, he dug into his sleeve and pulled out another token. "Immortal Venerable, not only that, when I searched Xie Wuyang's body, I also found a disciple token on him, which also came from Cangqiong Mountain."
Ye Nan handed over the token, "This is it."
As Anan spoke, Xie Wuyang's eyes flashed and he looked up at Yun Wanzhou's expression.
Yun Wanzhou just glanced at them casually this time and held both tokens in his hands. "Did he tell me where these tokens came from?"
"He said it was because he had lost a piece and found it again."
Yun Wanzhou nodded, tucked the token into his sleeve, and said solemnly, "This matter is of great importance. I need to return to Cangqiong Mountain and hand it over to the headmaster for a decision. Miss Ye, please hand this person over to me."
Ye Nan nodded, "Of course I'll hand it over to the elders."
The moment the rope was handed to him, Xie Wuyang was about to escape, but Yun Wanzhou seemed to have noticed it long ago. With a twist of his wrist, he clamped Xie Wuyang in his arms, making him unable to move easily. He could only watch as Yun Wanzhou took the rope and tied the excess part around himself again.
I never thought that the Immortal Yun many years ago was also so unkind!
Xie Wuyang cursed in his heart, but didn't dare show it on his face. He looked frustrated as Yun Wanzhou grabbed the rope.
Yun Wanzhou glanced at him indifferently and tugged at the rope in his hand.
Yun Wanzhou decided Xie Wuyang's stay or departure in just a few words. After solving this matter, it was time to deal with another.
Anan took a step back, straightened his clothes, and suddenly said, "Immortal Lord, Anan has something to say."
Yun Wanzhou loosened the rope in his hand and raised his eyes.
Anan asked, "Did the Immortal Venerable come here this time because he heard that Anan wanted to become his disciple?"
Yun Wanzhou nodded.
"What do you think, Immortal Venerable?"
Xie Wuyang suddenly thought of Yun Wanzhou's reaction when he saw his token just now. His expression was dull and unchanged.
In this case, Yun Wanzhou should not have accepted him as his disciple at this time. Will Yun Wanzhou agree to An Nan now?
Xie Wuyang suddenly became interested in Yun Wanzhou's answer, raised his eyebrows, and stood aside obediently without moving.
Even though he already knew that in a few years, Anan would never be able to become Yun Wanzhou's last disciple.
Under the gazes of Ye Nan and Xie Wuyang, Yun Wanzhou's expression remained unchanged as he spoke in a cold voice, "I don't want to accept a disciple."
Anan's eyes dimmed, "Anan, can you tell me the reason?"
Maybe it was Xie Wuyang's illusion, but Yun Wanzhou's gaze seemed to pause above his head for a moment. "Teaching the apprentice is too much trouble."
Including the head, there are a total of seven elders in Cangqiong Mountain. I don’t know where An Nan got the stubbornness from, but he insisted on taking Yun Wanzhou as his master.
Anan was unwilling to give in. "The elder who came a few days ago said that I have great talent and am a natural spirit. I won't cause the elder any more trouble."
Yun Wanzhou remained unmoved, his eyes expressionless, "I'm sorry."
After the words fell, Yun Wanzhou stood up directly and pulled the rope that bound Xie Wuyang. "I still have something to do with Cangqiong Mountain. Take care, Miss Ye."
Ye Nan pursed her lips, still staring at him intently.
Yun Wanzhou didn't want to talk to Ye Nan anymore, so he took Xie Wuyang's hand, walked around Ye Nan, and went straight out of the hall.
"Doesn't Yunxianzun feel regretful for rejecting such a talented disciple?"
Yun Wanzhou ignored Xie Wuyang.
Holding the rope in Xie Wuyang's hand, they went out of the side door one after another.
Outside the side door was a small path in a bamboo forest, which was built by the Ye Mansion. Only after passing through this path could they be considered to have truly left the Ye Mansion.
The shadows of the bamboos swayed vaguely. Xie Wuyang's hands were tied, but he didn't look angry at all. He even had the leisure to look at the scenery.
When they were out of the bamboo forest, the person leading him stopped walking, and Xie Wuyang stopped walking right after him.
Xie Wuyang moved his sore fingers and asked, "Why don't you leave?"
The person in front of him suddenly turned around, and there was a hint of different emotions in his cold eyes.
Facing Xie Wuyang's confused gaze, Yun Wanzhou took out the two tokens Ye Nan had given him from his waist, handed them to Xie Wuyang, and asked coldly, "Why are these tokens here?"
The words were simple but the meaning was shocking. In just a few sentences, Xie Wuyang's expression changed.
Xie Wuyang lowered his brows calmly, thinking quickly of a countermeasure in his mind. He was thinking about how to fool the younger Yun Wanzhou, but the person in front of him suddenly spoke again.
"Isn't it lost?"
Lost...lost?
Xie Wuyang's thoughts froze for a moment. He suddenly raised his head, his pupils widening in shock. "Master... Master?"
Yun Wanzhou stared at him indifferently for a long time and said "hmm".
Xie Wuyang's remaining hope was shattered with a snap.
The fact that the token was lost was clearly a lie he told to the present-day Yun Wanzhou. The Yun Wanzhou of years ago would never have known about it.
Staring at the two tokens in Yun Wanzhou's hand, Xie Wuyang's scalp tingled, "I... I thought the token was lost..."
Yun Wanzhou had expected him to say this, "Did you find it later?"
Xie Wuyang thought to himself that Yun Wanzhou was indeed the Sky Immortal Lord and was not easy to fool.
His face frowned, and he looked respectful and humble, "Master, every word I said is true."
Yun Wanzhou still stared at him, obviously not believing what Xie Wuyang said.
Xie Wuyang thought about it and decided to retreat in order to advance. He admitted his mistake first, "Disciple knows his mistake."
Looking up at Yun Wanzhou's slightly startled gaze, Xie Wuyang knew something was up and continued, "Disciple found the token but didn't hand it in, which is the first fault. Coveting the Emperor's Heavenly Wood Token, violating Master's teachings, and harboring greed is the second fault."
Yun Wanzhou was silent for a moment, "Are you reluctant to part with the Emperor's Heavenly Wood?"
Xie Wuyang said, "The Emperor's Heavenly Wood is extremely rare. It has its own spiritual power and can strengthen the body and calm the mind. My disciple is obsessed with it, so he wants to keep it for himself."
Yun Wanzhou seemed to believe his words, "Since I have given it to you, I will not take it back."
"Master, are you talking about Emperor Tianmu or your disciple?" Xie Wuyang raised his head, pretending to be excited.
Yun Wanzhou also knew in his heart that the token of a disciple of Cangqiong Mountain could only prove his identity. One was enough, and more would be useless.
Even if Xie Wuyang had ulterior motives, he would not tamper with the token. I think he was just a child at heart and was only coveting the emperor's heavenly wood.
Seeing Xie Wuyang's excited expression, Yun Wanzhou nodded, "But you committed the sin of greed, so you still have to be punished. After you return to Cangqiong Mountain, you will have to do an extra hour of evening exercises every day."
Finally, Yun Wanzhou paused and added, "I will personally urge you to practice swordsmanship."
"Disciple obeys the order." Xie Wuyang bowed and saluted.
Fortunately, practicing sword skills was just a way for him to pass the time in his spare time, and it was better than being punished by copying books.
Yun Wanzhou stuffed the Emperor Skywood into Xie Wuyang's hands and untied the ropes that bound him. "Cang Qiong Mountain has a rule that each disciple has only one token, and it cannot be changed. You can keep the Emperor Skywood token, and forget about the original one."
Xie Wuyang didn't care about the old one at first, and nodded indifferently, "Oh."
With his hands finally free, Xie Wuyang turned his wrists. "Master and I have both appeared in the illusion, and Master just rejected Miss Ye. It would be difficult for us to go back. Why don't Master and I stay here together and wait for Miss Ye to come out?"
Fortunately, in the memory, Yun Wanzhou should have rejected Miss Ye. As long as the ending remains unchanged, it should be fine.
To be on the safe side, they decided to wait here.
Yun Wanzhou nodded and sat on a rock nearby. "Okay."
Xie Wuyang followed closely behind and sat on the other half of the stone.
Xie Wuyang was really tired tonight. Not long after he sat down, his eyelids started to droop.
While his consciousness was blurred, his head hit something hard. Xie Wuyang wanted to support his head and move away from it, but he felt that it was better to have something to lean on than nothing, so he just let his head lean on it.
When he opened his eyes again, there was a pile of burning firewood in front of Xie Wuyang.
It was pitch black all around, and the flickering fire stimulated Xie Wuyang so much that he squinted his eyes and subconsciously wanted to retreat. Only then did he realize that something was wrong.
Apart from the fire that suddenly appeared in front of him, he didn't know when he had rested his head on Yun Wanzhou's shoulder.
But this person was still unaware of it and was sitting cross-legged on the stone with his eyes closed.
Xie Wuyang was startled and suddenly pulled his head back from Yun Wanzhou's shoulder.
The movement was so large that Yun Wanzhou was also startled awake. "Are you awake?"
Xie Wuyang rubbed the sleep-numbed side of his face and said, "I'm just a little tired."
"It's okay." Yun Wanzhou stretched out his legs.
I don’t know if it was Xie Wuyang’s illusion, but I always felt that Yun Wanzhou became gentler after leaving Ye Mansion.
In order to break the conclusion he had come up with, Xie Wuyang leaned forward and asked, "Master, did you come to the Ye Mansion specifically to save me?"
Yun Wanzhou did not deny it.
I never thought that the unkind Yun Xianzun would care so much about his disciple.
Xie Wuyang recalled the moment he was discovered and the sudden fluctuation of spiritual energy in the illusion. He frowned and asked, "When Master appeared, did you also sense the fluctuation of spiritual energy?"
Yun Wanzhou's eyes flashed, and he said solemnly, "Yes, but my problem is a bit tricky."
Upon hearing this, Xie Wuyang glanced around Yun Wanzhou but didn't find anything different.
Yun Wanzhou continued, "I didn't appear in my original form."
Xie Wuyang's breathing stopped, and he noticed that Yun Wanzhou had not only changed his hair crown, but even his clothes and accessories.
"Master means..." Xie Wuyang still couldn't believe it.
Yun Wanzhou confirmed, "The body I am in now should be the body I was in several years ago."
Xie Wuyang was shocked by Yun Wanzhou's sudden guess.
"Then why am I okay?"
This body is at least sixteen or seventeen years old. It also existed in the world a few years ago. Why...
Xie Wuyang's face turned pale, and he suddenly realized something.
When one enters the illusion, the memory remains in the form of spiritual consciousness of the master, and his spiritual consciousness... is not Xie Wuyang, but the notorious and ruthless demon from the demon world five hundred years later.
"It must be because of the distance." Yun Wanzhou suddenly spoke.
"What?"
Perhaps because of the darkness, Yun Wanzhou didn't notice Xie Wuyang's abnormality. He sorted out his guesses, "You should be in Cangqiong Mountain at this time. It's too far away for your consciousness to return. I happened to be passing through Yangzhou City and rested in a restaurant."
Xie Wuyang's mind was still confused. "Master, do you mean it's just because of the distance?"
Yun Wanzhou nodded, "That should be the case."
The clothes on Xie Wuyang's back were soaked with cold sweat, and the coolness brought by the wind made his mind clearer. Yun Wanzhou's words echoed in his ears. When he recalled the words "You should be in Cangqiong Mountain at this time", Xie Wuyang's ears moved and he suddenly looked up at Yun Wanzhou.
He is now... in Cangqiong Mountain?
When Yun Wanzhou rejected Ye Nan, didn’t he also say that at that time he only had one closed disciple named Fu?
Then where did he come from?
Xie Wuyang immediately thought of the reason. His name was already written on his disciple token. If Yun Wanzhou admitted that he was his disciple, he would have to explain the lie Xie Wuyang told Ye Nan that "I was ordered by Yun Wanzhou to take her back to Cang Qiong". This would cause a lot of trouble.
It would be better to be straightforward and deal with Xie Wuyang's ill intentions towards Cangqiong Mountain, so that he can leave openly.
Thinking of this, Xie Wuyang couldn't help but look back at Yun Wanzhou.
Yun Wanzhou is a really meticulous person.
I can't blame myself for being defeated by him in my previous life because of a momentary thought.
If it were anyone else, there would be no way that Xie Wuyang would die with a clear conscience.
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