Chapter 18 Yanghua Cloud Sea (Part 5)
At the foot of Lianyun Peak.
"You should get some rest." Jiang Gu saw the person off and then prepared to leave.
Wei Feng looked at Jiang Gu with some nervousness, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of anticipation, "Master, would you like to come up and sit for a while?"
"No need, I have other things to do." Jiang Gu politely declined, not wanting the kid to cause trouble, and disappeared from the spot.
Wei Feng stared blankly at the spot where Jiang Gu had disappeared for a long while before turning around and walking up the mountain. At first, his pace was slow, but then he walked faster and faster until he started running. The evening breeze in the mountains whistled past him, and Wei Feng's smile grew brighter and brighter. He cheered loudly, jumped up, grabbed a handful of leaves, and scattered them like petals onto a passing crane.
The innocent crane cried out at him angrily.
Wei Feng grinned and said, "I have a master, you don't, hahaha!"
"..." The crane rolled its eyes, pecked him, flapped its wings, and flew away.
"You damn bird, how dare you bite me! I'll roast you and eat you sooner or later!" Wei Feng grimaced, clutching his arm, but his smile didn't diminish in the slightest. He ran all the way to his lodging at the summit.
"Young master, you're back." A maid greeted him.
"Bring me the storeroom key, and oh yes, prepare me a sandalwood box, no, ten of them!" The young man rushed towards the storeroom, with several maids jogging after him.
"How big of a box would you like, young master?"
"Young master, please slow down. You haven't changed your clothes yet."
"Young master, it's not too late to go to the storeroom after you've had your dinner."
"Young master, what makes you so happy?"
Several beautiful and elegantly dressed maids surrounded him, but Wei Feng impatiently waved them away. "Don't follow me. I need to prepare a gift for my master to accept me as his disciple."
"Didn't you make a reservation in Longyun City?" A servant rushed over and helped him fend off the maids who were trying to surround him again.
"I don't want that one, it's not good enough for my master." Wei Feng couldn't hide the smile on his face and strode towards the storeroom. "By the way, Xia Ling, remember to wake me up tomorrow. The apprenticeship ceremony absolutely cannot be late, understand?"
"Yes." Xia Ling glanced back at the group of maids without leaving a trace. "Young Master, these girls are becoming increasingly unruly. Now that you're about to become an apprentice, shouldn't we send them all away? Otherwise, Elder Jiang might think you're not making any progress..."
“If we get rid of this group, they’ll find a way to squeeze in the next one. We’re being monitored anyway—” Wei Feng’s mind wasn’t on this at all, and he inadvertently let slip the secret.
"Young master, be careful what you say," Xia Ling whispered a reminder.
"Putting them aside for now, Xia Ling, what gift do you think I should give my master?" Wei Feng asked enthusiastically. "I misunderstood him before, thinking he was like those people like Ruan Keji, but he not only saved me just now, but also showed me great concern. He even helped me wash the blood off my clothes. My master is really—"
"Young master, your shoulder is injured!" Xia Ling exclaimed, interrupting him.
"Huh?" Wei Feng tilted his head in confusion, reaching out to touch his left shoulder. Sure enough, he felt something sticky, but it wasn't obvious because he was wearing a crimson disciple's robe. He belatedly realized that Xin Wen had stabbed him with a sword.
It was fine if I hadn't noticed, but once I was reminded, the wound suddenly started to ache faintly.
"It's nothing, just minor injuries," Wei Feng said. "Go and prepare a box for me first, it has to be nice, understand?"
Xia Ling looked at his excited expression and hesitated to speak.
If Elder Jiang really liked him as much as the young master said, how could he not care about his injury?
Thinking back to those who had tried to get close to Wei Feng with various motives, Xia Ling couldn't help but sigh, wondering whether Elder Jiang was sincere or not.
Young master has always had bad luck; hopefully, this time the heavens will smile upon him.
——
Yanghua Sect, Xieyu Peak.
"Master, Xin Wen's soul lamp has gone out." A tall disciple strode in.
The young man sitting at the table with his eyes closed did not react. Mu Si did not dare to disturb him and stepped aside to wait quietly.
After a long while, the young man tapped on the table, and Mu Si quickly served him tea.
"Useless thing. He was only meant to delay Wei Feng from becoming a disciple tomorrow, and he was killed." A hint of anger flashed in Ruan Keji's eyes. He was thin and naturally frail, with a high nose, thin lips, and long eyebrows that pressed down on his eyes. Even when he smiled, he looked mean. "Wei Feng, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, could kill him?"
“Master, although Wei Feng’s cultivation is low, he has quite a few good things in his possession…” Mu Si said coldly, “The sect leader is too soft-hearted. Last time he went down the mountain without permission and stole so many treasures from the treasure pavilion, but nothing was done. Even if his parents died for the Yanghua Sect, we can’t let him be so arrogant.”
"Heh, the sect leader is too soft-hearted." Ruan Keji sneered contemptuously. "If Wei Mingzhou hadn't shed his blood and pledged all the magical artifacts in the treasure pavilion to Wei Feng as his master before he died, do you think Wei Feng would still be alive today?"
"I see." Mu Si suddenly realized.
“However, Wei Mingzhou left his son much more than that.” Ruan Keji narrowed his eyes. “Of course, Jie Fuxue and the others don’t want Wei Feng to become a disciple of the Jiang family. If that kid is a traitor, he might break free of control by relying on the Jiang family’s power. They want to push me to be the one to stick my neck out, but they don’t even consider who Jiang Gu is. Does he think he can let others touch what he has his eye on?”
"No wonder Master only sent Xin Wen." Mu Si realized that Ruan Keji was clearly sending Xin Wen to his death, and he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.
“I was just testing Jiang Gu’s attitude. It would be best if we could stop Wei Feng from becoming a disciple, but it doesn’t matter if we can’t. There’s no need to go against someone like Jiang Gu.” Ruan Keji pinched his brow. “The ones who should be worried now are the sect leader and Xie Fuxue.”
Mu Si frowned and asked, "Why didn't you kill Wei Feng before?"
"Fool, who do you think Wei Mingzhou is? If he hadn't died, it would have been Xie Fuxue and the others who would have been running around in the Yanghua Sect. Wei Feng must have something more important that makes the sect leader and the others hesitant to act. It's a pity that I haven't been able to find out about it all these years."
“Now that Jiang Gu has suddenly appeared out of nowhere and taken Wei Feng as his apprentice,” Ruan Keji chuckled, “this is getting more and more interesting.”
"Master, what should we do now? Are we just going to watch Wei Feng become an apprentice?" Mu Si asked, somewhat unwilling.
“The apprenticeship is a done deal. Those people aren’t stupid. Letting Jiang Gu realize their intentions will only make things more complicated,” Ruan Keji said. “Withdraw the people we’ve placed on Lianyun Peak, and then you can find a few new disciples to assign to Baiyu Peak.”
"Baiyu Peak?" Mu Si asked, puzzled. "Only inner disciples can attend classes at Baiyu Peak."
“So we need you to make the arrangements.” Ruan Keji tapped the table. “Once that old man Qi Fengyuan dies, there will be no one to protect him as well as before. We can’t let this child only have Xuan Zhiyan as a friend.”
Mu Si immediately understood.
"Alright, go ahead. I'll be meeting Elder Jiang again tomorrow."
The next day.
At the Touchun Peak training ground, Xuan Zhiyan looked at Wei Feng, who was beaming with joy, and rubbed his eyes hard.
"What, don't you recognize me?" Wei Feng said with a grin, hooking his arm around his neck.
Xuan Zhiyan pinched his cheeks and pulled them apart. "Ancestor, have you been possessed?"
"You're the one who's been possessed!" Wei Feng slapped his hand away impatiently, pointing to the dozens of large boxes that had been opened behind him. "How about it, is this enough of a grand ceremony for becoming a disciple?"
"It's more than just grand; it's practically a betrothal ceremony." Xuan Zhiyan's eyes twitched slightly. After glancing around, he pulled Wei Feng to an inconspicuous corner and whispered, "What's wrong with you? Didn't you absolutely refuse to become my disciple yesterday? Why are you putting on this show today?"
“I ran into my master last night, but it’s a long story, I’ll explain it to you later.” Wei Feng said mysteriously, “Anyway, I was overthinking it. My master is just a little strict, but he’s still very good to me. I shouldn’t have made assumptions about him.”
Xuan Zhiyan stared at him suspiciously, "Really?"
“Absolutely true.” Wei Feng could barely suppress the upward curve of his lips. “Yesterday, Master not only saved me, but also held my hand and personally escorted me to the foot of Lianyun Peak. He even said that he took me as his disciple because he liked me. He is the best master in the world!”
“…” Xuan Zhiyan pressed down on his shoulder and whispered, “Don’t get carried away with your joy, wake up.”
Wei Feng's expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice as well, saying, "Of course, one must always be wary of others. I will observe them carefully for a period of time."
Just as Xuan Zhiyan was about to nod in relief, Wei Feng suddenly beamed with joy. He then eagerly ran past him to Jiang Gu, who had just disembarked from his flying sword, and exclaimed happily, "Master, you're here!"
Xuan Zhiyan looked at him with some concern, and a gentle voice sounded from behind him, "Zhiyan."
Xuan Zhiyan quickly turned around and bowed respectfully, "Master."
The young man standing opposite him looked to be only in his twenties or thirties, but was actually over two hundred years old. He had gentle features and a soft voice, “Why are you standing here? Your fellow disciples are over there.”
Xuan Zhiyan was used to Qi Fengyuan's sharp words and was somewhat at a loss with his gentle master. He could only say with a distant yet respectful tone, "Disciple will go now."
The young man watched him leave with gentle eyes, while an elder beside him chuckled, "Elder Shen is kind-hearted, but being a mentor halfway through life isn't easy."
Shen Yuxin smiled helplessly, "The children have it tough too."
Xuan Zhiyan's talent and cultivation were mediocre, unlike his fellow disciples who were sought after by various elders. The phrase "not easy to be a disciple" actually meant that he didn't need to take on a disciple like Xuan Zhiyan, but he still politely declined.
Seeing this, the elder said no more and instead turned his gaze to Jiang Gu in the distance.
Jiang Gu looked at the dozens of boxes in front of him and asked Wei Feng, "These are your things?"
Wei Feng nodded happily, "I lost the apprenticeship gift yesterday, so I prepared a new one for you."
Jiang Gu keenly noticed several unfriendly gazes, all directed at Wei Feng. He reluctantly reminded him, "Why not put it in a storage bag?"
"My storage bag... isn't big enough," Wei Feng said obediently. "It's already shrunk a lot."
Jiang Gu frowned slightly, roughly scanned the boxes with his divine sense, and fell silent.
He knew where those unfriendly gazes came from. If this weren't a strictly regulated sect, all of these things would have been snatched away the moment Wei Feng stepped out with them.
With a flick of his long sleeve, Jiang Gu put all the dozens of large boxes into a small storage bag. He tossed the bag into Wei Feng's arms and said, "Take it yourself."
"It's Master!" Wei Feng happily followed after him, carrying the small bag.
Several more envious gazes suddenly appeared behind him.
"...That's the Qian Yuan Bag, right? A Heaven-Rank magic treasure, said to be able to hold mountains and fill seas..."
"No wonder no one claimed the top-tier magic weapon on the previous bounty list; it turned out it ended up in Jiang Gu's hands..."
"...He just gave it to Wei Feng like that?! To pack those few old boxes of his!"
"What lousy boxes? Those boxes are all filled with compressed magical artifacts, containing half a warehouse full of good stuff..."
"Wei Feng, that spendthrift son... what on earth is he showing off for..."
"...No matter how much he flaunts it, it doesn't change the fact that he's a good-for-nothing. Jiang Gu only sounds impressive; who knows if he'll be able to break through further in a few years given his four spiritual roots aptitude..."
Many disciples whispered among themselves, relying on the soundproof talismans, unaware that their words had all reached Jiang Gu's ears. The elders, however, were more astute and knew that the soundproof talismans were not reliable, so they did not speak, but their gazes toward Jiang Gu and Wei Feng were filled with dissatisfaction.
Wei Feng was unaware that he was holding a Qian Yuan Bag, a priceless treasure. He simply thought it was a large storage bag and casually stuffed it into his front pocket. He followed Jiang Gu arrogantly, giving everyone a defiant look.
He was busy showing off and didn't notice Jiang Gu, who was walking in front, stop. He turned his head and bumped his head into Jiang Gu's back.
The disciple next to him let out a sneer.
Jiang Gu turned his head and glanced at him indifferently. Wei Feng smiled at him embarrassedly and obediently stood a little further away.
"Elder Jiang, I've long admired your name." Ruan Keji looked at the handsome young man in front of him and said with a smile, "I only had a brief meeting in the main hall that day, and I didn't have a chance to get to know you properly."
"Elder Ruan, you're too kind." Jiang Gu nodded indifferently.
Ruan Keji asked in surprise, "Elder Jiang actually knows me?"
Standing behind Jiang Gu, Wei Feng suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, while Mu Si beside him glared at him irritably.
“I’ve heard Wei Feng mention him.” Jiang Gu twitched his lips. “I have to thank Elder Ruan for taking care of him all these years.”
Jiang Gu's words were loaded with meaning, and coupled with his ambiguous smile, the implication was crystal clear—the child had already complained, and I knew everything you had done.
Ruan Keji's smile faltered, and he chuckled dryly, "Not at all, not at all. This child has a troubled past and has no one to rely on. People in the sect have taken good care of him, which is only right."
Ruan Keji naturally wouldn't take the blame himself—it's not just me, it's the same in the sect, who told him to be young, orphaned, and so rich.
"I will thank you all in due time." Jiang Gu's smile deepened.
Of course, we need to calculate each one individually.
Ruan Keji's expression was somewhat unpleasant. "Elder Jiang, you come from a prominent family, so you must understand. Children are bound to be a little mischievous; a few words of guidance are enough. Why ruin the harmony? Don't you agree?"
Although your Jiang family is powerful, the Yanghua Sect is not shallow either. You are so young and your foundation is still shallow. There is no need to tear apart your relationship for the sake of a disciple.
Jiang Gu just smiled and remained silent.
Standing to the side, Wei Feng couldn't understand the deeper meaning behind their words. He loathed Ruan Keji and disliked Jiang Gu smiling at him even more—after all, Jiang Gu hadn't smiled at him this much! What right did that mean-spirited Ruan Keji have!
"Master, let's go over there." Wei Feng carefully tugged at Jiang Gu's sleeve.
"Excuse me, the child can't stay still." Jiang Gu nodded to Ruan Keji and left with Wei Feng.
They hadn't walked more than a few steps when Wei Feng leaned in and whispered, "Master, let me tell you, that old bastard Ruan Keji is no good person. He used to come to my place and plunder things. I lent him ten million mid-grade spirit stones and he still hasn't paid me back. No, that wasn't a loan, it was outright robbery!"
Jiang Gu quickly put up a soundproof shield as soon as he spoke. This idiot seemed to have no concept of whispering and was afraid that others wouldn't hear him.
Wei Feng was standing quite close, so he reached out and pushed his head away, saying, "Walk properly."
Wei Feng was still immersed in anger and didn't pay attention. He grabbed his sleeve and gritted his teeth, "Master, don't play with him. He's insidious and vicious, even more hateful than that old pervert."
"Wei Feng." The cold voice carried a hint of barely perceptible irritation.
Wei Feng was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Master?"
"Let go." Jiang Gu looked down at the sleeve that he had gripped so tightly that it was all wrinkled.
"Oh...oh!" Wei Feng quickly let go, gave him a sweet and bright smile, and even reached out to pat the wrinkles on his sleeve.
Jiang Gu took a deep breath, but before he could leave, he was stopped by an elder who had approached him.
There was still some time before the apprenticeship ceremony. Jiang Gu had never accepted a disciple before and was not clear about the process. Along the way, he exchanged polite greetings with the elders. On the surface, everyone was friendly, but in reality, there were undercurrents. Most of them held warnings and hostility towards him.
Wei Feng's life was more difficult than he had imagined.
He didn't feel much sympathy for Wei Feng, but ever since he learned that Wei Feng was his future Daoist partner—even if this Daoist partner was for proving the Dao—he subconsciously categorized the other as something that belonged to him.
Wei Feng's people and possessions, even a low-grade spirit stone on Yunfeng Peak, all belong to Jiang Gu.
He can ruin his own things however he wants, but it's not up to others to take advantage of them.
Wei Feng, who was standing beside him, continued to speak ill of every elder, "...He stole my magic weapon. I had just broken the seal and hadn't even warmed it up when he took it away. I was only eight years old at the time. He traded it for a roast chicken. It's utterly despicable!"
"Why didn't you take it back?" Jiang Gu frowned.
Wei Feng touched his nose guiltily, "I thought that roast chicken was pretty delicious at the time."
Jiang Gusheng was so angry that he laughed.
Wei Feng chuckled along with him. Although he didn't quite understand why his master was suddenly smiling at him so happily, his master's smile was truly beautiful.
Jiang Gu suppressed the murderous intent in his eyes, turned around, sat down in a chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
He was afraid that if he kept watching, he would kill this idiot before those scum from Yanghua Sect could.
Wei Feng, however, was completely oblivious. He stood by Jiang Gu's chair, looking around at this and that. Before long, he started yawning repeatedly, leaning against the back of Jiang Gu's chair, half asleep and half awake. In his daze, he felt that Jiang Gu's shoulders were very broad, and it would definitely be very comfortable to lie on them to sleep.
Until the deep, resonant sound of the bell echoed throughout the entire Touchun Peak.
Wei Feng snapped back to reality and, following Jie Fuxue's voice, knelt upright on the prayer mat in front of Jiang Gu, along with the other disciples who had come to become his disciples.
According to the rules, he should offer tea and kowtow to Jiang Gu, and Jiang Gu should bestow upon him a name and hairpin.
"Master, please have some tea." Wei Feng knelt on the ground, performed the standard three kneelings and nine kowtows, and then respectfully handed over the teacup.
Jiang Gu took the bottle and symbolically sipped it. The elder next to him was patting his disciple's head with a smile, praising him repeatedly as a "good boy." Another elder was straightening his disciple's clothes. Wei Feng looked at Jiang Gu with bright eyes, his face full of anticipation.
Jiang Gu simply couldn't bring himself to do those disgusting things, so he ignored his gaze and just nodded faintly.
Wei Feng lowered his head and touched his collar, then quietly lowered his hand.
Jiang Gu said, "You are the 79th generation disciple of Yanghua Sect, and your generation name is Lin. Therefore, we will take the meaning of the sun and moon, and your name will be Linming from now on."
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this calligraphy upon me." Wei Feng kowtowed deeply.
Jiang Gu casually took a hairpin from his storage bag and pinned up his high ponytail. "May you be diligent and tireless on your path of cultivation, with many good teachers and helpful friends, and may the sun and moon shine upon you on a smooth and peaceful journey."
After Jiang Gu finished speaking, he sensed the invisible power of the rules between heaven and earth. From this moment on, Wei Feng truly became his disciple. The master and disciple were inextricably linked, their fates intertwined, and they were bound together by fate.
Wei Feng seemed to sense something as well, and looked up at Jiang Gu with eyes full of joy and affection, "Thank you, Master!"
Under his expectant and eager gaze, Jiang Gu stiffly raised his hand. Just as Wei Feng was about to put his head in his palm, he twisted his wrist and patted Wei Feng's shoulder instead.
Unexpectedly, the pat landed squarely on his injured shoulder, causing Wei Feng's face to contort in pain. He narrowly avoided letting out a scream.
The ceremony is complete.
Accompanied by the resounding chants of congratulations, large fireworks exploded in the sky above Touchun Peak, and the square was crowded with people, filled with congratulatory greetings.
Jiang Gu looked at his restrained yet forced smile and curled the corners of his lips slightly. "Get up."
Wei Feng endured the pain and stood up, relentlessly moving closer to him. The boy's body temperature was burning hot, and Jiang Gu was busy dealing with the elders who came to offer their congratulations, so he couldn't push him away.
However, Wei Feng didn't linger for long. After seeing Xuan Zhiyan, he told Jiang Gu and then ran over excitedly. Several newly initiated disciples had already gathered there. They were all about the same age as him. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old boys quickly became acquainted, and since they had just become disciples, they were all beaming with excitement.
"It's a real pity that Elder Jiang, with his cultivation level, only accepted one disciple," an elder said regretfully. "It would be more lively if he accepted a few more."
"I am still inexperienced and cannot teach even one person," Jiang Gu said with a faint smile.
"Elder Jiang is too modest!"
"Come, come, this is Elder Jiang..."
"Yanghua Sect hasn't been this lively in a long time. We're going to have a big banquet tonight, Elder Jiang must be there..."
"...I heard a while ago that Young Master Jiang Xiangyun was in Longyun City, and I originally wanted to pay him a visit..."
"Speaking of which, I have some old acquaintances with the Jiang family..."
Before long, Jiang Gu was surrounded by a large crowd. Although he was impatient with them, he handled them with ease. To survive in the Jiang family, one had to do much more than just cultivate and kill. The shady dealings within the cultivation sects and powerful clans were no less numerous than those among mortals, and were even more cruel and direct.
Jiang Gu dealt with his clansmen, each with their own agendas, without revealing a word, and occasionally glanced at Wei Feng.
Wei Feng was standing on tiptoe, peering at him from the edge of the crowd. The moment their eyes met, he was so happy he could hardly contain himself, waving vigorously at him, "Master!"
Compared to these greedy people, even that stupid face seemed a bit more pleasing to the eye.
Jiang Gu used the excuse of taking care of his apprentice to get rid of those people's harassment.
"What is it?" He led Wei Feng to a secluded place.
Wei Feng handed him two silver wristbands, looking at him expectantly, "Master, Xuan Zhiyan and the others' master have given them wristbands."
"…………" Jiang Gu really couldn't understand where such a dilapidated sect as Yanghua Sect got all these tedious and useless rituals from.
Seeing that he didn't intend to take it, Wei Feng became a little uneasy. His slightly lowered eyes showed a hint of caution. He hesitated to put away the wristband and whispered, "Actually, it's okay not to wear it."
Jiang Gu glanced at him, grabbed his hand that was about to retract, and took the cold protective gear, fastening it onto the boy's slender wrist.
He wouldn't have bothered with it if he wasn't worried about the beads falling off again.
“The other one,” Jiang Gu said without looking up.
Wei Feng quickly handed him his other hand.
The silver wristbands looked decent against the crimson disciple's robes. Jiang Gu tied the red string on them, and when he looked up, he was dazzled by Wei Feng's radiant smile.
"Thank you, Master!" Wei Feng waved his two pretty little paws at him. "They're so beautiful!"
Jiang Gu glanced at it indifferently, then looked away with disdain.
If you can't hold the sword, no matter how beautiful it is, it's not as good as chopping it cleanly.
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