Chapter 234 The Ruthless Senior Brother of the Path ...
The Third Elder never bothered with the high-level intellectual battles between the Second and Fourth Elders. He picked up a snack he had never tried before, took a couple of bites, and still looked at the Seventh Elder with some disbelief.
"Not only has she broken through, but she's also willing to use a sword now. What happened to Xiao Qi? How did she suddenly come to this realization?"
He ran to this mountain every few days, but he didn't find that Xiao Qi had encountered anything special.
"Isn't it because my little apprentice is with me? Perhaps it's because my apprentice is so considerate?" The Seventh Elder's expression was relaxed and at ease. "Looking at such an obedient little apprentice, what could he possibly be upset about? I have to see him achieve something in his studies."
The Seventh Elder was unaware that his disciple had fed him pills; he only assumed that his improved mental state and breakthrough were due to the warm and comfortable life he shared with his disciple.
After all, compared to his little apprentice who relied on him wholeheartedly, treated him like a close elder, and especially loved to feed him delicious food, what did Xuan Ling's other disciples amount to?
The Third Elder couldn't help but glare and protest: "I'm with you every day, so why don't you seem more open-minded and take care of me in my old age?"
"Third Brother, you're getting on in years, it's really not appropriate for you to act like a child." The Seventh Elder rolled his eyes and complained.
The game system's Breakthrough Pill is very different from the ordinary pills in this world. Not only does it look like a chocolate bean, but it also tastes very similar. After taking it, one feels nothing and does not need to digest its medicinal properties.
It looks more like the experience pills often seen in online games, which take effect immediately without needing to be absorbed.
After all, Heng Mo couldn't explain the origin of the Breakthrough Pill, so he simply mixed it into the chocolate. It was fortunate that his master never put any suspicion on his disciple, otherwise it would have taken a lot of effort to deliver the medicine to him.
When the Seventh Elder started talking about Heng Mo, he got really excited and, seemingly modestly, boasted about a whole bunch of things to the Third Elder, while also making sure to praise Shen Ting as well, so that the conversation could go on for a little longer.
The Third Elder spoke of his little apprentice with a mixture of love and hate: "That brat spent a month hunting demonic beasts, saving up money to buy me a gift for becoming his disciple. In the end, he got a bottle of strong liquor. The liquor was good, but that rascal actually tricked me into telling him things while I was drunk!"
As a cultivator, even if he blacked out from drinking, he wouldn't lose his memory. Afterwards, when the Third Elder thought about how that brat had asked him all sorts of nonsense after he was caught off guard and got drunk, he wanted nothing more than to hang him up and give him a good beating.
"It's one thing for him to ask about gossip surrounding Xuan Ling's thing, but he also asked if his two senior brothers wet the bed when they were young, and if I had any hidden money!"
Listening to the Third Elder's gritting complaints, the Seventh Elder clicked his tongue twice and said, "Isn't it all because you spoiled him like this?"
Despite his complaints, Shen Ting's personality was actually a result of the Third Elder's indulgence. Otherwise, where would he get the audacity to do such a thing? He's not really stupid.
"Cultivation is about cultivating the mind; having a clear conscience is fundamental. Suppressing one's true nature too much will backfire. Although my brat is mischievous, he's not a bad person and knows how to behave appropriately." The Third Elder scolded his brat, but couldn't help but show off a little.
"Otherwise, why would he only get me drunk and only try to get information out of me? It's because he's close to me."
The Seventh Elder was taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat when he was almost choked by his words. There was no need to show off such a thing; no one would envy him.
The Fifth and Sixth Elders, being quite self-aware, didn't participate in the IQ game, nor did they want to listen to the parenting tips shared by their Third and Seventh Brothers. Instead, they just rummaged through the pile of snacks that Heng Mo had brought over.
The Fifth Elder held a salted egg yolk pastry and examined it carefully, saying, "This pastry is quite delicious. It looks like a steamed bun from the outside, but I didn't expect it to have so much filling inside. The salted egg yolk is the best part!"
The Sixth Elder nodded thoughtfully, "If we use the eggs of the scaled frog to replace the yolk in the middle, the color will be the same and the size will be about the same, so the result will definitely not be much different."
"That guy wants to take on an apprentice, right? If we just pretend it's a gift from someone wanting to become an apprentice, he'll definitely think it's from our Little Mo. Even if it's just to build a good relationship with his 'future apprentice,' he'll still take a bite."
The eggs of the scaly frog resemble egg yolks, but they are inedible. It's not that they are poisonous, but rather that they taste bitter and sour, and one bite can cause bad breath for three months. Ironically, before the frog is bitten open, it doesn't smell bad.
The Fifth Elder had already started planning where to catch scaled frogs, and the Sixth Elder was also researching how to impersonate egg yolk pastries. The two worked together so well that it was clear they had done it many times before.
You like to have a sharp tongue and scold the younger generation, right? Well then, I'll make sure you can't utter a sound for three months.
The Sixth Elder looked at the black, pudding-shaped herbal jelly again, deep in thought about what could be a substitute that wouldn't be easily noticed.
Just as the sect leader had dismissed the Fourth Elder's idea of writing erotic tales and drawing erotic pictures for Xuan Ling, he turned around and heard about the Fifth and Sixth Junior Brothers' plan. He glared at his two junior brothers but only instructed them to be careful.
The Second Elder raised his eyelids and calmly glanced at the entire room. "Anyway, we can't kill them, so let them play around. Let's collect some interest for Xiao Qi first."
As for Xuan Ling, if he dares to cause trouble, well, although the Xuan Yang Sect needs the title of the number one cultivator, it won't make much difference if they lose it.
The ruthless path, especially those who have done wrong, isn't actually that difficult to kill. Take Xuan Ling, for example, who's hypocritical and thinks he's so high and mighty. Three sentences would be enough to shatter his Dao heart!
If he hadn't unexpectedly gained an opportunity while training outside, and entered into meditation to break through, Xiao Qi wouldn't have suffered all these years of injustice!
The reason for not killing Xuan Ling was that he needed to be kept alive to atone for his sins; killing him directly would be too easy for him, not because there was no way to kill him.
Seeing the Second Elder's somewhat sharp gaze, the Sect Leader immediately fell silent. He wasn't pleading for Xuan Ling, but he was afraid that if he really angered him, Xuan Ling would kill him without restraint. After all, even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, since the second junior brother is planning to cover for him, then there's no problem. With Xuan Ling's brains, even ten of them together probably wouldn't be enough for the second junior brother to handle.
The sect leader casually grabbed a bag of spicy strips and slowly chewed on them. He had to admit, Xiao Qi's new apprentice was really good. Not only was he filial, but his cooking skills were also excellent. These spicy strips were so satisfying!
After Heng Mo finished meditating, seeing that Lin You was still asleep, he continued to study his cheat-like quest.
The third wave of missions is now nearing its end, with only two challenging missions remaining.
[Ding! Consulted seven Nascent Soul stage or higher cultivators, points +15.]
[Ding! Assisted seven Nascent Soul stage or higher cultivators, earning +25 points.]
These two are the two tasks with the highest scores in the third refresh, and they were also the two most difficult originally.
The Xuan Yang Sect only has so many Nascent Soul cultivators. Second Master Uncle has been in seclusion, and Master hadn't advanced yet. Even if he pulled Xuan Ling out to make up the numbers, it wouldn't be enough.
As for looking outside, Nascent Soul stage cultivators are either leaders of a region or elders of a sect. Even one's own juniors might not be able to meet them, let alone a mere Qi Refining stage novice like him.
Now things are much better. Second Master Uncle has emerged from seclusion, and Master has also reached the Nascent Soul stage, so it's just the right time to do missions.
Xuan Ling's two tasks are not without progress. When his senior uncle, the sect leader, came to the mountain a few days ago, he took the opportunity to ask him about matters within the sect and also poured him some tea.
Needless to say, his third senior uncle would come over every few days, making completing tasks a piece of cake. However, he wasn't very familiar with the other elders, and since he wasn't in a hurry to complete any tasks, he didn't go over.
Of the group on the mountain, the sect leader was the first to leave, as the open class still needed further refinement and he had been quite busy lately.
The Third Elder came often, not caring whether he stayed or not. After chatting with his junior brother for a while and confirming that he had truly come to terms with things, he went off to look for new ingredients.
The others hadn't seen their junior brother for a while. Back then, the Seventh Elder's foundation was damaged, and he was abandoned and betrayed by his closest relatives, causing him great harm both physically and mentally.
Apart from the Third Elder, who was closest to him, the junior brother was lifeless to everyone else. No one dared to provoke him, and they all tried to minimize the time they spent in front of him.
The Third Elder would come to visit from time to time, and the Sect Leader, who was in charge of the entire sect, would come over under the guise of discussing official business, and also take him to participate in some group activities.
When the Seventh Elder failed to break through and was nearing the end of his life, he seemed indifferent to everything. Everyone was anxious but helpless.
Who would have thought that at this recruitment event, the exceptionally talented Heng Mo would so decisively abandon his idea of becoming Xuan Ling's apprentice and instead directly acknowledge Xiao Qi as his master.
Seeing the unusually lively expression on their junior brother's face, the crowd gave Heng Mo a few half-hearted words of advice and then directly accepted him as their junior brother, hoping that the child could stir up some will to live in their junior brother.
Even if he changes his mind later, it will still be a glimmer of hope for Xiaoqi.
No one expected that Heng Mo would still choose Xiao Qi without hesitation after learning about the difference between Xuan Ling and Xiao Qi.
Even when Xuan Ling repeatedly expressed his willingness to take him as a disciple, he pretended to be stupid and firmly refused without the slightest hesitation.
Listening to the Second Elder's serious analysis, the Fourth Elder suddenly blinked and said, "I heard that not only did he not hesitate, but he also deliberately complained about Xuan Ling and went to Xiao Qi to act cute?"
The Seventh Elder coughed awkwardly, and even the Second Elder, who had been keeping a straight face, couldn't help but chuckle. The others also couldn't help but laugh.
"Perhaps this is why Junior Brother is able to let go of the past? After all, anyone who has raised children knows that a well-behaved, cute, and affectionate child can cure all troubles." The Fourth Elder gently shook his folding fan, glanced casually down the mountain, and said deliberately.
Heng Mo heard this sentence as soon as he came up. He pursed his lips for a while before whispering, "Fourth Uncle, I'm almost sixteen."
After saying that, he looked at his master expectantly, as if waiting for him to prove to him that he was no longer a child.
The Second Elder looked at Heng Mo's appearance, lowered his eyes, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. He relaxed his guard a little. Although this boy was acting, he didn't have any other bad intentions. His purpose was just to make his junior brother happy.
The Fifth Elder suddenly reached out and pinched Heng Mo's cheek: "We're all four or five hundred years old. According to this calculation, you're definitely a child."
A hint of helplessness flashed in Heng Mo's eyes, but he showed no impatience or anger. He let him pinch him for a while before looking for help at the others watching the show.
The Seventh Elder was about to speak when the Second Elder interrupted, "Alright, how old are you? Stop teasing children. If you want a disciple, raise one yourself. If you make someone cry, you'll have to comfort them."
Heng Mo: ………
Second Uncle-Master, you didn't let me off the hook either! If I can be teased to tears and need to be comforted, am I still a child?!
But the Second Elder smiled and beckoned to him: "Little Mo, come here and let your Second Uncle take a look. It's our first meeting, so I should give you a gift. Do you need any pills, cultivation techniques, or spiritual artifacts? Don't be shy, your Second Uncle has some savings."
The Second Elder looked at Heng Mo with loving eyes, as if he could pluck the stars from the sky for him if he just asked.
Heng Mo looked at the Second Elder and gave him a sweet smile: "Thank you, Second Uncle. I don't lack anything. Master has provided everything for me."
After saying that, Heng Mo seemed to feel that his refusal was a bit too straightforward, and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, "I heard from my third senior uncle that my second senior uncle is the most intelligent. May I ask my second senior uncle a question?"
The Second Elder's expression remained kind, and he nodded with a gentle smile, but a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
To ask someone else a question in front of one's master without even getting the master's approval—is this child heartless, or simply indifferent to his junior brother's feelings?
The Second Elder was prepared to tell him seriously if he asked about his insights into the cultivation techniques or his doubts about cultivation. He said that although his master was a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator, what he knew was no less than any other Nascent Soul cultivator!
Unexpectedly, Heng Mo spoke up somewhat embarrassedly: "Second Uncle, I opened a snack shop and plan to use it to support clansmen with lower spiritual roots. Do you know how to ensure they don't become overly dependent on me, but also don't hesitate to speak up when they are wronged?"
The Second Elder looked at Heng Mo, who was earnestly asking him for advice, and then glanced at his junior brother, who had been too strict with him and had never dared to complain when he was wronged. He almost couldn't keep up the feigned kind expression on his face.
Haha, I'd love to know that too!
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Author's Note: [Owl emoji]
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