A hundred lives cannot redeem
Rong Yan left the Wenyuan Hall and returned to his disciples' quarters.
His master had been in seclusion for the past few days, and with no one to take care of him, he took it upon himself to clean the house.
Since my cultivation has stagnated, I should find something to do.
So many days have passed, and I still don't know how my senior sister is doing.
After changing his clothes, as the summer heat was gradually setting in, he poured himself a bowl of water and sipped it slowly.
Hearing footsteps in the courtyard, the group stepped on the pebbles, shook the peach tree branches, and shook off the last remaining petals. They called out from outside with playful smiles, "Junior brother, junior brother, come out quickly."
He put down his teacup, wiped his face to make sure he looked presentable, and then stepped out the door, saying politely, "What brings you all here, fellow disciples?"
Rong Yan had only been there a short time and did not recognize them. He felt that he had seen them somewhere before, but he could not recall their names.
"It's nothing, your senior brother just wanted to see you." Xu Yourong called out to him, "Come over here and meet your fellow senior brothers."
He stepped forward with small steps and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother."
"This is Senior Brother You Ruo, and this is Senior Brother Ting Yu," Xu You Rong introduced, and Rong Yan greeted them one by one.
"My name is Xu Yourong, and I am the older brother of Senior Brother You Ruo."
It's obvious; the two brothers look remarkably alike, with subtle differences that could easily lead to confusion about their identities.
Xiao Rongyan bowed politely, "Greetings, Senior Brother Yourong."
Xu Yourong quickly stopped her, saying, "We're all from the same sect, don't be so formal."
If they were really that polite, they wouldn't have come to his courtyard to cause trouble. Rong Yan saw through it but didn't say anything, and said politely and respectfully, "Senior brother, come in and have some water."
The group waved their hands, saying it wasn't necessary.
Xu Youruo said, "We live nearby. Just call us if you need anything."
"I've written it down."
"Then we're off. Tomorrow, Master Chengshan will be giving a lecture. We'll go together. Don't forget." He turned back every few steps, looking reluctant to part.
It seems that the group of people have been close friends for many years.
"Don't worry, senior brother, I won't forget." Xiao Rongyan saw him off at the door, waved, and smiled. Once the figure disappeared, he immediately wiped off his smile, quickly went into the house, and closed the door.
No matter where he goes, he can't find peace.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Xu Yourong and her group knocked on the door. "Junior brother, get up. Don't miss your morning class."
Rong Yan got up, washed his face and hands, changed his clothes, and hurriedly followed them.
"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting." He acted humbly, and Xu Yourong and the others, who had been lazy yesterday, comforted him, saying, "It's good that you made it. Junior brother, you don't know, but Master Chengshan is very strict about the rules of the sect. If you make a mistake in front of him, you'll be in big trouble."
"That's terrifying." He raised an eyebrow slightly, like an ant on a fire. "Then let's hurry up and leave. If my senior brother gets punished because of this, I'll be ashamed beyond belief."
The group laughed heartily and hurried towards the pavilion of the Misty Sect.
They were ushered into the hall. As soon as they sat down, Master Chengshan arrived. His temples were slightly white, his eyebrows were thick, and his eyes were bright and piercing. He was looking at the door gods on the door during the New Year.
Rong Yan was pulled to sit with the others, and Master Chengshan opened his book and began to teach in a methodical manner.
The path of cultivating immortality is ancient and long-standing, but it is also dry and boring. Xu Yourong and the others listened with a pecking sound.
During class, they would wink and make faces, and when the teacher got to the most exciting part of the lecture, they would play around, doze off, or wander off.
Just as the group was so sleepy they could barely keep their eyes open, a hand shakily reached out.
"Reporting to the elder, I am not feeling well and would like to return home as soon as possible." Xu Yourong clutched her stomach and leaned weakly on the table.
Master Chengshan put down his book, turned around, gazed at it for a moment, and said, "Granted."
"Thank you, Elder." Xu Yourong replied, then winked at Rong Yan, "Junior Brother, please take me back."
Before Rong Yan could react, he had already helped the person out of the pavilion.
Halfway there, Xu Yourong broke free from his support and swaggered off.
Rong Yan was somewhat surprised when he heard the people following behind him; it was Xu Youruo and Zhan Tingyu.
"You're here, let's go eat together." Xu Yourong put her arm around his shoulder and rubbed hands with the person who caught up with them.
So he was faking illness; he's quite bold.
"Won't we get caught skipping class?" Rong Yan asked worriedly, his steps faltering.
The group casually declared, "Junior brother, don't worry. We only do this occasionally, and Master Chengshan won't interfere."
"If I fall behind in my studies, the real person will be angry if they find out," he said, his voice tinged with worry.
"Junior brother, you can rest assured. What Master Chengshan said are all things from the past. They are all annotated in detail in the book. It won't matter if you don't listen to them for a day."
Seeing this, they decided not to say anything more and walked arm in arm toward the dining hall.
School hasn't let out yet, so there aren't many people around.
The food at the Misty Sect is generally average, with plenty of grains and vegetables, but very little meat. However, it's not entirely devoid of meat; stewed meat is served during festivals.
The sect is full of young disciples, and to ensure that their meals are sufficient for their cultivation, the dining hall is also equipped with elixirs to help them replenish their nutrients.
None of them were spoiled or pampered; they ate without being picky.
As summer approaches, the cook also made mung bean soup. The mung beans were cooked until very soft and tender, with a sweet taste.
While drinking the soup, the Xu brothers kept putting food on Rong Yan's plate. Rong Yan couldn't resist and said, "That's enough, that's enough, senior brothers, you can eat too."
The three exchanged a glance and then asked him with concern, "Junior Brother, how old are you this year?"
"Why is my senior asking this?" He ate his meal earnestly, and when a grain of rice fell on the table, he picked it up and ate it with relish.
"It's nothing, I just think you're too young," Xu Yourong explained.
"Actually, I'm not that young, just a few years younger than my senior." He didn't intend to tell the truth, and after drinking a bowl of mung bean soup, he wiped his mouth contentedly.
"Then tell me!" Xu Youruo urged him impatiently, but was secretly glared at by Xu Yourong and shrank back.
Zhan Tingyu interjected, "Junior brother, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't."
Then he would speak, putting down his bowl, which clinked together, and saying in a childish voice, "I am ten years old this year."
The three of them were all taken aback by how small it was.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Xu Youruo pressed on relentlessly.
Rong Yan lowered his head, his mood instantly somber. He suddenly fell silent, a tear slowly rolling down his cheek. He choked out, "I've finished eating. I'm going back now."
He suddenly took his leave. Xu Youruo realized she had said the wrong thing and tried to chase after him, but he was already gone.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Xu Yourong scolded him. Xu Youruo felt wronged. "I was just trying to get information out of him."
“We finally managed to get close to him, and the moment you opened your mouth, he left.” Xu Yourong glared at him.
"What if he ignores us?" Zhan Tingyu asked from the side.
"No, that kid is too naive to be cunning."
After finishing their meal, the three agreed to sound out each other again the next day.
The next day, the sky was bright and clear.
The training ground has always been the venue for grand ceremonies and competitions. Today, with the sun shining brightly, the elder instructor specially brought his group here to practice swordsmanship.
There were twenty scarecrow targets on the field. Fellow disciples used their swordsmanship to easily sever the heads of the scarecrows.
It is said that Lin Yueyao, who had just joined the sect, pulverized the target into dust on her very first day.
Compared to the former, Rong Yan's performance was far inferior.
He was thin and frail, with little strength, and the sword he carried was so heavy that he couldn't lift it for a long time.
What others can carry with one hand, he has to hold with both hands.
Even when flying on swords, Xu Yourong and Xu Youruo, those two good-for-nothings, could fly five feet high, let alone those high-level disciples who flew over a hundred miles away.
It swayed freely in the air, moving freely in and out of places where no one was around.
Rong Yan recited the incantation, and the sword on the ground, like a dying fish, struggled twice before returning to stillness.
He stood there dejectedly, his crestfallen appearance drawing the attention of those in the sky.
Xu Yourong maneuvered the sword to land, and Xu Youruo, who was flying in the sky, changed direction and landed next to Rong Yan.
"What's wrong, Senior Brother?" Xu Yourong asked him with concern.
Rong Yan had a somber expression and furrowed brows. "I can't fly on a sword."
"That's easy, I'll teach you."
The two brothers, along with Zhan Tingyu, enthusiastically taught him how to use spiritual power, only to discover that their junior brother was all show and no substance, and that his spiritual power was pitifully weak.
"What's going on?" he asked, looking at his younger brother, Xu Youruo, puzzled.
Zhan Tingyu jumped out to comfort Rong Yan, "Junior brother is young, there's no need to rush."
Despite this, Rong Yan was still dejected, as if he had been dealt a blow. "Thank you for your comforting words, Senior Brother, I just..."
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Having learned her lesson last time, Xu Youruo didn't dare to speak carelessly and said thoughtfully, "If you can't practice well, you can practice again tomorrow. Taking a break isn't a big deal."
Xu Yourong placed her hand on his shoulder and smoothly took his sword, then escorted him to the pavilion. "Junior brother, take a rest for a while," she said, giving him a look to stop the two from following.
The two sat down, and Xu Yourong, abandoning her usual laziness, said humbly, "When I was learning sword control, it took me half a year to master it. Junior brother, you are so young, yet you can wield a spirit sword. Are you afraid that you won't make a name for yourself one day?"
Rong Yan listened silently, and Xu Yourong continued, "Cultivating immortality is like eating. You eat when you're hungry and sleep when you're tired. If you're so full you can't eat anymore, can you still eat?"
Rong Yan chuckled, amused by him, "Senior brother, you're really funny."
“That’s more like it. Nothing is insurmountable, whether it’s cultivating immortality or eating.” Xu Yourong patted his shoulder, acting like a caring older brother.
"To be honest, when I was the same age as my junior brother, I was not as good as him." He sighed, his eyes becoming melancholy. "Aruo and I depended on each other since we were little. Our mother and father passed away. Back then, we had just entered the sect and life was very difficult."
Upon hearing this, Rong Yan hesitated, but Xu Yourong continued with a sorrowful tone, "Over the years, Aruo and I have made it through. Junior brother, don't underestimate yourself."
"Your parents are gone too, Senior Brother?" He focused on the previous sentence, muttering, "My parents are dead too."
"Could it be the monster's rampage from that time?"
Rong Yan lowered his eyes, a glint of light in them. A hot tear fell onto the back of his hand, and feeling its warmth, Xu Yourong asked immediately, "What about your brother?"
“I have no brothers or sisters,” he replied wearily.
"Are all your relatives gone too?"
"They're gone, they're all dead."
Wu An's entire family, along with their relatives and friends, were all reduced to ashes.
Xu Yourong sighed, "Please accept my condolences."
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