Gu An tried not to dwell on Cheng Xuandan’s intentions; instead, he focused his attention outside the valley to prevent enemy attacks.
He stood guard the entire night.
As dawn was about to break, Gu An quietly returned to his room.
Gu An wanted to go to the battlefield to take a look but feared traps, so he could only hold back.
The addition of Ye Lan and Lu Jiujia brought more vitality to Medicine Valley, dragging Xiaochuan all over the valley as they ran. They were in the prime of youth, brimming with energy, and even the normally silent and reticent Xiaochuan became lively because of them.
Gu An leaned against the wooden railing of a garden area, holding a copy of Green Hero Travelogue, enjoying the caress of the autumn wind.
His gaze occasionally swept towards Cheng Xuandan’s attic.
The face-off from last night lingered in his mind, and he really wanted to talk to Cheng Xuandan but feared disrupting the delicate balance.
Just then, Lu Jiujia approached Gu An, his face full of anticipation as he asked, “Senior Brother, I heard from Senior Brother Meng that you are proficient in a sophisticated leg technique. Could you teach me? I am willing to take over all your harvesting tasks.”
Gu An looked at him and smiled, “I wouldn’t say proficient. If you want to learn, I can certainly teach you. As for the harvesting, let’s leave it to senior brother. I should do some work, and besides, I enjoy harvesting.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiujia’s respect for Gu An grew even more.
Senior Brother is truly a good person!
He was extremely excited.
Gu An tucked the book he was holding into his bosom and then began teaching Lu Jiujia the Residual Wind Leg technique.
It wasn’t long before Xiaochuan and Ye Lan also ran over to learn, but as for Meng Lang, he was too proud to admit interest and felt that Gu An was not stronger than him. The reason he spoke of Gu An’s leg technique was merely to avoid Lu Jiujia’s pestering.
The Residual Wind Leg technique was fierce, and even with Gu An holding back, it was still dazzling to the three youths.
An hour later, as Gu An was thinking of an excuse to slip away, a voice came from afar:
“An’er, come here.”
Gu An turned his head to look and saw Cheng Xuandan standing by the window, gesturing to him.
Here it comes!
Gu An immediately walked towards Cheng Xuandan’s attic, while Xiaochuan and the others did not think much of it and continued practicing the Residual Wind Leg technique.
He made his way into Cheng Xuandan’s room, closed the door behind him, and quickly approached Cheng Xuandan, bowing in greeting.
Cheng Xuandan was seated in meditation in front of the pill furnace. He pointed to the other side of the furnace and said, “Sit.”
Gu An went to the indicated spot, sat down cross-legged, and meanwhile prepared his words carefully in his mind.
“Have you looked for Chu Jingfeng?” The first sentence from Cheng Xuandan interrupted Gu An’s thoughts.
There we go, right to the point!
Gu An didn’t beat around the bush and replied, “Yes, he approached me before saying that if there was any clue about the Demon of Greed, to contact him at any time. Senior Brother Zhang suggested I manage the cave of an Outer Disciple named Zhu Moyan. When Zhu Moyan returned, I went to hand over the cave and saw the Demon of Greed he had hidden behind the vines.
His cave is too close to us; I had to find Chu Jingfeng.”
Cheng Xuandan nodded and said, “You did right. This matter indeed had to be left to Chu Jingfeng. Chu Jingfeng is no ordinary person. Besides being exceptionally talented, he also has a notable background. That’s why he can become an Inner Sect Disciple with the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation.”
A significant background?
No wonder he dares to investigate the Demon of Greed!
Gu An felt reassured in his heart, also worried that if Chu Jingfeng failed, the Great Cultivator behind the Demon of Greed might trace back to him.
“Chu Jingfeng has been investigating the Demon of Greed, so he took on our Medicine Valley’s task. It’s part of a power play between his father and a certain eminent figure within the sect. Still, I am quite puzzled; it’s been several months since you returned from Zhu Moyan’s place, why did you only contact Chu Jingfeng recently?” Cheng Xuandan stared at Gu An and questioned.
Gu An said helplessly, “Master, you should understand me. I dislike trouble and don’t wish to conflict with others. No matter what Meng Lang tried to command me to do, I couldn’t be bothered to argue, so originally, I intended to pretend I didn’t see anything. But since master has brought junior brothers and sisters to Medicine Valley, I had no choice but to contact Chu Jingfeng.”
This was a sincere confession; indeed, these were his reasons.
Cheng Xuandan gave him a deep look, then glanced at the pill furnace beside him, and said, “You’ve done well. From now on, you are my True Disciple. I will pass on everything I know to you.”
“As for this matter, let’s both forget it. Neither Chu Jingfeng’s father nor the eminent figure behind the Demon of Greed is someone we can afford to provoke.”
Upon hearing this, Gu An was stunned. He looked at Cheng Xuandan’s profile and suddenly felt he had misunderstood his master.
“Master!”
Gu An immediately stood up and bowed to Cheng Xuandan, with great formality.
Cheng Xuandan looked back at him, showing a gentle expression that was like a different person from his usual self.
“In the future, if there’s anything you want to understand or learn, you can always come to your master. Don’t feel like you’re bothering me. I don’t have many years left, and there aren’t many days for me to teach you.” Cheng Xuandan’s eyes and tone were softer than they ever had been before.
Gu An sat down, his voice cautious, “Master, can you concoct the Youth-Preserving Pill?”
A staple for the protagonist of any immortal cultivation story is starting with a Youth-Preserving Pill for eternal youth—Gu An didn’t want to end up as an old man with white hair.
Cheng Xuandan shook his head with a smile, then raised his hand, and with a movement through the air, a jade bottle appeared in his hand. He poured out one pill and handed it to Gu An.
Gu An did not hesitate and swallowed it directly.
The reason he was so bold was that the Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill and the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill both had detoxifying effects, and describing his current state as immune to all poisons was by no means an exaggeration.
Seeing Gu An had no guard against him, a look of gratification appeared in Cheng Xuandan’s eyes.
After taking the Youth-Preserving Pill, Gu An felt nothing out of the ordinary, as if he had just consumed a piece of ice candy that melted in his mouth.
“Do you have any interest in Alchemy?” Cheng Xuandan asked.
Gu An’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly, “Not hiding anything from you, Master, I have actually wanted to learn Alchemy from you for a while, but I was too shy to say anything before.”
Cheng Xuandan pinched his beard and laughed heartily, his laughter filled with genuine warmth.
The atmosphere inside the room became very harmonious, and Cheng Xuandan began to teach the art of Alchemy, starting from igniting the fire in the pill furnace. Gu An, who had learned the Fire Control Art, picked it up quickly, leading Cheng Xuandan to mistakenly believe he possessed a natural talent for Alchemy.
However, once Cheng Xuandan’s lecture moved beyond managing the fire, Gu An started to get confused, which rendered Cheng Xuandan silent for a while.
…
After Gu An and Cheng Xuandan established a true mentor-disciple relationship, Medicine Valley became livelier. Cheng Xuandan, who usually stayed shut inside his room, began to come out more often, casually giving pointers to Gu An and the others on how to cultivate medicinal herbs.
Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan grew increasingly fond of Cheng Xuandan, often praising how amiable and approachable their master was, much to Meng Lang’s scorn.
Since that night’s great battle, there had been no more sounds of fighting outside the valley.
Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Moyan never came to Medicine Valley, and Gu An didn’t dare to inquire into the situation, only able to keep the matter hidden deep within his heart.
Time flew by swiftly.
A year passed in a blink of an eye.
Gu An crossed the threshold of twenty and his life span increased to over two thousand and eight hundred years once again.
One day at noon, Gu An was lying on a cliff halfway up the mountain, reading a book. Below was Medicine Valley, where he could see the figures of Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia practicing their leg techniques.
Ever since the word ‘Alchemy’ appeared on Gu An’s attribute panel, he stopped pestering Cheng Xuandan.
Learning the process of Alchemy was truly too dull.
It is worth mentioning that, at Gu An’s suggestion, Cheng Xuandan exchanged more seeds from the Outer Sect. Needless to say, Cheng Xuandan was very competent after they truly became master and disciple.
Gu An propped his head with his left hand and held the book in his right, exhaling a breath of air to flip the pages.
His eyes suddenly widened, and he sat up immediately.
The latest edition of ‘Green Hero Travelogue’ actually included illustrations!
There was something special about it!
Gu An carefully admired the pictures in the book, his mouth constantly critiquing as he went along.
A loud screech descended from the sky, and he looked up sharply, his gaze becoming piercing.
A white eagle with a wingspan of about ten feet landed. When it was nearly two yards away from Gu An, it loosened its talons, and a letter fell, which he caught effortlessly.
The white eagle drew a perfect arc in the sky, swiftly disappearing beyond the other side of the mountain.
What a majestic eagle!
Gu An couldn’t help but think of his White Spirit Rat, tiny as a palm, and utterly useless.
He opened the envelope and found not only a letter but also a jade pendant inside, engraved with the character ‘Chu.’
He tucked the jade pendant into his belt and pocketed the ‘Green Hero Travelogue’ before examining the letter.
The letter was surprisingly from Chu Jingfeng.
Chu Jingfeng first gave a brief account of the battle from before, revealing that Zhu Moyan had died by his sword. Over the past year, he had gathered evidence all around and brought down the Great Cultivator manipulating the Demon of Greed, assuring Gu An that he needn’t worry about the issue anymore.
The jade pendant was a token from the Chu Family; if Gu An encountered problems he couldn’t resolve, he could use it to seek out Chu Jingfeng or his clansmen.
The Chu Family honors the jade, not the person—A promise for a jade.
Gu An’s regard for Chu Jingfeng rose greatly. He hadn’t expected such an aloof Inner Sect Disciple to value loyalty so much.
Even if Chu Jingfeng gave him nothing in return, he couldn’t do anything about it. Moreover, he had previously said that there was no need for Chu Jingfeng to contact him anymore.
After reading, Gu An tore the letter into pieces, then scattered them on the ground. With a slight twist of his right foot, the Spiritual Power beneath vibrated, turning the paper fragments into fine dust.
The Spiritual Power of the Eighth Layer in the Energy Cultivation Realm was just that strong!
Gu An’s mouth curved in a smile, and he leaped into the air like a wild goose flying swiftly away. Along the way, his toes lightly touched the leaves in the hillside woods, landing gracefully at the end of his path.
To this, Lu Jiujia and Xiaochuan had already grown accustomed.
Gu An kept his aura at the level of the Second Layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm, and he had already showcased his Residual Wind Leg, earning high praise from Cheng Xuandan. Now, he was like a formidable master of the Martial Arts World.
Gu An was low-key in his actions, but he felt he couldn’t always hide away. Revealing some of his strength appropriately would help him live a better farming life.
As soon as he landed, the White Spirit Rat scurried over and climbed up his leg to his shoulder.
“I haven’t checked your leg techniques for several days. Come on, let’s spar. The two of you together,” Gu An said to Xiaochuan and the others with a smile.
Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia exchanged glances and immediately charged at Gu An.
The three of them fought with their leg techniques on the grass outside the garden, moving deftly with their long legs whipping through the air. For a moment, the breeze whooshed, and grass clippings flew about.
Gu An faced two opponents alone, dismantling Xiaochuan and the others’ techniques with a single leg.
Xiaochuan’s techniques appeared well-shaped but slightly clumsy. Lu Jiujia showed high talent, his kicks already carrying the momentum of the Residual Wind Leg, but every move was slower than Gu An.
After half a censer of time, Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia were panting heavily, and after exchanging a look, they conceded defeat in unison.
Gu An slowly retracted his leg, which had been suspended in the air, and said with a smile, “You’ve improved a lot, which made it quite challenging for your Senior Brother. I estimate it won’t be long before you surpass me.”
“How long is ‘not long’?” Xiaochuan asked bluntly.
Gu An patted the dust off his trousers and said with a smile, “That depends on how hard you practice.”
The White Spirit Rat perched on his shoulder, squeaking as if laughing.
