Watching the sect leader is enough for me to feel it

 

Deep in the Yunlong Realm, in front of two simple huts, a dense crowd of heads formed a dark mass. There were tall ones and those still growing; the youngest looked around twelve or thirteen, while the oldest... some appeared even older than Yu Xian in his usual form.

They stood there in silence, though their expressions betrayed a certain nervousness, as if waiting for something.

Three days had passed since the chaos of the previous battle. Junxiao, Wu Nan, and Yu Xian had mostly recovered, and Bai Ke had also awakened. However, having absorbed too much spiritual energy from the Ice Soul, his condition was still unstable, and he had to meditate twice daily, morning and evening, to regulate his energy.

During that chaotic battle, all the participating sects had suffered casualties. Still, most sects remained intact since the disciples who attended the trial weren’t their entire memberships. Those sects had all returned to their respective territories.

Only the disciples of three sects—Xuanwei, Changling, and Hengtian Sect—were exceptions.

Xuanwei and Changling already had very few disciples and had long since fallen into decline. After this fierce battle, their sect leaders and elders were gravely injured and would need decades, if not centuries, to recover—let alone serve as pillars capable of protecting their disciples and preserving their sects.

The leaders of these two sects, knowing the reputation of Yu Xian and his companions, immediately enacted a "passing-the-torch" drama, hoping to bring their disciples under Yu Xian's care to seek the path of cultivation.

Hengtian Sect, on the other hand, had many disciples, but its sect leader and elders—who had instigated this whole mess—were completely wiped out, leaving no one. Without its pillars, the sect could hardly stand on its own. Furthermore, the sect's grounds had been reduced to ruins.

Due to the large number of Hengtian Sect disciples, there were significant divisions over what to do next. Ultimately, some disciples dispersed to find their own paths as rogue cultivators. The rest, particularly those whom Yu Xian had protected in the depths of the Wanchao forest, unanimously chose to join Yu Xian’s group.

Thus, the current scene unfolded.

In front of this mixed group of disciples from three sects, Wu Nan sat by a stone table, quietly brewing tea with a tea set. The mass of heads before him seemed no different than rows of radishes and cabbages, utterly devoid of presence in his eyes.

The first thing Wu Nan did upon waking the day before was to look for his senior brother’s secret realm for hot springs. He spent the entire day soaking in one, to the point where his fingertips turned wrinkly. Only then did he emerge, refreshed and tidied up. He had shed the indigo outfit he wore during his madness, replacing it with a bamboo-green robe layered with a smoky white outer garment. Coupled with his delicate and handsome features, he exuded the refined air of a scholar, warm and gentle.

This newfound elegance paired perfectly with his leisurely tea-brewing demeanor, making it impossible to associate him with the infamous madman of Wangtian Cliff.

The disciples from Hengtian Sect couldn't help but steal glances at him.

After all, since joining the sect, they had been inundated with tales and teachings warning them about the terrifying madman of Wangtian Cliff. They had heard how he was an unstoppable menace, slaughtering indiscriminately wherever he went, leaving behind nothing but fields of corpses. Now, to be abruptly told that these were all lies fabricated by their sect—and that the so-called "madman" was actually this scholarly figure before them—it completely shattered their worldview.

What made it worse was that most of them, like Lin Jie, had been "poisoned" by the writings of "Yu Shixuan." They were deeply enamored with the legendary trio of Yun Zheng, Yun Shen, and Yun Yao. To learn now that the revered Yu Shen, whom they often gossiped about, was none other than the so-called madman of Wangtian Cliff, left them utterly flabbergasted.

Meanwhile, Junxiao remained in his black robe, arms crossed as he leaned against the door. He kept a moderate distance, signaling with his posture that he was merely observing and didn’t want to be involved. He stood guard by the door of the hut where Bai Ke was meditating.

Thus, the responsibility for handling the situation fell squarely on the shoulders of the unlucky master Yu Xian.

Yu Xian sat cross-legged on the back of the massive, plump creature Peanut, one hand idly tugging at its silky fur while the other scratched his cheek. Looking down at the row of disciples before him, he said with exasperation, “I’m sure you’ve heard by now—my Yusheng Sect is long gone. All that’s left is us, a few lone sticks. Are you all really sure you want to join my Yusheng Sect?”

The crowd of young and old disciples nodded in unison.

Yu Xian’s mouth twitched as he tried once more to dissuade them. “Let me tell you, we’re dirt poor. No magical pills, miraculous elixirs, rare treasures, or sacred artifacts—nothing! We’re worse than a second-rate sect. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

The disciples, young and old, responded in unison again: “We’re sure!”

Most of the group consisted of the young disciples Yu Xian had protected in the dense forest earlier. Among them, a few hadn't read many storybooks and knew little about past events. They had no intuitive understanding of Yu Xian’s status and were bold enough to directly speak up:

"If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be alive right now. Our lives belong to you, and no magical pills or precious treasures could compare to that. Even if we have to make your bed and brew tea for you for a lifetime, we’d be more than willing!"

Wu Nan didn’t even lift his head and said, “Don’t take my job.” Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed a teacup toward Yu Xian.

Yu Xian caught it steadily, smelled it carefully, and remarked, “That’s the scent I’ve missed. Poor old me hasn’t had this for years.”

However, since Yu Xian hadn’t yet reverted to his usual old-man appearance and was blinking his peach-blossom-shaped eyes while making such remarks, the contrast was almost absurd. Even Peanut under him couldn’t help but lift its tail and smack him lightly.

The slightly clueless young disciples apparently hadn’t yet matched the identities of the people in front of them with the legends they’d heard. Confused but still full of enthusiasm, they feared Yu Xian might reject them. Hearing Wu Nan’s comment about not taking his job, one of them immediately bowed deeply to Yu Xian and loudly called him “Master.”

Wu Nan nearly choked on the tea he had just sipped. He coughed twice, finally raised his eyes, and looked at the confused young disciples.

Before he could say anything, Junxiao, who was leaning against the door with his perpetually expressionless face, spoke in a low, flat tone: “Calling him ‘Master’ makes you the same generation as the head of the Yusheng Sect. Wu Nan and I would then have to call you ‘Uncle.’”

The implication was clear: Are you kidding us? Dream on!

Hearing this, the rest of the crowd couldn’t help but twitch their lips. The young disciples quickly did the mental math and realized they’d said something very foolish. Embarrassed, they stuck out their tongues, moved to the back, and stayed quiet.

Yu Xian sipped his tea, his gaze wandering to a few disciples in the crowd who looked even older than the "old man" persona he usually adopted. The thought of these people one day addressing him as “ancestor” made his teeth ache.

Just as he was wondering how to handle this group, Bai Ke emerged from the house behind him, having finished meditating.

He had fully reverted to his original appearance as Bai Lingchen, with all his memories from the past thousand years restored. Of course, he hadn’t forgotten the decade or so he had spent as Bai Ke—it was all crystal clear in his mind.

His long black hair was tied up high, his face sharp and handsome, with a perpetually cold and distant expression that made him seem unapproachable. He had only stepped out to check on the situation, but no sooner had he exited than Yu Xian seized on him like a lifeline:

“Oh, thank goodness! Here comes the quiet one! You’re the sect leader! Why do you keep leaving these headaches to me, a retired elder?! Hey—wait! Don’t you dare run away, you brat!”

Bai Ke, halfway through listening to this, realized he had walked straight into trouble. Deciding it was unwise to stick around, he flicked his sleeve and replied coolly, “I have not yet finished adjusting my energy and am at risk of a Qi deviation. I’ll go to the hot springs to further stabilize myself.” Like a wisp of cloud, he vanished into the distance.

Seeing him go, Junxiao, who had been leaning against the door, straightened up and said, “Master just recovered; I don’t feel at ease. I’ll follow to check on him. This matter is all yours, Grand Master!” With that, he flicked his sleeve and transformed into a dark cloud, trailing after Bai Ke.

Wu Nan, seeing two of the four leave in an instant, calmly stood up, packed away his tea set, and said softly, “I’m still not fully recovered from my madness. I’ll head to the waterfall to quiet my mind.” Then, without another word, he made a break for it.

Yu Xian: "…"

Why didn’t I make sure my eyes were cleaned when taking in disciples? How did I end up with such a pack of troublemakers who practically commit treason against their teacher?

He looked at the dense crowd still in front of him, sighed, and finally snapped, “Fine! Whoever wants to join, come along. Yusheng Sect has always had a free-range policy, so you’re on your own. For now, go back and pack up your things. Get everything in order, and tomorrow, come with me to Yusheng Sect.”

The crowd was finally dismissed, scattering in all directions. Only Lin Jie, who already lived here, remained behind.

Hearing what Yu Xian had just said, Lin Jie seemed dazed. He stood there blankly for a long moment before asking, “Wait, Ancestor! What did you just say? Where are we going?”

“To Yusheng Sect!” Yu Xian replied. “Why?”

Lin Jie blinked. “Didn’t you say Yusheng Sect no longer exists?! You never mentioned it was still around—I always thought it had been destroyed…”

Yu Xian shook his head. "It's still there, just an empty shell. Over the years, Junxiao and I have been searching for Wu Nan and the others, so we haven’t really gone back. With only the two of us, living in the secret realm has been far more convenient than staying at Yusheng Sect."

At the waterfall on the western side of the secret realm, Wu Nan had just settled down when he heard Yu Xian’s words.

At the same time, over in the hot spring pool on the cliffside, Bai Ke and Junxiao heard the same announcement:

"Tomorrow at dawn, we’ll open the gates of Yusheng Mountain. We’re going home."

Sitting beneath the waterfall, Wu Nan was drenched by the cascading water, but he silently smiled.

As for the hot spring…

Junxiao said in a deep voice, “Master, did you hear that? We’re going home tomorrow.”

Bai Ke, with an icy expression as usual, stood by the edge of the hot spring for a long moment, letting the wind blow around him. Finally, he spoke: “I heard it. If you’re feeling so sentimental, you can face northeast and preemptively sense the aura of Yusheng Sect until I’m done soaking.”

Junxiao didn’t so much as tilt his head toward the northeast. Still crossing his arms, he stared directly at Bai Ke and replied with dead seriousness, “Yusheng Mountain is just an empty shell. Watching the sect leader is enough for me to feel it.”

Bai Ke: "…"

 

Translator : DarNan