Chapter 9: The Life of the Great Disciple

Watching Gu An worry about him, Zhang Chunqiu felt very content.

Soon to descend the mountain, the one Zhang Chunqiu was most reluctant to leave was not his master, but his junior brother, Gu An.

He was too obedient, too honest.

Zhang Chunqiu shared the same feelings as Li Ya, worried about Gu An, fearing he would be bullied in the future.

"I have been in Medicine Valley for forty years; it's time for me to go down the mountain. My cultivation aptitude is mediocre, I have no hope of Foundation Establishment in this life. Rather than wasting away here, I might as well enjoy the rest of my days. Junior Brother Gu, you should take over the position of eldest brother. Meng Lang is too lazy; he can't be the eldest brother." Zhang Chunqiu patted Gu An on the shoulder and said seriously.

Gu An hesitated, "But... without you, Big Brother, I'm afraid I..."

Cheng Xuan Pill spoke up, "If you don't dare, let Meng..."

"I'm not incapable!" Gu An quickly interjected.

Zhang Chunqiu, who had intended to comfort him, was taken aback.

Cheng Xuan Pill looked deeply at Gu An and said no more.

Gu An fake coughed and said, "I can't let you down, Big Brother. Actually, I'm afraid Meng Lang will boss me around every day if he becomes the eldest brother."

Hearing the latter part of his words, Zhang Chunqiu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The atmosphere eased immediately; Zhang Chunqiu began to encourage Gu An, who listened intently.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Chunqiu tucked up his robe and kowtowed to Cheng Xuan Pill. After three loud kowtows, he stood up and left, leaving Gu An and Cheng Xuan Pill alone.

"You see, Medicine Valley can't retain people. If you don't want to stay in Medicine Valley all your life, you can say so in advance. Your teacher might be able to help you," said Cheng Xuan Pill, his eyes calm.

Gu An hastily replied, "Disciple is willing to stay in Medicine Valley for life."

"Don't rush to answer. It really could be for a lifetime."

"Master, I dare not lie. I really do want to stay here for life. To others, the work in Medicine Valley may be dirty and tiring, but for me, these are the most carefree days I have had. Master has taken good care of me, and my brothers are very kind to me. I truly wish to stay here for life."

Gu An said earnestly, seizing the moment to express his true feelings.

Cheng Xuan Pill said somberly, "You must have a background. Your survival from the Demon of Greed and Wrath was no coincidence, and yesterday's surge of nature's spiritual energy also came from your courtyard."

Gu An panicked, "Master, I really don't have a background. My only connection might be the Ji Family's third young lady, Ji Xiaoyu, but I'm just her house servant."

"The Ji Family?"

Cheng Xuan Pill glared, his face changing dramatically for the first time in Gu An's sight.

On his face, Gu An saw fear, anger, and apprehension; these negative emotions twisted his expression into something terrifying.

This is bad!

This old man doesn't have a grudge with the Ji Family, does he?

Gu An felt uneasy, as if he had overstepped.

"So, that's how it is; from now on you will be the eldest disciple of this Medicine Valley." Cheng Xuan Pill took a deep breath and said.

What a turnaround!

Gu An breathed a sigh of relief; whether Cheng Xuan Pill was sincere or not, he'd take the position of the eldest disciple first!

Even if Cheng Xuan Pill had bad intentions, he wouldn't live much longer.

Gu An was not afraid of Cheng Xuan Pill scheming against him—could his frail body take more hits than the Demon of Greed and Wrath?

"Disciple will be diligent and will not disappoint Master's expectations," Gu An quickly promised.

Cheng Xuan Pill waved his hand, "Go call Meng Lang and Xiaochuan here."

Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately bowed and then turned to leave.

After one stick of incense.

Gu An, Meng Lang, and Xiaochuan came down from the attic, Xiaochuan extremely excited, repeatedly calling out "Eldest Brother."

Meng Lang was indignant, "How come you're the eldest brother? Why not me? My cultivation level is higher, my background is better!"

Gu An was not angered by his words, he turned back and laughed, "Meng Lang, being the eldest brother is not easy; once you take up the role, it's for life. Master sees that you have the heart for Immortal Cultivation, that's why he let me take the position."

"Really?" Meng Lang's anger subsided.

"Of course. Look at our eldest brother; he was here for forty years. How many forty years does a person have in life?"

Meng Lang went quiet, his gaze shifting, now filled with sympathy as he looked at Gu An.

He patted Gu An on the shoulder, "Sorry to impose this on you, Gu An."

Xiaochuan also fell silent.

He too harbored dreams of Immortal Cultivation and naturally did not want to stay here for life.

Gu An pretended to be silent, but inside, he was laughing.

Meng Lang could really be easily fooled.

And so, Gu An's life as the eldest disciple began.

Cheng Xuan Pill put him in charge of all affairs in Medicine Valley. He handed the planting and cultivation work to Xiaochuan and Meng Lang, focusing himself solely on harvesting.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Meng Lang did not complain.

Harvesting came once every month, so most of Gu An's time was spent on cultivation. However, he always hid his true cultivation level, never letting anyone detect it.

Three months passed.

Without anyone knowing, Gu An had reached the fifth level of the Qi Cultivation Realm.

The Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill, refined to perfection, was truly powerful!

Gu An had not practiced as long as Meng Lang, as he had allocated time for reading.

Autumn leaves covered Medicine Valley, and the surrounding peaks were also tinged with fall colors, giving off a sense of desolation.

Gu An stood in front of a wooden railing, looking at the soon-to-ripen third-stage medicinal herbs, stroking a White Spirit Rat in his hand.

Suddenly, he heard something and turned his head to see Cheng Xuan Pill approaching from the valley entrance, followed by a young man and a young woman, who appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen years old.

He instinctively used Life Span Detection.

[Ye Lan (Qi Cultivation Realm Level 1): 14/110/130]

[Lu Jiujia (Qi Cultivation Realm Level 2): 15/140/190]

Not bad!

Two more servants, just like that!

Gu An's lips curled upward as he immediately strode towards the Cheng Xuan Pill.

He arrived in front of the Cheng Xuan Pill and offered a fist-and-palm salute.

Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan could not help but look curiously at Gu An, whose fine features had been enhanced as he grew up, with the cultivation of Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill and Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill giving him an exceptional demeanor that reminded them of the Supreme Sect cultivators they had seen.

"An'er, these two are your junior brother and junior sister; you take them and get them settled," Cheng Xuan Pill dropped these words and walked away.

An'er?

Gu An almost got goosebumps, but still saluted towards the retreating figure of Cheng Xuan Pill.

He turned to face Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan, who quickly saluted him with great respect, pleasing him immensely.

Not bad!

More mannered than Li Ya and Meng Lang—those two had shown no courtesy towards Zhang Chunqiu whatsoever.

Gu An felt an instant liking for his new junior brother and junior sister. He began by introducing himself and asking them to do the same.

Lu Jiujia's skin was dark and his clothes were shabby, resembling a peasant boy, yet his eyes were bright and spirited.

Ye Lan was thin and small, her clothing quite fine, her features merely pretty.

"Let's go, I'll first take you to your lodgings," Gu An said with a smile, his gentle demeanor easing the tension of the two.

As they walked towards the disciple courtyard, Ye Lan couldn't resist asking curiously about the other disciples in Medicine Valley.

Gu An honestly described them.

Afterward, he called over Meng Lang and Xiaochuan so the four could meet.

Unlike Zhang Chunqiu, Gu An truly wanted to cultivate good relations among the disciples, since he was the one who was to be the Valley Master.

The inclusion of Ye Lan and Lu Jiujia reminded Gu An of Zhu Mo Cliff and the Demon of Greed and Wrath.

This won't do!

He must resolve it soon, lest his junior brothers and sisters encounter danger.

While harboring this concern, Gu An began to teach his junior brother and sister how to tend to their duties.

That night,

he closed the door to his room, took out Chu Jingfeng's Spirit Stone, sent a thread of Spiritual Power into it, and the stone began to heat up.

This was Gu An's first time using such a technique from immortal cultivation, and he found it very novel.

After a few breaths, Chu Jingfeng's voice came from inside: "Who?"

So how many people have you given this kind of Spirit Stone to?

Gu An struggled to suppress his sarcastic impulse and said, "Senior, I am Gu An from Medicine Valley."

Chu Jingfeng fell silent.

Gu An felt an awkward moment coming but thankfully, Chu Jingfeng spoke again soon, "Do you have information about the Demon of Greed and Wrath?"

"Yes!"

Gu An spoke confidently, then recounted what he had observed and learned.

Having finished, Chu Jingfeng asked gravely, "Is that the truth?"

"Certainly the truth, without a word of falsehood. He's not far from our Medicine Valley. I'm worried that he might harm us," Gu An said earnestly.

"Fine, I will take full responsibility for this matter. I will go to the Outer Sect to find his Cave Mansion location, so you won't be troubled further."

"Thank you, senior, for understanding. If this matter is resolved smoothly, I also hope you will not mention me. As a junior with mediocre abilities, I wish not to invite trouble, only to live a peaceful life."

"Mm, I'll be discreet."

With that, Chu Jingfeng ended the Spirit Stone communication.

Gu An placed the Spirit Stone on the table, carefully reflecting on his interactions with Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Mo Cliff, making sure there were no slip-ups.

Such a hassle.

He hoped this could be resolved smoothly.

He just wanted to farm quietly.

Gu An thought to himself, preferring a peaceful life of picking herbs over fighting and conflict.

...

After communicating with Chu Jingfeng, Gu An patrolled daily, keeping a vigilant eye on his junior brothers and sisters, fearful that they might wander out of Medicine Valley.

Three days passed without incident.

Until deep into the fourth night, Gu An felt a surge of Spiritual Energy outside Medicine Valley and faintly heard the clang of weapons clashing.

A fight had broken out!

He stealthily made his way out to the mouth of the valley, intending to guard it in order to prevent the Demon of Greed and Wrath or some evildoer from sneaking into Medicine Valley and slaughtering his junior brothers and sisters.

The battle seemed intense in the distance, and by the time Gu An reached the mouth of the valley, it still hadn't ended.

The numerous mountains along the way made it difficult for Gu An to judge the situation using just his extraordinary hearing.

Suddenly,

Gu An felt something, turned abruptly, and looked back at Medicine Valley.

His gaze fell upon a pagoda where he saw Cheng Xuan Pill standing by the window, looking at him from afar.

The bright moonlight cast down on the dim pagoda, making Cheng Xuan Pill appear like a ghost, which quite unnerved Gu An.

Not good!

He'd been discovered!

Gu An furrowed his brow, suddenly unsure of what to do.

While he hesitated, Cheng Xuan Pill slowly closed the window, but his gaze, piercing like ghostly lights, left Gu An feeling truly uneasy.

Gu An wasn't afraid of Cheng Xuan Pill, but he feared Cheng Xuan Pill spreading the word.

But on second thought, it shouldn't be the case—if Cheng Xuan Pill really had ties with the Demon of Greed and Wrath's backer, the Great Cultivator, why bother to call upon Chu Jingfeng for protection?

Unnecessary!

They, the menial disciples, were dispensable, and the adversary wouldn't even need an excuse to report to the Sect.