Chapter 74
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Chapter 74: Ten Years
In the cultivation world, time flows unnoticed, and ten years slipped by quietly.
“Let’s see, I’m already thirty-six,” Xu Fan said, holding a thermos cup he had crafted himself. Inside the cup was warm water, along with seven or eight wolfberries.
“Middle age sneaks up on you~~” Xu Fan sighed.
At that moment, a young girl in her teens brought a plate of pastries to Xu Fan.
“Master, what are you sighing about this time?” Her sweet voice made one imagine an energetic young girl.
“Yuexian, I was thinking, what if a hundred years from now I still haven’t advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage?” Xu Fan said with a smile.
“How could that happen? If you haven’t advanced yet, Master must have his own plan,” she replied.
“After all, you single-handedly subdued Uncle Wang not too long ago. I’m sure of it.”
“Master must be practicing some extraordinary technique,” Xu Yuexian remarked. After advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage herself, she respected Xu Fan even more.
“Haha, is that so? Am I really that impressive?” Xu Fan laughed. No one who knew him believed he hadn’t advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage because he couldn’t.
“To me, Master is the most impressive person,” Xu Yuexian said, filled with admiration.
At that moment, Wang Yulun and Xu Gang arrived inside the protective barrier.
“What’s the occasion? Why aren’t you inner sect disciples staying in the inner sect?”
“We came to visit Big Brother Xu,” Wang Yulun replied, holding a food box. Bringing food when visiting his big brother was always the right move, even if a meal was already prepared here.
“Your little rascal is out on a mission; you won’t see him today,” Xu Fan said.
His third disciple, Wang Xiangchi, was also Wang Yulun’s son. With dual spirit roots and remarkable swordsman talent, he had left Xu Fan secretly impressed.
“I came just to see Big Brother Xu.” Though a bit disappointed not to see his son, it didn’t change his reason for coming.
Just as mealtime arrived, Xu Fan invited everyone to eat together.
When Xu Fan saw the dishes Wang Yulun took out from the food box, he knew something was up.
Xu Gang and Xu Yuexian exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing: their master was about to profit again.
Over these ten years, Wang Yulun had become like a treasure courier for Xu Fan. Whenever Xu Fan needed a specific spiritual herb or spirit ore, Wang Yulun would provide it, always bringing unexpected surprises afterward.
Xu Gang and his sister knew about the hundredfold returns; they had also given gifts to Wang Yulun but received nothing in return.
“Bro, after more than ten years, you’re still being polite with me?” Xu Fan said with a laugh. Knowing Wang Yulun’s legendary luck, Xu Fan would have no problem giving him a large part of his wealth, even just based on his charm.
Over the years, Xu Fan had developed a habit: whenever he faced difficulties, he’d always give Wang Yulun a generous tip first. The results were surprisingly good, though lately, it felt like Wang Yulun was harder to impress—he already had everything.
“Haha, Big Brother Xu, here’s the thing.”
“Qianer is pregnant; do you think you could help?” Wang Yulun said, rubbing his hands together, feeling a bit shy. Taking on disciples wasn’t just a one-time thing; it required a lot of time and effort in teaching. In the cultivation world, it was rare for someone to take on disciples while focusing on their own cultivation breakthrough.
“What? Are you sending me a child to raise?” Xu Fan joked. He took his third disciple seriously and was preparing to train him as the second strongest fighter under his command.
“If you’re not afraid of the kid getting too attached to me, feel free to send them over when they’re six.”
“Right now, Xiangchi’s starting to forget who his father is,” Xu Fan said proudly, feeling like he had a special aura that made everyone around him naturally feel close.
“Yeah, that little rascal has been coming home less and less lately.”
“It’s okay, as long as he is my son,” Wang Yulun said with a smile. Fathers usually hope their children will succeed, and they don’t usually think about whether they’re close or not at this stage.
“You’re pretty open-minded,” Xu Fan said, knowing his brother of many years well enough to sense that Wang Yulun had more to say.
Normally, Wang Yulun would bring his child over to get close to Xu Fan after the birth before asking him to take on the child as a disciple.
After lunch, Xu Fan’s two top disciples returned to the inner sect for their tasks, leaving just Xu Fan and Wang Yulun on the little hill.
A servant-like puppet prepared tea for them before quietly leaving.
“Alright, if you’ve got something to say, just say it all at once,” Xu Fan said, already having a faint idea of what Wang Yulun wanted to discuss.
Seeing his thoughts exposed, Wang Yulun hesitated.
“Spit it out. If you don’t, you can leave after finishing this cup of tea.”
“I still need to craft a magic treasure for my third disciple,” Xu Fan said lightly, curious about what could make this Genius Disciple from Jia Hall hesitate.
“Big Brother Xu, I’m telling you, please don’t look down on me,” Wang Yulun said, scratching his head. Outside, he was a talented disciple of Que Tian Gate, skilled in swordsmanship, exuding pride and calmness with his handsome face, captivating many female disciples.
But in front of Xu Fan, he felt like an ordinary neighbor’s kid—somewhat handsome but mostly awkward.
“I… I want to…” Wang Yulun stammered.
“If you keep this up, I’m kicking you out,” Xu Fan warned, annoyed. There’s no reason for a grown man to hesitate like this; it’s not like he’s done something shameful.
“Big Brother Xu, can you take on another disciple?”
“This is a friend’s child. My friend asked me to take care of him before he passed,” Wang Yulun said, finally gathering the courage to say it.
“Trying to fool me isn’t a good habit. I have a friend, and I think you’re making this up,” Xu Fan teased.
“Let me explain; this is from my past,” the neighborly boy was no longer innocent.
“Seven years ago, I went out on a mission with a female disciple from the Qianyun Sect who came for an exchange.”
“In a dangerous area, we encountered a Seven Desires Snake at the Golden Core Stage. The two of us fought desperately and managed to slay the giant snake.”
“But in the end, we both inhaled the passionate gas it released as it died.”
“I won’t go into detail about what happened next; Big Brother Xu can probably guess.”
For some reason, Xu Fan detected a hint of sadness in Wang Yulun’s tone, perhaps because his own reputation had taken a hit.
“Why can’t the child be raised by the woman’s family?” Xu Fan asked.
“She passed away two years ago during a mission at the Qianyun Sect,” Wang Yulun said. Xu Fan now understood where that sadness came from.
“Where’s the child now? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“You’re a victim in this too; I’ll help you handle it,” Xu Fan said.
“The child is being raised by a normal family outside Que Tian Gate in the fairy city.”
“I want him to be your disciple so he can have a companion in Xiangchi in the future.”
“What’s the child’s name?” Xu Fan asked.
“Li Xingci, six years old this year.”
