Chapter 88: Reunion
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The two remaining people said nothing. Yan Shu stared at Yue Qianchou with unrestrained cold eyes, while the latter looked around as if he hadn’t seen him. After waiting for a while without seeing Fei Denan come out, Yan Shu’s expression grew increasingly ugly – the other party was clearly not taking him seriously.
“What are you doing here?” Yan Shu finally couldn’t hold back, asking with a gloomy expression.
Yue Qianchou looked around in all directions, pointed at himself curiously and asked: “Are you talking to me?”
This infuriated Yan Shu enough. His face twisted as he said sternly: “Do the rules of Floating Immortal Island allow you to speak to a senior like this?”
Yue Qianchou seemed to suddenly realize, and bowed properly: “Disciple Yue Qianchou greets Martial Uncle.”
“Martial Uncle?” Yan Shu didn’t know he had already successfully established his foundation and was now at Foundation Establishment stage. Combined with Yue Qianchou’s special circumstances, outsiders found it difficult to discern the depth of his cultivation. Instead, he thought Yue Qianchou was deliberately addressing him as a generation lower.
Yan Shu’s hatred for Yue Qianchou was extraordinary. As the saying goes, when hitting someone, don’t hit their face – everyone needs dignity. That time when Yue Qianchou angrily rebuked him in front of everyone at the Alchemy Pavilion, he had lost all face. Even now, disciples still mocked him behind his back about that incident. Without finding some reason to retaliate, how could he swallow this humiliation? Unable to find another excuse at the moment, he could only make an issue of this, roaring angrily: “Audacious! You show no respect for your elders. Do you have any regard for Floating Immortal Island’s sect rules?”
Yue Qianchou scoffed: “Strange? How do I not regard Floating Immortal Island’s sect rules? Martial Uncle Yan, please tell me.”
“What’s going on?” It was Guan Weiwu’s voice. He and Fei Denan walked out of the Alchemy Pavilion’s great hall together.
“Master!” Yue Qianchou bowed, looking at Guan Weiwu with deep affection. Now was the time for verbal sparring – he needed his master’s support!
Guan Weiwu also looked at Yue Qianchou with equal affection and smiled: “It’s good that you’re back. I heard you successfully established your foundation – as your master, I congratulate you.”
Fei Denan had just told him about Yue Qianchou’s successful foundation establishment, along with how Yue Qianchou had refused Ma Jiugu, and then how Ma Jiugu had praised his good fortune in taking on such a good disciple. This deeply moved the ‘Pill Maniac,’ who kept saying he hadn’t taken this disciple in vain. Looking at Yue Qianchou now, he found him pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked.
Yue Qianchou bowed: “Without Master’s teachings and Ninth Aunt Offering’s cultivation, there would be no disciple’s today.”
Guan Weiwu smiled awkwardly. He himself couldn’t remember when he had ever taught this disciple anything, but having his disciple say such things made the master look good! To cover his embarrassment, he turned to Yan Shu with a serious expression: “I heard you shouting loudly from inside the hall just now. What’s going on?”
Yan Shu had originally wanted to blow a small problem out of proportion. He knew this wouldn’t really do anything to Yue Qianchou – he purely wanted to disgust him. Hearing that Guan Weiwu said Yue Qianchou had successfully established his foundation, then his calling himself Martial Uncle really couldn’t be faulted. While he was still in a daze, hearing the question, he came back to his senses and said through gritted teeth: “Nothing!”
Guan Weiwu wasn’t a detail-oriented person to begin with. Hearing there was nothing wrong, he was too lazy to ask more. He pointed at Yue Qianchou: “Yan Shu, from now on Yue Qianchou will be specifically responsible for collecting spirit herbs from Ten Thousand Fragrance Garden. Don’t arrange other tasks for him. Also…” He pondered briefly, then added: “Yue Qianchou may enter the administrative hall to find me at any time – no one is to obstruct him.” He didn’t know if this counted as showing favoritism to his disciple.
Once Floating Immortal Island disciples reached Foundation Establishment stage, they would be assigned a fixed position – just with different divisions of labor. After all, the sect’s affairs still needed people to handle them, though it was much better than Qi Refining stage disciples who had to do menial tasks under supervision. Moreover, Yue Qianchou’s position could be considered quite relaxed – he just needed to spend some time each day going to Ten Thousand Fragrance Garden to collect the spirit herbs the Alchemy Pavilion needed, leaving him with considerable free time.
Yan Shu answered with difficulty: “Yes.”
Yue Qianchou figured this was also a good assignment. He glanced at Fei Denan, guessing he had fought for this position for him, naturally so he could visit Ten Thousand Fragrance Garden more often.
After clarifying various matters, Fei Denan, with his daughter’s injuries weighing on his mind, didn’t stay long. Guan Weiwu also went off to attend to his own business.
Yan Shu could be considered the steward of the Alchemy Pavilion, so assigning Yue Qianchou’s lodging fell to him. His vengeful mentality was obvious – Yue Qianchou was once again thrown into the remote small courtyard he had lived in when he first arrived. By rights, Foundation Establishment stage disciples had the right to live in better conditions.
For Yue Qianchou, there was nothing to be picky about regarding lodging. Besides, the conditions here were much better than when he was at Mulberry Grass Garden. He was too lazy to make trouble with Yan Shu over small matters. The green mountains don’t change, the clear waters flow forever – there would always be time for revenge. No need to be petty about everything.
The small courtyard was still the same, unchanged. He just didn’t know if the people in the courtyard were still the same. Looking at the sky, by rights all the disciples should have returned. He stood in the garden and deliberately coughed twice. Sure enough, hearing the commotion in the courtyard, three doors opened.
Looking at the three familiar faces before him showing some surprise, Yue Qianchou smiled slightly: “Three brothers, long time no see. I’m back.”
Ling Feng, Bei Zi, and Xuan Ping looked at each other, actually showing a trace of embarrassment. Originally, the three had taken Yue Qianchou for someone who boasted and flattered, looked down on him, and mocked him. Later, seeing him publicly rebuke Yan Shu – doing something the three didn’t dare do themselves – they realized they had misunderstood him. Afterward, the three regretted it deeply, but unfortunately never had a chance to apologize.
Yue Qianchou smiled: “What? Don’t you recognize me anymore?”
Ling Feng was the first to speak with a bitter smile: “How could we not recognize you? It’s just that we three misunderstood Brother Yue that day. We’re truly ashamed.” Once one person spoke up, the other two followed with apologies, especially the taciturn Xuan Ping, who had said the harshest words that day. He rarely spoke so many apologetic words.
Yue Qianchou had no need to hold past grudges. The four men called each other brothers, but without wine to liven things up, it naturally wasn’t as enjoyable. Unfortunately, Xuan Ping had no private stash, and their range of movement was limited – getting some wine wasn’t easy. However, Yue Qianchou pulled out two large jars from his storage bag, and the four gathered around the stone table to drink heartily.
After a few bowls of wine, Yue Qianchou observed the three men’s cultivation levels and found they were still at the tenth level of Qi Refining. He asked strangely: “Could it be that you didn’t receive Foundation Establishment Pills this time?”
The three smiled bitterly and each told their troubles. They had received Foundation Establishment Pills, but perhaps because their aptitude was too poor, not one of them had successfully established their foundation. Even more tragic was that all three had failed foundation establishment for the second time. If they failed again after three years, they would probably have to leave Floating Immortal Island forever, severing their cultivation dreams and returning to the mortal world.
Seeing the three swallow their bitter disappointment with wine, Yue Qianchou understood. All three were people who had experienced foundation establishment twice – they probably already knew in their hearts whether the third time would succeed. He himself had successfully established his foundation only after taking twelve Foundation Establishment Pills in succession. He knew very well what changes occurred in the body after taking one Foundation Establishment Pill.
Looking at the three’s dejected appearance, Yue Qianchou had the impulse to take out Foundation Establishment Pills and help them without compensation. After all, he had plenty of Foundation Establishment Pills. But thinking again, he restrained himself. What benefit would helping them now bring him? Perhaps when their last hope was shattered after three years, he could generously help them then.
At least now wasn’t the time to help. Friendship over drinks was shallow – they hadn’t known each other long and needed more understanding.
There was a saying from his previous life: there’s no free lunch in the world. Yue Qianchou deeply agreed. In life, one must give something to receive something in return. If I help you three successfully establish your foundations, how should you three repay me?
“Enough about us – how did Brother Yue’s foundation establishment go this time?” Ling Feng asked this way, but in his heart he was already certain that Yue Qianchou’s result was similar to theirs – otherwise he wouldn’t need to return to this small courtyard. Bei Zi and Xuan Ping had similar thoughts.
