Volume 4 Chapter 100

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Volume 4 Chapter 100: Treasure Pavilion

"And you? Do you still not wish to become my apprentice?"

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s sudden question, both Bai Lianye and Bai Yu showed embarrassed expressions; they hadn’t expected Xu Qingfan to overhear.

Speaking of Bai Yu, when Bai Lianye previously suggested he should become Xu Qingfan’s apprentice, he was unwilling. The biggest reason was that he didn’t want to leave Zhang Ningmei because of his practice, and he had grown up beside Chou Xuan, deeply aware of his tremendous abilities, preferring to become Chou Xuan’s disciple if he had to choose.

Later, after personally meeting Xu Qingfan, although Xu Qingfan had an elegant demeanor, seeing the slightly sickly look on Xu Qingfan’s face and hearing his occasional light cough during conversation was a great disappointment. This bias prevented him from seeing any superiority Xu Qingfan might have over Chou Xuan.

So, upon meeting, Bai Yu treated Xu Qingfan with indifference, hoping Xu Qingfan would become upset and not accept him as a student.

However, Bai Yu didn’t expect things to take a sudden turn. While Zhang Ningmei’s condition, which even Chou Xuan found difficult, could be cured by Xu Qingfan, in the end, Zhang Ningmei directly became Xu Qingfan’s disciple. Bai Yu intended to follow Zhang Ningmei and become Xu Qingfan’s disciple too, but Xu Qingfan immediately pointed out his earlier thoughts, leaving him awkwardly frozen, unsure of what to do.

Seeing Bai Yu in this state, Xu Qingfan sighed softly in his heart. Although Bai Yu had the bloodline of "Qiongqi," he was still like an ordinary young man in the world: stubborn and impulsive, yet at a loss when faced with problems. While his sincerity was something Xu Qingfan appreciated, he was far less composed and calm than Zhang Ningmei.

Although Bai Yu’s talent might far exceed Zhang Ningmei’s, perhaps because Xu Qingfan’s own talent wasn’t very high, he valued a disciple’s temperament more when choosing students.

Unexpectedly, Bai Lianye suddenly walked up to him, bringing Bai Yu in front of Xu Qingfan. Together with Bai Yu, they knelt before Xu Qingfan and said, "My son spoke arrogantly before, please don’t take offense. Both I and my son sincerely wish to be your disciples."

Bai Yu awkwardly nodded in agreement nearby.

Remembering Bai Yu’s earlier attitude toward Zhang Ningmei, Xu Qingfan thought Bai Yu was indeed a sincere person. Although he knew Bai Yu’s agreement to become his disciple was largely due to Zhang Ningmei, Xu Qingfan didn’t mind. Bai Yu hadn’t seen his abilities yet, and future teachings would naturally change his mind. Considering Liu Huaxiang’s last wishes and the sincere attitude of Bai Lianye and his son, Xu Qingfan pondered briefly and agreed to take Bai Yu as his student.

Seeing Xu Qingfan nod, Bai Lianye and Bai Yu were overjoyed. Bai Yu, like Zhang Ningmei before, bowed to Xu Qingfan three times and presented "master’s tea."

Xu Qingfan drank Bai Yu’s "master’s tea," but stopped him as he was about to complete the second bow. The three bows and nine kowtows were meant for direct disciples, while Xu Qingfan only intended to accept Bai Yu as a disciple within his house.

Once everything was complete, everyone was happy. Bai Lianye was glad to have his son under Xu Qingfan’s guidance, leaving behind the worldly struggles. Meanwhile, Zhang Long no longer worried about his granddaughter’s illness, and those matters need not be mentioned.

Although Xu Qingfan remained calm, receiving two talented disciples like Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu at once was a joyful occasion for any cultivator. After all, besides pursuing immortality, what cultivators care about is the legacy of their cultivation methods and skills.

However, Xu Qingfan stopped Bai Lianye and the others from hosting a grand celebration or conducting a formal initiation ceremony. He let them celebrate on their own while he, guided by a guard from the general’s palace, led Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu to a secluded room.

Everyone understood that Xu Qingfan had something to discuss with his two new disciples, so they did not insist on him staying but continued celebrating with drinks in the hall.

Once Xu Qingfan brought Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu into the room, he first dismissed the guiding guard, then set up a barrier outside the room. He sat on a chair in the center, observing his newly accepted disciples, Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu.

Seeing them standing respectfully with their heads bowed before him, Xu Qingfan nodded with satisfaction and then slowly began to speak, "From today, you are officially under my tutelage, so it’s necessary for you to understand a bit about our sect and my background."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu perked up, showing expressions ready to listen carefully.

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan removed the half-mask from his face, revealing his true features. Ignoring the curious looks from Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu, he continued, "First, let me clarify that my name is not ‘Xu Fan’ but ‘Xu Qingfan.’ ‘Xu Fan’ is the name I used before cultivating and when I wanted to avoid attention when secretly descending the mountain."

Seeing Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu’s surprised expressions, Xu Qingfan paid no mind and continued, "As for our sect, it is Jiuhua Mountain, one of the six Great Holy Lands of the cultivation world. Due to an incident decades ago, we suffered greatly and are currently in seclusion. I secretly descended the mountain to fulfill the wish of a senior within the sect."

After a pause, Xu Qingfan continued, "Although I hold the title of Deacon Elder at Jiuhua Mountain, I gained more fame in the cultivation world under the alias ‘Xu Fan.’ Some even gave me the exaggerated title ‘Palm Spring and Autumn.’"

After speaking, Xu Qingfan explained some common knowledge about the cultivation world and the rules of Jiuhua Mountain to Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu. Once he was sure they understood, he asked, "Is there anything you two are still unclear about?"

Bai Yu was the first to ask, "Master, you mentioned earlier that our Jiuhua Mountain suffered great losses due to an unfortunate event, even to the point of closing off the mountain to recover. May I ask what event caused this?"

Hearing Bai Yu’s question, Xu Qingfan hesitated slightly, knowing the matter was not flattering. However, it wasn’t right to hide it from Bai Yu and Zhang Ningmei, so he recounted the calamity that befell Jiuhua Mountain over fifty years ago, providing them with a mental preparation for its current state.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s account of the Jiuhua calamity, and learning that the next disaster was less than ten years away, both showed expressions of shock and seemed a bit fearful. Xu Qingfan did not offer comfort, for some matters they had to face early on.

Next, Zhang Ningmei hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master, what is your current cultivation level? How many in the cultivation world can stand shoulder to shoulder with you?"

Faced with Zhang Ningmei’s question, Xu Qingfan found it hard to answer. Though he was only at the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage, his experience in successive battles had given him great confidence in his skills and the mysterious power of the four Spirit Qi within him, making it uncertain if a typical Real Golden Core Stage cultivator could best him. So, it wasn’t straightforward to define his cultivation level.

Eventually, Xu Qingfan explained the strength standards and level divisions in the cultivation world to the two of them. As for his own strength, Xu Qingfan only mentioned that he had reached the late stage of the Fake Golden Core Stage.

Xu Qingfan then answered some of the questions that Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu had, and by the time everything was clarified, it was already dusk.

When Xu Qingfan brought Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu back to the main hall, Chou Xuan announced he would be taking his leave. Xu Qingfan knew he intended to visit a group of masters at ‘Ronghua Mountain.’

No one knows why Chou Xuan, after making an agreement with Deng Tianao, still wants to find the masters on "Ronghua Mountain." Maybe, despite the agreement, Chou Xuan might still have plans against Deng Tianao. When Deng Tianao saw Chou Xuan with Ninglingzi and others, he probably guessed that Chou Xuan might go see the masters of the cultivation world, but he didn’t mind. Perhaps letting Chou Xuan visit the masters was part of their agreement.

Overall, Xu Qingfan wasn’t interested in these matters and didn’t want to understand them. With Ninglingzi’s introduction, Xu Qingfan didn’t have to accompany Chou Xuan to "Ronghua Mountain." So, when Bai Lianye and the others tried hard to keep him, Xu Qingfan simply said, "Take care on your journey."

After Chou Xuan left, Xu Qingfan stayed at the general’s palace. He wasn’t someone to ignore relationships. Even though he accepted Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu as his disciples, he wasn’t in a hurry to take them back to Jiuhua Mountain. He wanted them to spend a few days with their family. In the future, time on the mountain would pass quickly, and the chance to enjoy family ties would be gone.

…

Three days later.

Eight hundred miles outside Fencheng City, a stream of colorful clouds streaked across the sky, adding a touch of splendor to the clear blue.

Upon the clouds stood three people proudly. Leading them was a person dressed in a white robe and wearing a half black mask on his face. A piece of purple jade at his waist emitted a purple aura. It was Xu Qingfan, who had just left the general’s palace. Behind him, Zhang Ningmei wore a pale yellow dress, looking serene and beautiful. Thanks to a bottle of "Blood Spirit Pill" bestowed by Xu Qingfan to boost her energy, she no longer had the sickly appearance she had when Xu Qingfan first saw her. Yet, her endearing charm remained unchanged. On the other side, Bai Yu wore a black short outfit, appearing quite skilled. After spending days together, Bai Yu gradually developed the respect and affection of a disciple towards his master, standing respectfully behind Xu Qingfan.

After the initial excitement of flying on the clouds, Bai Yu finally calmed down. He first glanced at the serene Zhang Ningmei, then respectfully asked Xu Qingfan, "Master, are we returning to the sect?"

Xu Qingfan nodded slightly and said, "I have completed everything I needed to do during this trip down the mountain. I’ve been away long enough; it’s time to return. However, before heading back up, I need to visit the cultivator’s market to find some items."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan say this, Bai Yu nodded slightly, but his expression became more excited when he learned they would be going to the cultivator’s market.

On the other side, Zhang Ningmei, who had been gazing at the scenery beneath her, suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up to ask, "Master, do you have any other disciples in Jiuhua Mountain?"

Xu Qingfan replied with a smile, "You two also have a senior martial sister named Xu Yuting. You can call her Sister Ting’er. She is a blood relative I found in the mortal world and brought to Jiuhua Mountain decades ago. She has excellent talent but is usually quiet. She is already at the middle stage of the Lingji Stage and is considered the top expert among the younger generation at Jiuhua Mountain. In the future, when I am in seclusion, you can ask her if you have any questions about cultivation."

As Xu Qingfan spoke, he wondered how the usually quiet Ting’er would explain the complex cultivation matters to Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu, and the smile on his face grew wider.

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Zhang Ningmei appeared thoughtful, as if considering how to get along with their elder martial sister in the future.

The journey continued in silence.

Because Xu Qingfan was bringing Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu, who had no cultivation skills, he couldn’t fully use the Cloud Riding Technique, so it took about five days to reach the market Xu Qingfan had visited several times before.

This time, Xu Qingfan came to the market looking for a rare treasure called "Yellow Jade." The second mystical ability Xu Qingfan comprehended is different from most cultivators’ abilities in the cultivation world and requires "Yellow Jade" to be used.

But after Xu Qingfan and the two disciples toured the market, he was greatly disappointed. Not only was there no "Yellow Jade," but even the substitutes he had in mind were absent.

On second thought, "Yellow Jade" is extremely rare in the cultivation world. Even if it exists, it’s not something you can easily come across.

However, Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu followed Xu Qingfan through the market, captivated by the curious and unusual magical artifacts and the spirit stones shimmering with various lights, pausing to admire them for quite a while.

After searching everywhere and finding no "Yellow Jade," Xu Qingfan suddenly remembered some things the Old Beggar had mentioned to him before. He approached a monk in charge of the market and asked, "Taoist friend, as far as I know, there is a ‘Treasure Pavilion’ near this market that specializes in selling all kinds of strange treasures. Do you know its exact location?"