Esteemed Lan Yue then told Lin Xuanzhi, “I’ve already written your name into the law book register. From now on, you will be my closed-door disciple.”
Wan Yitong paused, stunned. “Closed-door disciple?”
Hai Kuanglang also raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Esteemed Lan Yue lightly said, “With disciples, I value quality over quantity. It’s enough to have you all.”
He then continued, “I don’t have many rules under my door, but there is one that, if you dare to violate it, I will not keep you.”
“Please speak, Master.” Lin Xuanzhi said cautiously.
“Harming your fellow disciples under my door.”
Lin Xuanzhi lowered his eyes. “Xuanzhi understands.”
Harming another disciple under the same master — he was a victim of that himself.
Esteemed Lan Yue nodded and turned away with a wave of his sleeve. “You guys make your own arrangements and start training again tomorrow.”
After Esteemed Lan Yue left, Wan Yitong blinked at Yan Tianhen, “Lil’ thing, I really want you to come here as well, but Master’s decision will certainly be the best decision for you. He’s not looking down on you; he genuinely has your best interests at heart. You need to concentrate on cultivating there. In any case, it’s not that far away. It’s convenient, and you can visit your Dage if you want to.”
Wan Yitong was afraid that this child would bear a grudge in his heart, so he gave words of comfort.
How could Yan Tianhen not understand Wan Yitong’s intentions after listening?
He felt as though there was a warm stream passing through his heart and thought that this Sinking Sword Peak was indeed a rare treasure of a place.
Thus, Yan Tianhen revealed his teeth as he grinned without any ill-will, “Don’t worry, Ah Tong Gege. I’m not someone who doesn’t know what’s good for me. I’m already very happy that I can enter Profound Sky Sect and cultivate. I’m just a little sad to be separated from Dage.”
Lin Xuanzhi patted Yan Tianhen’s head and said softly, “I’ve let you down.”
I’m sorry, that I couldn’t let you remain under my watch.
Yan Tianhen, however, consoled him, “It doesn’t matter. Didn’t they say that Esteemed Huai Yu is very powerful? Who can say — perhaps my cultivation will surpass yours in a few days!”
Lin Xuanzhi also smiled. “I’m afraid this won’t be too easy.”
Wan Yitong held his chin and spoke admiringly, “You two brothers are so affectionate. I never knew that you actually had a younger brother before.”
“I definitely must keep such a darling deeply hidden. How could I let you know?”
Wan Yitong thought this was very reasonable and nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”
They didn’t waste time on idle chatter. Zhan Fengting took Lin Xuanzhi towards his new residence, with Hai Kuanglang and Wan Yitong also following along.
Sinking Sword Peak had both mountains and water. Whether it was pavilions or the flowers, plants, birds, and trees, the layout was extremely consistent with feng shui. This careful selection and arrangement was something that the other peaks would never do. It seemed that there truly were many advantages to having a prophet as a Peak Master.
The status of an inner disciple was entirely different from that of inner-door disciples. Each of them had an independent courtyard.
Lin Xuanzhi’s residence was called “Catching Star Pavilion”. The building was made of the same materials as that of Sinking Sword Peak’s other structures, a beautiful and lustrous colored glass. There were many flowers, plants, birds, and trees planted in the courtyard. The flowers’ pollen and honey attracted butterflies and bees. Upon entering, one would find themselves in a splendid world full of beautiful flowers.
Two tiger cubs were running around Sinking Sword Peak just before; at this time, they followed Lin Xuanzhi and Yan Tianhen into the courtyard. When they saw the butterflies, they immediately chased after them. The butterflies weren’t afraid of these two tiger cubs either, so they danced about in midair around the cubs.
There was even one courageous and bold butterfly that landed on Ah Bai’s small black nose, flapping its wings lightly. Its serene blue and blackish-purple wings were brilliant and vibrant under the sunlight, looking like a scene straight out of a joyous and harmonious picture scroll.
Yan Tianhen was dazzled and sighed with emotion, “This place really is beautiful.”
“Naturally.” Wan Yitong nodded proudly. “Our Master’s taste is top-class under the heavens. Every plant and tree here was arranged according to his personal instructions. Moreover, Catching Star Pavilion was originally Master’s residence. It’s just that was vacant for a long time after he moved away, and no one moved in again. Rascal, you got a bargain.”
Wan Yitong felt somewhat envious as he spoke.
Zhan Fengting chuckled, “Ah Hen need not be jealous either. How could the scenery here compare when you arrive at Martial Uncle Huai Yu’s place?”
Yan Tianhen looked at Zhan Fengting with burning eyes as he asked excitedly, “Really?”
Zhan Fengting nodded. “It’s naturally true. Martial Uncle Huai Yu attaches even more importance to arrangements than Master does.”
Lin Xuanzhi interjected, “Why address Esteemed Huai Yu as ‘Martial Uncle’?”
This was what he didn’t understand. Although the several peaks in the sect were all related to the same Profound Sky Sect, in reality, the peaks weren’t all that close. Addresses like “Martial Uncle” were mainly used within the same peak.
Hai Kuanglang explained, “I almost forgot to tell you this. It’s said that Master and Esteemed Huai Yu were martial brothers under the same master and sect, but few people know about this. When you’re outside, remember to not tell anyone.”
Lin Xuanzhi was slightly surprised but didn’t show it, simply nodding.
After finding a place for the few pieces of luggage that Lin Xuanzhi had, they ate an exquisite and refined lunch under the hospitality of the martial brothers and sister. In the afternoon, Zhan Fengting prepared to send Yan Tianhen off.
“I feel fondness whenever I see you, so even though you’re not my direct junior martial brother, I still want to give you something.” Wan Yitong smiled as he handed Yan Tianhen a small bag, winking at him ambiguously. “Wait till after you go back to look. You must find a place devoid of people and secretly look inside. Otherwise, this thing will become useless.”
Yan Tianhen nodded at once as he received the gift, smiling. “Many thanks to Yitong Gege.”
Wan Yitong glanced at Lin Xuanzhi. “As for yours, we’ll talk about it later.”
Zhan Fengting also handed Yan Tianhen a small bag, laughing, “Disrespectful.”
Yan Tianhen just finished saying “Thank you” before the bag in his hand was taken away by Lin Xuanzhi.
Lin Xuanzhi felt the item in the bag, and his expression changed a little.
Zhan Fengting asked, “What?”
Lin Xuanzhi shook his head, “It’s too valuable.”
Impressively, there were three pieces of Sparrow Spirits inside.
One should know that there were only a few pieces in the entire Five Continents. Last time, in Pill Limit Mysterious Land, Shen Rubing had used a piece, which was the first piece of Sparrow Spirit Lin Xuanzhi had seen in the Five Continents in over ten years.
Perhaps in the Nine Lands, Sparrow Spirits weren’t considered anything rare, but in the Five Continents, this was a priceless treasure. If a third-class family obtained one, it could really be regarded as a treasure to be passed down through the generations!
Yet Zhan Fengting gave three pieces at once.
Hai Kuanglang gave a tsk, “Isn’t it just a few pieces of Sparrow Spirits? Since Shixiong gifted it to you, that means that he’s fond of you–wait, this isn’t for you, what are you doing here, randomly deciding for him?”
Hai Kuanglang snatched the bag back and thrust it into Yan Tianhen’s hand. “Be good and take it. Senior Martial Brother cares for you.”
Yan Tianhen seemed at a loss, suddenly accepting so many good intentions. Even his eyes seemed a little red. He hurriedly hugged the bag to his chest and looked at Lin Xuanzhi anxiously.
Lin Xuanzhi’s heart softened. “Quickly thank Eldest Martial Brother.”
Yan Tianhen immediately said, “Thank you, Eldest Martial Brother.”
“Good.” Zhan Fengting patted Yan Tianhen’s head.
“Shixiong, that’s cheating!” Wan Yitong cried, also pouncing forward to mess up Yan Tianhen’s hair. He’d wanted to rub this little shorty’s head for a long time. One should know that in the entire Sinking Sword Peak, from master to disciples, every person was taller than the last, and they didn’t look very cute either. Suddenly, a small, short, and thin little fellow with an adorable personality came, so the several disciples couldn’t stop their hands from itching.
Baili Shuying also couldn’t help coming over, pinching Yan Tianhen’s face.
Yan Tianhen, “…”
Ahh, so scary!
Finally, it was Lin Xuanzhi who rescued him.
Baili Shuying licked her lips, not yet satisfied. “Your Senior Martial Sister doesn’t have anything good to give, so I’ll just give you something practical.”
Baili Shuying directly took out a silver treasure card engraved with dark lines, handing it to Yan Tianhen, “You can buy anything you want yourself; no need to report it to your Dage.”
Yan Tianhen’s eyes were about to pop out. He recognized this silver treasure card — there were at least millions of gold inside it!
Heavens, Senior Martial Sister was the most beautiful and kind-hearted woman in the world!
Although Yan Tianhen couldn’t remain on Sinking Sword Peak in the end, he left with a great harvest. When he left, his entire person was still floating, as though he was stepping on cotton, with stars in his eyes.
Quite clearly, this first meeting left a good impression on both sides.
When they left Sinking Sword Peak’s inner gate, the party was talking and laughing, but nobody saw a young man dressed in a black sword cultivator’s robe standing beside a big tree, staring at them silently with his sword in his arms. Even he himself wasn’t aware that his dark eyes exuded some envy and longing.
There was quite some distance between Sinking Sword Peak and Broken Sword Peak, but they quickly arrived by flying on their swords.
In accordance with Master’s wishes, Zhan Fengting directly took Yan Tianhen and two tiger cubs to the summit without passing through Broken Sword Peak’s main path, perfectly avoiding Lin Xuanzhi’s “old acquaintances”.
After reaching the summit, Zhan Fengting came down. A boundless thick fog appeared in front of his eyes; he couldn’t clearly see the situation inside at all.
Zhan Fengting explained, “This is Martial Uncle Huai Yu’s territory. I can only send you this far, I can’t go inside. Martial Uncle Huai Yu asked me to pass on this pill to you. If you keep it in your mouth, you won’t need to fear this fog.”
Lin Xuanzhi nodded and said to Yan Tianhen, “Ah Hen, this dense fog is an array. There are some items like incapacitating drugs inside. You can’t enter at all without medicinal pills.”
Although Yan Tianhen was a little reluctant, he still said, “I can enter by myself, Dage need not worry.”
Lin Xuanzhi’s eyes gazed at Yan Tianhen earnestly.
Seeing this, Zhan Fengting smiled, “I’ll step back first. If you two have something to say, hurry and say it now!”
“Many thanks to Senior Martial Brother.” Lin Xuanzhi thanked.
After Zhan Fengting walked far away, Lin Xuanzhi pulled Yan Tianhen to his chest and kissed that pair of red and plump lips.
Yan Tianhen eagerly reciprocated.
After kissing, Yan Tianhen buried his head in Lin Xuanzhi’s chest, mumbling in a muffled voice, “Dage, I really don’t want to leave you.”
Lin Xuanzhi kissed the top of his head. “Do you think I want to leave you?”
Yan Tianhen acted coquettishly for a while in Lin Xuanzhi’s embrace, then stood up and smiled, “But, I’m relieved that Dage has so many kind-hearted and friendly senior martial brothers and sisters. I can rest assured now.”
Lin Xuanzhi heard his “little adult” words and was unable to restrain a smile from finally appearing on his face.
“You’re rest assured?” Lin Xuanzhi asked, “I should be the one saying that.”
Yan Tianhen smiled with his eyes as he said seriously, “I can also say that. Dage, how much I like you is how much I worry that you’ll be bullied. I want to follow by Dage’s side without leaving you for even a single step, but if I did that, I will never become strong.”
Therefore, he had to leave Lin Xuanzhi’s protection and study alone, seeking knowledge in Dao. Only with that could he grow at the fastest possible speed and become more powerful.
Lin Xuanzhi was slightly stunned. He thoroughly understood the earnestness in Yan Tianhen’s eyes.
After a while, he nodded with a smile and sighed a little, “My family’s Ah Hen is much stronger than I was at your age.”
Lin Xuanzhi couldn’t enter this dense fog and illusory forest, so he stuffed almost all the defensive and attack weapons on his person, as well as all kinds of spiritual pills and miraculous medicines into Yan Tianhen’s arms. After Yan Tianhen carefully selected several kinds, he pushed the rest back to Lin Xuanzhi.
To be honest, Yan Tianhen didn’t feel that he particularly needed these items. After all, the magic treasures and medicinal pills that Lin Xuanzhi gave him were already enough. It’s just that Lin Xuanzhi was still not at ease.
