Together with Elder Xiang Su, they waited as the disciples of the sect successively emerged from the mystic realm.
These disciples were still quite young and had only ever heard legends of the Immortal Venerable Yun Zhou and the Immortal Lord Shi An, having never seen them in person.
Upon seeing the gentle, smiling, dark-haired gentleman beside Elder Xiang Su, along with the blind, fox-eared youth behind him, they could not help but curiously steal a few extra glances.
The white-robed, dark-haired man was presumably an elder in the young master in red’s family. Although the young master could not see, his status and abilities here must certainly be extraordinary. The disciples only dared to speculate in their hearts; no one dared to step forward and inquire directly, as it would be against decorum.
A slightly older disciple, seeing that these two would likely be traveling alongside them back to the sect, cautiously asked the elder and Shi An if they could allow them to escort the young master to his accommodations.
Shi An and Elder Xiang Su did not find this inappropriate. However, realizing the disciples’ assumptions about the relationship and hierarchy between Yun Zhou and Shi An based on their titles, Shi An could not help but smile warmly.
Meanwhile, Elder Xiang Su secretly used her spiritual energy to record this material in her little notebook. Yun Zhou was more than happy to go enjoy free food and drinks, so he allowed a disciple to lead him away to play with the others.
Yun Zhou was never one for restraint, and affected as he currently was by his childlike mentality, he blended in with the junior disciples even more seamlessly.
Watching with great enthusiasm, Elder Xiang Su turned her head to look at Shi An’s expression and felt a sudden, paternal warmth radiating from him.
And thus, the prototype of the web novel titled The Fox-Eared Immortal Venerable and His Doting Husband: The Immortal Lord’s Paternal Vibe was quietly born, later to be published alongside The Divine Doctor Is In? Tales of Chasing My Husband Back Then.
As Shi An and Yun Zhou boarded the spirit boat with the sect disciples to return to the Pinglan Sect, Yun Zhou chatted and laughed freely with the younger disciples.
The junior disciples did not look down on Yun Zhou for the red silk blindfold covering his eyes; their code of conduct strictly forbade looking down on anyone casually, as that was a matter of basic respect.
Yet, they were also deeply astonished by the vast knowledge and stories of various mighty cultivators that Yun Zhou shared.
When someone curiously inquired about Yun Zhou’s cultivation realm, Yun Zhou pondered for a moment before telling them, “Even if all of you attack together, you still won’t be able to beat me.”
Naturally, most of the disciples refused to accept this and began clamoring to challenge him to a spar once they returned to the sect. However, upon seeing Yun Zhou’s ability to navigate entirely by sound, they became even more eager to try.
When asked for his name, Yun Zhou replied that he was called Shen Qingchen, a registered disciple under the tutelage of Immortal Venerable Yun Zhou, temporarily guided in his cultivation by Immortal Lord Shi An. He had originally wanted to make up a random name, but this one suddenly surfaced in his mind, and it slipped right out.
The junior disciples nodded in acknowledgment. Hearing them call out “Brother Qingchen” one after another, the dragon standing beside him could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
As the spirit boat landed and he raised his head to gaze at the towering mountain gates, Shi An could not help feeling a momentary trace of trance-like detachment.
His grip on Yun Zhou’s hand tightened. He knew that from this moment on, his Shizun could no longer be his alone.
While Yun Zhou was playing and mingling with the other disciples, Shi An informed Elder Xiang Su that he had fallen into demonic cultivation.
Elder Xiang Su did not react too intensely; she only snapped back to reality when the dice in her hand slipped and dropped to the ground.
Yet, Elder Xiang Su was merely surprised rather than judgmental. She patted Shi An on the shoulder and said earnestly:
“What difference does entering the demonic path make? You are still that same Shi An Immortal Lord who once protected the mortal realm alongside Immortal Venerable Yun Zhou.
Furthermore, although the Sect Master doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with you, that has only ever been on the account of Immortal Venerable Yun Zhou. He is still your martial junior brother, and aside from Immortal Venerable Yun Zhou himself, he is the one within the entire sect who is most fiercely protective of you.
Besides, you know what the atmosphere in our sect is like everyone is fiercely protective of their own. How could we ever allow outsiders to point fingers and find fault? You haven’t done anything wicked or monstrous.
At worst, our sect can just beat the other sects into submission.”
After Elder Xiang Su transmitted the news to the Sect Master via spiritual communication, Chu Xuanzhi reacted precisely as expected, expressing that it did not matter as long as people returned safely, and that if anyone dared to spread idle gossip, they would simply beat them into submission.
Of course, Elder Xiang Su did not dare mention Yun Zhou’s current condition, fearing that the Sect Master who also viewed Yun Zhou as his master would fly into a fit of rage and lose control.
The Pinglan Sect was nestled atop the summit of a towering mountain peak, and the surrounding mountain ranges behind it also belonged entirely to the sect.
The peaks were softly wreathed in clouds and mist, with immortal cranes soaring through them offering an alternative means of travel across the sect’s various grounds other than flying swords.
The blue-stone paths were quiet and secluded.
Within the sect, pavilions and storied buildings with flying eaves stood alongside ancient, unadorned halls and weathered pagodas.
Upon closer inspection, a faint blue halo shimmered around the outer perimeter of the sect that was the grand protective mountain array that enshrouded it year-round.