“Give them to me, thank you.” But Chengyue took the routine medicinal pills issued to elders by the sect and thanked the errand-running disciple as usual.
After a few more seconds, that disciple remained standing still as a rock, drawing a sideways glance from Immortal Venerable Chengyue. “If you walk straight from there, you can go back.” Looking closely, she seemed not to have seen this disciple before—perhaps a newcomer who didn’t know the way—so Bu Chengyue kindly reminded her.
“Greetings, Immortal Venerable. This disciple is a sweeping disciple sent to Yuedi Yunjie by the Sect Master.”
Only when she spoke did Bu Chengyue find her voice familiar. Looking at her closely once more, the person before her was emaciated and slender, and that persistent stubbornness—who else could it be but the person on the day of taking masters in the grand hall who insisted on taking her as master?
Today she had changed into somewhat better clothes, looking every bit like a handsome and cute person; that day, she had looked like a slightly better-dressed beggar, practically two different people.
“This seat does not need sweeping disciples.” Senior Brother Sect Master truly disappointed her, unable to handle even such a small matter properly.
“Immortal Venerable, this disciple’s cooking is very delicious. It’s just that Shenxuzhou currently has no seniors proficient in the Way of Food Cultivation. The Sect Master said you have considerable achievements in the Way of Food and could help evaluate a thing or two for this disciple.”
Sheng Meng had knelt in the grand hall for two days to exchange for such an opportunity, and she would absolutely not let it go.
This child is truly a stubborn one. Since there was no one else around, Bu Chengyue took the opportunity to lay things bare with her. “Not only does this seat have no desire to accept disciples, but I also dislike living in the same place with others. I am indeed somewhat greedy for food, but this is not a place where you can stay. Do you understand?”
Sheng Meng did not speak, her cold eyes staring fixatedly at Bu Chengyue to convey her persistence.
Bu Chengyue thought about just throwing her out, but then felt it would be lacking in grace, so she could only continue to persuade: “Why are you set on this seat?” Just because she had unintentionally saved her once?
Because she had heard that Immortal Venerable Chengyue disliked dealing with people, and virtually no one visited her Yuedi Yunjie; she had also discovered that she was actually very strong, not the useless trash described by the outside world. If she followed her, she could hide, and even if exposed, she could obtain protection.
After all, she was someone who had feigned death to escape from another sect.
“Because the Immortal Venerable concentrates on cultivating the Dao and is not distracted by rumors in the slightest. Such a mindset commands true admiration.”
Bu Chengyue was somewhat speechless, pinching her earlobe and looking at the True Origin Pill in her hand. How did she start praising me again? “What did the Sect Master say to you?”
“He told this disciple not to be discouraged, and that persisting will yield rewards in the end.” In reality, the Sect Master’s original words were: “A good woman fears a persistent man—nag relentlessly for a few days, remember to play the pity card, or else you’ll definitely be thrown out.” Sheng Meng had beautified it a bit before telling Bu Chengyue.
After finishing, she revealed a hesitant expression and bent her knees, about to kneel again. Bu Chengyue just sat quietly and watched.
“This disciple emboldens herself to say: saying earlier in the hall that I didn’t recognize the Immortal Venerable was a lie. This disciple knows Immortal Venerable Chengyue; you almost never step out of your door, and this is the very reason why this disciple wants to take you as master!”
Using a trembling voice that carried suppressed grievance and fear, she recounted how she had been bullied in the outer sect, and that those who bullied her had entered the gates of other elders, leaving her with no choice but to hide.
Seeing her say “no choice but to hide,” Bu Chengyue was suddenly reminded of her own memories. She, too, had once lived days of having “no choice but to hide.” “My Yuedi Yunjie might as well change its name to Coward’s Refuge Place instead.”
She stayed behind closed doors without going out—wasn’t that hiding too?
“If I simply refuse to accept you, what do you plan to do?” Bu Chengyue sat on the stone bench, took out her umbrella again, and blocked her face, making it so Sheng Meng could see nothing.
Sheng Meng straightened her spine, looking extremely sincere: “Sweep, cook, cultivate diligently, and never bother the Immortal Venerable.”
“Then what if this seat expels you back to the outer sect, or even expels you from Shenxuzhou entirely?” Bu Chengyue stood up, the shadow of her umbrella blocking part of the sunlight, enveloping Sheng Meng within it.
In the midst of light and shadow, the person whose knees touched the ground raised her face: “Unless you kill this disciple, otherwise if you let me out, then this disciple will claim to be the Immortal Venerable’s disciple.”
When out and about, one’s identity is given by oneself.
Bu Chengyue was shocked upon hearing this. How could she be so bold? She even dared to mess with a Nascent Soul expert; even if newborn calves weren’t afraid of tigers, they should still be afraid of death. She gazed deeply back at that still-childish person, and after a long time opened her lips: “First lesson: do not be too paranoid. Once you’ve learned it, get up.”
The Sect Master wished for her to accept a disciple, and over the years, it had evolved from verbal advice to using tricks. She had originally wanted to drag it out for a few more years, but now it seemed she couldn’t drag it out any longer, or she would truly have to become a teaching elder, or the Sect Master would stuff even more disciples into her hands.
This girl who had come to kneel before her had her heart set on the Dao and possessed a pure heart; main thing was, not accepting her would be very troublesome.
Sheng Meng stood up nimbly: “Yes, Master.”
Bu Chengyue, who hadn’t even taken two steps out, couldn’t help but blink her eyes rapidly twice. When she changed her way of addressing me, she wasn’t stubborn at all; I just got forced into accepting a disciple like this.
“Go tell the Sect Master this news, and while you’re at it, thank him for giving you ideas. Also, convey a message on behalf of your master, saying that I won’t have time to refine high-grade Rejuvenation Pills this month, so trouble the disciples of the Medicine Hall to handle it more.” Bu Chengyue lazily ordered her newly accepted disciple around.
The Sect Master tripped her up, so she dropped her responsibilities on him—let no one have an easy time.
Only after the disciple had walked far away did she suddenly remember that this disciple of hers seemed to have just reached Foundation Establishment. She had been bullied in the outer sect and didn’t even have a sword, so she wouldn’t know sword-flight—was she going to just walk all the way there on foot?
Bu Chengyue was startled, turned her feet around, and followed down the mountain, where she indeed saw the sprinting… Uh, seems I don’t know her name yet.
Told you not to take me as master.
“Forgot that you don’t have a sword yet. Use this flying carpet for now, and come find me at the Treasure Keeping Pavilion in a bit.”
Just as Bu Chengyue finished giving instructions and was about to leave, she was called back: “Master! This disciple doesn’t know how to operate the flying carpet, nor do I know where the Treasure Keeping Pavilion is.”
“What, were you not at Shenxuzhou when you were an outer disciple?” How could she unabashedly say she didn’t recognize the Treasure Keeping Pavilion?
“Outer disciples can only enter the outer sect’s book repository; the Treasure Keeping Pavilion is something only inner sect members are qualified to enter.” Holding the carpet, Sheng Meng explained neither humbly nor haughtily.
The result was that Bu Chengyue rode the flying carpet together with her, teaching her how to control it, and then going to the Treasure Keeping Pavilion together after returning from the Sect Master’s place.
Bu Chengyue was too proud to see the Sect Master, but the Sect Master came out in person. Instead of the anger or gentle smile she had imagined, he actually had a face full of mockery.
“Hahaha, Junior Sister! Oh, Junior Sister, it’s hard to believe that after so many years in Shenxuzhou, you only know where the dining hall is! That book repository was originally part of the Treasure Keeping Pavilion in the first place!”
Bu Chengyue shook open the flying carpet with a “shua” sound, signaling Sheng Meng to come up, and coldly left a sentence for her brother whose face was full of joy: “This month, I won’t give you a single pill.”
The flying carpet moved extremely fast, as if wanting the howling wind in their ears to be louder so that it could make people forget the awkwardness from a moment ago.
Not even an hour since accepting a disciple, and already regretting it.
Sheng Meng tactfully remained silent, thinking in her heart: The rumors aren’t completely untrustworthy; Elder Chengyue is indeed young and interesting—my master is currently trying to save face with every hair on her head.
The two of them went to the Treasure Keeping Pavilion and took a few books. A disciple there asked: “Elder, take a sword as well. We also have pills, array disks, and talismans in our Treasure Keeping Pavilion, so there’s no need to run around to other places.” Seeing Elder Chengyue in a fluster, her disciple was already shabby-looking to begin with, and following her made her seem even more pitiful.
That disciple even felt that he was kind-hearted and thorough in his work.
“Thank you, but there’s no need. This seat does not lack those.” She could refine pills, forge weapons, construct arrays, and draw talismans—she had never hidden it, but had never had the chance to display it either. Moreover, since there were dedicated Medicine Halls and Weapon Halls to refine these, she instead appeared redundant and overly proud, looking down on other people’s stuff.
In fact, she really did look down on them.