Chapter 70: Hey, Senior Brother Li

Near the top of Qingfeng Mountain, there was a secluded path. At the end of the path lay a small pond, where golden fish swam leisurely.

Beside the pond was a secluded cave residence—an independent courtyard, very quiet, and with spiritual energy far richer than other disciples' dwellings.

At this moment, beside the pond, sat a young man wearing the long robe of an outer disciple. He was handsome, with shoulder-length black hair, and looked exceptionally refined.

His skin was fair—so fair that even female disciples felt they paled in comparison. Especially notable were his phoenix-shaped eyes, which occasionally flashed with a sharp gleam, giving him a uniquely striking aura.

In his hands, he held some small fish, occasionally tossing them into the pond, where the golden fish scrambled eagerly to tear and devour them.

Along the path came the middle-aged man who had just been slapped by Bai Xiaochun. His face was ashen, and as he reached this place, he slowed his pace, showing respect as he cupped his fists and bowed before the young man.

"Greetings, Young Master."

"Young Master, that Bai Xiaochun does not know how to show gratitude. I have made it very clear to him to come and pay respects, but this person is arrogant and haughty, abusing his status to act outrageously," the middle-aged man gritted his teeth and reported.

"That's fine. He's just a small character. I asked him to come as a whim," the young man said without looking up, unconcerned.

The middle-aged man continued respectfully, "Young Master's ambition is great. His goal is to one day enter the legendary inheritance sequence. So he has been deliberately suppressing his cultivation, avoiding breakthroughs to wait for the special competition between inner and outer disciples at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, where the top talents from North and South Banks compete. By ranking first, he hopes to enter the inner disciples and thereby have a chance at the inheritance sequence. Otherwise, he could have already taken the trial to advance to inner disciple status at the eighth level, since most at this level can pass and become inner disciples."

"That Bai Xiaochun is just a small character. If the merit belonged to Young Master, it would be the same. As for the title of 'Glorious Disciple,' that is for the deceased. And the title 'Sect Leader's Junior Brother'—that's really ridiculous, paying respect to a dead man as a master." The middle-aged man nodded and sneered.

Suddenly, he shuddered when the young man raised his head and coldly stared at him.

"Y-Young Master…" the middle-aged man said nervously.

"He's a small character, no need to mind him. But the sect leader's master, the sect's ancient forebear, is not someone you address casually. Go to the Cold Pond and punish yourself with a slap for three months," the young man said, withdrawing his gaze and continuing to feed the golden fish.

The middle-aged man trembled inside, quickly nodding and retreating.

Having resolved the issue with Qian Dajin, Bai Xiaochun returned to Xiangyun Mountain. As for Shangguan Tianyou, Bai Xiaochun didn't care—he had merits, and unless he betrayed the sect, his life would not be in danger.

Moreover, Bai Xiaochun had been in Lingxi Sect for many years. He clearly understood how the sect trained its disciples. The broad direction was to forbid internal killing, encourage mutual help and competition, all managed under sect rules, elders on each peak, the sect leader, and law enforcement hall oversight.

At the micro-level, with hundreds of thousands of disciples in the North and South Banks combined, it was impossible to micromanage every detail. Disputes and jealousies existed but were strictly punished when crossing the line.

Bai Xiaochun had made great contributions to the sect, possessed expertise in botany, and strong combat power. The sect recognized and valued this, but they wouldn't follow him around like servants, nor would they immediately stop those who mocked or provoked him. No disciple enjoyed such treatment—not even Shangguan Tianyou, despite his fame and inner disciple followers calling him "Young Master."

Thus, Bai Xiaochun felt that arrogant Shangguan Tianyou was not worth his attention. Though the latter was a famed genius and outer disciple, with some inner disciples even calling him "Young Master," Bai Xiaochun ignored him. Yet, Bai Xiaochun noticed that as a "Shishu" (master's uncle), fewer and fewer people called him that; everyone seemed to avoid him. This made Bai Xiaochun somewhat sentimental.

One day, as he passed by the lecture hall, he suddenly felt excited.

Whenever he appeared, he was immediately offered a seat and sat alongside the elder reciting scriptures, overlooking countless disciples below.

After experiencing this once, Bai Xiaochun immediately liked it and frequently appeared in lecture halls on various peaks.

While seated, he would smile and nod occasionally, sometimes looking down at the disciples below. His gaze showed the same appreciation and satisfaction as the Foundation Establishment elders beside him.

This scene made the Foundation Establishment elders around him both amused and helpless. The disciples below each felt extreme frustration and hatred toward Bai Xiaochun, but had no way to do anything.

At the same time, Bai Xiaochun found a new way to show off his status as the sect leader's junior brother. He began frequently appearing beside various Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect, enjoying the same treatment.

Upon seeing those cultivators, he would immediately address them politely as "Senior Brother" or "Senior Sister," behaving obediently. The cultivators could only stay silent, though after many repetitions, their expressions inevitably became strange.

Nearby disciples, out of helplessness, began calling Bai Xiaochun "Shishu Bai."

After a while, Bai Xiaochun saw Li Qinghou and couldn't help but greet him warmly.

"Hey, Senior Brother Li."

Li Qinghou looked somewhat haggard. He was just about to leave after successfully refining the Nine Absolute Pill today. Hearing Bai Xiaochun, he was stunned and glanced around. Seeing Bai Xiaochun, his face twitched. He had heard about Bai Xiaochun's antics these days and felt troubled. Now Bai Xiaochun addressed him so casually, Li Qinghou glared at him.

Immediately after, Bai Xiaochun regretted it. Seeing Li Qinghou's glare, he gasped and stammered nervously.

"Uncle Li... I... I was wrong," Bai Xiaochun said miserably, trembling as he spoke.

Li Qinghou looked at Bai Xiaochun with a mix of helplessness and anger, glaring once more. He then scolded Bai Xiaochun about his recent behavior.

"I'm going out for a while—could be months, or up to a year. Don't be reckless during this time. Study diligently, that's the right path." After saying this, Li Qinghou turned and left.

Bai Xiaochun breathed a sigh of relief, watching Li Qinghou's retreating figure. Though fearful, his eyes also held respect for the elder. He had heard from Du Lingfei that after he disappeared, Li Qinghou had searched for him alone for two months, returning with some scraps of his clothes, often blaming himself.

Such warmth was rare for Bai Xiaochun, whose parents had died when he was young. Unconsciously, he had come to regard Li Qinghou as family.

After Li Qinghou's reprimand, Bai Xiaochun calmed down for half a month and stopped coughing at everyone. Sometimes he went near Zhou Xinqi's cave, thinking about how among the people he knew in the sect, only Zhou Xinqi still didn't call him "Shishu Bai."

Days later, he saw Zhou Xinqi again, still flying swiftly on blue silk. Bai Xiaochun, unable to fly himself, watched helplessly as she flew away, feeling frustrated inside.

"Only a few disciples have flying magical tools. Unless you have special cultivation methods like Chen Heng, everyone else has to rely on magical tools."

"It's unfair! Shouldn't these tools come from the master? My... my master..." Bai Xiaochun sighed repeatedly.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, eyes turning sharply. He turned and headed straight for Zhongdao Mountain.

With his status as the sect leader's junior brother, he had no obstacles entering Zhongdao Mountain. He quickly reached the main hall where the sect leader Zheng Yuandong resided.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, Sect Leader's Close Senior Brother!!"

"I'm going to offer incense to Master!" Bai Xiaochun swaggered inside, loudly proclaiming.

Inside the hall, Zheng Yuandong opened his eyes from meditation and sighed.

Many people had come recently to report Bai Xiaochun's deeds. Deep down, Zheng Yuandong regretted things but since it was done, he pretended not to see. Although Bai Xiaochun had a mischievous streak, he had no intention of harming others, which was enough.

Hearing Bai Xiaochun's shout, Zheng Yuandong slowly rose, coughing and looking serious.

"All right, I heard you."

"Junior brother pays respects to Sect Leader Senior Brother," Bai Xiaochun said obediently and quickly kowtowed upon seeing Zheng Yuandong.

Seeing Bai Xiaochun's appearance, Zheng Yuandong sighed inwardly. Now he truly understood Bai Xiaochun. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he led Bai Xiaochun to the restricted area in the back mountain.

Inside a cave there hung a portrait on the wall. It depicted a middle-aged man smiling gently and gazing afar. The painting emanated a special aura, making the person seem vividly alive rather than dead.

Below the portrait was an offering table holding spiritual fruits and candles. Though simple, the cave gave a solemn feeling.

As soon as Bai Xiaochun entered, he immediately knelt before the portrait with a loud thud and respectfully kowtowed nine times.

"Master, your disciple pays respects to you." Bai Xiaochun looked at the portrait with sincerity.

Zheng Yuandong nodded silently nearby. Although Bai Xiaochun was mischievous, his loyalty and filial piety were real. With his experience, Zheng Yuandong instantly recognized Bai Xiaochun's genuine attitude—there was no pretense.

But then Bai Xiaochun spoke again.

"Master, your disciple suffers—he can't fly... Other disciples' masters give them magical treasures and life-saving items, but I have none…"

"Master, your disciple doesn't care about worldly things. As long as I can offer incense to you, I am satisfied. Maybe your spirit in heaven can even send a magical treasure to dream to me…"

Hearing this, Zheng Yuandong suddenly widened his eyes.

"Master, your disciple, back then, to protect the sect and its millennia-long inheritance, was chased and almost died nine times over. All magical treasures were destroyed then. Now that I've returned, I have nothing left, empty pockets—I'm less than a servant…"

"Master, don't feel pressured. It's okay. Even without protective treasures or flying magical tools, I will still risk my life for the sect without hesitation! But if I don't come to offer incense for some time, it means I lost my life trying to flee without protection. When that happens, I'll come to find you, and we will meet below together." Bai Xiaochun said this while glancing nervously at the sect leader.

Zheng Yuandong's face twitched. He was truly stunned by Bai Xiaochun's words. In all his years of cultivation, this was the first time he had met such a bizarre disciple.

He smiled bitterly, looked up at the portrait of his master, and thought of many past memories—especially when he first became a disciple, his master had given him protective magical tools.

Thinking of this, Zheng Yuandong sighed and looked at Bai Xiaochun with growing softness.

Not long after, Bai Xiaochun followed Zheng Yuandong out of the cave. Along the way, he watched Zheng Yuandong eagerly. When they reached the main hall outside Zhongdao Mountain, Zheng Yuandong paused, turned to Bai Xiaochun, raised his right hand, and with a wave, two lights appeared—one golden and one white.

The golden light was a flying sword, palm-sized. As it appeared, the surrounding void distorted slightly and emitted heat, looking very extraordinary. The sword had complicated and mysterious runes slowly glowing, each flicker causing subtle fluctuations around.

The white light was a small shield, also palm-sized, made of white jade with an exquisitely carved crane. Warmth radiated from the shield.

Bai Xiaochun immediately felt these items were extraordinary. His eyes sparkled, breath quickening. But soon he noticed something unusual—both the sword and shield each had three silver stripes.

"The Golden Crow Sword—this sword seals a Golden Crow spirit, possessing blazing fire power. The Golden Crow can transform and fly, comparable to the user's cultivation, up to early Foundation Establishment stage. If shattered, its power is even greater."

"The Divine Crane Shield—formed from the soul of a divine crane, this protective artifact can block one life-threatening attack below Foundation Establishment level."

"These two items were once refined three times by a master with my help, but we didn't dare refine further. These were gifts my master gave me when I first entered the sect. Today, on behalf of my master, I give them to you." Zheng Yuandong looked at Bai Xiaochun with a gentle expression and encouragement in his eyes.

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Sect Leader Senior Brother!" Bai Xiaochun was thrilled and accepted the gifts with great care.