Inner Sect Public Enemy

Gone?

What do you mean, gone? She was just pursuing some romantic love, how could a person just be gone? Could it be...

True to the Peerless Twin Moons of Zongzhi Mountain, each one is more thrilling than the last!

Xiao Ran did not dare to think any further, resolving right then and there—

To guard his duties, fulfill his filial piety to the utmost, and never let himself get corrupted!

Seeing Xiao Ran's unsightly expression, Lin Yunzi hurriedly asked:

"What is wrong, Uncle-Master?"

Xiao Ran steadied himself, and his complexion recovered its color.

"Nothing. Continue."

Lin Yunzi reorganized his words, striving to control his boundaries so as not to frighten this mortal Uncle-Master who had just entered the sect.

"So, after the Dao Alliance's new regulations came out, we all thought the elder would choose a beautiful fairy as a direct disciple. As a result, the elder chose you, Uncle-Master. Just imagine how much jealousy that stirred in the talents within the sect, and how much resentment in the hearts of many fairies. You could say that Uncle-Master is now practically the Inner Sect Public Enemy."

The Inner Sect Public Enemy?

That is quite an imposing identity!

Xiao Ran thought to himself.

Seeing that his Uncle-Master had fallen into deep thought once more, Lin Yunzi took the opportunity to add:

"Therefore, unless there are special matters to attend to, Uncle-Master had best show his face as little as possible in the inner sect. While safety issues are out of the question within the sect, there are bound to be people watching for a chance to humiliate Uncle-Master."

Xiao Ran turned his head and glanced at him.

"Then what if there are special matters?"

Lin Yunzi cupped his hands and smiled amiably.

"If Uncle-Master has any matters, you can simply leave them to this disciple to handle."

Spinning in circles just to express this meaning? Why aren't you a salesman!

However, after listening to Lin Yunzi's exaggerated buildup, Xiao Ran suddenly grew interested in the inner sect disciples.

"Among the inner sect disciples, who do you think has the strongest opinion of me?"

Lin Yunzi seemed to have prepared for this question long ago, slowly extending three yellowish fingers.

"There are three."

"So many?"

"The first is Senior Brother Ye Fan, Ye Fan, who entered the sect less than ten years ago. Senior Brother Ye has an ordinary appearance and mediocre talent, frequently receiving cold shoulders. But the strange thing is, Senior Brother Ye's advancement speed has been extremely fast since entering the sect. In ten years, he has already reached Foundation Establishment, making him a young-generation disciple highly regarded even by Uncle-Master Jiyun."

Protagonist template, not strange at all! Xiao Ran thought, this fellow must have dug up a golden finger in some cave, or has an old grandfather hidden in a ring, and it wouldn't even be impossible if he awakened a system...

"Why would this Disciple-Nephew Ye be hostile to me?"

"Just a few days ago, Senior Brother Ye recommended himself to become the Sword-Wielding Mountain Direct Disciple, but Elder Lingzhou politely refused him."

"What was the reason for the refusal?"

"I heard it seemed to be... an appearance issue."

"..."

True to form!

Xiao Ran thought:

I'm afraid this grudge with Ye Fan is forged now, and can never be untied! "And the second person?"

Lin Yunzi's aged eyes suddenly flashed with vigor.

"When it comes to this second person, her appearance is quite outstanding. It's just a pity she is a woman. It is said that Elder Lingzhou likes her very much, and she also regards the elder as her idol."

Xiao Ran was somewhat puzzled.

"Then why didn't Master choose her as a direct disciple?"

Lin Yunzi sighed.

"Because this inner sect core disciple named Jiang Chuyan not only has outstanding looks, but the trouble is her talent is equally outstanding. She reached Core Formation just past a hundred years..."

Xiao Ran grew even more curious.

"She has outstanding talent yet wasn't chosen? What kind of logic is that?"

Lin Yunzi answered truthfully.

"The elder said that Senior Sister Jiang Chuyan's talent is too exceptional, that she can advance just by lying down. Taking her as a direct disciple is not enough to reflect her teaching standard."

"..."

I believe you a ghost! Up to this moment, Xiao Ran finally confirmed one thing.

The reason this muddle-headed master chose him was not because she foresaw his identity as a transmigrator, nor was it some piece of jade in a crowd of flowers. There was no other reason than the fact that he was useless enough. Teaching him would be teaching in vain, so she simply gave up teaching. If no results came out after a few years, the sect might know to back off and stop pestering her...

She obviously underestimated the Dao Alliance's seriousness this time! Of course, Xiao Ran did not question Master's qualifications.

If not for Master having this kind of haphazard, perfunctory mindset, he would never have had the chance to step into the immortal gates, and perhaps never awakened his system in this lifetime.

A blind cat catching a dead mouse, a destined pair.

Others had the right to question Master, but he did not.

The only thing he could do was step up his efforts in filial piety, and ruthlessly fleece wool from Master to vent his frustration...

For this Jiang Chuyan, having her idol snatched away and thus viewing him as an enemy was understandable.

"Then what about the third person?"

Xiao Ran pressed on.

"The third person is even more formidable!"

"How formidable?"

"At this time last year, Uncle-Master Chen Gongxing was still Senior Brother Chen, possessing a Nascent Soul cultivation level. With a talent sufficient to qualify as a direct disciple, he insisted on staying in the inner sect's ordinary disciple quarters, refusing even to become a core disciple."

"There is someone so low-key?"

"It is not being low-key, but acting as a gatekeeper. Senior Brother Chen demands that core disciples, and even direct disciples, who wish to rise into the inner sect must surpass him in a certain aspect. Otherwise, he will find every possible way to make the other party a laughingstock, until they are utterly disgraced and their Dao Heart shatters..."

"There is such a person?"

"Senior Brother Chen is a person of great loyalty and love for the sect. Even the notoriously harsh and fastidious Disciplinary Elder holds him in high regard. Because of his existence, how many scions who relied on the Dao Alliance and pulled strings to obtain core disciple status have been driven out one by one by him? He guarantees the quality of the core and direct disciples within the sect, allowing the capable to rise and preserving a last glimmer of hope for the future of Zongzhi Mountain."

"However, forced by the pressure of the Dao Alliance, Senior Brother Chen was forced to be promoted to inner sect core instructor last year, but as the touchstone for the sect's core disciples, he has never changed."

Chen Gongxing, huh...

Xiao Ran felt admiration in his heart, inexplicably producing an urge to befriend him.

In the Dharma Ending Era, true heroes reveal their true colors.

The fierce wind from south to north swept across Xiao Ran's paper kite, producing snapping sounds that echoed between the valleys.

Lin Yunzi tentatively asked:

"Does Uncle-Master have the confidence to pass Senior Brother Chen's test?"

"Who knows?"

As they chatted, Great Valley Peak arrived.

Great.

Valley.

Peak.

Of these three words, Great Valley Peak was very big, having both valleys and spirit grain, but the only thing it lacked was... a peak.

All there were were rolling slopes. Because the rest of Zongzhi Mountain's peaks were called so-and-so peak, it followed the trend and called itself Great Valley Peak.

Spanning over ten li, the undulating and graceful slopes of Great Valley Peak were covered with yellowish spirit grain, golden wheat fields, crimson seas of flowers, and emerald green tea bushes...

A wide river cascaded from the top of the slope, washing and moistening the valley floor, then surging back up to the next slope, crisscrossing among the various hills.

Lin Yunzi said.

In the past, the spirit grain produced in this valley could be exported ten thousand miles away, supplying surrounding large countries and sects.

But nowadays, it could barely supply the sect itself, and only during peak seasons could a small fraction be doled out to the small surrounding countries under its protection.

The reason was very simple: spiritual energy was thin, and the grain yield of the spirit fields was far too low.

This is the Dharma Ending Era! Xiao Ran could hear the lament in Lin Yunzi's tone.

The two arrived at Great Valley Peak's granary.

The granary was a low, thick, cylindrical wooden tower, with the majority of the storage located underground.

In front of it stood a small building.

Inside the small building.

The person managing the granary was also an old man, older than Lin Yunzi, yet appearing somewhat younger. He wore a small bamboo hat and dozed off while counting rice grains.

It looked as though his hands were counting the rice grain by grain, yet a light snore emanated from beneath his bamboo hat.

Lin Yunzi respectfully bowed and said:

"Outer Sect Instructor Lin Yunzi pays respects to Uncle-Master Baili."

"Outer sect?"

The old man responded dazedly, his hands continuing to count the rice grains, not a single one off.

"Without an inner sect disciple leading, outer sect disciples cannot get a single grain, and outer sect instructors are no exception."

"This disciple brings Uncle-Master Xiao of Sword-Wielding Mountain here to buy grain, and will take his leave immediately."

The old hands meticulously counting rice abruptly stopped.

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