"Who is Yue Qianchou?" A figure swooped down from the sky and landed before them. The newcomer's gaze swept over the group before settling on Yue Qianchou, whose attire differed from everyone else's. "You're Yue Qianchou?"
Yue Qianchou nodded before he could speak, and the newcomer impatiently said, "Come with me! I'll take you as my disciple."
"Bullshit!" Elder Guan stepped sideways, blocking Yue Qianchou. Elders Fei and Huang also moved forward in a united front. Elder Fei chuckled. "Elder Liu, when did you learn to rob people?"
Cheng Gengqing and Yue Qianchou were both dumbfounded, unable to make sense of what these people were playing at.
The newly arrived Elder Liu said unconcernedly, "Old Fei, listen to yourself. Yue Qianchou hasn't taken a master yet. Whoever he wishes to acknowledge as his master is naturally who he'll follow. How does that make me a robber?"
"Haha, I like what Old Liu said." Another figure landed before them. Before he had even steadied himself, dozens of figures swooped down from every direction, one after another asking, "Who is Yue Qianchou?"
The elders were plainly all here for Yue Qianchou. Cheng Gengqing eyed Yue Qianchou suspiciously, truly unable to see what was so special about him that so many elders were scrambling to take him as a disciple.
What he did not know was that Yue Qianchou shuddered. He recalled a myth from his previous life about a monk named Tang Sanzang—legend had it that eating his flesh granted immortality. Could my flesh have the same effect too? Yue Qianchou immediately locked his divine sense onto the golden pearl in his dantian. If anything seemed even slightly wrong, he would flee at once!
The windows of the sect leader's room on the third floor of Penglai Pavilion stood open. From above, Sect Leader Feng Xiangtian looked down at the gathered elders, shaking his head with a bitter smile. Once again, he felt that he had made the wisest decision possible.
The disciples passing by saw so many elders clustered together and had no idea what was happening. They wanted to go over for a look but did not dare. Before long, a huge crowd had gathered around them, with more people constantly hurrying over after hearing the news to watch the commotion.
No matter how bold Yue Qianchou was, being stared at by a group of Old Fellows who had lived for at least two hundred years still made fine beads of sweat emerge on his forehead. The pressure was simply too great. His throat felt dry. He swallowed and bowed to those around him. "This disciple, Yue Qianchou, pays respects to all the elders."
"No need for such formality..." The elders all replied at once, each sounding as though he were already Yue Qianchou's master. Yue Qianchou gave them a sheepish grin, smiling with extreme awkwardness.
"My heavens! Just who is this Yue Qianchou? So many elders are giving him face." Cheng Gengqing also felt the immense pressure and unconsciously wiped the sweat from his forehead. The elders had completely surrounded them; there was not even a way out if he wanted to leave.
All the elders had gathered, and everyone knew perfectly well what the others were thinking. After a long silence, Elder Liu, who had arrived first, swept his eyes over the crowd and said in a deep voice, "It is no solution for us to keep standing here. There is only one Fu Xian Token. The sect leader has said that whoever takes Yue Qianchou as a disciple will be qualified to receive that Fu Xian Token. Since the sect leader has said so, we should naturally comply. Now, it seems all of you elders wish to take Yue Qianchou as a disciple, but there is only one Yue Qianchou and only one Fu Xian Token. We can't exactly fight over him!"
"Quit hemming and hawing. If you've got something to say, spit it out; if you've got a fart, let it fly," Elder Guan said impatiently.
Elder Liu rolled his eyes at him. He had been about to snap back a few words, but then remembered that this old madman was not someone many people could afford to offend. Who knew when he might need him to refine pills? So he could only hold his tongue. If it had been anyone else, he would certainly have said, "If you don't want to wait, then leave first! No one's stopping you."
Damn it! He scared the hell out of me. So they're all after the Fu Xian Token in my hand. Yue Qianchou finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Cheng Gengqing understood as well. His master, Elder Qin, possessed a Fu Xian Token, no wonder he had so generously allowed him to bring Yue Qianchou to Fu Xian Island. If his master had not possessed one, he would likely have seized the advantage of being near the water and gotten the moon first. Then Yue Qianchou would not be calling him Grandmaster; he should be calling him Senior Brother instead. Cheng Gengqing finally understood why his master had smiled so strangely back then. He had known all along there would be a spectacle to watch.
"Old Liu, we are fellow disciples. It would indeed be a laughingstock if we fought over a token. If you have an idea, say it! Let everyone hear it and see whether it works," one of the elders said.
"That's right! Elder Liu, why not tell us first..." Quite a few elders chimed in.
Elder Liu cast Elder Guan a somewhat smug glance, only to receive another eye roll in return. He could only give an awkward laugh. "Actually, it's very simple. Let Yue Qianchou choose for himself. Whoever he is willing to become a disciple of, he will follow, and the Fu Xian Token will naturally belong to that person. What do you elders think? If you agree, we might as well all bear witness together, so no one can go back on his word afterward." As he spoke the last sentence, his eyes were fixed on Elder Guan, making the implication obvious.
Elder Guan glared back and pounded his chest. "Whoever goes back on his word is a grandson." The other elders also thought this was a good idea. No one would fight; Yue Qianchou would choose for himself, and whoever he chose would simply be lucky. They all agreed.
In an instant, the tense smell of gunpowder vanished. Everyone's gaze turned to Yue Qianchou. Elder Liu said to him, "Yue Qianchou, you've heard everyone. Whoever you think would make a suitable master, go to him! No one will force you. Choose freely, don't be afraid."
Cheng Gengqing glanced at the burning gazes around them and looked at Yue Qianchou with sympathy. No matter who he chooses, it'll be hard! This is far too offending—not ordinary people, but elders, every last one of them.
Hah! What the hell am I afraid of? Yue Qianchou slowly straightened the waist he had slightly bent in respect before the elders. His gaze flicked toward the sect leader at the third-floor window of Penglai Pavilion. Now he understood. No wonder the sect leader had gone to such lengths to return the Fu Xian Token to his hand—he had known about this trouble all along.
The elders stared at him with looks of kindness, majesty, affection—every sort of expression revealed the same message: I am the master you should choose. Yue Qianchou's scalp gradually began to tingle. Elder Guan's gaze in particular was clearly a naked threat, as if telling him, "Kid! Just dare not choose me as your master and see how I deal with you."
What kind of situation is this? This little brother has just arrived; I can't afford to offend any of them! Yue Qianchou looked once more toward the sect leader at the third-floor window. Feng Xiangtian seemed to see his pleading gaze. His figure vanished behind the window as he muttered with a bitter smile, "Young man, don't blame me. Better for you to offend them than for me to offend them!"
Fuck! I've got this backward. They're the ones begging me—I'm afraid of a hammer! Seeing the anticipation hidden beneath the elders' various expressions, Yue Qianchou suddenly came to his senses.
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