Leaving Home, Who Uses Their Real Name?!

"That Spirit Mountain ahead is our Moon Embracing Sect."

Now that they were not far from the Moon Embracing Sect, Wu Xingyun finally let out a breath of relief, though she did not lower her guard completely.

That final step was often the most dangerous!

Fortunately, no more accidents occurred in the end.

Wu Xingyun had intended to fly Lin Fan and Fan Jianqiang straight to the mountaintop, but Fan Jianqiang hurriedly stopped her. "Second Elder, wait!"

"Why?"

Though puzzled, Wu Xingyun still slowed down.

"Ahem, Second Elder, you know that I know a little about divination. And the arts of deduction and divination have much in common with feng shui and geomancy, so this disciple knows a little about those as well."

"If the Sect Master and Second Elder do not mind, how about taking this disciple on a circuit of the area to see how the Moon Embracing Sect's feng shui is?"

Here it came, here it came—he was getting started!

Since this would be Gou Sheng's "lair" for quite some time to come, how could he not be "steady" and set up a few measures for his own safety?

As long as he was "steady," wouldn't the Moon Embracing Sect's safety shoot straight through the roof?!

He had wanted to break into a broad grin, but then he thought it over...

No, damn it, I have to keep acting~!

Wouldn't it be bad if I scared Gou Sheng?

I have to pretend I know nothing~~~

Mm, that's the plan.

Thus, he put on a thoughtful expression before saying, "You are quite considerate. Since that is the case, Second Elder, I'll have to trouble you to take us around."

"Yes, Sect Master."

The Second Elder naturally had nothing to say.

Though she felt they should remain wary of Fan Jianqiang, she listened to Lin Fan. Besides, this request was not excessive, so there was no reason to refuse.

A short while later, they finished making a circuit.

Wu Xingyun pressed, "How is the feng shui?"

Yet she did not place much stock in such things.

Things like feng shui, yin residences, and yang residences were mostly believed in by ordinary people.

Cultivators, however, walked against the heavens, like rowing upstream. They contended with heaven, contended with earth, contended with others, and contended with themselves!

Their very purpose was to defy heaven and change their fate.

Especially when one had only recently begun cultivating, if they did not shout something like "My fate is mine, not heaven's," they would be too embarrassed to tell others they were cultivators.

If they were already "defying heaven," why would they care about feng shui?

"There are no major problems."

"But there are a few minor flaws."

Fan Jianqiang shook his head and swayed as he counted on his fingers, looking every inch a charlatan. "If the Sect Master and Second Elder do not mind, why not leave this matter to me?"

"This disciple will certainly do his utmost to resolve these minor flaws."

Wu Xingyun looked toward Lin Fan.

The latter smiled faintly. "You are thoughtful. Since that is the case, I'll leave it to you."

He gave nothing away, as though he had no idea who Fan Jianqiang was or what he intended to do.

"Now that we are done looking around, let us return to the sect first. Fan Jianqiang, you should also pay respects to the patriarch and formally enter the sect."

At this moment, Lin Fan was particularly expectant.

Gou Sheng~!!!

He wondered what his talent was like.

And what about his true cultivation?

First layer of the Core Condensation Realm?

Pah!

I wouldn't believe that even if you beat me to death.

"I just wonder—if I simultaneously share Fan Jianqiang's and Xiao Ling'er's talents and cultivation, how far will my cultivation speed and realm soar?!"

Everything was ready.

Xiao Ling'er had arrived as well.

The seven mascots were naturally present too. Only the First Elder was still in seclusion, attempting a breakthrough, and should not appear at this time.

Fan Jianqiang knelt respectfully before the statue of the patriarch, holding incense in both hands, his face solemn. "Patriarch above, this disciple Fan Jianqiang has been blessed across three lifetimes to earn the Sect Master's favor and join the Moon Embracing Sect. I humbly ask..."

"Hold it!"

Lin Fan suddenly interrupted at that moment, drawing puzzled looks from everyone.

"You..."

Lin Fan's expression was strange. "Are you sure that's your real name?"

Everyone froze, even more bewildered.

Wu Xingyun looked at Lin Fan, her mind full of question marks.

From their encounter until their return, the three of them had been together the entire time. How had she never known that Fan Jianqiang had another name?

Faced with everyone's puzzled gazes, Lin Fan offered no explanation. He merely stared at Fan Jianqiang with an utterly "innocent" expression.

Fan Jianqiang chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Ahahaha, sorry, force of habit, force of habit. Thank you for the reminder, Sect Master. Actually, my real name is Fan Jian."

"But I've never revealed this name in front of anyone, so... I was careless for a moment, careless for a moment."

"Why is that?" Li Changshou asked in surprise. "You use a false name instead of your real one?"

"Third Elder, that's where you're mistaken!"

"The Immortal Martial Continent is fraught with danger!" Fan Jian—Fan Jianqiang, that is—shook his head repeatedly, clearly declaring that Li Changshou was wrong. "How can cultivators use their real names?!"

"Why can't they?" Li Changshou was even more astonished.

"Which cultivator among us has no enemies? And who knows what methods those enemies may possess?"

Once the subject came up, Fan Jian became exceptionally animated. Spittle flew as he spoke in a torrent, utterly unable to stop.

"Even if we know all of them now, that's only now! Who can know what methods our enemies may learn afterward, or what opportunities they may encounter?"

"Surely no one can!"

"What if they learn some incredibly formidable 'curse technique'? If they know your real name, wouldn't they be able to curse you? Curse arts are bizarre, and their upper limit is terrifyingly high. One must guard against them!"

"When this disciple travels outside, I tell everyone the false name I made up. I even treat it as real myself! Naturally, no one knows my true name. That way, no matter how formidable the enemy is or how bizarre their curse arts are, they cannot harm even a hair on my head!"

"Likewise, they won't be able to use deduction or divination arts to calculate even the slightest clue about me~"

"Using a false name is the key to longevity!!!"

"Oh, right, Third Elder—you have Longevity in your name, yet you don't even know this?!"

By the end, it was Fan Jianqiang who looked astonished.

You're called Longevity, yet you don't understand something this basic?

How could you possibly live long if you were so lacking in prudence?!

Li Changshou went numb.

How had this somehow circled back to him in the end?

"Ahem, this... of course this Elder knows. It is simply that cultivators should hold reverence in their hearts while doing fearless deeds. If you are so afraid of everything, so cautious at every turn, you will eventually lose your drive.

Cultivation is like rowing upstream: if you do not advance, you retreat. Without drive, it is detrimental to cultivation!"

Li Changshou spoke earnestly.

"Elder, you're mistaken there. What we immortals seek is eternal life, a long existence, and carefree freedom! As long as one can achieve immortality, no degree of prudence is excessive!"

"Haven't you heard this saying? No matter how monstrous a genius's talent may be, before they grow up, they are merely a genius..."

"Oh, and seniors and fellow disciples, please do not mention my real name to anyone. In the future, simply call me Fan Jianqiang."

After delivering that whole sermon, he even solemnly added that reminder at the end, directly leaving Li Changshou too speechless to respond.

The other three elders also wore strange expressions as they stared at Fan Jianqiang, wanting to speak but holding back.

Xiao Ling'er wanted to laugh. She found this person truly amusing, yet she was also puzzled. "Teacher, would acting like this really not affect his cultivation?"

Liang Danxia said, "Cultivation depends on the individual. Some enjoy charging ahead with songs on their lips; some are accustomed to moving forward quietly; others are proud by nature and need to pave their path with an 'invincible conviction.' Lose even one battle, and their Dao heart collapses, leaving them mired in despair for a long time. Yet there are also those who fight defeat after defeat without ever losing heart, singing all the way onward..."

"Everyone has their own path of cultivation. With such a mindset, many people might become excessively afraid of death, lose their drive, and delay their cultivation.

"But in my view, that does not seem to be the case for him. He believes his own words from the bottom of his heart."

"Since that is so, it naturally will not affect him."

"I see." Xiao Ling'er indicated that she had learned something.

But then Liang Danxia added, "Still, I must say, this is the first time this old woman has seen a cultivator so terrified of death."

Xiao Ling'er: "..."

Thank you to fellow reader Damo Qingqiu for the reward, and thank you all for your Follow-up Reading. I am deeply honored.