Thousand Autumn Pavilion, Master of Mystic Valley

"Medicine Gu? Master, you..." Gu An asked, feigning terror.

Could it be that Cheng Xuandan was planning to make a move on him too?

Cheng Xuandan didn't even look back. He pushed aside the branches blocking his path, stooped to walk through, and said as he moved forward, "Meng Lang's aptitude is slightly better than yours, but only marginally. Even with the support of my pills, it would be very difficult for him to reach Foundation Establishment. Medicine Valley only needs one successor; his existence is a threat to you. You should be able to sense the flaws in his character."

Hearing this, Gu An couldn't help but fall silent.

This sounded wrong. Was it as if he had killed Meng Lang just for his sake?

Yet, he didn't wish for Meng Lang to die.

Though Meng Lang was a jerk, his nature wasn't inherently evil.

"Don't overthink it. I killed him to pave the way for you, but if you must blame someone, blame the fact that his aptitude was better than yours. What I am helping is the future master of Medicine Valley," Cheng Xuandan said nonchalantly.

Gu An couldn't help but ask, "When choosing the master of Medicine Valley, shouldn't one choose the one with the strongest aptitude?"

"But if one's aptitude is truly exceptional, how could they spend their whole life in this Medicine Valley?"

"Is there something special about this Medicine Valley?"

"Indeed there is. I am not just a disciple of Taixuan Sect; I am also a mole for Thousand Autumn Pavilion. Thousand Autumn Pavilion is a demonic sect, and its strength is inferior to Taixuan Sect, so they have planted many moles like me."

Good grief, there really was a demonic mole!

Gu An suddenly didn't know how to respond.

He could see it now: Cheng Xuandan truly didn't want to harm him. The most critical part was that Cheng Xuandan clearly intended to pass the heavy burden of being a mole onto him.

"After I die, you can rest easy and be your valley master. You don't need to do anything deliberate. When Thousand Autumn Pavilion needs you, someone will naturally come knocking. You just need to follow orders. Of course, you could also report it to Taixuan Sect; I don't have many years left to live anyway. However, you must weigh carefully whether Taixuan Sect would tolerate you. For a menial disciple like you, they would naturally prefer to kill the innocent rather than let a traitor slip through."

When Cheng Xuandan said this, his tone was laced with a hint of ease, which made Gu An want to hit him.

"Remember the secret code of Thousand Autumn Pavilion: The Thousand Autumn Vine heart never regrets, the ten thousand laws wither and the roots are hard to find."

"Do I have no other choice?"

"What do you think?"

Gu An fell silent once more.

"For a mole like me, even to Thousand Autumn Pavilion, I am insignificant. Perhaps you will never even encounter them coming to find you in your entire life," Cheng Xuandan said with a self-deprecating tone.

Gu An thought it over and realized there was truly no way to resist.

It was like getting yellow mud in his trousers; even if he wasn't a demonic mole, he was one now.

"Master, if you are a cultivator of Thousand Autumn Pavilion, there must be a reason for you to stay in this Medicine Valley. Why hide it?" Gu An asked in a low voice.

"You are truly clever. That's right, there is a seventh-tier spirit tree hidden beneath Medicine Valley. Once we return, I will take you to see it."

"Sev... seventh-tier?"

Gu An's voice trembled, and his eyes were shining.

Fine winter snow drifted between heaven and earth. A towering city stood amidst the mountain ridges, its gates a full ten zhang high. Some people walked into the city, while other Taixuan Sect disciples flew on swords, and some even rode mounts.

Gu An walked along the mountain path, looking at the Eight Directions Outer City of Taixuan Sect from afar, his eyes filled with wonder.

What a massive city!

"Taixuan Sect has the Eight Directions Outer City, and further in are the Four Directions Inner City. Within the Four Directions Inner City lies the Sect Main City, a place only for geniuses and those of high status. Seen from the sky, it is said that the layout of Taixuan Sect resembles an exquisite compass, with every mountain holding its own mysteries."

Cheng Xuandan introduced it, sighing with regret in his eyes.

Gu An couldn't help but ask, "Then just how big is Taixuan Sect?"

They had walked for over half a month on this journey, which showed just how far Medicine Valley was from this city.

"Boundless and vast; even I don't know."

Cheng Xuandan continued walking toward the outer city, with Gu An following closely behind.

When Gu An first joined Taixuan Sect, he hadn't come to the outer city. An elder of Taixuan Sect had received Ji Xiaoyu in a mountain pavilion, and it was out of consideration for her that, when Gu An stated where he wanted to go, the elder sent a disciple to escort him to Cheng Xuandan's Medicine Valley.

This was his first time coming to the outer city.

The master and disciple walked all the way to the city gate, where Cheng Xuandan displayed his token. Gu An caught a glimpse of two characters carved onto it.

Mystic Valley.

Upon entering the city, a deafening roar of noise washed over them, which secretly astonished Gu An.

The city gate had a restriction!

With his hearing, he hadn't been able to hear a sound from inside while outside the city.

"Fine medicinal herbs, first come, first served! Only ten stalks for sale today."

"Relics from the cave dwelling of a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, come and take a look!"

"Pure-blooded Snow Mountain Spirit Fox, it will be able to speak human language in five years at most!"

"Treasure hunting! Treasure hunting! Ten low-grade spirit stones per item; what you get depends entirely on your luck!"

"Maps to the cave dwelling of an ancient Great Cultivator, those with deep pockets may come to purchase!"

Gu An was drawn in by the hawking of wares on both sides of the street. The street was wide, lined with pavilion-style shops, and there were no disciples setting up street stalls.

Gu An even spotted a brothel.

Fair enough, as expected of a righteous sect!

Cheng Xuandan introduced the sights along the way, opening Gu An's eyes to a whole new world.

It was no wonder so many people were desperate to squeeze into the Taixuan Sect; the cultivation resources here were truly abundant.

Gu An wasn't just listening; he was frantically using his lifespan to investigate everyone he passed.

After walking two miles, he had already spotted five cultivators with a maximum lifespan exceeding five hundred years.

The outer sect was truly full of hidden talents!

Half an hour later, Cheng Xuandan led Gu An into a massive mansion. The plaque above the gate bore three large characters:

Alchemy Hall!

The Alchemy Hall was bustling with people coming and going—some hurried, some looking troubled, and others laughing heartily.

Gu An followed Cheng Xuandan to a courtyard to pay his respects to an elder of the Alchemy Hall.

Zhu Qinglu, a cultivator at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment realm, was one of the elders of the Alchemy Hall. He oversaw fifty-one Medicine Valleys and was Cheng Xuandan's superior.

He was stout, dressed in loose cyan Daoist robes, and wore a kind smile that made him appear completely harmless.

Inside the main hall, Zhu Qinglu received Cheng Xuandan and gestured for his disciples to pour tea.

"Xuandan, why does your complexion look so poor?" Zhu Qinglu asked with concern.

Gu An seized the opportunity to use his lifespan investigation.

[Zhu Qinglu (Foundation Establishment realm, 9th level): 211/267/510]

He had lived for two hundred and eleven years!

Gu An stood beside Cheng Xuandan, not daring to be disrespectful.

Cheng Xuandan chuckled and said, "To tell you the truth, my time is running out. I came today not only to hand over the herbs but also for my disciple here. I wish to pass the position of Mystic Valley master to him."

Zhu Qinglu looked at Gu An and smiled. "Qi Refining realm, third level. It seems this child has some exceptional qualities."

Pah!

What a filthy insult!

Cheng Xuandan laughed. "This child has a pure heart, knows how to unite the disciples, and is willing to stay in the Medicine Valley for his entire life. He is the best candidate."

Zhu Qinglu didn't say much more; he raised his hand and beckoned, and a disciple walked in from outside the hall.

An incense stick of time later.

Gu An followed Cheng Xuandan out of the Alchemy Hall. He toyed with a bronze token in his hand, engraved with the characters for Mystic Valley, and could feel the aura of a restriction within it.

From this moment on, his status within the Taixuan Sect's Alchemy Hall was that of the master of Mystic Valley.

"The valley master's storage bag is with me; I will pass it on to you," Cheng Xuandan's voice came from ahead, interrupting Gu An's thoughts.

Gu An quickly asked, "Master, where are we going next?"

He wanted to go back; a batch of herbs was already ready for harvest, and he was worried his junior brothers and sisters would pick them for him.

"Before we return, I'll take you to the Handyman Hall. You can recruit a handyman disciple there today and take them back with you. It will help you get familiar with the process," Cheng Xuandan replied without looking back.

Gu An watched his back, his emotions surging.

Everyone has many sides, and this was perfectly reflected in Cheng Xuandan.

The Cheng Xuandan of the past treated his disciples coldly, and now that he had refined one of his own disciples into a Medicine Gu and was revealed to be a demonic spy, he seemed like a villain in every way.

Yet, the kindness he showed Gu An was genuine.

The Handyman Hall was not far from the Alchemy Hall, just a few streets away. This mansion was even larger. After entering the gate, Gu An saw a vast square filled with figures.

Looking at those candidates waiting to be chosen, Gu An realized how lucky he truly was.

If not for the Ji Family, relying solely on his own spiritual root aptitude to enter the Taixuan Sect, he would have been just like these people, waiting to be picked.

"Take a look around as you please; I won't interfere. Once you've chosen, I'll take you to register," Cheng Xuandan said softly. He rubbed his chest, clearly feeling some physical discomfort.

Gu An nodded and stepped forward.

Did he even need to judge?

Goldfinger, activate!

Gu An began frantically using his lifespan investigation, checking everyone he saw.

Most of the people here had very low maximum lifespans; there were even short-lived souls among them. Some only had a year left to live, yet they were still looking forward to being chosen.

Gu An soon discovered a genius with a maximum lifespan exceeding five hundred years.

He wasn't in a rush to decide; he would finish looking at everyone first.

The Medicine Valley didn't need a genius; what he needed to choose was someone with a long current lifespan.

A maximum lifespan was the limit of a person's cultivation. Reaching that limit was incredibly difficult and required an immense amount of fortune to bridge the gap.

The reason there are so many hidden gems is that spiritual root aptitude cannot entirely determine the height of a person's future.

Current lifespan is different; as long as he does not suffer a serious injury, he can live for that long.

Soon, Gu An's gaze locked onto a youth, a young monk with an ordinary face, wearing tattered cloth clothes, sitting cross-legged in a corner of the plaza.

[Wuxin (Qi Refining Stage 2): 15/330/380]

To think that someone at the Qi Refining stage could have a lifespan of three hundred and thirty years!

How curious!

Perhaps this child has a special constitution, or perhaps he has cultivated some kind of unique technique.

Gu An immediately walked up to Wuxin, who sensed something and opened his eyes, only to be met with Gu An's smiling face.

"Little brother, would you be willing to come to my Medicine Valley? It's not too busy usually, so you will have plenty of time to cultivate," Gu An said with a gentle smile.

Seeing his smile, Wuxin nodded instinctively.

Cheng Xuandan, standing to the side, examined Wuxin; he seemed to have noticed something, and immediately after, he glanced at Gu An with a strange look in his eyes.

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