The Life of the Eldest Disciple

Looking at Gu An, who was worried for him, Zhang Chunqiu felt deeply comforted.

With his departure from the mountain imminent, what Zhang Chunqiu was most reluctant to leave behind was not his master, but his junior brother, Gu An.

He was too obedient, too honest.

Zhang Chunqiu felt the same way as Li Ya did, worrying for Gu An and fearing he would be bullied in the future.

"I've stayed in Medicine Valley for forty years; it's time to head down the mountain. My aptitude for immortality is mediocre, and I have no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this life. Rather than wasting my time here, I might as well descend the mountain to enjoy the rest of my days. Junior Brother Gu, you should take over as the head disciple. That brat Meng Lang loves to slack off; he can't be the head disciple." Zhang Chunqiu patted Gu An on the shoulder and said earnestly.

Gu An hesitated, "But... without you, Senior Brother, I'm afraid I..."

Cheng Xuandan spoke up, "If you don't dare, let Meng..."

"It's not that I can't!" Gu An quickly interrupted.

Zhang Chunqiu, who had been about to comfort him, froze.

Cheng Xuandan took a deep look at Gu An and said nothing more.

Gu An gave a fake cough and said, "I cannot let down Senior Brother's intentions. Alright, actually, I'm just afraid that if Meng Lang becomes head disciple, he'll order me around all day."

Hearing his latter remark, Zhang Chunqiu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The atmosphere eased instantly, and Zhang Chunqiu began to encourage Gu An, who listened attentively.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Chunqiu lifted his robes and kowtowed to Cheng Xuandan. After three loud knocks, he stood up and left, leaving Gu An alone with Cheng Xuandan.

"You see? Medicine Valley cannot keep people. If you don't want to stay here for your whole life, you can tell me in advance. It's not like I can't help you along the way," Cheng Xuandan said, his expression calm.

Gu An quickly said, "This disciple is willing to stay in Medicine Valley for a lifetime."

"Don't be so quick to answer, because it really might be a lifetime."

"Master, I dare not lie. I truly wish to stay here for a lifetime. Perhaps in the eyes of others, the work in Medicine Valley is dirty and tiring, but to me, these are the most comfortable days I've ever spent. Master takes good care of me, and my fellow disciples are very kind to me. I really am willing to stay here forever."

Gu An spoke sincerely; at this juncture, he had to show his true heart.

Cheng Xuandan said faintly, "You must have a background. The fact that you survived the Greed-Hatred Demon Ghost is by no means a coincidence. Moreover, the direction of the spiritual energy turmoil yesterday was also from your courtyard."

Gu An grew anxious, "Master, I really have no background. The only background I might have is the Third Young Lady of the Ji Family, Ji Xiaoyu, but I'm just her servant."

"The Ji Family?"

Cheng Xuandan widened his eyes. This was the first time Gu An had seen his expression change so drastically.

Gu An saw wariness, anger, and fear on his face. Various negative emotions converged, making his features look twisted and terrifying.

Oh no!

This old man wouldn't happen to have a grudge against the Ji Family, would he?

Gu An felt uneasy, fearing he had gone too far.

"So that's how it is. From now on, you are the head disciple of this Medicine Valley," Cheng Xuandan said after taking a deep breath.

A sudden turn of events!

Gu An let out a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether Cheng Xuandan was sincere or not, he would take the position of head disciple first!

Even if Cheng Xuandan had malicious intentions, he wouldn't live much longer anyway.

Gu An was even less afraid of Cheng Xuandan plotting against him. Could Cheng Xuandan's physique be more durable than the Greed-Hatred Demon Ghost?

"This disciple will certainly be diligent and never let Master down," Gu An quickly promised.

Cheng Xuandan waved his hand and said, "Go call Meng Lang and Xiao Chuan."

Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately bowed and turned to leave.

One incense stick of time later.

Gu An, Meng Lang, and Xiao Chuan walked down from the pavilion. Xiao Chuan was extremely excited, calling out "Senior Brother" every other word.

Meng Lang, however, was filled with indignation. He said angrily, "How did it become you as the head disciple? Why not me? My cultivation is higher than yours, and my background is better than yours!"

Gu An didn't get angry when he heard this. He turned back and smiled, "Meng Lang, this position of head disciple isn't easy to hold. Once you take it, it's for a lifetime. Master saw that you have a heart for immortality, which is why he let me take it."

"Really?" Meng Lang's anger subsided.

"Of course. Look at our former head disciple; he stayed for forty years. How many forty-year spans does a person have in their life?"

Meng Lang fell silent, his expression changing. The look he gave Gu An was full of sympathy.

He patted Gu An on the shoulder and said, "Gu An, I've wronged you."

Xiao Chuan also fell silent.

He, too, harbored a dream of immortality in his heart, so naturally, he didn't want to stay here for his whole life.

Gu An pretended to be silent, while inwardly laughing his head off.

This fellow Meng Lang was truly easy to fool.

And just like that, Gu An's life as the head disciple began.

Cheng Xuandan let him manage all the affairs of Medicine Valley, so he directly delegated the planting and cultivation tasks to Xiao Chuan and Meng Lang, while he himself focused solely on harvesting.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Meng Lang actually had no complaints.

Harvesting tasks rarely happen more than twice a month, so Gu An spends most of his time cultivating, though he keeps his cultivation level hidden and never lets it show.

Three months pass by.

Without anyone knowing, Gu An reaches the fifth layer of the Qi Refining realm.

The Divine Wood Pure Yang Technique, perfected to a state of mastery, is truly formidable!

Gu An does not spend as much time cultivating as Meng Lang does, as he reserves time for himself to read.

Autumn leaves blanket Medicine Valley, and the surrounding peaks are stained with the colors of the season, casting a sense of melancholy over the world.

Gu An stands before the wooden railing, watching the third-grade medicinal herbs nearing maturity while stroking the White Spirit Mouse in his hands.

He suddenly hears something and turns his head to see Cheng Xuandan walking in from the valley entrance, followed by two people, a boy and a girl, who look to be about fourteen or fifteen years old.

He instinctively uses his lifespan to inspect them.

[Ye Lan (Qi Refining layer 1): 14/110/130]

[Lu Jiujia (Qi Refining layer 2): 15/140/190]

Not bad!

Two more helpers have arrived!

Gu An's lips curl up, and he immediately walks quickly toward Cheng Xuandan.

He reaches Cheng Xuandan and bows, offering a salute.

Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan cannot help but look at Gu An with curiosity; Gu An already possesses handsome features, and as he has grown older, the cultivation of the Dragon Force Divine Origin Technique and the Divine Wood Pure Yang Technique has given him an extraordinary temperament, reminding the two of the Taixuan Sect cultivators they had seen before.

"An'er, these two are your junior brother and sister; you take them to get settled," Cheng Xuandan says before leaving.

An'er?

Gu An nearly gets goosebumps, but he still bows to Cheng Xuandan's retreating back.

He turns to look at Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan, who quickly bow to him in return, their posture very respectful, which pleases him greatly.

Not bad!

They have better manners than Li Ya and Meng Lang; back then, those two showed no such etiquette toward Zhang Chunqiu.

Gu An immediately takes a liking to his junior brother and sister; he begins to introduce himself and asks them to introduce themselves as well.

Lu Jiujia has dark skin and wears worn-out clothes, looking like a farm boy, but his eyes are bright and spirited.

Ye Lan is small and thin, though her clothes are quite luxurious, and her appearance is merely pleasant.

"Let's go, I'll take you to your quarters first," Gu An says with a smile, and seeing his gentle attitude, the two are no longer as nervous.

On the way to the disciples' courtyard, Ye Lan cannot help but ask curiously about the other disciples in Medicine Valley.

Gu An introduces them truthfully.

Afterward, he calls over Meng Lang and Xiao Chuan to let the four of them meet.

Unlike Zhang Chunqiu, Gu An genuinely wants to maintain good relationships with his fellow disciples; after all, he is the one destined to be the valley master.

The addition of Ye Lan and Lu Jiujia reminds Gu An of Zhu Moya and the Greed-Hatred Demon Ghost.

No!

I must resolve this soon, lest my junior brother and sister encounter danger.

While harboring this concern, Gu An begins to teach his junior brother and sister how to handle their duties.

That night.

He closes his door, takes out Chu Jingfeng's Spirit Stone, and channels a sliver of spiritual power into it, causing the stone to grow hot.

This is the first time Gu An has used such cultivation technology, and he finds it quite novel.

A few breaths later, Chu Jingfeng's voice comes from within: "Who is it?"

Good grief, how many people did you give this kind of Spirit Stone to?

Gu An suppresses the urge to retort and says, "Senior, this is Gu An from Medicine Valley."

Chu Jingfeng falls silent.

Gu An feels a hint of awkwardness, but fortunately, Chu Jingfeng speaks soon after: "Do you have information on the Greed-Hatred Demon Ghost?"

"I do!"

Gu An says firmly, then recounts everything he has seen and heard.

After he finishes, Chu Jingfeng asks in a deep voice: "Is this true?"

"It is true, every word. He is not far from our Medicine Valley, and I am worried he might harm us," Gu An says earnestly.

"Very well, leave this matter entirely to me. I will go to the Outer Sect to track down his cave dwelling; I will not trouble you further."

"Thank you for your understanding, Senior. If this matter is resolved smoothly, I hope you will not mention me. I have mediocre aptitude and do not wish to attract trouble; I only want to live my life in peace."

"Hmm, I will handle it with discretion."

After Chu Jingfeng finishes speaking, he cuts off the connection to the Spirit Stone.

Gu An placed the Spirit Stone on the table, carefully ruminating on his interactions with Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Moya to confirm if there were any slip-ups.

What a hassle.

He hoped this matter would blow over smoothly.

I just want to farm in peace.

Gu An thought to himself; compared to killing and fighting, he preferred the quiet life of harvesting herbs.

After tipping off Chu Jingfeng, Gu An patrolled every day while keeping a close eye on his junior brothers and sisters, terrified that they might wander out of Medicine Valley.

There were no disturbances for three days in a row.

It wasn't until the deep night of the fourth day that Gu An sensed signs of spiritual energy surging outside Medicine Valley, and he could faintly hear the sound of blades clashing.

They're fighting!

He crept out and made his way to the valley entrance, wanting to stand guard here to prevent any Greed-Hatred Demon Ghost or evildoers from sneaking into Medicine Valley to slaughter his junior brothers and sisters.

The battle in the distance was intense and had not yet ended by the time Gu An reached the valley entrance.

There were too many mountain peaks along the way, forcing Gu An to rely on his exceptional hearing to judge the situation.

Suddenly.

Gu An seemed to sense something; he spun around sharply and looked back into Medicine Valley.

His gaze fell upon a pavilion, where he saw Cheng Xuandan standing before a window, watching him from afar.

Bathed in the bright moonlight, Cheng Xuandan looked like a vengeful ghost in the dim pavilion, making Gu An's skin crawl.

Damn it!

He's discovered me!

Gu An frowned, suddenly unsure of what to do.

Just as he hesitated, Cheng Xuandan slowly closed the window, though his gaze, like two flickering ghostly lights, left Gu An feeling truly uneasy.

It wasn't that Gu An feared Cheng Xuandan; he feared that Cheng Xuandan would leak the matter.

But upon second thought, that shouldn't be the case. If Cheng Xuandan were truly connected to the great cultivator behind the Greed-Hatred Demon Ghost, why bother summoning Chu Jingfeng to stand guard?

That would be redundant!

If lowly handyman disciples like them died, they died; the other party wouldn't even need to find an excuse to report it to the sect.