I was extremely happy. The moment I walked out of the secret chamber's passageway, I was astonished to find a whole group of people standing outside: Brother Wang, Sister Yu, First Wife, Uncle Zhang, my two disciples, Ah Yu, and the others.
When they saw me come out, they were all overjoyed, bright smiles blooming across their faces.
When Brother Wang saw me, he seemed to let out a long breath. His usual smile returned to his face as he respectfully said, "Young Master, everyone came here after hearing your laughter just now. Do you know how badly you frightened us? You stayed inside that secret chamber for a full two weeks. We thought something had happened to you, and we couldn't open the chamber door. We were nearly worried out of our minds!"
Sister Yu and the others smiled as they looked at me. Seeing that I was safe and sound, they all wore relieved expressions.
I was truly moved. My heart felt numb, and it seemed tears were about to fall. I smiled at them, and the tears that had yet to spill were already evaporated away by me. I felt a little embarrassed as well. I simply had not explained things clearly to them. For cultivators, going into seclusion for a few weeks was considered short; several years or even decades were perfectly normal. How could ordinary people like them understand the affairs of cultivators?
"Brother Wang, I didn't explain it clearly to all of you. At my level, going into seclusion for a few weeks is considered short. Several years or decades are entirely normal. Once you finish cultivating the Taiji Yin Yang Art and those other manuals, you'll be the same. Don't worry about it in the future. After I finish studying at the National Martial Academy, I'll probably need to find some materials and then enter seclusion. That time, it'll likely be for several years."
The moment I said that, their eyes widened in disbelief. It was simply too hard to believe. Cultivating for several years at a time—how could that be? How many several years did a person have in one lifetime?
Seeing their puzzled expressions, I knew what they were thinking. "Once all of you break through the ninth level, you'll be able to cultivate even more powerful arts. After breaking through the ninth level, you'll also become immortal. Are you still worried that a few years or decades will affect you?"
As soon as I said that, everyone smiled. The knot in their hearts had been untied.
"Master, you said that after you finish school, you'll enter seclusion for several years? Won't you be an adult by the time you come out?" Li Da still remembered what I had just said. He found it hard to believe and felt it was rather strange. A child entered the secret chamber, and an adult came out. Anyone would find that difficult to get used to.
I smiled. This kid was thinking quite far ahead. It was all because I cultivated too quickly. There was no Golden Core Stage expert in the Cultivation World as young as me! By the time others reached the Golden Core Stage, they were already adults, so there was naturally no obvious difference before and after seclusion. But I had to enter seclusion, because I needed to refine my Flying Sword and Spirit Battle Armor. Those were essential items for life-bound dual cultivation.
Wait, that wasn't right. I had already cultivated the Demon Subduing Vajra Art, so my body no longer needed the protection of Spirit Battle Armor. When my realm grew higher, my Demon Subduing Vajra Art would become even more formidable. Maybe I didn't necessarily need to refine things like Flying Swords anymore! Forget it. I had already told them I would enter seclusion. Could I go back on my word now? That would be far too humiliating. Besides, one more layer of protection meant one more layer of safety!
"Enough talking, everyone. I'm starving. Let's go eat!"
Only then did everyone remember that this great freak of mine had gone two whole weeks without eating and had felt nothing at all, only now saying he was "hungry." He truly was no ordinary freak.
I saw that no one moved. They merely looked at me with a gaze that made me feel... I had no choice but to hurry away. If they kept staring at me like that, I wouldn't need to eat anymore.
"It's already noon. Why hasn't Lang Feng come back yet? If he doesn't return, isn't he making all of us starve with him?" Our group sat in the rear hall. The table was already laden with the dishes for lunch, but Brother Lang Feng had not returned, so we could only wait.
"Li Da, look at your master. He hasn't eaten for two weeks, yet he isn't as unable to sit still as you are, shouting that you're hungry. You should learn from your master! You're young. What's the problem with missing one meal?" Sister Yu walked over to Li Da's side, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke in the tone of an elder lecturing a junior.
Li Da stared wide-eyed at Sister Yu, unable to say anything. Although Sister Yu was only a few years older than him, she was still his Master Li Da's elder sister. He, Li Da, was a generation below her, after all. Besides, the true manager of the entire estate was Sister Yu's husband.
Seeing Li Da's ridiculous appearance, all of us could not help bursting into laughter...
"Second Brother, you've finally come out! You worried me to death! Your three newly accepted precious disciples have been coming every day lately, saying they were worried about their master. I think they just wanted to come eat. Those two fellows are in our estate right now, and I ran fast. Otherwise..."
I turned around and saw Brother Lang Feng standing before me, his spittle flying as he spoke.
"Lang Feng, you rascal! Stop right there!" With an angry shout, three furious-faced triplet brothers rushed inside. Were they not my three newly accepted disciples?
"What is wrong with you three? Why are you making such a racket the moment you arrive?" Seeing my disciples, I deliberately put on the airs of a master. I knew that a master ought to possess a master's dignity, or the consequences would be severe. I had already learned that lesson in my previous life; in this life, I did not want to tread the same old road again.
Only then did Chiyou and his two brothers notice that their master, whom they had not seen for many days, was sitting right there in the chair. They immediately assumed respectful expressions and deferentially said to me:
"Master, please judge fairly. Wolf... Martial Uncle did something to us three brothers just now... It was nothing. We were merely playing together."
Chiyi had just been about to say it when he suddenly saw his elder brother Chiyou wink at him and cover his own mouth with his hand. Only then did he realize—could he tell Master about this? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble? Lang Feng was Master's elder brother. What could Master possibly do to him? In the end, would it not still be the three brothers who suffered?
Once Chiyi understood, he immediately shut his mouth and gave me a foolish grin, looking as though he were the picture of honesty.
I looked at Brother Lang Feng and my three disciples. I could clearly sense that something was going on, but neither side was willing to say anything. What could I do?
"You three can eat with us. In the future, don't use visiting me as an excuse. If you want to come, just come. Understand?"
The moment Chiyou and his brothers heard that, they immediately became happy and excitedly shouted, "Thank you, Master!" The three of them lived independently, and they always had to eat at restaurants and inns. Now that they could save a sum of money, how could they not be happy? Whenever they thought of living on their own, they wanted to curse that old man of a father, who had said, "You must first learn how to manage yourselves. Only then can I entrust responsibilities to you in the future."
This meal was a joyous one. Everyone was smiling, especially my three new disciples. The thought that they would no longer have to worry about their meals in the future made them unable to restrain their laughter.
"You three, listen carefully. Today, I will teach you martial arts. Let me tell you, the martial art I'm about to teach you is an extremely profound one. It has nine levels in total. Once you reach the ninth level, you can attain the realm of a first-rank expert. After you finish cultivating this manual, I will teach you even more powerful arts. By then, you will become immortal."
I looked at my three disciples' dumbfounded expressions with great satisfaction. How could the martial arts I possessed possibly be compared to the secret manuals of mortals like them?
"Master, is this true? We can also become immortal and become immortals?" As the eldest brother, Chiyou was still better than the other two. He recovered from his shock after a moment.
I looked at them and smiled.
"Immortals are not something ordinary people can become. I cannot guarantee that you will become immortals, but since you have become my disciples, I guarantee that you will reach the realm of immortality." I spoke with ironclad certainty. What a joke. If people with aptitude like theirs could not even cross the threshold of cultivation, there could not possibly be so many people in the Cultivation World.
Chiyi also regained his senses. The moment he heard my words, he did not even have time to wipe away the snot that had run out while he was spacing out before he immediately shouted, "Master, that's enough! As long as we can become immortal, that's already wonderful. There's no need to become any kind of immortal being!"
Looking at the three of them, I took out the Mysterious Yang Art from my robe.
"You three, listen well. Cultivate this secret manual properly. And one more thing: you are not to pass it on to outsiders. Understand? Otherwise, you will be dealt with according to the sect rules."
The three fellows were no longer listening. Holding the secret manual I had given them, they began reading it, nodding nonstop at my words.
I arrived at the National Martial Academy.
Looking at the National Martial Academy before me, I could not help finding it amusing. I had only come once on the first day of school, and I had not come for so long. Had my fifty thousand taels of silver not been paid for nothing? That was why I came today.
But had I truly come just to avoid wasting money? I asked myself in my heart. Without realizing it, I stood before the academy gates, and the day school began surfaced in my mind once more—the first time I saw her, her face, her voice, her... I could not help sinking into those warm memories, a faint smile of happiness unconsciously appearing at the corner of my lips.
"Zhang Xingfeng, is that you?"
A voice I had missed day and night rang beside my ear. My entire body trembled for no reason, and I swiftly turned around, terrified that she would disappear. The beauty before me was standing beside the carriage, smiling at me. A gentle breeze blew past, scattering her lovely hair as it drifted around her ears. I could not help becoming a little dazed.
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