Taking Shui Yue as Master

"Silence in the great hall!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren, who hadn't spoken for a long time, commanded with authority. The crowd immediately stopped their bickering, and a quiet atmosphere returned to the hall.

He truly was the Sect Leader; with just one sentence, he brought these red-faced, arguing cultivators back under control. It was clear the Peak Lords held him in high regard.

Dao Xuan Zhenren pondered for a moment. Tian Buyi and the others inwardly groaned, sensing trouble. As expected, after a short while, Dao Xuan Zhenren looked at Cang Song and said, "Since Junior Brother Cang Song spoke first, and given his proven ability to teach disciples, let Jing Yu be accepted under his tutelage."

"My fellow junior brothers need not be discouraged. There are still Xiao Fan and Chang Qing. You may each choose one."

Shang Zhengliang coughed and pretended to drink his tea, acting as if it were none of his business. Tian Yun gazed at the patterns on the great hall's ceiling, finding them particularly interesting. Tian Buyi, who had argued most fiercely with Cang Song, closed his eyes and appeared to fall asleep. Zeng Shuchang, meanwhile, simply entered a meditative state, as if he had never been involved in the matter from the start.

Zhang Xiaofan had been secretly happy for his good brother, seeing how highly he was regarded.

He hadn't expected that when it came to himself and Su Changqing, these Zhenrens who had been arguing so heatedly would all fall silent, one by one.

They must really look down on the two of us.

"Chang Qing, we..."

Zhang Xiaofan shot Su Changqing a wry smile, a look of shared misfortune passing between them.

Su Changqing remained silent, returning a smile and standing quietly to the side, observing the scene. His current mood was impossible to discern.

What else could it be?

A sense of indifference mixed with a touch of amusement.

Lin Jingyu possessed exceptional talent and excellent spiritual roots; it was fated in the story for him to join Cang Song's lineage. Zhang Xiaofan would also be taken in by Tian Buyi. There was no need to rush.

As for himself, this sudden, unexpected presence, he didn't know who would take him in.

However, it didn't matter to Su Changqing who accepted him, or even if he became an Outer Sect Disciple.

After all, with Unrivaled Insight in hand, it was all the same no matter whose tutelage he was under. Not getting involved and focusing on his own cultivation to achieve the Great Dao was the best option.

As expected, seeing that everyone remained silent.

Dao Xuan Zhenren couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. He had just told Su Changqing that he would be accepted into the Qingyun Sect, and now this was the situation. However, an immortal like him would surely uphold his word.

With a thought, he immediately found a scapegoat.

"Junior Brother Tian."

Dao Xuan Zhenren's smile at this moment appeared exceptionally kind.

Tian Buyi felt a great sense of foreboding and immediately woke from his feigned sleep. Just as he was about to speak, Dao Xuan Zhenren cut him off, "The incident at Caomiao Village was discovered by your disciple, Song Daren. He also rescued the three of them together. It must be a fated connection with your Great Bamboo Peak."

"Since that's the case, why don't you take Chang Qing and Xiao Fan under your wing together?"

Tian Buyi panicked. Zhang Xiaofan's aptitude seemed mediocre, and taking him as a disciple was already a burden. Now, he had to take in Su Changqing, whose spiritual roots were extremely poor. It was like inviting double disaster!

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, you know I've always been lazy and dislike taking on disciples. If you entrust these two Daoist Children to me, I fear I won't be able to handle such a great responsibility."

Dao Xuan Zhenren remained silent, merely smiling at him.

Tian Buyi gritted his teeth. Seeing Dao Xuan Zhenren's resolute attitude, he knew he couldn't escape this. He finally relented, "Fine, fine. I'll take one of them as my disciple. Whomever I point to, so be it."

Of the short ones, I still have to pick the slightly taller one.

Feigning a casual gesture, Tian Buyi pointed his finger at Zhang Xiaofan.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, you saw it. I've chosen Zhang Xiaofan, so I'll take him as my disciple."

The others watched this maneuver and secretly praised Tian Buyi's cleverness. So your selection wasn't random, but rather you manipulated it according to your wishes, right?

Dao Xuan Zhenren understood Tian Buyi's helplessness and didn't press him further. He nodded.

Thus, Lin Jingyu was accepted under the tutelage of Cang Song Zhenren, the Peak Lord of Dragon Head Peak. Zhang Xiaofan was accepted under Tian Buyi of Great Bamboo Peak, following the expected course of events.

Only Su Changqing remained without a master, standing silently to the side, utterly ignored.

Dao Xuan Zhenren was at a loss for what to do. He was very satisfied with Su Changqing's performance since entering the hall and wished to keep him in the Qingyun Sect.

However, his spiritual root aptitude was simply too poor. To be honest, it was only slightly better than an ordinary mortal's, and even inferior to some Outer Sect Disciples. Forcing his fellow brothers to take him in was out of the question.

Just as Dao Xuan Zhenren was fretting, a gentle voice rang out.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, since none of my fellow brothers are willing to take Chang Qing as a disciple, why don't you let him be accepted under my tutelage?"

The speaker was Master Shui Yue. She stood up and earnestly addressed Dao Xuan Zhenren.

Everyone was stunned. No one had expected Master Shui Yue to speak up proactively.

"Junior Sister, but Chang Qing..."

Dao Xuan Zhenren was happy that someone had spoken, but hearing it was Shui Yue, he felt a bit awkward. Shui Yue's Little Bamboo Peak was a lineage of female cultivators, and Su Changqing was a male child...

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, Chang Qing is still young and grew up alone. Sending him back to the mortal world would leave him lonely. Since the other disciples are unwilling to take him, he would have to be sent to the Outer Sect to serve as a menial laborer with those disciples."

"I cannot bear to see Chang Qing continue such a difficult life. It would be better to have him accepted under my tutelage."

Shui Yue looked at Su Changqing, who was being ignored, and realized that even she, who had attained the Dao, was not entirely devoid of emotion. Her heart ached with pity, and she felt a desire to take him in.

Regardless of his aptitude, giving him a place to belong would be a good deed.

Dao Xuan Zhenren remained silent for a moment before making his decision: "Very well. Although there is a distinction between genders, considering Chang Qing's actual situation and his young age, let him be accepted under your Little Bamboo Peak. Once he is older, he can be sent to live on another peak. The master-disciple relationship will remain."

"That will do."

Master Shui Yue nodded, accepting the idea.

Little Bamboo Peak was exclusively for female disciples, but Su Changqing was still young; he probably wouldn't have those kinds of thoughts yet. They could send him to a male disciple's peak when he got older.

Even Su Changqing hadn't expected anyone would be willing to take him as a disciple, let alone Master Shui Yue, the only female Peak Lord in the Qingyun Sect.

"Thank you, Immortal Elder Sister, for taking me as your disciple!"

Su Changqing smiled brightly, dimples appearing on his child's face, making him look quite adorable.

"No need to thank me. My choice to do so was also fated by the Master-Disciple Destiny between us. From now on, don't call me Immortal Elder Sister; you can call me Master."

A rare smile appeared on Master Shui Yue's usually cold and unapproachable face.

It was like a Tianshan snow lotus blooming for the first time atop an iceberg. This smile stunned everyone present, even surprising Su Changqing.