Eldest Senior Brother and Junior Disciple Brother

When they were at Dasheng Pass, Zhu Yan told Lu Bei that an inner disciple from Lingxiao Sword Sect would be coming to find him soon to assess his character.

If he was a good kid with excellent character and academic performance, he would have a chance to return to Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Lu Bei had been grumbling during this time, saying "soon" but a month had passed and the person still hadn't arrived. Had they been caught by Huangji Sect for speeding in the air, or had they crashed in a rear-end collision?

Now, seeing this Senior Disciple Brother's stance of unleashing a powerful move to blast the fish, he finally understood the reason.

Fishermen cast their lines wherever there's a river and stop wherever there's water. It was already punctual that he hadn't taken half a year to travel all the way from Yuezhou.

It was understandable, truly understandable.

"I am Lu Bei. May I ask which Senior Disciple Brother I have the honor of meeting?" Lu Bei asked, cupping his fists.

The man in black was embarrassed and, seizing the opportunity, dispersed his sword wheel and returned the greeting, "Lingxiao Sword Sect, Lin Yu."

"So it's Senior Brother Lin. I've heard much about you."

"Junior Disciple Brother Lu, please don't joke. I'm just an unknown nobody, how could you have heard..."

Lin Yu shook his head repeatedly. Due to muscle memory, he habitually cast his line. When he came to his senses, he felt embarrassed again. "Junior Disciple Brother Lu, please don't mind. This is just my hobby, I can't quit. Wait for me for a moment, the last cast will be finished soon."

"No rush, I'll fish with you, Senior Brother," Lu Bei said with a smile.

"Oh, Junior Disciple Brother Lu also likes fishing?"

Lin Yu was overjoyed upon hearing this. He didn't care if Lu Bei was just being polite. He held one rod and took out another fishing rod and a folding stool with his other hand, chuckling, "That's great! It's our first meeting as fellow disciples, and I was worried we wouldn't have much to talk about. We can fish and chat to get to know each other better."

"Uh, that's not necessary. I only occasionally touch a rod."

"Then you must fish!"

Lin Yu put on a serious face. "Extreme agitation leads to confusion, extreme tranquility leads to clarity. We are cultivators, our qi should not be excessive, and our actions should not be hasty. As your Senior Brother, I enter a state of utter tranquility every time I fish. At that time, I empty myself, shed my burdens, and rediscover that peace deep within my soul. Even the cultivation problems that trouble me become clear and easily solved when my mind is clear."

Lu Bei: "..."

It made sense, but he had a question: who was it that was about to blast the fishpond just now?

"The benefits of fishing are not limited to this, Junior Disciple Brother. Look."

Lin Yu raised his hand and pointed at the float. "Tranquility cultivates virtue, frugality nurtures character. Fishing combines movement and stillness; the process of waiting for the fish to bite is in line with this principle and is very helpful for tempering perseverance and endurance. To be honest, the current realm and cultivation I have achieved are largely thanks to fishing."

Lu Bei: "..."

What he said made sense, but Senior Sister Bai was already the top disciple thirty years ago. She wasn't a fisherman, and she could still beat him.

"Junior Disciple Brother, are you not speaking because you have attained enlightenment?"

"I have attained enlightenment. 'Tranquility is good, haste is bad.' This is not fishing, this is cultivation."

"Junior Disciple Brother, you have such good comprehension. Here, take the rod. We brothers will comprehend the Great Dao together today!"

"..."

Lu Bei had no choice but to sit beside Lin Yu. To be honest, compared to fishing, he preferred eating fish.

As the fishing rod entered his hands, Lu Bei immediately felt something was off. He touched it and looked at it, his face instantly turning awkward.

As expected of a seasoned cultivator and fisherman, even a spare fishing rod was of blue quality. How could this compare to Eldest Cousin's heirloom chainmail armor?

On the water's surface, two floats remained motionless, as if the scene had frozen.

Lu Bei was quite bored. Seeing Lin Yu concentrating so hard that he was even breathing carefully, he took the initiative to speak. "Senior Brother Lin, Senior Sister Zhu told me earlier that Senior Sister Bai was punished by not being allowed to leave the mountain for three years because of me. How is she now?"

"She's doing well. Junior Sister Bai is a quiet person, and she's quite content painting every day."

Lin Yu said casually, "Don't worry about her. My parents treat her as their own daughter; they treat her even better than me. The three-year confinement was just talk, they won't do anything to her."

"Parents?!"

Lu Bei's eyelids twitched. "May I ask Senior Brother Lin, who are your esteemed parents?"

"My father is the Sect Master of Lingxiao Sword Sect, and my mother is the Dean of the Discipline Hall of Lingxiao Sword Sect, and also Junior Sister Bai's master."

Lin Yu scratched his nose in confusion. "What, didn't I just say that?"

No, you didn't say anything besides talking about fishing.

Lu Bei's mouth twitched. He suddenly thought of a possibility. "May I ask Senior Brother Lin, among our generation of disciples, is there anyone who joined the sect earlier than you?"

"No, I was born the earliest and joined the sect the earliest. You can call me Eldest Senior Brother too."

"Then... is there anyone who joined the sect later than me?"

"No. Lingxiao Sword Sect already has four generations of disciples. Among the third-generation disciples, you joined the sect the latest. You are the Junior Disciple Brother."

Lu Bei: (_)

Eldest Senior Brother, Senior Sister, Junior Disciple Brother...

The relationships were simple yet complex, and strangely familiar, as if foreshadowing something.

"Junior Disciple Brother Lu, don't just stand there. A fish bit the hook! Quickly reel it in, quickly... alas, it got away."

The fishing line went taut, but nothing was pulled up. Lin Yu grinned widely, patted Lu Bei's shoulder, and encouraged him, "Don't be discouraged. You're at a disadvantage due to lack of experience. Concentrate and keep trying. One day, you'll be as experienced as your Senior Brother."

As experienced as you, a seasoned angler who catches nothing?

Speaking of which, could Lingxiao Sword Sect be an air force base?

There was no conflict between the Eldest Senior Brother and the Junior Disciple Brother to begin with, but add a Senior Sister into the mix, and everything becomes completely different.

Lu Bei lost even more interest in fishing and tentatively asked, "Senior Brother Lin, what do you think of Senior Sister Bai?"

"Junior Sister Bai is beautiful, has high comprehension, and her cultivation is the highest among the third generation disciples. Everyone admires her greatly."

Lin Yu stared at the water's surface and said nonchalantly, "My father always talks about Junior Sister Bai in front of me, saying things like 'strengthening ties' and 'strike while the iron is hot, or it will change.' I was so annoyed that I pursued Junior Sister Bai and even learned to paint specifically to please him."

"And then?"

Lu Bei's eyes instantly sharpened. He mused that since the Eldest Senior Brother had traveled a long distance, he must host a banquet tonight. He would rely on the mountain for resources and have the little foxes gather hundreds of pounds of red mushrooms from the back mountain to prepare a feast of delicacies.

Also, no wonder the Sect Master never mentioned asking him back to Lingxiao Sword Sect. It turned out to be a psychological shadow from their childhood romance; he was afraid his own son, the Eldest Senior Brother, wouldn't be able to compete and that the Heavenly Descent System's Junior Disciple Brother would win the Senior Sister's heart.

Dragging the younger generation into the grievances of the previous generation – what a narrow-minded, petty person. How could such a person lead a sect?

Hmph, how base!

"It's too difficult. She was unmoved for thirty years. If it were fish, I don't know how many I would have caught."

Lin Yu sighed, "Later, I gave up. Junior Brother, you also fish. What's the point of painting? It's so boring. Fishing is more in line with the Dao. As a result, my father told me that Junior Sister Bai was testing me, that sincerity can move mountains. As long as I don't give up, I will definitely be able to move Junior Sister Bai."

"Mmm, the Sect Master is quite optimistic."

"I think so too. Junior Sister Bai is good, but she doesn't fish. On this point alone, there's no way for us to be together."

Lin Yu sighed and said with a troubled expression, "Also, Senior Sister Bai and I are too familiar with each other. My parents treat her like a daughter, and I treat her like a sister. You have no idea how awkward I was the first time I gave her flowers."

"Eldest Senior Brother, this is not your fault. It's all Senior Sister Bai's arrogance. There are plenty of fish in the sea; I believe you will find your destined one." Lu Bei offered his sincere blessings.

"I hope so. Actually, whether cultivators have a partner is secondary. It's more freeing to be carefree and alone."

Lin Yu said indifferently, "If I must get married, that's fine too. My requirements aren't high, just someone with shared interests."

"There is, there definitely is an elegant person who likes to... spend her free time fishing with you."

Lu Bei said with a chuckle. He decided against the mountain delicacy feast tonight. He would go to the Emei Sect to get five geese and personally cook a meal to entertain the visiting Lin Yu.

Speaking of which, he truly deserved to be the Eldest Senior Brother. His demeanor and presence were beyond reproach. The first time Lu Bei saw him, he felt an immense sense of closeness.

Now, he felt even closer.

Whether or not he went to Lingxiao Sword Sect was unimportant. This Eldest Senior Brother, Lu Bei, was wholeheartedly convinced and accepted him.