The Senior Brother and the Junior Disciple Brother

At Dasheng Pass, Zhu Yan had told Lu Bei that an Inner Disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect would come looking for him soon, to assess his character.

If he proved to be a good child of outstanding character and learning, he would have a chance to return to the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

During this time, Lu Bei had been muttering to himself. They had said "soon," but a month had passed and the man still had not arrived. Had he been caught speeding through the skies by the Huangji Sect, or had he gotten into a rear-end collision in an aerial disaster?

Now, seeing this Senior Brother's grand display of blasting fish, he finally understood the reason.

A fishing fanatic was a fishing fanatic. Whenever he came across a river, he cast his line; whenever he saw water, he had to stop. Having traveled a thousand li from Yue Province, the fact that he had arrived in less than half a year already meant he was quite punctual.

It was understandable. It was understandable.

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

The man in black was in an awkward spot. He took the opportunity to disperse the sword wheel and returned the salute. "Lingxiao Sword Sect, Lin Yu."

"So it's Senior Brother Lin. I've long admired you."

"Junior Disciple Brother Lu, don't joke around. I'm just an obscure idler with no reputation. How could you have long admired me..."

Lin Yu shook his head repeatedly. Acting on muscle memory, he habitually cast his line. When he came to his senses, another bout of awkwardness washed over him. "Don't blame me, Junior Disciple Brother Lu. This is just my one hobby. I can't give it up. Wait for me a moment; this last cast will be over soon."

"No rush. I'll fish with you, Senior Brother." Lu Bei smiled.

"Oh? Junior Disciple Brother Lu likes fishing too?"

Lin Yu was delighted at once. Without caring whether Lu Bei was merely being polite, he held the rod in one hand and took out another fishing rod and a folding stool with the other. Grinning, he said, "That's wonderful. We brothers are meeting for the first time, and I was just worrying that we'd have nothing to talk about. Fishing while we chat will help us get acquainted."

"Uh, there's no need for that. I only fiddle with a fishing rod now and then."

"Then we definitely have to fish!"

Lin Yu put on a solemn expression. "When agitation reaches its extreme, the mind becomes clouded; when tranquility reaches its extreme, the mind becomes clear. We cultivators must avoid overflowing vigor and impetuous conduct. Whenever I fish, Senior Brother enters a state of a mind as still as water. In that moment, I empty myself, cast off my burdens, and reclaim the tranquility deep within my soul. Even the cultivation problems troubling me become clear, and I solve them in an instant."

Lu Bei: "..."

It made perfect sense, but he had one question: Who had just been trying to blow up the fishpond?

"The benefits of fishing don't end there, Junior Disciple Brother. Look."

Lin Yu raised his hand and pointed at the float. "Stillness cultivates the body; frugality nurtures virtue. Fishing combines movement and stillness. Waiting for a fish to bite accords perfectly with this path, and it is tremendously helpful for tempering one's perseverance and endurance. To be completely honest, the cultivation realm I possess today owes no small debt to fishing."

Lu Bei: "..."

What nonsense. Senior Sister Bai had been the foremost disciple thirty years ago. She wasn't a fishing fanatic, yet she had still beaten you flat.

"Junior Disciple Brother, are you silent because you've attained enlightenment?"

"I have. Follow stillness and avoid agitation. This isn't fishing; this is cultivation."

"Junior Disciple Brother, you have excellent insight. Come, take the rod. Today, we brothers shall jointly comprehend the Great Dao!"

"..."

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

The moment the fishing rod reached his hand, Lu Bei sensed that something was wrong. He touched it, looked it over, and immediately wore an awkward expression.

As expected of a veteran immortal-cultivation fishing fanatic—even a spare fishing rod was blue quality. What was Big Cousin supposed to feel about his heirloom chainmail now?

On the surface of the water, the two floats remained perfectly still, as though the scene had been frozen.

Lu Bei was rather bored. Seeing Lin Yu concentrating so intently that he was even careful with his breathing, he took the initiative to strike up a conversation. "Senior Brother Lin, Senior Sister Zhu told me earlier that Senior Sister Bai was punished because of me and forbidden from leaving the mountain for three years. How is she now?"

"She's doing quite well. Junior Sister Bai is someone who enjoys quiet, and she spends her days painting, so she's fairly carefree."

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

"Your parents?!"

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

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

Lin Yu puzzledly scratched his nose. "What? Didn't I mention that just now?"

No, you didn't. Besides fishing, there was nothing in your mouth that was useful.

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

"No. I was born first and became a disciple first. You can call me Senior Brother."

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

"No. The Lingxiao Sword Sect already has four generations of disciples. Among the Third Generation Disciples, you became a disciple the latest. You're the Junior Disciple Brother."

Lu Bei: (_)

The Senior Brother, the Senior Sister, and the Junior Disciple Brother...

Their relationships were simple yet complicated, and carried a faint air of déjà vu, as though they were foreshadowing something.

"Junior Disciple Brother Lu, don't just sit there. The fish has bitten! Lift the rod, quickly, lift—ah, it got away."

The fishing line went taut, yet nothing was pulled up. Lin Yu was grinning so broadly that his gums showed. He patted Lu Bei on the shoulder and encouraged him. "Don't be discouraged. You're at a disadvantage because you lack experience. Focus your mind, keep trying, and sooner or later you'll become as experienced as your Senior Brother."

As experienced as you, a fishing fanatic who never catches anything?

Come to think of it, could the Lingxiao Sword Sect be a military airbase?

There was no conflict between the Senior Brother and the Junior Disciple Brother to begin with, but once a Senior Sister was added to the mix, everything became entirely different.

Lu Bei had even less interest in fishing now. He probed, "Senior Brother Lin, what do you think of Senior Sister Bai?"

"Junior Sister Bai is beautiful and highly perceptive. Among the Third Generation Disciples, her cultivation is the highest. Everyone admires her."

Lin Yu stared at the water and said absentmindedly, "My father is always praising Junior Sister Bai in front of me. He even says things like, 'Let familial relations become even closer; act quickly, or changes may arise.' I was so annoyed that I went after Junior Sister Bai. To cater to her interests, I even specially learned how to paint."

"And then?"

Lu Bei's gaze instantly sharpened. He figured that since the Senior Brother had come from so far away, he absolutely had to host a feast tonight. One could live off the mountains when near the mountains, so he would send the little foxes to the Back mountain to gather several hundred jin of red mushrooms and set out a table of mountain delicacies.

Also, no wonder the sect master had never mentioned inviting him to return to the Lingxiao Sword Sect. So it was a childhood-sweetheart trauma. He was afraid that his own son, the Senior Brother, would lose the competition and be beaten to the punch by the Heaven Heavenly Descent System Junior Disciple Brother, who would then embrace the Senior Sister and carry her home.

Dragging the younger generation into the grudges of the previous generation, narrow-minded and petty—could a person like that really lead a sect?

Bah! Despicable!

"It was too difficult. After thirty years of not moving her heart, if she were a fish, I don't know how many I'd have caught by now."

Lin Yu sighed. "Later, I gave up. Junior Disciple Brother, you fish too, so you know how boring painting is. Fishing is much more in keeping with the Dao realm. But then my father told me that Junior Sister Bai was testing me, and that sincerity could pierce metal and stone. As long as I didn't give up, I would definitely move Junior Sister Bai."

"Hmm, the sect master sounds like an optimist."

"I think so too. Junior Sister Bai is wonderful, but she doesn't fish. On that point alone, she and I are impossible."

Lin Yu sighed, conflicted. "Besides, Junior Sister Bai and I are too familiar with each other. My parents treat her as a daughter, while I regard her as a younger sister. You have no idea how awkward I was the first time I gave her flowers."

"Senior Brother, that isn't your fault. It's all because Senior Sister Bai is too proud. There are plenty of other flowers in the world. I'm sure you'll find someone who suits your heart." Lu Bei offered his sincere blessing.

"I hope so. In truth, whether cultivators have a partner is secondary. Being alone and carefree is more comfortable."

Lin Yu said indifferently, "If I absolutely have to start a family, then so be it. I don't ask for much—only that we share the same interests."

"There is someone. There definitely is someone refined who likes to fish with you whenever they have some... free time."

Lu Bei grinned. He had decided not to serve a feast of mountain delicacies tonight. He would go to the Emei Sect, get five geese, and personally cook for Lin Yu, who had traveled so far to visit.

Come to think of it, as expected of the Senior Brother, his bearing and temperament were impeccable. The first time Lu Bei saw him, he had felt an indescribable closeness.

Now, they were even closer.

Whether he went to the Lingxiao Sword Sect or not was unimportant. This Senior Brother had won Lu Bei's wholehearted respect, and Lu Bei accepted him as his own.