The reason Chen Yan had Elder Cui backing him was that Elder Cui was a Martial Spring Realm cultivator of the Bright Azure Sect.
Two years ago, he had accompanied Shen Yunshen—the Sect Master's son, whom the sect's cultivators and servants called the "Young Sect Master"—to a place called Willow River Village, thousands of li away, and brought back four thousand slaves from there.
Those four thousand slaves had considerably eased the pressure on the Bright Azure Sect from the increasingly excessive demands of the higher sect.
And all of this had made Shen Cang, the Bright Azure Sect's Sect Master, place even greater importance on his son.
Among the four thousand slaves Shen Yunshen had brought back, there had also been several promising individuals with exceptional talent, who were selected to become disciples of the Bright Azure Sect.
But Chen Yan had not been among them.
"I really don't understand. If Elder Cui thinks so highly of Chen Yan, why doesn't he take him as his disciple? Why insist on throwing him into the servants' compound just to disgust us..."
Sun Awu muttered under his breath.
"Keep your voice down."
Feng Ping tugged at him.
"Keep it down for what? What did I say wrong?"
Sun Awu did not rein himself in at all.
"Since Elder Cui picked him out from among those slaves, he must naturally have something special about him."
Feng Ping continued.
"Special?"
Sun Awu gave a derisive snort, lifted his washbasin, and splashed its contents onto the ground.
"I'd say he's just lucky. Lucky people don't have to shovel shit."
Behind Bright Azure Sect lay a small bamboo grove. It was not large, only around ten zhang square, but it was one of the rare quiet places within the sect.
Zhou Yan stood on