After the formalities were over, the elders and disciples from each peak had to be escorted to the separate courtyards specially prepared for them.
Whether Elder Lin had done it on purpose or by accident was anyone's guess, but he had specifically assigned Chen Yan to escort Elder Lan Wei and the disciples from Qingchan Peak to their peak's outer-court courtyard.
"You're Elder Lin's disciple?"
On the way from Wenyuan Hall to the courtyard, Elder Lan Wei struck up a conversation with Chen Yan.
"Yes," Chen Yan replied.
"How's your cultivation?"
"Reporting to you, Elder Lan, I'm in the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm."
"Oh!"
Elder Lan Wei nodded as if he had suddenly understood, then mulled it over for a moment.
"Your future looks bright. Very bright."
That was the only praise he could manage to offer Chen Yan.
"But speaking of which, Elder Lin really is a rare and remarkable person."
When it came to praising Elder Lin, however, Elder Lan Wei was far more generous.
Chen Yan agreed. He also thought Elder Lin was a real oddball.
Elder Lin was only a Qi Sea Realm cultivator. Compared to the inner sect elders, who had all reached at least the Spirit Connection Realm, his cultivation was indeed rather low.
Nor did he have age on his side. He was already in his late sixties, and would soon turn seventy.
Yet Chen Yan couldn't shake the feeling that even without the halo of being the Sect Master's personal disciple, few would dare look down on Elder Lin.
He didn't understand why he felt that way.
More than two months had passed since Chen Yan became Elder Lin's Personal Disciple. In all that time, he hadn't developed any father-and-son-like affection for him.
Their master-disciple bond was purely because Elder Lin needed a go-between with Kongyuan Mountain.
Still, Chen Yan was genuinely grateful to Elder Lin for giving him this opportunity. Otherwise, he would never have received so many cultivation resources.
He was only one step away from the Martial Spring Realm.
Chen Yan was confident he could break through from the Qi Condensation Realm Peak to the Martial Spring Realm within a year. Of course, the sect's prodigies might need only a year in total to make the same leap.
Elder Lan Wei did seem to admire Elder Lin.
Or perhaps Elder Lan Wei simply always came across as a good-natured man.
He praised everyone and offended no one, yet his social graces were so clumsy they almost seemed awkward.
That was Chen Yan's impression of him.
During their casual conversation on the way, Chen Yan learned that Elder Lan Wei's actual post at Qingchan Peak was as an elder of the Scripture Hall.
"Elder Lan, do you know an instructor named Lu Li?" Chen Yan asked.
"Of course. He's a fine young man. The disciples have all benefited greatly from his lectures. It's just a shame..."
Elder Lan Wei paused briefly.
"It's a shame that in certain respects, this young man may lack a proper sense of boundaries and distance."
At over forty, Lu Li was still young by the standards of long-lived cultivators. His journey had only just begun.
This was the first time Chen Yan had heard Elder Lan Wei speak negatively about someone.
"The disciples all liked Instructor Lu when he was still teaching in the outer court," Chen Yan said.
"Mm. It's the same in the inner sect. The disciples of Qingchan Peak all enjoy Instructor Lu's lectures and teachings," Elder Lan Wei replied evenly.
It seemed the elder of Qingchan Peak's Scripture Hall had a rather poor opinion of his subordinate.
And Elder Lan Wei seemed to have already explained why he disliked Lu Li.
A lack of boundaries and distance.
Chen Yan thought he meant Lu Li's relationship with Qingchan Peak's Elder Zhengfa.
Strictly speaking, the Scripture Hall was under the jurisdiction of Martial Suppression Elder Fu Qian. Yet anyone could see that Lu Li was one of Elder Zhengfa's people.
That was bound to make some people unhappy.
And yet, in that very situation, Lu Li had continued to rise without hindrance. He had gone from a lowly instructor to an elder of the Scripture Hall, taking Elder Lan Wei's place, and then, decades later, had become Qingchan Peak's Martial Suppression Elder.
What exactly had happened along the way?
Chen Yan was curious, but he knew this was far beyond anything he could uncover himself.
For the rest of the journey, Chen Yan and Elder Lan Wei didn't speak much. He simply escorted the people from Qingchan Peak to their courtyard.
After exchanging a few more words, Chen Yan was about to leave.
"Wait."
Just then, a girl's voice, cool as a mountain stream, came from behind him.
Chen Yan knew exactly who it belonged to.
"Chief Chu, we meet again."
He turned around and smiled as he bowed toward Chu Xiyao.
But Chu Xiyao didn't respond. She merely walked up to Chen Yan with a cold expression.
"Come with me," the White-robed Girl said.
Watching her pass by him, Chen Yan hesitated for a moment, then followed.
This can't be good.
Chen Yan followed Chu Xiyao down a street in the outer court.
A breeze rose, stirring the White-robed Girl's dark hair. Even three zhang away, he could smell the cool fragrance drifting from her tresses.
It wasn't the cloying sweetness of perfume, but a proud, icy fragrance, like the scent carried by the wind across a frozen wasteland.
Chen Yan couldn't help taking a quiet sniff.
"What is it?"
Chu Xiyao turned around and looked at Chen Yan.
This was the first time he had closely studied Chu Xiyao's face. He had known she was beautiful, but he hadn't expected her to be so captivating.
Beneath lashes thick as crow feathers lay eyes deep as an autumn pool. Flecks of starlight shimmered in her pupils, as though someone had crushed the night sky and embedded it there.
For some reason, Cheng Ziying's face suddenly appeared in Chen Yan's mind. He quickly came back to himself.
"Nothing."
Chen Yan chuckled twice.
"May I ask what you wanted with me, Chief Chu?"
"..."
Chu Xiyao looked displeased. She was silent for a while before slowly speaking.
"Was it Elder Lin who asked you to tell me of Song Mingde's death that day and take me back to Qingchan Peak?"
"No," Chen Yan replied.
"I really thought you were just an ordinary outer-court disciple."
"I am just an ordinary outer-court disciple."
"But you're an Elder's Personal Disciple."
"That happened later. The day I met you, I didn't even know my master. Elder Fu's people sent me to him, and only then did he take me in as his disciple."
"So Elder Lin saw your talent?"
"Maybe. Or maybe..."
Chen Yan paused.
"Maybe he had other plans."
Chu Xiyao stopped and turned to look at him. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
"Do you know what you're saying?" Chu Xiyao asked.
"I know exactly what I'm saying. But there's something important I need to ask you too, Chief Chu."
Chen Yan's eyes were filled with resolve and determination.
Before you continue