Cloud Mist Mountain Range-Are You Going There to Serve Yourself Up? Please Support the New Book

It was night.

Qingyun Dao Sect.

Su Changyu stood quietly atop the cliff.

Alone, he gazed up at the starry sky.

Qingyun Dao Sect was utterly still.

But as a figure flashed past, the emptiness in Su Changyu's eyes abruptly gave way to life.

Whoosh.

The next moment, Su Changyu vanished from where he stood and appeared at the sect gate.

"Who is it?"

Su Changyu's voice rang out. He moved swiftly, gripping his longsword tightly as he stared ahead.

"Changyu, it's me."

A familiar voice rose from the woods, making Su Changyu freeze.

"Master?"

Su Changyu was rather surprised.

Why had he come out in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?

"No, I just came out for a walk."

Grand Hua Daoist emerged from the woods, looking awkwardly at Su Changyu with a sheepish smile.

"A walk?" Su Changyu glanced at Grand Hua Daoist, then could not help but look at the sword at his waist. "Master, you bring a weapon when you go for a walk?"

Su Changyu's words made Grand Hua Daoist even more embarrassed.

"Master, what exactly are you going out to do?"

Su Changyu's eyes were filled with suspicion.

"It's really nothing. What could your master possibly be doing?"

Grand Hua Daoist refused to say.

"Then I'll go with you."

Su Changyu took a step forward and spoke.

In an instant, Grand Hua Daoist grew somewhat awkward.

He could tell that Su Changyu did not believe a word he said.

"What is it, exactly?"

Su Changyu asked again, his tone serious.

Seeing that he truly could not hide it any longer, Grand Hua Daoist could only grit his teeth and speak.

"Changyu, your master's greatest obsession is to see our sect rise to Third-rank Sect as soon as possible. Now that our sect has finally received a genius, your master understands in his heart that we cannot keep such a genius."

"But your master wants him to participate in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Convention. As long as he reaches the top hundred, we can apply for the Third-rank Sect dossier. By then, even if your little junior brother leaves Qingyun Dao Sect, we won't feel so bad about it, right?"

Grand Hua Daoist spoke earnestly.

Su Changyu fell silent for a moment.

Grand Hua Daoist was absolutely right.

A tiny Qingyun Dao Sect had no possibility of retaining a genius like this.

Right now, Ye Ping understood nothing. It was not much of a problem to fool him with a few words, but Ye Ping would have to go down the mountain eventually, wouldn't he? He would have to see the outside world eventually, wouldn't he?

Once he came into contact with the outside world, he would understand everything.

"Master, are you going to register Little Junior Brother for the Qingzhou Sword Dao Convention?"

Su Changyu asked doubtfully.

"No. I want to make a trip to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. A fellow Daoist of mine said that spirit essence has been discovered there."

Grand Hua Daoist said this.

"The Cloud Mist Mountain Range?"

Su Changyu's expression changed abruptly as he looked at Grand Hua Daoist.

"Master, have you gone mad? Demonic beasts are everywhere there. With your cultivation, aren't you just going there to serve yourself up?"

Su Changyu was somewhat stunned.

Bullshit.

The moment Grand Hua Daoist heard this, he wanted to snap back in anger. But after thinking about it, it did seem rather reasonable, so he swallowed it.

"Your master is only going to the outskirts of the mountain range, not deep inside. How could I possibly run into a demonic beast so easily?"

Grand Hua Daoist said indignantly.

"Master, don't be foolish. Why are you going to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range? Our Qingyun Dao Sect isn't impoverished to that extent, is it?"

Su Changyu frowned.

The Cloud Mist Mountain Range was a mountain range of demonic beasts within Qingzhou. Though there were no particularly powerful demonic beasts there, it was exceedingly dangerous for cultivators like Grand Hua Daoist.

"Changyu, our Dao Sect truly isn't poor to that extent, but your little junior brother needs a flying sword eventually, doesn't he? He can't participate in the Sword Dao Convention without even a decent flying sword, can he?"

Grand Hua Daoist revealed his thoughts.

Su Changyu immediately shook his head. "No, Master. You absolutely cannot go to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range."

"If I don't go to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, who is going to support your little junior brother?"

Grand Hua Daoist was getting a little angry.

The next moment, Su Changyu fell silent.

But soon, Su Changyu forced himself to say, "Isn't Little Junior Brother able to paint? I'll have him paint another one."

Su Changyu said this despite himself.

In truth, although they had learned that one of Ye Ping's paintings was worth a fortune, Su Changyu had not had the nerve to shamelessly ask Ye Ping to paint another.

It was one thing not to know. Once he knew, he no longer had the face for it.

"Changyu." Grand Hua Daoist let out a long sigh, then looked at Su Changyu and spoke earnestly. "Your master thought it over afterward. Taking one painting was enough. Your little junior brother will learn the truth sooner or later. When he does, if he discovers that we sold his painting for money, who would feel good about that?"

"As the saying goes, a liter of rice breeds gratitude, but a bushel of rice breeds resentment. He is indeed a genius. Other sects would not take him in, but our Qingyun Dao Sect did. That was kindness!"

"His painting solved a problem for Qingyun Dao Sect, and that too was kindness toward us. But if we ask and ask again, once he learns the truth, there is no guarantee he will not resent Qingyun Dao Sect."

"So, we must do everything we can to help your little junior brother. At the very least, we should do all that we ought to do. I see that the child has a simple and honest heart, and he is not someone who counts every penny. When he learns the truth in the future, even if he leaves, he will not blame us. Do you understand?"

Grand Hua Daoist spoke earnestly.

At those words, Su Changyu fell silent.

Even if Grand Hua Daoist had not said it, Su Changyu understood this principle.

Ye Ping was a genius. He would understand the truth sooner or later. Once he did, if Qingyun Dao Sect had treated him as a money tree, no one would be happy in his place.

Of course, Su Changyu understood the most important point.

Though Grand Hua Daoist appeared fond of taking advantage on the surface, he was actually extremely frugal. Whenever he had anything good, he gave it to the sect's disciples first.

Take that painting, for example. After selling it, most of the money had been spent on Ye Ping himself.

Like a father, Grand Hua Daoist always thought about letting this group of disciples eat better and dress better, while remaining exceedingly frugal with himself.

He did not want to owe anyone anything.

Still less did he want to take advantage of his disciples.

As a master, Su Changyu felt that Grand Hua Daoist had done everything he should have done, yet Grand Hua Daoist had never thought so himself.

"Sigh!"

Su Changyu sighed.

"Why are you sighing? Your master is going to obtain spirit essence, not to his death."

Grand Hua Daoist said irritably.

Yet after saying this, Grand Hua Daoist himself felt somewhat lacking in confidence.

Demonic beasts densely populated the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. Though he would remain on the outskirts and the chance of encountering one was very, very low, there was still danger, wasn't there?

If he really did run into a demonic beast, that would be no small matter.

In the world of cultivation, there were simply too many cultivators who had died at the claws of demonic beasts. With Grand Hua Daoist's cultivation, if he encountered one, he truly would be serving himself up.

"Forget it! Master, I'll go with you."

Su Changyu took a deep breath and made his decision to go to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range with Grand Hua Daoist.

Yet Grand Hua Daoist immediately frowned.

"What are you going for? To add another dish? Stay in the sect properly."

Grand Hua Daoist directly rejected him.

"Master, you know my temperament."

Su Changyu said nothing more, but his expression was resolute.

"Your master can go alone. You should stay in the sect and properly teach your little junior brother swordsmanship."

Grand Hua Daoist continued, still unwilling to let Su Changyu take the risk.

But Su Changyu did not speak. He merely looked quietly at Grand Hua Daoist.

In the end, Grand Hua Daoist waved a hand and sighed.

"Fine. But you must follow closely behind your master. Do not act recklessly."

Grand Hua Daoist knew he could not outstubborn Su Changyu, so in the end, he could only reluctantly agree.

And so, the two figures gradually disappeared from Qingyun Dao Sect.

Yet their voices drifted back in fragments.

"If we master and disciple both go, what will your little junior brother do?"

"Junior Brother Luo Chen has been teaching him alchemy recently. I suppose nothing will go wrong."

"Luo Chen? That's good, then. His temperament is gentle, and he has a strong capacity to endure. No matter what happens, he can keep things steady."