Became a Senior

"F-F-Forefather?"

Looking at the old man grinning foolishly at her, a smile missing his two front teeth on left and right, Shangguan Hongyue's expression stiffened as she quickly pulled her hands back.

Her hands had never been touched by a man other than her relatives before!

Especially since the forefather before her was a decrepit old man, it made her even more uncomfortable.

"Oh... oh! Apologies, this old man was too excited and momentarily offended you, young lady. Please don't take offense."

Chen Xian awkwardly withdrew his hands still hanging in the air, straightened his expression, and sincerely apologized to the young girl.

"It's... it's fine. Forefather, you just mentioned the Mystic Cloud Sword Sect?"

She proactively picked up the thread of conversation.

The forefather had actually apologized to her on his own, and his expression didn't seem fake—Shangguan Hongyue's displeasure immediately dissipated by more than half.

"Ah! Aren't you from the Mystic Cloud Sword Sect?"

Chen Xian nodded. He had only heard from the centenarian that there was such a sect nearby, and since the young woman before him was a sword cultivator, he had directly assumed she was a disciple of the Mystic Cloud Sword Sect.

Could there be another sect nearby?

"I am, actually... but it's the Mystic Cloud Sword Sect. Forefather, don't you know that thirty years ago, the Sword Sect passed the power assessment and was promoted to a Sword Sect?"

Shangguan Hongyue blinked her lively, intelligent eyes, looking at Chen Xian with confusion.

"Ah? Haha, the Sword Sect was promoted? This old man retired and secluded himself here decades ago, so I haven't kept up with the outside world for a long time!"

Chen Xian laughed it off, telling a lie.

He could tell that the young woman before him seemed to be treating him as one of their own.

"So you're a forefather from the Sword Sect era?"

Shangguan Hongyue was filled with respect. She had only joined the Mystic Cloud Sword Sect in recent years, but she understood the sect's history.

A hundred years ago, the sect wasn't as prosperous as it was now, and the times weren't very peaceful either.

The Sword Sect had many conflicts with surrounding tribes and forces, and being located in the Xiongguan Mountain Range, they were plagued year-round by Blood Beasts. Many elders and disciples were injured in constant battles and retired.

Now, the sect enshrined many such elders and disciples.

These forefathers, without exception, had made great contributions to the sect's development!

But those forefathers now lived permanently in the sect's Hidden Dragon Valley. Someone like the one before her, living in seclusion in a mortal village, she had never heard of.

Still, Shangguan Hongyue didn't overthink it, simply assuming Chen Xian was living in seclusion here, long unconcerned with matters of the cultivation world.

Perhaps this forefather enjoyed the simple, unadorned life of mortals?

Chen Xian didn't deny it. Instead, he smiled and asked an unrelated question: "What is your cultivation level now? You must be an outstanding talent within the sect, right?"

"Your junior has only just broken through to the first level of Sword Master, not even ranking among the inner sect."

Asked about her cultivation by a forefather, Shangguan Hongyue quickly replied humbly.

The forefather could easily sweep her with his divine sense to see her cultivation, but he only asked verbally—it was a show of great respect.

Sword Master? It seemed the realm divisions of this world were different from the immortal cultivation world he had imagined.

Chen Xian nodded with feigned satisfaction: "It seems the sect is developing well now. With outstanding and humble juniors like you, this old man can rest easy."

Shangguan Hongyue's face flushed red, embarrassed by the praise.

Chen Xian stroked his graying beard, truly like a venerable sword dao forefather.

"Ah~" His eyes glanced at Shangguan Hongyue's slightly reddened cheeks, and he suddenly let out a long, leisurely sigh.

Shangguan Hongyue quickly asked: "Forefather, what troubles you? Could your junior perhaps share your burden?"

Seeing the clarity in her eyes, Chen Xian knew Shangguan Hongyue had taken the bait.

So he sighed deeply again: "Ah~ Now that this old man's end is near, I wish to return to the sect for one last look, to let my leaves fall by the roots."

Chen Xian gazed at the sky with aged eyes, wearing a look of nostalgic melancholy, his tone pausing: "Unfortunately..."

Shangguan Hongyue pressed on: "Unfortunately what?"

"Unfortunately, this old man left the sect too long ago and has long forgotten the way back."

Chen Xian turned his head to look at Shangguan Hongyue, and to his cloudy eyes, tears actually welled up—his acting was pushed to the extreme in that moment.

Shangguan Hongyue felt a sting in her nose. So all these years, the forefather hadn't returned because he was lost?

Living alone in the mortal world for decades, how homesick he must be!

She immediately patted her upright chest: "Your junior is willing to lead the forefather back to the sect, to guide the way!"

The next second, her hands were once again grasped by that pair of rough, withered hands.

"It's settled! When do we leave? How about now? Let's go right now! This old man has no luggage to pack."

The tears in Chen Xian's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a flickering light of excitement.

Bombarded by a flurry of words, Shangguan Hongyue was left in a daze.

But this time, she did not pull her hands back. She understood that the senior was simply too overcome with longing for his sect and had momentarily lost his composure.

"The sun has already set. I'm afraid it won't be possible today."

Shangguan Hongyue glanced at the sky, a hint of apology in her tone.

Before Chen Xian could ask why, she took the initiative to explain: "This place where mortals gather is protected by a formation. Normally, one cannot enter or leave. It only opens for a quarter of an hour at noon each day."

"We'll have to wait until tomorrow at noon. Only then can I take the senior away."

Having said that, she pointed at the corpse of the Six-Winged White Tiger on the ground. "This Blood Beast slipped in when the formation was closing. I received a sect mission to hunt it down here and prevent it from harming mortals."

"Ah, this old man's memory."

Chen Xian released the small hands he had been warming and heavily slapped his own head.

"The senior is advanced in years. Poor memory is only natural."

Shangguan Hongyue smiled faintly.

"Then let's rest in this village tonight, shall we? You can also taste some mortal food."

Though he was eager to enter the world of cultivation and raise his cultivation base, since he couldn't leave for now, Chen Xian naturally took on the role of host and invited her to stay for a meal.

"Then this junior thanks the senior."

Though cultivators often ate and slept in the open, since there was a place to stay and food to be had, she naturally wouldn't refuse.

She looked at the villagers still watching from afar, pondering how to interact with them later.

The senior has been living in seclusion here, clearly getting along with them as a mortal. These people may never have seen a cultivator in their lives. I must be careful not to frighten them!

"The villagers are all mortals. They don't know my true identity, and I don't want to reveal it. You need to be careful."

Chen Xian reminded her. He didn't want to expose the fact that he wasn't actually a cultivator, let alone a disciple of the Sword Sect, before they even reached the Mystic Cloud Sword Sect.

This little girl Shangguan Hongyue seemed honest and easy to fool, naive about the world. Once they reached the Sword Sect, having her as cover would save him a lot of trouble.

"This junior understands." Shangguan Hongyue nodded.

"This White Tiger? You'll take it away tomorrow?"

Chen Xian's gaze fell on the corpse of the Six-Winged White Tiger, a hint of pride still in his heart. Such a large tiger, and he had killed it in an instant.

Though he had no cultivation base yet, the [Mystic Jade Sword Bone (Mystic)] was truly powerful!

"This Six-Winged White Tiger was killed by the senior, so it naturally belongs to the senior. If the senior doesn't mind, could you give me its blood core to submit my sect mission?"

Shangguan Hongyue shook her head, her tone a little embarrassed as she pleaded with Chen Xian.

The most valuable part of a Blood Beast was its blood core, but she had accepted a sect mission and needed to deliver results. She didn't want to return empty-handed.

"If you want it, take it. It's of no use to this old man anyway."

Chen Xian waved his hand generously. He wasn't lying—he really had no idea what that blood core was for.

Better to do Shangguan Hongyue a favor.

"Thank you so much, senior!!"

Shangguan Hongyue's face lit up with joy. A senior is a senior, truly generous!

A moment later, Chen Xian watched curiously as Shangguan Hongyue dug a blood-red crystal out of the Six-Winged White Tiger's brain.

It was like an octahedral crystal ball, glowing with a bloody light. Even after being removed, a faint tiger's roar could still be heard from it.

"The flesh and blood of this Six-Winged White Tiger can be eaten. Though it may not be of much help to the senior, for mortals, it can strengthen their qi and blood and prolong their lives."

Having cheerfully stored the blood core in the pouch at her waist, Shangguan Hongyue spoke.

The subtext was that if the senior didn't want the tiger meat, it shouldn't go to waste.

Since she put it that way, Chen Xian nodded and waved at the villagers in the distance. "Tie Zhu! Gouwa! You old fogeys, come over and share the tiger meat!"

The villagers, who had been watching the two of them "getting cozy" from afar for a long time, all came running over.

"I told you that woman was Old Xian's sweetheart, didn't I? Giving away such a big tiger to everyone to share."

Seventy-year-old Wang Tie Zhu carried the tiger head on his shoulder pole. He nudged his old wife beside him and whispered.

"Old Xian's withered tree has blossomed again, tsk tsk. Good days are ahead!"

Several other old fellows carrying tiger meat on their shoulders looked at Chen Xian and Shangguan Hongyue walking at the front and snickered quietly.