At the end of the month, Yellow Hut Peak once again reached its busiest time.
Xu Qing defeated another senior brother ranked above him and moved into Courtyard Sixty.
The courtyard was no larger, but the vital energy permeating it was noticeably richer.
He had just settled his belongings and was about to practice when someone suddenly knocked on the courtyard gate.
Xu Qing frowned slightly and opened the gate.
The person standing outside made him pause.
It was Su Changhe.
He wore a gray outer disciple robe with grime on its hem, looking nothing like the suave young master of the Su Clan Xu Qing remembered.
Su Changhe's face was thinner than when he had joined the sect. His cheekbones protruded slightly, and his eyes had sunk a little deeper into their sockets. Only his eyes themselves remained unchanged, still bright.
Seeing Xu Qing emerge, Su Changhe immediately averted his gaze and lowered his head.
"Senior Brother Xu." He bowed deeply in greeting. Even the way he addressed Xu Qing had changed.
Watching his stiff, restrained manner, Xu Qing felt a faint stir of emotion.
For over two months, he had focused on cultivation. Apart from their gathering on the day they joined, he had not seen Su Changhe or the others again.
"Brother Su, it's been a while." Xu Qing cupped his hands in return and stepped aside. "Come in and sit."
Su Changhe waved his hands repeatedly but did not move forward.
He gave an awkward smile, his voice guarded. "Senior Brother Xu, we've all heard about your exploits. Your name rings in our ears like thunder."
He was not flattering Xu Qing. He was simply stating a fact.
Xu Qing had defeated Zheng Guan barely ten days after joining, beaten Ji Han in Gloommoon Valley, and