Taking a Master

Xiao Yu followed behind Zhang Ziling, keeping his head lowered the entire way and never letting his gaze wander.

Once they reached a study, Zhang Ziling sat in a wooden chair and said, "You've got quite the nerve. You just reached the Qi Refining Stage, yet you dared to follow me around so conspicuously. Aren't you afraid someone will come looking for trouble?"

Xiao Yu respectfully stepped forward. "This disciple simply couldn't stand seeing those two bully Senior Sister Lü. Master has discerning eyes and naturally saw my worth!"

Zhang Ziling softly said, "You're quite good at taking things for granted. I haven't even accepted you as my disciple yet. What makes you so sure I will?"

Xiao Yu hurriedly dropped to one knee. "If Senior refuses to accept this disciple because of what happened just now, this disciple will bear no resentment. What we cultivators pursue is a clear conscience. Even if I had another chance, I still would not let Senior Sister Lü be bullied!"

"Senior Sister Lü first stepped in to help me, so naturally I had to vent her anger for her!"

Zhang Ziling picked up the cool tea beside her and smiled. "You're a sentimental and righteous little fellow. This tea of mine has gone a little cold."

Xiao Yu was overjoyed upon hearing that. He hurriedly circulated his spiritual power to heat the teacup, then knelt on both knees and presented the warmed tea. "Disciple Xiao Yu thanks Master for accepting me!"

"Disciple Xiao Yu was born into a humble family and has long admired Master's great name. I am willing to enter your sect and learn supreme spells!"

"I am even more willing to follow Master's teachings, carry forward our Hehuan Great Dao, and swear to shoulder Master's worries and solve Master's troubles!!!"

The corners of Zhang Ziling's lips curled into a smile, but she did not interrupt him.

Xiao Yu lowered his head and continued, "This disciple is willing to observe all a disciple's rites, remain forever at Master's side, obey Master's every command, and never disappoint Master's expectations!"

Zhang Ziling slowly accepted the tea Xiao Yu offered. "Not bad. You certainly know how to talk, and you're clever too!"

Xiao Yu did not rise. He knocked his head against the floor three times in succession.

He still understood the rules of the cultivation world. To take a master, one had to kowtow.

Otherwise, the other party would not drink the tea.

"Disciple Xiao Yu!!! Thanks Master for this great grace!"

Zhang Ziling nodded and raised the tea to drink.

Then she lifted a hand to signal Xiao Yu to rise. "Tell me. What do you want as something to protect yourself?"

Xiao Yu lowered his head and cupped his fists. "This disciple already has the Puppet Eagle bestowed by Master and dares not ask for anything else!"

Zhang Ziling waved her hand. "No matter. That was what you deserved as an Alchemist. How about this? You may choose one item: a cultivation technique, a magical artifact, or talismans."

After thinking it over, Xiao Yu cupped his fists. "Thank you for Master's generous favor. This disciple... chooses a magical artifact!"

Zhang Ziling smiled lightly at that. "Oh? So you already have a cultivation technique? Is it our sect's Joyful Union Art?"

Xiao Yu subconsciously swallowed. So Zhang Ziling had been probing his background.

He had been careless.

"Yes... this disciple cultivates the Joyful Union Art..."

Zhang Ziling slowly set the teacup on the table. "I noticed that your alchemy room seems to have gained several maidservants. You really can't stay idle, can you? But let me warn you—don't you dare capture mortals and bring them up here!"

Xiao Yu said, "This disciple... this disciple merely happened to release those four women from Elder Wu's Jade Maiden Gourd. This disciple absolutely did not go down the mountain to capture them. And seeing that all of them possessed Spiritual Roots, this disciple thought of taking them in as disciples of our Hehuan Sect!"

"Moreover, this disciple has already promised them that if they wish to go down the mountain, I will send them down after the war ends..."

"Most importantly, the battle is at its fiercest right now. If I simply released them, and those sanctimonious righteous sects discovered them, they would surely capture them and extract their souls. To destroy us, those righteous sects would kill a few mortals without even blinking!"

Zhang Ziling nodded slightly. "That is indeed true... Earlier, in order to seize Jiangliu Mountain, the Profound Spirit Sect set up an array and trapped then slaughtered all our sect's disciples on the mountain. Naturally, the mortals on the mountain were unable to escape disaster either..."

At this point, Xiao Yu looked around with a solemn expression. "By the way, Master... this disciple has something to report!"

Zhang Ziling raised a hand and released a soundproof barrier. "Speak freely!"

Xiao Yu hurriedly stepped closer and spoke in a low voice. "Before Master came to the branch, this disciple heard some people discussing matters related to the Jade Maiden Sect!"

"The Jade Maiden Sect's chief disciple Hua Lian and the Profound Spirit Sect's chief disciple Lin Ce secretly pledged themselves to each other for life. The Profound Spirit Sect's massive assault on Jiangliu Mountain may very well be related to this!"

"And it seems that the Jade Maiden Sect Master Bai Yue's junior sister has also come near Jiangliu City. The other party should be a mighty Golden Core Stage cultivator. If our branch encounters that person, I fear our prospects will be grim..."

"Master should make preparations early... This place is located on the front lines. If it can be defended, defend it. If not, Master must not force it. Those people in the sect would love nothing more than to watch us make fools of ourselves."

Zhang Ziling frowned upon hearing this. No wonder the Hehuan Sect Master had remained absent from the eastern front lines.

It seemed the Hehuan Sect Master had been tied down.

However, she truly had not known about Lin Ce of the Profound Spirit Sect and Hua Lian privately pledging themselves to one another.

"So that's how it is... No wonder Elder Wu died on Jiangliu Mountain. It seems Lin Ce's master was behind it!"

"Recently, word has spread that the Jade Maiden Sect Master Bai Yue is not dead. Three Profound Spirit Sect disciples said it, though no one knows whether it is true. You've been thoughtful."

As Zhang Ziling spoke, she took out a low-grade short bow and placed it before Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu thanked her once more and put away the short bow.

Zhang Ziling propped up her cheek with one hand. Her delicate and moving appearance made Xiao Yu lose himself for a moment.

Zhang Ziling cast him a sidelong glance, then said softly, "Go back and continue helping me refine pills. The one-month deadline has not yet arrived, and it may delay your cultivation."

"Afterward, I will reward you with some century-old spirit herbs. Your cultivation is still lacking, but you have stayed at this branch for some time. What are your thoughts on this war?"

Xiao Yu's expression turned contemplative. Although he had rarely gone to the front lines and had mostly spent his time here running errands and slacking off—

Since she had asked, he definitely had to say something.

Besides, he always felt that Zhang Ziling was probing his background.

Or perhaps testing his sincerity?

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yu looked at the map in the study and said, "Reporting to Master, at present, our Hehuan Sect Master has led the main force to join forces with the Thousand Poisons Sect and Blood Refining Hall. They have been engaged in a decisive battle before Wind-Riding Valley for several months!"

"The Demon Refining Sect and the Spirit Taming Sect are fighting each other to the bitter end in the east for the title of strongest beast-taming sect, leaving them with no mind to participate in the confrontation between the main forces!"

"The Profound Spirit Sect's main force is naturally also on the Wind-Riding Valley front. They only left behind a portion of their troops to guard Jiangliu City and Jiangliu Mountain."

"To put it bluntly, this place of ours is just some outlying land. Supplies are scarce, high-level disciples are few, and there are only two large defensive arrays."

"I have always felt that this is a place reserved for cannon fodder. There is not even a single Golden Core Stage cultivator here, so I dare conclude that many disciples in our branch have already prepared escape routes for themselves!"

"Some have likely long since contacted the righteous sects' lackeys and are planning to defect to the enemy. Master must guard against them!"

Zhang Ziling naturally knew why she had been sent here.

They claimed it was to have her restrain the Profound Spirit Sect's combat strength and ease the pressure on the front lines.

Yet she was the only Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator here.

Forget about the enemy having one more Golden Core Stage cultivator—even if they merely sent one more Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator here, the balance of power would be broken.

And just this morning, she had received a secret order from the sect, instructing her to lead the branch's three hundred disciples around by another route and attack Jiangliu City.

Once they took Jiangliu City, they were to use the lives of all the city's mortals as shields. The Profound Spirit Sect would surely return to defend it.

Then a gap would appear on the front lines.

She dared to conclude that those righteous sects would never cherish the lives of Jiangliu City's citizens.

And she did not want to drag mortals into this either.

Just then, Xiao Yu stepped forward with a small flag in hand. "Master, we can take the second-best option!"

"Those people want us to be cannon fodder, so we must think for ourselves. The area we occupy is shrouded in fog year-round, and there is a water bay to the west that is relatively hidden!"

"We can send several dozen disciples to build an underwater stronghold in that water valley. Once the enemy launches a large-scale attack, we will have those disciples raid the Jade Maiden Sect!!!"

"They will surely return to defend it! We can pull them left and right like that, dragging things out indefinitely!"

"If they do not attack, we do not raid. If they attack, we strike the Jade Maiden Sect! Then we set up a teleportation array. If they send Golden Core Stage cultivators over, we run immediately..."

Zhang Ziling looked somewhat puzzledly at the Jade Maiden Sect's location. "But the Jade Maiden Sect is now occupied by Huang Lin, Lin Ce's master. He is at Foundation Establishment, Fifth Layer, and his strength is on par with mine. Though the Jade Maiden Sect has been destroyed, that place is easy to defend and difficult to attack..."

Xiao Yu hurriedly said, "Our branch previously captured some Jade Maiden Sect disciples. Master can gather them and hand them to this disciple for interrogation!"

"Within three days, this disciple will definitely obtain the Jade Maiden Sect's strategic map! Once we know the Jade Maiden Sect's layout, we can find a point of breakthrough!"

"The Profound Spirit Sect has only occupied it for a few days, so they surely are not familiar with the Jade Maiden Sect's structure either. What if there are secret passages inside..."

Zhang Ziling's eyes immediately lit up. "You mean to draw the battlefield to the Jade Maiden Sect's former grounds? To stall for time?"

Xiao Yu said, "Yes... Those above do not care whether we live or die. Doing this can restrain them, while we can also flee at any time. We simply need to arrange the teleportation array in advance and find a concealed location..."

"We can also use those Jade Maiden Sect female cultivators as hostages when the time comes!"

Zhang Ziling hesitated for a moment, and Xiao Yu hurriedly said, "This disciple is merely offering a suggestion. Whether to adopt it is entirely up to Master! This disciple only wishes to preserve Master's safety and has absolutely no second thoughts. Even if I must do things that harm the harmony of Heaven, I will never regret it!"

"If those Jade Maiden Sect disciples ever get the chance to wield magical artifacts, they will definitely show us no mercy!!!"

Zhang Ziling nodded at that. "Good! I will hand every Jade Maiden Sect female cultivator in the branch over to your disposal. Within three days, you must draw a map of the Jade Maiden Sect! Draw every corner of the Jade Maiden Sect clearly for me!"

"You are quite good! It seems I did not misjudge you. If we take the Jade Maiden Sect's former grounds, you will receive the greatest merit!"

Xiao Yu hurriedly cupped his fists. "It is all thanks to Master's excellent guidance!"

After that, Xiao Yu returned to the alchemy room.

Along the way, he kept recalling Zhang Ziling's beautiful figure.

If she truly treated him sincerely, he would naturally do everything in his power to help her.

Thinking that he would soon be able to bring all the Jade Maiden Sect captives in the sect to the alchemy room made him excited enough to swallow.

Just as he was thinking about it, a Fireball Talisman suddenly shot toward him from the distance!

It nearly blew him off the Jade Maiden Gourd.

Mei Chunlan wore an ugly expression. "You actually dodged it! In just a few days, you've already reached Qi Refining, First Layer? You truly have a great secret on you! I'm finding myself more and more fond of you, Junior Brother Xiao!"

Ma Cuihong, standing beside her, raised her hand and took out three Fireball Talismans. "Why waste words with him? Hurry up and finish him!"