Where Was Chen Xun?

Yu Zheng and the others breathed rapidly, feeling unprecedented pressure. They resolved that once they had found their footing, their first priority would be to cultivate diligently and leave the mountainside as soon as possible. Only then would they have a chance to leave Servant Disciple Peak and become Outer Disciples.

Xu Yang seemed to see what the four boys were thinking, but he said nothing more, merely pressing his lips together in a helpless smile.

Xu Yang himself had struggled on Servant Disciple Peak for years before becoming an outer sect disciple. He understood one thing very well: however beautiful their dreams were, reality was just as cruel.

Servant disciples all had false spiritual roots to begin with. Without resources poured into them, their potential was severely limited. On resource-starved Servant Disciple Peak in particular, calling it as difficult as ascending to heaven to reach the middle stage of Qi Refining would be no exaggeration!

Moreover, servant disciples had work to do every day. In all honesty, they had little time left to cultivate.

Scarce resources, scarce cultivation time-these were the sharp blades of reality that shattered servant disciples' beautiful dreams.

If they truly had the resolve to leave Servant Disciple Peak, they would have to endure hardship. Only through tremendous hardship would they have a chance.

"Follow me inside to register."

Before long, Xu Yang brought Chen Xun to a pavilion and spoke.

"Yes."

Yu Zheng and the other three hurried into the pavilion after Xu Yang.

Since Chen Xun had been trailing at the very back, Xu Yang and the others paid him no attention. They never noticed that he had not followed them into the pavilion at all, but had wandered off elsewhere, swaying his head.

"Hehe, Steward Qian, here are four more new disciples. Please register them."

As soon as he entered the pavilion, Xu Yang smiled at the fat man lying fast asleep in a chair.

Qian Laifu smacked his lips and opened his eyes. When he saw Xu Yang, he smiled. "Oh, Xu Yang! How long has it been since you last came to Servant Disciple Peak?"

Qian Laifu had served as deacon of this mountainside section of Servant Disciple Peak for many years. Xu Yang had once been under his charge, and he had personally watched him rise to become an outer sect disciple.

Xu Yang smiled. "I'm usually busy cultivating. Only recently did I go out with Deacon Shen He to recruit disciples. How would I have time to visit Servant Disciple Peak?"

Qian Laifu nodded with a smile, stood up, and fetched a writing brush and a ledger from a nearby table. Looking over Yu Zheng and the other three, he said, "Names, ages, spiritual roots, home addresses. Tell me everything."

Soon, Qian Laifu finished registering them. He tossed the brush and ledger onto the table, then turned and called instructions into the back. Before long, a disciple brought out four sets of ocher servant disciple robes and other supplies, placing them before the four boys.

"Here. Disciple robes, bedding, some everyday supplies, your residence door plaques, the sect rules and a handbook of sect precautions, and volume one of the first half of the Heavenly Dao Art. Remember, you must not pass the cultivation art to outsiders. Anyone caught doing so will be punished according to sect rules."

Qian Laifu spoke flatly.

"Yes!"

Yu Zheng and the others were delighted and hurried forward to collect their things, their excited eyes never leaving the volume of the Heavenly Dao Art for even a moment.

Qian Laifu nodded, then instructed a disciple behind him, "Take them to their lodgings."

"Yes," the servant disciple answered, then led Yu Zheng and the other three toward the exit. "Follow me."

The four boys followed, but looked back at Xu Yang three times with every step, calling, "Goodbye, Senior Brother Xu."

Xu Yang stood expressionless, offering no response.

His task had been completed the moment he brought these four youths here.

If fate brought them together again, Yu Zheng and the others would still have to respectfully address him as Senior Brother Xu.

After all, they were merely four servant disciples. Xu Yang would have little to do with them. That was reality.

Yu Zheng and the others seemed to realize something. They all fell silent and followed the servant disciple away, dispirited.

Only then did Qian Laifu turn to Xu Yang. Gesturing toward a nearby chair, he smiled. "You brat, you hardly ever visit. Aren't you going to sit down and chat with this deacon?"

Xu Yang was an outer sect disciple. His current rank and standing could be considered equal to those of a deacon of Servant Disciple Peak like himself.

"Steward Qian, there's still something left to handle. There's another... huh? Where's Chen Xun?"

Xu Yang smiled and turned around, only to find the space behind him empty. His expression froze.

Qian Laifu looked puzzled. "What Chen Xun? Didn't you bring just four disciples?"

Xu Yang came back to his senses and scratched his head, giving a helpless chuckle. "You don't know about him. There's also a mortal whose mind isn't quite right. He probably didn't follow us into the pavilion. Deacon Shen He ordered you to find him a sweeping job on Servant Disciple Peak. Just give him somewhere to stay and enough food to fill his belly."

What was that?

A mor... mortal?

Qian Laifu stared dumbfounded. He even dug at his ear, thinking he had misheard.

But upon hearing that it was Deacon Shen He's order, his expression grew somewhat more serious.

It looks like he must be one of Deacon Shen He's relatives from the mortal world...

Although they were both deacons, their ranks and standing were worlds apart.

He, Qian Laifu, was merely a deacon of Servant Disciple Peak. Shen He was an inner sect deacon!

Seeing Qian Laifu's expression, Xu Yang chuckled, then gave a dry cough and said solemnly, "On this trip to the mortal world, Deacon Shen He and I brought back a senior brother with a metal-attribute heavenly spiritual root. Deacon Shen He has already taken Senior Brother Zhao Ting to the inner pavilion. Before long, the Heavenly Dao Sect's fourteen Purple-Robed Disciples will gain another member."

"What?!"

Qian Laifu's pupils abruptly contracted, his face filled with disbelief!

"A h-heavenly spiritual root?!"

"Yes, it's absolutely true. There should be a Purple-Robed Disciple promotion ceremony in a few days. You'll know then," Xu Yang said. "All right, I should go find Chen Xun first."

Qian Laifu recovered and immediately said, "Wait. From what you're saying, don't tell me that mortal has some connection to Senior Brother Zhao Ting?"

Xu Yang nodded. "That's right. Chen Xun is Senior Brother Zhao Ting's friend from the mortal world. He suddenly went mad, and Senior Brother Zhao Ting couldn't bear to leave him, so he brought him back to the sect as well."

With that, Xu Yang turned and left the pavilion.

Qian Laifu dropped into his chair, his eyes brimming with shock.

Incredible, simply incredible!

Meanwhile, Chen Xun had wandered over to the Martial Arena.

The Martial Arena was spacious and fairly quiet. Quite a few servant disciples who had finished their work were sitting in meditation and cultivating.

Of course, plenty were also strolling around with their arms over one another's shoulders, chatting softly.

Some servant disciples noticed Chen Xun and gave him puzzled looks.

One glance at Chen Xun's clothes told them he was not a disciple of Servant Disciple Peak!

Besides, neither outer nor inner sect disciple robes were blue-green.

Chen Xun wandered into the center of the Martial Arena. By now, many puzzled gazes had settled on him, everyone guessing who he was.

Suddenly, Chen Xun gave a low cry and performed a somersault on the spot. Then, with a "Woohoo!" he spread his arms and ran happily through the Martial Arena into the wind.

The servant disciples: "..."

Chen Xun's sudden, inexplicable behavior left the disciples rooted to the spot, their faces blank with bewilderment.

The Martial Arena was usually a quiet, solemn place, which was why most disciples chose to cultivate there. But the commotion Chen Xun caused startled quite a few cultivating disciples awake. Each gave a muffled grunt, nearly suffering a backlash. Fortunately, their cultivation levels were low, and nothing serious happened.

Still, this infuriated quite a few disciples. Forced out of their cultivation states, they opened their eyes and immediately sought out whoever had made that enormous racket to settle the score.

When those disciples saw the young man running merrily in circles, they paused in surprise. Then, after cautiously inspecting his clothes, they relaxed and swiftly surrounded him, their eyes filled with hostility.