Junior Brother Li, Do You Have a Big Appetite? (3k)

A breeze brushed the top of Zhou Tianchen's head, and only then did he rise, as if granted leave to do so.

When he looked at the wisp of breeze circling Yu Tunzhou, Zhou Tianchen could hardly conceal the pain in his eyes.

The Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple had been dormant for far too long. Even though its ancestral residence had a spirit, only this faint glimmer remained, with little more than instinct left. This was the fault of unworthy disciples like them.

He looked at Daoist Shouxin, his apprehension deepening. No wonder his senior brother had repeatedly warned him to be careful of this man.

His eldest senior brother had originally intended for Li Jingxuan to represent the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple in this Dao contest.

But Li Jingxuan had refused, stating that he would take over the post of sage stationed at the grotto-heaven.

But now that he thought about it, if Li Jingxuan had agreed to his senior brother's request back then...

Looking at the breeze circling Yu Tunzhou, Zhou Tianchen felt nothing but relief.

Things would have been troublesome today.

The Daoist temple's ancestral residence had a spirit. Not only had it awakened early, but it had also chosen Yu Tunzhou as the bearer of part of the temple's destiny.

Under these circumstances, even if they had chosen Li Jingxuan, he would have had only part of that destiny.

Without the whole of it, he would have effectively lost the support of the establishment behind him in this Dao contest, leaving him a head below the others from the outset.

When the time came, either Li Jingxuan would have been forced into a contest of destiny with Yu Tunzhou, or he would have had to compete against the disciples of the various households as he was.

And in the end, the ones to suffer would have been their Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple and Li Jingxuan.

No wonder the old Daoist had looked so regretful earlier. He was simply disappointed to have missed a good show!

At that moment.

Faced with the old Daoist's question, Yu Tunzhou ventured:

"Am I exceptionally gifted?"

The old Daoist chuckled and shook his head.

"As it stands, you do have some talent, but when it comes to your Root Bone for cultivating the Dao, you may not measure up to the disciples of the various households. After all, several promising Dao talents have come from them in this generation.

"Great Yan, in particular, sent a third-place imperial examination candidate with the sign of 'a hibernating dragon in his eyes.'"

Yu Tunzhou suddenly understood something. "Is it because I'm a rootless duckweed?"

The old Daoist's tone was calm. "It could have chosen no one. It did not have to choose you."

"Please enlighten me, Daoist."

"Because you are worthy." The old Daoist spoke slowly, each word clear. "These past three years, everything you've done in the town has been seen by certain existences. Among them, the ancestral spirit of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple appreciates you most of all."

"And besides what you've done, they also quite like-or rather, appreciate-your... name."

His name?

Yu Tunzhou looked stunned.

It was an answer he would never have guessed.

The old Daoist smiled. "You don't understand? That's right, then. Remember, this is affinity with your elders. That's just how unreasonable such affinity is."

"Young friend Yu, there are two paths before you now. One is to go with the flow and join the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple. The other is to accept only the support of its destiny, without entering its doors."

The old Daoist flicked his horsetail whisk, his expression serene, as though he had completely taken the place of Zhou Tianchen beside him, making the decision for him and for the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple.

Zhou Tianchen sighed.

He had also guessed Yu Tunzhou's identity.

There was only one rootless duckweed: the country youth who had wandered in here by mistake three years ago.

If he had a choice, even with the youth's considerable talent and the ancestral spirit's favor, he would not have chosen him at the risk of incurring the hostility of the other thirty-nine households.

Their Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple had only just shown signs of soaring. At such a crucial moment, they could not afford to make enemies on all sides.

But seeing that the breeze made no move, Zhou Tianchen knew that the remnants of the ancestral masters' true spirits had tacitly agreed to leave the matter to old Daoist Shouxin.

As the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple's acting head, he could object, but he had only just returned to the temple and ultimately did not quite dare defy the true spirits left behind by the ancestral masters.

After all, at its most serious, this could be called betraying one's masters and destroying one's ancestors. Even at its least serious, it was disrespect to one's elders...

Thinking of the wooden sword that had struck him on the head just now, Zhou Tianchen felt utterly helpless. He certainly did not want to suffer unexpected mishaps day and night in the Daoist temple from then on.

He could only pray in secret that Yu Tunzhou would choose the latter.

But how could that possibly happen?

For this youth, joining the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple would be a heaven-sent opportunity, one that would put him on the same starting line as the younger generation of the other households.

At the thought, Zhou Tianchen suddenly felt how bleak life was, unsure how he would answer to his eldest senior brother.

To the side.

"What's the difference between the two?" Yu Tunzhou asked earnestly.

"The difference is that the head of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple's current generation doesn't want to accept you," the old Daoist said with a smile. "Your appearance has disrupted their original plans. Besides, if you joined them, you would also drag the newly returned Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple into becoming the target of everyone's arrows in an instant."

Yu Tunzhou understood what the Daoist meant.

He first looked at the white-robed youth to the side.

"Are you a disciple of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple, friend?"

"I am Li Jingxuan. I am not a disciple of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple, though I nearly ended up in a contest of destiny with Brother Yu."

Li Jingxuan smiled, implying something with his words.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze sharpened, and he looked at the old Daoist.

The old Daoist protested as if wronged. "When have I ever harmed you? This matter is a thorny problem for all of them, but for you alone, young friend Yu, it's a bargain that's sure to profit and never lose."

Yu Tunzhou fell silent. True enough, under the old Daoist's arrangements, even at worst he could obtain the support of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple's fortune and avoid being a rootless duckweed.

And the worst price would have been a contest of destiny with Li Jingxuan.

He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said softly, "Since the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple doesn't want to accept me, I naturally won't force the matter. Taking a master depends not only on what the master's sect wants, but also on whether the disciple is willing."

To the side, Zhou Tianchen breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Yu Tunzhou would not join their Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple.

Then he stole a glance at the breeze on the youth's shoulder. Seeing that the ancestral spirit had no objection, he felt the weight on his heart ease a little more.

If the ancestral spirit had objected...

But when he heard the second half, Zhou Tianchen's face darkened. Was this brat looking down on their Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple?

Yu Tunzhou took the painting from his robes, unfolded it, and held it facing Zhou Tianchen.

"After I finished cleaning the Daoist temple, a draft carried it to me. I believe it was a gift of thanks from a senior of your temple, not something I found by trespassing in the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple and rummaging around."

"I wanted to clear this up today so there won't be any misunderstandings between us later."

Zhou Tianchen was silent for a moment, then nodded and said in a subdued voice, "I, Old Zhou, was too rash in this matter. Since the ancestral spirit gave it to you, it rightfully belongs to you, young friend. And finally, on behalf of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple, I must thank you for cleaning the temple for us!"

He glanced at the incomplete picture in Yu Tunzhou's hands, and his guilt deepened. It was actually a visualization picture with an incomplete True Intention...

He offered of his own accord, "If you need it, young friend, I can help you open up your Primordial Spirit Inner Form."

"Thank you, Senior, but there's no need," Yu Tunzhou politely declined.

He could not let anyone touch his Primordial Spirit, because he could not be sure whether they would discover the golden text in his mind.

Zhou Tianchen said seriously, "This visualization picture is very old, and its True Intention has scattered. You can't use it to achieve a Primordial Spirit Inner Form. You should let me lend you a hand."

Yu Tunzhou insisted, "I've already entered Meditative Concentration, so I still have some hope of gathering the True Intention remaining in it."

Zhou Tianchen asked in confusion, "Have you already cultivated a visualization picture, young friend? That won't do. Changing cultivation methods does great damage to the Primordial Spirit, especially when your earlier cultivation..."

Yu Tunzhou shook his head. "I haven't cultivated a visualization method yet."

"You haven't..." Zhou Tianchen suddenly realized something and cried out, "You haven't cultivated a visualization method, yet you mastered Entering Meditative Concentration Through Stillness on your own?"

He stared at the youth before him in disbelief.

Back then, his eldest senior brother had first entered Meditative Concentration on his own, then cultivated a visualization picture and naturally advanced to the level of Wisdom Born of Concentration!

When Yu Tunzhou nodded, Zhou Tianchen felt an inexplicable unease, as though he had missed out on something.

Leaving Life Cultivation aside, in terms of talent for Nature Cultivation alone, this youth was nearly on par with his eldest senior brother.

What a pity...

Zhou Tianchen said gravely, "If you ever need anything, young friend, you can come to the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple and find me. When the Dao contest truly begins, you can also use the temple as a place to stay."

He glanced at the wisp of breeze circling the youth's shoulder out of the corner of his eye, wondering why the ancestral master's spirit had not yet dispersed and returned to the ancestral residence.

Yu Tunzhou nodded and looked at the old Daoist, indicating that if there was nothing else, he would head back first.

Daoist Shouxin, however, looked at Li Jingxuan and smiled.

"Li Jingxuan, you've only just come up the mountain and are new here. I've found you a senior brother. Why don't you get acquainted?"

Li Jingxuan smiled, looked at Yu Tunzhou, and bowed. "Li Jingxuan greets Senior Brother Yu."

The sudden bow caught Yu Tunzhou somewhat off guard, and he looked helplessly at the old Daoist.

What was he up to now?

"Good, good, good." The old Daoist was greatly gratified. He looked at Yu Tunzhou and explained, "Since you don't intend to join the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple, you'll continue staying on the mountain. This boy is called Li Jingxuan, and his situation is much like little monk Dingguang's. Sorry to trouble you to look after him a little as well."

His situation was like Dingguang's?

Wouldn't that mean there weren't enough Dragon Fish again?

The old Daoist saw through someone's thoughts at a glance and chuckled. "We can have Old Mo deliver a few more. I don't imagine the households in town will have any objections."

Yu Tunzhou immediately understood.

For the past three years, there had been considerable dispute over whether he, as the "Gu" of the Dao contest, was entitled to a share of Dragon Fish.

The dispute had only vanished after he began looking after Dingguang.

And now...

"Junior Brother Li, do you have a big appetite?" Yu Tunzhou looked at the white-robed youth with concern.

Li Jingxuan felt helpless. Should he say it was big or not?

He looked at the old Daoist and suddenly smiled.

"We cultivators don't have high demands when it comes to food, clothing, housing, and travel. Senior Brother Yu can simply prepare my meals according to his own portions."

According to the old Daoist's portions?

Yu Tunzhou smiled too.

The old Daoist stroked his beard and sighed, growing even more gratified. "The elder brother is kind, the younger respectful. Truly, the elder brother is kind and the younger respectful."

All three were smiling. Only Zhou Tianchen, standing to the side with his eyes already wide and his mouth hanging open, could not bring himself to smile.

Yu Tunzhou had chosen not to join their Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple, only to become young Daoist Li's senior brother instead?

What kind of sense did that make?