“You’re asking me to find myself?”
Gu An really wanted to laugh, but he restrained himself.
Ji Hantian asked Gu An to write about himself, Jiang Qiong asked him to search for himself—although the identities involved were different, he still found it absurd.
What kind of situation was this?
Gu An said with a hesitant face, “I usually stay within Medicine Valley, and I’m afraid it will be very difficult for me to notice any news about Pan An.”
Jiang Qiong waved his hand and said, “That’s hard to say. Pan An loves writing books and must interact with people. The book ‘Supreme Immortal Venerable’ can greatly stir the emotions of the lower-level cultivators. Perhaps he often communicates with Outer Disciples and Servant Disciples. Just pay more attention, and you can tell me anything you find.”
Upon hearing this, Gu An could only nod.
Afterward, Jiang Qiong spoke about some other matters, then had Hu Mo, who was guarding the door, fetch a bag of high-rank seeds for Gu An to take away.
After leaving Jiang Qiong’s residence, Gu An headed towards the Heavenly Repair Platform.
It was said that the Heavenly Repair Platform had become the most notable sight within the Outer Sect City, attracting disciples from other Outer Sect cities and Inner Sect cities.
The great battle that occurred a month ago had spread throughout the Immortal Cultivation World— even Luo Hun from Tianya Valley had heard about it, which also implied that Luo Hun occasionally left Tianya Valley.
Upon reaching the Heavenly Repair Platform, Gu An saw that there were at least ten thousand people there.
Next to the characters for “Righteous Path,” many cultivators were meditating.
Gu An first noticed two familiar faces.
Zuo Yijian and Zuo Lin!
The father and son were observing Gu An’s Sword Intent.
Gu An’s characters, carved by his Sword Intent, naturally also left behind Sword Intent, which had a great attraction for those of the Supreme Sect who pursued the Sword Dao.
Gu An also saw another person—his disciple, Su Han.
Su Han too was a swordsman; his Hateful Heaven Divine Sword had initially grasped the essence, which rapidly increased his Sword Dao achievement, transforming his entire demeanor.
Gu An watched from a distance and did not disturb him; instead, he listened to the discussions of other disciples.
“The Sword Intent of Sword Venerable Fudao is truly majestic. It’s hard to imagine the height of his Sword Dao achievement.”
“It’s said that Sword Venerable Fudao possesses strength comparable to the Vice Sect Leader, and he wouldn’t necessarily lose even if he faced the Sect Leader.”
“Perhaps Sword Venerable Fudao is the Sect Leader?”
“How could that be? The Sect Leader has already declared that he had no knowledge of Chu Xian’s actions and has ordered a thorough investigation of everyone related to Chu Xian, regardless of their status. Anyone who violates the doctrines of the Supreme Sect will be severely punished.”
“Looking at these characters for ‘Righteous Path’ really fills me with excitement. I heard that Pan An plans to include Sword Venerable Fudao in his book; I wonder what kind of story it will be.”
Sword Venerable Fudao!
This was the title given to Gu An by Chu Tianqi, the Sect Leader of the Supreme Sect, specifically meant for the mysterious Sword Cultivator who executed Chu Xian.
Sword Venerable Fudao, upholding the Righteous Path; if the Supreme Sect ever sees injustice again, the Sword Venerable may act on behalf of the Sect Leader to execute the unrighteous Sect Leader and to exterminate the demons within the sect.
It sounds awe-inspiring, but Gu An found it to be of little use.
Chu Tianqi’s announcement throughout the sect truly preserved his own position, as from the time he had conferred the title of Sword Venerable Fudao, the complaints within the sect had greatly reduced, instead praising him for his proper actions, considering this Sect Leader to be generous and willing to face his responsibilities.
Gu An also overheard some questioning the Sect Leader.
More accurately, they were questioning the Chu Family.
Chu Tianqi and Chu Xian—it’s hard not to link them together.
This also pointed to the undercurrents within the Supreme Sect. Those praising and questioning were speaking publicly, which was not in line with the cultivators’ way of doing things. Whether they were pawns or not was hard to ascertain.
However, all of this had nothing to do with Gu An.
After staying a while at the Heavenly Repair Platform, Gu An proceeded to the Inner Sect’s Transmission Array Platform.
He was going to the Inner Sect to purchase a large amount of medicinal herb seeds. Although Gu Zong, representing the Sect, had given him many medicinal herb seeds, they were far from enough to cover an area of a hundred miles.
Just thinking about all hundred miles being filled with his herbs fired Gu An with excitement.
A month ago, his bold action not only saved those around him but also brought him significant benefits, which pleased him greatly.
…
Towards evening, Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley. With the arrival of seven Servant Disciples, this part of the Medicine Valley gained quite a bit of liveliness; they were all clearing weeds in various directions, and the barks of Spirit Dogs could be heard from the distant woods, adding a pastoral charm.
As soon as Gu An returned, he sensed Shen Zhen’s presence; that guy was waiting on his loft again.
After climbing to the loft, Gu An saw Shen Zhen standing before a bookshelf reading a book. Hearing footsteps, she placed the book back on the shelf and then turned to look at him.
Gu An closed the door behind him, then asked, “Ms. Shen, what brings you here today?”
“I heard you’re going to write a book about Sword Venerable Fudao?”
“I will include him, but it’s not entirely about him. The main focus will be the event that happened a month ago in the Outer Sect.”
“Then you should be careful. The fame of Sword Venerable Fudao has spread even beyond the Taicang Dynasty. I just received a letter yesterday mentioning that the sword cultivators of the Great Yu Dynasty are preparing to challenge him.
Many people think that since you are going to write about Sword Venerable Fudao, you must be connected to him, and they believe it would be easier to approach you than to find Sword Venerable Fudao himself,” Shen Zhen said with a light laugh, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
Gu An responded helplessly, “How could I meet Sword Venerable Fudao? To write about him, I also need to gather materials from the Outer Sect.”
“Don’t worry. I haven’t disclosed your identity to anyone. I even refused to inform my father when he wanted to know about you,” Shen Zhen spoke as she took a book from her storage bag and placed it on the table.
“Although I haven’t said anything, you should still be very careful. The strength of Sword Venerable Fudao has made many sects uneasy, all longing to probe his information. Also, this is the book I wrote. It will be distributed throughout the world by the Book Collection Hall in no more than a month. You can take a look first,” she said before stepping away, brushing past him.
The two were already familiar with each other, so Gu An didn’t see her out. He walked over to the desk, sat down, and then picked up the book written by Shen Zhen.
Supreme Secret Records!
Hmm?
It sounds very serious.
Gu An immediately started flipping through the book, but as he read, his brow began to furrow.
Goodness!
He had previously thought that Shen Zhen’s writing was inferior to the Green Hero Travelogue, especially in matters of men and women. He had no idea she wrote in even more detail than the Green Hero Travelogue.
Was she pretending in front of him and writing so unrestrainedly in private?
Should this content be published?
Gu An hoped the Book Collection Hall’s review process would be effective.
Although he was quite displeased, he still found it very enjoyable to read.
He read like this throughout the entire night.
At dawn, Gu An gathered his disciples to start their drills. As the number of disciples in the Third Medicine Valley increased, he felt traditions should not be lost—he even had Elder Tian join in.
After the drills, Gu An began assigning tasks, leaving only three people to sow the seeds while the others continued to clear the land.
The Third Medicine Valley was surrounded by dense forests. To turn it into suitable farmland required a lot of time and effort. Even without using spells, Gu An did not feel tired, and he even admonished the disciples that this, too, was a form of cultivation.
The disciples themselves didn’t feel tired either and were very enthusiastic. The larger the Third Medicine Valley, the more they would benefit because Gu An was generous with them—the more medical herbs there were, the more elixirs they could enjoy.
Life became peaceful.
Gu An spent most of his time in the Third Medicine Valley, busy with land clearing and sowing.
Five days later, Shen Zhen came looking for Gu An again. She was very angry because her book had been rejected by the Book Collection Hall.
Gu An almost laughed, but he held it back.
Shen Zhen was stubborn. The more the Book Collection Hall disapproved of her publication, the more she insisted on publishing it. She decided to print the book herself and distribute it quietly in the Inner Sect.
Gu An advised her to revise it and remove some content, then it might be possible to publish, but she wouldn’t listen.
No matter what, without the support of the Book Collection Hall, Gu An felt her book was unlikely to be successful, and his worries lessened considerably.
The winter snow gradually fell, covering the earth in whiteness.
At noon, Gu An arrived at Tianya Valley.
Unexpectedly, there was an additional person in the valley, and his presence was not weak.
Luo Hun sensed Gu An’s presence and sprang from the woods, landing in front of him like a flying goose.
“You’ve come at just the right time. Let me introduce someone to you. His Majesty arranged for him to come. Let him take whatever medical herbs he wants from our harvest to assist him in making a breakthrough soon.”
Luo Hun spoke, then led Gu An toward the lofts in the distance.
Gu An was never envious of the herbs in Tianya Valley. He just wanted to pick them. After picking, it was up to Li Xuandao to decide what to do with them, since the herbs originally belonged to Li Xuandao.
When the two men arrived in front of the loft, the door of a room in the adjacent courtyard was pushed open, and a man in white clothes walked out.
[Yi Liuyun (Divinity Transformation Realm Nine Layers):466/1208/2850]
Divinity Transformation Realm Nine Layers!
The Emperor’s strength in hand is not weak.
Yi Liuyun appeared to be just over forty years old. His posture was graceful and handsome, and with his white clothing, he showcased the beauty and aloofness of a swordsman to the fullest.
From across the courtyard wall, Yi Liuyun greeted with a bow, “I am Yi Liuyun, and I greet the Valley Master.”
Luo Hun introduced him, “Senior Yi is the No.1 Sword Servant by His Majesty’s side. His mastery of the Sword Dao is considered top-tier within the Taicang Dynasty. There are few in the realm of swordsmanship who can match him, hardly more than a handful.”
Gu An raised his hand to greet Yi Liuyun in return.
Yi Liuyun focused on Gu An and asked, “Valley Master, you are also a disciple of the Supreme Sect, do you know about Sword Venerable Fudao? What exactly is his realm?”
Sword Venerable Fudao was renowned worldwide, but everyone only knew he had slain Chu Xian of the Void Crossing Realm. None knew he had clashed with Vice Sect Leader Ji Hantian, and Ji Hantian hadn’t mentioned it, as if it had never happened.
“I’m just an Outer Disciple of the Supreme Sect and don’t know much, but Sword Intent from him remains on the Heavenly Repair Platform outside the sect. Senior might want to take a look.”
Swordsmen probing about Sword Venerable Fudao likely wanted a challenge.
Gu An wanted him to go to the Heavenly Repair Platform to see the word ‘righteous’, to see clearly the gap between himself and Sword Venerable Fudao.
As expected, upon hearing that the Supreme Sect held Sword Venerable Fudao’s Sword Intent, Yi Liuyun’s eyes lit up. He leaped up and flew straight out of the herb valley.
Gu An turned to Luo Hun and asked, “Can he go directly to the Supreme Sect?”
Luo Hun nodded, “He has the Emperor’s Sword Servant Order, allowing him free access to various Great Sects.”
Upon hearing this, Gu An asked no further. He walked toward a section of the gardens, preparing to pick herbs that were nearly ripe.
An Ancient Hour later, he left Tianya Valley.
A new year arrived in the cold winter.
Right after the Chinese New Year, Gu An went to the Outer Sect. He first requested a batch of high-rank medical herb seeds from Jiang Qiong, then went to the Heavenly Repair Platform to watch the excitement.
Zuo Yijian and his son were still seated in meditation, immersed in the Sword Dao, and Gu An also saw Yi Liuyun’s figure.
He, too, was meditating near the words “righteous path”, his brow deeply furrowed, lost in thought.
Gu An’s gaze then moved up just above the word “path,” and his brow involuntarily furrowed.