Looking at Gu An, who was worried for him, Zhang Chunqiu felt extremely gratified.
What he found hardest to part with upon his departure from the mountain wasn’t his master, but his junior brother Gu An.
He was too obedient, too honest.
Zhang Chunqiu shared the same concerns as Li Ya, worried that Gu An would be bullied in the future.
“I’ve been in Medicine Valley for forty years; it’s time for me to descend the mountain. My aptitude for immortal cultivation is mediocre, and there’s no hope for me to achieve Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. Instead of wasting away here, I might as well enjoy the rest of my days. Junior Brother Gu, you take over the position of the eldest brother.
Meng Lang that kid loves to slack off; he can’t take on the role of eldest brother,” Zhang Chunqiu said seriously, patting Gu An on the shoulder.
Gu An hesitated, “But without you, eldest brother, I’m afraid I…”
Cheng Xuandan spoke up, “If you don’t dare, let Meng…”
“I’m not incapable!” Gu An quickly interrupted.
Zhang Chunqiu, who had intended to comfort him, was stunned.
Cheng Xuandan looked deeply at Gu An and said no more.
Gu An cleared his throat and said, “I can’t let eldest brother’s intention go to waste. Alright, actually I’m afraid if Meng Lang becomes the eldest brother, he’ll order me around every day.”
Hearing what he said afterwards, Zhang Chunqiu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The atmosphere relaxed instantly, and Zhang Chunqiu began to encourage Gu An, who listened intently.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Chunqiu gathered his robes and kowtowed to Cheng Xuandan, leaving Gu An alone with Cheng Xuandan after three loud kowtows and rising to his feet.
“You see, nobody wants to stay in Medicine Valley forever. If you don’t want to spend your life here, you can speak up earlier. Your master may well be able to help you,” Cheng Xuandan said calmly.
Gu An hurriedly replied, “Disciple wishes to stay in Medicine Valley for a lifetime.”
“Don’t rush your answer, because it really might be for a lifetime.”
“Master, your disciple dares not lie. I truly wish to stay here for a lifetime. Perhaps in others’ eyes, the work in Medicine Valley seems dirty and tiresome, but for me, these are the most comfortable days. Master takes good care of me, and the brothers are also very kind to me.
I truly am willing to stay here for a lifetime,” Gu An said earnestly, needing to express his true feelings at this juncture.
Cheng Xuandan spoke somberly, “You must have a background. The fact that you survived the Demon of Greed is no coincidence, and the surge of nature’s spiritual energy yesterday also came from the direction of your courtyard.”
Gu An grew anxious, “Master, I really don’t have a background. The only background I might have is Ji Xiaoyu of the Ji Family, but I’m just her house servant.”
“The Ji Family?”
Cheng Xuandan glared with shock, the first time Gu An had seen such a change come over him.
On his master’s face, Gu An saw dread, anger, and fear—mixing into a ghastly and terrifying visage.
Damn it!
This old man wouldn’t have a grudge against the Ji Family, would he?
Feeling uneasy, Gu An thought he had gone too far.
“So that’s how it is. From now on, you are the leading disciple of this portion of Medicine Valley,” Cheng Xuandan said, taking a deep breath.
What a turn of events!
Gu An breathed a sigh of relief; regardless of whether Cheng Xuandan was sincere or not, he would take the role of the leading disciple first!
Even if Cheng Xuandan had malicious intentions, he wouldn’t live much longer.
Gu An was not afraid of Cheng Xuandan plotting against him. Could Cheng Xuandan take a beating as well as the Demon of Greed?
“Disciple will diligently fulfill your expectations,” Gu An hurriedly promised.
Cheng Xuandan waved his hand, “Go call Meng Lang and Xiaochuan here.”
Upon hearing this, Gu An promptly bowed and then turned to leave.
Thirty minutes later.
Gu An, Meng Lang, and Xiaochuan came down from the attic, with Xiaochuan extremely excited, repeatedly addressing him as eldest brother.
Meng Lang, on the other hand, was discontented, exclaiming angrily, “How did you become the eldest brother? Why not me? My cultivation level is higher than yours, and my background is superior!”
Gu An didn’t get angry at his words and turned to smile, “Meng Lang, being the eldest brother is no easy task; once you take on the role, it’s for a lifetime. Master noticed that you have the heart for immortal cultivation, so he let me take the position.”
“Really?” Meng Lang’s anger subsided.
“Of course. Look at our eldest brother; he’s been here for forty years. How many forty years does one have in life?”
Meng Lang fell silent; his gaze changed, filled with sympathy as he looked at Gu An.
He patted Gu An on the shoulder and said, “Gu An, you’ve been wronged.”
Xiaochuan also grew quiet.
He too harbored dreams of immortal cultivation and naturally did not want to spend his life there.
Gu An pretended to be pensive while inwardly laughing.
Meng Lang was indeed easy to fool.
And so, the life of Gu An as the leading disciple began.
Cheng Xuandan assigned him to oversee all affairs of Medicine Valley, so he handed over planting and farming tasks to Xiaochuan and Meng Lang, and only took care of the harvesting himself.
Meng Lang, possibly feeling guilty, didn’t complain.
Since harvesting was a rare task, coming around once every month, Gu An spent most of his time cultivating in secret, never letting anyone perceive his true cultivation level.
Three months had passed.
In secrecy, Gu An reached the fifth layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm.
The Mastery of Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill was truly formidable!
Gu An hadn’t cultivated as long as Meng Lang, and he made sure to leave time for reading.
The autumn leaves blanketed Medicine Valley, and the surrounding mountains also took on autumn hues, spreading a sense of melancholy in the mortal world.
Gu An stood in front of the wooden railing, watching the third-stage medicinal herbs that were about to ripen, fondling the White Spirit Rat in his hand.
Suddenly hearing something, he turned his head, only to see Cheng Xuandan approaching from the valley entrance, followed by two people, a boy and a girl, both looking around fourteen or fifteen years old.
He subconsciously used Life Span Detection.
[Ye Lan (Energy Cultivation Realm first layer): 14/110/130]
[Lu Jiujia (Energy Cultivation Realm second layer): 15/140/190]
Excellent!
Two more had arrived to serve!
Gu An’s corners of his mouth turned up, and he immediately walked briskly towards Cheng Xuandan.
He came before Cheng Xuandan and clasped his fists in a salute.
Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan couldn’t help but look at Gu An curiously; Gu An was handsome, and with the cultivation of Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill and Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill, he exuded an exceptional temperament which reminded them of Cultivators from the Supreme Sect they had met before.
“An’er, these two are your junior brother and sister. You take them to settle in,” Cheng Xuandan said before leaving.
An’er?
Gu An almost got goosebumps, but he still saluted Cheng Xuandan’s retreating figure.
He turned to look at Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan; they both hastened to salute him respectfully, which pleased him greatly.
Nice!
They were more polite than Li Ya and Meng Lang; those two had no etiquette towards Zhang Chunqiu back in the day.
Gu An felt an instant liking for his junior brother and sister. He began with introducing himself and asked them to do the same.
Lu Jiujia had dark skin and wore tattered clothes, like a young farm boy. However, his eyes were bright and spirited.
Ye Lan was thin and petite but dressed richly, and her features were only considered fair.
“Let’s go, I, your senior brother, will take you to your lodgings,” said Gu An with a smile, his gentle attitude easing their nervousness.
On the way to the disciple’s courtyard, Ye Lan couldn’t contain her curiosity about the other disciples within Medicine Valley.
Gu An introduced them truthfully.
After that, he called over Meng Lang and Xiaochuan and made the four of them meet each other.
Unlike Zhang Chunqiu, Gu An genuinely wanted to improve relationships among fellow sect members; after all, he was to be the Valley Master.
The addition of Ye Lan and Lu Jiujia to the fold reminded Gu An of Zhu Moyan and the Demon of Greed.
No good!
He needed to resolve this issue soon, lest his junior brothers and sisters encounter danger.
Gu An, with this matter weighing on his mind, began instructing his junior brothers and sisters on how to go about their tasks.
That evening.
He closed his room door, took out Chu Jingfeng’s Spirit Stone, and channeled a sliver of Spiritual Power into it, causing the Spirit Stone to become hot.
This was Gu An’s first time using such a device from the world of Immortal Cultivation, and he found it very novel.
After a few breaths, Chu Jingfeng’s voice came from within, “Who is this?”
Wow, how many people have you given such a Spirit Stone to?
Gu An forcefully suppressed the urge to complain and said, “Senior, it is Gu An from Medicine Valley.”
Chu Jingfeng fell silent.
Gu An sensed a trace of awkwardness, but thankfully Chu Jingfeng soon asked, “Do you have information on the Demon of Greed?”
“Yes!”
Gu An declared with conviction, and then recounted what he had seen and heard.
After he finished, Chu Jingfeng inquired seriously, “Is it true?”
“True, without a shred of falsehood. He’s not far from our Medicine Valley. I fear he might harm us,” Gu An seriously stated.
“Alright, I will take full responsibility for this matter. I will look for his Cave location in the Outer Sect and won’t trouble you further.”
“Thank you for understanding, Senior. If this matter is resolved smoothly, I also hope that senior will not mention me. I am of mediocre talent and seek no trouble, just a peaceful life.”
“Hmm, I’ll handle it properly.”
After saying this, Chu Jingfeng cut off the Spirit Stone connection.
Gu An placed the Spirit Stone on the table and carefully revisited his interactions with Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Moyan, confirming there were no slip-ups.
What a hassle.
I hope this issue resolves smoothly.
I just want to farm in peace.
Gu An thought to himself that, compared to fighting and killing, he much preferred the tranquil life of gathering herbs.
…
After signaling Chu Jingfeng, Gu An patrolled every day, keeping a close eye on his junior brothers and sisters, fearing they might venture out of Medicine Valley.
Three days passed without incident.
It was not until the deep of the fourth night that Gu An sensed a disturbance of Spiritual Energy outside of Medicine Valley and faintly heard the sounds of weapons clashing.
A fight has broken out!
He stealthily moved out, making his way to the mouth of the valley. He wanted to stand guard there to prevent the Demon of Greed or any other evildoers from sneaking into Medicine Valley and attacking his junior brothers and sisters.
The distant battle was fierce, and by the time Gu An reached the valley mouth, it wasn’t over yet.
The numerous mountain peaks along the way made it impossible for Gu An to visually assess the fight, so he relied on his keen hearing to gauge the situation.
Suddenly.
Gu An seemed to sense something, quickly turned around, and looked back at Medicine Valley.
His gaze fell upon a pagoda where he saw Cheng Xuandan standing by a window, watching him from afar.
The bright moonlight bathed the dark pagoda, and Cheng Xuandan appeared like a ghost, sending shivers down Gu An’s spine.
Oh no!
He’s caught me!
Gu An frowned, suddenly unsure of what to do.
Just as he hesitated, Cheng Xuandan slowly closed the window, but his gaze lingered like two chilling beams that deeply unsettled Gu An.
Gu An wasn’t afraid of Cheng Xuandan himself, but he dreaded the possibility that Cheng Xuandan might let his secret slip.
Yet upon further thought, he figured it was unlikely. If Cheng Xuandan were really in cahoots with the Great Cultivator behind the Demon of Greed, why bother to summon Chu Jingfeng for protection?
It would be superfluous!
If they, as mere Servant Disciples, were killed, the other party wouldn’t even need to fabricate a reason to report back to the Sect.