Seeing Yu Manwen fall silent, Jiang Beiran cupped his hands and said, "Then this disciple will take his leave first."
"Wait, there's one more thing. Hall Master Zhang asked me to pass on a message—he wants you to visit him when you have time."
"Understood, this disciple will do so."
"Mm, nothing else then. You may go."
"This disciple bids farewell."
With that, Jiang Beiran turned and headed toward Blue Heart Hall. Along the way, he couldn't help but recall the recent system prompt. He was now certain that Shi Fenglan had a troublesome background, and getting involved with her would undoubtedly invite trouble.
However, the Soul Infant Fruit was simply too tempting, which was why Jiang Beiran hadn't immediately fled at top speed. But even if he was taking a risk, he wouldn't act recklessly. From his current analysis, Shi Fenglan had powerful backing, and there was a high likelihood that she was accompanied by formidable protectors.
With these speculations in mind, he had made some attempts, including correcting Shi Fenglan's rebellious teenage habits. Since none of these actions had triggered any system prompts, it meant they wouldn't bring trouble.
As for why he did this—Jiang Beiran figured that a runaway noble lady whom even the Heart Returning Sect's sect master had to accommodate likely had an absurdly powerful father. If he helped teach his daughter some manners, wouldn't that count as doing him a favor?
Even if it didn't gain him a new backer, if he ever stumbled upon information he shouldn't know in the future, at least they wouldn't immediately resort to violence, right? Imagining all sorts of bizarre backstories for Shi Fenglan, Jiang Beiran slowly made his way back to Blue Heart Hall.
It was already midnight, and Blue Heart Hall had finally returned to its usual tranquility, making Jiang Beiran feel much more at ease as he walked along the cobblestone path. When he arrived at Purple Radiance Garden, he noticed candlelight flickering in the hall master's room, indicating that he was still awake.
Standing at the courtyard gate, Jiang Beiran addressed the guard, "Please inform Hall Master that disciple Jiang Beiran requests an audience." The guard, a low-ranking servant in the sect—essentially a replaceable laborer—recognized Jiang Beiran. He cupped his hands in return and said, "Please wait a moment, Senior Brother Jiang.
I will notify the hall master right away." Before long, the guard returned and bowed.
"The hall master said you may enter directly."
"Thank you."
Cupping his hands, Jiang Beiran stepped into the courtyard. As he ascended the three stone steps and was about to knock, Zhang Heqing's voice came from inside.
"No need to knock, just come in."
Retracting his raised hand, Jiang Beiran pushed the door open and entered.
"Greetings, Hall Master."
"Beiran, ah, it's not easy to see you these days."
Detecting a hint of reproach in the hall master's tone, Jiang Beiran stepped forward and bowed.
"Hall Master, since even you misunderstand me, I suppose I must confess the truth."
"The truth?"
Zhang Heqing, seated behind an old tung wood table, raised his eyes.
"To facilitate cooperation between Blue Heart Hall and Water Mirror Hall, this disciple had to agree to Hall Master Shi's condition—that I must help tend to the flowers in her courtyard. That's why..."
"Aiyo, aiyo."
Before Jiang Beiran could finish, Zhang Heqing stood up from behind the table.
"Look at you, I was just teasing. Why so serious? I’ve seen all the effort you’ve put into our hall."
"Thank you for your understanding, Hall Master."
"You've worked hard, you've worked hard. Come, have some tea first."
Zhang Heqing pulled Jiang Beiran toward the tea table. When Jiang Beiran sat down and glanced up, the corner of his mouth twitched. The cups... there are even more now...
Choosing not to dwell on it, Jiang Beiran cupped his hands and said, "When I returned this morning, I noticed Blue Heart Hall was unusually lively. Hall Master’s strategy of mutual development is truly effective. This disciple admires your foresight."
Zhang Heqing, who had been selecting tea leaves, paused briefly before bursting into hearty laughter.
"Of course! Did you think I pushed so hard for you to facilitate this cooperation for no reason?"
"Hall Master is wise!"
"You understand my intentions. Over the past few years, Blue Heart Hall has seen fewer and fewer new disciples, and naturally, the sect has allocated fewer resources to us. I’ve been worrying about this every day. Thankfully, with talented disciples like you to share my burdens, I can rest easier. Don’t worry—the hall won’t treat you unfairly."
"Many thanks, Hall Master!"
Placing the fine-tip green tea leaves into the pot, Zhang Heqing poured hot water as he continued, "While the liveliness in Blue Heart Hall is a good thing, it’s also brought more disputes. These hot-blooded youngsters are always itching to spar. Open challenges are one thing, but I worry about underhanded methods.
Beiran, what are your thoughts on this?" What else can I think? Might as well lie back and watch.
Jiang Beiran had long anticipated this situation. Males naturally liked to flaunt their plumage to attract females, and fighting for mating rights was just part of nature. With hormones running rampant in Blue Heart Hall, any male disciple with a shred of strength was probably already half-mad with lust.
But since the hall master had asked, Jiang Beiran couldn’t just brush it off.
"Since Hall Master already foresaw this, it would be best to follow Water Mirror Hall’s example and limit the number of visiting disciples per day. It would also help to set up a checkpoint to record the names and affiliations of visitors. That way, if anything untoward happens, the scope of investigation would be narrower."
Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Heqing swirled the teapot and smiled.
"Well said. I’ll arrange for it tomorrow."
"Was this the reason Hall Master summoned me back?"
"Ah, that’s only part of it. There’s something more important."
Pouring tea into the cups, Zhang Heqing continued, "The sect master of Hidden Moon Sect recently emerged from seclusion after successfully breaking through to the Mysterious King realm. Coinciding with his hundredth birthday, he has decided to host a grand banquet, inviting major sects from across Peak Province." Damn, old man...
A Mysterious King—that’s a crucial threshold to becoming a supreme powerhouse. Hidden Moon Sect’s status is about to rise significantly.
"How may this humble disciple assist in such an important matter?"
Handing a cup of tea to Jiang Beiran, Zhang Heqing replied, "Just throwing a banquet isn’t enough to show off, so they’ve also decided to hold a gathering of young elites. After all, fights between the older generation would cause too much commotion, so they’re letting the youngsters have their fun.
Since they’ve invited all the major sects in Peak Province, it’s bound to be quite the spectacle." Jiang Beiran was even more confused now. He was merely a Qi Refining fifth-rank disciple—what did this have to do with him?
Noticing Jiang Beiran’s puzzled expression, Zhang Heqing chuckled.
"I know what you’re thinking. The reason I’m telling you this is that the gathering isn’t just about martial arts competitions."
(End of Chapter)