Arriving at the Heart Returning Sect's main gate, disciples from various halls had already crowded the square to see them off.
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
Amid the thunderous chorus of welcoming voices, Lu Yinlong casually waved his hand and shouted, "At ease." With that, he continued down the mountain like a gust of wind. The hall masters also understood—their presence would only make the disciples feel restrained—so they followed the sect master down the mountain.
Once all the higher-ups had left, the previously tense disciples immediately swarmed around their fellow hall brothers and sisters.
"Senior Brother Li, you must do your best! If you can make it into the top three this time, I... I'll give you a chance to pursue me, hehe."
"Ling'er, wait for me obediently. I'll definitely take first place this time. When I return, I'll speak to the elders about us."
"Songshan, I'm entrusting my little sister to you while I'm away. If even a single hair on her head is missing when I return, you'll have hell to pay." ...
What the hell! What kind of nonsense is this! Listening to the participating disciples around him raising death flags left and right, Jiang Beiran nearly wanted to slap yellow talismans over their mouths to shut them up.
Did none of them plan on coming back alive?! Feeling completely out of place in this farewell atmosphere, Jiang Beiran was about to follow the hall masters down the mountain when a familiar voice called out nearby.
"Beiran."
Turning toward the voice, Jiang Beiran was surprised.
"Senior Brother Lu!? What are you doing here?"
"It's your first time representing the sect in a competition. Of course, your senior brother had to come see you off."
Lu Bogui chuckled before adding, "To be honest, I still find it hard to believe you'd actually participate in something like this for the sect."
"Senior Brother... you misunderstand me. I’ve always wanted to contribute to the sect."
"Hahaha, alright, then it seems I misjudged you. Did you bring the heart-guarding mirror I gave you last time?"
"Mm, I’m wearing it."
Jiang Beiran patted his chest.
"Though the sects attending this birthday celebration should all be reputable orthodox factions, with so many disciples gathered in one place, there’s bound to be a mix of good and bad. Stay low-key and prioritize your safety."
"I’ll remember your teachings, Senior Brother."
Nodding, Lu Bogui retrieved three talismans from his Universe Ring and handed them to Jiang Beiran.
"These are three Wind Escape Talismans. If you encounter danger, activate them—they’ll help you escape."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Jiang Beiran accepted the talismans with a pleased smile. In the distance, Lin Yuyan, who had been watching Jiang Beiran’s interactions closely, was utterly shocked. Senior Brother actually shows such a respectful expression?
Who exactly is that Senior Brother Lu? I must find out more after we return... No, if I approach that Senior Brother Lu recklessly, Senior Brother will definitely get angry.
Hmm...
I’ll need to plan this carefully. Meanwhile, Liu Ziqin and the other four sisters were equally astonished. In their impression, Senior Brother had always carried himself with an air of aloof independence, acting as if he answered to no one.
Yet now, he was smiling so warmly in front of that senior brother. After exchanging glances, the five sisters, surrounded by their fellow disciples, silently agreed— We’ll discuss this later in a meeting! After giving Jiang Beiran a few more warnings to be cautious, Lu Bogui patted his shoulder and said, "Alright, I’ll leave it at that.
May you achieve a triumphant victory and return with honors. That way, you’ll secure a solid position in the sect."
"Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’ll give it my all."
"Mm, go on then."
"Take care, Senior Brother."
Bowing to Lu Bogui, Jiang Beiran turned and headed down the mountain. Once Jiang Beiran had completely disappeared from sight, Lu Bogui turned to leave but suddenly felt several gazes fixed on him. However, when he looked around, he couldn’t pinpoint who was watching him.
Shrugging it off, he continued toward Golden Summit Peak. After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, all the participating disciples had gathered at the foot of the mountain to bid farewell to their respective hall masters. For this trip to the Hidden Moon Sect, very few higher-ups were accompanying them.
Aside from the sect master, only two Incense Masters and the Left Minister—who usually handled the sect’s long-term planning—would be going. The rest of the hall masters and elders would remain behind. After all, this was a birthday celebration, not a battle.
The sect master’s presence alone was already a significant gesture of respect. There was no need for an extravagant entourage—it might even come off as trying to overshadow the host. Though the delegation was small, the arrangements had to be grand.
Traveling on foot was out of the question. Fifteen large carriages, each pulled by exotic beasts known as Min Oxen, were already waiting at the foot of the mountain. The carriage reserved for the sect master was drawn by a third-grade exotic beast—the Violet Shadow Demon Fox—whose strength was equivalent to a Grand Mysterious Master among cultivators.
"Alright, board the carriages. We depart now!"
"As you command!"
Once the hall masters had all returned to the mountain, Lu Yinlong issued the order and settled into his own carriage. As for the disciples, with fifteen carriages available, it was inevitable that some halls would have to share. The responsibility of assigning seats naturally fell to Wu Qingce, who had recently been appointed to his new position.
Though a minor task, this was Wu Qingce’s first exercise of authority as a Qing Gang. Pulling out the roster, he scanned the crowd, lingering a few extra seconds on Senior Brother Jiang. Seeing that Senior Brother offered no hints, Wu Qingce relaxed and began assigning carriages one by one.
Given their existing collaboration and the fact that Blue Heart Hall had fewer disciples while Water Mirror Hall had more, the two were naturally grouped together in one carriage. This arrangement left disciples from other halls grinding their teeth in envy. Choosing Blue Heart Hall back then was truly the best decision.
Feeling grateful, Le Yangshu was about to board when a disciple from Collapsing Mountain Hall rushed over and said, "Senior Brother Le, I’ll trade you one low-grade Wood Spirit Stone for your seat. How about it?" Le Yangshu pulled out two low-grade Wood Spirit Stones and replied, "I’ll give you two.
Now stop bothering me."
"Tch! Just you wait!"
Sigh... this ridiculous world... Watching the Collapsing Mountain Hall disciple make such a blatant threat in front of everyone, Jiang Beiran couldn’t help but sigh internally. Ever since arriving in this world, he had known that the events around him often bordered on absurdity.
But knowing didn’t mean accepting. Even after all this time, he still couldn’t reconcile the fact that these idiots shared the same sect as him. This was also the biggest reason he preferred solitude—he simply couldn’t fit into their circle.
Though sometimes these fools do come in handy... No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a disciple from Azure Flame Hall approached Jiang Beiran and said, "Senior Brother, I’ll trade you two low-grade Fire Spirit Stones for your seat. What do you say?"
The moment he finished speaking, three options appeared before Jiang Beiran.
[Option 1: Slap the low-grade Fire Spirit Stones out of the Azure Flame Hall disciple’s hand. Reward: Eight-Star Demon Force (Earth Grade, Mid Tier)] [Option 2: Politely decline. Reward: Misty Cloud Scripture (Earth Grade, Low Tier)] [Option 3: Accept the trade. Reward: Random Basic Skill Point +1] After reviewing the options, Jiang Beiran understood.
Clearly, this Azure Flame Hall disciple wasn’t worth an Earth Grade, Low Tier difficulty on his own. The reason the reward was so high was undoubtedly because refusing him would lead to trouble after boarding the carriage full of Water Mirror Hall’s female disciples.
Even a polite refusal only lowered the difficulty by one tier, meaning the underlying danger remained unchanged. These Water Mirror Hall women really are a hazard...
(End of Chapter)