readytorunbook Chapter 18 Everyone has their own concerns
Chapter 18 Everyone has their own concerns
After the competition ended, Lu Xihan tried her best to suppress the abnormal backlash she had experienced and walked straight back to her house.
At the very last moment before closing the door, he coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
After lying on the ground for a long time, Lu Xihan struggled to get up and sat cross-legged to regulate his internal energy.
Half an hour later, everything returned to normal. Lu Xihan looked inward at his dantian, which was completely empty and without any spiritual energy fluctuations, and sighed.
"As expected, I'm still too weak..."
The first time he used the bracelet's power, he was nearly struck by a backlash that nearly caused his soul to leave his body; his physique was truly fragile.
It seems we need to improve this useless body as soon as possible, otherwise everything will be delayed in the future.
Lu Xihan glanced at the bracelet on his wrist, which was as cool as ever, and his expression turned somber.
"It seems best to borrow the power of this bracelet less often in the future."
She now fully understands that if her own strength is not strong enough, she may not be able to control even something that has already recognized her as its master. She must improve her strength as soon as possible.
While pondering, his consciousness entered the bracelet's space and continued his reckless cultivation.
Today, Wei Qiushuang easily won the preliminary round, and Gongsun Qianke once again showed off everywhere, saying that her apprentice was excellent in every way.
However, the disciple sent by the patriarch yesterday was sullen all day, which made Gongsun Qian very worried. He had been busy yesterday and had forgotten about the matter after leaving someone behind.
Yesterday, I hastily accepted a young apprentice. The formal apprenticeship ceremony wasn't held, and I haven't even met his senior brothers and sisters yet. I still haven't fully grasped the meaning of the words the patriarch gave me on the spot...
Thinking of this, Gongsun Qian had a sudden inspiration and immediately set off to his little apprentice's house.
Gongsun Qian glanced at the tightly closed door and knew that the person inside was meditating.
Gongsun Qian coughed lightly: "Ahem, well, Xiao Qi, things were a bit rushed yesterday, and I didn't have time to talk to you about the apprenticeship ceremony. I also wanted to take you to meet your senior brothers and sisters so you could get to know each other better, since you'll be living on the same peak in the future..."
"Squeak."
The door opened at the right moment, and a figure of about half a height walked out from behind it. Liu Qi glanced at Gongsun Qian with a slightly confused look in his eyes.
Then Liu Qi came to his senses and bowed slightly, saying, "This disciple is new here and knows nothing. I will do whatever Master says. Do I have a few... a few senior brothers and sisters? What are they like usually?"
Gongsun Qian looked at Liu Qi's clear eyes and smiled calmly: "Don't worry, your senior brothers and sisters are doing well. You'll know once you come with me to the front hall."
Liu Qi bowed again and said, "Yes."
Then he followed Gongsun Qian to the front hall.
Before coming to find the person, Gongsun Qian sent a message to the disciples who were cultivating in various places on the peak, asking them to come back and meet this junior brother. After all, as an elder of the first peak, he should make a grand ceremony for accepting a disciple.
Let's skip the big celebration, but the fellow disciples should at least meet up, and we can also arrange things for the future while we're at it – that would kill two birds with one stone.
The group of people had already gathered in the front hall of the courtyard. Today happened to be the day of the inner sect competition, and the three of them were completely unaware of what was happening on Luoqian Peak. However, their master's urgent summons of them must be extraordinary. In the past, they rarely saw their master's face and were like animals left to their own devices.
The eldest disciple, Zhao Shi, glanced at the sky outside the courtyard and spoke first: "Why would Master summon us at this hour?"
Second Senior Brother Chai Yuan, holding his sword, said somewhat irreverently, "I don't know, but I suppose he might have something important to announce."
"It must be something important..."
Wei Qiushuang replied somewhat absentmindedly.
Wei Qiushuang and Su Jiangling were originally planning to go down the mountain together to watch the fireworks of the mortals, but then her master's communication talisman arrived, so how could she be happy?
The three of them stared at each other for a while in the front hall, guessing each other's thoughts, before they heard a noise outside and fell silent to wait.
As soon as Gongsun Qian stepped through the door, a short man followed him in. The three of them immediately understood that their master had taken on another disciple.
Wei Qiushuang, who was already unhappy, felt a sense of loss when she saw Liu Qi. She had been taken in as a disciple by Gongsun Qian when she entered Xuanshan Sect at the age of thirteen, and more than ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Having been the junior sister for over a decade and pampered by her two senior brothers for just as long, she inevitably felt a sense of loss as this young man suddenly became the senior sister.
However, Wei Qiushuang quickly came to her senses. Her master was the master of one of the peaks in the Xuanshan Sect. Not to mention now, there would be many more junior brothers and sisters joining the sect in the future. She should be more magnanimous.
"Master."
The three of them bowed in unison.
"Well, there's nothing important that I called you all here today, but there are two things I need to tell you. First, Xiao Qi and Liu Qi, from now on you will be your junior brothers."
Gongsun Qian paused for a moment, then called out again, "Xiao Qi."
Liu Qi stepped forward in response: "Master..."
Gongsun Qian pointed to a tall man in a neatly dressed blue robe and said, "This is your senior brother, Zhao Shi."
He said to the man behind him, dressed in brown-gray clothes and carrying a greatsword, "Your second senior brother, Chai Yuan."
The only woman present said, "This is your senior sister, Wei Qiushuang."
Liu Qi remained silent for a moment, then smiled and called out to each of them, who all replied, "Junior Brother."
After Gongsun Qian finished introducing everyone, he revealed his ultimate purpose.
"Alright, now that everyone knows each other, let me talk about the second matter. I have some deep feelings to share recently and need to go into seclusion for a while. Nian Xiaoqi is new to Luoqian Peak and not very familiar with it. The three of you will be responsible for teaching Xiaoqi well during my seclusion. We'll discuss everything after I come out of seclusion."
Even Liu Qi was stunned for a moment after hearing this. With his spiritual root, he would be someone that people would fight over anywhere. His hypocritical former master treated him so well, so why did he not care about Gongsun Qian at all?
Could it be that Liu Jun led him to the wrong master?
But Zhao Shi was very familiar with this business. He was the one who taught Chai Yuan and Wei Qiushuang the basics. Gongsun Qian really only cared about recruiting people and didn't care about their lives.
It's not that I don't care, but why do I have to go into seclusion for a period of time after each time I take on a disciple?
It could be ten days or half a month, or even three or five years without seeing a trace of them. The fact that they collected firewood back then is living proof of that. This coincidence is just too much of a coincidence.
Zhao Shi genuinely wondered if his master needed to have an epiphany every time he accepted someone as a disciple; being the eldest disciple must be exhausting for him.
"Yes, Master, please go into seclusion without worry. We will take good care of Junior Brother." Zhao Shi was the first to agree.
"Well, that's all. You can all go do what you need to do."
"Yes." The group withdrew together.
Although Gongsun Qian was in a hurry to go into seclusion, he still noticed that Wei Qiushuang, who was usually the most talkative, was unusually silent today. This was very unusual, and it seemed that the child had something on her mind.
"Never mind, seclusion is more important."
……
Upon returning to Qiwu Peak, Liu Xingxing retreated to her room, took out paper and pen, and began to scribble and draw. Based on her memory, she roughly recalled the Shangyuan Secret Realm section of the novel and began to recount what had happened there.
In the Shangyuan Secret Realm section, Lu Xihan was teleported to a swamp as soon as he entered. After fighting the monsters in the swamp and taking out the treasure, he headed north and "accidentally" saved the young demon lord, Wei Qiushuang, in a forest. Wei Qiushuang arrived at the forest one step later.
The novel doesn't specify where the item Liu Xingxing needs is in the north, nor does it pinpoint the exact coordinates. It only mentions that Lu Xihan found it in a cave in the northern snow mountains, where a large demon beast was guarding it. In the end, it also triggered an opportunity related to inheritance and Lu Xihan's impressive background.
Liu Xingxing immediately deflated. There were so many snow-capped mountains, caves, and monsters to the north; how could she possibly know where the treasure was?
The sect's library only contains a general map of the Shangyuan Secret Realm; there are many places whose details are unknown.
Liu Xingxing was stunned for a while before she slapped her forehead and realized that all she had to do was stick close to Lu Xihan; Lu Xihan had some kind of cheat code and definitely knew where the treasure was.
but……
How can I be assigned to the same place as Lu Xihan as soon as I enter?
Liu Xingxing thought for a while longer, and suddenly a rather immoral idea popped into her head.
"Hehe, don't blame me."
Don't worry, I won't take what's yours; I'll only take the extra.
Actually, this wasn't just a whim of Liu Xingxing. After the competition, her area would probably never have a moment of peace. She could even imagine a group of old men coming to visit her every day, asking for guidance.
It's really scary to think about.
He'd only been back a short while, and now he had to run away to avoid the limelight again. But this time, he was going out with the current female lead to a secret realm, so it shouldn't be too boring.