Chapter 496: A Weird Disciple

Lin Mu tensed up and became alert. He didn't know why this person had called out to him like this but knew that he would have to be careful from here on. 

Lin Mu didn't turn around but rather looked at the person using his spirit sense. This way if he was getting into trouble at least they would not have seen his face. But when Lin Mu saw the person who had called out to him, he was rather dumbfounded.

"Is that guy okay?" Lin Mu couldn't help but say.

The person who had called out to him was a young man who was dressed in tattered robes, looking like some homeless beggar. His face was covered with dirt and his hair was messy, leaves and twigs stuck in them. There were also some injuries on his body that Lin Mu could see.

The man seemed to have a relieved look on his face upon seeing Lin Mu stop and relaxed his speed. But by the time he reached Lin Mu he was panting and his chest was heaving.

"Thank you for stopping brother, my identity badge was broken while I was out of the sect, so I needed someone else to open the gate for me." The man in the tattered robes spoke.

"What… happened to you? Why are you in this condition?" Lin Mu couldn't help but ask.

He was now sure that he had not been found out and thus turned around to take a direct look at the man. 

"Whoa! Where have you been hiding all this time, brother? I've never seen you before. I'm sure there would have been talks about you if such a handsome and heroic looking man was in the sect." The man ignored Lin Mu's question and asked something else.

"I… I've been in seclusion." Lin Mu gave an excuse.

"Ah, I see. Have you been in seclusion for a long time? Did you come out of seclusion for the heavenly tribulation of Alchemist Bilao too?" The man started shooting off a string of questions without stopping.

'Damn, he's a chatterbox.' Lin Mu thought.

"Ahem~ Better to get inside and change your clothes. I also need to get to my work." Lin Mu naiad, interrupting the man.

"Ah, look at me. Me and my big mouth again. You're right brother, I should clean up and heal my injuries first." The man said.

Lin Mu nodded his head and walked towards the gate that automatically opened for him. The man in the tattered robes walked behind him and passed the gate too.

"Thank you for your help, brother. If it were not for you, I don't know how long I would have had to wait here for the other Inner court disciple to pass by. And now that everyone is anticipating Alchemist Bilao's breakthrough, no one is coming to the outer court. 

My chances of meeting inner court disciples would have been quite less." The man in the tattered robes spoke.

"I see…" Lin Mu muttered.

"What is your name though, brother? I'm Jiao Fang. I owe you one for this; when the Heavenly tribulation of Alchemist Bilao is over, I'll treat you to wine and some good food at one of the pleasure pavilions." The man in tattered robes said.

"I'm… Wu Lian." Lin Mu gave the same fake name that he had been using for a few days now.

"Ah, Wu Lian. I'll remember it from now on. When the tribulation is over, I'll find you for drinks." Jiao Fang said before going on his merry way.

After the man was gone, though, Lin Mu kept on looking in his direction.

"…Weird man." Lin Mu muttered.

'I should get going too.' Lin Mu thought and continued on his path.

Now that he was in the inner court, he could choose which peak he wanted to go to. The three peaks were divided according to their functions. The Herb peak was where all the spirit herbs required for the Alchemical pills were grown.

The Pill peak was where they refined the Alchemical pill. And finally, the Main peak was where the sect patriarch and a lot of elders resided. It was also the peak that had the important buildings of the sect like the Skill pavilion, libraries, merit hall, sect registry, and other such places.

Lin Mu's targets were on all three peaks and from what he had learned from Wu Hei the Tribulation platform where Alchemist Bilao will be having his breakthrough will be at the main peak. So according to that, that peak was going to be the last one that he was going to visit.

For now, Lin Mu was only supposed to check out the areas where the vaults were located so that he could quickly visit them during the time of Heavenly tribulation. He chose his first target to be the herb peak.

This peak was located in the south western part of the sect and looked rather beautiful. There was a large symbol carved on its surface that could be seen from afar. The symbol was of a single cauldron that had the character for 'Herb' on it.

There were many colors on the peak due to the numerous spirit herbs that grew on it. They were grown on flat surfaces that had been carved around the radius of the peak and were of many types. There were also different buildings located between these fields of herbs where the disciples that took care of these herbs resided.

At the very top of the peak, Lin Wu could see a few large courtyards and a palace. 

"So that's where the peak master of the Herb peak resides. What was her name again… oh yeah, Shaoyan Qianyu." Lin Mu remembered.

This peak master was at the Child stage of the Nascent Soul realm and was the weakest Nascent Soul realm cultivator of the sect. Her presence was also quite limited in that she barely participated in administrative matters unless they related to her peak. 

"Let's see where they keep the herbs…"