Seeing Gu An's concern for him, Zhang Chunqiu felt deeply comforted.
As he prepared to leave the valley, Zhang Chunqiu realized that the person he would miss the most wasn’t his master but his junior brother, Gu An.
Gu An was just too obedient, too honest.
Zhang Chunqiu, much like Li Ya, worried about Gu An and feared that he might be bullied in the future.
"I’ve been in this Medicine Valley for forty years, it’s time to leave. My aptitude in cultivation is poor, and there’s no hope for me to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Rather than wasting my years here, it’s better to leave the mountain and enjoy the rest of my life. Junior Brother Gu, you should take up the position of Senior Disciple. That lazy kid Meng Lang can’t handle the responsibility," Zhang Chunqiu said, patting Gu An’s shoulder seriously.
Gu An hesitated. "But... without you here, Senior Brother, I’m afraid I won’t—"
Cheng Xuandan interrupted, "If you’re not up to it, then let Meng—"
"I can do it!" Gu An quickly cut in before he could finish.
Zhang Chunqiu, who had been about to comfort him, was taken aback.
Cheng Xuandan glanced deeply at Gu An but said no more.
Gu An cleared his throat and said, "I can’t let down Senior Brother’s expectations. To be honest, I’m just afraid that if Meng Lang becomes Senior Brother, he’ll make me do everything."
Hearing this, Zhang Chunqiu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The atmosphere lightened immediately, and Zhang Chunqiu began to offer words of encouragement to Gu An, who listened intently.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Chunqiu rolled up his sleeves, knelt before Cheng Xuandan, and kowtowed three times before getting up and leaving. He left Gu An and Cheng Xuandan alone.
"You’ve seen it for yourself. This Medicine Valley cannot keep people. If you don’t want to stay here forever, speak up now. I might be able to help you," Cheng Xuandan said, his eyes calm and serene.
Gu An quickly responded, "I’m willing to stay here for the rest of my life."
"Don’t be too quick to answer because it could truly be for a lifetime," Cheng Xuandan cautioned.
"Master, I wouldn’t dare lie. I really do want to stay here. While others may see the work in the valley as dirty and tiring, to me, these are the most comfortable days of my life. You’ve been kind to me, and my senior brothers have treated me well. I genuinely want to stay here forever," Gu An said sincerely. At this crucial moment, he had to be honest.
Cheng Xuandan’s voice turned grave. "You must have some background. It’s no coincidence that you survived the Demon of Greed and Rage. Moreover, the spiritual energy disturbance last night came from your courtyard."
Gu An panicked. "Master, I truly have no significant background. The only connection I have is with the Third Miss of the Ji family, Ji Xiaoyu, but I’m just her servant."
"Ji family?" Cheng Xuandan’s eyes widened in shock. It was the first time Gu An had seen his master’s expression change so drastically.
Gu An could clearly see fear, anger, and dread mixing on Cheng Xuandan’s face, distorting his normally calm demeanor into something almost grotesque.
Oh no!
Could this old man have a grudge against the Ji family?
Gu An’s heart pounded anxiously. He felt like he had said too much.
"So that’s how it is. From now on, you will be the Senior Disciple of this Medicine Valley," Cheng Xuandan said, taking a deep breath.
What a turn of events!
Gu An breathed a sigh of relief. Whether Cheng Xuandan was sincere or not didn’t matter—he was now officially the Senior Disciple!
Even if Cheng Xuandan had malicious intentions, he didn’t have much time left to act.
And Gu An wasn’t afraid of Cheng Xuandan trying anything. Could this frail old man really be tougher than the Demon of Greed and Rage?
"I will be diligent and live up to Master’s expectations," Gu An promptly pledged.
Cheng Xuandan waved him off. "Go and fetch Meng Lang and Xiao Chuan."
Upon hearing this, Gu An bowed and quickly departed.
A stick of incense later...
Gu An, Meng Lang, and Xiao Chuan descended from the pavilion. Xiao Chuan was thrilled and kept calling Gu An "Senior Brother" with great enthusiasm.
Meng Lang, however, was disgruntled. "Why are you the Senior Brother? Why not me? My cultivation is higher, and my family background is better!"
Gu An wasn’t angry at Meng Lang’s outburst. Instead, he turned back with a smile and said, "Meng Lang, being the Senior Disciple isn’t as easy as it seems. It’s a lifelong responsibility. Master saw your potential for cultivation, which is why he didn’t make you Senior Brother."
"Really?" Meng Lang’s anger started to fade.
"Of course. Look at our previous Senior Brother. He’s been here for forty years! How many forty years do we have in life?"
Meng Lang fell silent, his expression changing as he gazed at Gu An with newfound sympathy.
He patted Gu An on the shoulder and said, "Gu An, what a burden for you."
That night...
Gu An closed his door and took out the communication stone Chu Jingfeng had given him. He infused it with a sliver of spiritual power, and the stone began to heat up.
It was Gu An’s first time using this sort of "immortal technology," and he found it quite fascinating.
After a few moments, Chu Jingfeng’s voice came through: "Who is this?"
Really? How many people did you give this stone to?
Suppressing the urge to complain, Gu An answered, "Senior, it’s Gu An from the Medicine Valley."
Chu Jingfeng fell silent.
Gu An felt a bit awkward, but Chu Jingfeng soon spoke again, "Do you have information about the Demon of Greed and Rage?"
"Yes!"
Gu An responded confidently and relayed everything he had seen and heard.
After he finished, Chu Jingfeng asked gravely, "Is this true?"
"It is. I swear I’m not lying. He’s not far from our Medicine Valley, and I’m worried he’ll harm us," Gu An said earnestly.
"Very well. Leave this matter to me. I’ll investigate his lair in the outer sect. You won’t be troubled by this again."
"Thank you, Senior. If everything goes smoothly, I’d also like to request that you don’t mention me. I’m just an ordinary disciple with no talent and don’t want to attract any trouble. I only seek a peaceful life."
"Hmm, I understand," Chu Jingfeng said before cutting off the communication.
Gu An placed the communication stone on his table, carefully reviewing his interactions with both Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Moya, checking for any mistakes.
What a hassle.
I hope this all gets resolved smoothly.
All I want is to cultivate in peace.
Gu An sighed inwardly. Compared to fighting, he much preferred the tranquil life of harvesting herbs.
...
After informing Chu Jingfeng, Gu An patrolled the valley daily, keeping a close eye on his junior disciples, worried that they might wander out of the valley.
Three days passed without incident.
But on the fourth night, Gu An sensed a disturbance in the spiritual energy outside the valley and faintly heard the clash of weapons.
It’s begun!
He quietly made his way to the mouth of the valley, intending to stand guard and prevent the Demon of Greed and Rage or any other enemies from sneaking into the valley and harming his fellow disciples.
The distant battle was fierce, and by the time Gu An reached the valley’s entrance, it still hadn’t ended.
The many peaks in the area made it difficult for Gu An to see what was happening, so he relied on his sharp hearing to gauge the situation.
Suddenly...
Gu An felt something behind him and quickly turned around, looking back toward the valley.
His eyes locked onto a pavilion where Cheng Xuandan stood by a window, gazing at him from afar.
Under the pale moonlight, the shadowy figure of Cheng Xuandan in the dark pavilion made him look like a ghost, sending chills down Gu An’s spine.
Oh no!
He’s seen me!
Gu An frowned, unsure of what to do.
As he hesitated, Cheng Xuandan slowly closed the window, but the eerie gleam in his eyes lingered in Gu An’s mind, making him uneasy.
Gu An wasn’t afraid of Cheng Xuandan himself, but he worried that Cheng Xuandan might reveal something.
On second thought, though, it didn’t seem likely. If Cheng Xuandan were truly connected to the powerful cultivator behind the Demon of Greed and Rage, why would he have called on Chu Jingfeng to guard the valley?
It would have been unnecessary!
They wouldn’t even need an excuse to report the deaths of a few lowly disciples to the sect.