Zhao Jiuge flew to the Treasure Pavilion alone in a complicated mood. He was going to use all the sect contributions he had earned. After all, this training would not end in just one or two months, it may last two whole years.
After entering the Treasure Pavilion, the first thing Zhao Jiuge got was pills. Aside from the one Little Xuan Pill he had left, he had nothing else. This made him feel uneasy, and at critical moments, a pill could save his life.
Even with several years of accumulation, Zhao Jiuge didn’t have many sect contributions. Most of it had been spent refining his treasures, and the little amount he had left was spent on pills.
Zhao Jiuge originally wanted to buy a spell, but he had to give up on the idea. He took one last look at all those powerful spells and noticed some small gadgets next to them.
Those were secret methods from a path that branched off from the main path. Zhao Jiuge became interested, and this was the first time he had explored spells from these branched paths.
There was nothing for him to pack, as he carried almost everything with him. However, before leaving, he still needed to head back to his Nine Song Peak once.
As he flew through the cloud sea in the Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect, he couldn’t help but feel melancholy. He thought about how he was once just a wild child from the mountains and how he had ended up reaching this cultivation. These short few years had brought out so much change.
“Jiuge, come to Lotus Peak.”
Just when Zhao Jiuge could see his own peak, he heard a voice that shocked him. Only after realizing that it was his eldest senior sister did he calm down. He knew that her cultivation had become even stronger compared to when he left!
As a result, Zhao Jiuge quickly flew toward Lotus Peak.
Zhao Jiuge had the jade to ignore the formation around Lotus Peak, and he soon arrived.
The moment he landed on the grass, he felt the softness of the ground, and the air on the peak was very fresh. Zhao Jiuge immediately saw the four figures on the grass, two men and two women.
Aside from the gentle Fu Hongling, who was looking at him, there was the lively Sha Sha, whose braids were swaying back and forth.
There were two ordinary-looking twins observing him as well.
The twins were almost indistinguishable at first glance, and both were wearing the black sword robe of the Enforcement Hall. The only difference was that one had his sword on his back, while the other was holding it in his arms. Taking a closer look, the young man with the sword on his back had a mole in the corner of his eye, while the young man holding his sword didn't. This was the best way to distinguish between them.
“Little Junior Brother is back?”
Seeing Zhao Jiuge arrive, Sha Sha was particularly excited. She deliberately stood straighter and put on the act of being a senior sister. Only before Zhao Jiuge could she get to act like a senior sister.
“Eldest Senior Sister, Little Senior Sister.”
Zhao Jiuge walked forward and greeted the two of them, but he only looked at the other two young men. Even without introductions, Zhao Jiuge could guess from their clothes and the fact that they were twins that they were his fourth and fifth senior brothers. These two spent most of their time at the Enforcement Hall to exterminate evil.
Sure enough, Fu Hongling quickly said, “Jiuge, your fourth and fifth senior brother just happened to be back, so I called you over. Quickly, greet them.” However, her gaze toward Zhao Jiuge contained a deep meaning.
“Greetings, Fourth Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Brother.”
Through the introduction from Fu Hongling, Zhao Jiuge knew that the one with the flying sword on his back was his fourth senior brother and the one holding the sword was his fifth senior brother.
Facing Zhao Jiuge’s respectful greeting, the young man with the mole on the corner of his eye acted like he didn’t even hear it. He didn't even look at Zhao Jiuge, he just maintained his previous expression.
The fifth senior brother nodded proudly and looked at Zhao Jiuge before letting out a soft snort. It was unknown if it was in disdain or an acknowledgement.
This made Zhao Jiuge rather embarrassed and puzzled at the same time. He didn’t understand why the two of them would treat him like this when it was their first time meeting. Even his third senior brother, who he knew didn’t like him, at least put up an act on the surface.
The smile on Zhao Jiuge’s face disappeared, but there was no other expression. On the contrary, he was very calm. He did feel a little annoyed, but he didn’t show it. He wanted to see what had happened and then make a decision.
Sha Sha was looking innocent, and her smile from meeting Zhao Jiuge hadn’t disappeared yet. Her face froze in shock—she was too young to understand why her two senior brothers were so cold toward Zhao Jiuge.
Fu Hongling silently watched the situation. She didn’t try to ease the situation or explain anything, but just let things develop.
“Eldest Senior Sister we just came back to turn in our mission and purchase some required consumables. We are not finished with our business outside and are still in a rush, so we’ll take our leave first.”
The young man with the flying sword on his back and a mole near the corner of his eye respectfully bowed to Fu Hongling. The cold attitude he showed to Zhao Jiuge disappeared without a trace.
Fu Hongling nodded. She was as gentle as always.
“Old Five, let us go.”
The fourth senior brother immediately shouted at his brother and then took the lead in leaving. The young man who bowed quickly followed, and before leaving, he deliberately took a look at Zhao Jiuge.
After two of them left, before Zhao Jiuge could ask about anything, Sha Sha was a step ahead of him.
“Eldest Senior Sister, what's up with Fourth and Fifth Senior Brothers?” Sha Sha asked Fu Hongling. Her two braids shook with her head as she looked up.
Fu hongling calmly explained, “What else could it be? They talked with your third senior brother when they returned yesterday. The two of them have always been closest with him. Your third senior brother was the most likely successor to our teacher’s position, but with the emergence of Zhao Jiuge, he feels threatened. That’s why there is this inexplicable hostility.”
Thus, Zhao Jiuge finally understood everything. It turned out that the Mysterious Heaven Temple had the tradition of passing the Head Teacher position only to male disciples, never female disciples. That was why even though Sha Sha was much more talented and had higher cultivation, Jian Wuxian had made Zhao Jiuge the Chief Head Disciple. He had pushed Zhao Jiuge out to the public to gain prestige, while Sha Shah was kept as a hidden ace.
100 years ago, the Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect had a generation of talented disciples, including Fu Hongling, Yan Wenfei, Wu Tianshan, and many others. There was also Zhao Jiuge’s senior brother Cheng Qingniu, who had overshadowed countless disciples from other holy lands. However, perhaps because heaven was jealous of his talent, he had disappeared while exploring. He wasn’t dead, but he hadn’t returned for many years. It was only known that he was somewhere in the Barbarian Forest. As a last resort, Fu Hongling had temporarily taken up the position of Chief Head Disciple.
After this, Wu Tianshan saw hope. The second senior brother was not here and the eldest disciple was a woman, so he naturally had the highest chance of taking over Jian Wuxian’s position. However, Zhao Jiuge had suddenly appeared, which made Wu Tianshan feel a sense of danger. Fortunately, the sect rules were very strict and disciples were not allowed to kill each other. That was why Wu Tianshan didn’t have any other crooked ideas.
Jian Wuxian and Fu Hongling had already known about this. Wu Tianshan had been peacefully cultivating and didn’t make any moves; otherwise, they would have already done something.
However, the fourth and fifth senior brothers followed Wu Tianshan blindly, so naturally they didn’t have any good feelings toward Zhao Jiuge. There was no need to talk about a greeting gift.
After learning the truth, Zhao Jiuge felt helpless. No wonder his teacher often said that the human heart was more terrifying than dangerous places or spirit beasts.
Even good friends would turn on you for benefit. Facing immortality, everything was unimportant. Those heavenly treasures that could increase your own strength were the most important.
Zhao Jiuge didn’t want to become the Head Teacher, but Wu Tianshan didn’t think so. Zhao Jiuge just wanted to have a harmonious relationship with his fellow seniors and watch everyone improve their strength together, rather than scheming against each other like this. Zhao Jiuge had always yearned for affection.
However, since this was the case, Zhao Jiuge was not going to explain anything, and he was not going to try to get along with people who didn’t like him. He just wanted to improve his own strength and be able to travel the world with the ones he loved.
Fortunately, there was still the eldest senior sister, Fu Hongling, and Sha Sha, who had good relationships with him. Zhao Jiuge felt some regret and curiosity toward the second senior brother he had heard so much about. He wondered what kind of person his second senior brother, Ceng Qingniu, was like!
Was he carefree or did he care a lot about his own gains like the other three senior brothers?
Sha Sha felt a bit bored and naturally held no interest in such matters. When she saw that Fu Hongling wanted to speak with Zhao Jiuge, she said her hello and quickly left. Right now, the most concerning matter for her was to break past the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm bottleneck. If others knew about this, their jaws would drop from shock. She was so young, but her cultivation was so powerful!
In an instant, Fu Hongling and Zhao Jiuge were the only people left at Lotus Peak.
Neither of the two spoke. They stood beside each other and looked at the scenery in the distance.
After a long time, a gentle breeze blew by, and Fu Hongling was the first person to break the silence.
“I heard that Teacher was going to take you to propose tomorrow.” Her voice was a bit strange, but she maintained her usual attitude.
“Mhmm.”
Zhao Jiuge gently nodded in response. He wasn’t surprised she knew, but he found it strange that she asked about this matter.
“The girl is Ling Bo Re?”
Fu Hongling quickly followed up with another question. The fluctuation in her voice was more obvious this time.
“Mhmm.”
Zhao Jiuge softly nodded and then Fu Hongling silently pondered.
After a long time, Fu Hongling broke the silence once more.
“I have seen her before, she isn’t bad. Tomorrow, go with Teacher and properly show yourself off.”
After touching her silk-like hair, she continued, “Okay, if there is nothing else, you should head back and rest early.”
Seeing the change, Zhao Jiuge was confused. He didn’t know why his eldest senior sister had suddenly become a bit colder, but he obediently left.
Zhao Jiuge had long disappeared from Lotus Peak and returned to his Nine Song Peak.
However, Fu Hongling was still looking into the distance.
She maintained this posture until nightfall and then let out a sigh.
Aside from herself, no one knew why she had sighed.
Zhao Jiuge flew to the Treasure Pavilion alone in a complicated mood. He was going to use all the sect contributions he had earned. After all, this training would not end in just one or two months, it may last two whole years.
After entering the Treasure Pavilion, the first thing Zhao Jiuge got was pills. Aside from the one Little Xuan Pill he had left, he had nothing else. This made him feel uneasy, and at critical moments, a pill could save his life.
Even with several years of accumulation, Zhao Jiuge didn’t have many sect contributions. Most of it had been spent refining his treasures, and the little amount he had left was spent on pills.
Zhao Jiuge originally wanted to buy a spell, but he had to give up on the idea. He took one last look at all those powerful spells and noticed some small gadgets next to them.
Those were secret methods from a path that branched off from the main path. Zhao Jiuge became interested, and this was the first time he had explored spells from these branched paths.
There was nothing for him to pack, as he carried almost everything with him. However, before leaving, he still needed to head back to his Nine Song Peak once.
As he flew through the cloud sea in the Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect, he couldn’t help but feel melancholy. He thought about how he was once just a wild child from the mountains and how he had ended up reaching this cultivation. These short few years had brought out so much change.
“Jiuge, come to Lotus Peak.”
Just when Zhao Jiuge could see his own peak, he heard a voice that shocked him. Only after realizing that it was his eldest senior sister did he calm down. He knew that her cultivation had become even stronger compared to when he left!
As a result, Zhao Jiuge quickly flew toward Lotus Peak.
Zhao Jiuge had the jade to ignore the formation around Lotus Peak, and he soon arrived.
The moment he landed on the grass, he felt the softness of the ground, and the air on the peak was very fresh. Zhao Jiuge immediately saw the four figures on the grass, two men and two women.
Aside from the gentle Fu Hongling, who was looking at him, there was the lively Sha Sha, whose braids were swaying back and forth.
There were two ordinary-looking twins observing him as well.
The twins were almost indistinguishable at first glance, and both were wearing the black sword robe of the Enforcement Hall. The only difference was that one had his sword on his back, while the other was holding it in his arms. Taking a closer look, the young man with the sword on his back had a mole in the corner of his eye, while the young man holding his sword didn't. This was the best way to distinguish between them.
“Little Junior Brother is back?”
Seeing Zhao Jiuge arrive, Sha Sha was particularly excited. She deliberately stood straighter and put on the act of being a senior sister. Only before Zhao Jiuge could she get to act like a senior sister.
“Eldest Senior Sister, Little Senior Sister.”
Zhao Jiuge walked forward and greeted the two of them, but he only looked at the other two young men. Even without introductions, Zhao Jiuge could guess from their clothes and the fact that they were twins that they were his fourth and fifth senior brothers. These two spent most of their time at the Enforcement Hall to exterminate evil.
Sure enough, Fu Hongling quickly said, “Jiuge, your fourth and fifth senior brother just happened to be back, so I called you over. Quickly, greet them.” However, her gaze toward Zhao Jiuge contained a deep meaning.
“Greetings, Fourth Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Brother.”
Through the introduction from Fu Hongling, Zhao Jiuge knew that the one with the flying sword on his back was his fourth senior brother and the one holding the sword was his fifth senior brother.
Facing Zhao Jiuge’s respectful greeting, the young man with the mole on the corner of his eye acted like he didn’t even hear it. He didn't even look at Zhao Jiuge, he just maintained his previous expression.
The fifth senior brother nodded proudly and looked at Zhao Jiuge before letting out a soft snort. It was unknown if it was in disdain or an acknowledgement.
This made Zhao Jiuge rather embarrassed and puzzled at the same time. He didn’t understand why the two of them would treat him like this when it was their first time meeting. Even his third senior brother, who he knew didn’t like him, at least put up an act on the surface.
The smile on Zhao Jiuge’s face disappeared, but there was no other expression. On the contrary, he was very calm. He did feel a little annoyed, but he didn’t show it. He wanted to see what had happened and then make a decision.
Sha Sha was looking innocent, and her smile from meeting Zhao Jiuge hadn’t disappeared yet. Her face froze in shock—she was too young to understand why her two senior brothers were so cold toward Zhao Jiuge.
Fu Hongling silently watched the situation. She didn’t try to ease the situation or explain anything, but just let things develop.
“Eldest Senior Sister we just came back to turn in our mission and purchase some required consumables. We are not finished with our business outside and are still in a rush, so we’ll take our leave first.”
The young man with the flying sword on his back and a mole near the corner of his eye respectfully bowed to Fu Hongling. The cold attitude he showed to Zhao Jiuge disappeared without a trace.
Fu Hongling nodded. She was as gentle as always.
“Old Five, let us go.”
The fourth senior brother immediately shouted at his brother and then took the lead in leaving. The young man who bowed quickly followed, and before leaving, he deliberately took a look at Zhao Jiuge.
After two of them left, before Zhao Jiuge could ask about anything, Sha Sha was a step ahead of him.
“Eldest Senior Sister, what's up with Fourth and Fifth Senior Brothers?” Sha Sha asked Fu Hongling. Her two braids shook with her head as she looked up.
Fu hongling calmly explained, “What else could it be? They talked with your third senior brother when they returned yesterday. The two of them have always been closest with him. Your third senior brother was the most likely successor to our teacher’s position, but with the emergence of Zhao Jiuge, he feels threatened. That’s why there is this inexplicable hostility.”
Thus, Zhao Jiuge finally understood everything. It turned out that the Mysterious Heaven Temple had the tradition of passing the Head Teacher position only to male disciples, never female disciples. That was why even though Sha Sha was much more talented and had higher cultivation, Jian Wuxian had made Zhao Jiuge the Chief Head Disciple. He had pushed Zhao Jiuge out to the public to gain prestige, while Sha Shah was kept as a hidden ace.
100 years ago, the Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect had a generation of talented disciples, including Fu Hongling, Yan Wenfei, Wu Tianshan, and many others. There was also Zhao Jiuge’s senior brother Cheng Qingniu, who had overshadowed countless disciples from other holy lands. However, perhaps because heaven was jealous of his talent, he had disappeared while exploring. He wasn’t dead, but he hadn’t returned for many years. It was only known that he was somewhere in the Barbarian Forest. As a last resort, Fu Hongling had temporarily taken up the position of Chief Head Disciple.
After this, Wu Tianshan saw hope. The second senior brother was not here and the eldest disciple was a woman, so he naturally had the highest chance of taking over Jian Wuxian’s position. However, Zhao Jiuge had suddenly appeared, which made Wu Tianshan feel a sense of danger. Fortunately, the sect rules were very strict and disciples were not allowed to kill each other. That was why Wu Tianshan didn’t have any other crooked ideas.
Jian Wuxian and Fu Hongling had already known about this. Wu Tianshan had been peacefully cultivating and didn’t make any moves; otherwise, they would have already done something.
However, the fourth and fifth senior brothers followed Wu Tianshan blindly, so naturally they didn’t have any good feelings toward Zhao Jiuge. There was no need to talk about a greeting gift.
After learning the truth, Zhao Jiuge felt helpless. No wonder his teacher often said that the human heart was more terrifying than dangerous places or spirit beasts.
Even good friends would turn on you for benefit. Facing immortality, everything was unimportant. Those heavenly treasures that could increase your own strength were the most important.
Zhao Jiuge didn’t want to become the Head Teacher, but Wu Tianshan didn’t think so. Zhao Jiuge just wanted to have a harmonious relationship with his fellow seniors and watch everyone improve their strength together, rather than scheming against each other like this. Zhao Jiuge had always yearned for affection.
However, since this was the case, Zhao Jiuge was not going to explain anything, and he was not going to try to get along with people who didn’t like him. He just wanted to improve his own strength and be able to travel the world with the ones he loved.
Fortunately, there was still the eldest senior sister, Fu Hongling, and Sha Sha, who had good relationships with him. Zhao Jiuge felt some regret and curiosity toward the second senior brother he had heard so much about. He wondered what kind of person his second senior brother, Ceng Qingniu, was like!
Was he carefree or did he care a lot about his own gains like the other three senior brothers?
Sha Sha felt a bit bored and naturally held no interest in such matters. When she saw that Fu Hongling wanted to speak with Zhao Jiuge, she said her hello and quickly left. Right now, the most concerning matter for her was to break past the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm bottleneck. If others knew about this, their jaws would drop from shock. She was so young, but her cultivation was so powerful!
In an instant, Fu Hongling and Zhao Jiuge were the only people left at Lotus Peak.
Neither of the two spoke. They stood beside each other and looked at the scenery in the distance.
After a long time, a gentle breeze blew by, and Fu Hongling was the first person to break the silence.
“I heard that Teacher was going to take you to propose tomorrow.” Her voice was a bit strange, but she maintained her usual attitude.
“Mhmm.”
Zhao Jiuge gently nodded in response. He wasn’t surprised she knew, but he found it strange that she asked about this matter.
“The girl is Ling Bo Re?”
Fu Hongling quickly followed up with another question. The fluctuation in her voice was more obvious this time.
“Mhmm.”
Zhao Jiuge softly nodded and then Fu Hongling silently pondered.
After a long time, Fu Hongling broke the silence once more.
“I have seen her before, she isn’t bad. Tomorrow, go with Teacher and properly show yourself off.”
After touching her silk-like hair, she continued, “Okay, if there is nothing else, you should head back and rest early.”
Seeing the change, Zhao Jiuge was confused. He didn’t know why his eldest senior sister had suddenly become a bit colder, but he obediently left.
Zhao Jiuge had long disappeared from Lotus Peak and returned to his Nine Song Peak.
However, Fu Hongling was still looking into the distance.
She maintained this posture until nightfall and then let out a sigh.
Aside from herself, no one knew why she had sighed.
