Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

"Chen Qing of the Wutai Sect. I’ve come to visit Steward Li Yuan and Zhou Yu," Chen Qing replied gently.

The maid was clearly unfamiliar with the name, but seeing Chen Qing’s impressive bearing, she dared not slight him. "Please wait a moment," she said hurriedly. "I will announce you."

Before long, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded from within the courtyard, much more urgent than the maid’s light steps had been.

Li Yuan was in the lead, practically jogging over, with Zhou Yu right on his heels.

Both wore expressions of utter disbelief. This was especially true for Li Yuan. He still hadn’t fully recovered from the events at the Mountain Pavilion earlier that day. Now, to see with his own eyes the very same Chen Qing—the one who had been so dazzling in the Martial Arts Arena, capturing the entire crowd’s attention—standing right outside his humble gate... A look of shock and terror surfaced in his eyes.

It was the same for Zhou Yu. Her beautiful eyes were wide as she stared at Chen Qing, as if still trying to determine whether he was an illusion.

The memory of that earth-shattering spear thrust from earlier, of the heroic figure who had overpowered the Haisa Sect’s star prodigy, Chen Lin, now collided with her image of the quiet, determined boy from the Zhou Institute in Gaolin County. The two figures overlapped in her mind, sending waves of emotion crashing through her, leaving her completely overwhelmed.

"Elder Li, Senior Sister, it’s been a long time."

Chen Qing looked at the two of them, a gentle smile on his face, and cupped his fist in a salute.

"No, no! I couldn’t possibly!"

Li Yuan scrambled to sidestep the salute, waving his hands in dismissal. His face was plastered with an impossibly complex smile, one that was mostly panic, with a healthy dose of embarrassment and a hint of flattered shock.

"The word ’Elder’ is more than I deserve! You, sir, are the Chief Disciple of the Wutai Sect, a person of esteemed status. That term is too weighty, far too weighty!"

’He knew perfectly well that Chen Qing’s current status far surpassed his own. For Chen Qing to still address him as ’Elder’ was entirely out of consideration for his brother-in-law, Zhou Liang, a nod to the faint, lingering bond from their shared past.’

This show of respect, paradoxically, only made him want to crawl into a hole.

Zhou Yu snapped out of her daze, a bright light shining in her eyes. She quickly stepped aside, clearing the way. "Junior Brother Chen, don’t just stand outside! Please, come in and sit down!"

"Yes, yes, of course! Look at me, I’m all flustered! Please, come in! Chief Chen, please, come in!"

As if waking from a dream, Li Yuan quickly bowed and ushered his guest inside, his posture one of extreme deference.

Chen Qing nodded with a smile and stepped into the small courtyard.

The accommodations for a Haisa Sect Steward were impressive, indeed. The private courtyard was serene and elegant, paved with smooth bluestone slabs. A few stalks of emerald bamboo grew in one corner, swaying gently in the wind with a soft, rustling sound.

There was also a small pond in the courtyard where several koi fish swam lazily.

The layout, consisting of a main building with east and west wings, was well-ordered. While not extravagant, every detail exuded a sense of well-maintained comfort and dignity.

In addition to the maid who had answered the door, another was waiting under the covered walkway, a clear sign that he had staff at his disposal.

Led by Li Yuan and Zhou Yu, the three of them crossed the courtyard and entered the main hall, which was decorated in a style both elegant and cozy.

They took their seats, host and guest, and a maid promptly served fragrant tea.

Li Yuan clutched his teacup with both hands, forcing his tone to sound natural as he wore an obsequious smile. "Chief Chen, your performance in the Martial Arts Arena today was truly a magnificent spectacle! I... I was so blind back then... I actually... I..."

He trailed off, unable to bring himself to finish the sentence. His face burned with shame, and his heart pounded with anxiety, terrified that Chen Qing still held a grudge.

Chen Qing was perceptive; he naturally understood what Li Yuan was implying. ’He’s worried I hold a grudge.’

In truth, he’d never really held it against him.

’Back then, when Li Yuan helped Zhou Yu join the Haisa Sect, securing even a single spot had been incredibly difficult. He’d only managed it by pulling strings and spending a great deal of money.’

’We weren’t related, not even old acquaintances. It was only natural for him to prioritize his own niece. There was nothing to blame him for.’

’Expecting Li Yuan to have seen my "potential" back then and invested everything in me would have been asking the impossible.’

At that, Chen Qing smiled and said peacefully, "Steward Li, you’re making too much of it. What happened back then was simply a matter of circumstance. I understood then, and I’ve never thought anything of it. Looking back, it seems we each had our own path to follow. There’s no need to bring it up again."

Hearing this, and sensing the genuine indifference in Chen Qing’s tone, Li Yuan’s heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally dropped back into his chest. He let out a long sigh of relief, a thin layer of cold sweat having broken out on his back.

He then gave a self-deprecating laugh in his mind. ’Of course. With Chen Qing’s status and power today, his horizons are completely different. Why would he bother being petty about such an insignificant event from the past?’

’All my worrying just makes me look small-minded.’

After some small talk about sect life and the happenings in Lin’an Prefecture, Li Yuan sensed that Chen Qing and Zhou Yu probably had things they wanted to discuss privately. Finding an excuse, he rose to his feet. "Chief Chen and Xiaoyu haven’t seen each other in years and must have much to catch up on. I have some chores to attend to, so if you’ll excuse me for a moment."

With that, he politely excused himself. He also dismissed the maids from the hall, leaving the two of them in peace.

With only Chen Qing and Zhou Yu left in the hall, the atmosphere seemed to relax.

Zhou Yu gazed at the man before her. He was so calm and composed, a world away from the person she remembered. Awe and wonder still lingered in her eyes as she spoke softly, "I really... I truly never imagined it. Junior Brother Chen, you’re now the Chief Disciple of the Wutai Sect."

Her voice held a dreamlike quality. "If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes today, I would never have believed it... The Chief Disciple of the Wutai Sect... a figure like that is..."

For a woman like her, from the family of a simple Martial Artist in a county town, such a position was as remote and unattainable as the clouds in the sky.

In contrast to Zhou Yu’s complicated feelings, Chen Qing was perfectly at ease, as if he were simply meeting an old friend after a long time apart.

"You don’t need to be so impressed, Senior Sister. It was just a fortunate coincidence."