Chapter 57
Chapter 57: Qinglan Sect Has Gained a Great Drunkard!
***
Elder Zangjian’s call suddenly pierced through the mountain’s tranquility, causing Lin Muyu’s heart to jump as her fingertips unconsciously tightened around her clothing.
Could it be that the matter of obtaining the spirit weapon had been discovered?
Was she about to be expelled from the mountain?
But why was Luo Chenxi also called along?
She clearly hadn’t chosen a suitable weapon yet.
With doubts in mind, the two still followed the voice and quickly walked to the Elder’s presence.
Elder Zangjian stood under the tree, looking at Lin Muyu with a face full of kindness.
“Please give my thanks to your Master on this old man’s behalf. This time you’ve truly been of great help.”
The Elder’s voice was gentle, completely unlike the arrogance he had shown at the mountain gate earlier. This transformation made Lin Muyu even more puzzled.
“Ah?”
She slightly opened her mouth, truly unable to make heads or tails of it.
Her unreliable Master who spent all day hugging a wine gourd and sleeping was probably still asleep, so how had she helped?
Could it be… Lin Muyu suddenly remembered that wisp of spiritual energy she had overlooked.
Could it be that her seemingly carefree Master had actually been secretly helping all along?
As soon as this thought emerged, she pushed it down.
A coincidence, it must be a coincidence!
Beside her, Luo Chenxi gently nodded and responded:
“Mm, she will definitely relay this to Master.”
As she spoke, she quietly nudged the dazed Lin Muyu with her elbow, awakening her from her thoughts.
Lin Muyu realized she had been disrespectfully lost in thought before an elder and quickly bowed to apologize:
“Sorry Elder, I was lost in thought just now. I’ll definitely tell Master of your gratitude when I return!”
Hearing the response, Elder Zangjian satisfactorily stroked the pale white beard on his chest, the silver-white whiskers glowing softly in the sunlight.
He had already glimpsed the new spirit bead hanging around Lin Muyu’s neck, and the bead’s flowing dim light made him understand the cause and effect clearly.
But he didn’t point it out. Cultivation opportunities were inherently wondrous; having owed a favor, he would simply repay it.
Then he turned to Luo Chenxi, his eyes showing even more approval:
“Mm, also a fine uncarved jade.”
Raising his hand, he waved:
“This old man knows of a hidden spirit weapon cache. Follow this old man.”
Before his words finished, gentle spiritual power wrapped around the two. The ground beneath their feet slowly retreated, wind whistling past their ears, and in a blink they had passed through layers of dense forest.
Lin Muyu looked at the rapidly passing scenery and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At least she wouldn’t have to throw beads at people anymore.
Luo Chenxi quietly gripped her sleeves, surprise flashing in her eyes. She clearly hadn’t helped with anything, yet she could still benefit from this opportunity.
Just as the three disappeared at the forest’s edge, a timid and shrinking figure emerged from behind the trees.
That disciple wore Qinglan Sect’s gray cloth Daoist robe, looking in the direction they had gone, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the weapon he had just obtained, murmuring in a low voice with a hint of obsession:
“Truly fascinating to this humble one~”
As soon as the words fell, he hastily shrank back his head, as if afraid of being discovered, holding his breath.
…
The spiritual wind carried the two through clouds and mist as Elder Zangjian led them to a massive waterfall.
The cascading flow hung like silver silk in the air, crashing against the blue stones and splashing up mist that filled the sky, refracting seven-colored rainbow light in the sunlight.
Behind the waterfall was actually hidden a secret cave, with water flowing down along the cave mouth’s rocks, forming a natural barrier.
Without the Elder’s guidance, no one would be able to find such a secret place.
Lin Muyu looked at the mottled light and shadow inside the cave, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and water droplets falling on stone pillars making crisp sounds. She suddenly felt it looked familiar.
It was remarkably similar to the legendary Water Curtain Cave of Mount Huaguo from her previous life, both fantastical and serene.
“Master, this is my former home!”
Xiao Tao’s voice in her mind was joyful, filled with childlike happiness and nostalgia.
So it had been hidden here… No wonder it hadn’t been discovered for 5,000 years.
This hidden place would probably never be found by anyone without special means.
“There are still many of my little companions here!”
Xiao Tao’s voice was full of anticipation.
Elder Zangjian raised his hand to brush away the mist at the cave entrance, pointing at the weapons lying in various places inside the cave, his eyes showing some pride:
“Here are hidden many newborn innate spirit weapons. Though they can’t compare to the maturity of thousand-year spirit weapons, with careful nurturing and daily irrigation with spiritual energy, they can become capable assistants in cultivation in the future.”
As the guardian of this mountain, he knew these treasures like the back of his hand.
This cave of spirit weapons was precisely what supported Qinglan Sect’s confidence in cultivating prodigies, and was one of the foundations for the sect’s position as number one.
Lin Muyu examined the weapons carefully. Indeed, they were different from those outside. They didn’t need weapon-protecting stones to nurture them, and spiritual energy flowed around their bodies, clearly they were extraordinary items.
“Each of you may choose one weapon that suits your heart. At most one each, if you take more, this old man will have to beg forgiveness from the sect master.”
After the Elder finished his instructions, he summoned the flying sword from his waist. Silver sword light lit up beneath his feet, and turning around, he transformed into flowing light and disappeared at the cave entrance.
His steps were hurried, having sensed a familiar aura coming from the distance.
“Sect Master! You’ve finally come!”
Elder Zangjian had just flown out of the waterfall’s range when he saw Qinglan Sect’s sect master standing at the cliff’s edge, his white clothes whiter than snow, his robes fluttering loudly in the mountain wind.
The Elder’s aged face showed some grievance, even his graying eyebrows drooping down.
The usually smooth sect master turned around, but now looked somewhat embarrassed:
“With her here, nothing could possibly go wrong.”
“But this old man’s heart nearly jumped out.”
Elder Zangjian patted his chest, his voice carrying lingering fear.
“If something had happened to the disciples, wouldn’t this old man have become Qinglan Sect’s sinner?”
He spoke while wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, looking quite sorrowful.
“Alright, stop putting on an act.”
The sect master helplessly held his forehead and took out several bottles of spirit wine from his storage ring, the liquid glowing with misty spiritual energy.
“You also deserve credit for this incident. Take these bottles of hundred-year spirit wine.”
He lowered his voice to warn:
“I only have these few bottles left. Don’t spread it around, if she finds out, none of us will have wine to drink in the future.”
Elder Zangjian’s expression changed instantly. His previous sorrow vanished completely, the wrinkles on his face blooming like flowers as he happily accepted the spirit wine and hugged it to his chest:
“Thank you, Sect Master! Rest assured, this old man’s mouth is very tight!”
“Go on, continue with your business.”
The sect master sighed lightly and waved his hand, watching the Elder’s figure joyfully departing while clutching the wine bottles, shaking his head helplessly.
How could there not be drunkards in the sect?
Unfortunately, they had gained one great drunkard, leaving all the other drunkards without wine to drink.
Look at this, even he, the sect master, had to secretly hide his wine.
…
Inside the cave, spiritual energy swirled, and the sound of water droplets falling into stone pools was particularly clear.
Lin Muyu faced the room full of weapons with difficulty, her fingertips lightly tracing across a jade flute, the flute’s cold touch making her slightly stunned.
At this moment, Xiao Tao’s voice sounded in her mind:
“Master has Wood Spirit Root! I recommend Xiaomu to you, it’s most suitable for Wood Spirit Root cultivators!”
“Xiaomu?”
Lin Muyu was confused for a moment before understanding why Xiao Tao had so readily accepted her own name.
“It’s that wooden stick with green leaves over there, next to the stone pillar!”
Xiao Tao’s voice carried clear guidance.
Lin Muyu looked in that direction and saw stone pillars with scattered rocks piled nearby, but didn’t see any special weapons:
“Where is it?” She lifted her skirt hem and stepped forward, crouching down to search carefully. After pushing aside a few fallen leaves, she still found nothing.
“It’s right by your feet!”
Xiao Tao’s voice carried some impatience.
Lin Muyu looked down and saw a dull gray wooden stick lying by her feet. Its bark had natural cracks, with a few tender green leaf buds sporadically growing at the top. It looked completely ordinary, no different from firewood randomly picked up in the wilderness.
“You mean this?”
She widened her eyes, truly unable to believe this ordinary wooden stick was a spirit weapon.
“Yes! Xiaomu is over a thousand years old, it’s a mature spirit weapon, but it likes to sleep and always disguises itself as ordinary wood.”
Xiao Tao’s voice carried some nostalgia.
“We used to sunbathe together in the cave often.”
“A mature spirit weapon?”
Lin Muyu’s mouth twitched slightly, thinking that Elder Zangjian probably hadn’t discovered the mystery of this “firewood.”
She carefully bent down to pick up the wooden stick. As soon as her fingertips touched the rough wooden surface, she heard a voice heavy with morning grouchiness coming from within the stick:
“Who is it? Disturbing someone’s sleep!”
The tone was full of irritation at being awakened, with some hoarseness from not being fully awake.
“Xiaomu, wake up! It’s me!”
Xiao Tao in the spirit bead quickly called out, her voice full of joy.
“Is it Sister Bead?”
The voice from the wooden stick instantly became several degrees more alert, the hoarseness fading as surprise quietly overflowed, even the tender leaves at the top trembling slightly.
“Bead…”