Sect Leader Is Under Great Pressure CH 027 Is This A Kidnapping?
When You Jia encountered Feng Qingxiu, he was currently standing on a cliff.
The happy squid who was in a good mood because of a relaxing bath stretched out his hand and patted his shoulder: "What is Eldest Senior Brother thinking?"
"I entered the sect after you, but why do you call me senior brother?" Feng Qingxiu turned his head, asking with slight curiosity.
He asked his master, and his master said that it was just a title and not something to be bothered about—in truth, he vaguely got the feeling that his master likely didn’t know either.
He thought that maybe his master did indeed develop a heart demon, which was why his master was so different. His master during the heart demon period should be treated with care, and it was better not to ask too many questions that had nothing to do with cultivation practice.
"There's actually an interesting story behind this." You Jia explained to him, "When the sect first came into being, Kun-Lai had only a few peaks. At that time, when accepting disciples, all of our parents and relatives wanted to become the Sect Leader's apprentice."
However, it was of no use. The only thing that came from this was that there were a few more additions to the people hung up on the branches waiting to be struck by thunder on Zhaoyue Peak.
Several elders asked others not to bother the Sect Leader about accepting apprentices, but this was misunderstood as them wanting to take away all the good disciples and not leave any good ones for the Sect Leader.
So naturally, even more people went to find the Sect Leader, only to be slapped away by the great wards surrounding the Sect Leader's residence.
This couldn't stop the eager people of course.
At that time, there was an old pine tree on Zhaoyue Peak, which had developed some intelligence. There were more and more people hanging on its branches every year, forming quite a spectacle.
Seeing that the Sect Leader didn't seem to be angry, the elders did not bother to deal with this matter.
Countless people fell under the Sect Leader's hand, and countless "corpses" could be seen laying at the foot of Zhaoyue Peak all year round. One time, Elder Yan passed by and mockingly said that whoever could become the apprentice of the Sect Leader, he would definitely call him "corpse brother"! (TN: a play on the term shixiong which means senior brother but “corpse brother” is also pronounced as shixiong)
"Shi" as in corpse.
So a long time afterwards, wherever this matter was discussed, there would always be people who would say that whoever could be the “corpse brother” was very lucky indeed.
Gradually, the term spread as the four word title "Sect Leader's direct apprentice" was too much of a mouthful and also cumbersome to write. When discussing online, everyone naturally used “corpse brother” instead.
Such as: "Aiya, today I managed to take the top spot in the examinations. I wonder if I have entered the sights of the Sect Leader? I feel like I can become the ‘corpse brother’."
"Taking three exams at once, do you think you are the ‘corpse brother’, to act so arrogantly?"
And so on.
"So, the so-called senior brother..." Feng Qingxiu felt that his three views were collapsing.
"Don't worry, we will call you Eldest Senior Brother from now on, not the corpse version!" You Jia comforted him.
"No, actually you should just call me Junior Brother..." Feng Qingxiu didn't feel comforted at all.
"Recently, it's just that everyone needs to vent their dissatisfaction. After all, your rise to the top is too surprising. They will go back to calling you the proper way in a few days. Like me for example, I technically have to call you… Youngest Senior Uncle." You Jia sighed with satisfaction, "Towards the Bai Yue issue today, thank you, Youngest Senior Uncle!"
"You..." Feng Qingxiu said with a smile, "I shall remember this."
"The great grace must be paid back, no need to be courteous, I have something to do now, so I shall be leaving first!" You Jia felt that he had successfully bullied his senior brother and was very happy.
Who said that only physical injuries hurt, there were so many ways to make trouble for others.
Feng Qingxiu crossed his arms, and was a little amused as he watched the other leaving, thinking that this senior brother was both quite silly and naive.
It was not that difficult to coax an ignorant senior sister, ai, he'll just treat it as helping out fellow sect disciples.
The problem now was how to solve the issue of his family…
"Is it very troublesome?" Ji Yunlai walked out from behind him smiling.
"A little bit," Feng Qingxiu had long become accustomed to Ji Yunlai's random coming and going, and turned his head to look at him sadly, "actually very troublesome."
"Do you want help?" Ji Yunlai chuckled. Settling a few mortals in Kun-Lai was no big deal for him, even if the number was greater than a hundred, it was only for a hundred years after all.
"You are breaking your own rules." Feng Qingxiu frowned slightly and refused, "I can help them apply for entry and give them the help I can, but I won't cross the line. There's no need to test me."
"How is this a test? I just want to make my apprentice happy." Ji Yunlai smiled and said, "Xiao Qing, do you know, children who know how to cry are doted on more."
"But I am not a child after all." Feng Qingxiu said proudly, "If my family really does have talented potentials, how could I still suppress them?"
"Then how did you explain it to your family? Just now when your mother was crying you looked completely at a loss." Ji Yunlai didn't feel mean at all for watching his apprentice's lively family reunion like one would watch a television soap opera.
"Putting aside how unreasonable it was for her to ask that my little brothers become your apprentices as well. If you really agreed, I'm afraid my family won't be able to live past tomorrow." Feng Qingxiu smiled bitterly. It was not that he didn't want to help, it was his mother acting too unreasonable. Putting aside the fact that his three younger brothers did not even have the qualifications to pass the Dragon-Phoenix Selection in the first place, just the request to become his master's direct apprentice alone was already out of this world. Compared with this, sending some family members into the lower school of the outer sect was a very small matter.
Did they really take those big influential families in Kun-Lai as harmless herbivores?
With a little encouragement, countless jealous people would be very willing to teach his family a lesson.
The Sect Leader could certainly protect them, but how could it be easy to control the human heart? If forcefully controlled, the fair and upright atmosphere within the sect would break down.
"My apprentice, you see things clearly, it deprives me of a lot of fun." Ji Yunlai smiled and tapped on his apprentice's forehead.
A cultivation method immediately flooded into his mind, and with it seemed to be a halo of light and a seed. The seed transformed in his sea of consciousness, taking root and sprouting.
"This is..." Feng Qingxiu read a few words in silence, and instantly became a little startled.
"Kun-Lai's cultivation method, Supreme Emptiness Immovable True Sutra, is best with the Cloud Talisman True Seed!" Ji Yunlai said casually.
"Isn't the Cloud Talisman True Seed only able to be made by Synthesis level cultivators… Two hundred thousand spiritual stones might not even be able to buy one..." Of course, Feng Qingxiu knew what a Cloud Talisman True Seed was, one of the three treasures of Kun-Lai, which could transform one's spiritual root into the best and suitable version when used along with the Supreme Emptiness Immovable True Sutra. Its simplified version, Cloud Talisman Dao Seed, was already at a price that ordinary disciples could hardly afford.
"Xiao Qing." Sect Leader Ji said to him earnestly, "You are my apprentice so be more magnanimous. The whole of Kun-Lai belongs to me, and of course it also belongs to you."
"..." Seemed very reasonable. Feng Qingxiu was speechless, still feeling that something was not quite right.
"Work hard on your cultivation." Ji Yunlai expressed his satisfaction, and after a few casual reminders, he turned and walked into the void.
One step, so close yet worlds apart. In the blink of an eye, he had already returned to the front yard of his residence on Zhaoyue Peak.
Seeing him approaching, a white camellia blooming in the courtyard blossomed happily, the bloom as big as a round dipper. The flower bloomed perfectly, and the moment it bloomed he felt delight in his heart.
It was like seeing Xiao Qing grow up.
He was well aware of what happened down the mountain.
But he did not need to take any action.
He believed that Feng Qingxiu had the ability to deal with it, and he was certain that those young cultivators dare not be too audacious.
Sure enough, Xiao Qing resolved it quickly.
However, his apprentice's cultivation level was too unbearably deplorable. As his master, he should at least give some good things, for cultivation, and for protection.
This was also the reason why Ji Yunlai waited until the matter was over before approaching him.
What he had to worry about now was himself. Now he was like a newbie playing a veteran game account, and his stats were not familiar to him. Although he could use his level to simply crush low-level players, it would be very troublesome if he had to face off against same level players.
Becoming proficient with his stats and skills asap was the proper thing to do.
He stretched out his hand, and a pure white camellia blossomed on his palm.
Flower layers upon layers, peerlessly beautiful, the soft light coming from the petals reflecting on his face. He flicked a petal with his finger.
The petals that fell off withered and then sank into the earth.
Life and death, to thrive and to wither.
Success or failure.
He closed his five fingers, and the petals disappeared from the slender and white fingertips.
He walked into his dwelling.
Behind him, countless flowers bloomed out of season.
Then withered again in an instant.
Only the white camellia that bloomed with joy remain unchanged.
***
On the other side, Feng Qingxiu was left alone on the cliff, the wind blowing at his hair and robes.
He closed his eyes and felt the precious gift bestowed on him.
That Cloud Talisman True Seed seemed to have been made and planted by Ji Yunlai himself and it fit perfectly with his spiritual roots. With this alone, he already felt that the speed of the spiritual energy circulation in his meridians had at least doubled.
Even more excited than him was his shadow.
Almost in the blink of an eye it had entered his sea of consciousness and stuck itself onto the spiritual root that was transformed from the Cloud Talisman True Seed, stroking and rubbing up and down, looking very much like that group of classmates of his who wanted to breathe in immortal energy that he couldn't look on anymore.
So he angrily drove the shadow out of his sea of consciousness, after all, he had the final say here.
Seeming to have been wronged terribly, the shadow squatted down in the corner and ignored him.
Feng Qingxiu was speechless for a while, but he couldn't do anything about his shadow. He had no choice but to sit down on the cliff and continue to study the high-level cultivation method of Kun-Lai.
Then, he felt a sense of familiarity.
So familiar that it was as if he could remember what came after just by reading a sentence, and then following the guidance he began to cultivate according to the method. Instantly, many energies floating in the surrounding area began to gather around him...
But he didn't know what it was.
He only knew that his shadow was eating it very happily.
As his shadow ate happily, his spiritual energy also began to rise.
The sun rose and the moon fell, and there was no such thing as a break.
His cultivation level also began to rise uncontrollably.
No way? Was this Kun-Lai cultivation method so powerful?
This was too powerful!
Feng Qingxiu meditated silently, looking on as his cultivation base began to rise at a visible speed.
Foundation Establishment Stage mid-phase, sixth level, seventh level, eighth level...
No way, it was about to reach the ninth level.
Ninth level!
It was still rising!
Foundation Establishment Stage final phase? ? ?
No way? Could it be that it was going to rise again? But it will be the Golden Core Formation Stage next!
And then it was the Golden Core Formation Stage, but no longer rising.....
Wait a sec!
Feng Qingxiu practically wanted to scream out loud.
What was happening here?
Where was the tribulation?
What about the heart demons?
This was too scary. This was rising to a new cultivation level. What cultivator didn't prepare beforehand by collecting spiritual artifacts, deal with their heart demons, consolidate their cultivation base, and choose a good lucky place to break through to the next cultivation level?
But he rose up a level as if it was as easy as taking a sip of tea, without even any notice beforehand!
Too terrifying!
Towards this inexplicable leveling up method he was simply too scared beyond description!
Master, help!
The head disciple, who had always been calm and steady, was completely unable to calm down. He stood up a little unsteadily and prepared to go find his master.
Just as he passed a corner, he heard a soft sigh.
"The faint sky, my meager self....." An elegant and melancholy voice sounded, and then out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a young man standing at the edge of a cliff, a sword held up to his throat and about to commit suicide.
Feng Qingxiu instinctively stepped forward to stop it.
Suddenly, a sudden change occurred!
A long sword was silently placed up against his neck, the culprit being the very young man who was about to commit suicide just a second ago. He had tan skin and a ring hanging on a chain around his neck.
The look in his eyes was very domineering, but Feng Qingxiu did not recognize him.
"I need you to do me a favor." He said.