Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Choosing a Master

The sharp sound was particularly jarring in the solemn and dignified hall.

The elders were startled and all stood up.

The Second Elder strode over: “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Sang Nian said sheepishly: “I’m fine, it’s just that the lamp broke…”

The First Elder said: “It must be an accident, just change it.”

A disciple brought over a new glass lamp.

She carefully squeezed a drop of blood.

The Second Elder watched intently, without blinking.

The lamp flickered, and in the midst of many ambiguous gazes, it trembled and lit up with a faint glow.

The Second Elder breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s definitely a problem with the lamp.”

The First Elder put away the lamp and turned to the other elders:

“Those who want to take a disciple can come and choose now, those who didn’t become true disciples will be divided into inner and outer disciples according to their aptitude.”

They had been holding back, they couldn’t wait to come down and head straight for Sang Nian.

Sang Nian felt like she was a monkey in a zoo.

The Second Elder said eagerly:

“To be honest, I took a liking to you from the moment you stepped onto the square, I’ve been watching you all the way here, we are destined to be master and disciple.”

“I don’t think so.”

The Seventh Elder smiled:

“You have a pure water and wood dual spirit root, I have a unique water-based technique, it’s a perfect match for your spirit root, I guarantee you’ll form a golden core within three years, how about being my disciple?”

The First Elder coughed lightly:

“I have two disciples, Chu Yao and Xue Yin, they are both girls, you can practice and play with them on a daily basis.”

The Second Elder was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he immediately rebuked:

“Didn’t you say you had enough disciples? Okay, you’re framing me, are you?”

“I suddenly think three disciples is pretty good.”

“Shameless!”

They were arguing fiercely, as if they were about to fight, they had no air of an elder at all, the other new disciples had never seen such a scene, they couldn’t help but look at each other.

Only the girl who spoke first, her fingers were clenched, her face full of disappointment and unwillingness.

Shen Mingchao looked envious, but quickly turned his head away, and said sullenly:

“People with no vision wouldn’t choose this prince.”

“What did you say?” The Fifth Elder stood in front of him and asked.

Shen Mingchao stubbornly insisted:

“I’m not inferior to that Sang Nian in terms of aptitude, you’re losing out by not choosing me as your disciple.”

The Fifth Elder chuckled: “You’re very confident.”

Shen Mingchao was unconvinced:

“I’m telling the truth, you’ll know when I ascend in the future, I don’t care about any master.”

The Fifth Elder: “If I were to be your master…”

Before he finished speaking, Shen Mingchao knelt down in a second, decisively:

“Master!”

The Fifth Elder laughed, “You’re quite clever.”

Xie Chenzhou looked at them coldly, his face was emotionless.

The Second Elder caught sight of him, he suddenly grabbed his hand tightly, and said happily:

“How about you and that girl Sang Nian come to be my disciples together?”

Xie Chenzhou usually hated physical contact with others, he immediately wanted to break free from the Second Elder’s hand, but he couldn’t break free no matter what.

His face was ugly: “Let go.”

The Second Elder still had that benevolent expression: “Your blood is flowing backwards, although it’s not serious, your internal organs must have been damaged, I’ve transferred some spiritual energy to you to treat it, are you feeling better now?”

Xie Chenzhou said stiffly: “I don’t need it.”

The Second Elder let go of his hand, gently patted the back of his hand, didn’t say anything else, and continued to argue with the First Elder.

Yan Yuan strode over, pushed the two of them aside, and handed Sang Nian a white moon-colored sword tassel.

Everyone fell silent, the Second Elder said angrily: “I knew this kid wouldn’t just stand there and watch!”

Sang Nian understood what he meant, she didn’t take the sword tassel, she lowered her voice and asked in a volume only they could hear:

“You’re all vying to take me as a disciple, is it because of… Jing Xian?”

Yan Yuan’s eyes were indifferent: “Whether you are her daughter or not, I will take you as my disciple.”

Sang Nian blinked, puzzled.

Yan Yuan said: “When you chose to refuse me and insisted on climbing that mountain yourself, I prepared this sword tassel.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Sang Nian’s face.

She was about to reach out and take the sword tassel, when suddenly, a beam of sword light swiftly flew in from outside the hall, stirring up a shower of flowers.

The sword light dissipated, and a man slowly walked out from it.

He was about twenty-seven or eight, his brows and eyes were handsome, his figure was tall and slender, he was wearing a black brocade robe, the hem and sleeves were outlined with gold thread, and he wore a simple jade pendant that symbolized the position of the sect leader at his waist, implicitly highlighting his high status.

Seeing him, the disciples below were in an uproar.

“Why is the Sect Master here?”

“Didn’t Brother Wen say the Sect Master was still in seclusion?”

“Looking at the direction he’s walking, could it be that he’s also here for that new disciple?”

The elders were also full of surprise: “Didn’t they say the Sect Master wouldn’t attend the entry ceremony?”

“Why did he suddenly…”

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the man walked to Sang Nian, and stopped.

Sang Nian had already guessed his identity from the discussions around her, she awkwardly learned to bow:

“Disciple Sang Nian, greets the Sect Master.”

Above her head, the man’s voice was as warm as jade:

“You, are willing to be my disciple, Song Lanfeng?”

The hall suddenly fell silent, and soon, deliberately lowered voices buzzed around.

“Didn’t the Sect Master say he would only take Brother Wen as a disciple this lifetime?”

“Yeah, he even”

“Stop talking, Senior Sister Chu Yao’s face has changed.”

Among the disciples, Chu Yao’s expression stiffened, she lowered her head, hiding the sadness in her eyes.

Someone patted her shoulder, she raised her face and met Wen Buyu’s worried gaze.

Chu Yao smiled, silently mouthing:

“It’s okay, I don’t care.”

Wen Buyu touched her head, his movements were gentle, as if comforting a sad little cat.

Ahead, Song Lanfeng was still waiting for Sang Nian’s answer.

Sang Nian looked at him, then at Yan Yuan, and finally said softly, “I’m sorry.”

She took Yan Yuan’s sword tassel.

“She actually rejected the Sect Master!”

“My god, is she crazy?”

“…”

The disciples below were discussing in a flurry, but Song Lanfeng, as the main character of the event, didn’t react much.

He said warmly:

“Brother Yan Yuan has a calm personality, it seems like a good choice for him to be your master.”

Sang Nian breathed a sigh of relief, and continued to say polite words: “Thank you for your kindness, Sect Master.”

Song Lanfeng curved his lips, his gaze shifted to Xie Chenzhou:

“This young Daoist friend must also be a new disciple, have you chosen a master?”

Xie Chenzhou said expressionlessly, pointing at the Second Elder.

The Second Elder: “?”

He pointed at himself in astonishment: “Me?”

Xie Chenzhou nodded.

The Second Elder immediately burst into a smile.

Seeing this, a hint of regret flashed in Song Lanfeng’s eyes, but he still smiled:

“Very good.”

After the disciples performed their master-disciple bows in turn, and the remaining new disciples were settled, the entry ceremony was considered over.

Everyone dispersed slowly.

Sang Nian was about to follow Yan Yuan back to Guzhu Peak, when Song Lanfeng said softly:

“Sang Nian, stay, I have something to say to you alone.”

Sang Nian could only stop, and said to Xie Chenzhou:

“You go back with your master first, we’ll meet at the dining hall for dinner.”

Xie Chenzhou nodded.

On the other side, Chu Yao took a deep look at Sang Nian and Song Lanfeng, and left with Wen Buyu and Su Xueyin.

Soon, only Sang Nian and Song Lanfeng were left in the hall.

She was a little restrained: “I don’t know what the Sect Master wants to talk to me about?”

Song Lanfeng smiled warmly:

“You’re going to die.”