Yan Jianlan patiently waited for the tables to turn.
After all, he’d also said afterward that Sheng Jiao was handsome when spending money on him.
But after that line, the bastard Feng Yu actually put away the rhinoceros horn lamp, grinning at him with teeth showing: “You said this, right?”
Yan Jianlan: “…”
Yan Jianlan said expressionlessly: “What about the second half?”
“What second half?” Feng Yu played dumb. “Did you say anything else after?”
Yan Jianlan got anxious: “I did!”
Feng Yu said innocently: “Well, I didn’t hear it. Right, Yu Du?”
Heng Yudu was drinking tea. Hearing this, he looked blank: “Huh? What, hear what? I didn’t hear anything.”
Yan Jianlan: “…”
Yan Jianlan’s face turned green. With a face like still water, he beckoned with his hand, directly summoning Spring Rain sword and slashing toward Feng Yu.
“I’ll cleave you!”
Feng Yu grinned as he summoned Ghost Blade to block Spring Rain’s sharp edge, clicking his tongue: “Oho, embarrassed and angry now? You said those words yourself—I didn’t fabricate a single thing.”
Yan Jianlan raged: “You!”
The two immediately started fighting in Nine Thoughts Garden.
Blade light and sword shadows, spiritual power and eerie ghost energy flying about, making the porcelain bowls on the table ring faintly.
Sheng Jiao sat upright without saying a word. When he didn’t speak, aside from Yan Jianlan, no one could tell his mood.
Yan Jianlan, relying on his cultivation, gave Feng Yu a beating. But Feng Yu had deliberately dug a pit for Yan Jianlan, wanting to see the little swindler suffer. Even after taking a beating, he remained cheerfully shameless.
Yan Jianlan put away Spring Rain sword, sat down expressionlessly, drained a cup of wine in one gulp, and coldly refused to speak.
Back when the Zhuxing Zhai group collectively excluded Sheng Jiao, now the tables had turned—the excluded one became their own. Everyone wanted to see him make a fool of himself.
Beside him, Lezheng Jiu looked over meaningfully and suddenly leaned in to whisper: “Ling’er, want to separate?”
Yan Jianlan: “…”
Lezheng Jiu had been persistent over the years. Every time Yan Jianlan suffered at Sheng Jiao’s hands, he’d sidle over with demonic whispers asking if he wanted to separate.
In short, not a single good person in Zhuxing Zhai.
After a chaotic ruckus until late at night, everyone dispersed.
Yan Jianlan sullenly returned with Sheng Jiao to Osmanthus Small Court. Seeing Sheng Jiao’s indifferent expression, he simply took advantage of his drunkenness to skillfully strike first, saying meaningfully: “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving Xiezhi Sect? I only found out from others. How could you do this?”
Sheng Jiao turned aside to lift the bead curtain, letting the short Yan Jianlan enter, saying indifferently: “Wanted to wait for you to return to tell you personally.”
Yan Jianlan choked.
One sentence lightly blocked him.
Yan Jianlan coughed dryly and changed the subject: “So what do you plan to do from now on?”
Sheng Jiao didn’t dwell on it either: “Take disciples, establish a sect.”
Yan Jianlan said in surprise: “So soon?”
He’d thought they’d wait until the spiritual veins were nurtured with enough spiritual power to raise those heaven-blessed talents before Sheng Jiao would take disciples.
Sheng Jiao: “Mm.”
Spiritual veins were continuously surging throughout the Thirteen States. There would be more sects in the future, and wandering cultivators would also form their own factions. If they waited for top-grade spiritual veins to mature, all the good seedlings would probably be snatched up.
“That works.” Yan Jianlan was slightly drunk but barely maintaining sobriety. He sat down lazily—such a small chair, yet his slender body could sit cross-legged on it. Lazily propping his chin, he said: “So you came to the academy this time to see if there are any good seedlings?”
Sheng Jiao nodded.
“Good, good.” Yan Jianlan clapped, grinning: “You establish the sect, I’ll do business and make big money. We’re a perfect match.”
Sheng Jiao’s manner was aloof: “Didn’t you want me to support you?”
“Hey!” Yan Jianlan said magnanimously: “Money is but worldly possession—no need to worry too much. Besides, I’m making money, so why trouble Sect Master Sheng?”
Sect Master Sheng’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Yan Jianlan grinned and leaned forward: “Sect Master Sheng’s expressions have increased lately—you can even smile without warmth now? Real progress.”
Sheng Jiao pushed him away with two fingers on his forehead, taking out a terrain map from his storage ring—a miniature panorama of several spiritual mountains around Yan Family Mountain.
“The sect will be built on Futian Realm in the Western Mountain.”
Yan Jianlan propped his chin, lazily looking. Hearing this, he exclaimed: “Futian Realm is much higher than Yan Family Mountain. I went to see the mountain steps recently—probably tens of thousands of layers. If you build there, young disciples coming and going will spend a whole day.”
Sheng Jiao pointed with his hand, marking the sect’s location at Futian Realm’s peak, saying coldly and indifferently: “This is training.”
Yan Jianlan clicked his tongue in amazement.
He’d thought before that whoever became Sheng Jiao’s disciple would definitely suffer greatly, but would also definitely become extremely accomplished.
Yan Jianlan didn’t interfere with how Sheng Jiao would establish the sect, only silently pitying the new disciples of Futian Realm.
But since he wasn’t the one climbing ten thousand steps, Yan Jianlan didn’t pity them long before grinning shamelessly: “Should I also take a disciple or something? My medical skills are now at their peak. I’ve saved many people in Wuyin City—everyone gratefully calls me ‘Divine Doctor’!”
Yan Jianlan wanted to do everything—open a medical hall, manage Evil Qi Road, partner with Fu Man to build painted boats for Wuyin City’s commerce. Yet he did each one presentably, leaving no faults to pick.
“Your temperament isn’t suited to taking disciples.” Sheng Jiao said. “Just play around.”
Yan Jianlan thought carefully and agreed. His fresh interest in anything didn’t last long. If he took disciples and neglected them, he’d probably ruin a child’s life. So he stopped thinking about taking disciples.
Early the next morning, the youths from Lixiang Zhai chattered lively and cheerfully.
Heng Yudu sat in his wheelchair, instructing them: “Don’t approach this grand competition with a playful mindset. Those with good spiritual cultivation will be selected by great sects’ masters as personal disciples—boundless prospects ahead.”
Everyone obediently nodded.
Qin Banban crouched beside Heng Yudu, looking up pitifully: “Dean, I can’t bear to leave you.”
“Good child.” Heng Yudu said gently. “Just don’t tell anyone outside I taught you.”
Qin Banban: “…”
Since Tianyan disappeared from the Thirteen States four years ago, spiritual veins—the main source of cultivation—finally fully revived in sects that had been forced into hiding by clans for hundreds of years.
After four years of nurturing, many secluded sects gradually emerged, beginning to search for good seedlings everywhere.
Tianyan Academy’s last batch of students became everyone’s main target.
Qin Banban, carefree, pulled on Heng Yudu’s sleeve again: “Dean, will my Brother Lan take disciples? I want to be his disciple.”
Heng Yudu laughed: “Master is like father—wouldn’t that mess up the generations?”
“But you count as half my master.” Qin Banban said righteously. “Isn’t that also messing up generations?”
Heng Yudu knew her mouth could chatter endlessly—probably learned from Yan Jianlan. Helplessly he said: “Jianlan doesn’t take disciples. He doesn’t even have enough time to play. But Sheng Jiao will probably take some. If you want to see your Brother Lan, you can enter Sheng Jiao’s tutelage.”
Qin Banban said meaningfully: “Sect Master Sheng bullied the small to snatch my bell. I still remember.”
Heng Yudu patted her head, laughing helplessly.
Tianyan Academy had been renamed, but not knowing what to change it to, they simply removed the two characters “Tianyan,” calling it just Academy.
This event was extremely grand. Before dawn, many sect masters continuously entered the spirit mustard seed space for the academy’s grand competition, awaiting the youths’ matches.
Zhuxing Zhai also had a separate spirit mustard seed space. Aside from the extremely busy Heng Yudu, everyone else gathered there cracking pine nuts and chatting.
Yan Jianlan came in yawning. Having rushed too much this morning, he hadn’t even adjusted his earring properly. Listlessly sitting down, he began adjusting the beads, not hearing anyone talking to him.
Fu Man sidled over, tugging his earlobe to look: “Want me to carve ‘Hear All Things’ runes on your ear cartilage to save constantly adjusting?”
Yan Jianlan read his lip movements and immediately shook his head: “No, I’m afraid of pain.”
Fu Man said: “Then I’ll make you a small earring to pin on your earlobe.”
Yan Jianlan still said: “No, I’m afraid of pain.”
Fu Man: “…”
Beside them, Lezheng Jiu really couldn’t hold back, saying sarcastically: “Fu Man, stop persuading. That spirit bead on the earring was personally given by Sect Master Sheng. How could he bear to change it?”
Yan Jianlan: “…”
Fu Man said “ah” and retreated dryly: “Oh, my apologies.”
Yan Jianlan said angrily: “Don’t make it sound like my head is full of romantic nonsense. I’m just afraid of pain. Making a little hole in my ear—painful enough to kill me.”
Lezheng Jiu said: “Alright, alright, you’re just afraid of pain. I understand.”
His perfunctory attitude made Yan Jianlan even angrier. He grabbed Fu Man, saying coldly: “Pierce my ear. Right now. If the pain kills me, bury me on the spot.”
Fu Man looked completely troubled.
Sheng Jiao lifted the curtain and entered, seeing Yan Jianlan pulling Fu Man’s hand to poke at his ear, frowning slightly.
“What’s this?”
Yan Jianlan immediately put away his fierce appearance, pointing at Lezheng Jiu, saying aggrievedly: “He wants to make a hole in my ear and says it’ll hurt me to death.”
Lezheng Jiu’s face turned green.
Sheng Jiao could tell Yan Jianlan was making trouble, but still frowned, his large hand supporting the side of Yan Jianlan’s face to examine the earlobe pulled red.
The earring was made of light dust iron. Yan Jianlan’s skin was fair—a light rub could leave large red marks. The earring fastened on his ear cartilage sometimes rubbed with body movement. After a session, the whole ear would be rubbed red.
If there were a lighter earring, it could save him suffering.
Seeing Yan Jianlan clamoring about fearing pain, Sheng Jiao didn’t decide for him on his own, only thinking to find lighter spirit beads to replace them later.
Sheng Jiao skillfully adjusted the earring, gently fastening it on Yan Jianlan’s ear cartilage: “Mm, won’t pierce.”
Yan Jianlan, as if finally affirmed, proudly raised an eyebrow at Lezheng Jiu.
Lezheng Jiu rolled his eyes.
In the time it took to exchange a few words, two youths had already mounted the sparring platform in the martial arts field below.
Heng Yudu had excellent methods teaching students. Though he wasn’t skilled in sword techniques, he forcefully trained two youths with natural sword bones to have excellent sword intent despite their young age.
Lixiang Zhai’s students were all disobedient and temperamentally difficult. Though students from other studies had milder temperaments, their spiritual roots couldn’t compare to Lixiang Zhai’s.
Yan Jianlan originally thought Sheng Jiao would choose a disciple with the same cold face and cold emotions as himself.
But after the day’s grand competition ended…
Yan Jianlan looked at Qin Banban standing before Sheng Jiao with a sullen face, silent for a long time: “You’re taking Banban as a disciple?”
Qin Banban’s temper was so troublesome even the good-natured Heng Yudu couldn’t handle her, let alone the unsmiling Sheng Jiao.
But when taking disciples, Sheng Jiao didn’t care about troublemaking—only talent and ability to endure hardship.
“Mm, take one first. Next month I’ll search for others.”
From Lixiang Zhai, Sheng Jiao only valued Qin Banban. The others didn’t catch his eye.
Qin Banban knew Sheng Jiao had the highest cultivation among those who came today. Being chosen by him was her good fortune, but she held small grudges. Still resentful about Sheng Jiao forcibly snatching her bell last time, her pretty face drooped. The snowflakes around her listlessly circled her, looking very unwilling.
Other children saw Sect Master Sheng taking Qin Banban away, each jealous and envious to the point of bloodshot eyes. Seeing her reluctant appearance, they nearly rushed forward to volunteer themselves.
Yan Jianlan coughed dryly, probing: “Banban, you look unwilling?”
Qin Banban immediately was about to complain when Yan Jianlan quickly covered her mouth, laughing dryly: “…To have a Great Ascension Sect Master Sheng personally teach you, how could you be unwilling? Banban, quickly call him Master.”
Qin Banban struggled to pull down Yan Jianlan’s hand: “But I…”
My bell!
Sheng Jiao glanced at her coldly, casually taking out a jade bell he’d gotten from Fu Man and handing it to her as a disciple acceptance gift.
Qin Banban immediately accepted it with both hands, respectfully shouting that Master was mighty.
Sheng Jiao, Yan Jianlan: “…”
This child—perhaps a fool.
**
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152