Chapter 55: Guest Scholar

Qin Yue's expression was calm and composed, neither arrogant nor servile, responding with perfect courtesy.

At the end, Tang Qingxuan said, “Originally, the Sect Leader and your master intended to come in person, but something came up unexpectedly. She specifically asked me to let you know that once things are settled, she will make time to meet you.”

Qin Yue nodded lightly, cupping his hands to the side, “I am grateful for the Sect Leader’s attention; I am humbled.”

Yue Mingxi laughed heartily, “Young Master Qin, there’s no need for modesty. Though our Zhaoyang Sect is respected as the foremost sect in the world, we have always valued and respected talented individuals.”

Dongfang Qingyu, with dignified features and a gentle smile, added, “Mr. Qin, to have such talent at your young age, you are sure to have a boundless future.”

Soon, Qin Yue was ushered by the group into a grand hall.

The reception room was spacious and bright, with luxurious carpets laid out on the floor. The chairs were crafted and carved from rare woods, and every instrument and furnishing was of the highest quality.

Qin Yue was seated beside Deputy Sect Leader Yue Mingxi, with Dongfang Qingyu next to him.

Once everyone was settled, Tang Qingxuan had the promised items from their previous exchange brought in, counted them in person, and handed them to Qin Yue.

Qin Yue accepted them naturally, and after storing them away, tried to return the bronze mirror to Tang Qingxuan.

Tang Qingxuan smiled and waved her hand, “It’s just a minor artifact; consider it a meeting gift for my little brother.”

The others couldn’t help but glance at this direct disciple of the Sect Leader, a prominent figure in the sect. In all these years, they had never seen Tang Qingxuan give anything away, but the inheritor of Green Bamboo Grove was indeed worth recruiting!

After expressing his thanks, Qin Yue looked curiously at Ling Chen, “Young Master Ling, how goes your research on that bamboo scroll? Any discoveries?”

At this, Ling Chen’s lips twitched slightly, and an awkward look flickered in his eyes.

“It’s going well,” he replied with a smile.

That battered bamboo scroll nearly made him the laughingstock of Zhaoyang Sect!

Fortunately, he kept it tightly under wraps, never letting anyone else see it. Even the “final payment” he gave Qin Yue came from his own private funds.

To others, it seemed clearly an extraordinary cultivation method, which he didn’t want to share. Otherwise, the sect would have paid for it.

But Ling Chen suffered in silence. That bamboo scroll was nothing remarkable—just a dual cultivation technique!

Such things might not abound in the library of Zhaoyang Sect, but they were hardly lacking.

He hadn’t even looked closely, just tossed it into a corner, feeling like he’d stepped into a pit—utterly unlucky.

Had his trading partner not been “Mr. Qin,” he might have reneged altogether and returned the item.

—This Young Master doesn’t want it!

Afterwards, he wondered: since it was nothing special, why had it caused such a stir?

No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t make sense of it, resigning himself to bad luck.

Now, faced with Qin Yue’s direct inquiry, he couldn’t reveal the truth and had to feign satisfaction. No one could understand the frustration he felt.

Even Tang Qingxuan and the others still believed the bamboo scroll to be extraordinary…

Seeing the transaction with Qin Yue complete, Yue Mingxi smiled and spoke, “Qingxuan mentioned before that we wish to invite Mr. Qin to join the Zhaoyang Sect. Have you considered it?”

Everyone in the reception hall turned their eyes to Qin Yue, even the youngest, Chu Wanqing, looking on with curiosity.

Qin Yue glanced at the young girl; he had long recognized her as the one Li Ye had secretly photographed.

He hadn’t paid much attention before, but recently heard from Feng Qianning that this girl’s talent was exceptional—already at the thirteenth level of Void Perception!

She seemed pure-hearted; he wondered if there might be a chance to lure her to Tianluo Sect. Leaving her in Zhaoyang, that mongrel sect, would be a waste.

He looked sincerely at Yue Mingxi, “Deputy Sect Leader, I already have a master, not from Green Bamboo Grove, but my teacher treats me very well. It wouldn’t be right to pledge myself elsewhere.”

The old madman, needless to say, was the first benefactor he met after arriving in this world.

Without that elder of his clan, escaping the Ice Abyss would have been possible, but getting out of the thousand-mile frozen wasteland would not have been easy.

As for Tianluo Sect, though he hadn't met his reclusive master, both Junior Uncle Chi Mingxu and his senior brothers and sisters—including Sect Leader Mu Xingruo and Ning Bao—had treated him exceptionally well.

Even though their time together was brief, he felt a sense of family.

Of course, most importantly, he would never accept a false master, even for show!

Yue Mingxi looked at Tang Qingxuan and Xuan Xiao, his smile stiffening—hadn't they said it was settled with Mr. Qin?

Qin Yue continued, “Previously, when the Inviting Moon Hall and Tianhua Palace invited me, they offered excellent terms. I believe Tang Sister and the others are aware of this.”

Tang Qingxuan nodded silently. Xuan Xiao said, “Zhaoyang Sect’s rules are indeed different. Mainly, Mr. Qin, you’re still young. As a cultivator, it’s quite normal to have several masters. I’m sure your teacher wouldn’t mind.”

The elder skilled in aura observation smiled, “Indeed, on the path of cultivation, it’s common to learn from multiple masters.”

Inner Sect Elder Yang Yidong also spoke, “Especially since this is Zhaoyang Sect, I doubt your master would object.”

Qin Yue replied, “My teacher is rather narrow-minded, with a temper to match.”

As he said this, he saw Yue Mingxi looking displeased, and Tang Qingxuan and the others showing awkward expressions. He suddenly changed tone—

“But whether it’s Young Master Ling or Tang Sister, everyone has treated me generously. So, I came this time hoping to stay at Zhaoyang Sect, though perhaps in a different capacity.”

Tang Qingxuan instantly relaxed, “What capacity?”

Qin Yue said, “How about as a guest elder?”

The whole room was stunned.

To be honest, none of them had considered such a request!

A guest elder in the sect held an exalted status, especially in a top sect like Zhaoyang.

Usually, the sect would invite such people; it was rare for someone to volunteer.

Just then, a cold laugh sounded at the door, “A mere seventeen or eighteen-year-old, offered entry to Zhaoyang Sect, direct to the inner sect, allowed to choose your master—that’s already a tremendous favor. Who do you think you are, to shamelessly ask to be a guest elder?”

With that, a man in his fifties, clad in black, stormed in, his anger barely concealed.

He glared coldly at Qin Yue in front of Deputy Sect Leader Yue Mingxi, “They say you’re the inheritor of Green Bamboo Grove. I don’t believe it. Would you dare to compete with me?”

Qin Yue felt bewildered—where did this old man come from? Whether he was qualified to be a guest elder had nothing to do with this fellow.

But the man seemed forceful, brazen even before the deputy sect leader and elders.

Qin Yue wasn’t one for patience; about to retort, he suddenly thought better, glancing at Tang Qingxuan and Xuan Xiao.

He was the guest they wanted to recruit; surely they should be more anxious now.

Indeed, Tang Qingxuan and the others frowned slightly, Ling Chen looked especially displeased at the elder.

Ling Chen didn’t mind the loss over the bamboo scroll; as long as he could bring the Green Bamboo Grove inheritor over, it would be a great achievement.

Yue Mingxi rose with a smile, “Mr. Qin, don’t misunderstand. This is Elder Yu, a guest elder of our sect, deeply accomplished in herbal cultivation and alchemy, though rather blunt in temperament.”

No wonder he was so confrontational—there was competition. Qin Yue understood.

But understanding aside, the issue was that he was now their honored guest; was this how the world’s foremost sect treated its guests?

And who called this old fellow here? Was it deliberate, to vex him?

He looked at Yue Mingxi, forcing a slight smile, “I’ve only just left home, young and inexperienced, and I’ve made a spectacle in front of you seniors. Since the transaction with Young Master is complete, perhaps it’s best we part ways now.”

He turned to Tang Qingxuan, “Sister, your kindness in gifting the artifact will be repaid if the chance arises.”

With that, he rose, cupping his hands in a flawless gesture.

Ling Chen frowned and quickly stood, grabbing Qin Yue, “You are the honored guest of myself and Sister Tang. If you leave now, won’t people say Zhaoyang Sect doesn’t know how to treat guests?”

Tang Qingxuan hurried over, gently reassuring him, “Brother, trust me, this is surely a misunderstanding. Elder Yu…he meant no harm.”

Yue Mingxi was also taken aback. As Deputy Sect Leader, he didn’t usually mind the occasional loss of talent.

But Qin Yue was different. As the inheritor of Green Bamboo Grove, extinct for hundreds of years, his status alone made him highly sought after by countless sects.

Moreover, recently, rumors had spread through Zhaoyang Sect’s main branch of a formidable Mr. Qin soon to join.

If he left, especially after being driven out, it would be an embarrassment.

He quickly reassured, “Mr. Qin, please don’t be angry. Elder Yu truly meant no harm. All conflict is due to misunderstanding. Come, let’s all go to the dining hall for a drink; after a few cups, everything will be forgotten!”

Yang Yidong and Dongfang Qingyu also spoke up, urging him to stay.

Dongfang Qingyu even sent a private message to Elder Yu, “Old Yu, what are you doing? He’s just a young man; is it really necessary?”

Elder Yu’s face alternated between pale and flushed. He glanced at Qin Yue, now surrounded and comforted by the group, said nothing more, snorted coldly, and left.

With a hint of childish petulance, Qin Yue took advantage of the situation, watching Elder Yu’s retreating back, and asked, “Will this be all right…?”

“No problem!”

“That’s just Elder Yu’s temper.”

“We won’t stoop to his level!”

The group coaxed him like a child, inviting Qin Yue to the dining hall.

Zhaoyang Sect also used separate dining, but their tables were massive and round.

In the center of the table stood several pots of rare flowers, their branches gnarled, leaves sparse—a sign they were ancient flowering trees.

Qin Yue was again seated beside Yue Mingxi. Everyone chatted and laughed, sharing stories to dispel the earlier awkwardness.

Qin Yue stared at the old flower trees, looking a bit shy. He glanced at Yue Mingxi, then at Tang Qingxuan across from him, hesitating to speak.

Tang Qingxuan smiled, “Is my brother curious about the origin of these old flowering trees?”

Everyone looked at Qin Yue. He shook his head, “I think they’re a bit malnourished. I’d like to help nurture them, but I’m afraid it might be presumptuous.”

“How could it be?” Tang Qingxuan’s eyes lit up.

Truth be told, she and Ling Chen weren’t without pressure. Qin Yue was the inheritor of Green Bamboo Grove, a guest among the great beasts of the Monster Beast Valley, but there had been no proof of his abilities.

Yue Mingxi smiled, “Please, show us the ways of the Divine Farmer!”

In legend, the top cultivators in this field were called Divine Farmers.

“I dare not claim such a title, but I can try.”

Qin Yue rose, staying at a distance, quietly circulating his Steal the Heavens technique. He could extract essence from plants, but also transfer his energy into them.

His long cultivation had not been in vain; he didn’t even need to form a seal now.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on him. Elder Yu, recently coaxed back, stood silently at the door, watching coldly.

The next moment,

One of the old flowering trees on the table pushed forth new shoots from its withered branches, leaves glowing with vibrant green, and tightly closed buds slowly began to bloom.