Chapter 3: Apprenticed to Shuiyue

"Silence in the main hall!"

Daoxuan Zhenren, who had not spoken for a long time, spoke with authority at this moment. The crowd immediately stopped arguing, and the main hall returned to a quiet atmosphere.

As expected of the Sect Leader, a single sentence was enough to make these red-faced, high-ranking figures recover. It could also be seen that the several Peak Masters held him in high regard.

Daoxuan Zhenren pondered for a moment. Tian Buyi and the others secretly felt that things were looking bad. Sure enough, after a while, Daoxuan Zhenren looked at Cangsong and said, "Since Junior Brother Cangsong was the first to speak, and given that he has a knack for teaching disciples, let Jingyu be apprenticed under him."

"There is no need for the rest of you Junior Brothers to feel discouraged; there are still Xiaofan and Changqing. You may each choose as you wish."

After a cough, Shang Zhengliang pretended to drink tea as if it were none of his business. Tian Yun stared at the ceiling of the main hall, seemingly finding the patterns above quite interesting. Tian Buyi, who had been arguing most fiercely with Cangsong just a moment ago, closed his eyes and fell asleep at this time, while Ceng Shuchang simply entered meditation, as if he had never been involved in this matter from the start.

Zhang Xiaofan had previously been secretly happy for his good brother, seeing him held in such high regard.

Yet he did not expect that when it came to his and Su Changqing's turn, these True Persons, who had just been arguing until their faces were red, all began to fall silent one by one.

Just how much must they look down on the two of them?

"Changqing, we..."

Zhang Xiaofan cast a bitter smile of shared misery at Su Changqing.

Su Changqing did not speak, only returning a smile. He stood quietly to the side watching this scene, and it was impossible to tell what his mood was right now.

What else could his mood be?

Indifference mixed with a bit of being happy with how things were.

Lin Jingyu was exceptionally gifted with superior natural talent; it was fated in the story for him to be apprenticed under Cangsong, and Zhang Xiaofan would also be taken in by Tian Buyi, so there was no need to worry at all.

As for his own abrupt existence, he still did not know who he would be apprenticed to.

However, whoever he was apprenticed to, or even if he became an Outer Disciple, it did not affect Su Changqing's mood.

After all, with Against-Heaven Comprehension in hand, it was the same under anyone's tutelage. Being able to avoid getting involved and quietly cultivating to achieve the Great Dao was, after all, the best choice.

Sure enough, seeing that no one was speaking up.

Daoxuan Zhenren could not help but feel a bit awkward. He had just told Su Changqing to let him join the Qingyun Sect, and now this was the situation. However, an Immortal like him certainly had a standard of conduct where once a word was spoken, it could not be taken back.

With a thought, he immediately found a scapegoat.

"Junior Brother Tian."

Daoxuan Zhenren's smile looked exceptionally kind at this moment.

Tian Buyi immediately felt that something was terribly wrong and woke up from his feigned sleep. Just as he was about to speak, he was preempted by Daoxuan Zhenren: "The Caomiao Village incident was discovered by your disciple Song Daren, and the three of them were saved by him together; it must be a fated connection with your Dazhu Peak."

"Since that is the case, why don't you take both Changqing and Xiaofan into your sect?"

Tian Buyi became anxious in an instant. This Zhang Xiaofan looked to have average aptitude, and taking him in was already a burden; to also take in Su Changqing, whose natural talent was poor to the extreme, was simply a double disaster at his door.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, you know that I have always been lazy and do not like to take in or teach disciples. If you hand both of these Daoist Children to me, I fear I will be unable to shoulder such a heavy responsibility."

Daoxuan Zhenren remained silent, only smiling at him continuously.

Tian Buyi gritted his teeth. Seeing Daoxuan Zhenren's firm attitude, he knew he could not escape this time. He simply continued to speak: "Fine, fine, I will take one of them as my disciple. Whoever I point to, that is who it will be."

Picking a general from among the short, one still had to pick the taller one. After pretending to pick at random, Tian Buyi's finger pointed at Zhang Xiaofan.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, you have seen it; I have pointed at Zhang Xiaofan, so I will take him as my disciple."

The others watched this operation and secretly praised that Tian Buyi really knew how to play the game. So, your "picking a general" wasn't a random event, but rather something you manipulated at will based on your own thoughts, right? Daoxuan Zhenren knew that Tian Buyi was truly helpless, so he did not press him further and nodded.

From then on, Lin Jingyu was apprenticed under the Longshou Peak Master, Cangsong Zhenren, and Zhang Xiaofan was apprenticed under Dazhu Peak's Tian Buyi, developing just as Su Changqing had expected.

Only Su Changqing remained without a place to go, standing silently to the side, ignored by all.

Daoxuan Zhenren did not know what to do at this moment either. He was very satisfied with Su Changqing's performance since entering the main hall, and he had the heart to keep him in the Qingyun Sect.

But unfortunately, his natural talent was truly too poor. To tell the truth, it was just a little bit better than an ordinary person, and even inferior to some Outer Disciples. To force these Junior Brothers to take him in was certainly impossible.

Just as Daoxuan Zhenren was feeling distressed, a soft voice rang out.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, since none of the Junior Brothers have the heart to take Changqing as a disciple, how about letting him be apprenticed under me?"

The speaker was Shuiyue Dashi. She stood up and spoke earnestly to Daoxuan Zhenren.

Everyone was stunned. No one had expected that Shuiyue Dashi would actually take the initiative to speak up.

"Junior Sister, but Changqing..."

Daoxuan Zhenren was happy to see someone speak up, but upon hearing it was Shuiyue, he felt a bit awkward. Shuiyue's Xiaozhu Peak was a lineage of female cultivators, and Su Changqing was a young boy... "Sect Leader Senior Brother, Changqing is still young and has grown up alone since childhood. Sending him back to the mortal world would leave him all by himself, and since none of the Junior Brothers are willing to take him into their sects, he can only be sent to the Outer Sect to do menial labor."

"I cannot bear to see Changqing continue to live a life of hardship, so it would be better to have him apprenticed under me."

Shuiyue looked at Su Changqing, who was being ignored on the side. After all, she was not heartless; she felt some pain and pity in her heart, and thus the thought of taking him in was born.

Regardless of his aptitude, being able to give him a place to belong could be considered a good karmic connection.

After a moment of silence, Daoxuan Zhenren made his conclusion: "Very well. Although there is a distinction between men and women, considering Changqing's actual situation and his young age, let him be apprenticed under your Xiaozhu Peak. When he is older, he can be sent to live on another peak, and the name of master and disciple between you will remain unchanged."

"That is also fine."

Shuiyue Dashi nodded, accepting this idea.

Xiaozhu Peak was all female disciples, but at Su Changqing's current age, he should not have any thoughts of that nature. When he grows up, he can just be sent to live on a peak with male disciples.

Even Su Changqing had not expected that someone would be willing to take him as a disciple, and it was the only female Peak Master in the Qingyun Sect, Shuiyue Dashi.

"Thank you, Immortal Master Sister, for being willing to take me as your disciple!"

Su Changqing smiled happily, two small dimples appearing on the child's face, looking quite adorable.

"No need to thank me. That I could make this choice is also fated that you and I have a master-disciple connection. From now on, do not call me Immortal Master Sister; just call me Master."

A rare smile appeared on the face of Shuiyue Dashi, who had been cold and unapproachable for years.

It was like the first blooming of a Tianshan snow lotus on an iceberg. This smile left everyone present stunned and even surprised Su Changqing.

(End of chapter)