Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Ancient Dao, Greatly Gratified

As it turned out, what Xie Dong'an said was true.

After Gongye Shou and the others left the Xingwu Academy, they were immediately escorted to the Southern Barbarian lands by the Marquis of Annan, Xu Hengjun, himself. They even publicly claimed that "Chen Yi of the Marquis of Wu'an's household possesses such astonishing swordsmanship that he left them unable to hold their heads high," and similar excuses.

This rhetoric left Chen Yi feeling listless for the entire day. He had fought the fight, won the wager, and even played the role of "father." Yet, the outcome left him truly annoyed!

"Brother Yi, don't be angry. When I grow up, I will definitely teach them a lesson for you," Lin Xueru said, leaning in to comfort him.

"Exactly, Brother Yi! Gongye Shou and his lot really went too far this time!" Du Yanqing looked equally frustrated; he couldn't understand how he hadn't anticipated those few suddenly deciding to leave.

"We didn't lose out. Xu Sannian even called you 'father'," Wang Yongnian added, blinking his small eyes.

"What do you know?" Du Yan shot him a glare. "With them leaving like this, what if it displeases the Master?"

"If you ask me, Brother Yi, just give them a sound thrashing the next time you see them!"

Hearing their words, Chen Yi looked up with a radiant smile. "What are you all talking about? If they want to leave, let them. It has nothing to do with us."

"Besides, I believe Master Ning won't blame us for this, after all..."

After all, with the six children from the Prince of Zhennan's faction gone, along with those from the civil official lineage, only they and the two royal descendants remained in the entire Xingwu Academy. If Master Ning and the old Daoist Gu dared to scold him even once, would they believe he might just head straight for Wuliang Mountain to join his eldest brother? As for Gongye Shou and the others—heh!

Seeing his smiling face, the four children—Du Yanqing and the others—exchanged silent glances, inwardly offering a moment of silence for Gongye Shou and his companions. Though Chen Yi usually appeared well-versed in etiquette, acting steady and mature, rarely showing fluctuations of anger or joy, only those close to him knew the truth: the angrier Chen Yi was, the more radiant his smile became. Conversely, when he wasn't smiling, his words and actions remained quite mild.

Just then, Ning Xue, having returned from the Capital Prefecture branch of the Taixu Sect, hurried over with Gu Tiangang. When the old Daoist pushed open the doors to the Qingzheng Hall and saw that only seven "kittens" remained, his vision suddenly went dark.

The disciple with the royal blood of the Southern Barbarian tribe was gone, the disciple possessing innate spiritual energy was gone, and those few who had begun to manifest the aura of scholars were also gone... Where did all my excellent, gifted Taixu Sect disciples go?!

"Junior Nephew Ning, what exactly is going on here?"

"My apologies, Uncle-Master." Ning Xue could no longer maintain her cold, detached demeanor; she looked bitter as she said, "I only just discovered this myself."

"You..."

Just then, Chen Yi’s heart stirred. He winked at Du Yanqing and the others and suddenly spoke up: "I heard that the Southern Barbarian Sect promised Gongye Shou and the others many benefits, something about rare treasures like dragon livers and phoenix gallbladders."

"Isn't that right, Heir?"

Du Yanqing was slightly stunned, only reacting after Du Yan stepped on his foot. "Right, right. Gongye Shou's mother is a Southern Barbarian princess. The Southern Barbarian Sect promised to provide for his cultivation needs and even bestowed a treasure upon him."

Du Yan, while glancing at Gu Tiangang’s darkening expression, added, "And then there’s Xu Sannian. Don't look at how he was defeated by your sword; in some time, his cultivation might far surpass yours."

Even the usually docile Lin Xueru chimed in with a half-understanding tone: "Brother Yi, is it true that Brother Yuan has gone to Wuliang Mountain to seek a master?"

*Hiss!*

Hearing the old Daoist’s sharp intake of breath, Chen Yi secretly gave Lin Xueru a thumbs-up. Well done!

"Yes, and as for that Wuliang Mountain, Father actually had intentions to let me..."

"Wait!"

Although Gu Tiangang suspected they were saying this on purpose, the sudden loss of over a dozen exceptionally talented disciples was more than he could bear. Even knowing full well that Chen Yi and the others were fishing for benefits, he could only force a smile and pull several small vials from his robes.

"These days, I have been preparing gifts for all of you upon the completion of your studies."

"Originally, there weren't enough, but since several have left, I shall give them to you now. The Prince and Princess shall have their share as well."

As he spoke, Gu Tiangang didn't give them a chance to refuse, waving his hand to sweep the pills into their grasp. "Give me some time. I will go visit the Prince of Zhenbei and the various Marquises myself. I will ensure your cultivation does not fall behind that of Gongye Shou and the others!"

[At age 32, you have received a bottle of Qi-Nurturing Pills from a Great Daoist master.]
[Good fortune smiles upon you, Counter-Attack Points +10]
[Name: Chen Yi]
[Age: 32]
[Cultivation: Ninth-Grade Mortal Realm (Mid-Stage)]
[Talent: Late Bloomer—The older the bone age, the faster the cultivation speed.]
[Basic Technique: Great Success—Dripping water wears through stone, only then can one become a great vessel.]
[Sword Path: Minor Accomplishment—Travel the four corners, fight well and use well, only then can one comprehend Sword Intent.]
[Counter-Attack Points: 50/100]

Chen Yi gripped the medicine bottle and glanced at the prompt on his panel, thinking to himself that this was viable. However, he did not stop there.

Old Daoist Gu had finally appeared; how could he justify such a long wait if he didn't shear the sheep clean?

"Master, please forgive us. We have been deeply influenced by the teachings of the Taixu Sect. If our families are satisfied, we will naturally go to pay our respects at the Taixu Sect."

Chen Yi blinked, smiling as he said, "However, everything is subject to comparison. Not to mention the Wuliang Mountain, where my elder brother Chen Yuan has been apprenticed."

"Gongye Shou and the others have instructors from the Southern Barbarian Sect, and Xie Dongan and the others have the personal guidance of sacred academic grounds like the Capital Academy."

"We, here at the Taixu Sect, do not have such conveniences..."

Before he could finish, Gu Tiangang wore an expression of deep understanding. While suffering from a headache, he thought of making Li Qingzhou pay it back later. If not for the promise he made to Li Qingzhou to bring Chen Yi into the Taixu Sect, he wouldn't be so cautious. He would have turned and left long ago... well, to go visit the homes of these children!

"My Taixu Sect has been established for thousands of years. Though our reputation may not surpass that of Wuliang Mountain, our foundation is certainly no weaker."

"I promise you all: whatever they have, you shall have. And whatever they lack, you shall have as well!"

Hearing this, Chen Yi signaled to Du Yanqing and the others, and they bowed in unison.

"Many thanks, Master Gu!"

"Good, good, good..."

Seeing this, Gu Tiangang felt deeply gratified. Rare treasures, elixirs, and techniques were all external things—they were unimportant. What mattered was the orderly succession of the sect, which required a sufficient number of exceptionally talented individuals.

Beside them, Wei Letian and Wei Xiaoyun exchanged glances, thinking to themselves: *Are Chen Yi and his group monsters in human skin? How can they have so many schemes?*

Still, they didn't say anything, having gained benefits for nothing. Only Ning Xue looked at Chen Yi with a thoughtful expression. *So, the Sword Path's Sword Intent and a person's personality can be this different? Could this be what Master meant when he said a Sword Cultivator shouldn't be constrained by mundane affairs? To be single-minded toward the sword and hold the sword in one's heart does not mean one's conduct must be rigid.*

*Master, I... I think I understand!*