Chapter 22

"Currently, I am heavily injured, and all the elixirs I carried have been lost along the way. Can you help me find some elixirs? It will benefit you as well."

Although Luo Xiao had just helped Zhang Yan avoid a calamity, Zhang Yan still firmly refused, "No! You should not go out now. Since Ning Chongxuan failed to capture you this time, I am certain he has not gone far. He might be waiting for you to walk into his trap."

Luo Xiao trembled all over, thought for a moment, and realized that Zhang Yan was right. He couldn't help but curse, "That Ning Chongxuan is no good either. Now I think about it, he had the chance to save those disciples, but he just watched as I killed them before he acted. It's clear he has ulterior motives."

Zhang Yan shook his head. The waters in the lower court of the Lingcang Sect were already so deep, let alone the upper court. However, before he opened his meridians, these matters were still too distant for him, and he didn't bother to think about them.

Luo Xiao walked around the cauldron in agitation, suddenly as if he had thought of something, and asked, "I ask you, since you are a disciple of the lower court of the Lingcang Sect, do you have any close fellow disciples?"

"Entrant disciples?" Zhang Yan smiled slightly, "I am one."

Luo Xiao was stunned, then angrily said, "You are an entrant disciple? Then you must be from a noble family. How could you lack elixirs? Are you unwilling to part with them? I revealed the heavenly secrets to help you cultivate, and if I had known this, I would have rather died with you!"

Luo Xiao's reaction was so intense that Zhang Yan hadn't expected it. Afraid of causing a misunderstanding, he quickly explained, "I am not from a noble family, and I only entered the sect three days ago."

"You are not from a noble family?" Luo Xiao was taken aback, but upon learning the truth, his eyes became complex. A cultivator without any background starting from the lower court of the Lingcang Sect was truly unbelievable to him. After a while, he huffed, "That makes it easier."

"How is it easier?" Zhang Yan was puzzled.

Luo Xiao laughed, "As an entrant disciple of the Lingcang Sect's lower court, there are countless nobles and officials who would want to curry favor with you. How is that not easy?"

Zhang Yan was surprised and was about to ask more when he heard someone outside the door say, "Is Senior Brother Zhang here? Old friend Zhao Yuan has come to visit."

"Is it Senior Brother Zhao?"

Upon hearing the voice, Zhang Yan recognized it as Zhao Yuan. He glanced at Luo Xiao, who immediately retreated into the cauldron. Zhang Yan closed the lid, tidied his clothes, and walked to the door to open it.

Outside the door was Zhao Yuan, but his demeanor toward Zhang Yan was somewhat restrained. He bowed and said, "Senior Brother Zhang, I greet you."

Zhang Yan smiled, "Senior Brother Zhao, it's been a while since you last visited me."

He looked at Zhao Yuan closely and saw that he had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage. His cheeks were sunken, his eyes lifeless, and his temples were prematurely gray, indicating that he had rushed his cultivation and damaged his foundation. Zhang Yan couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.

Seeing that Zhang Yan's attitude was still the same as before, Zhao Yuan felt a bit relieved and smiled, "Junior Brother, I came last time, but Senior Brother Zhang has been in seclusion since returning from the temple. I assumed you were cultivating some high-level techniques, so I didn't dare to disturb you."

Zhao Yuan was older than Zhang Yan but called him "Junior Brother." Zhang Yan didn't correct him. Now that their positions had changed, he was an entrant disciple, and Zhao Yuan dared not call himself a senior. However, he didn't dare to say much about how he addressed Zhao Yuan.

"I was indeed in seclusion, and I apologize for neglecting Senior Brother Zhao," Zhang Yan stepped aside, "Please come in and speak."

Zhao Yuan entered the cave, and the two sat down. He looked around and sighed, "This place is peaceful, but now that you are a senior disciple, you should find some people to handle your daily affairs."

"I've only been an entrant disciple for three days, and it's too late to gather servants. Besides, I am focused on cultivation and don't have time to think about these trivial matters."

Entrant disciples often kept servants to show their status and to handle daily affairs and family matters. These servants were usually brought from their families and could be trusted. However, Zhang Yan's foundation was shallow, and he didn't dare to hire servants with unclear backgrounds.

Zhang Xi was a good choice, but he was already old, and the lower court was full of intrigue. As an entrant disciple, Zhang Yan might cause some people to be dissatisfied, and they might take out their frustrations on those close to him. So, he didn't have this plan for now.

"Senior Brother Zhao, why are you here today?"

Zhao Yuan sighed, his face showing regret, and he stood up, "Last time, my younger sister caused you a lot of trouble..."

Before he could finish, Zhang Yan reached out to push him back down and smiled, "It was a small matter, Brother Zhao. Without your sister, I might not have reached this point."

This was true. If Zhao Ying hadn't caused a commotion, Bian Qiao might not have come to Thousand-Zhang Rock to challenge him, and Ai Zhongwen might not have visited him. The twists and turns of fate were unpredictable.

Zhao Yuan seemed to think of something and sighed, "That was your opportunity."

Zhang Yan frowned. Zhao Yuan had fallen because of "opportunity," but since he had no hope of cultivation, Zhang Yan didn't say much. He changed the topic, "I saw your sister once on Cloud-Sweeping Peak. Who is her master?"

Zhao Yuan shook his head, "I don't know. I only know she is a female Daoist staying at Tai'an Temple, and I have never seen her true face."

In the cultivation world, there were two main ways of teaching: family inheritance and master-disciple transmission. In Donghua Continent, the major sects were controlled by noble families. From what Zhao Yuan said, Zhao Ying was likely from the master-disciple transmission line.

The female Daoist seemed to be Zhao Ying's senior. Zhang Yan remembered the favor he owed and wanted to repay it, but since Zhao Yuan had no hope of cultivation, he would have to find another opportunity.

At this moment, Zhao Yuan coughed and said hesitantly, "Senior Brother Zhang..."

"Senior Brother Zhao, speak your mind."

Zhao Yuan showed a cautious look and slowly said, "My family has been in business for generations. My grandfather once received help from a nobleman. Now, this nobleman's relative wants to meet Senior Brother Zhang. I wonder..."

As he spoke, he was nervous, observing Zhang Yan's expression, afraid he would show displeasure. He knew that Zhang Yan had helped him more, and Zhao Ying had even caused trouble for Zhang Yan. His previous words were just formalities.

But this person had done a great favor for the Zhao family, and he had to come and ask for help.

Zhang Yan smiled, "This is a small matter. Next time, Senior Brother Zhao doesn't need to come in person. A letter will suffice."

Zhao Yuan was surprised, not expecting Zhang Yan to be so easy to talk to. He became excited, "This person is waiting at the foot of the mountain. If Junior Brother is convenient, can you call her up now?"

He looked at Zhang Yan eagerly, afraid he would refuse.

"Oh?"

Zhang Yan was surprised. The "nobleman" Zhao Yuan mentioned must be of high status, so why was he waiting at the foot of the mountain to meet him?

Actually, Zhang Yan was underestimating himself.

As an entrant disciple of the Lingcang Sect's lower court, his status was enough to make secular people look at him differently.

The lower court was where the sect cultivated future core disciples. Future elders and even the sect leader might come from these disciples. Many people would rather not cultivate to form connections with these entrant disciples.

Entrant disciples who went to the upper court would each have their own blessed land and could bring a few close disciples from the lower court to the upper court to form their future base.

To outsiders, Zhang Yan was destined to be a true disciple of the Lingcang Sect. Once he opened his meridians and went to the upper court, he would likely marry into a noble family. Even if he stayed in the sect, he would receive elixirs, scriptures, magical treasures, and spirit weapons, allowing his cultivation to rise steadily. Such a person was hard to curry favor with, and those who wanted to flatter him could wear out the path to Cloud-Sweeping Peak.

Since Zhang Yan started cultivating, almost everyone said he had low talent, and he believed it too. But in reality, those who could cultivate were already one in ten thousand, and those who could reach his level were even fewer.

In Donghua Continent, besides the sixteen major sects, there were countless small sects. Some small sects could only make one person open their meridians with all their resources, but even so, they could wield great power in a state or region and be revered as high-ranking figures.

Zhang Yan couldn't help but ask, "What is this person's status?"

Zhao Yuan replied, "This person is the daughter of the Duke of Song in the Wei Dynasty, Lady Lin Ya, who has come to pay respects to Senior Brother Zhang."

Hearing that the "nobleman" was of this status, Zhang Yan wasn't particularly impressed. He was now a cultivator, and emperors and ministers could only manage ordinary people, not him. As long as they were not cultivators, their status was irrelevant to him.

Zhao Yuan bowed and hurried away. To Zhang Yan, the woman's status was unimportant, but to Zhao Yuan, she was the daughter of a duke and could not be treated lightly. He had to go and welcome her personally.

About two hours later, around noon, Zhao Yuan led a woman dressed in men's clothing up the mountain.

The woman was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall and slender, with phoenix-like eyes and a dignified demeanor. With a hundred or so servants and guards behind her, she looked extremely noble, and she was indeed Lady Lin Ya.

"Wait here. Do not approach without being called, lest you anger the immortal master."

The servants and guards bowed but did not respond, showing they had been instructed beforehand.

"Princess, please follow me." Zhao Yuan led the way.

Lady Lin Ya nodded with a reserved look, "Thank you, Mr. Zhao."

They walked through the path, and as soon as Lady Lin Ya entered the cave, she saw Zhang Yan sitting on a mat and respectfully bowed, "Mortal woman Lin Ya greets Immortal Master Zhang."

Zhang Yan didn't acknowledge her first but turned to Zhao Yuan, "Senior Brother Zhao, please come and sit here."

Lady Lin Ya was shocked. It seemed that Zhao Yuan's status in Immortal Master Zhang's eyes was far beyond her expectations. She would have to change her attitude toward the Zhao family.

Zhao Yuan repeatedly said he didn't dare, but finally, under Lady Lin Ya's persuasion, he reluctantly stood next to Zhang Yan but refused to sit.

Zhang Yan let him be and then looked at Lady Lin Ya, "You are Lin Ya?"

Lady Lin Ya bowed again, "Yes, I am the mortal woman."

As the Princess of Lin Ya, she was used to giving orders in the Duke's mansion and didn't care about the princes and nobles. But in front of Zhang Yan, she was nervous and didn't dare to breathe loudly.

She knew about Zhang Yan's deeds. He had defeated three entrant disciples of the Guangyuan Sect on Cloud-Sweeping Peak, causing the Guangyuan Sect to lose face and retreat early. What kind of ability was that?

The Guangyuan Sect was already a great sect in her eyes, and the Lingcang Sect was even more unreachable. Zhang Yan would eventually become a true disciple of the upper court, and she could meet him through Zhao Yuan before he went to the upper court, which was a great fortune for her family.

Zhang Yan nodded slightly, "What do you want from me?"

Lady Lin Ya looked up, "I heard that Immortal Master Zhang is now an entrant disciple. I am willing to offer one thousand pounds of Five-Element Divine Sand as an offering."

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PS: Second update. I originally planned to post both chapters together, but I decided to make some changes and will try to update again in the evening.