Without taking in consideration his surroundings, Wen Zhexi brought out into light the secret he had been hiding to his 100th disciple.
"Wen Zhexi... you really haven't changed a bit."
Du Zhuhui's face palmed his forehead as he closed his eyes and shook his head.
"But isn't it the truth? That's what you wrote in the letter, Master."
"I also wrote that your junior brother didn't know about it. Now you announced it for everyone to hear, including Ji Yichen."
Realizing that fact, Wen Zhexi stood petrified on the spot as he looked down on his junior brother who was on the verge of crying.
"Yi-Yichen. Look, master will not die... He just needs to cultivate and he soon will be okay... Right, Master."
Du Zhuhui didn't reply and just sat down on the chair.
"Master... I-I..."
Wen Zhexi didn't continue talking anymore when his Dao Companion came to stop him.
Not hearing his Master reply to what his Senior Brother said, tears slowly fell down from the eyes of Ji Yichen. Looking at the pitiful look of his youngest disciple, Du Zhuhui look at him with a smile.
"Ji Yichen, don't cry. It's not like I will be gone soon. I still have 20 years left, within that time you will be all grown up and ready to explore the world on your own."
Hearing the words of his Master, more tears fell and soon Ji Yichen started sobbing.
"Ma-master... Didn't you-you say that... cultivation can prolong life... Why are you dying? Uwah!"
Du Zhuhui carried Ji Yichen on his lap as he coaxed him.
"Ji Yichen, I am very old. My age is hundred times larger than yours, I experienced many things and took in many brilliant disciples like you. I don't have any regrets. I already decided that rather than spending all my remaining time in finding a solution, I already decided to spend it together with you. Nurturing you to become a capable cultivator."
Looking at the teary eyes of his disciple, Du Zhuhui pinched his cheek. That little guy knew how to be cute even after crying.
"But Master... If you will be gone in the future... how will I become a capable cultivator like you say?"
Before replying to Ji Yichen, Du Zhuhui took a handkerchief and wiped the tears traces from on the little guy's face.
"Not all the things about cultivation are taught by the master. The majority of it is through the own discovery of the cultivator itself."
Ji Yichen just looked at his Master without understanding what he just said. Knowing that his own disciple didn't understand it, Du Zhuhui embraced his little disciple.
"You may not understand it now, but soon you will."
The atmosphere was very serious and Elder Du Zhuhui needed to have time together with his disciples, so Elder Xu Jiyang left after a short goodbye.
Looking at Ji Yichen in his arms, his breathing seemed to deepen. Knowing that his disciple was tired and sleepy, Du Zhuhui put him in his bed.
When Du Zhuhui finished putting Ji Yichen to sleep, Du Zhuhui went back to the living room and looked towards Wen Zhexi and his Dao Companion, Duan Qingyin.
"Wen Zhexi... I'm glad that you came back. But it seems like you still don't know how to control your mouth."
Knowing what he did was wrong, Wen Zhexi felt guilty.
"I'm sorry master. I'm just... Worried..."
Wen Zhexi's worries were not unfounded. Receiving a letter from his master that says he was going to die soon, everyone would have at least an exaggerated reaction.
"Zhexi's master, I personally think that my husband did nothing wrong. Letting the child know about it sooner is better than seeing you suddenly die in front of him."
Hearing the words of Duan Qingyin, Du Zhuhui agreed to her thinking.
Well, Wen Zhexi's abrupt words made it easier for him to inform his young disciple. He had been looking for the right time to inform him about this, but fear of hurting Ji Yichen just prevented him from doing so.
"Sigh, now that this happened... Just let it be..."
Understanding that his master was not in the mood to talk about it anymore, Wen Zhexi went to his room before he left this courtyard.
Sitting down in his bed, Wen Zhexi looks at his wife and hugs her.
Stroking the head of her husband, Duan Qingyin put on a gentle smile as if he was coaxing him.
"Everything will be alright Zhexi..."
Wen Zhexi didn't say anything and just hugged her tighter.
***
Being left all alone in the living room, Du Zhuhui looked around and his sight stopped at the tablet on the table.
Earlier, he couldn't read all the emails he received from his disciples. Now that he had time, he decided to read the rest.
Recalling what his disciple did to open the tablet, he soon found the icon for the emails.
Opening the topmost new email, he found that it was from his first disciple.
The greatest reason why most of his disciples started hating him.
Being his first and the oldest disciple, he was like a half-master to his younger brothers and sisters.
When he was busy in the sect, he was the one left to take care of them. Therefore when a conflict between them formed, some of his disciples followed him.
[Don't die before I kill you.]
That's the only thing the email contained.
Reading those words, Di Zhuhui just sighed in regret. If he could just turn back time and fix his mistake, he could have fixed his relationship with his oldest disciple and this rift wouldn't have happened.
However, there was no such a thing. Even in this cultivation world, no one could control time at will.
Closing the email, Di Zhuhui decided to follow Elder Xu Jiyang's suggestion. He went to the app of his sect, the ClarityApp.
This is where all the announcements and events of the sect are posted.
Du Zhuhui wanted to see what was new in the sect, but as soon as he opened the app he was welcomed by a familiar announcement.
"It seems like the sect will be welcoming new recruits again. Did they gain a new subordinate sect?"
The Clarity Sky Forge Sect was the biggest sect at the south of the continent. However, compared to the sects he had seen during his journey before he could settle here, it would be categorized as a small one.
Browsing through the app, he wanted to read more announcements that he had missed. Ever since the sect stopped distributing letters to inform current events of the sect and change to the app, Di Zhuhui knew nothing at all.
"Hmm... Because the sect reached a new level, they can now participate in the New Generation Inter-Sect that will happen in ten years."
It seems like the increase in power of the sect wasn't just a small matter. Being able to participate in the Inter-Sect of the continent meant that they are now recognized as one of the top Sect in the whole continent.
"They would have a hard time crossing through the forbidden mountains..."
The reason why the southern part of the continent is behind the other part of the continent is because of the Alcarel Forbidden Mountains.
This forbidden area formed a big barrier, isolating the southern part of the continent from the rest of the continent. Only cultivators at the Celestial Realm can pass through it.
"Even if the sect was invited in that event, it seems like they wouldn't dare to participate."
After all, the strongest cultivator in the sect was only at the Void Shattering Realm. Crossing the forbidden mountains would mean death to all.
The only reason why Du Zhuhui was able to cross through the Alcarel Forbidden Mountains is because of a Secret Realm that he discovered.
As soon as he exited the Secret Realm, he found himself in a completely different world.
"Sigh, it's been 200 years since I came back from the Secret Realm. Now that I'm dying, I haven't got any benefits yet."
Recalling those days, Du Zhuhui took something from his spatial ring.
The only thing he found there. Something he initially believed that he could help him in his cultivation. The reason why he started to take disciples in an uncontrollable amount.
A cultivation book with the title: 'The secret to cultivation: Have a disciple.'
Though he had been denying it for a century, it seems like what was written in this book was just...
"What a scam."
Even himself couldn't believe that he actually fell for it. He even severed his previous cultivation just so he could restart and cultivate.
Even after 200 years, he still couldn't reach his previous peak.
Because of his foolishness, he had long lost his will to continue his cultivation path. Sometimes, he was grateful for having committed a mistake during his cultivation a few years ago.
Otherwise, he would still have been busy cultivating this scam book. Hoping for nothing.