Li Xuandao finished speaking, smiling at Gu An and waiting for his decision.
Gu An froze.
The emperor wanted him to be a spy?
This was forcing him to be a triple agent!
This was not what Gu An pursued, but the key was that it was hard for him to refuse, as the other party's cultivation level and status were both higher than his.
Not refusing would bring endless troubles in the future.
Refusing would bring trouble right now!
However, Gu An thought about the high-rank medical herb mentioned earlier, and his heart beat faster uncontrollably.
Gu An hesitated and asked, "Do I… have the option to refuse?"
"Yes, if you refuse, I will erase today's memory, and it will be as if we never met," Li Xuandao replied with a light laugh.
Gu An asked helplessly, "Why choose me? I am mediocre. With your status, recruiting a disciple from the Supreme Sect would be a piece of cake."
Li Xuandao shook his head, saying, "I did not intentionally want to recruit disciples from the Supreme Sect, but you happen to have a close relationship with Li Ya. I wanted to support you, and because you are mediocre, I can trust you more because I can meet your needs."
He paused for a moment and added in a frivolous tone, "People do not wish for the emperor to live forever, and I do not wish for the master of Medicine Valley to live forever either."
What a sense of humor!
Gu An could only say, "If that is the case, then I have no choice but to agree."
"Several decades later, when you look back, you will not regret today's decision," Li Xuandao said with a smile, his tone full of heroism.
Gu An could not resist his curiosity and asked, "Have you always been watching Senior Brother Li?"
"We have finished talking, there is no need to call me Emperor anymore. You should call me Uncle instead, so it feels more like family," Li Xuandao said with a stern face.
Gu An saw that he did not seem to be probing; thus, he called him Uncle.
Li Xuandao smiled and said, "To be frank, I have many pawns in the Outer Sect of the Supreme Sect. Naturally, I am aware of Li Ya's situation."
Gu An previously thought that Li Ya did not have a good relationship with his father, but now it appeared that was not the case.
Could there be a misunderstanding?
He wanted to inquire on behalf of Li Ya, but he held back.
This emperor wanted immortality, and such an emperor surely had a complex attitude towards his princes. Even if he loved them, there would likely be some apprehension in his heart.
Which Crown Prince wanted to remain a Crown Prince forever? Which prince did not have a secret longing for the emperor's throne?
Gu An felt deeply moved. Earlier, he thought the talents of Li Ya and Li Xuanyu were already strong, but after seeing Li Xuandao, he understood why those two were so talented.
Bloodline inheritance!
Eight layers of Divinity Transformation Realm at the age of two hundred and thirty...
Had he broken through the Divinity Transformation Realm at the age of one hundred?
Too outrageous!
The most crucial point was that he practiced a secret technique that concealed his aura. Without Gu An's life span detection ability, it would be impossible to see through his true cultivation level.
Perhaps neither the court nor the Immortal Cultivation World could see through his cultivation level, which allowed him to cultivate peacefully until now.
Afterward, Li Xuandao began inquiring about the affairs in the valley, curious about the origin of the Chinese New Year mentioned by the other disciples.
Gu An responded with the same words he used for others.
Li Xuandao became interested in the Chinese New Year and decided to join in today. How could Gu An refuse?
An hour later, the two walked down the pavilion, preparing for the Chinese New Year with other disciples. The disciples were all very happy, laughing and chatting, which also affected Li Xuandao.
As night fell, Gu An brought out the self-made firecrackers, and Mystic Valley resounded with bursts of explosions, deafeningly loud.
The firelight shone on Li Xuandao's face; he was smiling and even drinking with Xiaochuan, making it impossible to associate him with the emperor of the Taicang Dynasty.
The disciples like Tang Yu and Su Han prepared some performances like storytelling, sparring, and acrobatics, ensuring the night was lively until late.
The next day at noon, Gu An saw Li Xuandao off.
"Two more years, really something to look forward to."
Gu An silently thought. Li Xuandao said he would send someone to take him to Medicine Valley in two years.
He planned to strive for a life span of one hundred thousand years in these two years, then break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm.
No, he must surpass the Divinity Transformation Realm to be stronger than Li Xuandao; otherwise, he would not be at ease. After all, accompanying a king was like accompanying a tiger—what if one day Li Xuandao became deranged and wanted to harm him?
Gu An looked in the direction Li Xuandao left, silently curious why this emperor came to the Outer Sect alone.
Was he really here to visit Li Xuanyu?
Li Ya once said that Li Xuandao's favorite child was Li Xuanyu.
Gu An did not think further, turning to enter the valley, preparing to plant more medicinal herbs.
...
Spring passed, and summer came. Gu An welcomed his thirty-fourth birthday in the summer.
On this day, he bid farewell to Du Ye, who came to ask for medicinal herbs.
At the mouth of the valley.
Du Ye turned back and said, "These years, you provided many medicinal herbs. Young Master Ji Lin is very satisfied with you. In some time, he will send someone to deliver a Foundation Establishment Pill to help you reach the Foundation Establishment Realm early. Once you become a true outer disciple, he will find a way for you to continue managing this Medicine Valley."
After saying that, he turned and left, leaping over the forest on his sword.
Gu An shook his head with a smile. When he saw Li Xuandao off at the beginning of the year, Li Xuandao had said something similar.
In the future, he had to keep a distance from the Ji Family, lest they use him when they wanted to plot against the Supreme Sect.
The sect was strong, but the family's power could not be underestimated either.
In this land, dynasties changed, and sects rose and fell, but some families could exist forever. The Ji Family was one of them.
Alas!
I just want to pick flowers and herbs, why are so many people trying to recruit me?
Gu An thought to himself while walking into the nearby forest.
In the forest, someone was practicing swordsmanship, it was Su Han.
Now, Su Han had reached the Seventh Layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm, second only to Gu An and Tang Yu in the valley.
Tang Yu practiced leg techniques, while Su Han focused on swordsmanship. However, the swordsmanship he practiced was taught by Li Ya, not considered profound.
Gu An watched him practice swordsmanship from a distance, hesitating whether to give him some pointers.
Su Han was diligent and industrious in his daily work and cultivation, leaving Gu An with no complaints.
Wait?
No, he was not practicing the Li Family's Seven Swords.
Looking closely, Gu An realized it was the first time he saw this sword technique.
Did this boy also have a fortuitous encounter?
When did this happen?
Gu An was curious and deliberately stepped on the fallen leaves, making some noise.
Practicing swordsmanship, Su Han noticed Gu An's arrival. He immediately stopped and turned to greet Gu An.
"Xiaohan, entering the outer sect depends on cultivation level. Why do you practice swordsmanship so diligently?" Gu An asked with a smile.
Su Han scratched his head with his left hand and said, "I am not in a hurry to enter the outer sect; I want to master swordsmanship first."
"Why do you think so?"
"Entering the outer sect means taking on missions. If my skills are not strong enough, it will only cut off my future."
Su Han's answer made Gu An laugh.
This kid knew exactly what he liked.
Gu An curiously asked, "Is your swordsmanship inherited from your family?"
Su Han nodded and said, "It is my father's swordsmanship, but it is too profound. I have only managed to comprehend it recently."
"Your father must have been impressive. Although I do not practice swordsmanship diligently, I have seen many exquisite sword techniques in the outer sect, none as good as the one you displayed just now," Gu An asked curiously.
Su Han shook his head and said, "My father was just a useless person. Since I can remember, he was blind, without any spells. He passed away when I was seven. Later, I found this swordsmanship manual in his baggage."
Saying this, he took a sword manual out of his pocket and directly handed it to Gu An.
Gu An took it and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Hateful Heaven Divine Sword!
What a strange name!
Seeing this name, Gu An immediately wanted to expel Su Han from Mystic Valley.
This guy clearly carried a grudge!
Gu An skimmed through it. With his achievement in the Nascent Soul Realm of the Ninth Layer, it was enough to remember it perfectly. However, mastering it still depended on one's aptitude in swordsmanship.
He handed the sword manual back to Su Han and pondered, "This swordsmanship is indeed exquisite, but its mental method seems somewhat sinister. Do you really need to practice it?"
This swordsmanship required tempering the internal organs with sword qi, causing unimaginable pain to the practitioner. Moreover, some of the guidelines were beyond Gu An's understanding.
Based on his Sword Dao Accomplishment, he could assert that this swordsmanship was very dangerous!
Su Han was taken aback and asked, "Master, do you think I should not practice it?"
Gu An shook his head and said, "I just think this swordsmanship may bring you suffering. I do not know your background, so I cannot understand your feelings. Whether you practice it or not is up to you. If you choose not to, you can stay in Mystic Valley as long as you want. You will always be my student."
Hearing this, Su Han felt touched. He put the Hateful Heaven Divine Sword back in his pocket and nodded heavily.
Gu An took a book out of his pocket, the latest volume of Investiture of the Gods, given to him by Du Ye. Du Ye said Ji Lin was obsessed with this book, causing his followers to read it as well.
"The book you wanted." Gu An handed Investiture of the Gods to Su Han and then turned to leave.
Su Han held Investiture of the Gods, smiling.
Returning to Medicine Valley, Gu An began observing other servant disciples.
First Li Ya, then Wuxin, and now Su Han, all with unusual backgrounds—Mystic Valley was too mysterious!
Something felt off!
An hour later, Gu An returned to his pavilion.
The other servant disciples did not appear to have any issues, allowing him to feel somewhat at ease.
On second thought, it made sense. To join the Immortal Cultivation World, one must have an extraordinary background or experience. In their eyes, they were the protagonists.
Until late at night, Gu An quietly entered the Eight Scenic Caves.
After playing with the Sky Dragon for an hour, he took out the Heavenly Residence Sword and began practicing the Hateful Heaven Divine Sword.
Multiple skills did not burden oneself. He decided to practice it until it was included in his attribute panel first!
Suddenly, the sound of wind whistling through the branches of the Green Vine Tree arose, the sound of a sword blade slicing through the air. In the distance, the Sky Dragon watched curiously, its dragon eyes reflecting Gu An's sword training.
...
At the end of summer.
Gu An went to the Outer Gate City. First, he visited the Elixir Hall to submit a year's worth of medicinal herb harvest, then went to the Book Collection Hall to submit a manuscript.
Since Investiture of the Gods became popular, Elder Liu Chang valued him greatly, always receiving him personally, afraid word would leak out.
Liu Chang mentioned fearing Gu An's reputation would be exposed, and he would be abducted by the Demon Path, causing the Book Collection Hall to lose substantial Spirit Stone revenue. This made Gu An even more cautious.
After completing official business, Gu An visited Lu Jiujia, who was delighted and invited him to visit Ye Lan together, whom she happened to be in the city.
Not all outer disciples opened caves in the outskirts since constructing a cave was expensive. Most disciples chose to live within the outer gate, enjoying the outer gate's spiritual energy.
In the courtyard, after sitting down, Lu Jiujia poured wine for Gu An and said mysteriously, "Something big happened in the Supreme Sect!"