Looking at Gu An, who was worried about him, Zhang Chunqiu felt very gratified.
As he was about to descend the mountain, Zhang Chunqiu was most reluctant to part with not his master, but his junior brother Gu An.
He was too obedient, too honest.
Zhang Chunqiu shared the same sentiment as Li Ya, worrying for Gu An, fearing that he might be bullied in the future.
"I have stayed in Medicine Valley for forty years, it's time for me to descend the mountain. My aptitude for Immortal Cultivation is mediocre, and I have no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. Rather than wasting away here, it's better to descend the mountain and enjoy the rest of my life. Junior Brother Gu, you should take on the role of senior brother. Meng Lang is lazy and can't be the senior brother," Zhang Chunqiu said seriously, patting Gu An on the shoulder.
Gu An hesitated, "But... without you, senior brother, I'm afraid I..."
Cheng Xuandan spoke, "If you are unwilling, let Meng..."
"I can do it!" Gu An interrupted hastily.
Zhang Chunqiu, who was trying to comfort him, was stunned.
Cheng Xuandan looked deeply at Gu An without saying more.
Gu An fake coughed and said, "I can't betray Senior Brother's intention. Honestly, I'm afraid that if Meng Lang becomes senior brother, he will boss me around every day."
Hearing his last words, Zhang Chunqiu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The atmosphere instantly eased, and Zhang Chunqiu started encouraging Gu An, who listened attentively.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Chunqiu rolled up his sleeves, kowtowed three times to Cheng Xuandan, and then stood up and left, leaving Gu An and Cheng Xuandan alone.
"You see, people can't stay in Medicine Valley. If you don't want to stay here forever, you can say so in advance. As your master, I might be able to assist you," Cheng Xuandan said calmly.
Gu An said quickly, "Disciple is willing to stay in Medicine Valley for a lifetime."
"Don't be in a hurry to answer, because it really might be for a lifetime."
"Master, I dare not lie. I truly want to stay here for a lifetime. To others, the work in Medicine Valley might seem dirty and tiring, but to me, these are the most contented days. Master takes good care of me, and the senior and junior brothers are very friendly. I really am willing to stay here for a lifetime."
Gu An said seriously. At this moment, he needed to show his sincerity.
Cheng Xuandan said quietly, "You must have a background. It's not a coincidence that you survived the Demon of Greed, and the turbulent spiritual energy yesterday originated from your courtyard."
Gu An got anxious, "Master, I really have no background. The only backer I ever had might be Ji Xiaoyu of the Ji Family, but I am just her house servant."
"Ji Family?"
Cheng Xuandan's eyes widened. This was the first time Gu An saw such a drastic change in his expression.
On his face, Gu An saw fear, anger, and dread—various negative emotions mingling together, making his expression grim and terrifying.
Terrible!
This old geezer must have a grudge against the Ji Family!
Gu An felt uneasy and thought he might have gone too far.
"I see. From now on, you will be the head disciple of Medicine Valley," Cheng Xuandan said after taking a deep breath.
The tide turned!
Gu An breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether Cheng Xuandan was sincere, he would take the head disciple position first!
Even if Cheng Xuandan had ill intentions, he wouldn't live long.
Gu An wasn't afraid of Cheng Xuandan plotting against him. Could Cheng Xuandan's frail body withstand the blows better than the Demon of Greed?
"Disciple will definitely work diligently and not disappoint Master," Gu An assured hastily.
Cheng Xuandan waved his hand, "Go and call Meng Lang and Xiaochuan."
Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately bowed and then turned to leave.
After the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.
Gu An, Meng Lang, and Xiaochuan walked down from the pavilion. Xiaochuan was extremely excited, addressing Gu An as senior brother nonstop.
Meng Lang was indignant, and angrily said, "Why are you the senior brother? Why not me? My cultivation is higher than yours, and my background is better than yours!"
Gu An didn't get angry at his words, but turned back and smiled, "Meng Lang, being the senior brother is not an easy task. Once you take it on, it's for life. Master sees that you have the heart for Immortal Cultivation, so he let me take the position."
"Really?" Meng Lang's anger subsided.
"Of course. Look at our senior brother. He stayed here for forty years; how many forty years do we have in a lifetime?"
Meng Lang fell silent; his expression changed, looking at Gu An with sympathy.
He patted Gu An's shoulder, "Gu An, it's a disgrace for you."
Xiaochuan also fell silent.
He, too, harbored dreams of Immortal Cultivation and naturally didn't want to stay here for a lifetime.
Gu An pretended to be silent, but inside he was laughing his head off.
Meng Lang was indeed easy to fool.
Just like that, Gu An's life as the head disciple began.
Cheng Xuandan let him manage all the affairs of Medicine Valley. He immediately handed over the planting and cultivation tasks to Xiaochuan and Meng Lang, while he concentrated on harvesting.
Meng Lang, perhaps out of guilt, surprisingly did not complain.
The harvesting task came only twice a month, so Gu An spent most of his time cultivating, but he always hid his cultivation level, never letting anyone see it.
Three months passed.
Gu An silently reached the fifth layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm.
The mastery of the Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill was indeed powerful!
Gu An had not cultivated as long as Meng Lang. He also set aside time for reading.
Autumn leaves covered Medicine Valley. The surrounding peaks were also tinged with autumn colors, exuding a melancholy felt in the mortal world.
Gu An stood in front of the wooden railing, looking at the nearly mature third-tier medicinal herbs, his hand caressing the White Spirit Rat.
Suddenly, he heard something and turned his head to see Cheng Xuandan walking in from the valley entrance, followed by a boy and a girl looking about fourteen or fifteen years old.
He instinctively used Life Span Detection.
[Ye Lan (Energy Cultivation Realm First Layer): 14/110/130]
[Lu Jiujia (Energy Cultivation Realm Second Layer): 15/140/190]
Good!
Two more helpers!
Gu An's lips curved into a smile as he walked quickly towards Cheng Xuandan.
When he reached Cheng Xuandan, he clasped his hands in salute.
Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan curiously looked at Gu An. Gu An already had fine facial features, and growing up, coupled with the cultivation from Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill and Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill, his temperament was outstanding, reminding the two of the cultivators of the Supreme Sect they had seen.
"An'er, these two are your junior brother and sister. You take them to settle in," Cheng Xuandan said and left.
An'er?
Gu An almost got goosebumps but still bowed respectfully to Cheng Xuandan's retreating figure.
He turned to look at Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan, who hurriedly saluted him, and their respectful demeanor made him very satisfied.
Good!
More polite than Li Ya and Meng Lang; back then, those two did not show such courtesy to Zhang Chunqiu.
Gu An instantly developed a fondness for his junior brother and sister. He started by introducing himself and asking them to do the same.
Lu Jiujia had dark skin and worn-out clothes, looking like a farm boy, but his bright eyes were full of spirit.
Ye Lan was slender and her attire was luxurious, but her face could only be considered decent.
"Let's go, senior brother will take you to your quarters first," Gu An said with a smile. Seeing his gentle demeanor, the two were no longer as nervous.
On the way to the disciples' courtyard, Ye Lan couldn't help but curiously ask about the other disciples in Medicine Valley.
Gu An introduced them truthfully.
Later, he called Meng Lang and Xiaochuan to meet the two new disciples.
Unlike Zhang Chunqiu, Gu An truly wanted to manage the relationships within the sect well; after all, he intended to become the Valley Master.
The addition of Ye Lan and Lu Jiujia reminded Gu An of Zhu Moyan and the Demon of Greed.
No!
We must resolve this matter soon to avoid endangering the junior brother and sister.
Gu An held this thought while beginning to teach his junior brother and sister how to do their tasks.
That night.
He closed his room door and took out the Spirit Stone given by Chu Jingfeng, injecting a trace of spiritual power into it, and the Spirit Stone started heating up.
Gu An felt quite fascinated, as it was his first time using such Immortal Cultivation technology.
A few breaths later, Chu Jingfeng's voice came through, "Who?"
Well, how many people did you give such Spirit Stones to?
Gu An stifled his urge to complain and said, "Senior, I am Gu An from Medicine Valley."
Chu Jingfeng remained silent.
Gu An felt a little awkward. Fortunately, Chu Jingfeng soon spoke, "Do you have intelligence on the Demon of Greed?"
"Yes!"
Gu An replied firmly and then recounted what he had seen and heard.
After he finished speaking, Chu Jingfeng asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely, without any falsehood. He is not far from Medicine Valley. I am just concerned he might harm us," Gu An said seriously.
"Good, I will handle this matter personally. I will go to the Outer Sect to find his cave address. You won't be troubled by this anymore."
"Thank you, senior. If this matter is resolved smoothly, I hope you won't mention me. I am of mediocre aptitude and wish to avoid trouble. I only seek a safe life."
"Hmm, I will be discreet."
With that, Chu Jingfeng cut off the connection through the Spirit Stone.
Gu An placed the Spirit Stone on the table, carefully pondering over his interactions with Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Moyan to see if there were any flaws.
Such trouble.
I hope this matter can pass smoothly.
I just want to farm.
Gu An thought to himself. Compared to fighting, he preferred the peaceful life of picking herbs.
…
After informing Chu Jingfeng, Gu An patrolled daily, while also keeping a close eye on his junior brother and sister, fearing they might wander out of Medicine Valley.
For three consecutive days, everything was calm.
Until the night of the fourth day, Gu An sensed signs of spiritual energy disturbance outside Medicine Valley and vaguely heard the clash of weapons.
They were fighting!
He crept outside and made his way to the valley entrance, intending to guard it to prevent the Demon of Greed or villains from sneaking into Medicine Valley and harming his junior brother and sister.
The battle in the distance was fierce. By the time Gu An reached the valley entrance, it still hadn't finished.
The numerous peaks along the way prevented Gu An from accurately assessing the battle, so he relied on his keen hearing to judge.
Suddenly.
Gu An felt something and quickly turned around, looking back into Medicine Valley.
His gaze fell on a pavilion where he saw Cheng Xuandan standing at the window, looking at him from afar.
The bright moonlight shone down, and in the dim pavilion, Cheng Xuandan looked like a ghost, making Gu An feel a chill in his heart.
Trouble!
He discovered me!
Gu An frowned, suddenly unsure of what to do.
As he hesitated, Cheng Xuandan slowly closed the window, but his gaze remained like two beams of eerie light, making Gu An uneasy.
Gu An wasn't afraid of Cheng Xuandan; he feared Cheng Xuandan would leak the information.
Then he thought, it shouldn't be the case. If Cheng Xuandan were really connected to the Great Cultivator behind the Demon of Greed, why would he summon Chu Jingfeng to guard Medicine Valley?
It would be superfluous!
These servant disciples meant nothing to the sect; the other party didn't even need an excuse to report to the sect.