Gu An tried hard not to think too much about Cheng Xuan Pill's intentions. He focused his attention outside the valley to avoid enemy attacks.
He guarded the place for the entire night.
At dawn, Gu An quietly returned to his room.
Gu An wanted to visit the battlefield but feared traps, so he could only endure patiently.
Ye Lan and Lu Jiujia's arrival brought more vitality to Medicine Valley. They, along with Xiaochuan, ran all around the valley, being in their youthful prime with boundless energy. Xiaochuan, usually quiet and reserved, became lively because of them.
Leaning against the wooden rail in a garden area, Gu An held the Green Hero's Travel in his hands, basking in the autumn breeze.
His gaze occasionally drifted towards Cheng Xuan Pill's loft.
The exchange of looks from the previous night haunted his mind. He wished to talk with Cheng Xuan Pill, but feared disrupting the delicate balance.
At that moment, Lu Jiujia approached, his face full of anticipation, and asked, "Senior Brother, I heard from Senior Brother Meng that you are skilled in a profound leg technique. Could you teach me? I'm willing to take over all your harvesting tasks for you."
Gu An looked at him and smiled, "I wouldn't say I'm skilled. If you want to learn, of course, I can teach you. But keep the harvesting tasks to Senior Brother. I still need to do some work, and I enjoy harvesting."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiujia respected Gu An even more.
Senior Brother is truly a good man!
He was extremely excited.
Gu An tucked the book into his chest and then began to teach Lu Jiujia the Residual Wind Leg technique.
Before long, Xiaochuan and Ye Lan also ran over to learn. As for Meng Lang, he was too proud to ask and besides, he felt Gu An wasn't as strong as himself. He'd revealed Gu An's leg technique just to stop Lu Jiujia from pestering him.
The maneuvers of Residual Wind Leg were sharp. Even though Gu An held back, it still amazed the three young men and women.
An hour later, as Gu An was thinking of an excuse to slip away, a voice came from afar:
"An'er, come here."
Gu An turned his head and saw Cheng Xuan Pill standing at a window, beckoning to him.
Here it comes!
Immediately, Gu An walked towards Cheng Xuan Pill's loft while Xiaochuan and the others paid no mind and continued practicing Residual Wind Leg.
He entered Cheng Xuan Pill's house, closed the door behind him, quickly approached him, and bowed.
Cheng Xuan Pill sat meditating in front of a Pill Furnace. He pointed to the other side of the furnace and said, "Sit."
Gu An walked to the indicated spot, sat cross-legged, and prepared his words in his mind.
"Did you find Chu Jingfeng?" Cheng Xuan Pill spoke first, cutting off Gu An's thoughts.
What a direct approach!
Gu An dropped the act and replied, "Yes, he approached me before, saying to contact him anytime if there were clues about the Demon of Greed and Wrath. Senior Brother Zhang recommended I manage the Cave Mansion of an Outer Sect Disciple named Zhu Mo Cliff. When Zhu Mo Cliff returned, I was handing over duties and saw the Demon of Greed and Wrath hidden behind the vines. His mansion is too close to ours, I had to contact Chu Jingfeng."
Cheng Xuan Pill nodded and said, "You did the right thing. This matter indeed could only be handled by Chu Jingfeng. Chu Jingfeng is no ordinary figure; not only does he have exceptional talent, but he also has a prominent background, which is why he could become an Inner Sect Disciple at the Foundation Establishment Realm."
A prominent background?
No wonder he dares to investigate the Demon of Greed and Wrath!
Gu An felt relieved; he also worried about Chu Jingfeng failing, causing the Great Cultivator behind the Demon of Greed and Wrath to trace back to him.
"Chu Jingfeng has been investigating the Demon of Greed and Wrath, hence he took our Medicine Valley's mission. This is part of his father's maneuvers with someone influential in the sect. However, I am puzzled, it's been months since you returned from Zhu Mo Cliff, why only recently did you contact Chu Jingfeng?" Cheng Xuan Pill stared at Gu An, prompting him.
Gu An helplessly said, "Master, you should understand me, I dislike trouble and avoid conflicts. No matter how Meng Lang ordered me around, I couldn't be bothered to argue. I originally intended to pretend I saw nothing. But Master, when you brought younger brothers and sisters into Medicine Valley, I had to contact Chu Jingfeng."
His words were genuine; he indeed acted on such reasons.
Cheng Xuan Pill looked at him deeply, his gaze then shifting to the Pill Furnace beside him, "You've done well. From now on, you are my True Disciple, I will teach you everything I know."
"As for this matter, let us, master and disciple, forget about it. Whether it's Chu Jingfeng's father or the big figure behind the Demon of Greed and Wrath, they are not ones we can afford to provoke."
Hearing this, Gu An was stunned, looking at Cheng Xuan Pill's profile, he suddenly felt he had misunderstood his master.
"Master!"
Gu An immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Cheng Xuan Pill, very solemnly.
Cheng Xuan Pill returned his gaze, a kind and gentle expression different from his usual demeanor.
"Going forward, anything you want to know or learn, you can always come to me. Don't feel like you're bothering me. I don't have many years left and not much time to teach you." Cheng Xuan Pill's eyes and tone softened like never before.
Gu An sat down, cautiously asked, "Master, are you skilled in making Beauty Pills?"
The staple of an immortal-cultivation protagonist is to start with Beauty Pills to maintain perpetual youth, and Gu An certainly didn't want to be an old man with gray hair.
Cheng Xuan Pill shook his head with a chuckle. Then lifting his hand, he drew a jade bottle towards him through the air, withdrew a pill and handed it to Gu An.
Without hesitation, Gu An swallowed it.
His boldness stemmed from the detoxifying effects of the Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill and Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill, describing his current state as poison-immune was no exaggeration.
Seeing Gu An's complete trust, joy appeared in Cheng Xuan Pill's eyes.
After taking the Beauty Pill, Gu An didn't feel anything special, as if he had eaten a melting sugar sweet.
"Do you have any thoughts about Alchemy?" Cheng Xuan Pill asked.
Gu An's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, "Not to hide from you, Master, I have wanted to learn Alchemy from you for a while, but I didn't dare to ask earlier."
Cheng Xuan Pill pinched his beard and laughed heartily, delighted by the moment.
The atmosphere inside the room became very harmonious. Cheng Xuan Pill started to teach Alchemy, beginning from igniting the Pill Furnace. Gu An, who had learned the Fire Control Technique, picked up quickly, leading Cheng Xuan Pill to mistakenly believe he had a talent for Alchemy.
Later, when Cheng Xuan Pill shifted the topic away from fire, Gu An began to get confused, which silenced Cheng Xuan Pill momentarily.
...
After Gu An and Cheng Xuan Pill established a true mentor-disciple relationship, Medicine Valley became even livelier. Cheng Xuan Pill, who usually stayed indoors, started to come out more often and casually taught Gu An and others how to cultivate medicinal herbs.
Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan grew increasingly fond of Cheng Xuan Pill, often praising the master for his kindness and approachability, which made Meng Lang snort in disdain.
After that night's great battle, there was no more disturbance from outside the valley.
Chu Jingfeng and Zhu Mo Cliff did not visit Medicine Valley, and Gu An did not dare to investigate the situation and could only keep these matters hidden in his heart.
Time flew by swiftly.
A year passed quickly.
Gu An crossed the threshold of twenty years old, and his lifespan increased back to over 2,800 years.
One noon, Gu An was lying on a cliff mid-mountain, reading a book. Below him was Medicine Valley, where he could see Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia sparring with their leg techniques.
Since 'Alchemy' had appeared on his attribute panel, he bothered Cheng Xuan Pill no longer.
Learning Alchemy was simply too tedious.
Worth mentioning is that, upon Gu An's suggestion, Cheng Xuan Pill had exchanged more seeds from the Outer Sect. It must be said, after truly becoming master and disciple, Cheng Xuan Pill was very responsible.
Gu An lay with his head on his left hand and held the book in his right, exhaling to flip the page with his breath.
His eyes suddenly widened, and he sat up immediately.
The latest Cyan Hero's Travel had pictures mixed in!
Interesting!
Gu An carefully admired the illustrations in the book while continuously critiquing.
A shrieking noise descended from the sky, and he abruptly looked up, his gaze becoming piercing.
A white eagle with a wingspan about ten feet long descended. Two zhang away from Gu An, the eagle's claws loosened, and a letter dropped, which he smoothly caught.
The white eagle drew a perfect arc in the sky and rapidly disappeared over the mountain.
What a stunning eagle!
Gu An couldn't help but think of his White Spirit Rat, tiny as a palm and utterly useless.
He opened the envelope and found that in addition to the letter, there was also a Jade Pendant inscribed with the Chu character.
He pinned the Jade Pendant to his waistband, tucked the Cyan Hero's Travel into his chest, and then checked the letter.
It was from Chu Jingfeng.
Chu Jingfeng first briefly recounted the previous battle, mentioning that Zhu Mo Cliff had died by his sword. Over the year, he had collected evidence and toppled the Great Cultivator who had manipulated the Demon of Greed and Wrath. He told Gu An not to worry about this matter anymore.
The Jade Pendant was a token of the Chu Family. If Gu An encountered any unsolvable problem, he could use this Jade Pendant to seek him or his clan members.
The Chu Family recognized the jade, not the person—one jade, one promise.
Gu An's admiration for Chu Jingfeng surged. He hadn't expected this prideful Inner Sect Disciple to value friendships so deeply.
Even if Chu Jingfeng didn't repay him for anything, there was nothing he could do, as he had previously stated that Chu Jingfeng need not contact him again.
After reading, Gu An tore the letter into shreds and scattered them on the ground. His right foot twisted slightly, and with a tremor of Spiritual Power underfoot, the pieces of the letter turned into powder.
The Spiritual Power of the 8th Floor of Qi Cultivation Realm was immensely strong!
Gu An's mouth curved into a smile, and he leapt up like a swan taking flight, his toes touching the leaves of the trees along the mountain slope, smoothly landing.
For Lu Jiujia and Xiaochuan, this was no longer strange.
Gu An kept his Spiritual Power at the 2nd Floor level of Qi Cultivation, and his Residual Wind Leg had already been shown off, earning high praise from Cheng Xuan Pill. Now, he was like a formidable Martial World expert.
Gu An acted low-key, but he felt he couldn't always hide. Showing some strength appropriately would help him lead a better farmer's life.
As soon as he landed, the White Spirit Rat scurried over, climbing up his leg to his shoulder.
"It's been several days since I've tested your leg techniques. Come on, let's spar, both of you together," Gu An said with a smile toward Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia.
Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia exchanged glances and immediately rushed towards Gu An.
The three sparred with their leg techniques on the grass outside the garden area, their bodies shifting, their long legs like whips, creating a whirl of wind and flying grass.
Gu An took on both, dismantling Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia's leg techniques with one leg.
Although Xiaochuan's leg technique looked right, it was somewhat clumsy. Lu Jiujia's talent was quite high, his kicking already carried the essence of Residual Wind Leg, but each of his moves was slower than Gu An's.
After half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia were panting heavily. The two exchanged a glance and then conceded in unison.
Gu An slowly retracted his leg hanging in the air, saying, "You've improved a lot, making it tough for me, your senior brother. I estimate it won't be long before you surpass me."
"How long is 'not long'?" Xiaochuan asked stiffly.
Gu An patted the dust off his trousers, smiling, "That depends on how hard you work."
The White Spirit Rat perched on his shoulder emitted squeaks, seemingly laughing.