The Calculations of the Sect Master

"Senior Brother."

Gu Changge took a slow, leisurely sip of his tea.

"Don't tell me you want to..."

"Ah!" Xuanyangzi slapped his thigh, interrupting him.

"Look at that girl Jinghong. Her aptitude is quite good, but she is too arrogant. It would be great to have her come to Purple Bamboo Peak more often to spar with Ruobai and temper her character!"

Saying this, he lowered his voice.

"Besides... your tea leaves... Ahem! I mean, young people need to urge each other on. They will improve faster by chasing after one another. This is all for the future of the sect!"

He spoke the last few words exceptionally loudly, straightening his back and slapping both hands onto his knees.

Looking at his Senior Brother's righteous appearance of doing it all for the sect's future, Gu Changge almost could not hold back his laughter.

This old fox. To freeload off Purple Bamboo Peak's cultivation resources, he even brought out the excuse of tempering the disciples' characters.

He let out a feigned sigh of helplessness and placed his teacup on the table with a crisp clink.

"Fine. But let us make a deal: they can only come once every half a month. Any more than that is a no-go; I still want to sleep in."

Inwardly, however, he was calculating. He had always felt that although Xuanfeng had a very solid foundation as the head disciple, his cultivation at the Core Condensation Realm was indeed a bit low.

This time, he could use the excuse of sparring to give them some special tutoring.

Hearing this, Xuanyangzi's eyes instantly lit up like two glazed lanterns, completely forgetting to hide his intentions.

He immediately patted his chest and agreed, "No problem, no problem! Once every half a month it is! I will drag the two of them over first thing tomorrow morning. I promise they will not delay your rest!"

With the main business concluded, Xuanyangzi picked up his empty teacup, wiped the rim with his sleeve, and poured himself another half cup.

He traced circles on the rim of the cup with his fingertips, wearing a slightly roguish smile.

"Look here, I gave your disciple a good item. I asked someone to dig up that Azure Vein Grass from the depths of Black Wind Ridge just to nourish this kid's body..."

"And I am taking such a huge loss by letting my precious disciples come and interact with your disciple."

He paused, stealing a glance at Gu Changge's expression. Seeing that the other party did not respond, he pushed his luck with a cheeky grin.

"This tea of yours... can you spare a little more for me? Just half a pound. No, three ounces is fine too."

Gu Changge raised his eyes to look at him, a glint of understanding in his gaze.

Xuanyangzi felt a bit uncomfortable under his stare and coughed dryly twice. "It is not that I am being greedy. It is mainly because... that old rock from Qingyue Peak has been stuck at a bottleneck in his recent breakthrough.

And a few brats from Jianxiao Peak injured their meridians while practicing swordplay. Doesn't this tea calm the mind and aid in comprehending the Dao?

If we let them use it, maybe they can break through sooner, which would also add a bit more strength to the sect."

How could Gu Changge not understand his intentions.

This Sect Master looked careless and informal, but in reality, he held the entire Qingxuan Sect in his heart.

Over the years, he had expended a great deal of mental effort for the sect's development. The treasures he found were either given to the secluded ancestors to stabilize their realms.

Or they were distributed to promising disciples to break through their bottlenecks. He hardly kept anything decent for himself.

"There are two pounds on the shelf next to you."

Gu Changge withdrew his gaze, his tone flat. "Take it yourself."

Xuanyangzi's eyes lit up. He was about to stand up but paused, rubbing his hands together. "That... makes me feel quite embarrassed."

Despite his words, his feet honestly stepped toward the bamboo shelf. Holding the tea canister, he smiled like a child who had stolen candy.

He glanced toward the bamboo forest again and saw Xiao Ruobai restraining his aura, steadily locked at the first stage of the Body Refining Realm as he practiced his footwork.

Xuanyangzi tucked the tea away and drank two more cups before standing up.

"I will hold onto these tea leaves for the sect for now. I promise they will not be used inappropriately!"

"Then tomorrow, I will have them bring two pots of freshly collected mountain spring water over. I heard brewing tea with mountain spring water makes it more fragrant and mellow..."

Watching his hurriedly departing back, Gu Changge finally could not help but chuckle softly.

This old fox. He even found such comprehensive excuses.

In the bamboo forest, Xiao Ruobai withdrew his stance. He looked at Xuanyangzi's back, then at the jade box on the stone table, his fingertips feeling slightly hot.

He looked down at his palms. Even though he had long since broken through to the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, a wave of warmth still welled up in his heart because of this medicinal herb and the comment about his weak body.

On the stone stool, Gu Changge held his teacup, looking in the direction the Sect Master had left, a faint smile flashing in his eyes.

This Xuanyangzi really carried the burden of the sect solidly on his shoulders.

"Ruobai, come here."

Gu Changge called Xiao Ruobai over.

"Although this spirit medicine is not of much use to you right now, it is a token of your Martial Uncle's goodwill. Take it, and continue practicing your footwork."

"Thank you, Master. Please also thank Martial Uncle for me."

Xiao Ruobai nodded heavily and put away the spirit medicine. He gently rubbed the Azure Vein Grass given by Xuanyangzi, feeling the gentle medicinal power within.

These seemingly ordinary herbs had actually been carefully selected, making them the most suitable for the constitution he was currently displaying.

"Martial Uncle... really cares about me."

Xiao Ruobai muttered to himself.

Although everyone thought he was a piece of trash with poor aptitude, this sincere care warmed his heart.

As he turned and stepped back into the bamboo forest, there was something a bit heavier in his steps—it was the expectations of the sect, and the weight of what he needed to protect.

Gu Changge watched his disciple's retreating back, a trace of gratification flashing in his eyes.

This young man, who once bore a blood feud, was slowly opening his heart bit by bit.

As soon as Xuanyangzi returned to his cave dwelling, he shouted into the air, "Xuanfeng! Jinghong! Get your asses over here!"

Before his voice had faded, two figures had already landed in the hall.

Li Xuanfeng wore a moon-white long robe, its hems still stained with a bit of mountain morning dew. A gentle smile lingered at the corner of his lips, but his gaze was several degrees more composed than usual.

He had just come out of seclusion after breaking through to the late stage of the Core Condensation Realm. The aura around him was like the still water of a deep abyss, seemingly peaceful and waveless.

Upon closer inspection, however, one could detect that the restrained spiritual energy was like a surging hidden dragon, flowing increasingly thick and solid through his meridians.

Shen Jinghong, on the other hand, wore a green shirt with her hair tied up. Her features were cold and aloof, and she still grasped a longsword in her hand, evidently having just returned from the sword practice field.

Her cultivation had already reached the peak of the ninth stage of the Body Refining Realm. She only needed to consolidate it a bit more before she could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"Master, you are in such a burning hurry. Are you going to assign us some good errand?"

Li Xuanfeng cupped his hands in confusion, his eyes full of probing.

Xuanyangzi sat down in his armchair, picked up a teacup, and took a large gulp before clearing his throat.

"Tomorrow morning, the two of you are going to take a trip to Purple Bamboo Peak."

Shen Jinghong frowned slightly. "To Purple Bamboo Peak? Doesn't Martial Uncle Gu usually prefer peace and quiet, disliking being disturbed by outsiders?"

"What do you know."

Xuanyangzi glared at her, then put on an earnest and well-meaning expression.

"It is mainly to accompany your Junior Brother Xiao—that is, Xiao Ruobai—and interact with him more. That child has a reserved temperament. He stays cooped up in Purple Bamboo Peak all day without even a person to talk to. How pitiful."

Hearing this, Xuanfeng nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

"Master is right. Previously, I was in seclusion to break through and had no time to spare. Now that I am out, it is indeed time to go pay a visit."