I Choose You

Chen Baiqing was about to lower her gaze to the letter when she suddenly heard those words. Raising her head, she met the somewhat relieved eyes of the senior sister.

"Hmm... You've grown quite a bit taller."

Chen Baiqing smiled and nodded in acknowledgment before finally looking down at the first page of the letter in her hand.

The handwriting that greeted her was exquisite—elegant and spirited, yet meticulously neat, unmistakably the work of a master calligrapher.

After reading just two lines, Chen Baiqing confirmed that this was a letter from Li Junzi, the former teacher of the fourth junior sister.

The contents of the letter held no urgent matters. It read more like a family correspondence.

According to the letter, after leaving Yuzhou City, Li Junzi had gone to Gentleman Mountain to prepare for her ascension to the Great Confucian realm.

The letter described how Gentleman Mountain was a place where "no unlearned person treads," and how its vast collection of classical texts was as abundant as mountains and seas.

It also mentioned that what she had once thought were wasted years of stagnation were, in fact, not so.

Her time in Lin Family Village had yielded much growth, allowing her to recognize her own shortcomings. As a result, Li Junzi's path to becoming a Great Confucian had been remarkably smooth.

She had successfully ascended to the Great Confucian realm, all going well, and she remained steadfast in her pursuit of her ultimate goal—to become a Sage.

The purpose of the letter was simple: to inquire whether Lin Luoyu was doing well. Li Junzi assured her that she herself was in good health and urged Lin Luoyu not to worry, wishing her a smooth and unobstructed path in her immortal cultivation.

The letter was quite brief, employing many classical allusions to condense what seemed like boundless longing into just a single page.

Moreover, the Li Junzi in the letter appeared to be thriving, her journey unimpeded.

But if the first page concluded Li Junzi's words, then why was there a second page?

Chen Baiqing frowned slightly, sensing something amiss, and turned her attention to the second letter.

The second page was not written by Li Junzi.

Instead, it came from Zhao Xuan, the ruler of Xuanwu Kingdom.

Quickly, Chen Baiqing understood why the senior sister had looked so solemn.

Zhao Xuan's letter made no direct mention of Li Junzi, as if merely recounting a story—yet every word seemed to hint at her involvement.

Gentleman Mountain was undeniably a sacred land for Confucian scholars, housing most of the classical texts from ancient times to the present, including even the personal writings of Sages. The majority of Great Confucians in the world hailed from Gentleman Mountain.

In earlier times, Gentleman Mountain had not always been called by that name.

It was only after a top-tier Great Confucian declared, "Within this mountain, all are gentlemen," that the name was firmly established.

Located near the Central Continent but outside Xuanwu Kingdom’s borders, it was quite a distance away.

Nevertheless, scholars from Xuanwu Kingdom often traveled to Gentleman Mountain to study, so its affairs were not entirely unknown.

Zhao Xuan’s letter spoke of turmoil brewing in Gentleman Mountain—apparently, a Great Confucian had sought to refute the teachings of a Sage.

The entire mountain was in upheaval, with Great Confucians emerging from all sides to debate.

They had even brought forth a Sage’s treasured artifact, engaging in five rounds of scholarly disputation—and had already lost the first.

To lose such a debate would not only strip the challenger of their Confucian cultivation but also tarnish their reputation irreparably.

The letter framed it as a tale of an audacious figure.

Li Junzi had once attended the senior sister’s birthday celebration, an event their master had made lively and grand. Li Junzi had accompanied them throughout.

Zhao Xuan could easily deduce that Li Junzi had close ties to their sect—otherwise, she would not have been included in such a private gathering.

Clearly, Zhao Xuan wished to alert them to this matter but feared overstepping and causing offense. Thus, he had chosen this indirect approach—mentioning the events without naming names.

If Li Junzi was of no concern, then the letter could simply be taken as a story.

And since Li Junzi’s own letter had claimed all was well, it would be rather awkward if Zhao Xuan’s next correspondence exposed her true predicament...

Evidently, Zhao Xuan had no desire to offend anyone.

He had likely agonized over whether to send this letter at all—after all, inaction avoids blame.

Only after much deliberation had he resolved to write in such a veiled manner.

After reading both letters and grasping the situation, Chen Baiqing understood the senior sister’s intent—to let the fourth junior sister decide first.

She did not voice any questions, instead waiting quietly alongside her senior sister.

Moments later, Zhang Miaoyu arrived with Lin Luoyu in tow, followed by Li Xingtian.

Lin Luoyu asked, "Senior Sister, is something the matter?"

Chen Baiqing stepped forward and handed her the letters.

Puzzled, Lin Luoyu accepted them and skimmed the first page. Her expression brightened with delight, a smile forming as she read further.

But when she turned to the second page, her face instantly darkened with gravity.

After finishing the letters, she carefully folded them away and spoke solemnly:

"Apologies, Senior Sister, but I must go to Gentleman Mountain at once. I’ll have to set aside my duties here for now."

Li Yingling gave a slight nod. "Given the urgency, I’ll inform Master on your behalf. However, I’m uneasy about you going alone."

Though Li Xingtian hadn’t seen the letters, the mention of Gentleman Mountain and the fourth junior sister’s personal involvement could only mean one thing—her former teacher, Li Junzi, was in trouble.

Since this concerned a fellow sect member, and given that Lin Luoyu was still at the Foundation Establishment stage while he had reached the Golden Core realm, it was only natural for him to assist.

Li Xingtian spoke up: "Let me accompany the fourth junior sister."

Li Yingling turned her gaze to him, then immediately replied without hesitation:

"Second Junior Brother, you should stay here and focus on rebuilding the main hall. I’ll personally escort the fourth junior sister to Gentleman Mountain."

Li Xingtian frowned in confusion. "What’s wrong with me?"

He prided himself on being steady and reliable—far more suited for this than the senior sister’s unconventional methods.

Li Yingling sighed. Her second junior brother still hadn’t grasped the issue. She had no choice but to explain:

"You’re fine—just a bit too rigid in your righteousness. I’m afraid you’d skip the debate entirely and declare Teacher Li the loser outright."

Li Xingtian opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. He could only shut it again, speechless.

Once he reached the Nascent Soul realm and his vitality stabilized, surely things would be different...

Lin Luoyu, still composed, interjected:

"Right now, the reconstruction of the sect mostly relies on Senior Sister overseeing everything. I can handle this matter myself."

Li Yingling opened her mouth to object, ready to settle the matter, but Chen Baiqing spoke first:

"I’ve reached the Golden Core realm as well. Why not let me accompany the fourth junior sister?"

Li Yingling’s words died on her lips as she turned to Chen Baiqing’s resolute expression.

If it was Baiqing...

She hesitated briefly, but just then, a cheerful voice sounded from the doorway.

"Huh? Why is everyone gathered here? Having a meeting?"

Cui Hao walked in with a grin, but upon seeing their solemn faces, he quickly schooled his expression and asked:

"Did... something happen?"

Li Yingling’s eyes swept over him. She recalled that this junior brother was a Confucian scholar—and a rather talented one at that.

Cui Hao could be a bit unruly when idle, but he was dependable when it counted.

With Baiqing keeping him in check, his flighty nature could be reined in. It wasn’t a bad pairing.

Besides, even if they couldn’t expect Cui Hao to handle everything flawlessly, he could at least hold the fort until Master sent word with further instructions.

Resolved, Li Yingling declared:

"It’s decided then—you’re the one."

"Eh?!"

Cui Hao wore a puzzled expression—he hadn't caused any trouble recently.