The new year arrived, and this Spring Festival felt livelier than any in previous years. The Third Medicine Valley now housed both Gu Zong and Xuan Tianyi. The news that the True Disciple had sworn brotherhood with the valley master spread like wildfire. The four hundred servant disciples were ecstatic, their admiration for Gu An reaching new heights.
Xuan Tianyi, however, had an almost obsessive habit of discussing Daoist Seeking Spring. This constant pursuit of conversation left Gu An feeling overwhelmed.
By dusk, Gu An excused himself and returned to Xuan Valley to spend the festival evening with his junior sister and disciples.
The disciples gathered around the table, laughing, drinking, and exchanging stories.
Ye Lan and Zhen Qin began recounting events from the cultivation world.
"The number of demons in the Five Dynasties hasn't decreased despite the efforts of various sects. In fact, it seems to be increasing. Worse yet, there's been a rise in demonic cultivators and malevolent individuals," Ye Lan said gravely.
"Some people believe humanity's end is inevitable. They've resorted to indulgence, killing, looting, and then fleeing southward across the sea. Whether in the cultivation world or among commoners, chaos reigns," Zhen Qin added.
"As long as the demon calamity remains unresolved, the world will remain in turmoil."
Zhen Qin lamented, wondering aloud why the Mountain God hadn't intervened. Gu An, playing innocent, refrained from responding.
"The Mountain God has made it clear before. Why should he protect humanity? If demons were to worship him, wouldn't he support them instead? The strength of a race ultimately depends on itself, not on the favoritism of gods or immortals," Ye Lan commented insightfully.
Her time in the Law Enforcement Hall had exposed her to countless atrocities, giving her a deep understanding of human nature.
The more darkness she encountered, the more she cherished the companionship of Gu An, Zhen Qin, and Xiao Chun.
Many cultivators walked their paths in solitude, yet here they were, sharing laughter and camaraderie. It was a happiness she did not take lightly.
Gu An mostly listened, occasionally chiming in.
Even as the world descended into chaos, he had no grand ambitions to save it.
That said, he occasionally descended the mountain to offer aid to those in desperate need, as long as his actions didn't disrupt the broader balance of the world.
After all, Gu An remained uncertain about the full strength of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Even if he knew, taking sole responsibility for the continent's protection would make him the focal point of future calamities. Every enemy targeting the continent would first come for him. Just the thought of it made his head ache.
Zhen Qin brought up Su Han, recounting how he had followed the Nine Nether Thirteen Li to Tian Wei. Recently, Su Han had devoured the spiritual energy of a Divine Transformation cultivator, shaking the cultivation world.
The Tai Xuan Sect had sent powerful cultivators to eliminate him, but the Nine Nether Thirteen Li retaliated, leaving the sect's forces heavily injured.
Gu An suspected the cultivators had been spared only because of the reputation of the Sword Master of Dao.
The shifting tides of the world were something Gu An preferred to watch from the sidelines.
His targets were the Demon Emperor and the Demon Ancestor.
Once the demon calamity erupted and chaos engulfed the land, he planned to seize the opportunity to eliminate them. Removing these major threats would turn the remaining demons into perfect whetstones for the cultivators of the world.
The conversation carried on late into the night. Ye Lan and Zhen Qin decided to stay in Xuan Valley and leave the next day.
That night, Ye Lan visited Gu An's pavilion to share some private thoughts.
As they talked, Ye Lan suddenly extinguished the room's candlelight.
"Junior Sister, what are you doing?" Gu An asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
"Senior Brother, I fear the calamity could strike at any moment. I don't want to leave this world with regrets," Ye Lan replied softly.
"Not this again."
"Senior Brother, I don't want to be your Dao partner. Let's simply cherish the moment. What do you say?"
"Junior Sister, this isn't right for us!"
"But Senior Brother, I truly like you…"
"Stop right there!"
"Don't make me force you!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of punches and kicks echoed through the room.
At dawn, Gu An descended the stairs with Ye Lan following behind. He looked triumphant, while Ye Lan rubbed her wrist, casting him a resentful glance.
The night before, Ye Lan had attempted to overpower him, but to her dismay, she couldn't match Gu An's strength. Her plan thwarted, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Yet, the memory of being pinned down by Gu An brought an involuntary smile to her lips.
"So this is what Senior Brother likes…" she mused, rubbing her sore backside as she counted how many times he'd struck her.
After leading the morning exercises, Ye Lan and Zhen Qin departed.
Gu An, on the other hand, quietly made his way to the Eight Views Heavenly Cave.
Standing before the Ancient Vine Tree, Gu An was greeted by Jiang Qiong, who had her eyes closed.
"Last night was the Spring Festival, wasn't it? Seemed lively," Jiang Qiong remarked.
"Yes. I brought you some pastries made by the disciples," Gu An replied, crouching down to unpack the pastries and wine.
Jiang Qiong opened her eyes, gazing at him. "Do you like your junior sister Ye?"
Gu An thought for a moment before responding, "To say I don't like her at all would be a lie. But I believe accepting her now would hinder both of our cultivation paths."
"Oh? Why do you think it would hinder you?" Jiang Qiong asked with interest.
"When someone occupies your heart, you can't help but think about them. If a relationship is confirmed, affection turns into responsibility. Every decision becomes about that person. It's bound to affect cultivation. I'm not afraid of being influenced myself, but I want her to focus on her cultivation without worrying about me," Gu An explained sincerely.
His words were heartfelt.
Ye Lan's current talent was limited. She needed to focus on cultivating the Innate Reincarnation Technique to extend her lifespan.
Gu An was willing to spend the last century of her life with her but didn't want her to only live for a hundred years.
"When two hearts remain steadfast over time, why should daily proximity matter?" Gu An said, raising a bowl of wine to Jiang Qiong.
She looked into his clear eyes, seeing a side of him she hadn't noticed before.
"So, this kid is a romantic after all," she thought, amused.
Jiang Qiong countered, "How can you be so sure you'll outlive her? If you die first, leaving her to endure a life of regret, wouldn't that be even crueler?"
Smiling confidently, Gu An replied, "To be honest, with control over two medicine valleys and an endless supply of spirit herbs, I can survive for a few hundred years even without cultivating much."
"Just a few hundred years?"
Jiang Qiong chuckled at his short-sightedness. Yet, the thought of Gu An passing away while she continued her endless pursuit of immortality left her inexplicably uneasy.
"Come on, let's drink! We're not stopping until we're drunk!" Jiang Qiong declared, her expression suddenly stern.
Gu An quickly raised his bowl.
Half an hour later, when Jiang Qiong demanded more drinks, Gu An sensed trouble and tried to excuse himself, only to be forcibly stopped by her.
Jiang Qiong began forcefully pouring wine for Gu An, and to maintain the facade of his weaker cultivation, he pretended to have low alcohol tolerance.
This wasn't ordinary wine—it was spirit wine. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would inevitably become drunk after drinking too much.
Eventually, Gu An had no choice but to feign drunkenness, sprawling on the ground in a mock stupor.
Jiang Qiong, her face flushed, looked at Gu An and breathed a sigh of relief.
"This kid is clearly at the Foundation Establishment Realm. How is he holding his liquor this well?" Jiang Qiong thought, irritated. She had nearly lost to him despite being a Nascent Soul cultivator.
If word got out that a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't outdrink someone at the Foundation Establishment level, it would be a joke of cosmic proportions.
She stared at Gu An, her thoughts wandering.
Gu An, meanwhile, began calculating the time.
Three hours. Once that time passed, he would leave. If Jiang Qiong tried to stop him again, he wouldn't hesitate to make his displeasure known.
After a long while, Jiang Qiong suddenly crouched down in front of him and brushed the hair from his face.
Gu An's heart raced.
Wait a second!
Could this old demonic cultivator be after my skin and flesh?
The thought struck him as ridiculous. Why were so many women interested in him?
Surely, being a little more handsome than most didn't justify this level of attention. Haven't these cultivators seen enough attractive men in their lives?
In the quiet room, Jiang Qiong muttered to herself, "Why does this kid keep looking better and better? It's strange…"
After achieving the Wandering Immortal Realm, Gu An's aura, even when concealed, carried an ethereal quality that seemed otherworldly.
Jiang Qiong attributed the shift to her own budding feelings, thinking his image was transforming in her eyes.
"Ugh, what am I thinking? He's my disciple's grand-disciple! I may be a demonic cultivator, but I'm not completely without scruples," she said, retracting her hand.
Sitting back down, Jiang Qiong fell into silent contemplation.
Moments later, she kicked Gu An, targeting his side.
Gu An inwardly cursed. What kind of person just kicks someone like that?
She kicked him again, and this time, Gu An rolled further away, groaning, "Bring more wine… What kind of ancestor are you… I don't recognize you… You can't outdrink me anyway…"
His slurred ramblings made Jiang Qiong burst out laughing.
For the rest of the evening, Jiang Qiong refrained from causing further trouble.
When the three hours passed, Gu An staggered to his feet. Seeing Jiang Qiong deep in meditation, he seized the opportunity to slip away.
Though her eyes remained closed, a faint smile curved Jiang Qiong's lips.
After leaving the Eight Views Heavenly Cave, Gu An arrived at the Nian Chu Cave Residence near Tianhuang Mountain. He gathered herbs and then turned his attention to Tian Yao'er, sternly instructing her in cultivation.
His frustration from dealing with Jiang Qiong found an outlet as he pushed Tian Yao'er to her limits.
However, Tian Yao'er didn't overthink his actions. When Gu An attempted to leave, she clung to his arm, refusing to let go. Alarmed, Gu An vanished on the spot.
Back in the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An couldn't help but ponder a troubling question.
Was it the season of spring, with emotions running high, or was he simply unlucky?
Why were Ye Lan, Jiang Qiong, and Tian Yao'er all trying to make a move on him?
Thankfully, Lu Lingjun was all talk and hadn't genuinely tried to pursue him as a Dao partner.
It was all a trap set by Heaven's Dao!
The intention was clear: to entangle him in relationships with these women, drawing him into mortal entanglements. Each of them was bound to encounter troubles in the future, and if they were tied to him, how could he stand idly by?
The more he intervened, the more likely he'd attract the attention of powerful enemies.
Karma was a complex web, and the higher one's cultivation, the greater the reverence one had for its intricacies.
Human connections and encounters might seem accidental, but they often followed unseen laws.
Lost in thought, Gu An headed back to his pavilion, contemplating the profound implications of karma.
Not far away, Xiao Chun leaned on a wooden railing, watching the spirit dogs he raised as they playfully fought each other. His gaze drifted to Gu An climbing the stairs.
For reasons he couldn't explain, Xiao Chun felt a sense of detachment.
From behind, Gu An seemed as though he might ascend to the heavens at any moment.
It was a peculiar feeling.
Shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile, Xiao Chun thought, "Senior Brother has sworn brotherhood with a Mahayana cultivator. He's long since ascended to a different realm. I can only rely on his care while I'm alive. When I pass away, he will remain youthful as ever…"
The thought left him both wistful and resigned.
Xiao Chun didn't envy Gu An. He felt his Senior Brother deserved everything he had achieved.
"When I'm gone, if the underworld truly exists, I'll protect Senior Brother's immortal journey from the shadows, ensuring he faces no obstacles."
"Uncle Xiao Chun, the White Spirit Mouse has returned!"
An Xin's voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts.