Watching the Mountain

Chapter 28: Chapter 23: Senior Brother, That Scared Me to Death

One day, Qing Xuan Master arrived at the Dao Transmission Hall, accompanied by a sharp and valiant-looking young man. The youth wore a simple black robe and stood tall and straight.

Xu Ran recognized him at once. It was none other than the brat, Zhang Zhentian, whom he hadn’t seen in more than a decade.

After Zhang Zhentian was punished by Qing Xuan Master to practice his swordsmanship at Wall Crossing Cliff for a year, they had never met again. There was no word from him, and no news of him circulated within the Sect.

Seeing him again so suddenly, Xu Ran couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity. ’Did the brat get into trouble again? Was he sent back to the Dao Transmission Hall by his grandfather to start his training over?’

He thought it was highly likely. After all, ever since Xu Ran had defeated him in a public match on the tournament stage, the boy had changed considerably. His personality had grown more somber, and he was no longer the loud, boisterous kid he used to be.

But having spent a lot of time with him, Xu Ran knew very well that the boy’s bratty nature hadn’t fundamentally changed. He didn’t like to think and tended to charge into things headfirst. To put it simply, he was just a quieter kind of brat.

’So, for him to show up here now... the brat must have caused trouble again.’

But Qing Xuan Master’s next words nearly made his jaw hit the floor.

Qing Xuan Master faced the crowd, gestured to the young man—the brat, Zhang Zhentian—standing beside him, and announced:

”For the foreseeable future, I have some personal matters to attend to. Therefore, this young man beside me will be taking my place to lecture and instruct all of you here in the Dao Transmission Hall.”

He swept his gaze over the assembly, a smile gracing his lips. ”Allow me to introduce him. This is the grandson of the Grand Elder of Celestial Sea Peak. He is also your senior brother. Though he is young, he has already achieved Foundation Establishment, making him one of the rare young prodigies of our Sect.”

”To have him lecture you is a rare opportunity. You must all cherish this chance, learn as much as you can from him, and strive to achieve your own Foundation Establishment and glimpse the Great Dao.”

As Qing Xuan Master spoke, his expression was filled with unconcealable pride, which left Xu Ran, who was standing below the stage, completely stunned.

Xu Ran’s expression grew distant. He stroked his chin and fell into thought. ’I had an epiphany a few days ago while cultivating, so I went into seclusion for a bit. Was it really just a few days? Or has it been a few years?’

’In the blink of an eye, is Qing Xuan Master already bringing up a successor?’

He then glanced down at Little Xiyue, who was tugging at the hem of his robe. She was still just as small and hadn’t grown any taller. That brought his thoughts crashing back to reality.

Not much time had passed after all.

That made him even more bewildered. ’This isn’t right. If that’s the case, then what is going on?’

’Letting that brat Zhang Zhentian lecture everyone... Is Qing Xuan Master serious? Isn’t he worried that the moment he turns his back, Zhang Zhentian will lead everyone in the Dao Transmission Hall in a rebellion?’

He wasn’t surprised that Zhang Zhentian’s Cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. The brat had always been exceptionally talented and was already on the cusp of a breakthrough back then. With more than ten years having passed, it was long overdue.

What concerned him more was that Qing Xuan Master had made a point of introducing him as the ”grandson of the Grand Elder of Celestial Sea Peak.”

This made him frown. While Zhang Zhentian cared deeply for his grandfather, he had always hated it when people brought up his family background. ’By introducing him like that, isn’t Qing Xuan Master worried he’ll fly off the handle right here and now?’

Just as he was mulling this over, Qing Xuan Master, still on the stage, smiled and gave Zhang Zhentian an encouraging nod.

Seeing the signal, Zhang Zhentian stepped forward. He cupped his fist in his palm in a salute to the crowd and spoke, his voice deep and steady.

”I am Zhang Zhentian. It is an honor to meet all of you, my junior brothers and sisters.”

”As you have just heard, my starting point might be different from most of you here. I do not come from a common background. My grandfather is the Grand Elder of Celestial Sea Peak. This is not something to be hidden. Today, I am proud of my grandfather. In the future, my grandfather will be proud of me.”

”I want to tell all of you that on the path of cultivation, your background does not determine your achievements. The road is long and arduous. If you wish to travel far, you must ultimately rely on yourself. Therefore, I hope you will all dedicate yourselves to your training and swiftly ascend to the Great Dao.”

After hearing Zhang Zhentian speak, Xu Ran rubbed his eyes. ’Who is this composed and capable young man on the stage?’

After Zhang Zhentian finished, Elder Qing Xuan stepped forward once more, offered a few words of encouragement to the disciples, and then turned and departed.

From the looks of it, he was completely at ease leaving the Dao Transmission Hall in Zhang Zhentian’s hands.

With Qing Xuan Master gone, only Zhang Zhentian remained on the stage. He faced the disciples’ curious and expectant gazes, smiled faintly, and began to speak.

”Today is my first day filling in for Elder Qing Xuan, and it is also the first time I have ever given a lecture. I don’t have much experience, so if I fall short in the future, I hope you all can be patient with me.”

Despite his humble words, his expression remained calm and composed, showing no hint of stage fright. The valiant air about him was quite infectious.

Then, to the bewilderment of the crowd, he summoned his Flying Sword. Holding it in his hand, he looked at everyone and said coolly:

”But since we’ve only just met, we won’t start with a lecture. Let’s get to know each other first. For a Cultivator like myself, the best way to get to know someone is through a fight.”

”So, allow me to have a match with all of you.”

”Don’t worry. I’ll control my strength so no one gets hurt.”

He then stepped down from the stage, gestured to the crowd, and said, ”Alright, all of you can come at me at once.”

But just after saying this, he turned his head to Xu Ran, who was observing him, and added, ”Oh, right. Senior Brother Xu, you don’t have to join in. We’re already quite familiar with each other.”

Just as Zhang Zhentian had said, for Cultivators, a fight was the best form of greeting.

The Instructor Hall was filled with young men and women who had only just begun their cultivation. The moment they heard his challenge, their blood began to boil with excitement.

In the scene that followed, Zhang Zhentian single-handedly and nonchalantly defeated the entire group of young disciples, leaving them scattered on the ground.

Yet, none of the disciples were upset. On the contrary, their gazes toward Zhang Zhentian were now filled with admiration and a newfound sense of familiarity. The atmosphere was much more harmonious than it had been at the start.

Seeing this change, Xu Ran raised an eyebrow. He instantly understood Zhang Zhentian’s reason for suggesting the fight.

’What a brilliant move. In just a few moments, he won everyone over and established his authority. Now he won’t have to worry about any trouble when he officially begins his lectures.’

To think that this was something Zhang Zhentian had pulled off. Xu Ran’s expression was a little dazed. ’In the blink of an eye, the brat from back then has really grown up.’

It made sense, he thought. More than a decade had passed since they last saw each other. Of course the brat from back then would grow up. He would become a strong, dependable young prodigy, and perhaps one day, a great pillar supporting the entire Sect.

He watched Zhang Zhentian smile as he saw the disciples off, and nodded to himself, his heart filled with emotion. ’It seems he really has grown up.’

But just as he finished this thought, the very next moment, Zhang Zhentian—who had been standing there looking completely composed—waited until the last of the Instructor Hall disciples had left and then promptly collapsed onto the floor.

He was panting heavily, his forehead beaded with sweat. After a moment, he patted his chest, stuck his tongue out, and gasped:

”HUFF... HUFF... That scared me to death! Teaching a class... is not a job for humans, HUFF... HUFF...”

After saying that, he calmed himself down a little, then tilted his head slightly to look at Xu Ran and asked nervously:

”Senior Brother Xu, how did I do just now? Was it okay? Was I ridiculous? I didn’t make a fool of myself, did I?”

Hearing this, Xu Ran’s expression froze. The valiant, composed young prodigy from moments ago had instantly reverted to the familiar brat he knew.

He remained silent for a moment, then smiled, nodded at him, and replied in a very earnest tone:

”Don’t worry. You did very well.”

Hearing his answer, Zhang Zhentian jumped to his feet, overjoyed. He started walking toward Xu Ran, saying with lingering fear in his voice:

”That’s good, that’s good. I was worried I’d performed badly and everyone would laugh at me.”

”Senior Brother Xu, I’m telling you, it’s a good thing you were here. If you weren’t, I nearly would have turned and bolted the second Elder Qing Xuan left.”