My Master Knows It All

41: Chapter 38 Just Take a Look_1 41: Chapter 38 Just Take a Look_1 “As fellow disciples, how could I stand by and watch you receive such humiliation?” Lan Pili stepped forward, clasped his fists, and bowed to the rotating Elder, “Let me bear the humiliation for our fellow disciples!

I’ll take on this task!

Just now, the fellow disciples also nodded in agreement that kneeling to mortals was beneath the dignity of our Immortal Sect, implying they didn’t want to go.”

Cao Zhen felt like he was almost thrown off the Immortal Cloud Carriage, that was a sudden twist!

“Then it’s settled, the two of you will take it!” said the rotating Elder with a smile, “Congratulations on accepting these two tasks…”

Two tasks?

It was only when Cao Zhen heard the reminder that he realized the Jade Dishware had a page-turning feature, there was a second task after the first one: leading the disciples of his peak to serve as the Garrisoned Immortals in the Guardian Immortal Imperial Dynasty for ten years.

The Peak Masters who weren’t selected looked at the second task on the next page, their previously gloomy faces suddenly brightened with joy.

Cao Zhen finally understood why bowing a few times to mortal emperors could net so many high-level resources that shouldn’t be attainable.

It turned out, it came with the stipulation of serving as a Garrisoned Immortal for ten years.

Ever since the Grand Preceptor of the Guardian Immortal Imperial Dynasty had helped a mortal emperor achieve domination, an agreement was reached with the Immortal Sects within the country; each year the sects must send someone to serve as a Garrisoned Immortal in the dynasty.

Being a Garrisoned Immortal might sound prestigious, but it essentially meant doing menial work within the dynasty, summoning rain where there was a drought, and eliminating any resurgence of the remnants of the Demonic Sects.

Aside from providing food and shelter, the dynasty took care of nothing else.

Even clothing had to be bought with money earned independently.

For those from the Hundred Peaks Sect, serving as a Garrisoned Immortal was second only to the misfortune of guarding the Blood River as a Garrisoned Immortal.

Usually, the service as a Garrisoned Immortal lasted only three years, but this time it was a full ten years!

Lan Pili’s face was turning green, ten years!

Serving those mortals for a whole decade!

A decade in the mundane world with relatively weak spiritual energy!

He was only at the ninth bridge of the Immortal Bridge Period, and a ten-year delay was nearly equivalent to missing two Grand Assemblies of the Hundred Peaks.

By then, Thunderbolt Peak might plummet to ninety-eighth or even ninety-ninth place!

He had just completed a secluded cultivation, and on the very first day he came out, he encountered this situation?

Had he known, he would’ve stayed in seclusion for a few more days!

Cao Zhen, who was quite casual and didn’t mind where he cultivated, thought it wasn’t bad to live in the secular world for ten years.

Surrounded by cultivators, he didn’t feel superior, but surrounded by mortals, being called an Immortal by them, that did offer a sense of superiority.

Before, he slaved away every day, working 996 or even 007.

The rotating Elder, seeing how composed Cao Zhen was, found it quite novel; others, aware of serving as a Garrisoned Immortal, would react as if it was the end of the world, yet the Master of Four Treasures Peak seemed rather interesting.

“Many of you are busy with cultivation and seldom come to Ascension Peak,” said the rotating Elder with a bow, “Our Ascending Immortal Bazaar is very lively, with many resources not found in other markets.

The Divine Immortal Hall is providing accommodations tonight, and you can take a stroll around and leave tomorrow morning.”

Cao Zhen and Lan Pili, along with others, walked out of the Divine Immortal Hall, prompting several disciples sitting on meditation cushions to rise.

Seeing Ling Xi rise from the cushion, Lan Pili’s thoughts drifted to past encounters.

Considering the misfortunate task he’d accepted today and seeing Ling Xi’s happy face as she walked towards Cao Zhen, his irritation grew further.

No way!

I’ve got to disgust Cao Zhen and at the same time make Ling Xi regret joining Four Treasures Peak instead of my Lightning Peak!

“Yan Xi…” Lan Pili said to his young female disciple as she approached, “I heard you’ve always wanted a magic artifact from the Ascending Immortal Bazaar at the foot of the mountain.

Today, your master will take you for a stroll there, and whatever you fancy, I will buy for you!

Our Lightning Peak is certainly not a poor peak.”

Lan Pili bit particularly hard on the word “poor,” afraid that Ling Xi wouldn’t hear it.

“The Ascending Immortal Bazaar is the largest and most bustling market of the Hundred Peaks Sect,” Lan Pili said with great interest while sitting in the Immortal Cloud Carriage, occasionally glancing at Ling Xi beside him, “Of course, it’s also very expensive.

Not just anyone can afford it.

Some people go only to please their eyes.

After all, choosing the wrong master means you’ll never amount to anything in your life.”

“Master, our Lightning Peak isn’t rich, either.

It’s enough for me to just look,” Yan Xi said softly, her voice tinged with joy, “Master, you don’t earn money easily.

It’s fine for me to just feast my eyes, just feast my eyes…”

“How can that be acceptable!” Lan Pili raised his hand to interrupt his disciple, looking at Yan Xi seriously and said firmly, “You are your master’s disciple!

As your master, I can spend less on myself, but I absolutely can’t skimp on my disciple!

Over the years, I’ve also saved a few thousand liang of spirit stones.

Just choose whatever you want!”

Lan Pili deliberately stressed the words “a few thousand liang” to show off his wealth in front of Ling Xi; a few years ago, he heard that Cao Zhen’s peak couldn’t even produce a hundred liang of spirit stones.

Yan Xi, upon hearing her master speak like this, felt her beautiful almond eyes well up with tears.

She tried to speak several times to thank her master, yet she didn’t know what to say.

Being among the bottom ten peaks of the Hundred Peaks Sect, they were generally quite poor.

Of course, compared to Four Treasures Peak…

Yan Xi believed that Lightning Peak still had some savings.

But those savings were just a few thousand liang of spirit stones after all!

That was the result of her master’s hard work and frugality!

Lan Pili didn’t notice his disciple’s excitement and only wanted to stealthily see Ling Xi’s reaction, hoping to see a look of regret.

“Master, since this is the largest market of the Hundred Peaks Sect, let’s buy some tasty treats for our junior brothers and sisters to take back,” Ling Xi said quickly to Cao Zhen after hearing Lan Pili’s words, “We’ve been eating fish for nearly three months, with only last night’s meal as a change…”

Having eaten fish for nearly three months?

Lan Pili thought, feeling a rush of smug satisfaction upon hearing this.

Were those fish from Four Treasures Peak caught by them?

Are they that poor?

Serves them right!

And that’s what you get, Ling Xi, for not choosing me!

“Fourth junior brother likes candied fruits, third junior brother likes storybooks, and second junior sister…

seems to like chicken skewers,” Ling Xi recalled everyone’s preferences at Four Treasures Peak, “It seems second junior sister also likes fried skewers.”

Lan Pili was about to laugh out loud.

Candied fruits?

Chicken skewers?

How much could these things possibly cost?

To come to such a big market and only think of buying food instead of cultivation items?

Probably all they could afford was some food, right?

Excellent!

This is what happens when you don’t choose me as your master!

While calculating what to buy for her junior brothers and sisters, Ling Xi felt Lan Pili’s gaze on her and curiously looked back, wondering why the master she had never met before was always stealing glances at her.

Could it be that he, at his age, wanted to engage in a May-December romance?

Was he interested in her?

Did he want her as a Dao companion for dual cultivation?

Lan Pili, feeling Ling Xi’s gaze, couldn’t help feeling even more secretly triumphant.

Surely this lass must regret rejecting him years ago and joining Four Treasures Peak, right?

Too late!

Once we reach the market, I will show you how well I treat my disciples!

It’ll make you regret it so much you’ll want to die!

Cao Zhen originally had a poor impression of Lan Pili, but after hearing what he said to his disciple, he suddenly felt that Lan Pili wasn’t that detestable after all.

At least, as a master, he seemed quite responsible, for he was willing to spend money on his disciple despite knowing that the Ascending Immortal Bazaar wouldn’t be cheap.