He lowered his head, trying to hide the bitter resignation and the feelings of self-loathing that he had.
With his head lowered, he reached out for the wine before him, his mind briefly and slowly drifting elsewhere.
"Jiayi, why do you have that face on? You’re not a good looker as it is, now add that frown fraught with worry, I don’t know if you’ll ever find soone.
Your only option now is to preach the dao to a blade of grass in the hopes that your preaching will give it a chance at a rebirth into a fully-fledged spiritual plant that maybe one day will beco your dao partner out of filial obligation.
Otherwise, senior brother, I don’t know, your future looks bleak,"
"You cheeky bastard is this how you talk to your senior brother or your soon-to-be sect master? I should have you thrown into the frigid cave of reflection for 10 years so you can reflect on your actions and hopefully learn to treat your seniors with more respect, and when it cos to looks, you’re not better in that departnt either.."
"Oh, look who’s already flexing their sect master muscles. I knew this would happen. I warned the elders that you were not the best candidate for it, especially your vindictive nature and your love for the drink.."
"What love for the drink? You love talking out of the side of your ears don’t you?"
"If our Starlight Lake was a lake of wine, a certain soone would have long drained it. There’s no need to pretend. It is just us here, senior brother, I know you’re no gentleman hehehe,"
"Neither are you, oh junior brother Liu Jie, the shining rising star of the Starlight Lake Sect... It should have been yours, you know?"
"What?"
"The sect master’s seat... Had you shown any interest in it, everyone in the sect from the outer sect disciples, to the grand elders, to myself would have been all too glad to crown you as our sect master. We can still do it. A 47-year-old palace realm cultivator as our next sect master is sure to bring hope to the sect than so aged palace realm cultivator like , "
"While I appreciate it and feel extrely honored for the thought, I will have to pass, senior brother. Good cultivators don’t always equate to good leaders.
We all have sothing we are good at and things we are not. I know myself well enough to know I would not make a good sect leader, at least not the leader the sect needs at the mont.
I will not beco the biggest sinner of our sect by greedily trying to grab hold of sothing I am not equipped to handle.
I am better as a cultivator than the sect leader, senior brother, and also don’t sell yourself short. Everyone with good judgnt knows you’re the better fit. Master thought so and so do the rest of the elders.
Besides, I think a 137-year-old third-stage palace realm cultivator has a nice ring too. You might not have the face for it and have a worrying drinking habit for soone so young, but in the areas that matter, you have all that you need to make a great sect leader.
We are honored to be in your care, Sect Master ng Jiayi. Please don’t forget your lowly junior brother as you rise to prominence,"
"What is with that half-hearted bow? I don’t feel any reverence coming from it. It should be more deeper, and wipe that cheeky smile from your face,"
"Yes, yes, sect master,"
"Thank you, junior brother, for easing my nerves,"
"It’s a monuntal mont. You need to enjoy it for now before the heavier side of things falls on you,"
"What’s with your sigh? Do you think your Senior brother over here can’t handle it? It’s just a puny family with an oversized ego and small temperant.
We are the mighty Starlight Lake Sect, the sect that produced a domain expert in less than 1,000 years.
What does the Yu clan amount to,"
"How domineering, Senior brother!! I’d expect nothing less from my sect master,"
"And if they pull too difficult to handle, well, junior brother, on account of our relationship and how I practically raised you with great care, guided your cultivation when our master wasn’t around, clothed you, fed you, taught you right from wrong and the precepts of being a righteous cultivator.."
"What great care. You accidentally fed wine ant for core formation experts when I was fourteen. My body almost exploded, and I was in pain for almost three months,"
"You always like to bring that part up. Junior brother, if you hope to reach greater heights, you need to learn to let things go and be magnanimous, otherwise your heart and mind will be filled with nothing but petty demons. Learn to be magnanimous, besides, it worked out well in the end, didn’t it?
If I’m not wrong, it was that very wine that expanded your ridians, purified your qi, and helped you reach the perfect qi circulation realm that proved to be a great boon for you when you were refining your foundation pillars that you ended up with gold pillars.
You should be thanking even, instead of grumbling about it,"
"Back then I felt bad for the beating master gave you, but seeing that smug unrepentant face of yours, I can’t help but feel you got off lightly,"
"You and master always liked to fuss over small things. It all worked out in the end. All’s well that ends well...
Now where was I, before you end up turning this into an argunt like you always do.. Yes... so little brother, in case the Yu clan proves too difficult to deal with, please step in and deal with them and help this older brother of yours.."
"And how do you expect to do that, oh ’older brother’,"
"By breaking through to the domain realm of course. The sooner, the better so I can enjoy my youth. I don’t want to be a withered fossil by the ti you beco one.
As you so graciously pointed out earlier, I am not the best-looking person, and it will not get better with white hair and wrinkled skin.
At that ti, I doubt even an enlightened spiritual grass would accept . So I beg you, junior brother, for the sake of my dao and love life, please break through to the domain realm in less than a thousand years, so your brother here can have a life,"
"Only that? Yeah, sure, I will just break through to the domain realm in a thousand years. A realm that even the most talented fail to reach. Yes, sure I will do it. How thick-skinned are you, senior brother?"
"I have faith in you, junior brother. If there is anyone who can do it, then it is you. I will ensure you have the best environnt to achieve it,"
"Fine, fine... I will do my best to reach it, just don’t mock if I don’t reach it,"
"I won’t, but I believe you will reach it. You are our greatest pride, junior brother..."
....
Years later
"Senior brother, it seems I wasn’t able to fulfill my end. You ended up with white hair and a wrinkled face,"
"It was bound to happen. There’s a few elders who have taken a liking to my present look even,"
"Liar ..... I am sorry for the storm that is to co and that I won’t be there to shoulder it with you,"
"It’s okay. You already did more than enough with Fan Ha, otherwise we would not have made it this long,"
"About that, senior brother, I have a favor to ask of you,"
"Anything,"
"I know what you and her have been trying to do over the years. There’s no need for it. I know my condition best. After I pass, knowing her, she will likely insist on staying. Please don’t let her.
I know it’s selfish of to ask considering what awaits the sect if she leaves, but I hope she can have a life. She has already lost so much of it here,"
"I will try my best, but whether she listens, it’s another matter. You know how stubborn she is. You and her are similar in that regard,"
"Thank you, senior brother. I’ll be going on ahead to keep master company, take care and don’t be in a hurry to join us, not until a little ng walks this planet."
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