Chapter 16: You Are the Beloved Master I Have Been Searching For

As Jiang Yan approached the Daoist Master Xuanqing, he felt a trace of chill in the air. Tch, as expected of the great ice block! Placing his hand on the crystal pillar used to test spiritual roots, he waited for quite a while, yet the pillar remained unchanged.

The crowd began to buzz with whispers once more.

"Look at that poor boy! He doesn't seem to have any spiritual roots!"

"Shh, I recognize him—he's the second prince of our Jiang Kingdom. I’ve heard he’s a complete good-for-nothing!"

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Heavens, look! The crystal pillar is reacting!"

Everyone turned to see the crystal pillar first turn red, then blue, then yellow… Finally, five colors burst forth in radiant beams straight into the sky.

All the elders present, the disciples distributing flyers, and the other testers were utterly stunned! Even Daoist Master Xuanqing was taken aback—this boy’s innate talent surpassed even his own from years ago! Who on earth was he?

He had thought that recruiting a dual-element variant spiritual root genius was already a stroke of fortune, that there would be no one with better aptitude today. Who could have expected a boy more talented than himself to appear? For some unknown reason, he even felt a slight sense of threat from this youth.

Some of the quicker elders immediately took out recording stones to capture this astonishing scene. Others, shrewd as foxes, hurriedly contacted their own sect leaders via communication jades.

"What? A five-element spiritual root prodigy appeared today? You must keep him—I'll be there at once!"

"A five-element genius? You must not let him go! Tell him, all our sect resources will be at his disposal—no, let him name his own terms!"

When it came to vying for Lin Ruyan, the elders had maintained a polite restraint. But for Jiang Yan, things quickly became a free-for-all. They surged around him in a frenzy, and to get closer, some old men even resorted to pushing and shoving.

"You, you, you! I was here first! Young man, you must join our Azure Cloud Sect—our leader said you can pick any condition you like!"

"Nonsense, you just lack the skill! Boy, don’t listen to him—their sect’s resources are nothing compared to our Xuanling Sect! Ours is the best choice for you!"

Listening to the elders bicker and squabble, Jiang Yan dug at his ear. Damn, had he wandered into a bustling marketplace?

He shouted at the crowd, "Stop fighting! I’m not worth all this!"

Inwardly, he added, I’m not choosing any of you anyway!

Tsk, what a world—he, a man, was now experiencing the sensation of being fought over like some femme fatale in a cultivation romance!

After a brief daze, the elders quickly recovered and began clamoring again.

"Young man, you have five-element spiritual roots—you are a genius among geniuses! Of course you’re worth it!"

"Don’t be modest! Our sect leader says, if you join, you’ll be his successor!"

"Hmph, who cares for your pitiful little sect! Boy, don’t be fooled!"

There will always be those who turn green with envy at others’ good fortune.

Someone below the stage muttered sourly, "He used to be a useless failure—maybe he’s just insecure now."

"Exactly. I heard he even gave up on himself for a long while," another chimed in.

"Hmph! Ugly words from ugly mouths! Don’t talk about my handsome brother like that—you’re just jealous!" a young girl protested fiercely.

She wouldn’t tolerate anyone slandering the heartthrob she’d just fallen for. From the first moment she saw him, she was smitten—he was even more handsome than Daoist Master Xuanqing!

Other fangirls quickly joined in, firing back at the two jealous ones. Instantly, the naysayers shrank back, afraid to speak lest they be drowned in a storm of ridicule. These women were terrifying—best not to provoke them!

Meanwhile, Jiang Yan paid no mind to the commotion below. Surrounded and pressed in on all sides by the elders, he silently cried out for rescue: Would someone please save him? Didn’t these old men understand the beauty of personal space?

As if someone had received his distress signal, a scruffy old man muscled his way through the crowd, leaving the elders puzzled—who was this fellow?

He looked at Jiang Yan and said, "Boy, would you like to become my disciple? I am the head of the Qilin Sect. If you acknowledge me as your master, all the sect’s resources are yours to use."

Upon hearing the name of the Qilin Sect—which wasn’t even on today’s official list—the other elders sneered. Since when did some backwater sect dare to join the fray?

While everyone waited for the old man to be rejected, Jiang Yan bowed without hesitation, "Master, please accept your disciple’s respects."

Their eyes met—this was the mentor he’d been seeking! Jiang Yan felt certain this old man was extraordinary, exuding mystery at every turn. Perhaps… he was a hidden powerhouse.

Seeing Jiang Yan so decisively acknowledge this old man as his master, the other sect elders were utterly baffled. Their hearts shattered—no number of promising new disciples could mend the loss.

Fortunately, their constitutions were sturdy, else they’d be carried out on stretchers by now.

Equally astonished was Jiang Yan’s new master, Lin Qi. With almost no effort, he had taken in a disciple and was moved to tears.

Overcome with emotion, he helped Jiang Yan to his feet. "Good child, there’s no need for formalities. From now on, you’ll be my youngest disciple!"

This "deeply touching" ceremony prompted mocking laughter from the crowd.

"Oh, see? I told you—a snake can never become a dragon!"

"Exactly! You girls need to learn not to judge by appearances—a pretty face won’t feed you," agreed the envious ones.

Without the old men’s noisy bickering, Jiang Yan caught every word from the audience. He was about to retort when Lin Qi beat him to it.

"Hmph, you’re just blind to true talent! Just wait—at the sect competition, my disciple will open your eyes!"

Jiang Yan felt once again that he’d chosen well—such a protective master was truly moving.

"That’s right! My master speaks the truth. Instead of running your mouths, you’d better show your strength at the competition—or don’t come begging for mercy!" Jiang Yan declared.

Then he turned to his master, "Let’s go home, Master. Don’t mind them!"

"Yes, yes, let’s go home!" Lin Qi replied, deeply touched that his new disciple already regarded the Qilin Sect as home.

The two departed cheerfully, leaving behind shattered-hearted elders, along with Jiang Yan’s admirers and jealous onlookers…

——————

Mini Theater:

Lin Qi: "Good child, your master can actually fly—why bother with a carriage?"

Jiang Yan: "Master, I just didn’t want you to tire yourself out!"

Once again, Lin Qi was moved—what a considerate disciple!

Two hours later…

Lin Qi: "Good child, aren’t we going to the Qilin Sect? Where are we?"

Jiang Yan: "Master, this is my home! Hehe, I came back to pack my things."

A flock of crows flew past, cawing loudly…