“You are named Qin Gou. You share the same name as the third-ranked figure on the Heavenly Devil Ranking, the Demon Master Qin—Ancestor Qin. Back then, Elder Yuan Zhen always liked to compare you to Ancestor Qin, even saying that one day, when the Double Qin appeared, the sun and moon would be overturned. At the time, I thought Elder Yuan was overestimating you. Now that I see you, I can see the bigger picture. Your heart is like cold iron, and your wickedness is beyond measure, surpassing even Ancestor Qin himself!”
“Actually, that was me too.”
“I was just afraid that Cult Master Gu wouldn’t accept it if I said it…”
“Cult Master Gu, you’ve misunderstood. Xiao Yan is not without support. In fact, I have an ‘adopted sister’ who accompanies her, and she will surely ensure Xiao Yan’s safety.” Qin Gou didn’t want to explain A’Yuan’s identity to Gu Jinghong, but he knew that once he spoke, Gu Jinghong would be 100% certain that his mind was addled.
“What realm is your adopted sister in?”
“No weaker than me,” Qin Gou replied vaguely. In reality, Qin Yuan was at least in the Dao Comprehension Realm.
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinghong’s expression softened slightly. “You still have some conscience, but…”
However, he suddenly changed the subject, speaking with a playful and teasing tone, “Is that woman truly your adopted sister?”
“What?”
Qin Gou stared intently at the semi-transparent, lie-detecting strange stone in Gu Jinghong’s hand, which looked familiar.
“Indeed, she is not an adopted sister, but she is also not someone I am romantically involved with,” Qin Gou clarified earnestly.
“At least not yet, right? Otherwise, why would you have deceived this Seat earlier?”
Gu Jinghong looked at Qin Gou, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face. “Your trick is deep!”
“It will never be,” Qin Gou said, feeling quite embarrassed.
Gu Jinghong waved his hand. “Alright, alright. We’ve all been young. Xiao Yan has never mentioned this matter to me through Spirit Power Transmission. I believe the child has her own judgment. You don’t need to pretend to be a gentleman in front of me. If you want to pretend, do it thoroughly and to the extreme in front of outsiders. If you can truly stand your ground in the Cultivation World in the future, then style yourself ‘Celestial Master,’ which would perfectly match the Demon Master Ancestor Qin!”
Qin Gou nearly spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot. However, he had to admit that in the current Cultivation World, the title ‘Demon Master’ was indeed far more famous than ‘Celestial Master.’ It was all the fault of those little brats under him. Qin Gou swore that one day, he would restore the name of the Celestial Master!
“By the way, since you didn’t travel with Xiao Yan on this return to the sect, there must be another reason?” Gu Jinghong asked.
Qin Gou forcibly calmed his emotions and nodded. “I have cultivated the Azure Emperor Painting Scroll to the fifth level, Heaven and Earth. I hope Cult Master Gu can bestow the subsequent secret texts.”
“The fifth level?” Gu Jinghong’s eyes widened in shock. “Is that true?”
“Absolutely true.”
“It’s only been a little over a year! As expected of a heaven-blessed prodigy with the Enlightenment True Body, just like our Ancestor Master!” Gu Jinghong’s expression showed a hint of shocked delight. He then pressed, “Have there been any changes to your Natal Spirit Tool?”
With a single thought, Qin Gou summoned a verdant, nascent bud into his palm. Simultaneously, clouds and mist billowed around him, with faint, fleeting glimpses of a red dragon soaring within the mist.
For a moment, the entire main hall of the Seed Demon Sacred Cult was filled with wisps of mysterious and unfathomable ancient auras. It was the materialized essence of the relentless vitality of the countless spirit plants from the nine heavens and nine earths of the Cultivation World.
Gu Jinghong’s shock was palpable and he stammered, “This… this Spirit Tool possesses such terrifying might. It is truly extraordinary.”
“It is called the Bud of Taihuang,” Qin Gou explained calmly.
“Even if twin brothers cultivated the same technique simultaneously, it would be difficult to develop identical Natal Spirit Tools. Your Bud of Taihuang is vastly different from our Ancestor Master’s Demonic Seed. Yet, even the grandeur described in the sect’s ancient texts when the Ancestor Master personally activated the Demonic Seed does not possess the same miraculous presence as yours now!” Gu Jinghong’s words revealed his undisguised astonishment.
“In that case, does Cult Master Gu agree to bestow the rest of the Azure Emperor Painting Scroll upon me?” Qin Gou asked sincerely. Gu Feiyan had also attempted to cultivate the Azure Emperor Painting Scroll. Although she had long been unable to get started, she claimed to be able to recite the entire cultivation technique by heart. However, if Qin Gou were to obtain it in such a manner, it would not only be improper but also risky. If Xiao Yan’s memory had even the slightest discrepancy, it could lead to great disaster.
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinghong pondered for a moment, his tone gradually stabilizing. “Qin Gou, if I agree, how will you repay the Sacred Cult?”
“To be honest, I cannot stay with the Sacred Cult forever, but I will forever remember this kindness. I will never forget it!” Qin Gou said, seemingly joking, but in reality, solemnly. “The sect will gain the gratitude of a ‘future’ Celestial Master.”
Gu Jinghong looked at Qin Gou with appreciation. “This is indeed the truth. However, I cannot give you a definitive answer at this moment. After all, the entire Seed Demon Sacred Cult is not solely decided by me. How about this: stay with us for a few more days within the sect. Give me a few days to discuss with all the elders, alright?”
“Thank you, Cult Master.” Qin Gou nodded with a smile.
…
Two days later.
As Qin Gou was about to go and have a small gathering with old acquaintances from the Seed Demon Sacred Cult, such as Cao Yilin, he suddenly saw a slender, delicate figure stumble and fall directly in front of him.
A fall on flat ground, a genuine fall on flat ground.
Qin Gou walked up quickly and asked, “Junior Sister, are you alright?”
But as he got closer, Qin Gou couldn’t help but show a look of surprise and curiosity. This was because the person’s attire was quite strange: a bright orange monk’s robe, and on her head, an exquisite and solemn monk’s hat. She looked like a nun, yet she had two black, lustrous pigtails.
On her back was a long, nine-ringed Buddhist staff.
“This humble one is fine. Strange, this humble one truly hasn’t been this unlucky in a long time. Could it be because I went to that ‘haunted place’ a few days ago?” The female disciple still had her back to Qin Gou. She reached up and adjusted her monk’s hat, tidying it slightly.
Is she really a nun?
Some esteemed and respected eminent monks and nuns like to humbly refer to themselves as ‘this humble one’ (lao na). But this person went and created ‘this humble one’ (xiao na).
Just then, this ‘little humble one’ turned around. Her clear, limpid, and pure water-like eyes met Qin Gou’s gaze.
It’s her!
With just one glance, Qin Gou turned and left without hesitation.
On Purple Ridge Arc Moon Mountain, a total of six disciples had graduated from the Celestial Master Pavilion. They were all official disciples who had undergone Qin Gou’s personal trials and devoted cultivation.
However, Qin Gou couldn’t possibly accept just anyone as a disciple. Therefore, over the long years, not all visitors who bowed at Arc Moon Mountain could withstand the test. For various reasons, there were not a few, but not too many, who did not truly enter the Celestial Master Pavilion’s doors.
The strangely dressed ‘little humble one’ from just now, Qin Gou had not forgotten her appearance. He even vaguely remembered her jokingly calling him… ‘Arc-Moon Renegade’ on the day she left.
But at this moment, Qin Gou had to get away from this person, otherwise, he would meet a terrible end!
She was unlike any of Qin Gou’s disciples. The reason she left the sect and called herself a renegade was not due to malicious intent or poor aptitude. On the contrary, she had easily completed all the trials set by Qin Gou with absolute superiority.
There was only one true reason. Others sought cultivation techniques or spirit stones when apprenticing, but she… sought a life.
