Chapter 00115: Come, Come, Here’s a Pen for You
# Come, Come, Here’s a Pen for You
Chapter 115
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 115: Come, Come, Here’s a Pen for You
"Who is it?" The old man asked with a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes.
Shan Qianyue felt a surge of excitement as she recalled a suitable candidate for the Qianyun Sect.
"It’s the master of the Mobei market; his name is Lan Xiaobu."
Upon hearing this, the old man's anticipation faded, replaced by disappointment.
He shook his head, "That won't do. My Qianyun Sect has always enjoyed a good reputation, and its legacy is long-standing. Although we have declined for various reasons, we cannot choose a master who is completely unfamiliar to us."
“Master…” Shan Qianyue blurted out, eager to explain.
She wanted to say that the sect's good reputation was just a guise; whenever its disciples faced bullying, they would just return in silence, nursing their wounds.
But Lan Xiaobu, upon seeing a bodyguard killed, retaliated fiercely.
That kind of audacity was precisely what the Qianyun Sect was missing.
Yet, she dared not voice these thoughts for fear of hurting her master’s feelings.
The old man waved his hand dismissively, "You don't need to explain. Do you know what it means to be a market master? Some people take up that title for a reason. I've seen many of such characters; they can be described by another term: ‘no benefit, no rise.’ Such people are ruthless; the majority are selfish and only care about their own interests, never considering the growth or losses of the market. Qianyue, do you think someone like that is fit to be the master of our Qianyun Sect?"
“No, Master. This one is different.” Shan Qianyue hurriedly tried to clarify.
"Do you know? If it weren't for this master, we wouldn’t have survived to return to Qianyun Sect. He protected both me and Uncle Xi, and if not for him, we would have either perished at the hands of the Bu Lao twins or been killed by Liu Li from the Xikunlun Sect..."
The old man was startled and immediately asked, "Are you saying that this master helped you escape the assassination?"
Shan Qianyue shook her head.
"No, that master directly killed the Bu Lao twin’s Bu Lao, and later, when someone tried to pursue us, he dealt with Liu Li as well."
"He dares to confront Liu Li?" The astonished look in the old man’s eyes could no longer be contained.
Not to mention a market master, even he wouldn’t dare to face Liu Li lightly, even at full strength.
It wasn't that he couldn't defeat Liu Li; it was simply that he had no desire to take that risk.
Shan Qianyue replied, “Yes, he indeed helped me fend off Liu Li and even insisted that I escape first.”
“Does he not know that you possess an upper-grade Silver Light Fish?” The old man felt increasingly astonished; he couldn't believe there were such market masters in the cultivation world.
In an optimistic light, one might call it heroic righteousness; in a harsher sense, it might just be foolishness.
“He knew. Everyone present at the time was aware. He also prevented Liu Li from taking my Silver Light Fish,” Shan Qianyue affirmed.
On the side, Cheng Yixi added, “Indeed, Master. This is all true. At that time, I was in serious injury and in a semi-conscious state, but I could still hear some events. This Lan Xiaobu had just recently taken over the Mobei market, and it was because of his good reputation that I thought to bring Qianyue there to escape Bu Lao. I never expected that Liu Li from the Xikunlun Sect would show up. She came looking for the Silver Light Fish. When Qianyue and I were in despair, it was Lan Xiaobu who faced down Bu Lao and his men, even stopping Liu Li.”
“Ah, who would have thought that there are still people like this in the Yuanzhou cultivation world,” the old man sighed.
How many years had it been since someone like this had appeared? Such characters usually didn't live long.
The old man was certain that it was entirely due to Lan Xiaobu’s good character.
Though his disciple wasn't unattractive, it shouldn’t be enough to incite such desperation.
Moreover, facing one of the three great beauties of Yuanzhou, Liu Li, was no small feat.
Shan Qianyue exclaimed joyfully, “Master, do you agree now?”
The old man shook his head. “No, I cannot agree. While this Lan Xiaobu seems to be of great character, he still cannot become the master of our Qianyun Sect. A person like him is bound to meet an early demise and will surely offend many powerful figures; even if he doesn't die early, in the end, it will still implicate our Qianyun Sect.”
Shan Qianyue pouted, “Master, you’re afraid of both wolves and tigers. That’s why our Qianyun Sect always cowers. Nowadays, many talented individuals no longer consider us as their goal. If this continues, our sect won’t have to offend any powerful figures; we will automatically fade away.”
Cheng Yixi hastened to interject, “Qianyue, how can you speak to the sect master like that? You shouldn’t speak in this manner again.”
“Yes, I understand.” Shan Qianyue’s eyes displayed a hint of melancholy; she felt powerless.
Watching the Qianyun Sect decline hurt her more than anyone else.
The old man waved his hand, signaling Cheng Yixi to drop the topic, before affectionately looking at Shan Qianyue and saying, “Master is growing old and lacks the ambition of his youth. Qianyue, what you said is true. A sect that only seeks to protect itself and does not strive for advancement will inevitably fail. The routes to oblivion are indistinct; what difference does it make between an early demise and a delayed one?”
“Master, do you mean that you agree?” Shan Qianyue looked at the old man with astonishment, her eyes filled with excitement and joy.
Deep down, she longed for a brother master who could protect her.
She never wanted to be the senior sister.
Each time she went out, seeing the other sect's disciples chat freely, she felt a pang of envy.
Whenever she took the disciples of the Qianyun Sect out, they were always cautious, speaking in hushed tones for fear of offending anyone.
In contrast, when someone from another sect was wronged, their senior brother would instantly intervene, or the core disciples of the sect would stand up.
But if a disciple of the Qianyun Sect faced bullying, she would quickly smile and retreat, which was a reason for the sect's gradual decline.
The old man sighed, “I agree. After all, the position of master was meant to be passed down to you. Follow your heart and do what you must. Over the years, my disciples of Qianyun Sect have indeed suffered too much.”
“Thank you, Master.” Shan Qianyue was so thrilled she could hardly contain herself.
Cheng Yixi chimed in, “I worry that this kind of person may not even look upon our Qianyun Sect’s position with favor.”
But Shan Qianyue didn’t pay Cheng Yixi’s words any mind, still bubbling with excitement. “I’ll ask him. I will definitely invite Lan Xiaobu to be our sect master senior brother.”
……
The Mobei Market was becoming increasingly prosperous, and Gu Dao could not help but wander around the bustling market frequently.
This was mainly because everyone in the market knew of Gu Dao’s background as the master’s pet.
People were always giving it spirit herbs, pills, or even spirit stones.
At first, Gu Dao only wanted to go for a stroll to ease its cultivation fatigue, but after experiencing the perks, it took pleasure in the visits, even asking Lan Xiaobu for a storage bag from Bukda that it could wear around its neck.
Every outing meant rewards; only fools would not take advantage of such opportunities.
Moreover, the crowd’s enthusiasm made Gu Dao feel increasingly popular.
Didn’t they see? Long before it reached, people greeted it with bright smiles, saying, “Oh, Gu Dao is here! I’ve got fresh no-night sea spirit fish meat; would you like some?”
Or another might add, “I have an extra couple of low-grade spirit stones; Gu Dao, could you please take them away?”
Now, Gu Dao wouldn’t touch ordinary meat any longer.
Those hanging storage bags in the market were mostly rich or powerful; one needed enough strength to avoid being targeted when stepping out.
But Gu Dao was not subject to this scrutiny, strutting around with its storage bag, and not a soul dared to have their eyes on it.
Since Lan Xiaobu took down Bukda, solved the problems with the Bu Lao twins from the no-night sea, and even drove away Liu Li, one of the five-star sect’s saintess, all the cultivators in the Mobei region were overjoyed, Gu Dao included.
The only person feeling miserable would have to be Lan Xiaobu, who realized he had perhaps been overly optimistic.
Recently, Liu Min had brought a plethora of cultivation techniques, yet his Seven Sounds Model had still not yielded a new technique.
This could not be attributed to the Seven Sounds Model itself; it seemed that the cultivation methods Liu Min brought were simply too low-level for his tastes.
Lan Xiaobu had set high standards for the model’s construction: it had to be the top-tier cultivation method, allowing for cultivation of all attributes.
Moreover, it needed to absorb spiritual energy quickly, with both true essence and divine sense rising to exceed the Golden Crow Technique at least tenfold.
Furthermore, he expected that as his cultivation advanced, so too would the power of his technique.
It couldn’t overlap with any existing methods; otherwise, he would consider it a failure.
Had he set his requirements too high? Or perhaps the Seven Sounds Model couldn’t speak? If it could, it might very well say, “Come, come, here’s a pen for you; write down this technique.”
Lost in thought over whether he should lower his standards, the visitor lamp at the market master’s residence lit up, indicating someone was here to visit.
Lan Xiaobu extended his divine sense and saw a familiar figure: Shan Qianyue.
This woman was from the Qianyun Sect, which seemed to have some connections with the Red Cloud Sect.
He had intended to inquire about her knowledge of the Red Cloud Sect, and now that she approached him, Lan Xiaobu wasted no time in opening the barrier and inviting her into the reception room.
“Shan Qianyue of the Qianyun Sect greets the master. Thank you for your rescue last time,” she said after entering, performing a formal bow before taking a seat to the side.
Lan Xiaobu smiled, “It was just a small matter. I wonder what brings the illustrious Miss Qianyue to visit today?”
Shan Qianyue’s face flushed slightly; she felt she should have brought some gifts as a token of gratitude.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have much to offer, and her master had neither intentionally nor unintentionally allowed her to pick something from the sect's treasure vault before coming.
Or perhaps her master knew that there were barely any treasures left in the sect.
“I…” Shan Qianyue was not good with words; upon Lan Xiaobu’s inquiry, she found herself stumped.
To be straightforward in asking him to become their sect master seemed inappropriate.
Every matter should come with some reasoning.
Noticing her embarrassment, Lan Xiaobu kindly asked, “May I ask you a question, who is the ancestor of the Qianyun Sect? Do you know about the Red Cloud Sect?”
(End of Chapter)