Chapter 149
Zheng Fa pushed the egg into his bowl with his chopsticks, nodding slightly without lifting his eyes. "It's fine, I have a heavy taste," he said.
Tang Lingwu paused for a moment, then smiled, pressing her lips together.
Old Bai, watching the scene, chewed on the greens in his mouth and asked Teacher Tian in confusion, "Did you season this dish?"
"… No."
"Then why does it taste so strong?"
……
In the Xuanwei Realm.
Zheng Fa stood before Lin Bufan, examining a black jade ring on his right hand.
This was Lin Bufan's soul imprint; with just a thought, Zheng Fa could decide Lin Bufan's fate in an instant.
Lin Bufan lay on the bed, his face pale and his eyes somewhat dazed—he seemed uncertain whether today’s choice was the right one.
"Please, young master, grant me a name," he said softly.
It was clear he was a perceptive person.
In the Xuanwei Realm, it was customary for a master to bestow a name after confirming their master-servant relationship.
Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't mind, but your uncle also has the surname Lin, so changing it might not be a good idea."
Lin Bufan's gaze flickered slightly, the confusion in his eyes diminishing. It seemed that Zheng Fa's consideration reassured him, proving he wasn't a harsh person.
After pondering for a while, he suddenly said, "Then I'll change my name to Lin Fan. Didn't you say before…"
"Don't!"
"?"
Seeing Lin Bufan's puzzled expression, Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment before saying, "That name… it might bring misfortune to the master."
"…"
"By the way." Zheng Fa pulled out a white porcelain bottle from behind him. "Can you do it yourself?"
Lin Bufan glanced at the even larger porcelain bottle and then at Zheng Fa—his eyes began to cloud over again.
(End of this chapter)
**Chapter 151: Missing in Action**
Lin Bufan was quite satisfied with his days at the Jiushan Sect.
There were no fights or hiding, and he could enjoy cheap Huangya rice, which was a far cry from his previous life of hardship.
Early in the morning, he stepped out of the small courtyard that used to belong to Zheng Fa and headed deeper into the valley.
His newly recognized master, Zheng Fa, now resided at Senior Sister Zhang's home.
However, being from the demonic sect, Lin Bufan's presence at Senior Sister Zhang's house could easily attract gossip, so Zheng Fa had arranged for him to stay in this courtyard instead.
He found it quite nice; living alone in a courtyard felt more comfortable.
As he walked, he encountered the patrolling disciples who had once chased him. Their gazes were rather strange—tinged with wariness, yet not devoid of apprehension.
Wary was understandable.
He had once been a member of the Great Freedom Demonic Sect.
But apprehensive…
Lin Bufan couldn't help but glance toward Senior Sister Zhang's courtyard. It was all because of his new master.
The longer he stayed at Jiushan Sect, the more he understood the influence of the name Zheng Fa within the sect.
It seemed he had indeed latched onto a powerful ally; at least no one dared to openly bully him anymore.
For him, that was enough—being a captive, having surrendered his soul imprint, and with his life no longer in his own hands, what more could he hope for?
Lin Bufan's most extravagant dream now was simply to live well, to cultivate diligently, and to seize any opportunity to avenge his uncle.
As for everything else…
Ever since his uncle's death.
After realizing that Jiushan Sect was not a paradise.
Lin Bufan felt he shouldn't expect too much.
Especially from Zheng Fa…
When Lin Bufan arrived at Senior Sister Zhang's house, Zheng Fa was in her study, sketching on paper with a brush.
On the table lay a small shallow round dish.
The dish contained fresh blood.
Zheng Fa's eyes sparkled with a silvery light, absorbed in the blood within the dish.
Lin Bufan felt a mix of emotions.
After all, the blood in that dish was his…
This was also why he felt he shouldn't expect more from Zheng Fa—this person seemed even more like a disciple of the demonic sect than he was.
Lin Bufan silently stood in the corner of the study, not uttering a word.
After a long while, Zheng Fa slowly looked up, meeting Lin Bufan's gaze. He nodded and said, "You're here? I didn't have a chance to ask you while you were recovering. What’s the situation with the Great Freedom Demonic Sect?"
Lin Bufan remained silent for a moment before replying, "Honestly, I can't say for sure."
"Really?"
"I grew up in a village where everyone was named Lin…" Lin Bufan had no intention of hiding the truth; after all, he had already pledged allegiance to Zheng Fa, and there was no benefit in concealing anything. "At that time, I had no idea what the Great Freedom Demonic Sect was."
"So you joined the Great Freedom Demonic Sect later?"
"Yes, after I established my foundation, someone came to the village and took me and my uncle to serve the young master… that is, Lin Yangtian. Only then did I realize our reputation in the Xuanwei Realm."
Zheng Fa nodded.
"So, you don't know where you grew up?"
"That's right. When I left, I had no awareness. Later, I heard that the place I grew up in was a secret location of our clan."
"… What about the strength of the Great Freedom Demonic Sect?"
Lin Bufan shook his head again and said, "My cultivation is too low to grasp the sect's true strength. I haven't even been to the real Great Freedom Demonic Sect. However, Lin Yangtian once mentioned that only those who reach the Golden Core stage can be considered official disciples of the Holy Sect."
Zheng Fa nodded, his tone somewhat speculative. "Then what cultivation method do you practice?"
"I primarily practice a technique called Xuanming Gong, which is a water-based cultivation method," Lin Bufan explained. "Additionally, we also need to cultivate a secret scripture of the sect called Zizai Jing."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa looked at the talisman paper covered in symbols and said, "So, Zizai Jing is the fundamental cultivation method of the Great Freedom Demonic Sect?"
"Yes," Lin Bufan nodded. "It is said that Zizai Jing can communicate with the Holy Ancestor and assist us in our cultivation. The deeper the bloodline, the more miraculous Zizai Jing becomes, and there are many secret techniques—like Tianmo Jueying, which is recorded in Zizai Jing."
Zheng Fa pursed his lips, gazing at the symbols on the desk, seemingly lost in thought.
"Can I see Zizai Jing?" Zheng Fa asked.
"Of course, but I only have the part before the foundation establishment."
Lin Bufan replied respectfully.
"Young master!"
A voice interrupted Zheng Fa's contemplation. He looked up to see Han Qi and the others approaching.
Zheng Fa glanced at the three who had just entered and suddenly said to Lin Bufan, "The spiritual symbols in this blood have dissipated. Give me a bit more later."
"… Yes."
Lin Bufan twitched his lips and lowered his head.
Still the same words—having surrendered his soul imprint.
What more could he expect?
Just staying alive was enough.
Han Qi entered the study and said to Zheng Fa, "Young master, we've brought this month's spirit stones—twenty-five in total!"
Lin Bufan noticed that as the three approached, they all cast a glance at him.
There was a hint of subtle rejection in their gazes.
These three were the ones who disliked him the most in Jiushan Sect.
Lin Bufan couldn't help but scoff internally. If it weren't for survival, who would care to recognize Zheng Fa as their master?
Zheng Fa nodded and accepted the spirit stones from Han Qi.
After a moment of thought, he took out three spirit stones and handed them to Han Qi and the others. "You've worked hard."
The three of them smiled as they accepted the spirit stones, looking quite accustomed to it.
Lin Bufan silently lowered his head.
"By the way," he suddenly heard Zheng Fa say, "take this."
"?"
Lin Bufan stared at the two spirit stones Zheng Fa handed over, momentarily stunned.
"Blood for… no, nutrition…" Zheng Fa pondered for a moment before finally changing his wording. "Just consider it your monthly allowance."
Lin Bufan looked up at Zheng Fa, his eyes filled with emotion.
He didn't reach out, as if he were hesitant or unaccustomed.
"What’s wrong? Never received a monthly allowance before?"
"… No," Lin Bufan replied softly. "When I was in the village, we farmed, gathered spiritual plants, or mined, and we had to pay a portion to the higher-ups… When I was with Lin Yangtian, I only fought for him, and resources… were all taken from other cultivators."
"Now you have some, and as for killing and robbing in Jiushan Sect… I won't tolerate it."
Hearing Zheng Fa's words, Lin Bufan lowered his head and took the two spirit stones, gripping them tightly. He finally began to understand the rejection from Han Qi and the others.
Just as he was lost in his mixed feelings, a beam of spiritual light shot from afar, landing right in front of Zheng Fa.
Lin Bufan recognized it as a communication talisman from Zhang Wuyi.
The young master communicated with her every day; he wondered what they had to talk about.
Zheng Fa took the communication talisman, gently closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them and walked out of the study.
"Young master?"
Lin Bufan and Han Qi exchanged glances, quickly following him outside.
Zheng Fa moved swiftly, almost as if he were racing against time, continuously applying armor talismans to himself.
The four behind him struggled to keep up, fearing something was amiss.
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