After Returning from a Faked Death, My Crazed, Rebellious Disciple Forced His Love Upon Me - Chapter 23

On the way up the mountain, they encountered five or six low-level venomous beasts. However, Fu Changgeng was the personal disciple of Xue Wuxi; he was naturally able to use his sword techniques to deal with these creatures with ease.

Although those sword techniques were a complete mess in Ji Chen’s eyes.

But that was only from Ji Chen’s perspective. For someone of Fu Changgeng’s age, reaching such a level was actually quite good. Fu Changgeng also possessed a water spiritual root, but he could not yet manifest ice spiritual power in his sword qi; it was just ordinary, attribute-less sword qi. Perhaps Xue Wuxi had not had the time to teach him yet, or perhaps the boy had not yet managed to comprehend it.

Ji Chen originally wanted to give him a few pointers. However, the youth spent the entire journey doing his absolute best to belittle Ji Chen.

“Can you not walk faster? How can you be so useless?”

“Stay close to me! You are so weak; I will not care if you get attacked by a venomous beast.”

“Sigh, I really regret bringing you along. You are not just a nuisance, you are a total burden.”

Seeing how much the other party despised him, Ji Chen did not have the nerve to offer guidance. He had to pretend to be a genuine weakling, shrinking his neck and following closely behind Fu Changgeng.

Despite Fu Changgeng’s disdain, he truly did not let Ji Chen suffer a single scratch.

When they climbed halfway up the mountain, Fu Changgeng discovered an abandoned cave. Seeing that Ji Chen was so tired he was almost crawling, the youth actually took the initiative to ask, “Do you want to take a rest?”

Ji Chen was indeed exhausted. However, he did not want to enter that cave. That cave was Ji Chen’s cultivation dwelling from his past life. He had lived there with his three disciples for a very long time.

Ji Chen stared at the cave in a daze for a long while. Memories surged back like a tide, the fragments of the past stimulating his nerves. Ultimately, he shook his head and walked away.

“I am not tired. No need for a rest.”

After climbing for an unknown amount of time, the two finally reached the summit. Though Ji Chen claimed he was not tired, he was breathless, clutching his waist and panting incessantly. Fu Changgeng stood in stark contrast, which was normal since cultivators possessed far better stamina than ordinary people.

This time, Fu Changgeng only looked at Ji Chen with disdainful eyes, too lazy to even speak. Ji Chen rested for a long while before finally recovering his strength.

On the massive platform at the peak, there stood a stone tablet as tall as a man. Scribed upon it in messy handwriting were the words:

“O Phoenix, O Phoenix, how your virtue has declined!” “What is past cannot be corrected.” “What is to come can still be pursued.”

Ji Chen felt some sentiment looking at the script. This was because he had personally carved it with a sword back then, an impromptu creation while he was drunk.

“This handwriting, why is it so ugly?” Beside him, Fu Changgeng directed a soul-piercing question at the tablet.

Ji Chen smiled helplessly to himself. Sorry, I was just a cook, not a calligrapher.

“But the mood of these verses is quite good,” Fu Changgeng finally said something nice. “I quite like it.”

Ji Chen could only answer him in his head. Of course! These are lines from the Analects; how could they lack mood?

Fu Changgeng continued to speculate, “It must have been carved by the master of this mountain, Senior Medicine Ancestor?”

Ji Chen did not even want to complain anymore. However, he reached a conclusion: perhaps right after he died, this mountain was seized by the Medicine Ancestor, so the world thought this was his territory. The question was, why had his three disciples not settled the score with the man? Those unfilial disciples! Aside from Guitong, whose rebellion was expected, those other two had no humanity either!

And yet, Ji Chen was still so worried about his eldest disciple, Xue Wuxi.

While the two were staring blankly at the stone tablet, a crisp and melodious bird cry suddenly drifted from above. Both looked up simultaneously to see a massive bird soaring through the sky, circling overhead. Its wingspan was dozens of meters long, its feathers shimmering with a flame-like orange-red luster. It had three long tail feathers, and its eyes were as sharp as a falcon’s.

That was a Phoenix Bird. Qifeng Cliff, naturally, truly had a phoenix nesting here. The Phoenix Bird was a descendant of the divine beast Phoenix and was the source of continuous spiritual energy for this mountain. It was because of this bird that Qifeng Cliff had once been called an Immortal Mountain outside the world. Now, it had fallen into such a desolate state, which made Ji Chen sigh with regret.

“It is the Phoenix Bird, the mount of the Medicine Ancestor,” Fu Changgeng recognized it at a glance.

Ji Chen was astonished to hear this. This coward of a bird refused to be my mount no matter what back then, so why is it acting as a mount for an outsider who seized the mountain?

Just as he thought this, a man’s figure appeared atop the bird. Even from such a distance, Ji Chen recognized him instantly. That man was the Medicine Ancestor, Jiang Shengyu. He wore a white inner lining and a black robe with a front opening. The black and white color scheme matched his hair, which was also half-black and half-white. He wore a dark silver jade crown, and his hair was meticulously tucked inside, without a single strand falling over his shoulders or back. He carried a large gourd on his back. He looked handsome and refined, as steady as jade.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the phoenix, his sleeves billowing violently in the mountain wind.

Seeing this, Fu Changgeng immediately dropped to one knee, cupped his hands, and shouted toward the sky, “Junior Fu Changgeng, the chief disciple of Sect Leader Xue Wuxi of the Wuji Sect, pays respects to Senior Medicine Ancestor!”

Jiang Shengyu glanced down at Fu Changgeng from his high position, but his gaze landed on Ji Chen. “And you?”

Ji Chen had no choice but to introduce himself, “I am from the same sect, an inner disciple without a master.”

As soon as he spoke, Fu Changgeng scolded him, “How dare you be so disrespectful to Senior Medicine Ancestor!”

Ji Chen pretended not to understand. “How is this disrespectful? Do I have to kneel?”

“Kneel down quickly! If the Senior gets angry and does not give me the medicine, I will kill you with one strike!”

It was clear that Fu Changgeng was truly desperate. This meant he really cared about Xue Wuxi and feared failing to obtain the medicine.

Ji Chen maintained his unhurried attitude. “Respect for a senior is enough if kept in the heart. This is not a mortal palace, and the Medicine Ancestor is not an emperor. There is no need to make people kneel. Right?”

Ji Chen directed the last word toward Jiang Shengyu in the air.

“You!”

Just as Fu Changgeng began to speak, the man in the air suddenly leaped and drifted down gracefully, landing steadily before them.

“No need for formalities.” Jiang Shengyu looked at Fu Changgeng, his expression serious and concise. “Speak your business directly.”

As he spoke, he reached out a hand to help Fu Changgeng up from the ground. Fu Changgeng was utterly surprised. However, Jiang Shengyu did not wait for him to speak. He seemed to suddenly savor something. “A disciple of Xue Wuxi?”

“Yes, yes, Senior.” Fu Changgeng felt that Jiang Shengyu’s tone had suddenly changed.

“Is Xue Wuxi the eldest disciple of that person?”

Fu Changgeng knew who “that person” referred to and honestly agreed, “Yes, he is indeed the disciple of the Sword Ancestor.”

Ji Chen thought, It is over! He had walked right into a trap.

Sure enough, as soon as Jiang Shengyu heard this, all his kindness vanished instantly. His attitude was like a completely different person from before.

“Since you are the grand-disciple of that person, go back down the mountain immediately.”

Fu Changgeng was stunned.

Ji Chen’s heart began to thump. This man was too vengeful. Just because he had lost a hundred times and never beaten Ji Chen, was this necessary? Not only was he unskilled, but he was also narrow-minded!

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