When the White Moonlight Holds the Script - Chapter 15

Luan Wu tossed the jade pendant to Zhu Zhihan and left shortly after.

Zhu Zhihan seemed to have gained a new understanding of her master and partner. She couldn’t help but feel that Luan Wu wasn’t as cold and aloof as she had initially imagined.

Tu Meng, mistaking her silence for disappointment, comforted her: “Senior Sister has always been extremely busy. It’s not that she means to neglect you.”

Thus, Zhu Zhihan learned about Luan Wu’s past from Tu Meng.

“Our sect is poor, and Senior Sister has always been trying to find ways to support us. In the beginning, she did all sorts of jobs with the rest of us. Later, when she gained some reputation, she took on difficult tasks for the Immortal Alliance in exchange for substantial rewards.”

Of course, no one knew that the esteemed Daoist Master was motivated by those rewards.

Tu Meng sighed regretfully: “But for some reason, it seems Senior Sister was born unlucky in matters of wealth. Every time she received payment, some unexpected incident would occur either the sect would face trouble, or she herself would run into mishaps. In the end, very little of the money remained.”

“With no other choice, Senior Sister had to take on more work. Before you joined the sect, Nephew, I often only saw her a few times a year.”

Tu Meng patted her shoulder.

“This time, Senior Sister attended the Grand Selection mainly because there was spirit stones to be earned.” Although, in the end, due to the upheaval during the event, she ended up slashing the Sumeru Realm and had to pay even more in compensation.

Zhu Zhihan suddenly understood.

No wonder Luan Wu, who had no interest in taking disciples, had gone to the Immortal Alliance’s Grand Selection. The reason behind it was actually this simple!

She thought with a touch of melancholy that there probably wasn’t a Daoist Master more down-to-earth than Luan Wu!

In her previous life, Zhu Zhihan had occasionally heard her junior fellow disciples gossip about Daoist Master Luan Wu. Back then, she had only thought of Luan Wu as a cold, enigmatic figure who came and went like the wind.

Who would have thought?

This was far more reliable than the secret she had initially used to threaten Luan Wu, which she had learned from the system!?

Immediately, a surge of responsibility and protectiveness welled up inside her. She turned to Tu Meng and declared solemnly: “Auntie, don’t worry. I will definitely earn more money than Master in the future!”

That way, Luan Wu wouldn’t have to constantly run around anymore! And the prestige befitting a Daoist Master should be properly established!

Tu Meng looked into Zhu Zhihan’s earnest, bright eyes and dismissed it as the naive talk of a child.

New disciples who had just stepped into the world of cultivation often harbored boundless fantasies about their future, believing they could move mountains and achieve the impossible single-handedly.

But earning spirit stones was no easy task.

Still, for young people, a bit of ambition wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Tu Meng felt a warm sense of comfort: “It’s good that you have such intentions.”

Seeing that Tu Meng didn’t believe her, Zhu Zhihan didn’t press the matter. Promises were meant to be fulfilled through action, not empty boasts. When she produced results, her aunt would naturally be convinced.

Afterward, Tu Meng took Zhu Zhihan to see a physician again to confirm that she had fully recovered before finally setting her mind at ease.

Tu Meng had wanted Zhu Zhihan to rest for another half-day, but Zhu Zhihan was already brimming with enthusiasm: “What do I need to learn as a new disciple in our sect? Are there any courses? Or can I just study Master’s jade pendant directly?”

Tu Meng couldn’t dissuade her.

“Ahem, in the past, I would teach new disciples the techniques and moves myself. But since Senior Sister has already given you the jade pendant, it’s undoubtedly better than what I can teach. You can study it on your own, Nephew, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can always ask me later.”

“But before that, you’ll need to come with me to the Treasure Repository to get a wooden sword for practice.”

Tu Meng explained, “Beginners learning the sword start with wooden ones to avoid injuring themselves, and most sparring within the sect is done with wooden swords too. Well, that’s because healing elixirs are expensive.”

Zhu Zhihan once again felt the extent of the sect’s hardships.

She followed Tu Meng to the sect’s Treasure Repository.

As the name suggested, the Treasure Repository was where the sect stored its magical artifacts. According to Tu Meng, the sect had once been illustrious, and this repository had been filled with treasures. Unfortunately…

Zhu Zhihan trailed behind Tu Meng as they stepped inside.

A cool, musty scent of dust greeted them.

Rows of tall wooden shelves stood neatly arranged, most of them empty. Some held what looked like tattered odds and ends, and cobwebs clung to the corners.

Once inside, Zhu Zhihan glanced around.

The Treasure Repository didn’t look large from the outside, but the interior was surprisingly spacious. She guessed that spatial expansion techniques had been used during its construction. Back in the Medicine Sect, she had seen similar places they were incredibly costly to build.

The Blade Sect must have truly been prosperous in its heyday.

Who knew what had happened later to reduce it to such a state? Nowadays, everyone knew of the notoriously fierce Daoist Venerable Luanwu, but few remembered the existence of the Blade Sect.

Tu Meng walked over to one of the shelves, rummaged around, and pulled out a flawless wooden sword, weighing it with satisfaction.

“Look at this…” She turned around, only to find no one behind her.

Where was she?

Where had her big, grown-up junior apprentice gone?

Of course, Zhu Zhihan hadn’t gotten lost.

In fact, she had been following Tu Meng just fine, but then she spotted something and couldn’t move another step.

It was a small cauldron, about the size of a palm, dull and gray, covered in a thick layer of dust, and missing one leg.

But, it was a cauldron! The kind used for alchemy!

As a former alchemist, Zhu Zhihan knew just how expensive a cauldron could be on the market.

Even the lowest-quality cauldron would likely cost dozens of high-grade spirit stones for a novice cultivator like her, especially one in a small, rundown sect, it would probably take ten years of saving to afford one!

She had been mulling over this issue for a while.

Even the most skilled cook can’t prepare a meal without rice, and without a cauldron and ingredients, even the best alchemist (except for those monstrous ninth-grade ones) would struggle to refine elixirs.

If she wanted to earn money through alchemy, these were the two biggest hurdles she had to overcome.

Ingredients were somewhat manageable, but the cauldron…

Now, here was a small cauldron right in front of her. Even if it was ugly and damaged, how could she not be excited?

“Junior apprentice, what are you doing here? What are you looking at?”

As soon as Tu Meng found Zhu Zhihan, she saw her clever, well-behaved junior apprentice turn around and gaze at her with pleading eyes. “Auntie…”

“Yes, what is it, junior apprentice?”

Zhu Zhihan raised her hand and pointed at the small cauldron. “Auntie, if I want to get this, what do I need to do? Does the sect have a contribution system or something? Or do I need spirit stones…”

Before she could finish, Tu Meng picked up the cauldron from the shelf and sighed nostalgically. “This thing? It’s used by alchemists. Left behind by some senior, I suppose. When the sect was selling off assets, it was too shabby to fetch any price, but it seemed a waste to throw away, so it’s just been sitting here collecting dust.”

Tu Meng brushed off the dust with her sleeve and placed the item into Zhu Zhihan’s palm. “Niece, if you like it, take it to play with. It’s nothing valuable, I’ll settle the account later.”

Seeing that Tu Meng offered it without reluctance, Zhu Zhihan didn’t refuse further. She accepted the item with great care.

Patting the pouch containing the small cauldron, she assured Tu Meng, “Don’t worry, Aunt, I’ll make good use of it!”

Tu Meng couldn’t help but laugh at how treasured the item seemed in her hands. “Alright, don’t forget why we came here in the first place.”

She handed a wooden knife to Zhu Zhihan. “Here, this will be your companion during practice. I’ll take you to the training ground later, you can practice there from now on.”

As she spoke, Tu Meng stroked her chin. “At this hour, those boys should be training there too.”

“Perfect. Last time, your master interrupted us, and then you were bedridden for two days. This time, I’ll take you to meet your senior brothers!”

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