Chapter 121: The Storm Gathers Again

Chapter 121: Chapter 121: The Storm Gathers Again

After Song Zhen left, Liu Wenying immediately hurried over. Her wide eyes scanned Chen Yue up and down as if he were a priceless treasure, full of curiosity and amazement.

"I’m Liu Wenying! You can call me Senior Sister Liu, not ’this senior sister’!"

A smile touched Chen Yue’s lips. He amiably corrected himself, "Alright, Senior Sister Liu."

Hearing him call her Senior Sister Liu, she beamed, her wide eyes crinkling into smiling crescents.

She found herself liking Chen Yue more and more, not just because of the astonishing strength he’d displayed, but even more so for the backbone he’d shown when facing Zhao Zongzhen, refusing to yield an inch.

When she’d heard before that Chen Yue had refused the Mutual Aid Association’s invitation, she had already thought this new junior brother had integrity.

But when she later saw that Chen Yue was going to challenge Jiang Linkuo to a Life and Death Decision, she’d thought he was being too reckless. For a time, she was even certain he would die.

But looking at him now, how could that be called reckless?

This was clearly a calculated move, born from absolute confidence in his own strength!

’If I had Chen Yue’s kind of strength,’ she thought, ’I probably would have been even more brazen when I faced Zhao Zongzhen earlier.’

To her, Chen Yue’s calm and dignified demeanor just now actually seemed reserved.

Meng Yu Jin stood to the side, watching Chen Yue. A rare smile graced her perpetually cold face, like a hint of warmth as the winter ice begins to thaw.

She spoke slowly, her voice still cool, yet with a trace more warmth than usual:

"You fought well, but do not be so impulsive next time. The Sect is full of hidden masters, and your understanding of them is still too limited.

The Jiang Linkuo you faced today was merely average among those in the Marrow Refining Realm. If you were to encounter a true master, the consequences would be dire."

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenying immediately chimed in with a laugh:

"Master, that’s not quite right. Junior Brother doesn’t know them, but they don’t know him, either! That makes it even! To put it bluntly, this whole affair was caused by their own arrogance. They deserved to be taken down a peg!"

Meng Yu Jin turned to Liu Wenying and chided her with a laugh, "You’re such a smart-aleck!"

Liu Wenying just giggled, not bothering to argue. She was clearly accustomed to her master’s indulgence.

Chen Yue cupped his hands in a salute, his expression sincere. "Thank you for the reminder, Martial Uncle Meng. I was indeed impulsive today. I will be more cautious from now on."

Liu Wenying smiled at Chen Yue and winked, her tone teasing.

"Why are you still calling her Martial Uncle Meng? As soon as Master heard what was happening, she dragged me all the way here at top speed. Just think, when has she ever shown so much concern for an outer sect disciple?"

Chen Yue was taken aback.

He’d heard Liu Wenying calling him "Junior Brother" this whole time but hadn’t thought much of it, figuring it was just a casual nickname from someone with a lively personality.

After all, including today, he had only met Meng Yu Jin a grand total of three times.

The first time was when Wang Feng brought him for an introduction, the second was during the group instruction at the beginning of the month, and the third was today.

Accepting a personal disciple was an extremely serious affair, no matter where you were. It required a thorough examination of a disciple’s disposition, Talent, and character—it was never a decision made on a whim.

This was true among Loose Cultivators, and it was even more so within a Sect.

He had never imagined that Meng Yu Jin would intend to take him as a disciple so quickly.

Meng Yu Jin didn’t stop Liu Wenying, but simply watched Chen Yue in silence. Her gaze was calm and gentle, carrying both scrutiny and approval.

After a moment, Meng Yu Jin spoke, her voice crisp but imbued with a solemn gravity. "I do indeed intend to take you as my disciple. Chen Yue, are you willing to take me as your master?"

Chen Yue looked up into Meng Yu Jin’s profound eyes.

He was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "The Mutual Aid Association and I are now irreconcilable enemies. If I become your disciple, Martial Uncle Meng, I fear I will bring you unnecessary trouble..."

"Junior Brother! Master isn’t afraid, so why should you be? No matter how powerful the Mutual Aid Association is, it’s not like they can overturn the heavens, can they?"

Liu Wenying cut in before Chen Yue could even finish.

Chen Yue paused at her words.

He looked into Meng Yu Jin’s eyes, as calm as still water, and hesitated no longer. He took a step back, straightened his robes, then solemnly knelt and performed the disciple-acceptance rite.

"Disciple Chen Yue pays his respects to Master!"

Meng Yu Jin formally accepted Chen Yue’s bow, her perpetually cool face now wreathed in a smile.

She reached out, took Chen Yue by the arm, and gently helped him to his feet. Her voice carried a rare warmth. "Among us Martial Artists, there’s no need for such worldly formalities."

Chen Yue allowed Meng Yu Jin to help him up, a smile breaking out on his face as well.

He could feel the sincerity in Meng Yu Jin’s acceptance and her promise of protection. He nodded. "Yes, Master!"

The surrounding disciples who had yet to fully disperse all wore expressions of varying surprise as they witnessed the scene.

Some exchanged bewildered glances, others whispered amongst themselves, and a few had a complex, unreadable light in their eyes.

Of course, they all recognized Meng Yu Jin.

As one of the martial uncles from Panshi Peak responsible for instructing the outer sect disciples, Meng Yu Jin was known for her cold personality and taciturn nature. However, her Cultivation and strength were indisputably at the peak of the Refining Organ Realm.

But it had been a long time since Meng Yu Jin had accepted a personal disciple. The last time had been several years ago, when she took on Liu Wenying. And even then, she had spent over half a year observing Liu Wenying.

Only after confirming that her disposition, Talent, and character were all excellent did she formally take her as a disciple.

And yet this time, Chen Yue had been in the sect for a mere ten days and had met Meng Yu Jin only a handful of times. How could she have made the decision to take him as a disciple so quickly?

It was completely out of character for her. Did Chen Yue possess some other hidden aptitude that they didn’t know about?

But what shocked these disciples even more was the timing of her decision.

Chen Yue had just made an enemy of the Mutual Aid Association, killing a man under Zhao Zongzhen’s protection right before his very eyes.

The Mutual Aid Association wasn’t just backed by a few Inner Sect Disciples at the Marrow Refining Realm.

The Marrow Refining Realm was merely the minimum requirement for entering the Inner Sect; among the Inner Sect Disciples, there were a great number of masters at the Refining Organ Realm.

Some of them were nearly as powerful as Meng Yu Jin, and some veteran Inner Sect Disciples even possessed a deeper Cultivation than her.

For Meng Yu Jin to accept Chen Yue under these circumstances was tantamount to willingly throwing herself into this vortex for a disciple she had only met a few times.

Furthermore, her choice to accept him as a disciple in public was, in itself, a declaration.

She was telling everyone that she was taking on Chen Yue’s feud with the Mutual Aid Association herself.

This level of responsibility and boldness gave many disciples, whose impression of Meng Yu Jin had been merely that of a cold and quiet woman, an entirely new appreciation for her.

As the disciples gradually left the Martial Arts Arena, news of the Life and Death Decision spread like it had grown wings, quickly reaching every corner of the Panshi Sect.

The Panshi Sect was vast, with thousands of disciples divided into multiple tiers: outer sect, Inner Sect, True Inheritance, and so on. On a normal day, everyone kept to their own circles and their own affairs.

But at other times, it was very small. Especially when a highly topical event occurred, news traveled at an astonishing speed.

An outer sect disciple, who had joined only ten days ago, had fought one-against-two on the Life and Death Platform, killing a Marrow Refining Realm disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall and a peak Bone Forging Realm disciple from the outer sect.

This explosive news sent shockwaves through the community.

The outer sect disciples were talking about it. The Inner Sect Disciples were talking about it. Dan Peak was at the epicenter of the gossip, as the central figure, Chen Yue, was one of their own outer sect disciples.

「Inside the Dan Peak Dining Hall.」

Yao Jin was holding a bowl of steaming medicinal soup. He had spent the entire afternoon refining Elixirs and was utterly exhausted, planning to get some rest right after his meal.

Just then, several Dan Peak disciples burst into the dining hall in a flurry and gathered around a table in the corner.

"Did you hear?! That newcomer, Chen Yue, fought a duel on the Life and Death Platform!"

Yao Jin, who happened to be at the next table, froze. The chopsticks in his hand fell onto the table with a CLATTER.

He shot to his feet, the abrupt motion sending his chair scraping back half a foot with a jarring shriek.

Yao Jin crossed to the disciple’s table in a few long strides, grabbed the speaker’s arm, and asked urgently:

"What did you just say? Chen Yue? Who did he have a Life and Death Decision with? What happened?! What was the result?!"

The disciple was startled by Yao Jin’s reaction but quickly became animated, gesticulating wildly as he recounted what he had witnessed at the Martial Arts Arena, spittle flying from his mouth in his excitement.

"Senior Brother Yao, you won’t believe it! That Chen Yue, he challenged Jiang Linkuo and Cheng Jun—both of them, all by himself! We all thought he was a dead man for sure, but guess what happened? He shattered both of Cheng Jun’s arms with a single punch! Then he kicked and broke Jiang Linkuo’s leg!

And in the end, right in front of everyone, he punched Cheng Jun to death! You should have seen it! Tsk, tsk..."

Yao Jin’s expression was dazed as he listened to the disciple’s vivid description.

He knew of Cheng Jun; he was a member of the Mutual Aid Association. Cheng Jun was usually the one sent to intimidate disciples who were unwilling to pay their Contribution Points.

’How did Chen Yue end up fighting him on the Life and Death Platform?’

’And Jiang Linkuo from the Law Enforcement Hall?’

Yao Jin had seen Jiang Linkuo a few times at Mutual Aid Association meetings, but they had never spoken. ’Chen Yue killed him, too?’

’Is Chen Yue really that strong?’

He struggled to reconcile the image of the Chen Yue who showed up on time every day at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion to practice Alchemy with the Chen Yue who had just slain a Law Enforcement Hall disciple on the Life and Death Platform.

He remembered advising Chen Yue to join the Mutual Aid Association, and he remembered seeing Chen Yue’s courtyard gate, which had been kicked to splinters...

He suddenly realized he had never truly known this junior brother at all.

Throughout the Panshi Sect, people began digging into Chen Yue’s background, wanting to know just who this suddenly emerged powerhouse was.

Some analyzed his strength, speculating whether he had hidden his true Cultivation.

Some discussed the Mutual Aid Association’s next move. Would they swallow their pride and avoid him for now, or would they strike directly and utterly crush this outer sect disciple who dared to challenge their authority?

But even more people were discussing another key factor: Chen Yue had become Meng Yu Jin’s disciple.

With a master at the peak of the Refining Organ Realm, Chen Yue was no longer the same background-less Loose Cultivator he had been before.

Dealing with Chen Yue would now be far more difficult for the Mutual Aid Association than it had been before.