On the day An Long arrived, Medicine King Valley made early preparations to receive their distinguished guest.
Song Qing Shi neatly arranged his ceremonial robe in front of the mirror and meticulously inspected his appearance. When he turned around, he found Yue Wu Huan dressed in a dull gray robe, looking no different from a medicine servant. Although the robe couldn't mask his beauty, it ill-suited his vibrant and assertive aura.
It seemed like Medicine King Valley was indeed broke—turning a phoenix into a sparrow.
Song Qing Shi felt a twinge of sorrow and resolved to overcome his social anxiety, determined to secure investment from Wan Gu Sect.
Birdcalls signaling a message echoed in the sky as Medicine King Valley opened its misty poison formation to welcome their guests.
Suddenly, the medicine servants guarding the entrance began to stir with uneasy murmurs. The unrest gradually spread throughout the valley, and a few of the more timid servants even ran over in a panicked scramble.
Yue Wu Huan lifted his head and cast a cold glance. The fleeing servants instantly halted, recalling the ruthlessness with which this favored beauty handled matters; their faces turned a shade paler.
Song Qing Shi looked puzzled. "What's going on?"
Yue Wu Huan quietly lowered his head again, offering no response.
Soon enough, Song Qing Shi understood what had frightened the servants.
A massive white serpent slithered up the steps, its forked tongue flicking in and out. Its silver scales shimmered in the sunlight, while its blood-red eyes resembled demons born from the depths of purgatory.
The white snake lifted its head, swiftly coiled around Song Qing Shi's feet, and affectionately nuzzled his leg with its head, even wrapping its tail around him.
Delighted, Song Qing Shi crouched down to stroke its head. "Is that you, Little White? How much you've grown since I last saw you!"
Recognizing that it had been identified, the white snake joyously rubbed against him with its tongue.
Yue Wu Huan initially wanted to step forward and intervene, but halted upon seeing who had arrived.
"This ungrateful wretch. I knew it preferred you," a deep, imposing voice tinged with resignation descended from above. "Back in the hidden realm, when you refused to keep Hao Long as a spirit pet, it had no choice but to settle for me. It's been harboring resentment ever since, always wanting to return to you."
"Stop joking," Song Qing Shi chuckled. "It's more suited for Wan Gu Sect than for Medicine King Valley."
Five hundred years ago, Hao Long was just a young snake injured in a fight with larger beasts. Song Qing Shi had happened to pass by while gathering herbs and treated it. The creature had stubbornly insisted on following him and was eventually pushed onto An Long. Back then, Hao Long was only as thick as a finger. Now it was enormous, its scales luminous. Clearly, it had been well cared for by the affluent sect.
After petting the snake, Song Qing Shi looked up and suddenly found himself bewildered.
The An Long of his memory should have been an ordinary, mischievous, and inexperienced young man. The figure standing before him now was tall, exceeding 1.9 meters, with a commanding physique and a short haircut that emphasized his sharp features even more. Wearing tight black leather armor, his exposed right arm was covered with a tattoo of venomous creatures coiling around bones. He looked like a rebellious and untamed warrior, emanating a dangerous aura.
Time is a sculptor, carving transformations over the course of five hundred years.
Song Qing Shi stared blankly for quite a while before finally discerning traces of the past in that face.
An Long also studied him for a long time, then burst into a grin, revealing a sharp canine tooth. The dangerous air vanished, replaced by the mischievous bad boy of yesteryears, causing the cheeks of the female servants in Medicine King Valley to flush, unable to look directly at him.
This familiar feeling gave Song Qing Shi a slight sigh of relief.
An Long scanned the surroundings, leaned over, and whispered, "I thought you were angry at me and didn't want to see me anymore."
Song Qing Shi seriously pondered the mischiefs of their past before replying, "I'm not angry."
An Long looked somewhat skeptical as he slapped Song Qing Shi's shoulder, seemingly wanting to steer the conversation away.
Members of Wan Gu Sect specialize in body cultivation, and their strength is immense. The pat on the back left Song Qing Shi feeling a faint ache.
"Ah, speaking of which, I heard you brought back a..." An Long glanced at the crowd and quickly locked eyes on Yue Wu Huan. Struggling for the right term, he loosely described, "This little fellow, right? Doesn't seem like the troublemaker rumors make him out to be—looks rather well-behaved and adorable."
Yue Wu Huan, accustomed to such casual evaluations, maintained his composure. He politely bowed to An Long and continued his silence.
Song Qing Shi was taken aback.
An Long stroked his chin and sighed, "Truly beautiful, what a pity he's a man."
Despite inheriting the leadership of Wan Gu Sect and reaching the Yuan Ying (Nascent Soul) stage of cultivation, he was still the same tactless rascal as before!
With a stern expression, Song Qing Shi skillfully ushered An Long into the main hall. He sent Yue Wu Huan off to feed the lab mice, then began lecturing An Long. He may have sought investment from Wan Gu Sect, but there were lines that shouldn't be crossed. Swiftly, he compiled a list of 126 rules for An Long to abide by—prohibitions that included making sexual innuendos at Yue Wu Huan, using crude language, making physical advances, invading Yue Wu Huan's bedroom, and serving him alcohol, among others.
"By the Celestial Gods," An Long was utterly stunned as he listened. It took him a while to regain his composure. "Is this man made of glass?"
Tapping on the table, Song Qing Shi chided adeptly, "Rule 72: no describing him with peculiar phrases."
"Alright, alright," An Long seemed strangely pleased to be scolded. Raising his hands in surrender, he assured he would behave. "So, how should I refer to him? What's his role here in Medicine King Valley?"
Song Qing Shi paused, realizing this was a serious issue...
Yue Wu Huan was a patient requiring privacy due to his psychological illness. Although he acted as an all-purpose secretary for Medicine King Valley—a role akin to a steward in the realm of immortals—it didn't carry much prestige. Thus, the matter of an appropriate title for Yue Wu Huan had been overlooked.
Song Qing Shi immediately stood up and told An Long, "Hold on, let me confirm."
Saying so, he promptly exited the main hall to find Yue Wu Huan.
Yue Wu Huan had already finished feeding the lab mice. Aware that there were topics Song Qing Shi might not want to discuss in his presence, he sat in a nearby corridor, patiently waiting while reading a book.
Rushing over, Song Qing Shi inquired, "Wu Huan, would you like to become my disciple?"
Yue Wu Huan looked at him in disbelief, a bit stunned, "Master, why all of a sudden..."
"An Long reminded me," Song Qing Shi explained. "It would be beneficial for you to have a fitting status within Medicine King Valley. I've never taken a disciple, so you can be my first. This should make both work and social interactions easier for you. Of course, if you'd rather not, I can think of other solutions."
"I'd be honored," Yue Wu Huan hastily replied. "Master, you saved my life and imparted skills to me. I've long considered you my mentor but never dared to voice it." He sheepishly took out a carved blackwood plaque with his name on it from his pocket and offered it to Song Qing Shi. "I had secretly made my life plaque a while ago; please accept it."
A "Life Plaque" is an essential item for every disciple in a sect. Given the precariousness of life and death in the realm of immortals, each sect crafts these plaques from the disciple's own blood and stores them in a secure place. If a Life Plaque shatters, it signifies the disciple's death.
Yue Wu Huan spoke cautiously, "When I made the plaque, I added a minor spell array. Should I die unexpectedly, the plaque will inform you of my body's location. I wish... to be cremated and have my ashes buried cleanly in Medicine King Valley beside you. Is that acceptable?"
Song Qing Shi was profoundly moved. "Rest assured, I'll protect you and ensure that nothing happens to you."
Yue Wu Huan stood to perform the traditional rites of accepting a mentor.
"Wait, I have a request," Song Qing Shi quickly pulled him back and hesitated. "Could you avoid calling me 'Master'? That term always brings to mind that other individual..." His reluctance to take a disciple in the past had been partly due to a grudge. Yue Wu Huan's previous 'Master' had committed actions that were egregiously unacceptable to him, almost to the point of revulsion. He didn't want the same title, fearing it might trigger trauma for Yue Wu Huan.
Yue Wu Huan understood his sentiments and agreed with a smile, performing the rites once more.
"Later, I'll take you to pay respects to our sect's founding master," Song Qing Shi cheerfully announced, clutching the Life Plaque as he went to find An Long. With pride, he showed off the plaque, "Yue Wu Huan is now my direct disciple. Isn't that a respectable role?"
An Long was too stunned to speak.
He had seen rapid acceptance of disciples before, but never this fast. In less than the span of three 'ke' (a Chinese measurement of time, approximately a quarter of an hour), the head disciple of Medicine King Valley had been established.
Was it all triggered... by a single question he asked?
Celestial Gods above, had he done something wrong?
With his immediate concern addressed, Song Qing Shi shifted his focus towards securing investment. He vaguely remembered his sister saying that the first step was to treat potential investors well, ensuring they are well-fed and entertained, before coaxing them into signing any agreement. Therefore, he led An Long to his laboratory, earnestly explaining his methods of bacterial cultivation, and invited him to collaborate in experiments.
Both his original self and he enjoyed expressing their welcome to friends in this manner.
Although a bit unconventional, it was heartfelt.
Since entering the lab, An Long had been staring at him in a mix of awe and elation, as though trying to confirm something...
Feeling a bit uneasy under his gaze, Song Qing Shi finally asked, "Is there something on my face?"
An Long cautiously inquired, "Qing Shi, have you truly forgiven me?"
What's there to hold a grudge about the foolish things one did in rebellious youth? Moreover, he barely remembered most of them.
Song Qing Shi chuckled, "I've forgiven and forgotten long ago."
An Long's eyes reddened, his gaze clinging to him in disbelief, "You've truly forgotten?"
Song Qing Shi affirmed, "I detest lying."
"Yes, you never lie," An Long said, suddenly pulling Song Qing Shi into an embrace and burying his face in his shoulder. "Thank you…"
The mask of pretense was ripped away, revealing a warm, earnest heart.
He was beyond elated.
Song Qing Shi initially wanted to pull away, but he felt the warmth seeping through his shoulder and chose to stand still.
An Long's voice was hoarse with unspoken emotion:
"You have no idea how much I regret…"
"I'm so glad I got to see you again."