......
He realized that when he first walked in, Daoxuan wasn't there ..... the man had arrived without a sound, like a ghost.
The power of someone in the Taiqing Realm was truly terrifying.
Zhang Xiaofan bowed deeply.
"Disciple Zhang Xiaofan greets the Sect Leader."
"Hmm." Daoxuan's gaze swept over him calmly.
No matter how long he looked, Zhang Xiaofan still seemed like someone of average talent .....yet his cultivation was greater than Lin Jingyu's. It was strange, almost unbelievable.
Still, Daoxuan said, "If Tian Buyi values you so much, why didn't he come to escort you here himself?"
"He doesn't dare," Zhang Xiaofan replied.
"Oh? And why is that?"
Zhang Xiaofan glanced around the empty hall cautiously. "Sect Leader… is it safe to speak here?"
Daoxuan raised a brow, surprised by the boy's caution, but nodded.
In the Taiqing Realm, he could sense any intruder long before they approached.
Only then did Zhang Xiaofan say, lowering his voice:
"Because the person teaching me… is my Uncle Wan Jianyi ... the same Wan Jianyi who supposedly died three hundred years ago.
My master didn't dare come for fear of being discovered."
In the blink of an eye, Daoxuan was standing right in front of him, his calm expression replaced by sudden shock.
"You mean… Junior Brother Tian already knows that Wan Jianyi is alive?"
Zhang Xiaofan shook his head. "No… I was the one who told him."
Daoxuan stared at him for a long moment, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Then he gave a faint, admiring smile.
"It seems I underestimated you.
You're not only talented… you're also sharp and thoughtful.
If I had known earlier, I might have taken you as my own disciple — perhaps even to succeed me as Sect Leader."
Zhang Xiaofan shook his head. "I aim for immortality, not leadership.
Besides, Senior Brother Xiao Yicai is clever and capable — far more suited to be Sect Leader."
Daoxuan chuckled. "If Yicai heard that, he would be overjoyed."
Then he handed Zhang Xiaofan a map.
"The Demon Cult has resurfaced, and Qingyun is being watched closely.
There are even spies among our own people. If I go to the ancestral temple too often, someone might notice and discover Senior Brother Wan and our reputation would be destroyed.
I haven't visited him in a hundred years. If not for you, I still wouldn't go."
Zhang Xiaofan accepted the map and bowed.
As he turned to leave, Daoxuan's voice became serious again.
"Remember .... no one can know Wan Jianyi is alive.
If word gets out, people will call Qingyun Sect traitors who murdered their own master.
Our thousand-year reputation would crumble, and I could never face our ancestors
Zhang Xiaofan froze for a moment, recalling something from over a year ago....back when Cangsong had used the Seven-Tailed Centipede to poison and assassinate Daoxuan in the Yuqing Palace, stabbing him again afterward.
If Daoxuan hadn't already reached the Great Purity Realm, anyone else would have surely died.
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaofan suddenly asked,
"Master… can't Cangsong know about this either?"
Daoxuan's eyes grew deep as he looked at Zhang Xiaofan.
"It seems you're truly remarkable.
So young, never having left Dazhu Peak, yet you know almost everything about Qingyun Sect."
Zhang Xiaofan thought in his heart, I'm not especially smart… I just already know how the story goes.
Daoxuan watched him for a moment with admiration before speaking seriously,
"Remember, you must never tell Cangsong.
He treats Wan Jianyi like a father. If he learned that Wan Jianyi is still alive, he might not be able to resist going to see him."
"Cangsong is responsible for the affairs of the entire Qingyun Sect, and many people keep a close eye on him.
If he went to the ancestral temple, others would notice.
If the world learned that Wan Jianyi is still alive, our sect's thousand-year reputation would be destroyed."
Zhang Xiaofan hesitated, then said,
"But Uncle Cangsong respects Uncle Wan even more than his own father.
If this misunderstanding isn't cleared up, what if he starts to resent you and the elders for executing Uncle Wan? He might even… try to kill you."
Daoxuan's gaze deepened.
"You have a sharp understanding of human nature.
With talent like yours, you could one day become the head of Qingyun Sect."
Then his tone hardened.
"Even if he wishes to kill me, he must never know the truth. Qingyun's reputation is worth more than my life."
Zhang Xiaofan frowned.
"Then… why save Uncle Wan at all? Why keep this a secret from so many elders and disciples?"
Daoxuan slowly raised his head, looking up at the sky. His voice was heavy.
"He is not only my junior brother but also a man of profound cultivation.
If I die one day, there must still be someone willing to risk his life, wield the Zhuxian Sword, and protect Qingyun Sect."
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaofan silently agreed. If he hadn't learned the Heavenly Book in the original story, the Ghost King would have destroyed Qingyun Sect, because Wan Jianyi would have died long before.
Bowing deeply, Zhang Xiaofan said,
"Master, you've devoted your whole life to Qingyun Sect. I truly admire you."
Daoxuan sighed.
"I never imagined that, besides my junior brother Wan Jianyi, a disciple who's been here only three years could understand me so well."
He waved his hand.
"It's getting late. Go to him now. He's been waiting for this moment for three hundred years."
Zhang Xiaofan bowed and left the hall. Using a map, he followed the path toward the Ancestral Temple.
After a while, he finally saw it on a distant mountain peak.
Outside the temple, an old man was sweeping fallen leaves. It was autumn, and the courtyard was large, covered in golden leaves.
Most people would have rushed to finish the task, moving fast but making mistakes.
Yet this old man swept slowly and steadily, every stroke precise, never missing a single spot.
His efficiency came not from speed, but from patience.
The old man clearly heard Zhang Xiaofan's footsteps, but he didn't look up. Zhang Xiaofan, seeing this, stood quietly without speaking.
.....
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