Chapter 2863 — Xuanzhen's Nominal Disciple
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Yes, Uncle-Master!" Tianchan answered with a cupped-fist salute, her face expressionless, though her heart was stirring with excitement.
"Tianchan, be careful on your own." Matters having come to this, Ancestor Xuanzhen could only offer that much by way of instruction.
"Rest assured, Master. I will be careful, and I will find Zhang Naipao," Tianchan said with a nod.
"Good. Then it is decided..." Ancestor Xuanchen had no sooner finished speaking than a knock came at the gate of the traveling palace's side courtyard.
Before long, Xiaotaohong came over cautiously. But seeing that both Ancestor Xuanchen and Ancestor Xuanzhen were present, she seemed to want to say something and yet held her tongue.
"Who has come?" Ancestor Xuanchen turned to look at Xiaotaohong and asked.
"The Eighth Elder is here, requesting an audience with the Young Sect Master." Xiaotaohong scarcely dared breathe; head lowered, she spoke with great care. These were all boss-level figures! Yet she too had her own little calculations. If she could arrange for Kang Jingming to appear more often before Ancestor Xuanchen and Ancestor Xuanzhen, that would be of tremendous benefit to him. Should he win Ancestor Xuanchen's favor, he would soar to wealth and rise through the clouds!
"Kang Jingming, is it?" Ancestor Xuanzhen naturally knew this Eighth Elder, and asked mildly.
"Yes, Master," Tianchan said hurriedly.
"Let him in." Ancestor Xuanzhen was a man who kept his word. Kang Jingming had rendered great service to the Xuandan Sect. Though Tianchan's inheritance had failed, other cultivators would still have to be found to receive the inheritance of the source power, and so Kang Jingming's pill refining was still needed. He had promised Kang Jingming a reward—to introduce him to Ancestor Xuanchen as a nominal disciple—and now the opportunity had come.
"Yes, Ancestor Xuanzhen!" Xiaotaohong answered excitedly, and went out to find Kang Jingming: "Brother Kang, Ancestor Xuanchen is here too. Your chance has come! If you can win Ancestor Xuanchen's favor, the Young Sect Master will look on you with favor as well!"
"I understand, Xiaotaohong. Rest assured—just watch me perform," Kang Jingming said, somewhat excited himself. Ancestor Xuanzhen and Ancestor Xuanchen were lofty, unapproachable beings; to win their favor would be to ascend the heavens in a single step.
"This disciple, Xiaoming, pays his respects to Ancestor Xuanzhen, Ancestor Xuanchen, and the Young Sect Master!" Kang Jingming kept his posture very low, positioning himself as an ordinary disciple of the Xuandan Sect.
"Second Brother, this is the Kang Jingming you spoke of?" Ancestor Xuanchen glanced at Kang Jingming and asked. Earlier, when Ancestor Xuanzhen had proposed rewarding Kang Jingming by making him Ancestor Xuanchen's nominal disciple, Ancestor Xuanchen had given his verbal consent.
"Indeed, Xuanchen, this is the man. What do you say—take him as a nominal disciple?" Ancestor Xuanzhen asked with a nod.
"Fine. Since Second Brother has spoken, how would I, his junior, dare disobey?" Ancestor Xuanchen laughed heartily. "Kang Jingming, I accept you as my nominal disciple!"
On the surface he seemed to hold Ancestor Xuanzhen in great respect, but in truth it was mere posturing. On matters of real consequence he had never once heeded Ancestor Xuanzhen's words; only in such trivial, inconsequential affairs did he treat Ancestor Xuanzhen as his Second Brother.
"Disciple Kang Jingming pays his respects to the honored Master!" Kang Jingming was overjoyed at the words and fell straight to his knees, knocking his head three times upon the ground with resounding thuds before Ancestor Xuanchen, thereby sealing the bond of master and disciple.
"Good, not bad. Rise for now. When the trial is over, come find me and I will teach you some martial techniques that a pill refiner can bring forth. Since you are my disciple, you must not weaken my name," Ancestor Xuanchen said to Kang Jingming.