My Master Knows It All

37: Chapter 34 Autocracy through the Ages_1 37: Chapter 34 Autocracy through the Ages_1 “Let’s just forget it,” Cao Zhen took up the topic and said, “I already have four disciples, why get another one and become even busier?

Even if I don’t recruit a disciple this year, Four Treasures Peak won’t be removed from the registry, right?”

“Old Cao, a True Yang Body!

Many Taoist institutions can hardly produce one Immortal Body in many years!

And it’s even one from my institution; such a geographically convenient opportunity is really rare!”

Seeing that Cao Zhen was about to give up, Chen Shizhi hurriedly started to persuade him, fearing that if Cao Zhen really gave up, then how could he scam Cao Zhen’s Spirit Stones?

At this time, Beichen Ying also joined the conversation, “Immortal Bodies are rare!

If we can really build a good relationship in advance, it would be beneficial for Four Treasures Peak.

I can sponsor a thousand liang of Spirit Stones as the fund to foster good relations with the True Yang Body.”

A thousand liang of Spirit Stones!

Chen Shizhi felt his heart might leap out of his throat, such a huge sum!

Even if he embezzled it, they would not dare to expose him afterward because they had already broken the Sect’s rules first!

Besides, it’s not necessarily going to be discovered!

“Old Cao, don’t worry!

The boy Yi Sheng usually listens to me especially well,” Chen Shizhi urged again, “As long as I convey your kindness to him, he will surely choose Four Treasures Peak.”

“Forget it,” Cao Zhen shook his head and said, “Although the top ten peaks can’t offer him immediate benefits, they can still make promises.

And those promises are certainly more than what Four Treasures Peak could afford even if we sold the entire peak.”

Chen Shizhi was unwilling to give up the imminent thousand liang of Spirit Stones, but he noticed that everyone nodded at Cao Zhen’s reply and realized it was futile to continue, yet he still muttered, “That child is still more likely to listen to me, his teacher…”

After a banquet, Chen Shizhi left Four Treasures Peak with a feeling of incomprehension.

He could not understand why Cao Zhen seemed not very interested in the True Yang Body—that was an Immortal Body after all.

Beichen Ying hurriedly went to the Law Enforcement Hall to apply for the permit to leave the mountain again, planning to go out for another adventure once Cao Zhen had taught him alchemy.

This time, he would plan carefully, gather more stakes, and prepare for the Hundred Peaks reshuffling conference.

Elder Copper Plate drunkenly went to Cao Zhen’s master’s grave, shedding tears and feeling emotional about how Cao Zhen had succeeded.

He knew that although Four Treasures Peak would not advance much in the upcoming Hundred Peaks reshuffling, with the boost in their own battle power, rising by two or three ranks was still possible – finally, Four Treasures Peak would no longer be last.

Once again, only Cao Zhen and his disciples were left in the yard of Four Treasures Peak, with the four disciples hurriedly cleaning up the mess after the banquet.

Cao Zhen returned to his room and began writing the Pill Prescription on paper, starting to calculate how much material the Little Bodhi Pill would cost.

His next step was to consume Pills to coalesce the Golden Core.

Before condensing the Golden Core, he still needed to cultivate various Divine Skills, for the more Divine Skills gathered into the Golden Core, the stronger the Golden Core Battle Power would be.

After a night, Cao Zhen walked out of his room with his list, only to see a young-faced disciple standing at the distant gate, his chest embroidered with the two characters [Hundred Peaks], signifying that he was now one of the duty disciples serving all disciples of the Hundred Peaks Sect.

Cao Zhen knew that there was a duty roster in the Hundred Peaks Sect.

Every disciple, including the Peak Masters, would become a duty disciple or a duty Peak Master once nearly every three years to work for others in the Sect.

“Peak Master, the Divine Immortal Hall steward requests your presence today,” the duty disciple saluted Cao Zhen with a fist-clench and then stood by, awaiting a response.

The Divine Immortal Hall?

That’s when Cao Zhen, through his memory, recalled that the Divine Immortal Hall was a place where only the Peak Masters of the Hundred Peaks Sect could go.

There, the Peak Masters would have meetings and receive assignments from the Sect Leader.

If a Peak Master’s attendance was a must, the duty disciple would definitely ask to ‘please’ make sure to attend!

If the word ‘please’ was not emphasized, it meant that, apart from notifying him, others had been informed too, and whoever attended would be considered for the task.

Of course, so long as they took on the Sect Leader’s assignments and completed them, they would still receive decent rewards.

However, the old Cao Zhen always chose to abstain from going after receiving such a message because ‘he’ was busy practicing to improve his Cultivation Base.

And with his meager Cultivation Base, he couldn’t compete with others for tasks, always missing out—why bother going?

After a brief consideration, Cao Zhen decided to continue playing the role of someone who doesn’t attend meetings, to stay in Four Treasures Peak instead, teaching Ling Xi and letting himself profit from Talisman Technique, and at the same time, researching Four Treasures Peak’s Pill market to refine more Pills, earn more money, buy more materials for Alchemy, and improve his breakthrough in Cultivation Base.

“Recently, this seat…”

Whoosh!

The sharp sound of a Sharp Sword cleaving through the air resonated from not far away!

Accompanying the swooshing of the sword cutting through the air was a pervasive oppressing low atmospheric pressure in the yard, abruptly interrupting what Cao Zhen was about to say to the duty disciple.

Following the sword’s noise, Cao Zhen saw Yan Yourong today dressed in a form-fitting outfit, showcasing the figure she usually hid.

Her Longsword carried an air of slaughter, slashing down one strike after another.

At this moment, Cao Zhen remembered that since he had crossed over, Yan Yourong would have a combat exchange once every month.

During the few days before the combat, this disciple would always enter the state in advance to prepare, but she had never won a combat exchange.

Furthermore, every time she lost a combat exchange, Yan Yourong’s mood would turn for the worse.

In the past two months, Cao Zhen had encountered this situation twice.

Every time he saw his Second Disciple’s gloomy and poor mood, everyone in Four Treasures Peak would instinctively avoid her, giving her space.

Even though Cao Zhen’s Cultivation Base had greatly increased now, the thought of having to face another low-pressure disciple made him subconsciously feel a bit of a headache.

“Master…” Bei Yan approached Cao Zhen and lowered his voice, “Let’s not eat fish these next few days, shall we…”

As Bei Yan spoke, his gaze kept stealthily glancing toward Yan Yourong.

He continued in a hushed tone, “Second Senior Sister doesn’t really like fish.

Shall we not provoke her these few days?”

Even Xiang Ziyu, who usually held a book and laughed frequently, was uncharacteristically without his book, nodding seriously in agreement instead.

“We can’t go on like this forever…” Cao Zhen whispered back, “If she loses the fight again…”

The sword that Yan Yourong was swinging suddenly halted, and two piercingly cold stares shot through the air toward them, startling Bei Yan so much that he disregarded the respect due between master and disciple and covered Cao Zhen’s mouth, afraid his master would utter another word that might agitate Second Senior Sister.

Feeling Yan Yourong’s glare, Cao Zhen immediately fell silent, pushing Bei Yan as they trotted out of the courtyard and finally taking a long sigh of relief once they were a safe distance away.

“Bei Yan, go and order a few more tables of good dishes these next few days.” Cao Zhen took out a Spirit Stone and said, “Let your senior sister eat well.”

Bei Yan pushed the Spirit Stone back, saying, “Master, if we eat well at this time, senior sister might ask if it’s to celebrate her upcoming loss?”

“Then eat poorly?” Cao Zhen asked.

Bei Yan immediately shook his head as vigorously as a rattle-drum and said, “No, no!

Senior Sister will say, ‘What?

You’re only giving me this to eat?

You don’t want me to win the duel?’”

“Then just drink more hot water!” Cao Zhen sighed with a headache.

Aren’t female cultivators supposed to slay dragons after their Foundation Establishment?

Why is she as fussy as if she’s on her period?

“What does drinking hot water mean?” Bei Yan asked, not understanding, “Master, does it really work?”

“Work my ass!

That’s what you’d say if you want to find death.” Cao Zhen patted Bei Yan’s little head and said, “Look, your senior sister is just in a foul mood because she lost the duel.

Just let her win, and that’ll solve everything!”

Nearby, Bei Yan curled his lip and spread his hands, saying, “Win with what?

I once overheard senior sister mentioning that her opponent has already conquered eight Tao platforms.”

“Then let your senior sister reach Immortal Bridge Realm,” Cao Zhen said once again, patting Bei Yan’s head.

“I’ll go ahead to the Divine Immortal Hall and take care of this cultivation improvement for your senior sister.”

“Master…” In Bei Yan’s lively eyes, skepticism was replaced by a taste of distrust.

“Master, you’re not just looking for an excuse to run away, are you?”

“Would your master be that kind of person?” Cao Zhen straightened his face immediately, exerting the dignity of a teacher toward his little disciple, “When the Divine Immortal Hall calls for your master, how could I not go?”

“Master, senior sister mentioned that the Divine Immortal Hall has sought you many times in the past years, and you never went.” Bei Yan, cowed by his master’s authority, whispered, “Why the sudden change of heart to go now?

Besides…

you traveling alone, as your disciple, I worry.

Let me stay by your side to serve you.”

“What could someone so young know about serving others?” Ling Xi walked out of the courtyard, brandishing the authority of the senior sister, “You practice well at home, and I, as your senior sister, will serve the master.”

“Senior sister…” Bei Yan hurriedly tried to argue, for bearing the pressure of Second Senior Sister in the same courtyard was too great.

“You Rong…” Ling Xi immediately turned and called out to the Yan Yourong practicing with an icy face in the courtyard, “Little Bei Yan doesn’t want to practice properly.”

Two dissatisfied and icy glares passed through the courtyard door, landing on Bei Yan.

Without a word, merely a look was enough for Bei Yan to obediently lower his head.

The biggest difference between the Second Senior Sister and the master was that the master might just lecture verbally, but the Second Senior Sister would truly act.

Cao Zhen intended to order Ling Xi to stay as well, so he could teach her about Talisman Making, but he saw his senior disciple looking at him with an ‘If you leave me behind, disciple will also find a way to keep you’ gaze.

It was a gaze that said mutually assured destruction!

“Ling Xi surely knows how to serve people better, so let Ling Xi accompany your master.” Cao Zhen compromised immediately, turning to speak to the rotating disciples waiting nearby, “It just so happens that I’ve also felt the need to contribute to the sect recently, so I may as well accompany you to the Divine Immortal Hall for a visit.”

“Master, you can rest easy, Second Senior Sister will definitely have no issues this time,” Xiang Ziyu, holding his book, said without looking up, “After all, I’m the protagonist!

The master, sensing my imminent rise, has therefore risen first.

Next, it’s your turn to rise, and finally, it will be my turn to rise dramatically!

Supreme above all ages!”

Cao Zhen secretly resolved that once he was done with this matter, he would definitely take this third disciple for a check-up.