The Programmer Cultivator

After finishing the Spirit Nurturing Bead in his hand, Zhang Deming put everything away, opened the door to his room, and looked at the disciple standing at the entrance. ”What is it?” he asked.

The disciple bowed respectfully before replying, ”Master Zhang, we’ve passed through Yaoozhou and have now entered Panzhou’s territory.

Beyond Panzhou lies the Bai Shu Sect’s territory. We expect to encounter the groups from the Bai Shu Sect and Xuande Temple before long.

Master Song instructed me to call you back. He said that we’ll soon need to assemble to greet them, so he wants you to return a little early. That way, you’ll avoid being seen by Ancestor Guan and annoying him.”

Zhang Deming nodded and said, ”Let’s go, then.”

With that, Zhang Deming led the way toward the main hall, and the disciple who brought the message followed close behind.

A moment later, Zhang Deming arrived at the main hall. The disciple behind him dutifully returned to his post in a corner of the entrance, while Zhang Deming stepped back into the hall.

The man on the main seat, Guan Shouxin, was still meditating with his eyes closed. In fact, Zhang Deming suspected that in the better part of the day he’d been away, the man hadn’t moved an inch.

Meanwhile, the twenty-odd Duality Stage disciples in the hall were all busying themselves with their own affairs, apparently having accepted the fact that Guan Shouxin had bailed on them.

Zhang Deming entered the hall and crept along the edge, circling around behind their tables to quietly return to his spot.

Yang Guangfu and Qin Shizhong were standing dutifully behind their table. When they saw Zhang Deming return, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Both of them had worked their way up by dutifully attending lectures at the Dharma Transmission Hall, so the idea of skipping a lecture made them very nervous.

After all, they hadn’t just come on this trip with Zhang Deming; they were considered members of the Flying Spring Waterfall Tower, his disciples.

If Zhang Deming got punished, they would surely be dragged down with him. They might even be punished more severely due to being implicated and their lower status. That was why they had been on pins and needles the entire time Zhang Deming was skipping the lecture.

Zhang Deming had just gotten back to his spot and hadn’t even sat down yet when Song Huidong waved his hand, raising a sound-proof barrier. He looked at Zhang Deming as he sat down and asked, ”Where have you been for most of the day?”

”Nowhere in particular. I just found a quiet room to meditate for half the day,” Zhang Deming replied nonchalantly.

”You’re unbelievable... Couldn’t you just meditate here? This is technically a lecture. If Master Guan takes issue with it, it might not be a huge deal, but it’s still not a good look,” Song Huidong admonished.

It was obvious the three Peak Masters had given him quite a few instructions when they’d summoned him before the trip. After all, he’d spent the entire day focused on one main task: keeping an eye on Zhang Deming.

Zhang Deming smiled. ”Relax, it’s fine. From the moment Master Guan bailed on the lecture, this time became our own. You’re all just too timid.”

Song Huidong looked at Zhang Deming speechlessly. ”Timid? Junior Brother Zhang, you really are something else...

Aren’t you the one who’s too bold? He’s a Master of Three Talents, for goodness’ sake, not to mention the Peak Master of Wanghui Peak! I would never dare to be so casual.

If I accidentally offend him and get punished, he might sentence me to reform labor on Wanghui Peak... What I said when I was lecturing that disciple earlier might actually come true, and I’ll really end up as a reform disciple in the Spiritual Fattening pits.

Besides, if I got punished for skipping the lecture, I doubt my own master would back me up. He’d probably make the punishment even more severe.”

’The master-disciple tradition in Hongmeng was even more rigid than it was in the ancient world of his past life. In the Cultivation Realm, the bond between master and disciple often lasted far longer than the bond between father and son.

For disciples not from Noble Families, many of whom had weak familial ties, their master essentially became their father. Of course, for those with poor Talent who languished at the bottom of the Sect, they likely didn’t have one single master, just a host of ’Masters’ to learn from.

Because of this environment, the principle of revering one’s master and valuing the Dao was held in extremely high esteem in Hongmeng; even disciples of the Demon Path adhered to the concept of a master-disciple lineage.’

Zhang Deming just smiled, unconcerned. ’Setting aside the fact that my own worldview is different, if I were truly held accountable, I could just pull out my Identity Jade Pendant as a last resort.

My status as the Peak Master of Spirit Nurturing Peak is equal to that of a Three Talents Cultivator or the Peak Master of Wanghui Peak. Hmm, actually, to be precise, my status is slightly higher.

Anyway, I plan to reveal my identity soon enough. The only reason I haven’t yet, and have come on this trip in the first place, was because the issue of reincarnation is a cause for concern, and I’m doing this to reassure the three elders of Spirit Nurturing Peak.’

”How much longer until we rendezvous?” Zhang Deming asked, smoothly changing the subject.

Seeing Zhang Deming’s reaction, Song Huidong knew it was pointless to say more. He dropped the subject and answered, ”I don’t know. The advance scouts haven’t made contact yet.”

”...” Zhang Deming shot Song Huidong a speechless look. ”Then why did you notify me that we were about to arrive...”

Zhang Deming didn’t finish his sentence, figuring the conversation would just circle back to his truancy.

After a pause, he started a new line of conversation. ”By the way, hasn’t it been almost a year since Junior Brother Ji Ming left to lead the Spirit Root testing in the mortal world? Is he back yet?”

Song Huidong paused for a moment before replying, ”Nowhere near that fast. In the Edge Prefectures, they only test for Spirit Roots once a decade. Each trip takes the Sect Disciples three full years of travel, stopping and starting all the while. It’s only been one year, so he’s probably not even halfway done.”

Zhang Deming nodded, then asked with some confusion, ”With Junior Brother Ji’s status, shouldn’t he be exempt from such a difficult chore? I heard he was assigned to it by Master Yuee. What for? Did he do something to offend him?”

Song Huidong shook his head, then nodded, which only confused Zhang Deming more. ”Senior Brother Song, what is that supposed to mean? Yes or no?”