Chapter 121: A Strange Man Who Is Both a Hero of the Grasslands and an Undead Knight
"The reason is simple—because your name is Ye Beixuan."
Chu Feng smiled and said, "The title 'Great Sage Beixuan' sounds especially pleasing to my ears. Of course, more importantly, even when facing the pressure of Chen'er and the others, you were able to remain calm. Such mental composure is not something an ordinary person possesses."
As soon as these words were spoken, Ye Beixuan was greatly shocked inside. The man before him clearly looked no different from an ordinary mortal—how could he see through him and perceive his potential to become a Great Sage?
Cao Youqian smiled and asked, "Master, do you mean this junior has the bearing of a Great Sage?"
Chu Feng patted Cao Youqian's shoulder. "Daqian, that's not something you should say so carelessly. Otherwise, your junior brother might draw the attention of some dreadful existence."
???
Ye Beixuan stared at Chu Feng full of questions. Could it be this man already knew he had reincarnated and even gone through the terrifying tribulation of sanctification?
Regardless, this life was already drastically different from the last. Why not directly apprentice under this powerful master?
"Disciple Ye Beixuan pays respect to Master."
With that, he knelt and bowed to Chu Feng.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for accepting a disciple. Reward: Ten years of cultivation.]
Chu Feng heard the system prompt in his mind and then stepped forward to help Ye Beixuan up.
"From this day forward, you are the fifth disciple under my name."
"Thank you, Master."
Ye Beixuan slowly stood up, still feeling as though he was dreaming. He even suspected that everything he experienced in his previous life was merely a dream in the carriage.
No matter what, he must become stronger than he was in the last life. Only then could he better protect his family.
Chu Feng said, "Chen'er, the three of you introduce yourselves to your junior brother."
"Understood."
The three responded in unison, then began their introductions.
"My name is Xiao Chen, Master's first disciple."
"I'm Cao Youqian, your second senior brother."
"Qin Qin, your third senior sister."
After hearing the introductions, Ye Beixuan felt even more disoriented. The name Xiao Chen was one he had heard in his past life—a once-promising talent of the Sword Dao Academy who ruined his future over a woman and eventually disappeared without a trace.
As for the third senior sister, wasn't she the famous courtesan of Qunfang Pavilion in Wendao City? Ten years later, wasn't she kidnapped by a group of strong men?
Just as Ye Beixuan was filled with confusion, Chu Feng spoke again: "You have a fourth senior brother too, but he went to find an old friend. I'll introduce you when he returns."
"Understood."
Ye Beixuan cast all his doubts aside. Time was long—he would have plenty of opportunities to uncover the truth.
Chu Feng turned to Cao Youqian and said, "Daqian, take your junior brother to the registration office to complete the admission procedures."
Cao Youqian grinned. "Master, can we wait a bit longer? It'd be a shame if we miss other potential junior brothers or sisters joining."
"You make a good point. Then let's wait here and see who comes for the next round of assessment."
With that, Chu Feng picked up the novel he had been reading and continued.
Cao Youqian, meanwhile, took the initiative to chat with Ye Beixuan. After all, the eldest senior brother and third senior sister weren't exactly talkative types.
Wendao Academy's admissions this time were held over three days.
On the first day, the Miscellaneous Dao Institute only accepted Ye Beixuan as a disciple.
On the second day, no one passed the assessment. One disciple with the surname Han cleared the first round, but since he wasn't good at running, he was rejected.
Such a disciple assessment left even Ye Beixuan, a man who had lived two lives, utterly confused. Just what kind of powerful figure was his master, using such a strange method to select disciples?
On the evening of the third day, as Chu Feng was preparing to have his disciples pack up and return to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, he suddenly saw a frail-looking scholar walking unsteadily toward the registration area.
The man wore a scholar's cap, a long robe, and carried a chest on his back. His delicate features exuded a scholarly air.
Plop!
As soon as the scholar saw the group, he immediately knelt to the ground. "Immortal, please accept me as your disciple!"
Hearing this, Chu Feng casually raised his hand from a distance, gently lifting the scholar up. "The fact that you could come here and see me means that we are fated. You need only answer two questions."
The scholar's face lit up with joy. "Please ask, Immortal."
Chu Feng asked, "What is your name?"
The scholar clasped his hands and replied, "My surname is Xu, given name Wen, courtesy name Caichen."
Hiss…
Upon hearing the name, Chu Feng inhaled sharply and muttered, "Xu Caichen—now that's a powerful name. Truly one of a kind. I will accept you!"
Overjoyed, Xu Caichen knelt again and bowed three times to Chu Feng. "Disciple greets Master!"
[Ding, congratulations to the host for accepting a disciple. Reward: Five years of cultivation.]
Chu Feng helped Xu Caichen up and asked, "Alright, no need for such grand ceremony every time. Tell me, why did you come to Wendao Academy to seek the Dao, and what strange experiences did you encounter on your way here?"
Xiao Chen and the others all looked at Xu Caichen with curiosity. After all, for an ordinary mortal to reach Wendao Academy, he must have endured countless hardships.
The fact that Junior Brother Xu made it here unharmed was a sign of immense fortune—something most cultivators couldn't compare with.
Xu Caichen asked timidly, "Master, may I have a sip of water first?"
"Haha…"
Chu Feng laughed heartily. "I nearly forgot about that. This isn't the best place to talk anyway. I'll take you back to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute."
Before Xu Caichen could react, he saw Chu Feng wave his hand, and everything turned dark. When his vision returned, he found himself in a quiet little courtyard.
Qin Qin poured him a cup of tea. Xu Caichen received it respectfully and said, "Thank you, Senior."
"Just call me Senior Sister," Qin Qin replied calmly.
"Yes, Senior Sister."
After speaking, Xu Caichen picked up the teacup and drank it all in one go. After the tea entered his stomach, he felt completely refreshed, as though he had come back to life.
Setting down the cup, he slowly began, "This story begins with the marriage to my first wife…"
Half an hour later, Xu Caichen finished recounting everything in detail.
He was originally a humble scholar from Lin'an City in the Wu Kingdom. His family had modest wealth. One day, while boating on a lake, he encountered a woman named Lady Bai. The two fell in love and eventually married.
But the good times didn't last. Just after his wife gave birth to their first son, a sudden storm descended from the heavens.
A flood dragon swooped down and abducted both his wife and child. Only then did he learn that his wife was actually a millennia-old white snake with dragon bloodline. Now that her bloodline had awakened, she was to be taken back to the Dragon Palace.
Xu Caichen refused to accept this. He wanted to rescue his wife, but as a mere mortal, he had no way to find her.
After many twists and turns, he heard that Wendao Academy was the top cultivation sanctuary in the world and accepted disciples of all kinds, even scholars like him. So he sold off his family property and set off to seek the Dao.
On his journey, he passed a place called Lanruo Temple and encountered his second wife, Xiao Zhuo. Even though he discovered she was a ghost, he still decided to be with her and planned to bring her along to Wendao Academy.
However, this was discovered by the tree demon Granny of Lanruo Temple, who personally tried to capture them. Fortunately, the couple was saved by a sword cultivator and managed to escape.
Hiss…
After hearing Xu Caichen's story, everyone inhaled sharply. The way they looked at their junior brother now carried a hint of admiration.
"To think there are still such wild heroes in the world—an undead knight and a rogue rolled into one."
Chu Feng muttered to himself, then smiled and patted Xu Caichen's shoulder. "Caichen, our Miscellaneous Dao Institute needs someone exactly like you!"
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