Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Changing Feelings (Not Really)

He Lang sought out Wuding, and his attitude was naturally different from the cold demeanor he had when he was seeking a new disciple. He wore a smile and nodded repeatedly.

Wuding seemed unaccustomed to seeing his senior brother show him such a friendly demeanor. He stared blankly for a moment, then cleared his throat, but ultimately felt pleased and got straight to the point. “You don’t come to the Three Treasures Hall without reason. I don’t believe that my typically aloof senior brother has come to seek me out just to reminisce.”

“That’s indeed the case.” He Lang nodded and explained the situation to him.

Wuding had long heard about his senior brother taking on a disciple with five spiritual roots and was initially shocked and disbelieving.

Now that he had seen the person, he curiously examined Jiang Hanzheng from head to toe, trying to find some redeeming quality in him. However, he found nothing commendable: Jiang’s physique was weak, he lacked spiritual energy, and his gaze was timid, unlike someone with great potential.

Wuding felt disappointed and finally accepted that his senior brother had indeed taken on an average person as a disciple, which led to a feeling of disdain and bitterness.

He typically only regarded young people with exceptional spiritual roots. He wouldn’t even glance at those with four or fewer roots, as they wouldn’t achieve much in their cultivation anyway. From his perspective, he simply could not fathom why his senior brother would make such a choice.

Moreover, he never expected that his brother would ask him for help. He had thought it was something important, but it turned out to be trivial matters.

His senior brother had only taken in two disciples, and he couldn’t help but compare the two. He remembered that his senior brother’s eldest disciple had already shown remarkable talent at this age, exuding an aura of confidence. But this one? It was hard to say when he would reach the Foundation Establishment stage. The gap between them was truly like heaven and earth.

With such poor spiritual roots, it was natural that he wouldn’t even be able to cultivate Qi. Asking for his guidance was just an unnecessary effort.

Wuding was direct and didn’t bother with subtleties. He bluntly asked, “Senior brother, are you getting senile with age? You took in such a weakling, not even as good as Kong Huai. No matter how much you teach him, he won’t achieve anything; isn’t it normal for someone with poor spiritual roots to fail at cultivating Qi? Kong Huai is indeed impressive, and you can pamper him a bit, but what’s the point in caring so much for this waste?”

As soon as he finished his first sentence, He Lang’s expression had already darkened slightly. He had gained a deeper understanding of his junior brother’s lack of restraint.

Although those words were harsh, they were nonetheless accurate, and the disciples attending to them probably thought the same way.

Jiang Hanzheng, despite knowing how lacking he was, felt as if a recently healed wound had been torn open again, bleeding and exposed to the air, leaving him feeling utterly humiliated.

He nervously fiddled with the corner of his garment. After being looked down upon by his uncle, he immediately wanted to lean back against his master for some comfort, but he was concerned about whether his master felt the same way. His outstretched hand hung in the air, caught between up and down, feeling helpless, anxiously glancing at the frown on He Lang’s brow.

“Don’t scare him.” He Lang slightly furrowed his brow and reproached Wuding in a low voice, his gaze full of disapproval.

Could one really speak such excessive words? Talent is not something one can control, like appearance. If one judged based solely on this, he would find it quite pitiful.

He Lang took hold of Jiang Hanzheng’s hand, which was awkwardly poised beside him, offering comfort, and looked back at Wuding. “If you’re unwilling, I won’t force you.”

Wuding scratched his nose, realizing he had been too blunt and had provoked his brother’s protective instincts. Feeling a bit guilty, he softened his tone. “I have some Nascent Qi pills suitable for new disciples. As the name suggests, once you take the pills and begin cultivating Qi, the meridians in your body will be cleared quite a bit. With continued use, you’ll discover the secrets of Qi cultivation; it’s much easier than trying to cultivate Qi from scratch… Besides, these pills are unique to me…”

As he spoke, he rummaged through his robes and pulled out dozens of bottles of pills, seemingly having a magical storage item hidden away.

Wuding, having made a mistake, was generous this time, and this eased He Lang’s mood a bit. His expression softened again as he took the pills and filled his disciple’s Qiankun bag.

Wuding shook his head and leisurely sipped his tea. “Alright, senior brother treats his disciple like his own son, the best. But I have to advise you, be careful not to raise a white-eyed wolf. When that happens, how many precious pills and talismans will you end up throwing at him? Every day it’ll be ‘Huai’er, Huai’er’ calling out, but later he’ll just walk away without looking back, leaving you alone in seclusion…”

He Lang grew increasingly speechless as he listened and quickly interrupted, “You really talk too much.”

This wasn’t a private conversation; there were disciples of various ranks around. Why couldn’t he just stop talking nonsense?

However, it was clear that Wuding’s disciples were used to their master’s temperament or were already fully aware of these matters.

He Lang unconsciously glanced down at Jiang Hanzheng, only to see him cherishingly examining the Qiankun bag, not saying a word, with his head down as he stroked the patterns on the fabric, seemingly oblivious to Wuding’s remarks.

It was only on the way back that he put down the Qiankun bag and gently asked, “Master, may I ask a question? Who is Kong Huai? Is he the eldest senior brother?” Clearly, he had absorbed Wuding’s words and had been fixated on the name Kong Huai, leading him to remain silent for so long, unable to hold back any longer.

Jiang Hanzheng’s voice still had a hint of youthfulness, and his cautious attitude amused He Lang. He affectionately rubbed his head and replied, “Yes.”

Jiang Hanzheng intentionally leaned closer, as if to let him better rub the top of his head, and continued to ask, “Is the eldest senior brother a very powerful person? Did he go down the mountain? Why would he?” How could anyone bear to leave their master and go down to those dangerous and filthy worlds?

His series of questions left He Lang at a loss for words. He was not unwilling to answer, but he didn’t know how to respond.

Jiang Hanzheng pouted, knowing he didn’t have the right to ask such questions. His lips turned pale as he repeatedly apologized.

He Lang quickly pulled the child, who was about to kneel, back up. “No worries. You will be even more capable than him in the future. Since he has already gone down the mountain, your master only has you in front of him now; you should work even harder.”

Jiang Hanzheng felt slightly relieved. A sense of security returned to him, giving him a bit more confidence. His mind turned a corner; now he was the only disciple in front of his master, no longer that poor beggar wandering the streets. He didn’t need to be anxious about every little detail anymore.

He Lang didn’t say more and instead asked him what kind of weapon he liked.

At this moment, he still had no cultivation. If he were to encounter someone like Liu Yihan, who might try to harm him, and if He Lang happened not to be there, what should he do? Therefore,

Jiang Hanzheng wracked his brain for a long time but had no idea, so he had to answer honestly: “I’ve never touched a weapon, so I don’t know.”

He Lang observed his physique thoughtfully, reached out to pinch his shoulder, and gradually moved his hands down, giving him a thorough examination. Jiang Hanzheng didn’t struggle but obediently allowed his master to do as he pleased, though his ears inevitably turned red.

He Lang withdrew his hand and spoke seriously, “Although your body is a bit weak, your arm strength is decent. You can try using a sword.”

Although Jiang Hanzheng wasn’t particularly robust, he had done rough work with his hands and often carried heavy loads, so his arm strength was not bad. He Lang thought about how to find him a good sword, and later, he would help improve his physique to make him stronger. Until he grew up, he could at least protect him from being bullied by other disciples.

The sect often provided him with some magical treasures and talismans, but he couldn’t find any light and handy weapons. It wasn’t until he stumbled upon a sword with a greenish blade in the alchemy room that he finally found one. It seemed to have been left there by someone and had never been moved, as a thin layer of dust covered the wooden table it sat on.

He Lang picked up the sword and infused it with a bit of spiritual energy. The blade shook violently, the rust retreated, revealing a snow-white and shiny sword body. The blade was extremely thin and sharp, and the handle was engraved with the characters “Kunwu,” indicating it was a famous sword.

Legend has it that during King Mu of Zhou’s battle against the Western Rong, the Western Rong presented the Kunwu Sword, which could slice jade as easily as cutting through clay.

The handle of the Kunwu Sword was smooth, showing that its previous owner had treasured it and used it frequently. However, it was unclear why it was left here now.

A thought flashed through He Lang’s mind, suddenly recalling the reason but not delving deeper. He directly handed the sword to Jiang Hanzheng.

Although the Kunwu Sword wasn’t newly forged, it was indeed extremely sharp and lightweight, making it suitable for his little disciple.

Jiang Hanzheng had never encountered such a weapon before. Even though he didn’t know the sword’s value, he treated it like a treasure. He held it in both hands, feeling it several times, and then hugged it to his chest, unwilling to let go.

He Lang helplessly tapped his head, reminding him to be careful not to cut himself. This sword was genuinely sharp, and it wasn’t a joke.

“A sword isn’t meant to be hugged. I’ll make you a scabbard one day so you can carry it with you for self-defense.”

Jiang Hanzheng was like a child who had received a toy, his cheeks flushed with happiness, his heart racing with excitement. The sword in his hands felt comfortably cool, making him reluctant to let go.

With such a precious sword behind him, he naturally became the center of attention. New disciples envied him for having a good master who had given him this excellent sword, while older disciples gasped in shock; no one failed to recognize the sword.

After all, this was the famous sword that the elder brother Kong Huai had found after breaking through the fusion stage, which had been fetched from the Sword Pool by a top master from afar. Now, it was in the hands of a useless person who hadn’t even reached the Qi Refinement stage, making them green with envy and calling it a waste.

He Lang, not having contact with those disciples, naturally didn’t know what others were saying. However, in the evening, he saw his little disciple change from the cheerful demeanor he had during the day to running over with red eyes, saying he wanted to seize the time to cultivate and must reach the Foundation Establishment stage before turning sixteen.

He Lang was puzzled by his little disciple’s sudden change. He rubbed his chin, and after a while, he remembered that Kong Huai seemed to have reached the Foundation Establishment stage at sixteen.

**Author’s Note:** *Wipes sweat* Why do I feel like the eldest senior brother’s presence is growing stronger, giving a feeling of being lost in an ex-boyfriend? … Don’t have high expectations of him!