Chapter 390

Chapter 390: Actually, the Old Monk Came to Ask for Alms
Sect Master Ji Yuan asked the disciple: “Who did you say Yu Zhao came back with?”

The disciple answered: “With Abbot Jie Tan of Clarity Sound Temple.”

After hearing the report, Sect Master Ji Yuan rubbed his chin, secretly puzzled.

How could Yu Zhao be coming back to Five Elements Dao Sect together with that old monk Jie Tan?

And where was Qing Yan?

Why was he not here?

“Just the two of them?” Sect Master Ji Yuan could not help asking again.

The disciple who had come to report nodded, putting weight on his tone: “Sect Master, Abbot Jie Tan and Senior Sister Yu are still waiting outside the mountain gate.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan snapped back to his senses. His figure flashed as he used his Instant Movement Technique to appear outside the mountain gate. Sure enough, he saw Yu Zhao and Abbot Jie Tan standing there.

He quickly walked a few steps forward. Just as he was about to greet them, he saw the way they were dressed and could not help but laugh.

“Jie Tan, Yu Zhao, what are you two up to? Why are you dressed like this?”

Abbot Jie Tan and Yu Zhao were both wearing plain gray robes. Each of them held a wooden alms bowl. They did not have a single ornament on them from head to toe. They looked travel-worn and very simple.

Abbot Jie Tan did not mind Sect Master Ji Yuan teasing him. He pressed his palms together and smiled as he bowed.

Since Abbot Jie Tan did not speak, Yu Zhao naturally could not say much either, so she followed his lead and bowed as well.

Sect Master Ji Yuan found this very amusing, so he did not rush to question them. He said with a smile: “You rarely come to Five Elements Dao Sect. Today I must properly fulfill my duty as a host. Come in, come in.”

The three of them walked into Five Elements Dao Sect together.

In less than the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, everyone in Five Elements Dao Sect, from top to bottom, already knew that Yu Zhao was back, and that Abbot Jie Tan of Clarity Sound Temple had come with her.

In the main hall, Yu Zhao and the other two each took a seat.

Sect Master Ji Yuan spoke first: “All right, tell me what is going on. And don’t tell me you just happened to meet each other on the road.”

Abbot Jie Tan smiled slightly and pointed at the wooden alms bowl on the table: “Ji Yuan, what do you see?”

A strange look flashed in Yu Zhao’s eyes.

[Seriously? This again.]

Sect Master Ji Yuan glanced at it and answered casually: “A wooden bowl. What about it?”

“Wrong.” Abbot Jie Tan shook his head and lifted the wooden alms bowl. “This is Heavenly Secrets.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan: ?

“Jie Tan, stop talking in riddles with me here! If you have something to say, just say it!”

Sect Master Ji Yuan had no habit of indulging Jie Tan.

This old monk liked nothing more than saying half and leaving half unsaid. If you did not want to rack your brains guessing, you had to be direct.

Abbot Jie Tan was straightforward this time. He stretched the bowl forward and said: “Actually, this old monk came to ask for alms.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan slapped his thigh. Now that sounded more like it.

He waved his hand in a bold and generous way: “How much do you want?”

This kind of thing had happened before.

In the eyes of outsiders, the Seven Great Sects seemed like they were always at each other’s throats and not very friendly, but in private their relationships were actually quite good.

For example, he and Sect Master Wu Sang of Greenwood Sect, and Sect Head Chong Yang of Heavenly Sword Sect with Dean Mo Xin of Tai Bai Academy, all had friendships that went back hundreds of years. Their bond was not ordinary.

Sect Master Ji Yuan knew a little about the situation at Clarity Sound Temple. Since Jie Tan had opened his mouth, he would definitely have to help.

Abbot Jie Tan glanced at Yu Zhao without leaving a trace, then said slowly: “Ten Spirit Cores.”

Yu Zhao was stunned.

Sect Master Ji Yuan was even more shocked.

“Ten Spirit Cores?” Sect Master Ji Yuan shot up from his chair. “Jie Tan! You did not say that wrong, did you? Or did I mishear you? Unless you have gone mad, how could you say something so outrageous?”

Yu Zhao coughed lightly.

That was indeed a bit much.

“Then eight. I cannot go lower than that.”

“Eight? You might as well kill me and spare me the pain!”

Sect Master Ji Yuan snorted, clearly annoyed.

At this moment, Yu Zhao took out a jade slip carved with part of the array patterns and then laid out the whole matter of the Divination.

Sect Master Ji Yuan swept his spiritual sense across the jade slip. From the structure of the Formation Array Arts, he could tell that this formation was not something an ordinary person could handle.

He was silent for a long time, then asked: “How sure are you?”

Yu Zhao and Abbot Jie Tan answered in unison: “Ten percent.”

The two of them looked at each other, then said again with firm voices: “Only ten percent.”

Or maybe even less.

Sect Master Ji Yuan rubbed his brow.

He had known that when this old monk came to his door, it could not be for anything good!

[They are not here to ask for alms. They are here to rob me!]

He racked his brains, thinking about where he could scrape some together and whether he could somehow make up eight Spirit Cores.

Then he suddenly realized something was wrong and looked at Abbot Jie Tan: “Jie Tan, you want me to put in eight Spirit Cores. How many Spirit Cores are you putting in?”

Abbot Jie Tan actually looked a bit embarrassed for once. He held up one hand to show a number.

Sect Master Ji Yuan almost laughed from anger. “You put in five and want me to put in eight? Do we look that much like suckers at Five Elements Dao Sect?”

Seeing that Sect Master Ji Yuan really seemed angry, Abbot Jie Tan quickly explained.

His general meaning was that Clarity Sound Temple was offering five Spirit Cores because they only had the strength for five. Five Elements Dao Sect was big and rich, so naturally the burden on its shoulders should be heavier.

Sect Master Ji Yuan was not persuaded by his words, but he did not argue further. Instead, he said to Yu Zhao and Abbot Jie Tan: “I need to go check the treasure vault. I will give you an answer tomorrow.”

“Very well.”

“Yu Zhao, since you and Jie Tan came back together, you can be in charge of hosting him. Any problem with that?”

“None.”

“Good. You can go.”

After leaving the main hall, Yu Zhao first settled Abbot Jie Tan in his quarters. Before she could go look for Zhou Jin Yue, a stranger stopped in front of her.

Yu Zhao looked carefully and then called out: “Senior Uncle Lou!”

After Lou Yu Shan returned to Five Elements Dao Sect, he had shaved his beard and changed into a clean and neat Daoist robe. His spirit was high, and he looked refined and elegant, like a different person. No wonder Yu Zhao had not recognized him at first glance.

“Hahaha, Fan Yin and I were just talking about you a few days ago. We did not think you would be back today. Come, come, come, Fan Yin has been wanting to see you.”

Lou Yu Shan smiled as he spoke, urging Yu Zhao again and again.

Yu Zhao gave up on the idea of going to see Senior Sister Zhou first and went with Lou Yu Shan to the Archive Tower.

After the changes to the Archive Tower, more Magic Arts were on display and the requirements had been lowered, so more disciples came to the Archive Tower now.

Yu Zhao and Lou Yu Shan walked along the road, and people kept greeting them.

The two of them either smiled or nodded in return.

By the time Yu Zhao saw Elder Gu, her face was almost stiff from smiling.

“Yu Zhao! Hahaha!”

The moment Elder Gu saw Yu Zhao, his brows smoothed out and he laughed happily.

Maybe it was because his long-cherished wish had been fulfilled, but Yu Zhao could clearly feel that Elder Gu’s energy and spirit had changed greatly.

Before, Elder Gu had always treated her kindly, but he rarely showed his emotions this openly. Most of the time, he was immersed in the world of books.

Now his eyes were still bright, but the old gloom around him had lessened a lot, as if he had entered a second spring.

When Yu Zhao thought of the scene when she first met Elder Gu, she felt sincere joy for him.

Elder Gu looked at Yu Zhao, whose cultivation level he could no longer see through, and was also full of feelings.

Back then, he had felt pity for her because her experience was similar to that of his old friend Lou Lan Shan. When he helped Yu Zhao, he had never really believed she could help him find his friend again.

But Yu Zhao had now fulfilled her promise and was walking her path steady and well.

The era belonging to Yu Zhao had arrived.