Chapter 458

Chapter 458: First Senior Brother, We Are Waiting For You
The Secret Pavilion of Bei Ming Palace was a place used to store some of the sect’s less important books and records.

Usually, few people came here, but someone still had to serve as the warden and keep everything in order.

This boring and dull task had fallen on the steady and reliable Fang Cheng Lang.

At first, Fang Cheng Lang did not even know what the Secret Pavilion was. He had no way to refuse the order, so he happily went over.

When he arrived at the Secret Pavilion and saw the rows of shelves covered with dusty files and scrolls, he felt like a traveler lost in a desert who had finally found water. He started reading every book and document as if starved.

However, to his disappointment, the records in the Secret Pavilion were mostly about the history of the Bei Ming Realm, such as how Dao Lord Tai Wei founded Bei Ming Palace and several key events. There was none of the detailed information about the outside world he wanted, nor any cultivation techniques from the Upper Realm.

Even so, Fang Cheng Lang did not slack off. He still checked every jade slip by hand, one by one, not willing to let even the smallest important detail slip past him.

This day, he had just finished his daily cleaning work. He was reaching up to take down a jade slip he had not yet checked when he sensed someone enter the Secret Pavilion.

He turned his head and saw a middle-aged man walking inside.

The man’s face was thin. He wore a light moon-white robe, its wide sleeves and hem drifting gently with his steps. Ink-black bamboo was embroidered along the edges. He looked like a refined scholar, yet his hair was a wild, carefree red.

Two completely different auras mixed together, giving him a strange, contradictory feeling as a whole.

Fang Cheng Lang could not help looking at him once, then again. He stared until the other man let out a soft chuckle. Only then did Fang Cheng Lang come back to his senses. Feeling a little embarrassed, he cupped his hands and said: “Senior’s bearing is extraordinary. This junior lost himself for a moment. Please forgive me, Senior.”

The middle-aged man looked him over and said: “I have never seen you before. Are you a newly accepted outer disciple?”

Fang Cheng Lang answered at once: “Yes. This disciple is Fang Cheng Lang. Since Senior has come to the Secret Pavilion, you must have something to do here. This disciple is willing to follow any order from Senior.”

The middle-aged man gave a small nod and said: “I came to look for the records of the Daqian Alliance’s selection from the last thousand years. Do you know where they are kept?”

Fang Cheng Lang said: “Please wait a moment, Senior.”

He took a tray, walked to one of the bookshelves, and took down several dozen jade slips. He placed them neatly on the tray and carried them over to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man casually picked up one jade slip. He sent his divine sense into it and then smiled a little.

He said: “This one is not a record of the Great Thousand Alliance Selection.”

Fang Cheng Lang explained: “Yes. It records the assessment tasks for Bei Ming Palace’s inner disciples within the last five hundred years. I thought it might be useful to Senior, so I brought it over together with the others.”

The smile at the corner of the middle-aged man’s mouth grew wider. He asked: “You know why I came?”

Fang Cheng Lang met his gaze, calm on the surface but already squeezing his palms tight in secret. He said: “If I am not mistaken, Senior should be the person in charge of the next Great Thousand Alliance Selection. You are looking through the past records so you can use them as reference and set new selection tasks, right?”

When he said this, he kept his face neither humble nor arrogant as he looked straight at the middle-aged man. But in his heart, he was already breaking into a cold sweat.

He did not know if his so-called cleverness would make this Senior dislike him.

He could only take a gamble.

The middle-aged man gave him a long, meaningful look. Then he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

He said: “You are very smart and careful, and you know how to fight for chances. Are you willing to follow me and work by my side?”

Fang Cheng Lang had just opened his mouth to answer when the middle-aged man raised his hand to stop him.

The man said: “Listen to me first. My name is Nan Gong Yu of the Nan Gong clan. I am a third-generation elder of Bei Ming Palace and a member of the Daqian Alliance. I am currently in charge of selecting talent from the Middle World.

“What you will do is organize these records for me and obey my orders. Once everything is done, I can bring you into the sect properly and let you become a true inner disciple. What do you think?”

Fang Cheng Lang agreed almost without thinking. He said: “This disciple is honored! This disciple is willing to serve Elder Nan Gong!”

Fang Cheng Lang had been worrying that he had no way to leave Bei Ming Palace. Now a rare chance like this had appeared right in front of him. Of course he would not refuse.

Nan Gong Yu nodded and said: “I returned to Bei Ming Palace this time to deal with some matters. After I finish handling them, I will come to find you. During this period, you can keep reading more jade slips.”

Fang Cheng Lang answered: “Yes.”

Nan Gong Yu left Fang Cheng Lang a token and then hurried away.

Fang Cheng Lang held the token tightly in his hand, his eyes a little dazed.

He had finally gotten a chance to leave.

His happiness lasted all the way until that night, when he went back and saw Quan Ye. Then it ended abruptly.

After a whole afternoon, the bruises on Quan Ye’s body looked even more scary and serious.

Even though he had put medicine on them, he still had large patches of dark purple on his skin.

Fang Cheng Lang frowned and asked: “A Ye, who hit you?”

Quan Ye pressed his lips together and shook his head.

Even if he told First Senior Brother, First Senior Brother would not be able to do anything to those people. Why should he add to his worries?

Anger flashed over Fang Cheng Lang’s face, followed quickly by guilt.

He said quietly: “It is my incompetence. I can’t protect you.”

Quan Ye whispered: “First Senior Brother…”

Fang Cheng Lang forced himself to cheer up and said: “It’s fine.”

Then he told Quan Ye and Cui Jue about his meeting with Nan Gong Yu and their whole conversation. At the end he said: “Just hold on for a while longer. First Senior Brother will definitely find a way to take you away from here.”

Quan Ye’s eyes lit up. He said excitedly: “First Senior Brother, I believe you.”

Cui Jue repeated softly: “Middle World?”

He seemed to think of something. He froze, and his heart beat a little faster.

Fang Cheng Lang looked at him and asked: “A’Jue, you…”

Cui Jue suddenly stood up, unable to hold back his excitement. He said: “First Senior Brother! Our Five Elements Dao Sect and the other seniors from the cultivation world who climbed the Heavenly Ladder all went to the Middle World! You might be able to meet them!”

When Fang Cheng Lang heard this, he could not help getting excited too.

Yes. The seniors from their cultivation world who completed ascension were in the Middle World.

As long as he could reunite with them, there might be a chance to return to the cultivation world!

Fang Cheng Lang’s breathing grew heavier.

He said: “A’Jue, A Ye, don’t worry. If I can find the way home, I will definitely come back for you. We came here together, and we will leave together.”

Quan Ye answered at once: “Okay!”

He said: “First Senior Brother, we will wait for you!”

The three of them stacked their hands together tightly. Hope and excitement shone on their faces.

And then Fang Cheng Lang waited.

He waited for a full year.

Over this whole year, there was no word at all from Nan Gong Yu.

Su Ming, who had gone out following an elder, had already returned. Cui Jue had also passed the assessment to become a disciple of the Alchemy Hall. Taking the chance, he even arranged for Quan Ye to be registered as a pill servant and brought him into the inner sect together with him.

Now only Fang Cheng Lang was left, still in the outer sect, waiting bitterly for Nan Gong Yu.

At the same time, in the cultivation world, at the Five Elements Dao Sect.

Zhou Jin Yue saw a figure flash by in front of her like lightning. Her footsteps paused for a moment, then she kept walking toward the sect’s main hall.

Inside the hall, Sect Master Ji Yuan sat in his chair, letting out long, heavy sighs.

Zhou Jin Yue walked over and asked: “Did Master Qing Yan come to cause you trouble again?”

Sect Master Ji Yuan rubbed his temples and said: “He is in pain.”

Zhou Jin Yue said softly: “He is not the only one in pain.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan did not want to say more. He only sighed again.

Zhou Jin Yue took the chance to change the topic.

She said: “Those people hiding in the dark have started moving again. News came in today that Kunwu Sect’s spirit vein was drained overnight, and its spirit core was destroyed.”

With a loud “bang”, Sect Master Ji Yuan slapped the table and stood up.

He said angrily: “They are completely lawless!”