11 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

# Chapter 11 The young kitchen worker heard this and couldn't help but feel proud. Although he was doing the most exhausting work in the Qingxu Sect, it was still a cut above what ordinary people could achieve. "It's not bad. How's our clan now? How are my parents?" The young kitchen worker, Li Lin, answered satisfactorily. Having arrived at the Qingxu Sect, it was rare for him to get a chance to go down the mountain. Now that he had encountered an acquaintance, he naturally inquired about his family’s situation. "The clan is doing well, and so are your parents. Your younger brother is also proving himself capable." Hearing this, Li Lin felt relieved. He nodded and then patted the cage that held a spiritual chicken with his hand. "This is for you to sell on behalf of the sect. Be careful with it. Recently, the number of spiritual chickens has significantly decreased, so we can't afford any mishaps." As he spoke, Li Lin glanced at Bai Fan, knowing the culprit was right beside him. He was tense every day, fearing the spiritual chickens might be stolen and eaten again. Bai Fan hissed twice before straightening up, his height reaching nearly as tall as a human, scaring the ordinary people around him. "Is that... a snake demon?" Someone pointed at Bai Fan, stuttering as they spoke. "You don't need to be afraid of it. It's the demon beast of the Young Sect Master, and it's being punished by staying with me right now." "So, it's the Young Sect Master's demon beast." The group of people, feeling a mixture of fear and reverence, took a few steps back to keep a safe distance from Bai Fan. The title of being the Young Sect Master's demon beast carried some weight. Bai Fan no longer bothered them. He twisted his body and crawled towards the back mountain. Having delivered the goods, he wanted to go back and take a bath. Bai Fan swiftly slipped away to a spiritual pool in the back mountain of the Qingxu Sect and dove in. The water from the spring was crystal clear and cool. No other disciples dared to bathe in that spiritual pool, only Bai Fan was brave enough to slip into it. The water in the spiritual pool was perfect for relieving fatigue. Every time he soaked for a few hours, his full body felt indescribably refreshed. From his tail to his forked tongue, Bai Fan felt the originally blocked meridians in his body become much more open. His senses also grew increasingly keen to the spiritual essence in the pool. Bai Fan was not the type to let such benefits go unused. Before coming to the Qingxu Sect, Bai Fan couldn't feel any spiritual energy, only thinking the air here was good. Now, having eaten some spiritual chickens and soaked in the spiritual pool, his body had grown significantly stronger. The white scales on his body had become so beautiful that Bai Fan couldn't help but admire them many times. Although his massive serpent body was considerable, it surprisingly didn't feel heavy. Instead, it had become much lighter, with enough strength in his tail to shatter rocks. Unconsciously, Bai Fan had stepped into the first level of the 'Transforming into a Flood Dragon' technique. For demon cultivators, physical cultivation is innate. Compared to the spiritual transcendence sought by human cultivators, it came naturally to him. Bai Fan thought to himself that it was amazing that indulgence could also be part of cultivation. This 'Transforming into a Flood Dragon' technique was incredible. Maybe not even Liansheng could progress this fast. Submerged in the bottom of the spiritual pool, Bai Fan only exposed his nostrils to breathe. His serpent body lurked in the shadows, enjoying the benefits the spiritual pool brought him. Had he soaked in the pool every day, it might not feel this good. But since Bai Fan spent most of his time working hard in the kitchen, the back-and-forth trips wore him out quite a bit. Snakes don't sweat, so each extended muscle movement during crawling felt like a form of tempering. Over time, it became a kind of body-strengthening method, an outcome no one had anticipated. In the spiritual pool, Bai Fan blew bubbles out of boredom. Actually, he wanted to find Liansheng, but unfortunately, Liansheng was always with that old man. Plus, the kitchen area was rather secluded, so opportunities were scarce. Looking up at the green leaves above, Bai Fan felt very unlucky. The two girls who brought him to the spiritual chickens last time never returned—they didn't even show up at the main dining hall. Bai Fan had planned to settle scores with them, but now he couldn't even find them. This led Bai Fan to suspect whether they had started fasting at such a young age. Given that only those who had refined their bodies could fast, it was unlikely for girls of their age to possess such skill. Bai Fan's serpent brain couldn’t figure out the logic behind it, so he could only remain coiled in the spiritual pool, slowly soaking. A pair of serpent eyes stared at the blue sky and white clouds above the water's surface. As a gentle breeze blew by, the leaves on the trees rustled, casting ripples of light and shadow on the water's surface. "Hiss..." Bai Fan lazily flicked his forked tongue. This time of day was the most comfortable. In the kitchen, he didn't even have a place to sleep. Using the sky as his blanket and the ground as his bed, he could sleep anywhere. The Qingxu Sect had essentially left him free-range, like some domesticated poultry. Just as Bai Fan was about to fall asleep, he saw two beams of light flying across the sky—obviously someone flying on a sword. Not many people possessed such skill; you could count them on one hand in Qingxu Sect. Curiously, Bai Fan poked his head out. Clear spring water flowed down his sleek scales as he observed. These two sword-bearing individuals were likely from the Upper Sect. Bai Fan knew nothing about the Upper Sect, only occasionally hearing the kitchen workers gossip. The Upper Sect was a major faction in the cultivation world. No one really knew its full extent, only that every visit from the Upper Sect signaled something significant. The Upper Sect had visited once before, on the night Bai Fan stole the chickens. And now, not long after, they came again. But Bai Fan only glanced at them and then submerged back into the water. Whatever major events were happening, they had nothing to do with him. Now, all he needed to think about was reaching the core formation and transforming. As evening fell, the kitchen became busy again. Bai Fan dragged his clean body back to the kitchen, where the bustling sounds of cooking echoed. Bai Fan had finished his work for the day; he was there to see what was for dinner. His barrel-thick body took up a lot of space. Several kitchen workers, finding it hard to move around, repeatedly had to step over Bai Fan. Eventually, one of them couldn't take it anymore. "Big snake, the kitchen is really busy today. Dinner will be very late. You should wait outside; we’ll bring your meal out later." They promptly ushered Bai Fan out. He flicked his forked tongue in complaint but had no choice but to leave the kitchen. Yesterday, the kitchen wasn't this busy; it must be because of those Upper Sect practitioners. Bai Fan wondered if even those who fast couldn't resist some good food, inwardly cursing them for disrupting his dinner. Bai Fan watched as dishes were carried out one by one, full of ceremonial grandeur. Handing over the dishes was a small number of female disciples in the Qingxu Sect, each as graceful and beautiful as fairies. Wrapped in fine gauze, with lithe and graceful figures, they carried the plates with delicate hands and trod lightly away. The scene resembled more of an opulent banquet for mortals rather than a gathering of ascetics. Once all the dishes were served, the kitchen workers brought Bai Fan's dinner. Yes, it had to be brought over. Not only was Bai Fan's body large, but so was his appetite. Most importantly, he didn’t enjoy raw food; it had to be cooked. A large wooden basin was specifically prepared for Bai Fan, big enough to hold a person. The kitchen workers brought over buckets of cooked meat, ladling them into the basin until it was filled to the brim, covering it with seven to eight buckets' worth. After finishing, the kitchen worker was already drenched in sweat. Wiping his forehead, he sighed inwardly. He used to think having a demon beast around was great, helping with labor. But at feeding time, he realized just how demanding this demon beast could be. Looking at the full basin of cooked meat, Bai Fan felt very satisfied. The reason he ate so much was because he no longer had those little medicinal pellets to eat and had to exert himself every day, which increased his consumption and thus his appetite. Bai Fan bit into the food and immediately began swallowing, not even bothering to chew. Comparatively, eating a whole basin of cooked meat was like drinking water—gone in no time. Yet, Bai Fan still licked his lips, unsatisfied with how little it was. The kitchen workers nearby shivered, their skin breaking out in goosebumps. Although they'd seen Bai Fan eat many times, watching him devour food like that always made them uncomfortable, feeling choked just looking at it. Having eaten his fill, Bai Fan crawled slowly into the underbrush, moving at the same leisurely pace as the old kitchen worker who kept the fires burning. At night, no one cared where Bai Fan went, as long as he returned for work during the day and didn't steal food. Generally, Li Lin would not restrict Bai Fan. Having eaten to his heart's content, Bai Fan scrambled aimlessly through the underbrush. The Qingxu Sect was built in a treacherous gorge, where lush vegetation often concealed sheer cliffs. But Bai Fan was no ordinary creature; he was a snake demon who had lived for decades. Such small dangers couldn’t deter him. # Chapter 11 (continued) In the darkness, none could see as well as Bai Fan. At this moment, he was thinking of finding a high place to bask in the moonlight, so he climbed aimlessly upwards. Occasionally, stones would tumble down, and if it were an ordinary person, they would undoubtedly be terrified because one wrong step could lead to a deadly fall. Bai Fan continued his ascent until he encountered a pavilion. Inside, the light of candles sparkled like a feast. The elder sect master sat at the center, with Li Liansheng standing at his side. A young couple sat on either side, while Gu He and Li Xiaoyan stood outside the pavilion. Rustling noises filled the air as Bai Fan finally climbed up from below. The moment he came up, he saw the people in the pavilion. His first glance landed on Liansheng, and then his attention turned to the young man and woman. Both of them had an extraordinary demeanor, making the disciples of Qingxu Sect seem mediocre in comparison. Even Liansheng appeared somewhat bland beside them, from Bai Fan’s perspective. Especially the woman, who sat there quietly, her beauty resembling a painting, otherworldly and ethereal. She wore a white dress with wide sleeves and a green gauze overlay, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, held together by a single wooden hairpin. She hadn’t spoken a word the entire time. As for the man, his features were refined and his demeanor cold. He held a cup, conversing with the elder sect master, speaking as sparingly as possible. The elder sect master, conversely, was very enthusiastic, talking endlessly. “How are matters at Wan Feng Platform? Has the Upper Sect not resolved it yet?” The elder sect master asked cautiously. “Not yet,” the young man replied. “What does the Qingxu Sect need to do?” the elder sect master inquired further. “The Wan Feng Platform still requires a large number of ordinary disciples.” Upon hearing this, the elder sect master’s eyes widened, “Our Qingxu Sect has just over two hundred disciples, the majority of whom are still refining themselves before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. Sending them to Wan Feng Platform is tantamount to sending them to their deaths.” “This is an order from the Upper Sect,” the young man responded. --- As the scene grew tense, Bai Fan's curiosity held him in place. Below the pavilion, the atmosphere was a blend of reverence and fear, hinting at the weight of the discussion and the looming challenge for the Qingxu Sect.