Shock, astonishment, bewilderment, disbelief.
Everyone wore expressions of complete confusion.
Why on earth would Tu Yuanyuan suddenly give her reward to Duan Liufeng?
There seemed to be no connection between them at all.
“Why are there two portions?”
Duan Liufeng did not take the rewards. Instead, he asked curiously.
“One of them belongs to Tu Yuanyuan.”
“The other one is from the disciple you recruited, Chu Feng.”
The Northern Xuan Courtyard elder explained.
“Chu Feng?”
“Elder, are you sure there is no mistake?”
“Chu Feng only has a lower-lower grade talent. How could he receive an upper-grade reward?”
Elder Qian was the first to voice his confusion.
Compared to the others, he clearly cared more about anything related to Chu Feng.
“Chu Feng’s test result was indeed lower-lower grade.”
“But Chu Feng’s cultivation has already reached One Grade Supreme.”
The Northern Xuan Courtyard elder said.
“One Grade Supreme?”
Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone present became truly spectacular.
As outer courtyard elders who dealt with recruiting disciples every year, they all knew very well that if a junior disciple reached One Grade Supreme in cultivation, they could bypass the talent test entirely and be directly classified as upper-grade talent.
They never imagined that Chu Feng would possess such a high level of cultivation.
What shocked them even more was that someone with such high cultivation was actually willing to take Duan Liufeng as master.
After all, with Chu Feng’s cultivation, he could easily enter the Eastern Dragon Courtyard.
In fact, a large number of elders in the Eastern Dragon Courtyard would fight to take him.
In a certain sense, Chu Feng’s One Grade Supreme status was even more impressive than Tu Yuanyuan’s test result.
While the others were mostly stunned, cold sweat poured endlessly down Elder Qian’s face.
Because unlike the rest, he had already offended Chu Feng.
Earlier, if Duan Liufeng had not intervened, he would have personally taught Chu Feng a lesson.
But he was merely a minor outer courtyard elder, while Chu Feng, at such a young age, already possessed One Grade Supreme cultivation. His future prospects were undoubtedly limitless.
Not long after, Elder Qian, just like Elder Yu, collapsed to the ground with a thud. His condition was even worse than Elder Yu’s.
While many people rushed to help Elder Yu up, no one dared to assist Elder Qian.
After all, everyone knew he had offended Chu Feng. They did not want to get dragged into it.
“Elder Duan, Elder Duan, you have to save me, you have to save me!”
“Please have mercy, do not lower yourself to the level of a petty person like me. I beg you, please speak up for me. I know my mouth is foul, but I truly meant no harm.”
Suddenly, Elder Qian crawled towards Duan Liufeng. He not only clung to Duan Liufeng’s leg but also began crying and pleading right in front of the Northern Xuan Courtyard elder.
He no longer cared about face or dignity.
He only wanted to survive, and the only one who could save him now was Duan Liufeng.
Fearing that Duan Liufeng might not help him, Elder Qian even knelt before him and began slapping his own face.
While slapping himself, he kept cursing himself.
“Enough.”
“Elder Qian, if there is a chance to see Chu Feng in the future, I will mention this matter to him.”
“But how he decides is up to him.”
Duan Liufeng said to him.
“Elder Duan, if you are the one to persuade him, I believe Chu Feng will definitely listen.”
“Because that Chu Feng has already rejected invitations from three elders of the Eastern Dragon Courtyard, as well as from the Western Tiger Courtyard and the Southern Sparrow Courtyard.”
“He has now entered the Northern Xuan Courtyard.”
The Northern Xuan Courtyard elder said.
“He… entered the Northern Xuan Courtyard?”
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the outer courtyard elders changed once again.
If no elder had wanted Chu Feng and he had entered the Northern Xuan Courtyard, people could still understand.
But for him to reject the Eastern Dragon Courtyard’s invitation just to enter the Northern Xuan Courtyard, that was truly incomprehensible.
“Why did Chu Feng reject the Eastern Dragon Courtyard?”
Elder Duan asked, because even he found it hard to understand.
“Because that Chu Feng is determined to take you as his master.”
“Elder Duan, you should pack your things. From now on… you are no longer an outer courtyard elder. You are now an elder of the Northern Xuan Courtyard.”
The Northern Xuan Courtyard elder said.
“But… I have not agreed to take Chu Feng as my disciple.”
Duan Liufeng replied.
“I know. This is Elder Dao Qinian’s decision.”
“Elder Dao said that whether you are willing to accept Chu Feng as your disciple or not, from this moment… you are an elder of the Northern Xuan Courtyard.”
The Northern Xuan Courtyard elder explained.
“Then I must thank Elder Dao for his kindness.”
Although Duan Liufeng had refused Chu Feng’s request to become his disciple, he did agree to enter the Northern Xuan Courtyard.
“Elder Yu, there is no need to feel sad. This one was originally meant for you.”
“I, Duan, will not take it.”
Duan Liufeng handed one of the upper-grade rewards to Elder Yu.
“Thank you, Elder Duan. Thank you so much, Elder Duan.”
Seeing this, Elder Yu was filled with gratitude, though Duan Liufeng did not hear those words of thanks.
Because after handing over the upper-grade reward to Elder Yu, Duan Liufeng rose into the air and flew back towards his residence.
……
Soon, Duan Liufeng returned to his home.
What surprised him was that someone was already waiting outside his door.
And that person was none other than Chu Feng.
“Chu Feng, you really are impossible to figure out.”
When Duan Liufeng saw Chu Feng again, an involuntary joyful smile spread across his face.
Duan Liufeng rarely smiled, and even more rarely showed such a bright one.
Because at this moment, he realised just how different Chu Feng truly was.
“Elder Duan, you are not going to refuse my request to become your disciple again, are you?”
Chu Feng asked.
“It is not exactly a refusal.”
“I just want to understand why… you insist on taking me as your master.”
“After all, if you did not want to take a master, you did not have to. There was no need to specifically choose me.”
Duan Liufeng said to Chu Feng.
“This junior has already learned about Elder Duan’s past.”
Chu Feng replied.
“Are you thinking that I might recover my cultivation?”
“But that cannot be right. Before this, you had already proposed taking me as your master.” Duan Liufeng said.
“This junior wants to take you as master, and indeed it is not because of that.”
“Although this junior has more than one master, this junior does not take the matter of choosing a master lightly.”
“But for some reason, the moment I saw you earlier, I suddenly felt an impulse.”
“Perhaps it was because I saw those people mocking and troubling you, and I felt indignant on your behalf.”
“Or perhaps I felt I owed you something and wanted to make it up to you.”
“Maybe this is what fate looks like.”
Chu Feng said.
“You owe me something?”
“What exactly do you owe me?”
Duan Liufeng asked.
“If you had not brought this disciple into the Wolong Martial Sect.”
“Those people would not have mocked and ridiculed you. That is naturally something this disciple owes you.”
Chu Feng did not tell the full truth, because that mysterious existence had forbidden him from revealing it.
But the fact that Chu Feng wanted to take Duan Liufeng as master truly included this sense of owing him something.
After all, in reality, Duan Liufeng himself had no intention of recruiting disciples.
“Chu Feng, think carefully.”
“As the saying goes, it is good to have a big tree to lean on for shade.”
“With your talent, you can completely find an elder with strength and status to support you, while I… can give you nothing.”
Duan Liufeng said.
“Because of my personality, this disciple… is actually someone who loves stirring up trouble.”
“If you think about it carefully, becoming my master is not necessarily a good thing.”
“The earlier thought of taking you as master was partly to stand up for you, Elder Duan.”
“If Elder Duan is unwilling, that is perfectly fine.”
Chu Feng said.
“If that is the case, then I must take you as my disciple after all.”
Duan Liufeng said with a smile.
