In the ancient and austere Meditation Hall, the morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the windows, casting mottled patches upon the timeworn floor.
Deep within the hall, Master Sage Subhuti sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, still holding that piece of black wood, carefully and intently carving.
"So, you wish to return and sit in contemplation?" he asked casually.
Seated at a side position, Elder Gale nodded slightly and said, "After so many years of wandering, I have indeed grown weary. Perhaps I am getting old; lately, I dream each night of my days in the old Daoist temple, and I miss them dearly. So I have returned. I ask for Master's permission."
Master Sage Subhuti smiled faintly, his carving knife never stopping. He lifted the piece of black wood, adjusting its angle to the light, gently blew away the wood shavings, then bowed his head to continue carving. He spoke slowly, "Why would I not permit you? You merely went traveling, not expelled from my sect. But I suspect your reason for returning is not simple nostalgia."
With that, he cast Elder Gale a meaningful glance.
Elder Gale opened his mouth slightly, but said nothing, lowering his head in silence.
Soon, Eugene entered the hall, leading Belle.
At the sight of Elder Gale, Belle's face instantly turned pale. She tried to turn and leave, but Eugene grabbed her arm and pulled her before the two elders.
Belle had no choice but to kneel obediently and salute, "G-Greetings, Master, Teacher."
She dared not raise her head, yet those emerald-like eyes kept glancing at Elder Gale, her heart uneasy.
Master Sage Subhuti nodded slightly, then shot Elder Gale a glance.
Elder Gale seemed a bit embarrassed. He glared at Belle once, then looked away, fixing his gaze on the empty stone wall, a hint of displeasure on his face.
Master Sage Subhuti continued carving, his head bowed, and said softly, "Speak."
Knowing nothing could be hidden from his master, Elder Gale coughed twice, then fixed his gaze on Belle and asked, "Have you made any progress in your cultivation these past two years?"
At his stare, Belle buried her head even lower, clutching the hem of her robe tightly, unable to utter a word.
"It seems your cultivation has actually regressed compared to two years ago when I last saw you." With that, he slapped the floor with his palm.
With a bang, Belle's petite body trembled, biting her lip as tears streamed down her face.
Seeing Belle already in tears, Master Sage Subhuti had to lift his head. "Enough, enough, she's still a child. It's only a Vitality Pill. Eugene, go call your Uncle Sky Loft."
Eugene bowed with hands clasped, glanced at Elder Gale, and then turned to leave the hall.
"Master, it's not just the Vitality Pill!" Elder Gale turned his head and shouted to Master Sage Subhuti, "For more than a year now, she's spent all her time with Junior Brother Simon Stone, and her cultivation hasn't progressed at all. She's already ten years old—if this keeps up, she won't even reach the Spirit-Focusing Realm, let alone the Spirit-Transformation Realm!"
Master Sage Subhuti muttered offhandedly, "When you were ten, you were still herding cattle. Aren't you in the Spirit-Transformation Realm now?"
Hearing this, Belle broke into a smile through her tears, pretending to wipe her eyes with her sleeve to hide her upturned lips, biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud.
"Master, th-this... this is different!"
"How is it different? Are you more gifted than she is? I remember scolding you plenty about your poor aptitude. If you hadn't come to squat at my door every day while herding cattle, pestering me to be your immortal master, I never would have chosen you as my first disciple."
Such old secrets revealed...
Elder Gale's face flushed red, and he could only protest indignantly, "Master, you're my master!"
"You've been away from the monastery these two years, but haven't I been looking after Belle? She counts as half a grand-disciple, half a disciple of mine."
Watching Master Sage Subhuti calmly continue carving the wood, every word a pointed jab, and then looking at Belle, her eyes curved like a crescent moon, crying yet struggling not to laugh, Elder Gale was left speechless and simply folded his hands, saying nothing more.
At last, Master Sage Subhuti set the wood down, smiling as he lifted his head and said to Belle, "Belle, you may go now."
Belle dared not leave, her tearful eyes fixed on Elder Gale.
Casting Belle a glance, Elder Gale said impatiently, "Go on."
"Thank you, Master." Belle bowed and left the room.
After Belle left, Master Sage Subhuti slowly said, "Of the nine disciples, how could I not know what you are all thinking?"
"But... Master, if things go on like this, what will become of her?"
"Enough, let's not pursue this matter." Master Sage Subhuti waved his hand, relaxed his legs, stood up, straightened his robe, and stroked his beard behind his back. "Belle is like unpolished jade and gold. When your tenth junior first came to the monastery, he knew nothing of cultivation. I couldn't make things clear, and if not for Belle, it would have been difficult. Though it wasn't intentional, she has helped me greatly and saved me much trouble. I will make up for her lost cultivation, and she will not be led astray. Let's put this behind us, and never reprimand her for this again."
"But, Master, that tenth junior... Belle is so close to him, in the future it might..."
"I know you're worried about your disciple." Master Sage Subhuti gently patted Elder Gale's shoulder. "But do you intend to force the issue?"
Elder Gale was left speechless.
"Today she is still a child, under your care. But one day she will grow up. For us cultivators, a few years pass in the blink of an eye. When the time comes... Even the Jade Emperor couldn't control the Seven Fairies; what can you do as her master? Let nature take its course."
"Let nature take its course..." Elder Gale repeated quietly, feeling helpless.
At that moment, Skylar Loft entered from outside the hall. At the sight of Elder Gale, he wanted to turn back, but was stopped by Master Sage Subhuti.
"Sit down." Master Sage Subhuti pointed to an empty meditation mat.
With no choice, Skylar Loft timidly walked to the mat, but instead of sitting cross-legged like Elder Gale, he knelt on the mat, head lowered, sneaking glances at Elder Gale, clearly feeling guilty.
Elder Gale just kept a cold face, not looking at him.
This only made Skylar Loft more uneasy.
Ignoring their tension, Master Sage Subhuti walked to the bookshelf, searching for something, and got straight to the point: "Kunlun Mountain is now under the authority of the Immortal Taiyi. I have already corresponded with him; you may depart tomorrow."
"Depart tomorrow? But Junior Brother Simon Stone doesn't seem to want to go." Skylar Loft replied cautiously, still sneaking glances at Elder Gale.
Master Sage Subhuti took two bamboo scrolls from the shelf and handed them to Skylar Loft: "This is the complete volume of the Golden Sovereign Daoist Arts, promised to Immortal Taiyi on my behalf. And this is the Limitless Marvelous Cloud Scripture for Jade Cauldron Immortal. Knowing his temperament, he should be pleased."
"Just giving them away like this?" Skylar Loft stared in disbelief at the precious scrolls in his hands.
"If you want to take someone else's disciple as your own, you must give them proper respect, otherwise rumors will spread that we're poaching disciples and trouble will arise. When I took you in, I gave out more than just a few scrolls—must have owed you and your master from a previous life. Haha, but it's just scriptures, I can always copy a few more." Master Sage Subhuti sighed and laughed.
After laughing, he sat back down on the meditation mat.
Skylar Loft could only lower his head. "Master, I will make sure that Erik Yang pays it back."
"Pay back what?" Master Sage Subhuti sighed. "Can it really be paid back? Just cause me less trouble. As for your Junior Brother Simon Stone, I will speak to him myself; you need not worry. Also..."
At this, Master Sage Subhuti paused and pointed at Elder Gale: "About the Vitality Pill, you should apologize to your senior brother. Without permission, how could you intervene with someone else's disciple, let alone give a Vitality Pill?"
Hearing that Master Sage Subhuti was going to mediate, Skylar Loft felt much relieved and quickly bowed to the ground, admitting his mistake: "I was young and ignorant, please forgive me this time, Senior Brother."
Elder Gale was unmoved, snorting coldly: "Forgive you this time, and there will be a next time! You said you were young and ignorant when you first joined, but now you're five hundred years old and still claim that? Haven't even changed your excuse all these years—no sincerity at all!"
Skylar Loft was embarrassed, and Master Sage Subhuti had to mediate again: "Enough, enough, since he's admitted his mistake, let it go. Your little disciple gets angry over a Vitality Pill, but my disciple nearly lost his life because of him—shouldn't I skin him alive? Haha!"
At this, Skylar Loft's heart skipped a beat...
The old man really missed nothing...