Two days passed, and the battle between Lin Chu and Su Jinlong in Qingjian Valley slowly spread throughout the entire Young Sect. Especially after learning that Lin Chu had emerged victorious, the perception of Lin Chu within the Young Sect changed once again.
"Quite interesting. Although that Su Jinlong is not yet very strong, a person capable of forming the Jinlong team will surely be extraordinary in the future. And that Lin Chu, who managed to defeat Su Jinlong in front of the members of the Jinlong team, possesses remarkable courage and conviction. Qiu Shaolong, oh Qiu Shaolong, if you do not emerge from seclusion soon, your younger brother might never see you again."
In a pavilion within the core disciple residences, a refined man smiled faintly after listening to his follower's account.
"Senior Brother Haotian, should we try to recruit this Lin Chu?" the man beside the refined man asked, bowing respectfully.
You Haotian shook his head and chuckled, "As for this Lin Chu, I doubt any core disciple within our Young Sect can successfully recruit him. Even that Su Jinlong might find it difficult. Lin Chu has the backing of the Holy Maiden, while Su Jinlong has nearly a hundred disciples in his Jinlong team."
"Issue a directive then. Members of our Tianshang Association should try their best not to antagonize this Lin Chu or anyone from the Jinlong team."
"Understood." The former nodded and then turned to leave.
As everyone in the room departed, You Haotian smiled slightly and seemed to murmur to himself, "Lin Chu, if the opportunity arises, I would like to meet you."
At this moment, within Holy Maiden Peak, Bai Yuwei entered Lin Chu's room, her expression somewhat complex as she looked at Lin Chu, hesitating to speak.
"Sister, if you have something to say, just tell me directly." For the past two days, ever since Lin Chu returned to Holy Maiden Peak, he had felt that Bai Yuwei was acting somewhat strangely. Seeing her expression now, he directly asked.
Bai Yuwei sighed faintly, then walked to Lin Chu and sat down, saying, "Brother Chu, I have two pieces of news. One is good news, and the other is bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
"One good and one bad? Sister, then let's hear the good news first." Lin Chu looked at Bai Yuwei with some confusion, then smiled faintly.
Bai Yuwei nodded, "There is news about your Lan'er sister."
"What! Sister, what happened to Lan'er?" Lin Chu became instantly anxious.
Seeing this, Bai Yuwei smiled faintly, stopped Lin Chu from rising, and said, "The day before yesterday, I went to the Assembly Hall, precisely because of the message sent by the Anwu Hall. It is reported that your Lan'er sister seems to have been taken away by a very powerful expert."
"And as for news about you, it has been announced that you fell into an abyss and died. Therefore, the forces searching for you should have stopped. Your Lan'er sister's safety is now guaranteed."
"Taken away by someone? Sister, do you know who took Lan'er? Uncle Wang and Aunt Lian have already left Lan'er. If Lan'er has also lost her whereabouts at this time, I cannot feel at ease." Lin Chu immediately asked.
Bai Yuwei shook her head with a hint of helplessness, "I do not know this yet. However, do not worry. At least your Lan'er sister's safety is guaranteed for now. When you become stronger, you will naturally find a way to locate your Lan'er sister."
Lin Chu nodded, his expression somewhat downcast but quickly adjusting. He then looked at Bai Yuwei and continued, "Sister, then what is the bad news you mentioned?"
Hearing Lin Chu's question, Bai Yuwei's expression became complex. She looked at Lin Chu deeply and then said, "At the Assembly Hall, the Sect Leader announced that all disciples must adhere to the sect's rules and regulations. This means, Brother Chu, you can no longer live with me."
As if afraid Lin Chu might have any objections, Bai Yuwei quickly added, "But Brother Chu, do not worry. As long as you miss me, you can always come to Holy Maiden Peak to find me."
"I can't live on Holy Maiden Peak anymore? It's fine, Sister. It's all the same wherever I am. Besides, it's not like I'm leaving the Young Sect. Sister, don't worry, I'm fine." Lin Chu said with a smile.
He did not seem surprised by the prospect of moving out of Holy Maiden Peak. Moreover, Lin Chu had his own plans. He could not rely on Bai Yuwei for his entire life.
Especially after recently befriending Su Jinlong, and with Chen Lingang in the ordinary disciple residences, Lin Chu was confident he could handle everything himself.
"Brother Chu, are you really alright?" Bai Yuwei asked, still somewhat worried.
Lin Chu smiled and nodded, "Sister, I'm truly fine. However, there is one thing. I wonder if Sister can help?"
Bai Yuwei nodded, "Brother Chu, just say it. As long as Sister can do it, I will definitely help you achieve it."
Seeing Bai Yuwei's determined expression, Lin Chu felt a warmth in his heart. "It's not a difficult matter. Since I can no longer stay on Holy Maiden Peak, I will have to move to the ordinary disciple residences. I want Sister to help me arrange for Chen Lingang and me to be in the same room. Among the ordinary disciples, he is the only one I currently know."
"Just this? Alright, Sister will go talk to the Outer Elder about the assignment. Brother Chu, is there anything else?" After hearing Lin Chu's words, Bai Yuwei breathed a sigh of relief and then nodded in agreement.
"That's all. Alright, Sister, you go be busy. I'll pack my things and move tomorrow." Lin Chu said with a smile, shaking his head.
"Okay. Then Sister will go find the Outer Elder now to arrange your room assignment." Bai Yuwei sighed faintly, nodded, and stood up to leave.
Watching Bai Yuwei leave, the smile on Lin Chu's face gradually solidified. Lin Chu knew that within the Young Sect, many people were targeting Bai Yuwei because of him.
In fact, if Bai Yuwei hadn't mentioned it today, Lin Chu would have decided to move out of Holy Maiden Peak to avoid causing her trouble.
As for Wang Menglan, Lin Chu felt a slight pang in his heart. Although Wang Menglan's current situation was indeed safe as Bai Yuwei had said, Lin Chu knew this was not what Wang Menglan wanted. Moreover, after losing her parents, Wang Menglan must be very sad.
He recalled that when his grandfather left when he was young, it was almost always Wang Menglan who accompanied him.
He remembered her crisp voice calling him "Brother Chu," which still seemed to echo in his ears.
He remembered her tear-streaked face, which had bloomed into a radiant smile when he had coaxed her, like a pear blossom in bloom.
He remembered their childhood conversations as they lay on the grass, gazing up at the starry sky.
Lin Chu sighed faintly, then clenched his fist with a determined look, "Lan'er, don't worry. Brother Chu will find you!"
...
"Senior Brother Lin Chu? It's really you! You, how did you move here?"
As soon as Chen Lingang returned to the room, he saw a somewhat familiar figure tidying up the room. Upon recognizing the profile, he shouted excitedly.
"Junior Brother Chen, you're back." Lin Chu turned around and smiled at Chen Lingang.
"Senior Brother Lin Chu, weren't you living on Holy Maiden Peak? How did you come to live here with me? Did Liu Pangzi, who was staying with me last night, get assigned to another room, perhaps because Senior Brother Lin Chu was coming?"
Seeing that it was indeed Lin Chu, Chen Lingang realized what was happening.
Lin Chu smiled and nodded, "I asked Sister to arrange it with the Outer Elder. After all, you are the only person I know among the ordinary disciples."
"I knew it! Why would Liu Pangzi suddenly move out. So it's you, this divine being, who has descended. Senior Brother Lin Chu, you'll have to look out for me from now on, so I don't get bullied again." Chen Lingang said with a smile.
Lin Chu naturally understood what Chen Lingang meant. He nodded slightly, "Don't worry. As long as I, Lin Chu, have a breath left in me, I will not let the incident with the Jinlong team happen again."
"Brother Lin Chu, your words make me feel a little uneasy, ah." Just as Lin Chu finished speaking, a voice came in.
Lin Chu smiled, clearly knowing who had arrived.
"Brother Su, why are you here? It seems you don't live here, do you?" Lin Chu looked towards the door and indeed, Su Jinlong had walked in.
"Brother Lin, have you forgotten? There are members of my Jinlong team among the ordinary disciple residences. So, upon hearing that you had moved here, I rushed over without delay," Su Jinlong said with a smile.
Lin Chu smiled and said, "It was my oversight. Brother Su, please sit."
Su Jinlong nodded and then looked around the room, finding a place to sit.
"Excuse me, is Senior Brother Lin Chu inside?" A voice called out from outside the door again. However, this voice sounded somewhat timid, lacking confidence.
Lin Chu frowned slightly. He seemed to have heard this voice before. With a thought, he walked out. Upon seeing the person, he smiled, "So it's you."
The person was none other than Chen Daosheng, who had brought him information during the disciple trials.
"Senior Brother Lin Chu, it's me." Chen Desheng seemed a little nervous and bowed to Lin Chu.
"You're a guest, come in and sit." Lin Chu nodded. He had a good impression of Chen Desheng.
Although he was not afraid of Gong Ziming and Wu Wenlin, for an ordinary disciple to dare to step forward and report news to him showed great courage, and secondly, it indicated a certain ability. Otherwise, he would not have learned about the ambush.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Lin Chu." Chen Desheng's face lit up with joy.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Su Jinlong, Senior Brother Chen Lingang." As Chen Desheng entered the room, he saw Su Jinlong and Chen Lingang and immediately bowed.
Seeing the newcomer, Su Jinlong's eyes flickered with surprise. Finally, he stood up and walked up to Chen Desheng, "Chen Desheng? How do you know Brother Lin?"
"I heard that among all the new disciples, you are the only one who has not joined any sect factions. So, you were already following Brother Lin from the start. No wonder you didn't choose any factions."
"Senior Brother Jinlong, it's not... I..." Chen Desheng's face turned red. But after stammering for a long time, he couldn't utter a single word.
Seeing this, Lin Chu stepped forward and patted Chen Desheng's shoulder, then looked at Su Jinlong and said, "Brother Su, please stop teasing Junior Brother Desheng. Brother Desheng and I met during the disciple trials."
"By the way, Brother Su, what did you mean by 'factions' just now? Are there many factions divided within the Young Sect?"
Su Jinlong nodded, his expression becoming a little more serious. "Brother Lin, you haven't been around the Young Sect much, so it's normal that you don't know. Within the Young Sect, disciples themselves are divided into different grades. You must know this, Brother Lin."
Lin Chu nodded and continued to look at Su Jinlong, waiting for him to speak further.
"And among these disciples, there are factions, big or small. Some of these people come from wealthy families, while others are disciples of martial arts families. After coming to the Young Sect, smaller factions naturally emerged."
"Initially, it was just a few people banding together. Later, it developed into the factions we see now. For example, our Jinlong team, it was like this. However, the purpose of our Jinlong team is merely to prevent ourselves from being bullied."
Su Jinlong continued.
Lin Chu nodded and pondered for a moment, "Brother Su, how many factions like your Jinlong team do you know of in the Young Sect? And what are the strongest factions?"
Su Jinlong gave a wry smile. "Compared to those factions, our Jinlong team is like a small fry. In the Young Sect, there are about four factions like our Jinlong team. These can be considered mere small fish and shrimp."
"The strongest factions in the Young Sect are each led by a core disciple. And there are a total of ten such factions."
"Ten?" Lin Chu was slightly surprised. With tens of thousands of disciples in the Young Sect, if they were divided among ten factions, wouldn't each faction have nearly a thousand people? Such a force could probably influence the very foundation of the Young Sect.
Su Jinlong nodded. "These ten factions are Tiger Manor, Qingyun Society, Jinshi Sect, Yage, Taisui Gang, Tianlong Association, Fengsha Sect, Jingxin Sect, Baiyue Tower, and Jiguang Manor. Among them, the Tianlong Association was founded by Qiu Shaolong, the brother of Qiu Shaoming, whom you challenged."
"I never imagined the factions within the Young Sect to be so complex. Tianlong Association, interesting. Brother Su, do you know how many people are in the Tianlong Association?" After listening to Su Jinlong's introduction, Lin Chu's understanding of the Young Sect deepened considerably.
"The Tianlong Association's influence is not weak among the ten factions; it ranks among the top three. This is also why, after you announced your challenge to Qiu Shaoming, the disciples of the Young Sect showed so much interest in you. To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that we learned you have the Holy Maiden behind you, perhaps no one would have thought highly of you," Su Jinlong said.
"I never thought of relying on Sister's status to achieve my own goals. Well, that's how people see it, and what does it have to do with me? Today, I thank Brother Su for your enlightenment." Lin Chu smiled and nodded to Su Jinlong in thanks.
Su Jinlong returned the bow, and then the group chatted for a while longer before each departing.
...
Time gradually passed. In the following days, Lin Chu spent his time cultivating, and also practicing in the disciple training rooms. This led Chen Lingang to change his address from "Senior Brother Lin Chu" to "cultivation fanatic."
Lin Chu did not have any objections to this, smiling faintly before continuing his cultivation.
As Lin Chu diligently cultivated, a year slowly approached. The Young Sect seemed to be aware of this, and the quiet Young Sect once again became abuzz.