75: Chapter 76 Guest Elder

Wen Zhibai woke up slowly, smelling a very faint scent of medicinal herbs.

He opened his eyes and found himself lying on a wooden bed.

The room was small, and the furnishings were not exactly exquisite: a wooden table, a few wooden chairs, and a coarse pottery medicinal furnace in the corner. The residual heat in the furnace had not yet dissipated, clearly showing someone had boiled medicine to soothe his mind and replenish his Qi for him.

Outside the window, the sky was faintly white. He could vaguely see a few pieces of white gravel piled in the corner of the courtyard, with a few newly planted Spiritual Plants growing in the cracks of the stones.

Baili Mountain.

Wen Zhibai felt a tightness in his heart and sat up abruptly.

His Dantian was still throbbing with pain. He had forcibly continued his Qi flow by swallowing Medicinal Pills along the way, and his Meridians had almost been stretched to the point of tearing.

The Sanyuan Wind-Listening Plaque was not by his side. He subconsciously reached out to touch it, but felt nothing, and his expression immediately turned much uglier.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Jiang Yuhe walked in.

Wen Zhibai dared not be negligent; he hurriedly rolled off the bed, endured the swelling pain in his Meridians, and bowed to her.

"Greetings, Senior."

Jiang Yuhe glanced at him and said, "Are you well, Fellow Daoist?"

Wen Zhibai lowered his head and said, "Many thanks to Senior for saving my life."

Jiang Yuhe nodded, her tone calm.

"Earlier, you were shouting quite urgently outside the mountain, saying that as long as someone helped, you would definitely repay them with Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts."

"My Jiang Family has a small mountain and meager resources, not as wealthy as the direct line of the Chengtian Sect, so I waited here for a long time."

Wen Zhibai's face stiffened instantly.

The Chengtian Sect direct line was something he had blurted out in his desperation, and the promise of repayment with Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts was also something he had said just to survive.

Now that he had actually been saved and it was being brought up to his face, he felt so embarrassed he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, he lowered his head and said, "Senior, please forgive me."

Jiang Yuhe did not respond and simply sat down at the table.

Wen Zhibai stood where he was, hesitating for a long time, until he finally sighed. He recounted everything: his background from the Dongling Wen Clan, his clan lands being attacked, the Clan Chief protecting him during the breakout, and himself being hunted by two Cultivators all the way here.

When he spoke of the Wen Clan being slaughtered, he forced himself to suppress his fluctuating emotions and said, "I left the clan in a hurry. Aside from the Sanyuan Wind-Listening Plaque, I only had a few Spirit Stones on me."

Wen Zhibai smiled bitterly, "The Talismans and Medicinal Pills that the Clan Chief stuffed into my hands before he died were all exhausted during my escape."

"If it weren't for those Talismans holding them off for a moment, the protection of the Sanyuan Wind-Listening Plaque, and my disregard for my Dantian's limits while swallowing Medicinal Pills to replenish my Qi along the way, I, a Level 5 Qi Refining Cultivator, would likely not have even escaped ten miles."

As he spoke, he took off his Storage Pouch and offered it to Jiang Yuhe with both hands.

"If Senior does not believe me, you may check for yourself."

Jiang Yuhe did not take it.

She just looked at Wen Zhibai and nodded slightly.

"In that case, our Jiang Family cannot let you leave."

Wen Zhibai looked up abruptly.

"Senior?"

Jiang Yuhe's expression did not change.

Wen Zhibai's heart sank immediately, and he hurriedly said, "Although I have no possessions, I was considered a direct descendant in my clan and learned quite a few techniques, Restrictions, and Talisman-related skills."

"If Senior is willing, I can write them all down and hand them to the Jiang Family, only asking that Senior allow me to leave."

Jiang Yuhe looked at him, knowing clearly in her heart.

This person could not be let go.

Jiang Shoushan had just made a move outside the mountain, killing a Level 7 Qi Refining Cultivator with a single blade strike; this matter had already been seen by Wen Zhibai with his own eyes.

Jiang Shoushan was the hidden blade of the Jiang Family; his cultivation and techniques could absolutely not be exposed casually at this moment.

Moreover, Wen Zhibai had already been brought into Baili Mountain and had seen the houses in the mountains. Although he had not entered the ancestral residence, it was enough to glimpse that the Jiang Family was not the desolate small clan the outside world thought it was, having only developed to this point by picking up the legacies of the Luo and Yao families.

Originally, when they were outside the mountain, it was not that Jiang Yuhe had not considered killing him.

It was just that when Listening to Rain swept over Wen Zhibai, she sensed a unique fate on this youth, like a thread broken by a fierce wind, swaying but not yet severed.

That was why she had temporarily spared his life.

Jiang Yuhe shook her head and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have misunderstood."

"The Jiang Family saved you, not because we covet your techniques and Spirit Stones."

"You have also seen that our Family lives in seclusion on Baili Mountain and had no intention of being drawn into outside disputes. But you cried out for help loudly outside the mountain and claimed to be from the Chengtian Sect, forcibly dragging our Jiang Family into this matter."

Wen Zhibai's face turned slightly red, and he said in a low voice, "I was desperate at the time..."

"I know." Jiang Yuhe said calmly, "But that does not mean there are no consequences."

"If our Jiang Family saves you today and then turns around and lets you leave, if the news leaks later, and those behind them investigate to Baili Mountain, they will only say that our Jiang Family is harboring rogue Cultivators and concealing trouble."

"When our reputation is ruined and we invite enemies, can your one excuse of 'being desperate' bear that for the Jiang Family?"

Wen Zhibai was speechless for a moment.

He moved his lips, and after a long while, he said, "Then what must I do for Senior to be willing to let me leave?"

Jiang Yuhe's gaze turned slightly cold.

"Leave?"

She looked at Wen Zhibai, her voice a bit heavier.

"After you go out, where will you go?"

Wen Zhibai was stunned.

Jiang Yuhe continued, "The Wen Clan lands have been destroyed, the Clan Chief is dead, the people hunting you have not yet been identified, and you are still carrying a treasure of the clan like the Sanyuan Wind-Listening Plaque."

"If you leave Baili Mountain, will you go to the Chengtian Sect to seek justice, or go to other clans to seek help? What grounds do you have to make them believe you, and what grounds do you have to protect yourself?"

"Or are you saying that you, a Level 5 Qi Refining Cultivator, want to wander outside alone while carrying this High Grade protective Magical Artifact?"

Wen Zhibai felt a wave of confusion.

He had only thought about leaving before, thinking he could not be trapped here.

But as Jiang Yuhe's words fell, he suddenly realized that he actually had nowhere to go.

The Wen Family was gone, the Clan Chief was dead, and the clan members were scattered.

The murderer was still in the shadows.

If he really went outside, who would offend a mysterious, powerful enemy for the sake of a clan-less, fleeing Cultivator?

He was now nothing more than a lonely ghost who had luckily escaped.

Wen Zhibai stood blankly in place, silent for a long time.

Seeing his expression loosen, Jiang Yuhe's tone softened slightly.

"Our Jiang Family has no intention of holding favors for repayment. The move outside the mountain was not intended for your repayment either."

"It is just that the Family has its own concerns. You have seen Baili Mountain and have implicated the Jiang Family, so we cannot easily let you go."

She paused and said, "I do have a proposal."

Wen Zhibai looked up.

Jiang Yuhe said, "How about you temporarily serve as a Guest Elder for our Jiang Family?"

"Guest Elder?"

Wen Zhibai repeated it softly.

Many families would recruit Cultivators of different surnames, whether to guard the clan lands, teach techniques, or fight in times of war.

It was just that he did not expect that he, a fleeing Cultivator who had just been hunted here and whose clan lands had been destroyed, would actually be given this title.

He hesitated, "What do I need to do for this Guest Elder position?"

Seeing him ask this, Jiang Yuhe knew that the matter was mostly settled.

She said, "A Guest Elder only needs to make a move when the Family is in danger; you can just hold the title on a daily basis. We will not make you obey every order, nor will we force you to do things you are unwilling to do."

"If the Jiang Family has other tasks to assign, we will provide corresponding rewards. If you feel the reward is not appropriate, you can choose not to accept it, unless it involves the safety of the Jiang Family itself; there are not many mandatory requirements for a Guest Elder."

A trace of surprise appeared in Wen Zhibai's eyes.

These conditions were much more lenient than he had imagined.

Jiang Yuhe continued, "Staying on Baili Mountain, you can also temporarily avoid the pursuit and recover from your injuries."

"Once your wings are fully grown and you have accumulated your own resources, if you truly have the certainty to rebuild the Wen Family, you can resign from the position of Guest Elder at that time."

Jiang Yuhe stated the conditions clearly, thinking to herself: It may be called lenient, but once you board the Jiang Family's ship, it is not something you can just get off of.

The Jiang Family appeared to be rising very quickly, but in reality, its foundation was shallow.

Formation, Talisman, messaging, trade—the Jiang Family completely lacked the corresponding foundation.

At the same time, the Jiang Family was isolated from information and lacked an eye and ear familiar with the various families on the east side.

Wen Zhibai possessed the Legacy of the Wen Family and carried the Sanyuan Wind-Listening Plaque; he was exactly the person the Jiang Family was currently lacking.

Moreover, he was already homeless.

The Jiang Family would give him protection, a chance for revenge, and give him a thought of rebuilding the Wen Family.

After a long time, he would naturally know that leaving the Jiang Family to rebuild the Wen Family was far inferior to borrowing the power of the Jiang Family to let the Wen Clan's incense continue to burn under Baili Mountain.

Wen Zhibai lowered his head and pondered for a long time.

He still had hesitation in his heart, but the current situation was right in front of him.

The Jiang Family had saved him, had a Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator guarding it, and even more so, that elusive blade Cultivator.

If the Jiang Family really wanted to kill him and seize the treasure, they would not need to say so much to him.

And the agreement of Guest Elder did not sound harsh, at least it was far better than going out alone to die.

Wen Zhibai finally cupped his hands and said, "I have already received Senior's grace of saving my life, how could I have any reason to refuse?"

"If the Jiang Family does not despise me, Wen Zhibai is willing to temporarily serve as a Guest Elder for the Jiang Clan. If the Family is in danger in the future, I will definitely make a move."

Jiang Yuhe smiled slightly.

She took out a piece of Spirit Paper she had prepared long ago from her Storage Pouch and placed it on the table.

The Qi of mountains and rivers flowed faintly on the Spirit Paper; it was a Mountain and River Covenant.

"In that case, Fellow Daoist, please set the covenant."

Her tone was gentle.