Kapitel 29: Chapter 29: "Junior Sister, Wait!"
Lu Chengfeng leaped onto a large boulder, his voice ringing clear as it echoed across the peak.
"Bixiao Peak has been struck by multiple changes, and fear has taken root among us. As your senior brother, I cannot shy away from my responsibility to shoulder Bixiao Peak's burdens."
"If anyone here wishes to join another peak or leave the mountain, I won't stop you. Out of respect for our years of camaraderie, I'll provide each of you with a hundred taels of silver as travel funds. May you all find your own path."
"For those who choose to stay on Bixiao Peak, I will teach the Bixiao Sword Technique at Qingyun Terrace every three days. Those who master it to the fourth level will also have the chance to learn the Bibo Inner Energy Manual."
"If you encounter any obstacles in your practice, I will do my utmost to answer your questions, holding nothing back."
"Think carefully about what's best for you. As for me, I only hope each of you finds peace and a bright future."
When he finished, silence fell, the disciples looking at each other, hesitant and unsure.
After a moment, one of the registered disciples lowered his head, blushing slightly, and said, "Senior Brother, my father is getting old, and he recently wrote to me, urging me to return home, marry, and continue the family line..."
Lu Chengfeng smiled warmly. "That's wonderful. Filial piety is paramount, and of the three great unfilial acts, having no descendants is the worst. Going home to marry and carry on the family business is an honorable path. I wholeheartedly support you."
Turning to Li Mo, he added, "Junior Brother, go to my room and fetch all the banknotes in the third drawer of my wardrobe."
"Yes, Senior Brother," Li Mo replied, heading off swiftly.
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for understanding." The disciple looked relieved, his face breaking into a smile. "As for the money, there's no need. My family has some resources, and after years of training here, I've gained plenty. Taking silver on top of that just doesn't feel right."
Lu Chengfeng jumped down from the boulder, walked over, and clapped the disciple on the shoulder. "That may be true, but family wealth is family wealth. The hundred taels aren't much—just a small token from your senior brother, a farewell between comrades."
"Senior Brother…" The disciple's eyes grew misty with emotion.
"Don't overthink it. Even after you leave the mountain, you're still my junior brother. If you ever need help, come find me here. As long as I can help, I will."
He turned to the rest of the disciples. "Anyone else planning to leave, speak freely. There's no need to hold back."
Encouraged by his support, several others finally spoke up, each with their own plans—some to join other peaks, some to return home, and others to seek work as guards or apply to be constables.
By now, Li Mo had returned with a stack of banknotes issued by the nation's eight major banks, marked with eight unique seals and made from a material nearly impossible to counterfeit.
Most of these notes were worth a hundred taels each. A hundred taels of silver could be exchanged for a hundred guan of copper coins—a fortune that could take an average family a lifetime to save.
These funds mostly came from the rewards Lu Chengfeng received after eliminating the Black Wind Gang years ago, and he'd been able to save over a thousand taels. Now, each of the seven departing disciples received a hundred taels before leaving the mountain.
As for the elderly women and servants on the peak, Lu Chengfeng decided to keep only two—Madam Wang and Madam Sun, who managed cooking and cleaning. The rest were dismissed with their wages plus an extra twenty taels.
Finally, only Li Mo, Su Wanning, and the eldest disciple, Luo Yong, remained.
Lu Chengfeng looked at Luo Yong, sighed, and respectfully addressed him, "Senior Brother Luo…" For the first time, since becoming the official Senior Brother of Bixiao Peak, he addressed Luo Yong this way.
Luo Yong shook his head immediately, refusing the title. "No need, Senior Brother. In the path of cultivation, those with greater skill come first. You may be younger than me, but you're the true Senior Brother of Bixiao Peak now."
Before Lu Chengfeng could reply, he continued, "I've lived alone for years and never thought of marrying or having children. I might as well stay on Bixiao Peak; it's the closest thing I have to a home."
"If you're willing, I'd like to remain here."
Lu Chengfeng felt a surge of gratitude. Luo Yong had been a mentor and friend, and the thought of driving him away felt deeply wrong.
"Then stay, Senior Brother Luo. From now on, we'll all rely on each other."
He didn't even need to ask Li Mo—his junior brother looked up to him like family and was the last person who'd ever leave.
Finally, Lu Chengfeng turned to Su Wanning. "And you, Junior Sister? When will you return to your family?"
The Su family, a powerful southern clan, was renowned for its lineage, wealth, and mastery of the art Canglang Chant. As a young lady of a prominent family, she would likely have a more comfortable life back home than here on the mountain.
Su Wanning opened her mouth to speak, her chest tightening. She'd secretly hoped he might ask her to stay, but instead, he seemed eager to send her off.
She'd always been gentle and restrained, but at that moment, her eyes reddened. "So you're just that eager to see me leave?"
"Fine. Then I'll go!"
With that, she turned on her heel and began to walk away.
Momentarily stunned, Lu Chengfeng hadn't expected such a reaction from her.
Seeing this, Luo Suyi, ever perceptive, nudged him. "Aren't you going to go after her? Are you really going to let her walk off like that?"
Snapping back to his senses, Lu Chengfeng quickly used his lightness skills, catching up to her in a few strides. "Junior Sister, wait! If I said anything wrong, I apologize."
Su Wanning didn't know why, but her heart felt heavy. She rarely cried, but at that moment, tears brimmed in her eyes and blurred her vision.
With a swift step, Lu Chengfeng leaped ahead and landed in front of her, blocking her path.
"Junior Sister, please, wait…"
He wanted to say more, but the sight of her tear-streaked face struck him silent, filling him with an ache he hadn't expected.
Su Wanning wanted nothing more than to collapse into his arms, but she had no reason, no right.
Halting, she turned her face slightly to hide her tears. "I'm fine. I just feel reluctant to part, that's all."
"Senior Brother… Lu Chengfeng, go back. I wish you and your wife a loving, blessed life with many children and a long, happy union."
Even if he hadn't been perceptive before, Lu Chengfeng now understood that something was amiss. He recalled the many moments they'd shared and sighed gently.
"Wanning, when did things become so formal between us?"
Hearing her given name, spoken so tenderly, made Su Wanning's composure shatter entirely. She sank down, wrapping her arms around her knees, burying her face as she began to sob uncontrollably.
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