Saint Who Lay Low

Lü Baitian…

Isn't that the recently fallen sect master?

Gu An's mind raced with possibilities, but his expression remained calm. Curiously, he asked, "Since he's a distant relative of your father, why not arrange a better place for him? My Medicine Valley is dirty and exhausting work."

Gu Yu chuckled, "Tai Xuan Sect wasn't built by my father. Getting a spot in this Medicine Valley is already better than any outer sect valley."

From his demeanor, it seemed Gu Yu didn't know the true identity of "Old Tian."

Gu An thought it unwise to refuse directly. If he did, wouldn't that suggest he already knew Old Tian's true identity?

Gu Yu led Gu An upstairs, and throughout the entire process, Old Tian didn't even glance at Gu An.

Once inside, Gu Yu shut the door and turned around with excitement. "So, how's the book? It must be ready by now, right?"

Gu An smiled and replied, "It's ready. After much thought, I've made you the protagonist."

"Really?"

"Really, you'll see soon enough."

Gu An grinned. By now, Pan An's name was renowned across the Tai Cang cultivation world. With the second book set to feature Tai Xuan Sect prominently, the sect's leadership would certainly promote it heavily. Especially with Tai Xuan Sect's name in the book, it would please the higher-ups. After this, however, Gu An had no plans to write about them again.

Interestingly, this time the Library Pavilion had increased his profit share by twenty percent, a portion that Tai Xuan Sect willingly ceded to him.

Hearing this, Gu Yu became even more excited. He pulled out a glowing spirit stone from his storage pouch and slammed it on the table, saying, "Thank you!"

Gu An's eyes shifted to the stone on the table, his brows rising in surprise.

Such concentrated spiritual energy!

Gu Yu grinned smugly, "This is a supreme-grade spirit stone, worth the equivalent of one hundred top-grade spirit stones. I only have two of them—gifts from my mother. Trust me, I'm serious. If you need help with anything else, I can handle it for you!"

One hundred top-grade spirit stones?

Gu An was stunned by Gu Yu's lavishness. The wealth disparity in the cultivation world was shocking!

This single supreme-grade spirit stone was equivalent to one million low-grade spirit stones. For perspective, a servant disciple's monthly stipend was just one low-grade spirit stone!

What a wealthy brat!

Gu An felt a wave of envy but eventually accepted the stone, smiling, "I won't disappoint you."

Gu Yu, still exhilarated, started prying for details about the book, but Gu An remained tight-lipped, which only made him more eager to read it.

Not long after, Gu Yu took his leave. Gu An suspected he was heading to the Library Pavilion.

After bidding Gu Yu farewell, Gu An approached Old Tian to introduce himself. Old Tian responded respectfully, his manner giving no indication that he was once Tai Xuan Sect's sect master.

At seven hundred and forty-two years old, Old Tian's lifespan was currently eight hundred and fifty years, meaning he had only one hundred and eight years left to live.

Gu An speculated that it was due to injuries. At a sect master's level, their lifespan should be closer to two thousand years.

Gu An then took Old Tian on a tour of the valley, explaining how the Medicine Valley operated and what his tasks would entail.

Old Tian listened attentively, occasionally asking questions about the types of herbs they passed, genuinely seeming interested in the life of a farmer.

Could he really have fallen to this state due to cultivation deviation?

When Gu An had first heard of the sect master's fate, he'd instinctively thought it was the result of a scheme, considering the power struggles between the sect master and the elders had lasted for years. But seeing Old Tian's current state, Gu An began to doubt that theory.

Lifespan Investigation didn't lie—this was indeed Lü Baitian, the former sect master!

Old Tian's presence didn't disrupt the rhythm of life in the Third Medicine Valley. Zhen Qin, Su Han, and Ye Yan spent most of their time cultivating and rarely interacted with him. It was Gu An who often chatted with Old Tian during his visits.

Half a year passed quickly.

Autumn arrived, and fallen leaves drifted into Tianya Valley.

Gu An stood on a small path in the valley, watching the three demon monkeys sweep up the leaves. In the distance, Luo Hun sat on a slope, engrossed in The Adventures of Green Hero, with his spear standing beside him. Streams of spiritual energy subtly swirled around the spear, forming faint whirlwinds.

Suddenly, Gu An sensed something and glanced toward the valley's entrance.

After a brief look, he turned his gaze back.

Moments later, a figure walked into the valley, dressed in a flowing black and white robe and holding a folding fan.

Li Xuandao!

It had been years since they'd last met, but the emperor of Tai Cang still carried the same regal aura.

Gu An discreetly used Lifespan Investigation.

Divine Transformation Stage, Ninth Layer!

From his vantage point on the slope, Luo Hun also noticed Li Xuandao's arrival. He quickly put away The Adventures of Green Hero and descended the hill, spear in hand.

Luo Hun reached Li Xuandao first and saluted him, followed by Gu An.

As they walked toward the pavilion, Li Xuandao turned to Gu An and asked, "So, how do you find this Medicine Valley I've given you? Satisfactory?"

Gu An replied, "It's quite impressive, beyond my expectations. Some of the higher-tier herbs I've never even heard of before. Luckily, you provided me with a comprehensive herb guide."

"Hmm? Did you forget what I asked you to call me?"

"Uncle."

"That's better."

Li Xuandao laughed heartily. Beside him, Luo Hun's expression grew complicated.

Uncle?

Luo Hun seemed to realize something, his gaze becoming odd.

The three of them continued chatting and laughing as they reached the pavilion. Li Xuandao sat down at the stone table, and Luo Hun quickly poured him a drink.

Gesturing for Gu An to sit as well, Li Xuandao asked, "Has Li Ya returned to Tai Xuan Sect yet?"

Gu An nodded, "He returned last year."

"Did he tell you about his experiences over the past few years?"

"He did, but I assume you've had people following him, right?"

"I wouldn't dare assign people to tail him. It's just that I have informants scattered across various places. Tell me, how could a Foundation Establishment cultivator fend off a Divine Transformation cultivator's attempt at possession? What secret is he hiding?"

As Li Xuandao asked this, he downed his drink in one gulp, then looked at Gu An with a sly smile.

Gu An frowned. "A secret? He didn't mention anything to me, and I wouldn't dare ask directly."

Li Xuandao smiled knowingly. "My son was born with mediocre talent, the worst of all my children. Yet ever since he joined Tai Xuan Sect, he has risen rapidly, constantly surprising me. I'm pleased with his growth, but I worry he might be used by others with ill intentions."

Gu An studied Li Xuandao's expression, finding it difficult to gauge his true feelings toward Li Ya.

Regardless, Gu An's loyalty would always lie with Li Ya.

"I'll subtly probe him next time," Gu An offered, though he had no intention of actually doing so.

Li Xuandao nodded, satisfied. He then glanced at Luo Hun, smiling. "Luo Hun, do you think Li Ya has the qualities of a future emperor?"

Luo Hun's face paled, and he responded solemnly, "I wouldn't dare presume!"

"You're so dull," Li Xuandao chuckled, shaking his head.

He then turned his gaze to Gu An, who quickly replied, "Uncle, please don't ask me such things. I don't want to get involved in any trouble. I'm just here to grow herbs and flowers for you!"

"Hahaha!"

Li Xuandao roared with laughter, grabbing the wine jar beside him and drinking directly from it, far more boisterously than before.

He downed another jar immediately after.

Sensing something amiss, Gu An realized that the emperor was troubled by something.

Luo Hun noticed it too and frowned. "Your Majesty, is something wrong?"

After drinking three full jars of wine, Li Xuandao laughed and said, "Nothing too serious. You've read Investiture of the Gods, right?"

Luo Hun nodded. "It's well-written. Didn't you enjoy it as well?"

"I do. But recently, some people have been using it to criticize me, calling me the modern King Zhou, saying the Li family's five-hundred-year rule has reached its end. They claim the Mandate of Heaven belongs to the Ji family. Over the years, the Ji family has sent its disciples all over to slay demons and monsters, gaining fame and winning the people's hearts."

Li Xuandao chuckled as he spoke.

Gu An's heart skipped a beat.

Luo Hun was furious and growled, "Your Majesty, who dares claim the Mandate of Heaven belongs to the Ji family? If you order it, I'm ready to act! I'd even be willing to kill Pan An myself!"

Oh, great! No more The Adventures of Green Hero for you!

Gu An fumed silently but maintained a concerned expression outwardly.

Li Xuandao snorted, "Fool! Killing Pan An would only confirm what they're saying—that I'm a petty ruler who can't even tolerate a mere writer!"

Gu An was quite pleased to hear this.

Now that's a wise emperor!

Don't worry, Your Majesty. My next book will be Journey to the West, and the emperor in the story will have the surname Li.

Though Journey to the West contains some critiques, those are directed at the Jade Emperor. The portrayal of Li Shimin is actually quite favorable.

As Gu An pondered this, Luo Hun continued to fume.

"The governors of various states all have powerful backers and are becoming harder for the imperial court to control. With the people discontented and Investiture of the Gods fueling the flames, this is only the beginning. One day, swords will be aimed directly at me. I need to build my own strength. Tianya Valley is crucial. Don't disappoint me."

Li Xuandao laughed as he spoke, then stood up and walked toward the herb fields, with Gu An and Luo Hun hurrying to follow.

Three full days later, Li Xuandao finally departed.

During those three days, he kept dropping hints about his hopes for Li Ya, making Gu An increasingly wary.

The more Li Xuandao spoke, the more complicated things seemed to get.

In the end, Gu An decided to let it all go in one ear and out the other. He had no interest in meddling in their father-son relationship.

After Li Xuandao left, Gu An also prepared to leave. Before he departed, Luo Hun asked him to stop bringing Investiture of the Gods and only bring The Adventures of Green Hero in the future.

Gu An chuckled in response.

…

Another three years passed with the changing seasons.

This year, Tianya Valley saw its first batch of herbs mature, netting Gu An nearly five thousand years of lifespan in one go, greatly boosting his spirits.

From this year onward, his annual lifespan income would skyrocket. Currently, his total lifespan exceeded seventy thousand years, and he was on track to reach his goal of one million years.

One day, Gu An brought Su Han and Zhen Qin with him to the outer sect.

Both had reached Foundation Establishment. Alongside their dedicated cultivation, Gu An had also refined numerous low-tier pills for them, helping them successfully break through.

After delivering them to the Outer Elder Hall, where they would officially register as outer disciples, Gu An turned to leave.

As he walked down the street, a familiar voice called out, "Senior Brother, it's been a while!"

Gu An turned to see Lu Jiujia, dressed in the black robes of the Demon-Slaying Hall, approaching him. Six other Demon-Slaying Hall disciples followed behind him.

"How have you been?" Gu An asked with a smile.

Since the change in sect leadership, the Demon-Slaying Hall had gained considerable influence, even surpassing the Law Enforcement Hall. It was common to encounter their disciples while walking through the outer sect city.

Lu Jiujia stepped closer, nodded, and said, "I've been well. Master just promoted me, so my status and privileges have improved. If you need anything in the future, feel free to find me."

He pulled out a black token from his storage pouch and handed it to Gu An.