Chapter 187: The Weird Sect Disciple
When Jiang Chen arrived at the Qingyang Valley location in the capital with Tang Long and his wife, Tang Long’s face turned green as he read the words “Qingyang Valley” on the sign.
“Qing… Qingyang Valley?” Tang Long stammered as his legs were like they’d been staked into the ground, unwilling to take a single step forward. He looked at the sign with trepidation, as if the sign would eat him.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Chen thought his reaction was a bit odd.
Tang Long had a rueful look on his face, “Brother, just where do you come from? Your methods are simply too out there! This is the Qingyang Valley location, aren’t you afraid of being kidnapped to be a medicine servant for them because you brought me here?”
“A medicine servant?” Jiang Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The most senior leader of the Qingyang Valley, old man Fei, was now rightfully and properly his medicine servant!
Jiang Chen hadn’t really wanted that to happen, but it’d been old man Fei who’d begged him with a thick face.
So, s.n.a.t.c.h him to be a medicine servant? Old man Fei would first need to have the guts to accept him as one!
“Don’t worry, would I sell you out?” Jiang Chen smiled. “Let’s go.”
“Not going. I’m scared!” Tang Long shook his head, he was quite determined.
‘You’re really not going? Then I’m going to wash my hands of your matter.”
Tang Long hesitated and he raised his head to look at the sign again, as if wrestling over a tough decision in his heart.
“I’ll go in, but first, you need to tell me who you are.” A moment of brilliance suddenly struck Tang Long as he asked an exceedingly good question.
Just as Jiang Chen was finding it both irritating and hilarious, a voice suddenly called out from behind him, “Jiang Chen.”
Jiang Chen turned around in surprise and he saw a fellow wearing all black robes and a cape standing awkwardly at the side of the door.
“It’s you?” Jiang Chen would never have thought that the person calling out to him would be the Precious Tree Sect disciple, Han Xianke! This was the genius disciple who had clashed ferociously with him in a verbal sparring match, and he had even thrown down the brutal words that if he lost to Jiang Chen, he’d be Jiang Chen’s dog.
Han Xianke was obviously finding it a bit awkward and he was hesitating as well. He seemed to want to talk to Jiang Chen, but he also seemed to find it difficult to open his mouth.
Jiang Chen was rather indifferent. He hadn’t taken Han Xianke’s words spoken in anger seriously. Sect disciples like Han Xianke were all like this. Their eyes were on the top of their heads and they placed themselves loftily above everyone else.
Jiang Chen had no blood feud with him, so he wasn’t particularly of a mind to be ruthless to Han Xianke.
“It’s me.” Han Xianke still walked over after hesitating for a long while.
“You haven’t returned to the Precious Tree sect yet? What are you doing hanging around brainless idiots like Ye Dai in the prime of your life? I find it a poor waste even if you don’t.” Jiang Chen shook his head. When did sect disciples have so much time on their hands?
Han Xianke’s face flushed beet red, “I… I actually don’t have any relations.h.i.+ps with Ye Dai. He paid a high price to invite me here.”
“You don’t need to explain things to me. I didn’t take anything that happened that day seriously.” Jiang Chen was rather surprised that Han Xianke would take the initiative to talk to him.
According to the typical style of sect disciples, they would’ve hated his guts with a pa.s.sion. They would want to exterminate him, stomping him beneath their feet as demanded by their style.
This Han Xianke was actually greeting him first. This really did surprise Jiang Chen.
“Ai… ” Han Xianke sighed. “I haven’t gone back to the sect, but I haven’t hung around Ye Dai either.”
“Then what are you doing? Don’t tell me you want to leave the sect and resume a secular life?”
“I… I don’t know what I want to do either. I wanted to find you, but I couldn’t sacrifice my face enough to do so. I had to just randomly walk around in hopes of b.u.mping into you, and I really did do so!”
“What do you want from me? Do you still want to fight to determine who’s better?” Jiang Chen was completely baffled by Han Xianke.
He was a sect disciple after all. Could he not conduct himself as a sect disciple would?
Jiang Chen felt rather unused to how Han Xianke was acting. In Jiang Chen’s eyes, all sect disciples are malicious-looking and seek revenge for the smallest grievances.
“Jiang Chen, I thought carefully after I left that day and realized that I didn’t hate you at all. If I insult others, they are sure to insult me. When I was humiliated by you that day, I had brought shame on myself. And, when I reflected carefully on your words, they did indeed make a lot of sense. Sect disciples shouldn’t use their sect’s name to suppress others, but should instead use their true abilities to convince others of their superiority.”
Han Xianke became more agitated as he spoke, “I felt that I was stronger than the Qingyang elder and humiliated him without mercy so that he had no way out. Then, since you’re stronger than me, isn’t it normal for you to humiliate me? Since this is the case, what reason do I have to be unable to accept what has happened to me? Comparing my feelings to other people’s, I was indeed in the wrong first.”
Jiang Chen wouldn’t have found it strange at all if Han Xianke had thrown himself into a no holds barred deathmatch.
But as Han Xianke nagged on and on, muttering and reflecting on his actions, Jiang Chen felt greatly astonished.
He almost wanted to suspect that Han Xianke had put on a show of torturing himself to win Jiang Chen’s confidence because Ye Dai had told him to do so.
After his careful observation, he realized that this wasn’t a trick. A sect genius like Han Xianke was absolutely not someone that Ye Dai could compel.
Besides, Han Xianke had a drawn and long face. It was apparent that he really had spent the month wandering around outside. If a sect disciple were to put on an act, he definitely could never produce such a realistic act of dejection.
The most important thing was that the perceptive ability of Jiang Chen’s “Psychic’s Head” was exceedingly strong. He could clearly capture the true emotions behind Han Xianke’s words.
Han Xianke was truly revealing his sincere sentiments and speaking from the depths of his heart.
This was what surprised Jiang Chen most . He never would’ve thought that a sect disciple with his eyes on the top of his head and no one in his sight would become so humble after a round of setbacks.
It looked like although the sect disciples all put on sneering expressions of superiority over everyone else, they still possessed vastly different personalities on the inside.
Han Xianke was likely one of those disciples who was spoiled but not bad at heart.
“Han Xianke, since you say these things, it seems that you’ve been somewhat enlightened. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe this enlightenment will beneficial to you in your future training. If you’re purposefully waiting for me to give me an explanation, it’s alright. I was just going with the flow that day and do not hold a grudge. I have no blood feud with you.”
Jiang Chen wasn’t someone who ruthlessly hounded others either. He was still a kind person to a certain extent, and willing to coexist peacefully with other people.
If Han Xianke could see his faults and change his ways, then he was much stronger than any ordinary sect disciple. Jiang Chen naturally wouldn’t stand on the little points for someone who knew his faults and was willing to change.
When Han Xianke heard Jiang Chen’s words, his entire being seemed greatly revived. “Jiang Chen, this means I haven’t waited a month for you in vain.”
“You actually still did wait in vain, because I really thought nothing of it, haha.” Jiang Chen smiled.
“No, it was not in vain. Jiang Chen, although my words that day were a bit extreme, I’m willing to hold myself to them. I will be your follower from now on.”
That day, in the heat of the moment, he had said that he would be Jiang Chen’s dog if he lost. Those were words spoken in anger.
But Han Xianke was a proud person. The pride of a sect disciple wouldn’t let him run away from paying up after a loss.
“Taking in a sect genius as a follower? Aren’t you afraid that those of your sect will drown me in their spittle?” Jiang Chen waved his hands. “I already said that I won’t pursue this matter. You can go back with a clear conscience and light heart.”
“No.” Han Xianke shook his head resolutely. “If I’m not a man of my word, then what kind of sect genius am I, Han Xianke? Not only will I grow fat from eating my own words, the heart of my martial dao will be affected as well. If I return like this, then I am sure to fall from my position in the Sect and be exiled to the outer branches after ten or so years. Jiang Chen, you must take me as a follower. I mean it.”
“I…” Jiang Chen discovered that he’d been defeated. Han Xianke had spoken in a circle, finally reaching the conclusion that he must become Jiang Chen’s follower!
Tang Long on the other hand, was utterly flabbergasted. If he hadn’t been with Jiang Chen all along, he would almost have suspected that the two were putting on an act.
A genius sect disciple was begging Jiang Chen to take him as a follower!
This was the genius disciple of the Precious Tree Sect!
Tang Long’s brain was a complete, muddled mess. His poor limits of comprehension were entirely useless. His knowledge of the world was absolutely unable to make sense of the bizarre scene that was happening in front of him.
As for Han Xianke, he’d obviously already made up his mind and didn’t care at all that there were others present.
He only had one thought at this moment which was to become Jiang Chen’s follower. He couldn’t grow fat from eating his own words nor could he become a turtle who withdrew his head into his sh.e.l.l.
“How about we talk about this matter later?” Jiang Chen changed the topic. “I have something to do first. See, I have two friends with me who I’m taking to the Qingyang Valley to find a spirit alchemist to treat his brother.”
“Treat an illness? Is there anyone in the Qingyang Valley who’s more skilled at that than I am?” Han Xianke wouldn’t let Jiang Chen change the topic at all. “Although I admit that I was at fault that day, I still insist that my level is higher than those of the Qingyang Valley.”
Jiang Chen couldn’t deny this either. He wasn’t sure who was better between Han Xianke and old man Fei, but compared to some middle aged chubby man, Han Xianke was surely better.
“Where’s the patient? These two? They’re not sick.” Han Xianke looked at them and could immediately see that Tang Long and his wife weren’t sick at all.
Jiang Chen suddenly had a brainchild. Look for a spirit alchemist? Han Xianke was knocking at his door, and it’d be a shame to not use someone who’d come looking.
“Tang Long, if you want your brother to be healed, bring him here immediately and have Sir Han take a look. Ordinary folk wouldn’t normally have the chance to make the acquaintance of a genius disciple from the Precious Tree Sect.”
Tang Long’s mind was blank and he didn’t react until Jiang Chen was about to kick his b.u.t.t. He immediately became overjoyed and kept nodding, rus.h.i.+ng out in the direction of his home.
“He’s your friend?” Han Xianke was curious. How did Jiang Chen make such a lowly friend?
“A chance acquaintance. He’s an enthusiastic fellow.”
“Just a chance acquaintances?” Han Xianke was startled. He discovered that he could see less and less through Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen nodded. “I still need to make a trip to the Qingyang Valley. Are you coming in with me, or will you wait here for Tang Long?”
Han Xianke hesitated and finally said, “Then, I’ll wait here.”
Jiang Chen looked at this fellow and laughed ruefully inside. What an odd day! How had he run into this abnormally muttering guy? He’d rather fight Han Xianke than have the guy stick to him like toffee!