If I become a saint, a celestial official will summon me to raise horses.

Chapter 288 The Pact of Immortality
As the year draws to a close, winter snow falls in abundance.

Inside the attic, Gu An was pouring tea for Ye Lan, while Ye Lan recounted her experiences during the branching of the sect.

After many years apart, Ye Lan exuded the aura of a great cultivator. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, she could hold power in various parts of the continent, and her aura naturally grew stronger day by day.

This made Gu An feel that she was even more charming.

The little girl who used to follow him around and always clung to him is now someone above everyone else, which makes him feel both emotional and proud.

Her experience in the branch was nothing more than fighting for power and profit. With Lü Baitian's help, she was always able to win in one battle after another. Overall, it was a smooth journey.

After sharing her own experiences, she asked Gu An how he had been doing all these years.

"Planting flowers and grass, playing chess, and occasionally teasing the disciples—it's quite a carefree life," Gu An said with a smile, looking at Ye Lan.

Ye Lan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who is that girl downstairs?"

You've been wanting to ask this for a while now, haven't you?
Gu An thought to himself, but said aloud, "Her identity is not simple. I'm only telling you this, so you mustn't tell anyone else!"

The pavilion was equipped with a protective barrier, which was sufficient to prevent cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm from spying on him, so he was not afraid of being overheard by Ji Xiaoyu.

Ye Lan nodded expressionlessly.

Gu An took a deep breath and said, "Her name is Ji Xiaoyu, you understand?"

Ye Lan frowned and asked, "Isn't Ji Xiaoyu already dead?"

Ji Xiaoyu was once a world-renowned genius, and with her unparalleled beauty, her death caused a great deal of discussion within the Tai Xuan Sect. Ye Lan had also heard about this.

"She died, but she was reincarnated..." Gu An said, his face full of emotion, as he told the news he had obtained from the Five Elements Theft.

Ye Lan was also shocked after hearing this. Such a strange thing could exist in the world, and Ji Xiaoyu's background was far beyond her imagination, even breaking her perception.

Gu An said cautiously, "Junior sister, this matter must not be spread, lest we get into big trouble. It involves reincarnation, and the enemies we attract will definitely be extremely powerful. In the face of such an existence, the Tai Xuan Sect will either submit or be annihilated."

Ye Lan nodded and then sighed, "To be honest, I was just jealous of her, but I don't dare to be now. The gap between her and us is too big. Not to mention whether she can really be interested in you, Senior Brother, even if she is, I think it's a good thing. Senior Brother, haven't you always said that you are mediocre and that you have broken off your relationship with that senior? You should cherish her. Perhaps she can change your destiny."

As she spoke, her expression became extremely serious.

Gu An was moved by her attitude.

Perhaps because of his past life experiences, Gu An felt that it was impossible for anyone in the world to completely consider others, and even love was based on one's own needs.

He had rejected Ye Lan many times, but she remained steadfast. He didn't want her to suffer, so he continued to help her. Of course, he was also touched; at least Ye Lan had already secured an irreplaceable place in his heart.

But he never expected that Ye Lan would want him to please other women for the sake of his future.

This silly girl...

Gu An glared at Ye Lan and said irritably, "What's there to cherish? I don't have that kind of relationship with her. At most, we're just fellow Daoists. Besides, she has no romantic feelings for anyone, only the Dao of Immortality."

This was the truth; he could sense Ji Xiaoyu's ambition.

Whether in her past life or this one, Ji Xiaoyu was not a woman obsessed with romantic love; otherwise, she would not have resisted a family marriage by sacrificing her life in her past life.

Ye Lan rolled her eyes at Gu An and said, "Senior brother, a woman who lives downstairs from you and has a powerful background can't possibly not have feelings for you. Even if you can't actually win her over, building a better relationship with her would be a good thing for you."

Although she had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm, she still felt that her path to immortality had come to an end. At least she no longer dared to hope for immortality, but she hoped that Gu An would have this opportunity.

She couldn't explain why, but she just wanted Gu An to have a better life, and she felt that Gu An deserved it.

From childhood to adulthood, she always felt that her senior brother deserved all the good fortune in the world. Even when Gu An rejected her, she was not angry. She liked her senior brother, so why should he have to follow her wishes?
"Forget it, I'd rather live a peaceful life. If she's willing to stay in the Third Medicine Valley, I won't mistreat her. If she wants to leave, I won't stop her. We're ultimately from different worlds, and we shouldn't hold each other back," Gu An said, shaking his head.

This is also what he really felt.

His goal was immortality, not marriage and children.

Ye Lan blinked, unsure whether to be happy or sigh.

"Senior brother, if you can't achieve immortality in this life, will you accept me?" Ye Lan asked.

Gu An thought for a moment and said, "If we can't achieve immortality, let's live a mortal life together for the last hundred years. A mortal's life is only a hundred years. Before that, let's strive to pursue the path of immortality. What if there's hope? Although I seek peace and stability, I haven't given up on cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Ye Lan smiled and looked at Gu An, saying dreamily, "Senior brother, now that you say it, I suddenly feel that the limit of lifespan is not so scary." Gu An raised his hand to ruffle her hair, only stopping after she scolded him.

Then, Ye Lan talked about the Great Cold Demon Sect.

She also learned a lot of information about the Great Cold Demon Sect, which made her very worried.

She was afraid that the mainland wouldn't survive this ordeal, so she came back early to see Gu An and avoid any regrets.

Of course, she still held onto hope, which was that of the Sword Master Fudao.

This is also why the vast majority of Tai Xuan Sect disciples did not panic. Over the years, the protection of the Sword Venerable Fudao has given them the confidence to cope with any calamity.

As long as the Sword Master Fudao does not abandon them or suffers defeat, they will surely overcome the calamity.

Towards the end of their conversation, Gu An invited Ye Lan to stay at his place, and Ye Lan naturally accepted.

After nightfall, Gu An took Ye Lan for a stroll in the valley and even showed her some chess games.

He also summoned Yang Jian and had him bow to Ye Lan.

Yang Jian was very respectful. He sensed that his master treated Ye Lan differently, and that his master must have a deeper meaning in calling him here.

Isn't it your master's wife, not your uncle?

Thinking of this, Yang Jian chuckled. He suddenly realized that his master wasn't so illusory after all, and that he also had a human side.

That night, Ye Lan stayed in the Third Medicine Valley, in Gu An's room. Gu An read a book while she cultivated her inner energy.

As night fell, Ye Lan opened her eyes and saw Gu An still reading. The candlelight illuminated his face, and she smiled happily.

Actually, this is fine.

Ye Lan looked at Gu An for a while, then closed her eyes.

As dawn approached, the situation changed.

"Senior brother, you must be tired. Let me massage your shoulders."

"What do I mean by being tired? It's you who's been cultivating yourself all along."

"It's alright, my cultivation level is high, I'm not tired."

"Are you massaging my shoulders?"

"I'm just checking your health, in case you've developed health problems from neglecting your health."

"Wait, you can't touch any lower!"

"Senior brother! How could I possibly have any intention of disrespecting you? I have a unique method that can regulate your qi and blood."

"No, not there..."

……

At dawn, Gu An walked downstairs with a complicated expression, followed by Ye Lan with a bright smile.

Ji Xiaoyu walked out of the house, looked at the two of them, and frowned slightly.

After going downstairs, Gu An introduced the two women to each other without chatting for long. Ye Lan then followed Gu An to practice her exercises.

Ji Xiaoyu stood there watching, and after a while, her brows relaxed.

Ye Lan planned to leave after the Spring Festival. Gu An would take her with him when he went to the outer city and Xuan Valley, but he didn't take her with him when he went to Tianya Valley and other places. She didn't ask too much about it, thinking that it was a good thing that her senior brother had a secret, which meant that her senior brother was hiding his identity.

She naturally hoped that her senior brother would be as powerful as possible.

The third update!

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(End of this chapter)