Great Love for All Heavens Begins with Huang Yaoshi

Chapter 187 Zhang Xiaofan, a Man of Resemblance to a Fine Talent
The land of China is vast and teeming with extraordinary people and talents. In this age, the righteous path flourishes and evil forces retreat.

In the beautiful Central Plains, the various righteous sects flourished, with the Qingyun Sect, Tianyin Temple, and Fenxiang Valley being the most renowned and revered as the three pillars of the righteous path.

Qingyunmen, Dazhu Peak.

Qianfeng, a bedroom in a courtyard corridor.

The room was simply furnished, with nothing but tables, chairs, and beds.

A boy of about ten years old slowly woke up on the bed and saw a tall, burly young man with a rough appearance walk in.

"You're awake! That's good. Your master has decided to take you as his disciple. From now on, we're family."

"So, should I call Brother Song 'Senior Brother Song'?" A strange look appeared deep in the eyes of the ordinary-looking boy.

"Hahaha, that's right."

Song Daren, with a look of pity on his face, said:

"You've slept for a day and a night, so you must be hungry. I'll take you to get something to eat first, and then tell you about the situation in our sect. After that, I'll take you to pay your respects to Master and Mistress, and to meet the other senior brothers."

The slightly surprised and amused look in Zhuang Buran's eyes faded, and she got up and followed Song Daren out of the bedroom.

The two walked out of the courtyard outside the bedroom and onto the corridor. The young man heard the young man beside him speak methodically:

"Our Qingyun Sect is divided into seven branches: Tongtian Peak, Dazhu Peak, Xiaozhu Peak, Longshou Peak, Fenghui Peak, Chaoyang Peak, and Luoxia Peak."

"Among them, Tongtian Peak is the head of the seven peaks and the main peak of Qingyun Mountain. Apart from Dazhu Peak, which has always had a small number of disciples, the other six peaks have dozens or hundreds of disciples."

"So, even if you're included, there are only ten of us on Dazhu Peak. Therefore, our accommodations are much more spacious than those on the other six peaks. We all live in houses with courtyards. After you've met Master and Mistress, I'll take you to the courtyard where you'll be staying."

Seeing that the boy was listening quietly and not saying much, Song Daren's pity deepened. At only eleven years old, he had suddenly suffered the calamity of his entire family being wiped out and his village massacred. Of the 247 people in 42 households in the village, only three survived.

Such an experience would be unacceptable even to a teenager whose mind is not yet mature; if it were me, I would definitely not be able to accept it in a short time.

The agonizing experience of losing almost all of one's family and friends overnight is something most people could not endure.

Thinking of this, Song Daren's tone softened, and he began to recount the specific situation of Dazhu Peak. It has been passed down for six generations, from Zheng Tong, the fourth disciple of the Qingye Ancestor. The current head of the peak is named Tian Buyi. His wife, Su Ru, came from Xiaozhu Peak. The two have a daughter named Tian Ling'er, who is now thirteen years old.

Next, let me introduce the other senior brothers, in order: Wu Dayi, Zheng Dali, He Dazhi, Lü Daxin, and Du Bishu.

Afterwards, Song Daren took Zhuang Buran to eat, and then they went to Shoujing Hall, the main hall of Dazhu Peak.

Inside the hall, the floor was paved with red bricks, and the walls were covered with red tiles and stone pillars. Two chairs were placed at the head of the hall, and two people sat on them. One was a short, stout, and stern-looking middle-aged man, and the other was a quiet and dignified beautiful woman. Beside her stood a pretty and lively young girl.

Five male disciples stood in a row at the lower position, each with a different appearance, some tall, some short, some strong, some thin.

As Song Daren and Zhuang Buran entered the hall, everyone's eyes immediately fell on the seemingly calm young man.

A hint of surprise flashed in Tian Buyi's eyes. He hadn't expected that the seemingly dull and foolish young man he had previously thought of would now show some signs of talent.

"Master, Mistress, your disciple has brought your junior brother here," Song Daren said respectfully.

Su Ru glanced at the young man in front of her and felt that he was not as bad as her husband had said. He had remained calm despite the great calamity. Even if he was mediocre, his character alone was enough to earn him the title of a fine talent.

"Daren, he's been sleeping for a day and a night, he must be starving. Why don't you take him to get something to eat?"

"Reporting to Master's wife, I have already taken my junior brother to the kitchen to eat."

Upon hearing this, Su Ru looked at Zhuang Buran with a smile:
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and become my disciple!"

Upon hearing this, the young man performed the formal apprenticeship ceremony with utmost care.

Upon seeing this, Tian Buyi nodded in agreement:

"From this day forward, you will be my seventh disciple," he paused, his usual pride flaring up because he was too lazy to discipline his disciples. His eldest disciple, however, was known for his steady and reliable nature, so he continued:
"Da Ren, you should first teach the Seventh Brother the sect's rules and regulations, as well as some introductory techniques."

"Yes," Song Daren replied.

Tian Buyi nodded, stood up, and walked out of the main hall. The disciples, seemingly accustomed to this, bowed in perfect unison and said:

"Respectfully seeing off Master."

As soon as Tian Ling'er saw her father leave, she could no longer suppress her curiosity and stepped forward to examine the boy closely.

"Junior Sister, I'm not a monster." The boy took a step back and said very seriously:
"Just like you, I have one head, two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. You don't need to get this close, do you?"

Tian Ling'er's pretty face froze for a moment, then she immediately corrected her:
"What junior sister? You're the youngest on Dazhu Peak, and you were the last to join the sect. You should call me senior sister."

"My master just said I'm his seventh disciple." Zhuang Buran glanced at the group of people who seemed to be enjoying the show.

"They are Senior Brother Da Yi, Senior Brother Da Li, Senior Brother Da Zhi, Senior Brother Da Xin, and Senior Brother Bi Shu who is not yet present."

His gaze returned to the pretty young woman in front of him:
"It seems you haven't been accepted as a disciple yet. If you were to become a disciple of Master in the future, you would have to call me Seventh Senior Brother. Do you think it's better for me to call you Junior Sister, or for you to call me Seventh Senior Brother?"

Tian Ling'er was a little confused and couldn't help but speak up:
"Of course it's my junior sister."

Upon hearing this, the people nearby couldn't help but laugh.

Tian Ling'er belatedly realized that she had finally found a junior brother, and that she was no longer the last in line on Dazhu Peak. She thought she could finally enjoy being a senior sister, but she still couldn't shake off the title of "junior brother".

Furthermore, she was already two years older than the boy in front of her and had long since entered the sect, so there was absolutely no need for her to become his disciple; she should just call him senior sister.

She couldn't help but glance at Su Ru, who was also watching the scene, and complained:

"Mother, this guy isn't as honest as he seems."

"Alright, stop bullying your junior brother."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ling'er puffed up her pretty face in anger and widened her eyes:
"He's the one bullying me!"

Su Ru ignored him, looked at Song Daren, and instructed him:

"The seventh child is still young, so his studies might be a bit difficult. Please take good care of him."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ling'er immediately stood up:

"No need to trouble you, Senior Brother. I only have one more year left to finish this course, so I can take the lead in guiding you."

She glanced at the rather quiet boy and emphasized:
"Little junior brother."

Suddenly, another burst of laughter, tinged with sympathy, erupted in the hall. The studies at Dazhu Peak were already grueling, and with the addition of this quirky junior sister, it would only make things more unbearable.

"Ling'er, if you dare to bully Seventh Brother, see how I deal with you."

Su Ru glared at them irritably, then struck a pose as if she were stretching her muscles, instantly freezing the group in place, making them look like they were about to face a major disaster.

"As for you good-for-nothings, in five years, it will be the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, which is held once every sixty years in Qingyun Sect. You still have the mood to play around. It seems that you all think you can show the might of my Great Bamboo Peak in the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament."

"In that case, I will first test your abilities."

Without the slightest hesitation, Song Daren hurriedly replied:
"Master's wife, my junior brother has just entered the sect. I am here on Master's orders to teach him the sect rules and regulations as well as the introductory lessons. I'll be busy now."

Su Ru pondered for a moment, then said, "That makes sense. Go ahead."

As Zhuang Buran and Song Daren walked out of the hall, they vaguely heard several shouts and curses.

(End of this chapter)