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Chapter 516 A Few Years Later (Part 2)
Zhou You's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and he lowered his head to carefully sniff the candy.
There is no problem.

At least in my opinion, it's just a piece of maltose that's been sitting out for too long.

However, after thinking about it, he still broke off a piece from it and put it in his mouth.

next moment.

Zhou You's eyebrows and eyes instantly narrowed into a frown.

There is no other reason.

This thing.
It's so damn sweet!!!

The feeling was like a sugar bomb exploding in your mouth. In an instant, even your brain was filled with an intense sweetness. Your whole body felt like it was soaked in syrup. In the end, it wasn't even sweet anymore, but a burning, knife-like pain!

Seeing Zhou You's appearance, Lin Yunshao also curiously took a piece and put it in his mouth.

next moment.

Although she didn't react as strongly as Zhou You, her face turned extremely pale in an instant, and she quickly spat out the remaining sugar crumbs.

"What is this? It's so sweet!"

but.

Seeing their intense reactions, Aqua scratched his head.

"This candy is the same as before, what's wrong with you guys?"

After saying that, he even ate a piece, his expression remaining unchanged.

same?
After recovering, Zhou You looked at the other person's face and suddenly seemed to think of something. He pressed down on the other person's shoulder and earnestly gave instructions.

"Aqua".

The chubby boy scratched his head, still grinning foolishly.

"What's wrong, elder brother?"

"Listen to me, don't eat this candy anymore. If you get more, try to fool people into it first, understand?"

Aqua was clearly puzzled. He looked at the candy in his hand, seemingly reluctant, but finally nodded.

"Alright, bro, I'll do as you say. I won't eat it then."

Zhou You was about to say something more, but considering the other party's childlike intellect, he finally turned his gaze to Lin Yunshao with no other choice.

Junior Sister Lin was incredibly clever; she quickly understood his meaning and nodded silently.

Just then, Yun Zhongzi's disciple arrived. Upon seeing Zhou You, the man's expression froze for a moment, but a few seconds later, he put on a bright smile and hurriedly came forward to greet him.

"Senior Brother Zhou, Master has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come with me."

Zhou You patted Aqua on the shoulder one last time, and then went inside with the man.

The furnace hadn't been turned on yet, so the room was much quieter than last time, with only a few disciples passing by occasionally—but upon seeing someone's face, they all hurriedly avoided him.

—That's the benefit of having a notorious reputation; at least you lose a lot of social interactions on a daily basis.

Suddenly, Zhou You remembered something and asked the person who was leading the way.

"I'm talking about this... um... junior brother?"

The man shuddered, not even daring to turn around—but he still forced himself to speak.

"Senior Brother, what are your orders?"

"A few days ago, no, a few years ago when I came here, I met a very outgoing fellow Daoist. I think his surname was Chuan? He was the one who greeted guests. Where is he now?"

Seeing that it wasn't directed at him, the guide sighed with relief and then said...

"You mean Senior Brother Chuan? You don't know this, but Master was planning to promote him to Senior Brother a while ago, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, he was transferred to another room, and then we lost contact with him."

Zhou You was still somewhat puzzled.

Would such a clever person so easily give up the possibility of promotion?
But after shaking his head, he continued to ask.

"Junior brother, do you know which room he was transferred to?"

However, the other party just smiled wryly and said.

"Senior brother, I'm just a new greeter. How could I possibly know if you ask me? Alright, we've arrived. I won't disturb your meeting with Master anymore."

Having said that, the man seemed to have finally found a reason and ran out with a sigh of relief.

Zhou You was left staring at the door for a few seconds, then shook his head with a wry smile and pushed it open.

As expected, his Uncle-Master Yun Zhongzi was waiting for him inside.

Compared to a few years ago, this man has become even rounder—now his fat layer is so thick that his face is barely visible. However, when he saw Zhou You, he still let out a series of hearty laughs, then pointed to the futon on the table and said a single word.

"sit."

Looking at the oil-stained fabric, Zhou You hesitated for a few seconds, but finally obediently sat down.

Then Yun Zhongzi pushed over a cup of unidentified beverage and added another word.

"drink."

Zhou You was unwilling to go through this.

But he wasn't foolish enough to refuse outright. Instead, he used his usual routine: he first accepted the cup with a smile, then casually put it down before speaking.

"Uncle-Master, it's been a long time. I've been incredibly busy these days and haven't had a chance to check in. I'm so sorry. By the way, how have you been lately?"

Upon hearing this greeting, Yun Zhongzi's attention was indeed diverted. He scratched his chin, which was almost split, and then sighed.

"What else can we do? The sect leader is nearing the end of his life. Although the sect appears calm on the surface, there's a lot of turmoil beneath the surface; it's in real chaos. Many people have died in our sect recently, but to avoid causing a disturbance, we can only say they've been transferred out."

Did this guy hear what was said earlier?

Looking at that unchanging face, Zhou You paused for a moment, but did not react. He simply sat there, listening quietly.

"However, since I'm the key to the entire sect, those guys don't dare to go too far, so they usually just stop short of causing trouble. By the way, kid, did you visit your master when you came back?"

Zhou You answered formally, using the same excuse as before.

"My master went out just now, so when I came back, I first paid my respects to everyone according to their seniority."

Yun Zhongzi laughed.

"Paying respects? Are you kidding me? You're not that polite. Was it your junior sister who made you do this?"

Zhou You paused for a few seconds before answering.

"Indeed, just as my uncle said, it was Junior Sister Lin's request."

This time, Yun Zhongzi laughed so hard that his fat face trembled.

"Chongxu is really lucky. Of the two people chosen for the marriage to bring good fortune, you two are the most promising, and you are in charge of external affairs, while your junior sister is in charge of internal affairs. Both sects are thriving. No wonder he wants to compete for the position of sect leader."

Zhou You couldn't respond to this, so he simply sat there, calmly watching Yun Zhongzi.

After a while, the laughter suddenly stopped.

Yun Zhongzi smiled and looked at Zhou You. After a while, he spoke.

"So, what brings you here?"

"What is Uncle-Master talking about? This disciple is somewhat puzzled."

However, the other party just scoffed.

"Alright, stop pretending. Do you think I don't know what you two are up to? We've done this so many times over the years. Honestly, you're not annoyed, but I am."

I can't accept this week's tour again.

—Are you suggesting I tell you that only a few hours have passed for me, and that I'm completely clueless about what's happened in the last few years?
Unfortunately, he couldn't say any of this, so he could only put on a feigned calm smile and wait for Yun Zhongzi to speak next.

Fortunately.

The other party didn't intend to pursue the matter further. After making a sarcastic remark, they waved their hand and said...

"You can go back now. Tell Chongxu that I've gotten what I wanted, and that I will absolutely not betray him until he becomes the sect leader. Do you understand?"

Zhou You remained silent for a few seconds, then stood up, lowered his head, and answered respectfully.

"Disciple understands."

He was practically kicked out of the alchemy room, and everything went back to square one.

Lin Yunshao still had some things to take care of, so he didn't accompany Zhou You. After thinking about it, the other person simply stopped wandering around and headed straight for the lecture hall.

Whether it was by chance or simply a coincidence, he learned of his master's return just as he arrived at the destination.

The meeting place was still the same plant room.

Over the years, several batches of people have come in for the purpose of bringing good luck, and many disciples have been eliminated. As a result, there are more and more green plants in the room, and it is even difficult to find a place to put your feet.

Meanwhile, Master Chongxu was holding a water jug, seemingly tending to the plants.

When Zhou You came in, he didn't say anything. Instead, he first gestured for Zhou You to stop, then carefully watered the plants, turned over the soil, clapped his hands, and looked up.

"You're back?"

Uncle Chen, Yun Zhongzi, Senior Sister Xuanji, Junior Sister Lin—among everyone, this was the simplest greeting—but for some reason, it put the most pressure on Zhou You.

This guy's strength seems to have increased quite a bit again?
But in any case, Zhou You spoke sincerely and respectfully.

"Yes, Master, your disciple has returned."

Master Chongxu didn't offer him a seat, but instead turned to the next plant on his own, saying something at the same time.

"To be honest, I feel really bad for you. I had only just come down the mountain when I had to call you back in such a hurry."

“Master has given the order, and this disciple should obey.”

Master Chongxu shook his head and then said.

"There's no need to be so reserved. Do you think I don't know your personality? The way you're acting now makes both of us uncomfortable. By the way, you probably already know, that old guy is dying, right?"

"Old man," you mean the sect leader?

Zhou You raised his eyes and looked at Master Chongxu with some surprise—but Master Chongxu remained calm, as if he were talking about something as ordinary as it could be.

"Disciple. I understand."

Master Chongxu nodded.

"I heard when I came back that you visited Uncle Chen and Yun Zhongzi, who are the senior disciples of our sect. You did a good job. Now is a critical time. Try to reconnect with the old relationships as much as possible. There's no harm in it."

As he spoke, Master Chongxu walked toward the next plant, but looking at the relatively thin branches and leaves, he suddenly shook his head and then grasped the face on it.

Suddenly, a wail rang out, accompanied by constant pleading. However, Master Chongxu seemed not to hear it, his hands clenching tighter and tighter until he completely silenced all the sounds.

Then he spoke.

"I've always wanted to be the sect leader, not only for the power, but also because I believe that only under my leadership can the Five Elements Temple regain its former glory. Unfortunately, my junior sister never understood my ambitions and even tried to stop me for her own selfish reasons."

At this point, Zhou You was finally able to speak.

"Master, you mean..."

Master Chongxu raised his head and looked at Zhou You with some confusion, seemingly not understanding why he asked such a question, but still explained.

"Xuanji's master, my pitiful junior sister Qingxia."

Having received the answer, Zhou You said no more, but lowered his hands and waited for his master to continue.

Of course, Master Chongxu didn't think that much about it, and simply continued speaking.

“During the time you were down the mountain, she had already gathered three of the eight sects, making her, besides your master me, the most likely candidate to compete for the sect leader position. Many of the sect’s casualties were caused by this, and it even affected Yun Zhongzi’s side, causing casualties as well. I’m afraid he also has a lot of resentment towards me.”

Zhou You paused for a few seconds before replying.

"Uncle Yun Zhongzi said that he would never betray you, at least not until you, Master, ascend to the position of sect leader."

However, Master Chongxu remained noncommittal.

"What doesn't mean they won't betray you? It just means their interests are the same."

Then, silence fell over the room once again.

However, in the end, it was Zhou You who spoke again.

"master."

"Ah."

"Then why did you summon your disciple back this time?"

Having said that, Master Chongxu finally looked at Zhou You seriously and then smiled.

"How should I put it? Let me put it this way: no matter how fiercely we argue, in the eyes of the sect, it's still just a minor squabble. The final choice still rests with that old guy—even if he's very old and can't even stand up on his own."

"Two months later is his birthday, which is also the sect's sacrificial ceremony. Of course, this is probably his last birthday celebration. According to the rules, we all have to present him with a birthday gift."

"And you can also regard this birthday gift as a test. Whoever can bring out the best, whoever can prove their strength, may become the next sect leader."

At this point, Zhou You finally understood.

Master Chongxu immediately smiled and said.

“My dear disciple, I remember you told your master many years ago that even though you killed Xuan Cheng, you could still become a pawn just like him, or even more useful.”

"And now, it's time for you, our pawn, to take the stage."

Zhou You lowered his head and asked earnestly.

"Master, where do you intend to use this chess piece of yours?"

Master Chongxu waved his hand.

"Don't worry, you are my eldest apprentice after all, and you have worked diligently under me for so many years. I would never let you be cannon fodder. But when it comes to birthday gifts, we must make two preparations. I will personally go and get one, and you..."

"Then go down the mountain immediately tomorrow and fetch another one for me."

(End of this chapter)