Chapter Twenty: The Four Calabash Brothers

The match, interrupted by thunder and heavy rain, resumed after an hour. Cheng Yu was supposed to compete again, but his opponent surrendered voluntarily, so he won by sheer luck and confusion. One or two groups after Cheng Yu also finished their competitions. Next, the new disciples were to gather at the main hall of Azure Jade Sect, awaiting the elders to select them as if choosing vegetables or melons at the market.

Summoned by the sect leader’s voice transmission, the uncle and nephew flew back to the main hall atop the mountain to attend the ceremony where the new disciples would formally take a master.

Master Pingxu, having learned from the lessons of Elder Changyan’s reckless admissions, dared not take in disciples like a flood sweeping all before it. Thus, the current sect leader had only five disciples. Ling Xiaozi was the youngest, and above him were four senior brothers who were rarely seen, as they spent their days traveling. These four, who constantly wandered in the outside world, had only been summoned back yesterday by the sect leader with urgent orders.

Fortunately, Ling Xiaozi didn’t know his four senior brothers well; otherwise, Ming Shuang might really worry they’d suspect he was possessed by a pig spirit and join forces to roast him alive.

In the grand hall, the sect leader sat upon his throne, and to his left stood his five personal disciples and the youngest, Kong Mingzi.

Thirty new disciples stood in neat formations of five or six. Their bodies were upright, but their eyes darted cautiously, sizing up the seven elders around the throne.

Ling Qiqi, Chi Xiaoxiao, and Cheng Yu, those who hid their talents and fame, mingled at the back of the formation, occasionally whispering.

“The Azure Jade Sect is either full of hypocrites or just plain flamboyant…” Chi Xiaoxiao tiptoed to glance at the stage, then set her feet down and shook her head, murmuring.

Ling Qiqi was displeased by such a sweeping condemnation and immediately retorted in a hushed voice, “Senior brother Ling Xiaozi is no hypocrite!”

Not only were the new disciples curious, but Ming Shuang was also full of curiosity about his little-known senior brothers. His understanding of this world had long since surpassed the boundaries of the original novel; too many unexpected events had occurred, and too many people had appeared beyond the plot.

If Ming Shuang wanted to adapt well to life in this foreign world, besides latching onto reliable mentors, he himself had to work hard. Diligence in cultivation was one aspect; the other was to quickly understand this world, familiar yet strange.

He joined the new disciples in quietly observing his four senior brothers. They were all reasonably handsome, but each dressed in flamboyant colors: the eldest in wedding red, the second in tangerine orange, the third in egg yolk yellow, the fourth in forgiving green…

A proper rainbow fairy squad—if Ling Qiqi from the original novel, who favored water blue, joined them, they’d make a complete five-color team ready to debut.

Ming Shuang clearly had no intention of joining the magical gourd squad. Although he was also the sect leader’s disciple, he was the only one sensibly dressed in the uniform white robes, a well-behaved child, never to mix with the gaudy flowers attracting bees by the roadside.

He glanced again at his silent, picturesque young uncle beside him. Look at this youth: skin fairer than frost and snow, hair black as silk, brows gathering wind and cloud, eyes bright as sun and moon—a true beauty.

“Why are you staring at me?” Unable to bear Ming Shuang’s intense, candid gaze, the young uncle tilted his head toward Ming Shuang and spoke in a low voice.

Ming Shuang touched his nose and lips—no nosebleed, no drool—and smiled sheepishly at his uncle. Suddenly, the beauty in his mind’s eye was invaded by an electrifying Pikachu issuing a hundred-thousand-volt warning; it was rather cute.

Ling Qiqi saw senior brother Ling Xiaozi smiling with radiant warmth, her heart thumping wildly. She nudged Chi Xiaoxiao and said proudly, “How could a hypocrite smile so kindly and beautifully? Even three feet of cold ice would melt with his smile.”

Chi Xiaoxiao shot Ling Qiqi a look of utter disdain. He figured that such a naive country girl as Ling Qiqi surely hadn’t heard terms like “beast in fine clothing” or “a human face, a beast’s heart.”

“He isn’t even smiling at you; why are you so pleased? Besides, Ling Xiaozi was born with an ice spiritual root—melting ice with a smile, really? I think his smile just summons fiercer wind, snow, and hail.” Chi Xiaoxiao said mercilessly.

Cheng Yu looked at the array of strangers in bright colors on the stage. After searching his mind, he realized he had never written characters so magical in his stories. He couldn’t help but lament that his father’s dignity had been shattered by such oddities, ground finer than the pastry crust he ate before the match.

The ceremony began with the elders introducing themselves. New disciples first lined up before their preferred master, then their talents and performance were considered for appropriate allocation. Uniquely, if the sect leader favored a particular new disciple, he could select them first.

Red senior brother possessed dual roots of fire and wood, majoring in fire, and had served as a soldier in the mortal realm. Orange senior brother had conflicting water and earth roots, majoring in earth, was stern and appeared older than the others. Yellow senior brother had a single wood root and radiated friendliness, having made a fortune selling flowers in the mortal world. Green senior brother had a single metal root, the only one with a sensible experience, dressed in green for daily monster-hunting in the forest.

After hearing of their colorful adventures, the sect leader fell into deep thought, as did the new disciples. Ming Shuang felt his four senior brothers were all quite unique, and their flashy clothes seemed justified—red for soldiers, gold for merchants—true idealistic cultivators, good gourd children.

It’s understandable why Pingxu valued Ling Xiaozi—not just for his noble demeanor, but simply because he didn’t go out playing every day, which was a comfort to the sect leader. The future of Azure Jade Sect needed responsible and reliable people.

Ming Shuang inexplicably received a loving gaze from the sect leader, which gave him goosebumps.

“You may choose freely, don’t worry too much, just pick the one you favor,” the sect leader said. He had originally intended to take the girl who mastered the Water Dragon Song as his disciple, but since Elder Changyan had learned of her, the matter required further deliberation.

“Does senior Ling Xiaozi not accept disciples?” someone asked from among the new disciples—the questioner was Ling Qiqi, standing at the back.

Pingxu’s brow furrowed upon hearing the girl’s question. He recalled how she had provoked Kong Ming during the match and suspected she might have connections with senior sister Yunxia. Now, her intentions toward Ling Xiaozi were obvious—was she trying to forcibly attach herself to the designated future sect leader?

“Ling Xiaozi, though young, has already reached Core Formation. His prospects are boundless; taking disciples early might provide mutual encouragement,” the stern orange senior brother suggested.

The questioner was the canary, and the orange senior brother, ever meddlesome, was clearly trying to push the protagonist onto him. Ming Shuang silently put him in the rival camp, suspecting the troublemaker’s motives—perhaps he had always envied the original Ling Xiaozi’s beauty.

There are always people out to harm me! Ming Shuang instinctively edged closer to his uncle. The young uncle thought public displays of affection were inappropriate but didn’t push Ming Shuang away.

“Ling Xiaozi is devoted to cultivation and has no intention of mentoring disciples for now,” the young uncle replied. “If you insist on assigning that girl to someone, Kong Ming Peak rarely sees new faces.”

Orange senior brother, seeing Kong Mingzi defend him, awkwardly mumbled and fell silent.

Red senior brother scoffed at his side, glancing at orange and saying, “Some people meddle in everything; why not focus on cultivation instead? The three of us have all reached Nascent Soul, yet only you remain stuck at your level.”

Yellow senior brother quickly covered red’s mouth, laughing to smooth things over: “Ah, our eldest brother spends his days on the mortal battlefield and inevitably picks up some rough habits. Please don’t mind him, second brother.”

Ming Shuang stood quietly nearby, feeling the discord among his senior brothers. Where was the promised cultivation of character and abstinence? Even in cultivation, there was rivalry and intrigue.

“I wouldn’t dare quarrel with eldest brother. Just hope he kills less, lest he harms others and himself, falling into demonic ways,” orange replied.

Red senior brother, his mouth covered, raised his hand and a sheet of fire appeared, clearly ready to fight, while orange didn’t dodge, letting the flames rush straight at his face.

“Enough!” The sect leader slammed the table, and a cloud of water vapor instantly enveloped the raging flames.

Seeing their master angry, the red, orange, and yellow brothers knelt to beg forgiveness. The sect leader knew his second disciple had long been at odds with the others and had grown eccentric from years of stagnated cultivation. The impulsive eldest was always kept in check by the third; otherwise, he’d be as wild as a runaway horse.

“You, as elders, causing such a scene at the apprentice ceremony—if word gets out, people will think Azure Jade Sect breeds only unruly disciples,” Pingxu scolded the three, then instructed the stunned new disciples to choose their preferred master.

With Ling Xiaozi’s acceptance of disciples unresolved, Ling Qiqi remained unhappy, refusing to apprentice to anyone else.

Chi Xiaoxiao dragged Cheng Yu to stand before red senior brother, showering him with praise for his heroic display. Cheng Yu stood by, watching the little demon play the role of red gourd’s fanboy, thinking how fickle the child was—earlier cheering for him, now instantly switching allegiance. Truly a duplicitous child.

The gourd squad boasted all five elements—gold, wood, water, fire, earth. Among the thirty, some chose their master based on their spiritual roots. Others, affected by the recent elder squabbles, disregarded affinity and picked the approachable yellow or the quiet green senior brother.

“May I ask, do you accept disciples?” a bold child approached Yun Ting and mustered the courage to ask.

Ming Shuang applauded the youngster’s bravery—perhaps it was the fearlessness of youth, the newborn unafraid of Pikachu.

The young uncle was momentarily surprised, then half-jokingly replied, “Teaching this one is trouble enough,” pointing at the loyal Ming Shuang beside him.

Master Pingxu, ever alert, raised his brows at this, feeling his position as Ling Xiaozi’s teacher threatened.