Chapter 9: The Perks of a True Disciple—A Maidservant with Dinner?

The two stepped out of the hall as twilight settled over the mountains, painting the sky in deep purples and bruised oranges.

By the time they arrived at the dining hall, more than ten Senior Brothers and Sisters were already seated, waiting. Su Qianyi’s family had not yet arrived. Xiang Tiange, ever the affable eldest brother, greeted the younger disciples with practiced familiarity before leading Xiao Yifeng to a seat at the very end of the table.

A specially modified “high chair” had been prepared there.

Xiang Tiange instructed a nearby disciple to look after the new Junior Brother, then took his own place at the secondary seat of honor.

Xiao Yifeng climbed onto the high chair, his expression stiff and awkward.

Here he was, the rebirth of a generation’s Demon Lord, a man who had once terrified the world, now perched atop a booster seat designed for a toddler. To say it wasn’t humiliating would be a lie.

Seated next to him was his Sixteenth Senior Brother, a young man of twenty-three or twenty-four named Cheng Yuanxing. He was immediately chatty, leaning in to strike up a conversation with Xiao Yifeng as if they were old war buddies.

Cheng Yuanxing spoke of nothing but strange tales and bizarre oddities, but his personality was electric. He told stories with wide eyes and exaggerated gestures, making even the mundane sound thrilling. Xiao Yifeng, knowing his role, played along as the captivated audience.

“Oh, come off it, Yuanxing. Stop blowing hot air,” a young man sitting opposite them interrupted. He had a sharp face and cheeks like a monkey. “With your meager skills, where would you have seen a Green-Eyed Golden Ape? If you actually met one, I wouldn’t be seeing you right now. Junior Brother, don’t listen to a word he says.”

The table erupted in laughter.

The heckler was Su Mingyuan, the Fourteenth Senior Brother, whose favorite pastime was dismantling Cheng Yuanxing’s tall tales.

Cheng Yuanxing’s face flushed red, and he immediately launched into a loud defense, bickering good-naturedly with his martial brothers. Xiao Yifeng used the chaos to reacquaint himself with these faces. The laughter, the teasing, the warmth—he had truly returned to the big family of Wuya Hall.

Moments later, Su Qianyi walked in, leading the way. Behind him came Lin Ziyun and Su Miaoqing, who was still clutching her white Persian cat.

Trailing the family were four beautiful maidservants, each around sixteen years old, dressed in colorful skirts. These women were not disciples of the Wentian Sect; they were part of Lin Ziyun’s dowry from the Luoshu Mansion, exclusively tasked with caring for the Hall Master’s family.

The disciples scrambled to stand and bow.

Su Qianyi nodded faintly, grunted an acknowledgment, and took the main seat. Lin Ziyun sat beside him, while Su Miaoqing hopped onto her own high chair, handing the white cat to a waiting maid.

Lin Ziyun signaled the attendants, and soon, plates of exquisite food were laid out.

There were spirit fruits of every color, flagons of fragrant fruit wine, and platters of roasted beast meat that shimmered with spiritual essence. The aroma alone was enough to make one’s pores open; it was a feast of Spiritual Qi, perfect in color, smell, and taste.

“Alright, everyone is here. Let’s eat,” Su Qianyi announced with a wave of his hand.

The meal was not just for eating; it was a status check. Su Qianyi asked about the cultivation progress of various disciples. The Senior Brothers took the opportunity to ask for guidance on bottlenecks, which Su Qianyi answered one by one, offering encouragement where due.

Eventually, Su Qianyi’s gaze landed on Xiao Yifeng. He briefly inquired about his adjustment and delivered a standard lecture: “Be diligent and conscientious. Remember, Heaven rewards the diligent.”

Xiao Yifeng nodded repeatedly, acting the part of the obedient novice. “Yes, Master.”

Lin Ziyun watched him. She saw his “overwhelmed” expression and the sallow, waxy complexion that came from years of malnutrition. Her heart softened. Perhaps because she was a mother herself, her maternal instincts began to overflow.

She suddenly turned to her husband. “Qianyi, look at Yifeng. He is still young, exactly the age when a boy needs to grow. Let him eat his daily meals with us from now on. It’s just a matter of adding an extra pair of chopsticks, and it will be easier to look after him.”

Su Qianyi looked torn.

It wasn’t just about chopsticks. This was a special privilege. Moreover, he still wasn’t particularly fond of this “trash” disciple forced upon him. But looking at his wife’s hopeful face, he couldn’t bear to spoil her mood.

“Hmph. Fine,” he grunted.

Lin Ziyun beamed. She turned to the boy. “Yifeng, thank your Master.”

Xiao Yifeng hurriedly bowed as best he could from his high chair. “Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master’s Wife! This disciple will never forget your great kindness and virtue.”

Lin Ziyun shook her head gently. “What great kindness? You are all alone here, and a child shouldn’t have to worry about chores. I’ll arrange for a maidservant to go over to your courtyard later. She will take care of your daily needs and meals.”

Xiao Yifeng froze.

A maid? Living with me?

“Master’s Wife, this disciple has done household chores since childhood. I can take care of myself!” Xiao Yifeng declined hurriedly. He had too many secrets—cultivating forbidden arts, past life memories—he couldn’t have eyes watching him 24/7.

But Lin Ziyun was unmoved. “You are just a child; how can you handle a household alone? Besides, you should spend that time cultivating, not doing laundry.”

Xiao Yifeng tried to protest again, but the decision was final. He couldn’t refuse without raising suspicion, so he had to swallow his panic and offer thanks.

The other disciples were stunned into silence.

This level of treatment? Even the veteran True Disciples didn’t get this!

While disciples living on the main peak had their own courtyards and meals provided by male servants, having a personal maidservant bestowed by the Master’s Wife was unheard of. Lin Ziyun notoriously disliked female disciples or servants mixing with the male disciples to prevent scandals.

But because Xiao Yifeng was just a ten-year-old boy, she clearly didn’t view him as a “man” yet.

What truly made the Senior Brothers green with envy, however, was the food.

Normally, disciples only ate with the Master once a week after their progress inspection. The food on this table was no ordinary fare. To build Su Miaoqing’s constitution, Su Qianyi had spent a fortune. The meat was high-grade Spirit Beast meat; the fruits were rare elixirs.

And now, Xiao Yifeng, riding on Su Miaoqing’s coattails, would be eating these heavenly treasures three times a day?

It was a massive boost to cultivation. It was a stroke of fortune that could make anyone jealous.

After this interlude, the meal continued. Laughter returned to the table, and the atmosphere became harmonious and joyful again.

After dinner, Xiao Yifeng bid farewell to his Senior Brothers and returned to the Huixing Small Courtyard.

He stood in the center of the yard, taking in the familiar sight. A single green pine stood guard on the left; a cluster of five or six weeping bamboos swayed on the right.

This was his home in Wuya Hall.

The path was paved with smooth river stones, flanked by manicured lawns. The night breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, carrying the faint, clean scent of grass.

It was quiet. The only sounds were the sporadic chirps of insects hidden in the dark—one sound, then another, low and rhythmic. Moonlight poured down like water, bathing him in a silver glow.

He looked up at the stars, bright and cold in the night sky.

Memories, heavy and suffocating, washed over him.

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary disciple of the Wentian Sect. But fate had been cruel. He was framed for murdering his Master and betraying the sect. He had watched helplessly as the Senior Sister he secretly loved married another man.

He had fled the world, carrying the weight of infamy on his back. Lin Qingyan, the Saintess of the Demon Sect who had loved him, died to save him.

Cornered by the heavens and the earth, with no path left to walk, he had joined the Demon Sect. He became ruthless, unscrupulous. He rose to become a generation’s Demon Lord, forced to stir up wind and rain across the continent just to survive.

Yet, fate played tricks on him at every turn.

In the endless cycle of killing and being killed, he fell in love with Liu Hanyan, the proud daughter of the Wentian Sect’s Feixue Hall. They had made a pact: he would redeem himself, and they would retreat from the world together.

He had tried. He sought the guidance of the Divine Monk Huixin, intending to use the Formless Heart Sutra to cleanse his demonic nature. The monk saw his sincere repentance and took him in.

But the dark hand behind the scenes refused to let him go.

The Divine Monk perished mysteriously. The blame fell on Xiao Yifeng.

Once again, he was the villain. Disheartened and exhausted, he embraced the role. He launched the Fourth Great War between Righteous and Demonic factions, determined to flush out the mastermind.

He failed. He returned empty-handed.

Fortunately, Liu Hanyan never doubted him. To have such a woman believe in him… what more could a man ask for?

Weary of the bloodshed, Xiao Yifeng faked his death. He lived in seclusion near the Wentian Sect, waiting for Liu Hanyan to settle her affairs so they could sail overseas and live as mortal lovers, envying the mandarin ducks rather than the immortals.

But fate was not done.

The soul of Lin Qingyan, manipulated by that same dark hand, found him. To save her soul from eternal slavery, to break the chains controlling her, he chose the ultimate sacrifice.

He Self-Destructed.

He thought it was the end. He never expected the Heavens to give him a second chance.

“No matter why I was reborn… since I am back, I will not let the tragedies of the past repeat themselves.”

Xiao Yifeng clenched his small fist, his eyes reflecting the cold starlight.

“In this life, I will master my own destiny!”