Chapter 125: An Arrival

Xiao Hua’s round eyes widened as he demanded, "Well? Why haven't you headed to the kitchen yet?"

The waiter wore a fawning expression. "Master, could you please settle the bill first?"

"What, do you take me for a freeloader?" Xiao Hua had never been so insulted.

"Not at all, not at all!" The waiter waved his hands repeatedly. "Master, you may not be aware, but the opening of the Spirit Rising Arena has made our tavern incredibly busy. However, such overwhelming business isn't necessarily a good thing."

"Oh? And why would you say that, my good man?" The Little Witch was in an exceptionally good mood these days. With her brother Xiao Hua safely returned and rumors that the plans of Senior Brother Jiu Xi and the others were proceeding smoothly, even the tension of the Spirit Rising Arena seemed to have eased for a few days. At this moment, even the waiter seemed rather charming to her.

"Young lady, you don't know—as the saying goes, a large forest holds all sorts of birds. The Spirit Rising Arena has attracted thousands of spirit practitioners to watch, but everyone here has different intentions. Some come to observe and learn, while others come to take advantage of the situation. You see, not every spirit practitioner is wealthy. Our shop has suffered quite a loss these past few days. Some 'masters' would finish their meal, slam their chopsticks down, and simply walk away. We common folk dare not say a word. Alas, the owner had to set a rule: the bill must be settled before the dishes are served," the waiter explained with a conciliatory smile.

"That is fair and reasonable. Here, is this enough? Consider the rest a tip. Serve this lady well, and there will be more rewards later." Nalan Xin'er tossed a generous piece of silver from her jade pouch. The waiter was stunned, quickly snatched the silver, and scampered down the stairs in a flurry.

"Haha, Xin'er is so generous. I wonder if you could add two more sets of bowls and chopsticks for us?" A voice rang out—it was Mo Bai. Beside him stood a refined and elegant young woman, Gan Yu.

"Oh! It’s Brother Mo! Come, sit here, hehe." Nalan Xin'er was taken aback, clearly not expecting to see Mo Bai and Gan Yu here.

Xiao Hua also beckoned Gan Yu to his side and asked, "How come you haven't been practicing some self-defense spirit arts with Brother Mo, Yu'er? Alas, it is my own uselessness that I cannot gather a shred of spiritual energy; I never expected that in just two short days, you would have already found a path to spirit cultivation."

Gan Yu blushed. "That is all thanks to Brother Mo's excellent teaching."

Mo Bai took a sip of tea and sighed. "Alas, it is a pity that Yu'er is a girl, after all. Some spirit arts are too overbearing and not suitable for her to cultivate. However, this problem will likely be resolved soon, though it requires the consent of you, Master Wu."

Xiao Hua was startled. "Wait, why does this involve me?"

Gan Yu said softly, "This morning, when Brother Mo was teaching me to circulate my spiritual energy, Miss Hong Lin saw us. She joked that if I continued to practice according to Brother Mo's methods, I might end up turning into a man, hehe." She laughed at the thought. Although she had never practiced spirit arts, she knew such a thing was impossible. "I assumed she was just teasing, but Brother Mo didn't dare to teach me anymore."

Xiao Hua felt a moment of anxiety before pleading with Mo Bai, "Brother Mo, you must not teach her that anymore. It’s better for Yu'er to remain delicate and refined."

"Haha, you! But then again, on this Linglong Continent, sudden situations can arise at any moment. Even with the Divine Disk Command in your possession, Xiao Hua, you were still ambushed the other day. If the two of you knew even a little bit of spirit arts, you could avoid such awkward situations. Originally, your own troubles were still pending, but I didn't expect that you and Miss Gan would have the opportunity to cultivate together," Mo Bai advised kindly.

"Oh? Brother Mo, what exactly do you mean?" Wu Luohua asked, sounding anxious.

At this point, Mo Bai meaningfully pulled out the small wooden comb gifted to him by Master Kuzhi.

Xiao Hua was stunned for a moment before he understood Mo Bai's good intentions. He immediately said, "Good, good! It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to join the Yihua Sect, Yu'er. Firstly, the Yihua Sect is a prestigious school, and as it is composed of female disciples, it will be convenient for you to learn spirit arts, and the methods will be proper. Secondly, I also need to study diligently in the Yihua Sect for a time to break through my spiritual barriers. This way, we can be together again. Once we have mastered our studies, we can roam the world with our swords—how wonderful that would be!" Xiao Hua looked filled with longing and happiness.

Gan Yu blushed and retorted, "Who wants to roam the world with you?" She then turned to Mo Bai. "Brother Mo, let's wait until we have arrived at the Yihua Sect to see the situation. Although Sister Hong is kind-hearted, she is only a disciple herself and cannot recruit students on behalf of the sect. Even if I want to join, I don't know if they would be willing to accept me."

Mo Bai and the others nodded in agreement, when suddenly, a middle-aged woman's voice interjected: "I have decided! Young lady, once the matters here are concluded, come to my Yihua Sect, and I will personally host your initiation ceremony!"

This statement left everyone stunned. Mo Bai’s table had been speaking in hushed tones, yet they had been overheard. Mo Bai looked toward the stairs and saw several practitioners dressed as Taoist nuns. The one in the center appeared to be in her forties, with her hair styled in a high bun, yet her face was ageless and her posture graceful. She carried an air of transcendental elegance. It was she who had spoken. Beside her stood two other women of similar age—one dressed as a nun and the other in lay clothing. Mo Bai did not recognize them. Looking further back, Mo Bai understood, for standing behind the three was a beautiful nun whose loose Taoist robes could not hide her figure, let alone her peerless face. It was Yufu of the Yihua Sect.

The Yihua Sect had finally arrived. The nun who had spoken first bowed to Mo Bai. "This must be the hero Mo Bai, correct?" Her words caused a stir among the surrounding patrons. Originally, everyone in the tavern was eating independently, paying no heed to others, but this nun's voice was steady and clear, reaching every ear in the room, demonstrating the depth of her cultivation.

People began to whisper, "So that is Mo Bai! I've heard his name constantly in Guihai City these past few days. I never expected to see him in person today; he is even younger than the legends suggest."

"Indeed! I heard that at the Spirit Rising Arena, Mo Bai single-handedly restrained both the Yihua Sect's top disciple, Hong Lin, and the Guihai family's second son, Guihai Yidao. He is no ordinary man! Look, the people from the Yihua Sect have arrived. Could he have formed an alliance with them?" the crowd speculated.

"I don't know. Look at the young master beside him—that must be the kidnapped Master Wu. I heard Mo Bai swore that he would help whoever helped him find Master Wu, but that matter seemed to just fade away. To this day, no one knows if Master Wu was actually rescued. The Spirit Rising Arena has been halted for nearly three days now, and there’s still no result," someone nearby remarked.

"Hey, don't be impatient! Isn't tomorrow the day the old City Lord Guihai is supposed to announce the reopening of the arena? Besides, the Yihua Sect has arrived; the real show won't be long now. Tell me, old brother, do you think this nun could be the Immortal Gu Meng? Look at her age and power; she might well be the world-renowned Sect Leader of the Yihua Sect." The crowd buzzed with endless conjecture, yet all eyes were fixed on Mo Bai and the nun.

Mo Bai slowly stood up and bowed. "That is correct, I am Mo Bai. May I ask the master's name, and why you would choose to recruit my sister into the Yihua Sect so suddenly?"

The nun smiled. "I am Gu Yu. It is a stroke of fate that this young friend shares the character 'Yu' with me. My second senior sister, Sect Leader Gu Meng, has already vowed that Ruo Ting will be her closing disciple, so I fear it would be difficult for Miss Yu to enter under her tutelage. However, I have yet to take a disciple myself. Upon meeting today, I felt an immediate connection, which is why I spoke so impulsively."

Mo Bai immediately realized who she was. This was Immortal Gu Yu, one of the four great immortals of the Yihua Sect. Within the sect, the current leader was the second among that generation of disciples. There was a senior sister, Immortal Gu Chu, who had long since retired from worldly affairs, and two junior sisters: Immortal Gu Yun, who, despite her title, dressed in lay clothing, and this Immortal Gu Yu, who was fourth in rank.

The Chu-Meng-Yun-Yu quartet, the six sons of Yuntian, and the eleven masters of Luoye were all legendary figures in Linglong. That the Yihua Sect had sent such a high-ranking master showed both the importance they placed on the Spirit Rising Arena and a statement of their own status. That Gu Meng had not come in person was clearly a move to keep the Guihai family in check.

"Master, you are too kind. However, I do not know my sister's wishes." Mo Bai never forced anyone's hand, and even though everything had been made clear, he still sought Gan Yu's opinion.

Gan Yu looked at Xiao Hua. Seeing him nod slightly, she stepped forward, curtsied to Immortal Gu Yu, and said, "Thank you for your favor, Master. I am willing."

"Good, good! No need for such formalities today. When we return to Duifeng Mountain, I will have the Sect Leader personally host your initiation ceremony." Immortal Gu Yu had not expected that the first thing she would do upon arriving in Guihai City was not to clash with the Guihai family, but to recruit such a promising disciple. It was truly fate. The Yihua Sect had thousands of disciples; they would not host an initiation ceremony for just anyone, which showed just how much Immortal Gu Yu favored Gan Yu.