Watching the Mountain

Xu Ran had heard that his Sect Leader, Taihua True Monarch, liked to show off his disciple, but he had mostly treated it as gossip.

He felt the rumors were exaggerated and likely embellished. After all, he was a Nascent Soul True Monarch. No matter how much he loved to show off his disciple, it couldn’t possibly be as bad as the stories claimed.

Besides, the Sect Leader had such an ethereal and transcendent bearing, like a male version of Senior Sister Yue. His nature ought to be similarly detached.

But now, he was changing his mind.

The rumors were far too realistic; there wasn’t a single bit of exaggeration in them.

The grand leader of a Sect, showing off his disciple the moment they met... this was a first for him.

Still, Xu Ran could understand the Sect Leader’s feelings. If he had a disciple like Senior Sister Yue, he’d probably be even more over-the-top.

The atmosphere in the grand hall of Qing Xuan Peak was now a bit awkward. After the Sect Leader’s interruption, True Monarch Zi Yun’s already bitter-looking face seemed to grow even more mournful, as if he had just lived through a tragedy, exuding a hint of desolation.

He shot an annoyed glare at the Sect Leader, Taihua True Monarch. His earlier words had been meant to praise Elder Xu.

A normal person, upon hearing what he said, would have chimed in with something like, "Truly extraordinary, as expected of so-and-so." That would have eased the tension, and Xu Ran wouldn’t have been so nervous about meeting them for the first time.

But instead, the moment the Sect Leader opened his mouth, it was all about his disciple, Qingyu, leaving him at a complete loss for words.

Fortunately, Xu Ran had recovered his wits by now. He hurriedly raised his hands to form a sealing sign and bowed. "Greetings, Teacher. Greetings, Sect Leader. Greetings, Supreme Elder."

Xu Ran’s words defused True Monarch Zi Yun’s awkwardness. Hearing him, the True Monarch quickly responded with a smile:

"There’s no need for such formalities, Elder Xu. You’re a great benefactor to our Sect! We’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. It’s just that young Qingyu said that meeting you too early might put you under pressure, so we held off. I hope you don’t hold it against us. We’ve seen and remembered everything you’ve done."

Xu Ran found it a little strange. Supreme Elder Zi Yun was clearly such a kind and amiable person when he spoke, yet his smile was exceptionally unsettling, making it seem as if he had lived a life of immense suffering.

And for someone who seemed to be suffering so much to speak with such gentleness... the contrast was so stark that Xu Ran felt moved just listening to him.

’Supreme Elder Zi Yun must be a truly good person with a gentle heart.’

The thought flashed through his mind, and he quickly replied:

"Supreme Elder, you flatter me. I have only done what was within my power."

After that, he and True Monarch Zi Yun went back and forth, exchanging modest pleasantries.

Xu Ran would praise how wonderful the Sect was, and True Monarch Zi Yun would praise how capable Xu Ran was.

However, every time True Monarch Zi Yun mentioned one of Xu Ran’s achievements, the Sect Leader, Taihua True Monarch, would nod slightly from the side and add his own praise, "Mm, not bad. As expected of the person Qingyu recommended. Truly extraordinary."

Xu Ran didn’t know how to respond to the Sect Leader’s disciple-flaunting, so he pretended not to hear and continued his conversation with Supreme Elder Zi Yun.

True Monarch Zi Yun also ignored the Sect Leader’s words and kept on praising Xu Ran.

They might not have cared, but Qing Xuan True Monarch, who was standing to the side, certainly did.

After the Sect Leader, Taihua True Monarch, repeated "Not bad, as expected of the person Qingyu recommended" several times in a row, Qing Xuan True Monarch finally couldn’t hold back anymore and snapped irritably:

"This is because my student is outstanding on his own merit. What does it have to do with your disciple, Sect Leader?"

Qing Xuan True Monarch was usually a rather prim and serious person, but anyone would have trouble staying serious after hearing someone repeatedly praise their student with lines like, "as expected of the one my disciple recommended."

Hearing Qing Xuan True Monarch’s words, Taihua True Monarch glanced at him, then said with a placid expression, "Qing Xuan, this old man knows your student is outstanding. But you have to admit, your student was recommended by my disciple, Qingyu. Otherwise, you never would have had the chance to teach him."

"That’s still because my student is outstanding on his own."

"But was your student, or was he not, recommended to the Sect by my disciple, Qingyu?"

Xu Ran stared in astonishment at Teacher Qing Xuan and the Sect Leader, Taihua True Monarch. ’How did they start arguing in the blink of an eye?’

Just as he was feeling bewildered, a voice transmission from Supreme Elder Zi Yun entered his ear:

"Don’t be surprised. Our Sect Leader is a Daoist Fool. He’s not interested in anything other than cultivation and that disciple of his. Even the Sect’s affairs are managed by us old geezers."

Hearing this, understanding suddenly dawned on Xu Ran. No wonder he had found it so strange. ’How could the grand leader of a Sect act like this?’

’If he’s a Daoist Fool, then it makes sense. People like that are also said to have a heart as pure as a newborn’s.’

Though he understood, another question popped into his mind. ’Is it really okay to have a Daoist Fool sitting in the Sect Leader’s seat?’

As if sensing his doubt, True Monarch Zi Yun continued to explain via voice transmission: "Back then, the Sect was in a struggle against several other powers when the Old Sect Leader suddenly perished. The Sect’s morale took a huge blow. We had no choice but to let someone with enough strength become the new Sect Leader and lead us to turn the tide."

"Once he became the Sect Leader, we couldn’t just kick him out, which has led to the current situation."

"Of course, his love of showing off has nothing to do with him being a Daoist Fool. He was born that way. Ever since he was a child, he’s loved to flaunt any little good thing that happens to him. You’ll get used to it. Just ignore him."