Dominator Emperor

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Tu Buyu (Part 2)

Chapter 38: Tu Buyu (Part 2)

Nan Huairun was envious, but he had no desire to become a victim of the Moon Vortex Sun Wheel Technique. Everyone knew that once you started cultivating it and got sucked in, it was nearly impossible to get out. In the end, you’d just become a cripple!

In response to Nan Huairun’s shock, Li Qiye just smiled and said nothing more.

The next day, Li Qiye rose early to begin his cultivation, just as he always did. But the moment he opened his door, he saw someone standing right outside—a figure standing there without a sound. The sight gave even the ever-composed Li Qiye a start.

It was an old man, one who looked to be in his fifties or sixties. He wore simple cloth robes, and his face was thin and clean-shaven. His eyes, though aged, were sharp and bright. Despite his apparent age, he stood with his back ramrod straight and seemed to be in excellent spirits.

"Senior Brother, good morning." The moment the old man saw Li Qiye, he adopted a respectful posture, bowing his head.

"Uh..." Li Qiye was speechless. Even he, who was always calm and composed, was stunned for a moment. If it were Nan Huairun calling him Senior Brother, that would be one thing. But for this man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties to call him—a boy of thirteen or fourteen—Senior Brother? ’That’s just absurd.’

Li Qiye remained speechless for a moment. When he finally collected himself, he said, "Sir, you must be mistaken. I’m not your Senior Brother."

The old man glanced around before his eyes landed back on Li Qiye. "This is Solitary Peak, is it not?"

"It is," Li Qiye replied honestly. If the old man didn’t seem so lucid, he would have thought he’d run into a madman.

"And you are Li Qiye, the Chief Disciple of our Xiyan Ancient Sect, correct?" the old man continued, his gaze fixed on him.

In the face of this line of questioning, Li Qiye could only answer honestly. "That’s right. I’m Li Qiye."

The old man broke into a smile, nodding with earnest solemnity. "Then there’s no mistake. Since this is Solitary Peak and you are the Chief Disciple, you must be my Senior Brother."

"Uh..." Li Qiye was at a loss for words again. He was now certain the man hadn’t made a mistake, but having someone in his fifties or sixties call him "Senior Brother" just felt... wrong. It made him completely uncomfortable.

"My apologies, my apologies, I’m late!" Just then, Nan Huairun came rushing over, panting for breath. He let out a nervous laugh.

When Nan Huairun arrived to find Li Qiye and the old man in a standoff at the door, he couldn’t help another nervous laugh. He then began the introductions. "Chief Disciple, this is our Second Senior Brother. Second Senior Brother, this is..."

"I know. He’s our First Senior Brother," the old man interjected before Nan Huairun could finish, his tone firm and earnest.

"Uh... Second... Junior Brother?" Li Qiye was speechless for a long moment, his mind struggling to process the information.

The old man nodded, a kind smile on his face. "Senior Brother, this little brother is named Tu Buyu, Master’s second disciple. As the Chief Disciple of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, you, Senior Brother, are the First Senior Brother to all third-generation disciples."

The old man’s kind smile made Li Qiye’s scalp tingle. He desperately wanted to wail, ’Grandpa, I’m thirteen! You’re in your fifties or sixties! Could you please stop pretending to be young and calling yourself "this little brother" in front of me?’

With some effort, Li Qiye ushered his junior brother, Tu Buyu, inside. He then immediately pulled Nan Huairun aside and glared at him. "What is going on here?" Having a junior brother who looked fifty or sixty was a bit much for him to stomach.

"Uh..." Nan Huairun was at a loss for words for a moment. Finally, he managed, "Senior Brother, I... I did tell you a while ago that Second Senior Brother would be returning soon, right?"

Li Qiye knew, of course, that his Second Junior Brother was returning. Nan Huairun had mentioned it, but he hadn’t paid it any mind. He had assumed that Sect Leader Su Yonghuang’s second disciple would be a man in his twenties or thirties—forty at the absolute most. However, this junior brother before him, regardless of his true age, looked to be at least sixty. The sudden appearance of a sixty-year-old junior brother was frankly vexing for Li Qiye.

"Senior Brother, he really is the Sect Leader’s second disciple, Senior Brother Tu Buyu," Nan Huairun said with absolute certainty. "In fact, Tu Buyu was the only disciple under the Sect Leader! You, Senior Brother, only recently became a disciple yourself."

Li Qiye was once again left speechless. To this day, he still hadn’t even met Su Yonghuang, the person who was nominally his master. He hadn’t seen his master, yet a sixty-year-old junior brother had shown up out of nowhere.

But facts were facts. He couldn’t just refuse to acknowledge Tu Buyu as his junior brother. As the Chief Disciple, he was the First Senior Brother to all disciples of the younger generation in the Xiyan Ancient Sect. Regardless of their age, they all had to address him as such.

"How many more junior brothers this old do we have in the Xiyan Ancient Sect?" Li Qiye couldn’t help but shoot a look at Nan Huairun. The mere thought of him, a boy of thirteen, being surrounded by a crowd of old men all calling him "Senior Brother" was unbearable.

"Just the one," Nan Huairun said with a nervous chuckle.

Hearing this, Li Qiye finally breathed a sigh of relief. He walked over to Tu Buyu and asked, "Junior Brother Tu, when did you return? Is Master back as well?"

"To answer Senior Brother, this little brother returned alone. I only just arrived today..." Tu Buyu replied earnestly, a kind smile on his face.

Li Qiye cut him off. "Junior Brother, you’re an old man in your fifties or sixties. If you keep being so humble, you’ll shorten my lifespan..."

"To answer Senior Brother," Tu Buyu said earnestly, his kind smile never wavering, "this little brother is one thousand six hundred and seventy-five years old this year..."

Li Qiye nearly fell over when he heard that. He staggered, almost crashing to the floor. And he wasn’t the only one; Nan Huairun stumbled as well!

"You... Say that again!" Li Qiye almost choked on his own spit. ’A man over a thousand years old is calling me Senior Brother, and I look like a thirteen-year-old kid! Does a junior brother this old even exist?’

"This little brother is one thousand six hundred and seventy-five years old," Tu Buyu repeated, his expression still kind and earnest.

Hearing the number, Li Qiye shot a glare at Nan Huairun. Nan Huairun looked completely innocent; he had no idea Tu Buyu was that old either. He’d always assumed his Second Senior Brother was just in his fifties or sixties.

"Senior Brother, are you alright? Would you like this little brother to pour you a cup of water...?" Tu Buyu asked with genuine, kind concern, seeing Li Qiye’s choked expression.

Li Qiye snapped out of it and cut Tu Buyu off with a wail. "Grandpa, please stop calling yourself ’this little brother’! If you say it one more time, I’ll be covered in so many goosebumps they’ll fall on the floor! First, I’m thirteen and you’re over a thousand years old. If you keep calling yourself ’little brother,’ you’re going to shorten my lifespan! Second, and this is the most important point! You’re deliberately trying to act young in front of me! I’m thirteen, and you, a man of over a thousand years, are calling yourself ’little brother’ to my face! Aren’t you just trying to make me feel old by comparison? Am I that old? Huairun, am I that old?!"

Seeing Li Qiye on the verge of a meltdown, Nan Huairun couldn’t help but start laughing. Li Qiye had always been the picture of calm composure; this was the first time he’d ever seen him so flustered.

However, under Li Qiye’s murderous glare, Nan Huairun quickly stifled his laughter. Inwardly, he was roaring, but it was also the first time he’d learned just how old his Second Senior Brother really was.

"Since Senior Brother has given the order, this... no, I shall humbly obey," Tu Buyu said, being remarkably agreeable. The kind smile never left his face.

"An eminently wise and brilliant decision, Junior Brother Tu!" Li Qiye was very satisfied with Tu Buyu’s compliance and nodded in approval.

Tu Buyu chuckled. "When it comes to wisdom and brilliance, I am no match for Senior Brother."

Tu Buyu’s words left Nan Huairun speechless. He had always considered himself a smooth operator, skilled at reading people and saying the right thing. He never expected Tu Buyu to be an even bigger bootlicker. ’It seems I’ve met my match,’ he thought.

Li Qiye laughed, not taking the flattery seriously. ’Tu Buyu is certainly an interesting character,’ he thought. ’A man who has lived for over a thousand years yet can still call a thirteen-year-old boy "Senior Brother" to his face... A person like that is either incredibly sinister or truly fascinating.’

’Of course, whatever kind of person he is, he won’t be able to hide it from my eyes.’ Li Qiye had seen countless people in his time. When it came to judging character, very few could fool his perception. Otherwise, he never could have raised an invincible existence like the Mingren Immortal Emperor!

Li Qiye chatted briefly with Tu Buyu before sending him off. In truth, he didn’t care why Tu Buyu had returned and couldn’t be bothered to ask. It was all unimportant. He had only one goal now: to become stronger and rebuild the Xiyan Ancient Sect. Anyone who stood in his way would be shown no mercy!

If the appearance of a junior brother like Tu Buyu left Li Qiye both speechless and amused, then the news Nan Huairun brought the next day was somewhat of a surprise.

The next day, Nan Huairun and his master, Guardian Mo, personally came to Solitary Peak. They brought Li Qiye a piece of news: Princess Li Shuangyan of the Nine Saints Demon Gate would be arriving at the Xiyan Ancient Sect tomorrow.

As the one responsible for the marriage alliance between the two sects, Guardian Mo was the designated point of contact. The Nine Saints Demon Gate had sent a messenger directly to him to announce Li Shuangyan’s visit.

"It’s fine that she’s coming. It would be best if she has thought things through, but even if she hasn’t, it doesn’t matter." Li Qiye was rather surprised. He had expected the Nine Saints Demon Gate to wait and observe for another eight or ten years, not for Li Shuangyan to arrive at the Xiyan Ancient Sect in less than one.

’Of course, if the Nine Saints Demon Gate had really decided to wait for eight or ten years, then they would have missed their chance!’ By that time, his own wings would be fully grown, and he would have no need for the Nine Saints Demon Gate’s support. What he needed were allies who would offer help in times of need, not those who only showed up to celebrate his success!

Guardian Mo didn’t feel it was his place to ask Li Qiye directly, so he shot a meaningful look at Nan Huairun. Receiving his master’s silent command, Nan Huairun had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask, "Senior Brother, what if... what if Princess Li is willing to stay with our Xiyan Ancient Sect? Are you... are you really going to make her a Sword Attendant?"