Chapter 21 - Big Bro Xiaochun (1/2)
Chapter 21 - Big Bro Xiaochun
The Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion was one of the most popular places in Scented Cloud Mountain and was frequented by outer sect disciples almost every day. Part of the reason was the ten stone steles located there, and another was the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion itself. Centred between the steles, outer sect disciples could exchange contribution points and herbs or medicine pills there.
Moreover, on fixed days, this place even had promotional examinations to become Medicine Apprentices where medicine pills that they refined were reclaimed by the sect. Hence, due to various reasons, this place was always noisy.
With the passage of time, the popularity of this place also caused it to become a secondary information center where disciples traded information regarding their experiences. It started from simple discussions about herbalism, then eventually grew to a place where people gossiped and chatted about the events happening within the sect, both big and small.
When Bai Xiaochun arrived at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, many outer sect disciples could be seen either walking in and out or chatting with hushed voices in groups of three to five. In front of the surrounding stone steles, many disciples were also lining up to challenge the rankings.
After a long time spent squeezing past the crowds, Bai Xiaochun finally neared the second stele. Just as he was going over to the stele, he noticed the three outer sect disciples in front of him having a conversation, and apparently, it was about Bai Xiaochun himself.
“Did you guys hear? Something weird has been happening recently regarding Elder Li’s spirit tailed chickens. It’s said that more than a hundred of those chickens have disappeared.”
“Not just more than a hundred. From what I have heard, Elder Li might as well have no chickens left. A disciple looking after the chickens has caught the culprit already - the chicken thief is going to be cut into pieces and fed to the chickens. How cruel.”
“First a mysterious turtle appears, then this great chicken thief? What’s with Scented Cloud Mountain these days?”
Bai Xiaochun unconsciously withdrew his neck, feeling guilty. Wasn’t it just some chickens? How did it turn out to be such a big deal? From the looks of it, everyone knew about the chicken disappearances.
And after hearing that the chickens belonged to Elder Li, Bai Xiaochun was even more frightened.
“I didn’t steal that many…” Bai Xiaochun felt wronged, and was thinking of how he could change the Great Chicken Thief’s image when he heard some noise from behind him.
“Little girl! Why the hell are you shoving? Are you in such a rush for your next life?”
“So what if I’m shoving? Get out of here if you’re afraid of a little squeezing, you should be honored that it’s me who’s shoving you.”
“You…”
Bai Xiaochun thought the voice seemed familiar, so he turned around to take a look. It was a lady with soft white skin, her chest was puffed up and a hand was on her hip. She was proudly arguing with a huge man.
“Hou Xiaomei?” Bai Xiaochun blinked.
Upon hearing her name, Hou Xiaomei turned and saw Bai Xiaochun, her expression changing from prideful to surprised.
“Big bro Xiaochun! It’s you!” Hou Xiaomei twisted her hip and hurriedly rushed towards Bai Xiaochun’s direction. Her kind demeanor made it seem like she was warm and pure.
“Ah, Lil’ Sis Xiaomei.” As Bai Xiaochun looked at the energetic girl before him, he thought that she was extremely cute.
“You’re so mean, teasing me and all. Brother Xiaochun, I’m called Hou Xiaomei!” Hearing her words, Bai Xiaochun blushed a little at her innocent cuteness.
When she said this, this girl who was filled with energy from the start became even more alluring, attracting the glances of many of the surrounding outer sect disciples. The big man from before instead felt his his skin covered with goosebumps. He felt that the change in attitude of this girl was too drastic, the shift from anger to happiness was unnatural.
“Big Bro Xiaochun, my brother hasn’t returned from his trip away from the mountain, and it’s my first time here. Where should I go if I want to exchange my first bamboo scroll for the second?” Hou Xiaomei asked. It was indeed her first time here, after all, it had always been her brother who did these things for her. Fortunately, she found Bai Xiaochun just when she didn’t know what to do.
Bai Xiaochun smiled and introduced the basics to her, speaking in precise detail. She kept nodding throughout his explanation and by the time he finished explaining, felt that Bai Xiaochun was not only kind, but was also very knowledgeable.
After explaining the basics, Bai Xiaochun glanced at Hou Xiaomei. Unable to control himself, he raised his right hand and pointed at the first stone stele, putting on an air of nonchalance.
“See that stone stele over there? People who manage to leave their names there are the pride and joy of the entire sect. Anyone whose symbol is on it will attain achievements that will shake the whole world.”
“Forget about everyone else, let me tell you about the person who is in second place. Look at that Aquarius symbol, that’s the pride of our Scented Cloud Mountain - Zhou Xinqi!”
“This symbol shows her talent for herbs, and she has already been taken in as a disciple by an ancestor. She’s destined to become the main sect’s Zhou Mistress!” Hou Xiaomei’s eyes shined brightly as she raised her head to look at the Aquarius symbol, her expression full of respect. She heard Hou Yunfei mention Zhou Xinqi’s name multiple times, which filled her with respect and admiration for Zhou Xinqi. With Bai Xiaochun’s praise, she only felt even more admiration for Zhou Xinqi.
Bai Xiaochun continued acting nonchalant. He stood there for quite a while before realizing that she was still staring at the Aquarius symbol, completely oblivious to the turtle above it. He was instantly irritated. After all, wasn’t the point of his introduction to move onto this topic and discuss the beautifully drawn turtle?