22. Persuasion

Complaining verbally but earnestly preparing all the necessary materials with steady hands, he muttered as he worked, “I must get big brother to reimburse me. Senior brother clearly has everything, yet he still makes me prepare all this.” He grumbled continuously until the preparations were complete. When he delivered the items, the sect leader was still muttering to himself.

“Why didn’t my senior brother consider such a good opportunity for me back in the day? I am also a magic practitioner who needs protection, you know.”

The elder who came in to report on sect affairs! So this is the kind of sect leader we have!

“Ahem.”

“What business does Senior Brother Wuyuan have?” The sect leader asked with an unchanging expression, as if the chatterbox just now wasn’t him at all.

“Sect Leader, junior brother, this is the inner sect’s accounting. It requires your review.” Wuyuan Yuan Zun was quite a character himself. After all, as long as he knew, he didn’t feel the need to share. Seeing the sect leader’s ears turn slightly red, and remembering he was his junior and the sect leader, he chose not to share.

“Are you in a hurry to return, senior brother?” The sect leader’s hint was clear as day.

“Ahem, senior brother still has matters to attend to. Once sect leader has reviewed and found no issues, just have the disciple deliver it.” Wuyuan Yuan Zun understood and spared the sect leader face.

“Good.” The sect leader nodded, satisfied.

On the other side, Wudao Yuan Zun received the materials and immediately noticed the excessive quantity and the casual grumbling that came along with it. Stroking his beard, he paused. His junior brother had already taken disciples, yet remained the same. What to do? His junior brother could only be spoiled.

Lin Jiuge naturally heard the sect leader’s muttering and wore a look of revelation: so this is the kind of sect leader we have!

“Senior uncle, you’re busy. Jiuge takes her leave.” She left matters of expertise to the professionals, especially when it came to magic!

Lin Jiuge departed briskly, while Wudao Yuan Zun’s mouth twitched involuntarily. Though he understood everything his nephew said, every time they started working, accidents happened!

Before Lin Jiuge’s mood could lift for long, she encountered Zhou Yan, who was training swordsmanship. His entire face twisted in anguish. Help! How does one counsel someone without talent who insists on pursuing what they’re no good at?

“Sister junior, you’re late today.” Zhou Yan didn’t miss the contorted expression on his junior sister’s face and wondered why, even though he’d improved, she still looked like that.

“Senior brother, you’re a magic practitioner. You’ve been neglecting your magic training too much lately. From now on, doing two sets of martial forms in the morning to loosen your muscles should be enough.” Lin Jiuge suggested tactfully, implying her senior brother was putting the cart before the horse — in truth, she was gently telling him to give up since he truly lacked talent.

“Sister junior, am I really that bad?” Zhou Yan pouted and gave up on sword practice, feeling ashamed every time his junior sister corrected him.

“Not at all.” Lin Jiuge hurried to deny.

“Look, the same move — you master it after practicing three times, and after five times you grasp it fully. But me? After a month, I barely scratch the surface.” Zhou Yan’s face darkened as he spoke.

“No, senior brother, every measure has its short and long. Your magic far surpasses mine. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; why not make the best of your strengths instead of stubbornly pursuing what you’re not good at?” Lin Jiuge comforted her sensitive senior brother.

“If you neglect your strengths for what you’re bad at, that’s putting the cart before the horse and losing more than you gain. Your magic is excellent, especially your mastery of formations. Though you can’t match the physical or sword cultivators yet, your constitution is better than other magic practitioners. You’ll become an outstanding magic practitioner. As for swordsmanship, leave that to me.” Her last words were sincerely spoken.

Zhou Yan suddenly saw the light. Recently, his time spent on basic sword techniques, boxing, and proper magic cultivation had been short; he just wanted to grow stronger physically. Although he achieved that, he clung to the unreasonable desire to match his junior sister’s skill. Truly, as she said, he was putting the cart before the horse.

Zhou Yan smiled with relief. Suddenly, the surrounding energy surged, and enlightenment dawned. Lin Jiuge instantly understood and withdrew. Both had reached insight — surely her senior brother understood now. This was excellent.

It wasn’t that Lin Jiuge disliked practicing sword and boxing with Zhou Yan; it was just that every brutal comparison made her build a false sense of invincibility. That was far too dangerous!

Hearing the commotion, Li Yun and Wudao Yuan Zun came out.

“Ah Yan has come to terms with it.” Li Yun answered with certainty, then glanced at his disciple, who bore a faint trace of energy. How did his disciple persuade him?

“This enlightenment has raised Ah Yan’s cultivation to the second level of the Transformation Mortal Realm.” Wudao Yuan Zun observed keenly. Based on the energy fluctuations, it wasn’t as profound as Lin Jiuge’s enlightenment, but it was sufficient.

“Master, senior uncle.” Lin Jiuge bowed.

“Jiunge, how did you convince your senior brother?” Wudao Yuan Zun asked with curiosity.

Lin Jiuge! Senior uncle, why are you so nosy? Though a bit embarrassed, she faithfully recounted what she said to her senior brother.

Both listened until enlightened, their own energy tingling. Then they looked at Lin Jiuge with complicated expressions. Her words had helped them as well. Fortunately, they awakened in time and suppressed it, lest the Heavenly Dao sense it.

Zhou Yan quickly awakened, his cultivation advancing to the second stage of the Transformation Mortal Realm.

“Thank you, sister junior, and both senior uncles. I will return to see master first.” Zhou Yan was truly grateful to Lin Jiuge.

Lin Jiuge breathed a sigh of relief. Her senior brother had finally left.

Then she faced the gazes of her master and senior uncle.

“Master, senior uncle, Jiuge is going to train now.” The look in their eyes was too complex; it was better to slip away first.

By the waterfall, every move Lin Jiuge made brimmed with the power of thunder and lightning. However, since both she and Lin Jiuci were cultivating, and she occasionally stimulated Lin Jiuci’s acupoints, her stored thunder energy was insufficient for training, which frustrated her.

The palm wind sounded seven distinct bursts, then, before ending, a faint eighth burst followed.

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Lin Jiuge looked toward the waterfall. If she remembered correctly, there was a cave behind it she had long wanted to explore.

And water — staring at the pool beneath the waterfall, she felt as if she had grasped something fleeting, yet missed it. What was it? She couldn’t understand.

For some unknown reason today, Lin Jiuge felt compelled to seize that elusive thought. With that resolve, she sat down right there and stared at the waterfall.

The splashing water, water, lightning, water, lightning. If she recalled correctly, water conducts electricity. Could she try it?

At that moment, Lin Jiuge caught hold of the idea. Without direct thunder energy, she could use this to generate the thunder energy she needed. With careful control, she could surely sustain her training until the next level!

Resolved, Lin Jiuge proceeded. To be safe, she only took a cup of water.

Taking a deep breath, she arced lightning between her right hand’s index and middle fingers, steeling herself as she slowly extended her fingers toward the water.

“Sister junior, what are you doing?”