Volcanic Age

The Plum Blossom Order Sword—Zhou Xuchuan.

It was a name that every disciple of the Mount Hua Sect knew. Even if they were six or seven years old and didn’t even know the basics of martial arts, they knew Zhou Xuchuan.

Zheng Huilian, the Sect Master's disciple, was the same. He had grown up hearing Zhou Xuchuan's name so much that he was sick of it.

The Hero of the Righteous Faction!

There was no one in the murim who didn't know his achievements. Whenever he heard the news, he would rejoice as if it were his own.

Like any other boy or girl, Zheng Huilian admired and looked up to heroes.

The person he respected was his great master, You Riwen.

The person he admired was the hero, Zhou Xuchuan.

When he heard that name, his heart would tremble with excitement, and his pride would swell. If someone insulted that name, he would feel a wave of needless irritation and anger.

Today, after finally meeting the man he had admired for so long, Zheng Huilian was far more moved than he could have imagined.

"Sob, sob, thank you. I will treasure this as a family heirloom, Senior Brother."[1]

Zheng Huilian carefully held the jacket with the words 'Zhou Xuchuan' on it and shed tears as if he was touched.

"N-no… that's not necessary. Also, I'm not your senior brother, but your senior brother's disciple."

Zhou Xuchuan was visibly flustered. Although Zheng Huilian had joined the sect later than he had, he was a disciple of the Sect Master and therefore part of the third generation—a step above Zhou Xuchuan.

"Because of the rules, to think that I can't call a senior brother what he truly is…!" Zheng Huilian looked genuinely upset.

Was Sect Master Zheng Huilian truly like this?

Something in the back of Zhou Xuchuan’s mind told him this was strange.

"If the future Sect Master doesn’t set an example, that’s a problem. I understand. It's painful, but I'll call you Disciple-Nephew."

Zheng Huilian clenched his fists, as if making a difficult decision.

"However, you will always be a Senior Brother in my heart, so don't forget that."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Is he being serious?

Zheng Huilian’s behavior was so unusual that he suspected that there might be some kind of conspiracy.

“Zhou Xuchuan, it’s such an honor to meet you. Could you shake my hand?”

“Junior Master-Uncle, please don’t be so formal.” Zhou Xuchuan extended his hand, feeling a little embarrassed.

Zheng Huilian grabbed Zhou Xuchuan’s hand tightly and shook it violently in refusal.

"Please let me at least do this much. You deserve that level of respect. And thank you for shaking my hand, I’ll never wash it again in my life."

This is getting ridiculous.

The situation felt surreal. He began to suspect that maybe Zheng Huilian was trying to make him lower his guard to slaughter him later.[2]

"I-I-I-I! B-by chance—Ahem, if it's okay, could you instruct me? I know you must be busy as the Great Hero, but it’s one of my greatest wishes!"

“I suppose…”

“Yahoo!”

Zheng Huilian threw his arms into the air, cheering loudly three times.

“Then, I’ll be in your care!”

“What?”

The elders heard that the two people in question were sparring in the training field near the Upper Palace.

Afraid that something bad might happen, the Five High Elders of Mount Hua hurried over, their expressions full of concern.

They never imagined that the two people who should never have met would end up fighting.

Regretting their lack of foresight, they quickened their pace to stop the situation from escalating.

However, what the leaders of the Mount Hua Sect saw when they arrived at the training field wasn’t the fierce battle they’d feared. Instead, Zheng Huilian stood there, smiling brightly.

"Wow, I've completely lost! As expected, you're incredible. I really learned a lot, thank you! It was an honor!"

Zheng Huilian cupped a fist as he expressed his gratitude.

"T-there's no need to be so grateful." Zhou Xuchuan stammered, utterly bewildered.

As expected of the next generation's Sect Master, Zheng Huilian’s swordsmanship was exceptional.

To be taught the Violet Haze Divine Art, one needed to have some talent. In fact, according to both internal and external evaluations, excluding Zhou Xuchuan, Zheng Huilian was actually the most talented of the top geniuses.

At just fifteen, he had already mastered half of the Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom.

Zhou Xuchuan had been able to reach his current level thanks to his memories and enlightenment from his past life, but Zheng Huilian was pure talent. From what Zhou Xuchuan had heard, the boy wasn’t just talented, he also worked incredibly hard.

Now, after crossing swords with him personally, Zhou Xuchuan could tell how talented the boy was.

If he kept growing like this, Zheng Huilian might reach the Harmony Realm by the age of thirty. With the sect’s resources backing him, there was no need to worry about his qi reserves.

Ugh. I appreciate that someone of this caliber is showing favor instead of hostility… but I feel uneasy.

It was definitely a good thing. It was far better than being on edge within the Mount Hua Sect, especially since this involved the next successor.

Still, everything was going so smoothly that Zhou Xuchuan couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling in his heart.

Just as Zhou Xuchuan began to wonder whether Zheng Huilian truly had no ulterior motives, the boy noticed they had an audience. Immediately, he cupped his fists and greeted them respectfully.

"The Sect Master's disciple, Zheng Huilian, greets the Master and the Elders of Mount Hua."

"Fourth-generation disciple Zhou Xuchuan greets the elders of Mount Hua."[3]

Zhou Xuchuan put his thoughts aside for a moment and greeted them.

“Ahem, I hope we didn’t interrupt anything.” You Riwen said, stroking his long beard awkwardly.

"It's nothing. We just finished,” Zheng Huilian replied proudly, puffing out his chest. “I actually learned a lot from Disciple-Nephew Zhou Xuchuan. I will use this as a reference and work harder.”

“Huh?”

Xue Song’s eyes widened in confusion. The other elders looked equally baffled.

But You Riwen was different.

“Hehehe!”

The Sect Master laughed heartily, his voice full of delight.

“…?”

Zheng Huilian tilted his head, confused by You Riwen’s reaction.

The elders were equally puzzled as You Riwen continued laughing without a care in the world. Then, suddenly, he stopped and turned to Zheng Huilian.

“Huilian.”

“Yes, Master.”

“What do you think about Zhou Xuchuan?”

"S-Sect Master."

Xue Song was visibly flustered, and even Zhou Xuchuan looked taken aback.

“He is a hero and someone I greatly admire. I also think he’s a man worthy of respect.”

Zheng Huilian didn’t seem to care about the reactions of those around him as he answered with sparkling eyes.

"When he was young, he stumbled upon an opportunity to gain qi reserves far beyond his years. But back then, he wasn’t skilled at controlling his techniques, so people mocked him, calling him ‘All Bite and No Bark.’"

It was a nickname Zhou Xuchuan hadn’t heard in a long time.

"But he didn’t let the insults bother him. Instead, he worked tirelessly to improve. Over time, he developed his talents and became a genius. Despite his accomplishments, he stayed humble, never boasting, and remained focused on martial arts. When he stepped into the world of the murim, he…"

As if he’d been waiting for this moment, Zheng Huilian recited Zhou Xuchuan’s history in such vivid detail that it was a little terrifying.

"...Even with all the rumors, Zhou Xuchuan’s story remains the pride of Mount Hua. It’s truly an honor to live in the same era as him."

Zheng Huilian's smile was as bright and pure as that of a child.

I didn’t expect the Sect Master’s disciple to think of Zhou Xuchuan like this.

While it's not a bad thing…

It could just be a fleeting admiration of childhood.

The Five High Elders of Mount Hua wore complicated expressions.

"You're right, he truly is amazing."

"That's right! But, of course, the person I respect most is you, Master!” Zheng Huilian quickly added, glancing at his master to make sure he hadn’t hurt his feelings.

"Thank you for saying so." You Riwen replied, his gaze softening as he looked at his disciple.

“Huilian, answer Master’s question honestly.”

“Of course.”

"The person you admire is only a few years older than you, yet he’s achieved so much. His martial achievements are also extraordinary. Don't you envy Xuchuan?"

"Sect Master…!"

When You Riwen asked his question directly, the Five High Elders of Mount Hua were taken aback.

“Envious? Not at all!” Zheng Huilian waved his hand in embarrassment and denied it fiercely. "I’ll admit, when I was younger, I felt that way for a moment. But now, I see things differently. Incredible people are incredible, and we should learn from them. What good does jealousy do?"

Ha!

Zhou Xuchuan couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed.

Be honest, are you the one who organized this?

"Hmm."

You Riwen narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard thoughtfully before speaking again.

"What if the next Sect Master is not you but Xuchuan instead? Some would say he’s more suitable."

"Sect Master!" Shen Yulian exclaimed, unable to stay silent.

Given the circumstances, with so much concern about the future of the Mount Hua Sect, they needed to tread carefully. And yet, the Sect Master seemed to have thrown fuel onto the fire instead!

"That's a great idea!"

Zheng Huilian’s enthusiastic response left everyone stunned.

"What if we just gave the successor position to Disciple-Nephew Zhou Xuchuan? Wasn't he the one who brought Mount Hua to its current glory anyway? It’s unconventional, but with his reputation, it wouldn’t be difficult to make it happen. The only problem would be me, the Sect Master's Disciple, but you don't have to worry about that!"

Zheng Huilian grinned, giving a thumbs-up. His eyes sparkled as if he was even willing to give up his liver and gallbladder if they asked him to.

"Oh dear."

"Wow."

Zhou Xuchuan and You Riwen were the only ones who laughed awkwardly. They hadn’t expected this kind of reaction.

It was also surprising that Zheng Huilian had answered without hesitation.

“Hahahaha!” You Riwen burst into laughter, clearly amused.

"He already assured me that he has no intention of becoming the next Sect Master, so there's no need for us to do that. The next Sect Master will be you, so there's nothing to worry about."

“Is that so? That’s too bad.” Zheng Huilian licked his lips in disappointment.

"However, if you truly don’t intend to be the successor, the situation will only become more complicated. Keep that in mind and take your role seriously,” You Riwen warned, his tone stern.

He pointed out that Zheng Huilian was taking the position of the successor too lightly.

"Of course I know that. The next Sect Master will be me, so you don't have to worry about that."

"Didn't you just say that you would hand over the position of Sect Master to Xuchuan?"

"That would only be for him. Others can piss off. I intend to take your position, so don't worry about it. Leave it to me," Zheng Huilian declared confidently.

“Haha, you’re really quite bold.”

It wasn’t as though he didn’t care about the Sect Master position. The boy’s talent and intelligence far exceeded his age, but even so, Zhou Xuchuan had never met anyone so strange.

"I-it's a disaster!"

Just as everyone was focused on Zheng Huilian, an urgent shout was heard from afar, and a disciple quickly approached.

“What’s going on?” Shen Yulian asked, her eyes narrowing. The Upper Palace wasn’t a place where just anyone could enter without permission, especially if they were having a meeting. If someone had come rushing in unannounced, it could only mean the matter was dire.

"I-it's the Blood Cult! The Blood Cult!"

1. Remember, as the successor to the Sect Master, he isn't allowed to get married or have kids. So, he technically has no family to pass an heirloom down to… ☜

2. This is an idiom. Granted, it's pretty direct, but it's still an idiom. ☜

3. "Elders" is a title, while "elders" is a term of respect in Korean. Sorry for the minute difference. There is literally no other word I can use. Note that I will never start a sentence with the lowercase elder word in order to avoid confusion. ☜