White-Robed Chief

Chu Li and Li Ruolan descended the Great Light Peak and arrived at the Small Light Peak.

He sat on the bed while she took a seat on the chair opposite him.

Chu Li grinned. “Why so serious? Shouldn’t you rejoice and celebrate this wonderful occasion?”

Donned in an apricot gown, Li Ruolan regarded him sternly with her large, attractive eyes and shook her head. “The time to rejoice has passed. Now, you must listen to me carefully so that you don’t get the short end of the stick when you enter the Great Light Peak.”

Chu Li smiled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll listen, but I’ll be moving into the Sutra Library. It should be tranquil and free of trouble, shouldn’t it?”

“As long as there are people, there will always be fights and there’s no such thing as tranquility,” Li Ruolan said as she shook her head. “The competition within the Great Light Peak is even more intense. If you do well in the Great Light Peak and don’t get into trouble, you’ll have the opportunity to descend the mountain to build up your reputation, contribute your skills and scale the ranks.”

Chu Li asked, “Will I become a patrol like you, Miss Ruolan?”

“You still have two steps to go before you can become a patrol.” Li Ruolan shook her head. “Becoming one in a short amount of time is out of the question.”

Chu Li continued asking, “Which two steps?”

“First of all, you must descend the mountain and this is no easy task.” Li Ruolan sighed. “You’re an external disciple, not an official disciple, so your chances of descending the mountain are lower.”

Chu Li was confused. “External disciple?”

Li Ruolan explained, “All of you are geniuses handpicked from every corner in the world. But still, your loyalty is often questioned by the Holy Church. No matter how sharp a sword is, if it doesn’t belong to you, it might be useless and potentially dangerous too.”

Chu Li nodded slowly and replied, “Understood. Thus, the Holy Church of Light is cautious of us outer mountain disciples.”

“Precisely,” Li Ruolan said. “Your identities are complex and your living environments are different. Moreover, your personalities are unpredictable and it’s impossible to tell what you’ll do in the future — whether or not you’ll betray the Holy Church.”

“What about official disciples?” Chu Li frowned.

Li Ruolan answered, “Official disciples are people like me. My parents were disciples of the Holy Church of Light and I grew up in the Great Light Peak. I also cultivated the martial arts of the Holy Church of Light, so I’ll never betray the Church. The Great Light Peak is my home.”

Chu Li grimaced. “Are there many of these people?”

“Most of the Holy Church of Light’s disciples are like this and external disciples are minorities.” Li Ruolan nodded in agreement. “Think about it. A martial arts competition is held every five years to recruit inner mountain disciples and only the top five are selected. You only get ten disciples in ten years and one hundred in a century.”

Chu Li sighed. “There’s no guarantee that the descendants of the Holy Church of Light’s disciples will be intelligent.”

“By utilizing the Holy Church’s unique Foundation Building Technique and quality education,” Li Ruolan explained, “the dumbest child will still turn out fine. He might not be the best, but he will still be above the regular martial arts expert. The key here is stability and there won’t be any problems.”

Chu Li remarked, “Does this mean we are the odd ones out?”

“I won’t exactly put it that way,” Li Ruolan replied. “But there are only two factions that take care of their own separate matters. External disciples like you are often geniuses, hence you all achieve more, but official disciples have very solid foundations. Although at first glance, the latter might pale in comparison to you, they will still be able to catch up at later stages. Furthermore, there are many official disciples and both factions are on an equal level.”

Chu Li heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. “Luckily.”

Li Ruolan added, “Most of the time, the bishop won’t interfere with major issues in the Holy Church. Such issues are handled by the Saint. Thanks to her sagacity, wisdom and fairness, she is able to prevent both factions from fighting against each other, but you still have to be careful.”

Chu Li frowned. “Isn’t fighting against each other forbidden?”

“That won’t happen, but there will still be some stumbling blocks that will hinder you from successfully completing your tasks, which would subsequently result in your failure to descend the mountain,” Li Ruolan said. “This will greatly affect you, possibly even your whole life.”

Chu Li nodded slowly.

Li Ruolan remarked, “You’re too aggressive. If someone aggravates you after you enter the mountain, you get angry. With this attitude, it’s easy for others to plot against and dupe you.”

“I can’t help it, I’m not going to change my attitude. The best I can do is to remain in the Great Light Peak and not leave the mountain. What can they do about me?” Chu Li scoffed. “Do you think they can get me off the mountain?”

“What if they aggravate you to make you break the rules?” Li Ruolan asked.

Chu Li did not know what to say.

Li Ruolan continued, “Do what I say, and you get to descend the mountain to contribute your skills and become a Vice Branch Leader, then a Branch Leader, and lastly, a patrol.”

“Fine, what should I do?”

“Just keep quiet when someone scolds you and feign ignorance,” Li Ruolan advised.

Chu Li shook his head. “Impossible.”

Li Ruolan snorted. “If you don’t follow what I say, don’t even think about descending the mountain. You’re the champion this time and everybody has their eyes on you. You’ll definitely face difficulties once you enter the mountain. Do you think you can tolerate that with that temper of yours?”

“Sigh…” Chu Li let out a long sigh. “So troublesome. I can’t even cultivate in peace!”

Li Ruolan shook her head. “It has never been easy. Moreover, you’re the public enemy as you’re the only person occupying the Sutra Library. Everybody wants to get rid of you, so if you want to secure your place, you must be able to withstand hardship. If you carry on with your usual temperament, in no time, someone will plot against you and you might be banished from the Holy Church!”

Chu Li frowned but he kept quiet.

Li Ruolan added, “The Saint is an intelligent and intuitive person; she knows what’s going on. As long as you remain calm and refrain from overreacting or resorting to violence, you will be fine.”

Chu Li sighed and said, “Alright, I’ll take note of this.”

Li Ruolan looked at him sternly. “I’m not kidding. You must mind yourself when you enter the Great Light Peak — don’t try to be a hero there. You must be able to tolerate humiliation and challenges in order to toughen up and be as strong and sturdy as a rock, unbothered by the weight of the world.”

Chu Li replied helplessly, “Alright, I’ll tolerate it.”

As Li Ruolan noticed that Chu Li had fully understood her advice, she heaved a sigh of relief. “After entering the mountain, look for Xia Xue. She will help you.”

Chu Li twitched his eyebrows.

Li Ruolan spoke, “She’s a close friend of mine and I’ve told her about you.”

“Mm.” Chu Li did not say anything else.

Li Ruolan went on. “If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask Xia Xue and she will guide you. Ask for her opinion on anything.”

“Won’t we see each other again?” Chu Li asked.

Li Ruolan shook her head. “I’ll be heading to the Qiu Dynasty and I’m not sure when I’ll return.”

“Why are you heading there?”

“It’s a secret mission and I can’t tell you more,” Li Ruolan replied.

“Will it be dangerous?”

“Even if it’s dangerous, I’ll be able to escape,” Li Ruolan responded.

Chu Li looked at her with knitted brows. It was obvious this trip to the Qiu Dynasty would be filled with danger. “Perhaps I’ll accompany you.”

“You’re now an inner mountain disciple and you can’t leave the mountain.” Li Ruolan declined.

Chu Li was puzzled. “Can I not enter the mountain first?”

Li Ruolan chuckled. “I’m not a weak woman and I know how to protect myself. Don’t you worry about me. You’re better off worrying about yourself!”

Noticing how concerned Chu Li felt towards her, a warm, pleasant feeling rose up inside her. Her laugh softened into a smile.

Chu Li spoke, “Your safety is more important. Take care.”

“I know.” Li Ruolan stood up. “Have a good rest and brace yourself. You’ll be entering the mountain tomorrow.”