Immortality begins with the Swordsman.

Chapter 8 Choosing a Concubine

On Chaoyang Peak.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a gentle mountain breeze, carrying a hint of coolness, rustled through the leaves in the forest.

Ning Zhongze held the "Zixiao Sword," his face glistening with sweat. His swordplay was slightly clumsy and awkward, yet he meticulously practiced the "Welcoming Pine Tree" move from the "Huashan Introductory Swordplay" repeatedly.

It was still dark.

Gu Changfeng forcibly dragged her out of the bedding and brought her here. After teaching her a sword technique, he stood aside and practiced alone.

Gu Changfeng, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on the edge of the cliff, closed his eyes, and practiced the "Purple Cloud Divine Skill".

Ning Zhongze stopped to wipe his sweat and catch his breath more than once, but every time he looked up, he saw Gu Changfeng still cultivating with his eyes closed.

Cultivating internal energy is extremely dangerous, no less so than swordsmanship.

Watching this scene, Ning Zhongze thought to herself, "My second senior brother is already so capable, yet he is still so diligent... How can I be lazy?"

A resolute glint flashed in her eyes, and she gripped the sword even tighter, continuing her arduous practice.

Before we knew it, the sun had risen high in the sky, and golden sunlight bathed the entire Chaoyang Peak.

Gu Changfeng slowly opened his eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled a breath of white turbid air, and showed a look of joy on his face: "Indeed, this 'Purple Cloud Divine Skill' is more suitable for the rising sun. According to the current cultivation progress, I estimate that the 'Purple Cloud Divine Skill' will be mastered in about a month."

He raised his left hand, looking at the half-black, half-white Bodhi seed on the bracelet, and thought to himself, "By then, this Bodhi seed will be completely black. I wonder what kind of good thing it will reward me with?"

He turned his head and looked at Ning Zhongze, who was not far away.

The girl was still focused on practicing her swordplay. Her movements were light and graceful, and although her sword techniques were slightly rusty, they revealed a tenacious spirit.

"To be so diligent at such a young age, she truly deserves to be the renowned heroine Ning who will one day dominate the martial arts world. It seems that success is never accidental."

Thinking of this.

Gu Changfeng said, "Junior sister, let's stop practicing here for today. You must understand the principle that water overflows when it's full, and breaks when it's too much."

"Thank you for your guidance, Second Senior Brother."

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhongze breathed a sigh of relief, and collapsed to the ground as if all her strength had been drained.

"I'm exhausted."

She was breathing heavily, her forehead was covered in sweat, and her cheeks were flushed from long hours of exertion.

After resting for a while, Gu Changfeng got up and prepared to head home.

However, the mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse. The girl had already exhausted herself from practicing, and her legs were weak, making it impossible for her to walk on the mountain path.

Seeing this, Gu Changfeng did not hesitate at all and picked her up in his arms.

"Second Brother, you—"

Ning Zhongze was so shocked that her face turned red. She instinctively tried to push Gu Changfeng away, but she was too weak to do so. She could only look at him with a flushed face, at a loss for what to do.

Gu Changfeng remained calm: "People of the martial world don't concern themselves with trivial matters!"

Before he finished speaking, he lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure, like a golden goose soaring across the sky, transformed into a green shadow that shuttled between the mountains and cliffs.

The mountain wind howled, and the sound of the wind whistled in my ears.

Ning Zhongze had never experienced anything so thrilling before; she felt both nervous and excited. She instinctively hugged Gu Changfeng's neck tightly, her eyes closed, afraid to open them.

Back at "Purple Qi Comes from the East Pavilion", the two washed up briefly and tidied their appearance.

Afterwards, Gu Changfeng led Ning Zhongze to the Inner Affairs Hall.

A sect with several hundred members naturally has many internal affairs to attend to.

Although it cannot be compared with the behemoth that is the Six Ministries of the Imperial Court, it is still "small but complete".

As soon as Gu Changfeng entered the Inner Affairs Hall, he saw more than a dozen people inside, each performing their duties and handling their tasks in a busy but orderly manner.

At the very top sat an elderly man with white hair and beard, named Lin Qingxuan, the oldest senior on Mount Hua.

When Master Zixiao was away, Lin Qingxuan was in charge of managing all the internal affairs of the sect.

If this were in later generations, Lin Qingxuan would definitely be the general manager, while Zixiao Daoist would be the chairman of the board.

The general manager has to do the work, but the chairman doesn't have to.

"Is Changfeng here?"

When Lin Qingxuan saw Gu Changfeng enter, he smiled kindly and greeted him.

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing, looked up, and greeted Gu Changfeng.

Gu Changfeng smiled slightly and cupped his hands to everyone, saying, "Greetings, Senior Uncle Lin, and greetings to all my senior brothers and sisters."

Lin Qingxuan stroked his beard and smiled, "Changfeng, no need for such formalities. Come and sit here; a seat has already been prepared for you. Since your master has asked you to start handling sect affairs, then begin with some simple tasks..."

As he spoke, he turned to a female disciple in her early twenties and said, "Suqing, hand over your work to Changfeng and have him familiarize himself with the place first..."

Seeing this, Gu Changfeng hurriedly interrupted, "Wait, Senior Sister Zhou, let's talk about these things later. I want to ask first, how is the matter of my master preparing to buy maids going?"

Zhou Suqing said, "Junior Brother Chu has already sent word that he has found more than a dozen people to wait for me at Yuquan Courtyard. I'm just about to go and pick a few..."

Gu Changfeng's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Oh, then I won't trouble Senior Sister Zhou. I'll go and choose myself."

After saying that, without giving Zhou Suqing a chance to refuse, he pulled Ning Zhongze away.

And so, on his first day as "Crown Prince Regent," Gu Changfeng simply washed his hands of the matter and took Ning Zhongze down the mountain to "select concubines."

……

……

In less than half an incense stick's time, Gu Changfeng carried Ning Zhongze to Yuquan Temple at the foot of the mountain.

Yuquan Temple is located next to the mountain gate of Mount Hua. It was built during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song. It was built by the Taoist Jia Desheng for his master Chen Tuan. It is also known as Xiyi Temple because Emperor Taizu of Song bestowed upon Chen Tuan the title "Master Xiyi".

Enter Yuquan Temple.

The courtyard is not large, and the overall layout is in the shape of the Chinese character "田" (field). In front is the Xiyi Shrine, which enshrines Chen Tuan. On the left and right sides are well-arranged side rooms and ear rooms, while in the middle is a unique garden landscape with a pond that ripples in the sunlight, a stone bridge that spans it, and a pavilion standing quietly beside it. The overall environment is elegant and pleasant.

At that time, there were more than a dozen young women in the garden.

Judging from their attire, they should be daughters of nearby villagers.

For them, entering the Huashan Sect, even as a maid, would be a chance to leap over the dragon gate.

Upon seeing Gu Changfeng, Chu Buxiu immediately stepped forward and said, "Junior Brother Gu, Junior Sister Ning, why did you come down in person?"

Gu Changfeng laughed and said, "Finding a maid for my junior sister is something I will naturally do myself."

"You're really quite considerate towards Junior Sister Ning, aren't you?" Chu Buxiu chuckled lewdly, then called out to the group of girls, "Come here, let my Junior Brother Gu take a good look at you..."

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so young women immediately sprang into action, tidying their clothes and hair before quickly lining up in front of Gu Changfeng.

Although their clothes were simple and they looked poor, they were very clean and tidy, and each of them was young and beautiful, a sight to behold.

Chu Buxiu said, "Cheer up, everyone. My junior brother Gu is the number one genius of Mount Hua and the future sect leader of the Qi Sect. Being chosen by him is a blessing you've accumulated over eight lifetimes..."

however.

Before Gu Changfeng could even "select his concubines," one of the girls, who was fairly pretty, suddenly knelt down in front of him with a "thud," and cried out:

"Please, Young Hero Gu, save my sister..."

This unexpected scene.

Gu Changfeng was taken aback. He composed himself and looked at Chu Buxiu, who was also in a daze. He frowned slightly.

"What happened?" Gu Changfeng asked in a deep voice, "Get up first and explain yourself."