Baiyuyi 41: Laoban, your reputation is a little…

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Chapter 41: Laoban … your reputation is a little…

“Elder Yuankong.”

The venerable, white-haired man of indeterminable age (looking somewhere between 30 and 40, and yet exuding an air far older than that) turned from the large bay window from where he’d been contemplating the J City skyline.

“The person you’ve asked us to keep a look out for has arrived.”

“I see.”

Elder Yuankong smiled a bit tensely.

Although it wasn’t guaranteed that the young man who helped them smooth things over when their Mount Hwa Sect’s troublemakers snuck out would join the Mingling of Many Sects, he’d thought it wasn’t an impossible occurrence that could happen.

“It seems like there is fate between our sect and that young cultivator,” he mused, stroking his short beard.

“The thing is…” the senior disciple coughed a bit, bringing Elder Yuankong’s attention back towards him.

…? Is there something wrong?

This senior disciple looks considerably anxious… was his instinct that told him meeting that young friend cultivator was a fortuitous event a mistake?

“… It seems the cultivator in question has arrived with Senior White Jade Wings,” the senior disciple said, a strange look on his face.

Elder Yuankong’s face soon mirrored the senior disciple’s.

Senior White Jade Wings?

What the heck! Young Friend, we expected your background to be decent, but isn’t it shooting through the Heavens?!

Without a second word, Elder Yuankong hurried out of the parlor he had been biding his time in without even bothering to summon his martial siblings like he had planned.

It would be better to greet such an important young friend quickly!

—

The entrance and front hall of the luxury hotel was extremely intimidating for someone like Yuan Chenglei.

He was a poor kid down to his bones, and seeing the polished floors and crystal chandelier above the marble staircase made him feel like… er, Laoban, this lowly peasant is going to wait outside in the coffee shop over … … … oh, no, maybe not that one. This entire district is too high class!!!

Wrrry!?

Yuan Chenglei, who was the eternal loser at Old Maid among his friends, did not possess a good enough poker face to hide his internal panic, and he winced as Laoban glanced over at him, eyebrow raised.

What, he can’t help it! He was just a country bumpkin who moved to the city half a year ago, there’s no way he can get rid of the poor person’s mentality that easily, okay?!

But what can he do now? He’s already here!

Yuan Chenglei could only follow Laoban as they were guided by a well-dressed hotel staff down the hallways to the grand hall.

But the first thing he saw as he passed under the doorway and into the massive hall full of people stunned him so much that he forgot his panic.

Ah… is that a cultivator dressed like a punk?

Wait, now that he takes a closer look… among the people in high-class formal wear and more traditional hanfu-styled robes, there were all sorts of eccentric figures!

Punks, goth, track jerseys, and what looked suspiciously like pajamas were just some of the outfits Yuan Chenglei spotted, as well as leather body suits and trendy styles you could probably find on Chengdu.

There was even a man in a colorful shirt and bermuda shorts that looked like he’d been ‘aloha’-ing over the ocean.

Yuan Chenglei: (●__●)

Seniors and Experts… your image in this Yuan Chenglei’s heart is crumbling…

Rather than a meeting of esteemed cultivators at a high-class venue, wasn’t this a costume party?!

To think that he had thought Laoban was an eccentric among cultivators…

But it didn’t seem like it mattered what Yuan Chenglei thought about them; among all these weirdos Seniors, Laoban was still the odd one out to everyone else.

When Yuan Chenglei and Laoban entered the grand hall, the crowd within immediately fell silent, and Yuan Chenglei could feel the weight of a thousand stares boring into him even as he stared back at them.

Mmhm, right, Laoban is a bigshot in the cultivation world.

It seems like Yuan Chenglei wasn’t going to be allowed to forget that any time soon~.

Even as Yuan Chenglei blanked out, attempting to distract himself from the situation with random thoughts, Laoban waltzed into the room without a care for the eyes that were glued to them.

He casually plucked two champagne flutes from a passing waiter and handed one to Yuan Chenglei.

“Is this everything you expected, Little Cheng?” he asked, an amused look in his eyes.

“…”

Looking at Laoban, who looked completely relaxed in torn jeans and knockoff sandals while standing in the middle of the ballroom with polished, dark marble floors, expensive-looking decorations here there and everywhere, and crystal chandeliers above, Yuan Chenglei couldn’t help but feel the absurdity of the entire situation.

“…Yes and no,” Yuan Chenglei finally managed to say.

He felt too uncomfortable to say much more. The stares from the others in the room were penetrating, and it felt even worse because no one actually came to talk to them.

Not to mention, Yuan Chenglei felt that the gazes seemed to be concentrated solely on him…

“It’s not your imagination, you’re currently the person everyone’s the most interested in within this room,” Laoban said, shattering Yuan Chenglei’s hopes and dreams that it was just him being too self-conscious.

“… Isn’t that completely your fault?” Yuan Chenglei said bitterly, and Laoban just laughed.

It’s great that Laoban can enjoy himself even in this situation…

The surrounding silence felt oppressive to Yuan Chenglei, but the quiet mutterings here or there felt even worse as the stares pricked into him.

Suddenly there was a loud roar.

“SOOOONG LIIII_!”

The sudden yell made Yuan Chenglei flinch so hard his champagne (oh god, it’s champagne, is a bumpkin like him even allowed to drink this?!) flew out of his glass and he had to catch the liquid with his glass quickly.

He gave a sigh of relief when the expensive alcohol was safely returned into his glass – thank you enhanced reflexes and all that … idol dance practice? Yuan Chenglei had mixed feelings about this …

Looking back over his shoulder at the commotion with a somewhat distressed, somewhat perplexed, look, Yuan Chenglei turned to see who on earth had a set of lungs that could rival a jet engine.

A sprightly old man in a hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts, and flip flops had drawn himself upright, pointing at Laoban dramatically.

Well, he appeared to be a normal old man due to his white hair and skinny appearance, but looking closer, underneath the bushy white beard, sunglasses, and fisherman’s hat, the man still had a full set of hair and very few wrinkles.

“You wretched old-age defier! What’s with that sloppy look, ain’t you even older than me?!” the man bellowed theatrically.

Laoban chuckled, setting down his empty champagne glass (how did he drink that through the mask?).

“Isn’t the goal of cultivation to defy the laws of the natural, mortal order of things? In the first place, isn’t your look sloppier than mine? If you just shaved you’d look much younger, wouldn’t you?” Laoban said, clearly amused.

“I’d still look older than you! Dammit! You Ancient Monster! I’ve heard you’ve taken a disciple! Do you dare test your disciple’s abilities against mine?!”

Oooh… is this someone with a competitive streak towards Laoban? Does that mean this Senior is someone strong… Wait, what-?!

Yuan Chenglei whipped his head up in alarm.

Wait, disciple?! He doesn’t mean HIM, right?!

“That’s right! White Jade Wings’ disciple! Do you dare face me in combat?”

From behind the aloha Senior, a tanned young man about Yuan Chenglei’s age stepped out and taunted Yuan Chenglei, pointing directly at him.

Eh… cultivators can get tans? – wait, no, why are you pointing at this newbie?!

“No, I don’t!” slipped out of his mouth before Yuan Chenglei could stop it.

“… Eh?” the young man said, face blank, his blazing fighting spirit completely doused in Yuan Chenglei’s blunt refusal. “Wait… what?”

Well, Yuan Chenglei already said he didn’t want to, so he might as well go all in…

“No, like, just because you came at me wanting a fight doesn’t mean I have to give one to you, right?” he said.

There was dead silence in the hall.

“Nonono! This is for your Master’s honor! Why would you refuse?!” the young cultivator shouted.

“… Eh… is that something I need to worry about?” Yuan Chenglei asked, looking at Laoban.

After all, Laoban’s such a big name… can some kid he just picked up really make a dent in his reputation?

“Of course not,” Laoban said with another chuckle. “Just like I do as I please, you should feel free to do as you please. But personally, I think this would be a beneficial experience for you.”

“… Huh,” is all Yuan Chenglei can eek out, his eyes wide.

Beneficial?

Laoban, you’re asking this Yuan Chenglei who has no experience in actually fighting someone, even in a spar, to have a match against another Senior’s disciple?

What’s so beneficial about just getting beat up?!

Yuan Chenglei’s turmoil was clearly broadcasted across his face, causing Laoban’s eyes to crinkle in a smile.

“I’m being serious,” Laoban said. “You haven’t gotten a chance to have a proper spar before, and you have nothing to lose even if you do lose. After all, it’s only been a little over a week since you’ve started cultivating, so there is no shame in losing to someone who has nearly a decade more experience.”

Aaah, so this Luo guy has been a cultivator for ten years… and Yuan Chenglei has been one for, what, three days? Technically?

Nine days if you want to count when he started attempting to build his foundation.

Yeah, this totally sounds like a good idea… not!

“… Laoban, you’re not exactly being encouraging,” Yuan Chenglei said, looking apprehensively back over his shoulder, expecting to see the other Senior and his disciple impatiently waiting to pressure him into a fight.

However…

“… Old Song,” the Hawaiian shirt-wearing cultivator said, a furrow to his brows and an awkward quirk to his moustache as he gave Laoban a complicated look. “You know there are things called human rights these days, right? You can’t just experiment freely on people.”

The Senior’s disciple was giving Yuan Chenglei a pitying look.

Laoban chuckled.

“Would you believe it if I told you that this child’s progress is all due to his own abilities?” he asked.

“Who would believe that?!” the other Senior said, slapping his leg in agitation. “Becoming a Third Stage Cultivator in a week?! Hey, boy, keep in mind, if you feel like your life’s in any danger, you are free to run away from this mad scientist…!”

“Ahaha…” Yuan Chenglei averted his eyes.

Sure, it feels like his life has been in danger a lot these days, but it really isn’t Laoban’s fault… so why is everyone in the hall murmuring while giving him pitying looks?

“Laoban … your reputation is a little…” Yuan Chenglei deadpanned.

“I’m also a little confused,” Laoban said with a sigh. “It’s not like I’ve dabbled in true human experimentation before. I’ve never used a pill or elixir on anyone without being reasonably certain of their effects.”

“…”

It wasn’t just Yuan Chenglei who was staring at Laoban Song skeptically.

“… Hey, uh… how about in a few months?” the tanned cultivator said, patting Yuan Chenglei anxiously on the shoulder, as if trying to comfort him. “Maybe we can … uh, have a spar… later? When you get used to things? You know, it’s not good to take things too fast… do you want to trade WeChat IDs? Ah, I’m Yan Honghui…”

“… Ahaha…”

After the (actually pretty chill) hot-blooded Senior Eastern Sea and his disciple wandered off, the silence in the hall had been broken.

Unfortunately, Yuan Chenglei was still pretty much the center of attention.

Just as he was starting to wonder if he was going to be able to withstand all these pitying glances and whispers,

“Brother Chenglei-!”

Yuan Chenglei was startled to hear someone calling him familiarly, and he turned to see Guang Shexian in a suit and tie, waving while running towards him from the entryway where he had just entered with what were presumably Guang Shexian’s sect members.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here -” Guang Shexian said cheerfully before stopping mid-sentence and mid-step. Even his smile froze for a split second.

Quick as a thief, Guang Shexian snatched Yuan Chenglei’s sleeve and dragged him a few feet away.

“… Brother Cheng, isn’t that the Big Senior, White Jade Wings?” he hissed quietly. “W-what were you doing following that Senior?”

Ahahaha… “Um… that’s my Master?” Yuan Chenglei replied with a somewhat apologetic smile.

Apologetic, because as expected, Guang Shexian froze as if his brain had a hard-shutdown. Weeell, now that he thought about it, he hadn’t ever actually told Guang Shexian who his Master was, had he? No, of course he didn’t~.

Why would he have?

Who would have believed it?

In the few moments when Guang Shexian had decided to impersonate a statue, the rest of his sect had approached them.

Which sect were they again…? Oh yeah, the Crouching Tiger Sect. Although, Yuan Chenglei didn’t know much about them other than the fact that they’re apparently big names in the cultivation world for black tech.

“This Ye Jiang greets Senior White Jade Wings on behalf of the Crouching Tiger Sect,” the most important looking man said, giving Laoban Song a salute. His hair and mutton chops were a little wild, but the rest of him, like the rest of the Crouching Tiger Sect members, was dressed appropriately for the setting.

And by that, it means the Crouching Tiger Sect members were dressed in formal wear. As expected of a sect that deals with the mundane side of the world a lot.

“Greetings to the Crouching Tiger Sect,” Laoban said evenly.

“There seems to have been a situation the other night, so the Crouching Tiger Sect would like to offer our assistance if there is anything that still needs to be done,” the man, Ye Jian, continued.

“I see. However matters have been settled satisfactorily for the time being. Certainly, I will keep the Crouching Tiger Sect’s offer in mind,” Laoban replied.

The two stared at each other with false pleasantry until Ye Jiang made a grimace and sighed heavily.

“… Having such polite speech doesn’t suit you, after all,” Laoban said, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

“You’re tellin’ me,” Ye Jiang grumbled. “Why the hell am I the Branch Leader of the J City Branch? Hey, Changchang, you tell me why -, ”

“Isn’t that because you’re completely useless for everything except being a figurehead?” the woman in glasses next to him said, pushing up her glasses with a straight face.

“…” Ye Jiang glared at her.

“After all, Zhangsun Kang handles the business side of things and I handle all the logistics of running the branch. Out of the three of us, you’re the only meathead who doesn’t bring anything worthwhile to the table.”

“You-! You’re insulting your Branch Leader in public!” Ye Jiang yelped in exasperation.

So this is Guang Shexian’s sect, huh…? Yuan Chenglei was learning more and more that cultivators… are all eccentric people.

“… By the way, Senior Song,” Ye Jiang said, scratching the back of his head. “Is that … your disciple?”

Ahahaha… The man’s wild stare felt like it was piercing Yuan Chenglei through.

“Indeed, he is,” Laoban said. “Little Cheng, say hello.”

“Greetings to these Seniors,” Yuan Chenglei said, feeling a little like a little kid being asked to greet his grandma and grandpa at a family reunion.

Ye Jiang gave him a nod before looking back at Laoban Song, saying, “It seems our Guang Shexian has been in your disciple’s care.”

“Is that so? It’s nice to see the younger generations getting along,” Laoban said mildly.

After a bit more small talk, the Crouching Tiger Sect members left them to go greet other cultivators, Guang Shexian still looking a little confused.

“Senior White Jade Wings, Friend Chenglei, it’s good to see you.”

Mo Furen, the Fourth Stage cultivator that had led the Ghost Hunters during that battle with the Phantom Raisers, made a beeline for Laoban and Yuan Chenglei as soon as the Crouching Tiger Sect left.

“Greetings. It seems the Ghost Hunters have been doing well since our last meeting,” Laoban said pleasantly while Yuan Chenglei awkwardly waved from the side.

“Yes, thanks to you,” Mo Furen replied.

He wasn’t just being polite.

They would have been dead without these two.

Mo Furen couldn’t help but look over the young cultivator standing behind this fearsome bigshot in J City.

Such a good-natured, innocent looking boy, to have become ensnared by the mad scientist of the cultivation world… although, his squad of ghost hunters had been saved thanks to the lad’s good nature and misfortune, so he couldn’t complain too much.

Besides, Senior White Jade Wings is still considered a reasonable person among the bigshots throughout the country.

Taking Mo Furen’s outstretched hand, Laoban Song chuckled and replied, “What has this one done? This Senior has only disciplined some fools who chose to mess with his disciple.”

“Even so, my men have benefited greatly from your intervention,” Mo Furen said, not at all feeling bothered by Senior White Jade Wings’ clearly defined line between his influence and the Ghost Hunters Association.

The rest of the evening kind of went along the same lines, and with many people coming up to curry favor with Laoban Song, and as for Yuan Chenglei…

Except for Guang Shexian and that tanned guy… Yan something or other? Other than the two of them, and maybe Mo Furen’s stilted, polite acknowledgment, everyone else kept their distance, only staring at Yuan Chenglei like he was some sort of rare creature.

… Well he kind of was, with his unique constitution and all, but THEY didn’t know that… right?

As Yuan Chenglei stood awkwardly, sipping at the glass in his hand, he was suddenly aware of several cultivators in suits approaching him.

… Hm? Him, not Laoban?

“Young friend, we meet again.”

Yuan Chenglei blinked.

Um… oh, it’s that elder Senior, from that incident with the bratty kids! The one from a major sect!

The Mount Hwa Sect… Yuan Chenglei couldn’t forget it even if he tried, those kids were yelling the name so much.

He quickly stood at attention.

“Ah, from that time – thank you for your assistance then,” Yuan Chenglei said, giving a curt salute – as good as he could with a champagne glass in his hand, anyway.

The heroic-looking grandfather-like Senior smiled.

“Shouldn’t that be what this Elder should say?” he asked. “The Mount Hwa Sect thanks Little Friend Chenglei for his help. It is fortuitous that we are able to meet again. As an Elder of the sect, this Fa Yuankong wishes to convey that, should Little Friend Chenglei ever need anything, the Mount Hwa Sect is always ready to assist.”

“Ah…” Yuan Chenglei blinked, unable to say much else.

Eh. Wait, he just helped scold some children, they don’t need to be that accomodating, right…?

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuan Chenglei saw the amused look in Laoban’s eyes.

Oh, right.

Waaah… this Yuan Chenglei isn’t going to get used to this sort of ‘celeb’ treatment, no way, no how!

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<a/n: … Why did I stage my ‘comeback’ now? I know September and early October are migraine season for me. I know this, and yet… oh well, I’ll just ease back into regular updates I guess.

I just realized I really don’t like writing these sorts of giant party/banquet type scenes. Which is great because I left off of Fluvia and Baiyuyi in the midst of this sort of thing. Please pardon my plow through of these plotpoints to get past this stuff … >