"He, he pushed Meng Heze down first, then for some reason jumped down after him. This subordinate returned to report."
Zhao Yuping's face darkened as he spat two words through gritted teeth: "Useless."
The young deacon didn't dare refute.
The night wind carried rain, its chill permeating the entire room.
Zhao Yuping turned to look out the window, his gaze falling upon those crude dormitories.
Every year, countless mortal youths with mediocre spirit roots and ordinary immortal bones—possessing nothing yet carrying dreams of instantly ascending to immortality—crowded into the Huawel Sect as outer sect disciples.
They were clever, diligent, did more work for less pay, desperately currying favor with the inner sect while fiercely competing among themselves.
Among them, only one in a thousand could truly leap over the dragon gate and defy fate.
The others, after many years of facing reality, would go manage the sect's mundane enterprises below the mountain, toiling diligently like ordinary mortals. Their only pursuit being extended lifespan—living much longer than common people.
Generation after generation of flesh-and-blood fertilizer sustained major sects like Huawel in the cultivation world, keeping them perpetually prosperous and flourishing.
Outer sect disciples were like adorable autumn grasshoppers. Even when occasionally a few appeared who thought highly of themselves—or truly were exceptional—they still couldn't leap beyond his palm.
But why would Song Qianji go mad and jump after him?
Did he not want to live anymore? Did he not want to cultivate immortality?
What nonsense.
"Who promised him benefits, making him dare to ruin my plans!"
Zhao Yuping narrowed his eyes, recalling every detail of his interactions with Song Qianji.
That youth whose thoughts were written all over his face definitely didn't have the ability to change plans on his own.
Who had bribed him again? Who had instigated him?
Was it someone from the Discipline Hall, or the Enforcement Hall?
Managing the outer sect offered the most lucrative opportunities. Those old fogies had long wanted a share of the profits.
How patient they were, waiting until the night before the entrance assessment, making their move at the last moment to catch me off guard.
Dream on.
A mere outer sect disciple isn't even worth as much as a chess piece.
Zhao Yuping: "Go, send people to search the cliff bottom. Search every inch of ground thoroughly. Even if they've been smashed to pulp, piece them back into human shapes for me!"
The young deacon tentatively asked: "What if they're really still alive..."
Zhao Yuping laughed: "Broken Mountain Cliff isolates spirit qi. Two early Qi Refining cultivators—how could they survive such a fall? Understand?"
Lightning tore through the rainy night, illuminating his strange smile.
The young deacon nodded repeatedly: "Understood, understood!"
"Take reliable people. Make it clean."
Zhao Yuping took out another tea set, lightly brushed his robes, and sat down again.
Since he was destined to stay awake tonight, he might as well brew a pot of strong tea and wait for this rain to stop.
※※※
By the campfire, Song Qianji shoved the red spirit jade prayer beads to Meng Heze as if returning a hot potato: "Don't casually show these to people in the future!"
Meng Heze: "Senior Brother Song, this is my small token of appreciation. Please keep it."
"Actually, it's not just a spiritual object, but also a superior magical artifact. However, it requires matching with specific cultivation methods to fully unleash its superior combat power."
"Ah?" Meng Heze jumped up, "S-superior magical artifact? Really?"
Song Qianji nodded.
Still in shock, Meng Heze murmured to himself: "Then wouldn't it be even more powerful than Deacon Zhao's intermediate magical artifact, the 'Yin-Yang Jade Ruler'?"
He didn't doubt Song Qianji's words at all, holding the spirit bead bracelet with trembling hands.
Only inner sect direct disciples could possibly possess superior magical artifacts—and this was in the wealthy and established Huawel Sect.Song Qianji: "Don't celebrate too soon. Its aura feels unorthodox. Based on my usual study of ancient artifact manuals, it seems to be an object of the wicked path. The Buddhist cultivator who gave you this magical artifact probably had ill intentions."
His claim about studying ancient texts was naturally nonsense. Fortunately, the current Meng Zhengxian had seen little of the world and lacked cultivation knowledge, making him easy to fool.
Song Qianji continued:
"Even if you later obtain the matching cultivation method by chance, you must remain cautious. It would be better to first perform a blood bond. Wait until your cultivation breaks through to the Minor Achievement stage, when your soul becomes stronger and your mind more resolute, then fully refine it and store it in your Purple Palace..."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Meng Heze's heart swelled with emotion. Immediately channeling spiritual energy, he pricked his fingertip and forced out a drop of heart's blood.
The blood droplet fell, vanishing in a flash. The red jade Buddhist beads turned a deep blood-red hue, with the characters "Zhengxian" emitting a faint glow.
Meng Heze's young face was illuminated by the red light, and he instinctively held his breath.
Before tonight, if someone had told him he would possess a superior magical artifact, he would have retorted, "Why are you mocking me?"
So this was what it felt like to have one's own magical artifact.
All the uncertainty, anxiety, and confusion vanished completely, replaced by boundless anticipation for the future.
Coming back to his senses, Meng Heze studied Song Qianji anew.
He saw the other maintaining his usual composure, even with an approving look in his eyes.
Throughout the entire "treasure appraisal" process, Song Qianji hadn't shown the slightest hint of greed. Every word had been spoken with Meng Heze's interests in mind - something even blood brothers might struggle to achieve.
Searching his conscience, Meng Heze acknowledged that if their positions were reversed and he had the opportunity to claim a superior magical artifact for himself, he would likely hesitate, waver, and struggle before returning it.
Yet Song Qianji, despite being the most diligent in the Outer Sect and most determined to ascend the path of immortality, remained upright and true to his principles despite his formidable strength and broad knowledge.
Meng Heze's eyes reddened again: "I used to think I was the one truly virtuous gentleman among the outer sect disciples, but compared to Senior Brother, I feel deeply ashamed. I've misunderstood you too much in the past. You're truly..."
Song Qianji hurriedly denied: "I'm not! Don't talk nonsense."
He thought, what would I, someone planning to farm, do with your string of Buddhist beads?
Perform last rites for earthworms in the soil?
Meng Heze took it as modesty: "Senior Brother Song, what should we do after we return? Just because Zhao Jiheng gets an admission spot, does that mean Deacon Zhao will leave us alone? I don't think it's that simple."
Song Qianji thought, good, he knows to keep his feet on the ground and solve immediate problems first. He hasn't gotten carried away just because of one superior magical artifact.
Accustomed to acting alone as a rogue cultivator and following his own path, he rarely sought others' opinions. But since his current teammate had once been a wicked path overlord and troublemaker, he was willing to make use of him:
"What are your thoughts? Let's hear them."
Meng Heze: "I just want to hear Senior Brother Song's opinion!"
Song Qianji choked.
Forget it. The fourteen-year-old Meng Heze, who had just been crying with snot and tears all over his face while hanging from a cliff, shouldn't be treated as useful just yet.
Song Qianji: "Then let's pretend."
Meng Heze scrambled up briskly, scanning the cave:
"Pretend what? How much should we pretend? You rest, I'll handle it!"
Song Qianji: "..."
Pretend to be impressive, little brother!
Do you really need me to teach you this skill?
Song Qianji cleared his throat lightly: "Pretend you have backing."
"Don't scare me, this cave is creepy enough."Meng Heze instinctively glanced behind him and patted his chest. "Are you thinking of using a tiger's skin as a banner to scare the wolves? But Deacon Zhao holds absolute power in the Enforcement Hall. Who could possibly make him afraid?"
"What about outside the Enforcement Hall?" Song Qianji picked up a branch and drew three overlapping circles on the ground—one above, two below:
"This is the Enforcement Hall, responsible for issuing sect missions and managing personnel."
"This is the Discipline Hall, which sets rules, issues decrees, and convenes the Trial Hall."
"This is the Enforcement Hall, which carries out rewards and punishments, and also oversees sect security."
"These three halls jointly manage the affairs of the Huawel Sect. Any issues can be reported directly to the sect master. They form a tripartite balance, keeping each other in check. Everyone wants to claim credit for good deeds, but no one wants to take the blame for failures. On the surface, they appear harmonious, but in reality, none of them truly submit to the others."
Recalling his own circumstances in his youth, Song Qianji said calmly:
"Zhao Yuping is inherently suspicious and overthinker. This time, his scheme has failed. He won't rest until he figures out where things went wrong and why I went back on my word, slipping out of his control."
Meng Heze felt like applauding. "That makes sense!"
Song Qianji tossed the branch aside. "So why not play along? Pretend you have evidence of him 'abusing his power and harming outer sect disciples,' and that you have someone backing you, so he won't dare act recklessly. As long as you master the cultivation method I taught you and hold out until the Grand Audience Assembly, you can leave the Outer Sect and no longer be under his control."
This method might seem cowardly and cautious, but it was practical and reliable, Song Qianji thought. Meng Heze could handle it on his own.
But Meng Heze didn't notice that Song Qianji had said "you" instead of "we." Thinking Song Qianji was praising and trusting him, he slapped Song Qianji's right shoulder:
"I'll do as you say, Senior Brother. I won't let you down."
"Ouch—" Song Qianji gasped sharply.
Calm down, I have no expectations of you!
Song Qianji pressed down on Meng Heze's hand. "Give me a hand here. I need to set this arm first. Hold it here, keep it steady."
Meng Heze was overwhelmed with guilt. "I was so focused on talking to you, I forgot you were injured. You're going to set the bone yourself? Can you manage? Let's go to the Outer Sect infirmary. I know the healers there well. I may not have many skills, but I'm honest and have great connections..."
Song Qianji inwardly scoffed. Who praises themselves like that?
With a firm grip, he snapped the bone back into place with a crisp crack.
"Help me find some branches. I need to make a splint to immobilize it.Meng Heze was stunned by his skilled technique. "You..."
"Shh." Song Qianji's expression shifted slightly, and he lowered his voice. "Someone's coming to search the mountain."
Meng Heze focused intently. Beyond the natural sounds, he detected faint footsteps, breathing, and the sound of falling rocks.
Zhao Yuping's lackeys!
A flash of anger and ferocity crossed the young man's eyes, but he quickly looked at Song Qianji with trust, mouthing silently:
"What do we do?"
"Don't be afraid." Song Qianji didn't notice the change in his expression and comforted the youth. "I'll teach you a method to conceal your aura, allowing you to blend into the world, harmonizing with the light and dust. Once you master it, you can use it in combat too."
Meng Heze thought to himself, Senior Brother Song can do anything. He's truly divine.
With so many skills, if he really intended to harm me, I'd be dead ten thousand times over. And tonight, he even faced danger with me, all because he was trying to save me.
What virtue do I possess to deserve this, and how can I ever repay him?The early spring chill was sharp, and a curtain of rain pattered at the cave entrance. As time passed, the droplets grew intermittent.
Before dawn, the search party scouring the mountains, having found nothing, gradually retreated into the distance.
The scent of damp earth mingled with the smoke from the campfire, drifting through the cave. Both men were disheveled, their robes tattered and faces smudged with grime, fitting the image of "brothers in adversity."
Song Qianji closed his eyes to rest and recuperate, inwardly observing the Pure Bottle and the Fountain of Immortality within his Purple Palace.
Meng Heze alternated between studying the prayer beads and scrutinizing Song Qianji. He didn't feel like they were "sharing hardships," but rather believed that "good fortune must follow."
Even on a cold, rainy night, covered in filth, the young man could still indulge in daydreams:
"This fall off the cliff might be a blessing in disguise. I'm bound to stand out at the Grand Audience Assembly and enter the Inner Sect. Once I've cultivated to mastery, with the Three Flowers gathered at the crown, the four great continents with their thirty-six provinces and the seventy-two overseas islands will be ours to roam freely. What's the Huawel Sect to us? And that Deacon Zhao? I'll have him—no, you—polish my shoes and wash my feet, twenty times a day..."
Tch, such childish behavior. Song Qianji paid him no mind.
Meng Heze rested his chin in his hands, gazing at the rain. "When all the major sects and powerful clans gather at the Grand Audience Assembly, I wonder how magnificent it will be. I've only heard about the vastness and richness of the four continents, the unparalleled elegance of the great figures, but all we do every day is bury our heads in digging Spirit Stone mines, shoveling dung for spiritual beasts, or transplanting seedlings in spirit fields.
"The dazzling Cultivation World out there—they talk it up like it's heaven, but we haven't seen a damn thing of it."
As he spoke, an undisguised yearning shone in his eyes:
"Senior Brother, do you think Fairy Miaoyan will come? I'd give anything to see the number one beauty of the Cultivation World with my own eyes. But even if she does, Outer Sect disciples like us probably wouldn't get to see her anyway."
Fairy Miaoyan. The number one beauty.
Song Qianji's expression instantly stiffened.
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