Chapter 4, Situation (Part 2)

From a disciple to a master, one must undergo numerous trials along the way

Xiao Rong immediately showed a look of regret

Yes

From afar, the chanting of the other monks drifted in from the palace, accompanied by the laughter and chatter of the noble guests in the Shangde Garden

He recognized the other party; this servant disciple was different from the other servants. It is said that every year he donates a considerable amount of property from his family to Master Xiao Rong, thus earning the opportunity to serve the master closely

My ancestors were Confucian scholars

Zhang Rongfang was instantly taken aback

There is another type called "Master Worship," which is the true essence of the transmission. It involves being granted a title and receiving a gift envelope.

I dare not. My surname is Sun, and my given name is Yuanfeng. I do not have a courtesy name. The servant disciple smiled and replied.

A discerning person could easily guess that Zhang Rongfang must have had some significant performance recently that caught Xiao Rong's attention

"Master... what are the benefits of condensing the inner elixir?" Zhang Rongfang asked again, unwilling to give up.

What exactly constitutes a skill? Zhang Rongfang has tried many things, but none have been effective

Sun Yuanfeng, accompanied by Zhang Rongfang, made their way inside and soon arrived in front of one of the attics

May I ask your esteemed name, Senior Brother

Oh, it is Brother Zhang from the Caishen Hall. Brother Zhang possesses exceptional skills in Daoism and has indeed condensed his Nascent Soul. However, he is not a martial cultivator. After successfully condensing his Nascent Soul, he was overly joyful and accidentally fell, resulting in a significant bump on his forehead from hitting the stone steps.

"Today, a master is holding a scripture lecture, and many distinguished guests have arrived. Pay attention to the guests wearing the yellow auspicious token; do not offend them," the servant disciple reminded in a low voice.

Therefore, Sun Yuanfeng speculated that there must be some reason that made Zhang Rongfang catch the attention of Master Xiao Rong, prompting him to disregard his background and take him as a disciple

Understood. Zhang Rong remained expressionless, feeling a slight sense of relief in his heart

May I ask, Master, if one masters this martial art, will it enable one to walk on rooftops and walls? To strike a cow across the mountain?" He could not help but respectfully inquire

From this statement, it is evident that Xiao Rong accepted him for the sake of her daughter

also known as Little Master

The three-story attic with red walls and gray tiles is arranged in a staggered manner.

Therefore, generally, masters are very cautious when accepting disciples, to the extent that in many Taoist temples and monasteries, the number of disciples remains constant over the years, without increase or decrease

With Zhang Rongfang kneeling and bowing his head, under Xiao Rong's smile, he finally took a formal step forward, breaking free from being a mere servant disciple who could be discarded at any moment, and becoming an official cultivation disciple

"It's a trivial matter." Sun Yuanfeng waved his hand

"Yes," Zhang Rongfang quickly replied. As a disciple, the tasks assigned to him were beyond his control.

Until the time for the disciples' assessment passed, it was almost June

So it turns out to be Brother Feng..." Zhang Rongfang paused for a moment, suddenly feeling something was amiss. "Thank you, Brother Feng, for your guidance. I, Zhang, have taken note of it.

Zhang Rongfang did not know the specific impact, but seeing Xiao Rong's expression, he understood that it would not be simple

Additionally, I, as a disciple of Qinghe Palace, practice the observation of emptiness in literary cultivation, while in martial cultivation, I practice the Returning Spring Purification Talisman. You are deficient in vital energy and blood; first, practice the observation of emptiness to nourish yourself before proceeding.

You should follow Xiao Ying from now on. She has a difficult temperament, so you need to keep an eye on her and remind her often

But it is certainly better than a bunch of people crammed together to sleep

Thus... you should return first, everything will remain as usual. After I secretly verify the authenticity later, I will call for you again

Fortunately, Zhang Rongfang reacted quickly and immediately knelt down in reverence

Disciple Zhang Rongfang, I have met the master

After the warning was conveyed, Zhang Rongfang continued with his usual routine, marked by the morning bell and evening drum, completing his morning and evening tasks, while spending the rest of his time on miscellaneous chores

Hehe... Xiao Rong smiled, "While one can reach the pinnacle of agility and be able to scale walls and fly over eaves, there are limits to human capability. Martial arts merely enable us to better harness our own strength and creativity. Of course, there are certain martial arts that can enhance our training, but human limits remain fixed; no matter how much one trains, one can only reach a certain point."

Martial arts enable you to take on five opponents at once under the same physical conditions, and even up to ten in rotation, but that is the limit. Furthermore, you must remember that an unarmed individual generally cannot defeat one armed with a weapon, and one armed with a weapon typically cannot overcome someone fully armored and equipped with weapons

Originally, Zhang Rongfang was not a person of this world, and he had no real feelings for these two identities in his heart

The disciple responded promptly, "Zhang Rongfang!"

This is the art of longevity

As a junior disciple, I am merely a nominal apprentice of this master, without any significant training. I only possess the necessary credentials and the corresponding status.

Zhang Rongfang was left speechless.

Yes

Zhang Rongfang is preparing to go to the laundry to work

He followed the servant disciple, moving quickly towards the direction of the back mountain, one in front and one behind

Zhang Rongfang understood and expressed his gratitude

Most importantly, at that time, he would be able to accumulate attribute points more quickly and enhance himself

This made Zhang Rongfang truly experience for the first time the strict hierarchy within the realm of the Great Spirit

What is the ancestry?

Zhang Rongfang's mood is completely beyond description.

Suddenly, a servant disciple approached from the side of the road and called out.

Zhang Rong maintained a calm expression, bowed in greeting, and withdrew

After sighing inwardly, Zhang Rongfang returned to his room alone

After speaking, he felt somewhat melancholic

May 14

At this moment, Zhang Rongfang felt a wave of relief in his heart, knowing that he had finally taken the right first step

This sentence came unexpectedly, without any prior indication, leaving both Zhang Rongfang and Sun Yuanfeng slightly taken aback

Barbarians are classified as fourth class, while Confucian households are a group that ranks just slightly higher than beggars in the ten-tier classification of the Great Spirit

After bowing, Xiao Rong examined Zhang Rongfang

By then, not only will there be no need to perform menial tasks, but there will also be ample time to cultivate both literary and martial skills. The quality of food and treatment will also be significantly improved, and in the future, there will be opportunities to be granted a title and become a master.

Furthermore, if you are facing elite soldiers, even a master can only manage to take on five at most

However, as long as he breaks free from the arduous life of a menial disciple and accumulates attribute points, he will surely ascend step by step to a higher level

A hint of envy flashed in Sun Yuanfeng's eyes; he could not understand what kind of luck Zhang Rongfang had stumbled upon to be directly chosen as a disciple by Master Xiao Rong.

Even for him, despite sending so much money home every year and diligently serving right in front of him, it has been four years now, and he still has not been accepted as a disciple by Master Xiao Rong

As Zhang Rongfang left the dojo, the scene of Xiao Rong's lament still flickered in his mind

In the early morning, mist envelops the surroundings, resembling smoke that lingers around the entire Qinghe Palace

Therefore, it is very likely that there is good news from Master Xiao Rong's side

Xiao Rong earnestly advised

He waved his hand, signaling the disciples around him to leave.

"Are you willing to take me as your master? To enter under my tutelage?" Xiao Rong asked directly without any explanation.

"Please come in," Xiao Rong said in a calm tone, her gaze sweeping over Zhang Rongfang.

Zhang Rongfang bowed and saluted, entered the first floor of the attic, stood at the entrance of the living room, and waited

Before long, Xiao Rong came down from the second floor, holding a warm, damp towel. She wiped her cheeks and palms, then handed it to a nearby serving disciple

He paused for a moment and continued

Just now, it seemed that success was almost within reach, but unfortunately... Success and failure hinge on a mere moment

The other party is clearly not offering a casual reminder; no one would inexplicably take the trouble to remind a completely unfamiliar servant disciple.

After the others had left, only Sun Yuanfeng and Zhang Rongfang remained, and then he coughed softly

This apprenticeship is not a true transmission. In Daoism, there are two types of apprenticeship: one is the ordinary master.

Xiao Rong sighed, "With the Three Pure Ones above, I later invited a senior sister from the Danfang to see me, and fortunately, there was nothing serious."

Although it is merely a visit to a junior master

With the combination of the two, it is no wonder that Xiao Rong would have such an expression.

Qinghe Palace is affiliated with the Great Spirit Daoism, venerating the Three Pure Ones. Within the sect, disciples practice cultivation, which is primarily divided into two areas: literary and martial. The emphasis is predominantly on literary achievements, with fewer martial accomplishments.

At this moment, he followed Sun Yuanfeng and walked together to the lower level of the attic, waiting at the entrance

Zhang Rongfang lowered his head, and a trace of joy finally flickered across his face

The reminder just now was clearly a gesture of goodwill, which Zhang Rongfang kept in mind

In the practice of the path of cultivation, there were once four seasonal practitioners in our sect who had cultivated to the stage of the primordial infant and mastered the way of refining the spirit. It is rumored that they had already touched upon the realm of returning to emptiness after refining the spirit. Unfortunately, they were captured and imprisoned by the county magistrate at that time, who interrogated them about the techniques for attaining longevity and rapid success. Unable to endure the torture, they ultimately died by crashing into the wall.

Zhang Rongfang also came here and realized that it is different from those film and television dramas from the previous life; not everyone who enters the sect can casually obtain a Daoist title

Moreover, the practice of the Observing Void technique is for self-cultivation and character development. Unless you can pass the assessment of the martial arts disciples, merely practicing the Observing Void technique will only make your body strong and prolong your life, with no other significant benefits.

It is evident that, even if he is of Taoist origin, his background as a barbarian and a Confucian household will have an impact on his future development

The nearby servant disciples immediately turned their gazes upon hearing the sound

Knock knock knock

This is nothing. In the Qing Palace, I have gathered quite a few inner elixirs, at least a double ten in number, most of which are from literary cultivators. Martial cultivators do not have this leisure; they are all busy honing their muscles and refining their strength. Therefore, if one's aptitude is not particularly good, one should definitely avoid choosing to cultivate both literary and martial arts. Remember this well.

But I clearly heard before that there was a temple master who successfully transformed the elixir into an infant

"The returning sorcerer, the disciple is a barbarian," Zhang Rongfang stated truthfully

If Xiao Rong were to take on disciples, he would undoubtedly be able to immediately enter the ranks of the cultivation disciples

What Zhang Rongfang saw in the dojo were all practitioners of martial arts

Zhang Rongfang

After paying respects to the master, the relationship between the master and disciple resembles that of a father and son, with even corresponding rights of inheritance regarding property. The disciple also has numerous obligations towards the master

"If one is free from illness and disaster, one can live to over ninety years." Xiao Rong said with a smile

Yes

Just now, Xiao Rong clearly showed an intention to take on a disciple, but upon hearing about his background, she immediately fell silent.

Zhang Rongfang was born into a fourth-class barbarian family, with parents who were Confucian scholars. He did not have an outstanding appearance, nor did he exhibit any apparent talents.

Xiao Rong has a well-proportioned figure, standing on the balcony of the second floor of the attic, dressed in a light yellow short outfit, with a grayish-white cloak draped over her shoulders, as if she has just finished practicing martial arts

There has finally been a response from Xiao Rong

Up to now, there are only two options in his attributes panel: Health and Skills

Quickly, the two individuals traversed through alleyways, crossed corridors, passed the dojo and disciples' quarters, and at the rear of Qinghe Palace, they found a cluster of pavilions surrounded by red walls

He looked at Zhang Rongfang in front of him, and for a moment, it seemed he recalled something, his gaze becoming absent-minded

He has always had a suspicion that the skills section in his attributes panel likely refers to authentic Taoist practices

In the Daoist tradition, when a master takes on disciples, it is necessary to allocate a portion of one's own resources and benefits to nurture the students

"What... what is your ethnicity?" Xiao Rong suddenly asked

Zhang Rongfang, Master Mingguang calls you! Go to the teacher's room on the back mountain

The treatment at Qinghe Palace is actually quite good, as each disciple has a separate room. Although the rooms are simple and narrow, only accommodating a bed and a stool.