Chapter 3

Cheng Qian thought casually: "Is it the Grandmaster who always has a smile on his face?"

During the process, it quickly became apparent that although I was doing quite well, this junior brother truly did not deserve any care—he was not only unpleasant in appearance but also exceedingly annoying in temperament and character

What kind of stylish chicken can be produced in this style of Han Yuan

This little beggar is like a leech that has grown in a stinking ditch; once it smells blood, it clings on desperately to seize it, inherently carrying a ferocity—Han Yuan is competing with him for the master's favor

The Beggar's Chicken is undoubtedly fragrant. Cheng Qian was initially hesitating whether to follow his master and tear off a chicken leg to eat. Upon witnessing this scene and hearing the background story, Cheng Qian resolutely withdrew his hand and silently gnawed on a pancake that had hardened like stone.

Cheng Qian let out a quiet sigh. He certainly feared the vicious dog, but Han Yuan's eyes were darting around, and since the matter had already reached this point, the junior disciple, being filial to his master and senior brothers, was being bullied by a beast and wanted to seek help from his senior brother. How could the senior brother possibly shrink back from this?

He simply spat out the bone from his mouth with a rude "Pah!" and replied to his master, "I stole it from the village ahead."

Han Yuan was provoked and immediately stood tall, defending himself: "Of course I have become a spirit, Master. Can a weasel become a spirit?"

Cheng Qian felt quite displeased upon seeing Han Yuan. Not only was his appearance unkempt, but Han Yuan also held the title of "junior brother." Cheng Qian found it difficult to harbor any fondness for anything related to the terms "brother" or "junior." However, he merely kept his dislike to himself, maintaining a facade of somewhat clumsy friendliness and gentleness on the surface.

Master ... ... "Han Yuan whined and cooed playfully

The young scoundrel seized every opportunity to demonstrate his extraordinary bravery to his master, while simultaneously taking every chance to slander his "weak and easily bullied" senior brother. Cheng Qian found his antics amusing as he jumped around, so he, imitating the old scholar, mentally delivered a half-hearted verdict on his fourth junior brother: "A gentleman remains steadfast in poverty, while a petty person becomes reckless in adversity—what a little beast, what a thing!"

He had no choice but to pick up a large stone from the ground, weighed it in his hand, stood up, and followed Han Yuan towards the riverbank, continuing to speak in a pleasant tone: "Alright, then I will go with you to take a look."

Han Yuan responded with a muffled sound, the little beggar understood nothing and did not dare to refute

He originally had little hope for the "Fuyiao Sect," which sounded like a makeshift troupe at first hearing. He thought it might just be a shabby temple located in a remote area, where one would have to burn incense and bow to the "patriarch" who, though not dressed inappropriately, always wore a cheerful smile.

"Stealing and cheating won't do, but deceiving and swindling must be acceptable," Cheng Qian thought sharply to himself. He then recalled the little-known tolerance he had just shown to his master in the heavy rain, and could only let out a somewhat weary sigh, saying to himself, "Forget it"

Such a young boy, who has not yet had the opportunity to cultivate his character, is unable to truly express any grievances, and can only pretend to be without complaint—now that he has arrived at the sect, he continues to behave in this manner.

For the first time in his life, Cheng Qian left home for a long journey. With the company of his eccentric master and junior apprentice, he has witnessed many bizarre phenomena of the world, and has already developed a certain calmness, unperturbed by the upheavals around him.

What the demon cultivator is plotting is beyond Cheng Qian's comprehension, but he understands what Han Yuan is scheming.

The Fuyiao Sect alone occupied a small hill, which was surrounded by water on three sides. Looking up from the foot of the hill, the green waves in the mountains surged like fury, leaving traces in the wake of the wind

Master said: "Senior Brother."

Throughout the journey, there were errands to run, which he, as a senior disciple, would take on. If there was anything to eat or drink, it would first be offered to the master, then to the junior disciples. It was never easy to fulfill these duties, thus Cheng Qian had to constantly examine himself to prevent losing the demeanor of being gentle, kind, humble, frugal, and accommodating.

Note: A gentleman remains steadfast in poverty, while a petty person becomes reckless in such circumstances - "The Analects of Confucius, Book of Wei Ling Gong"

Before he had the chance to say anything, Han Yuan had already approached with flattery, embellishing a story in front of the master about how "the senior brother wanted to eat fish, how he defeated a vicious dog with a head as large as a cow, and how he went through great hardships to dive into the river ditch to catch fish"

However, the sect greatly exceeded Cheng Qian's expectations

Unfortunately, when the two individuals arrived at the riverbank, they found that the dog had already left, having only left a few rows of small footprints on the ground

Is it possible that a demon cultivator has worked hard for half a day just to forge a solid, hairless iron belly

Han Yuan then continued to wail, while wailing, he cast a sidelong glance at Cheng Qian beside him

The two disciples picked up by Master Mu Chuan are as follows: one is as still as a wooden post, while the other is as restless as a monkey. Cheng Qian, the wooden post, remains motionless, whereas Han Yuan, the monkey, cannot stay still for even a moment

The master patted the heads of his two newly acquired disciples and said kindly: "In a moment, follow me to burn incense, take a bath, and change clothes. I will take you to meet your..."

If a yellow weasel were truly a length of one zhang, its four legs would surely be insufficient, and that long body would certainly have to drag its belly on the ground to move

Cheng Qian was prepared; in the event that he truly encountered a vicious dog, he would smash the stone in his hand against his junior brother's head, ensuring that the little beast was crushed into a broken, exposed gourd, which would then be handed over to the dog brother for disposal

The Master said: "Do not speak while eating, and do not talk while sleeping"

He was almost made to laugh by this exceptionally gifted junior brother

This place is not a secluded fairyland shrouded in clouds and untouched by the mundane world, yet the mountains harbor an indescribable elegance. As Cheng Qian stepped into the mountains, he felt it immediately; with each breath, he felt himself becoming considerably lighter.

As Cheng Qian met his master's gaze, he felt a heavy sensation in his stomach, an indescribable nausea.

Cheng Qian thought to himself, placing his hands holding the brick behind his back, and gently looking at his utterly useless junior disciple, deciding not to hit him after all—Cheng Qian was too lazy to stoop to his level

Firstly, Han Yuan is quite verbose. Before he picked up this little beggar, it was entirely his master who was responsible for the incessant chatter. After he picked up this little beggar, even Master Mu Chun appeared much more composed.

He wrote with great enthusiasm, vividly and with clarity, skillfully employing the structure of introduction, development, transition, and conclusion, all of which highlighted his remarkable wisdom and prowess.

The three individuals finally arrived at the sect

The little beggar seemed to be inspired by his master's remarks on "stealing chickens and touching dogs," and casually concocted a story about how he defeated a weasel that was as long as one zhang, stealing a plump chicken.

The Master Mu Chuan clearly was not affected in his appetite by this, as he opened half of his mouth while chewing vigorously and shook his head, saying: "To take without asking is to be a thief; how can a cultivator like me engage in petty theft? Alas, what a disgrace, this shall not happen again!"

Regardless of the quality of the handwriting, Cheng Qian could not discern it; he only felt that those two characters seemed as if they were about to soar from the door, exuding an arrogance akin to that of soaring to the heavens and diving into the abyss, truly imperious.

He glimpsed a palm-sized sky through the dense shade of the green trees, a unique feeling of the vastness of the heavens and the earth surged through him, making him want to laugh and shout joyfully around the mountains.

As he ascended the steps to the halfway point of the mountain, Cheng Qian saw a vaguely discernible courtyard residence at the summit. At the mountainside, an ancient stone gate, covered in moss, stood before him, with the characters "Fu Yao" elegantly inscribed above in a swirling, dragon-and-phoenix style.

Although Han Yuan is slightly older than Cheng Qian, due to the order of their entry into the school, he has instead become Cheng Qian's fourth junior disciple. Cheng Qian, this "closed-door disciple," only held that title for a few days before becoming someone else's senior brother

The master's response was a delicate and subtle snore.

Cheng Qian : `` ... ... ''

Han Yuan, this little beast, is simply useless at everything, never satisfied with what he eats, sycophantic and shameless, with no dignity or face, timid as a needle's eye, only knowing how to make a loud noise to seek favor.

Han Yuan possesses a remarkable skill with his agile tongue—he can gnaw on chicken bones without using his hands, stuffing them whole into his mouth. After a few chews, the crispy bones crackle for a moment, and he is able to spit out a clean and intact bone.

Cheng Qian lowered his head and studied the two rows of footprints, estimating that the "vicious dog" was likely less than one foot in size, possibly a clumsy little wild dog

The two individuals hurried back with the fish they had caught, and the master was already "awake," looking at them with a kind and satisfied expression

As for that so-called "beggar's chicken" ... naturally, more than half of it has been respectfully offered to the master.

Thus, Cheng Qian followed an old swindler and a young leather dealer, traveling for more than ten days.

Cheng Qian suspected that his master had actually woken up but was pretending to be asleep, intending to observe how his disciples interacted with one another. Seeing his junior brother in such a state of distress, he, as the senior brother, could not turn a blind eye. Thus, he set aside the old scriptures and asked with a gentle expression, "What is it?"

Amidst the sounds of insects and birds, there are occasionally a few calls of cranes, and one can occasionally catch a fleeting glimpse of a white shadow passing by, instantly enveloping the scene in an ethereal aura reminiscent of fleeting light and shadows

Since the master has gone back on his word and reopened the door, Cheng Qian had no choice but to pretend to act like a senior brother.

He restrained himself from making a fuss at home, fearing that his father would beat him. Naturally, he would not do so here either, worried about losing the gentlemanly demeanor he had overheard in front of that despicable person, Han Yuan.

Cheng Qian did not respond, secretly sneering to himself

The chicken cannot silence the incessant chatter of the wooden deity, who seems to possess an insatiable penchant for lecturing, asking while eating: "Where does the chicken come from?"

The day after Cheng Qian heard about Han Yuan's deeds of "bravely fighting the weasel spirit," he personally witnessed how his junior disciple displayed "extraordinary bravery."

Cheng Qian often imposed such strict demands on himself—his father lived a life of poverty, was coarse and irritable, and treated him poorly. After listening to the old scholar's words, Cheng Qian did not dare to openly hate his father, so he could only secretly pity him. The young boy often thought in the middle of the night, that he would rather die than become a person like his father.

The fourth junior disciple, Han Yuan, has a small nose and small eyes, with a slightly protruding chin. His pair of small eyes constantly glimmers with a cunning and slippery light, making him appear quite unlikable

Cheng Qian attempted to reasonably question, asking: "How could there be a weasel that is about one zhang long?"

Han Yuan seemed to have received great affirmation, and with a barely concealed expression of delight, he slightly raised his chin towards Cheng Qian, speaking in a sarcastic tone: "Senior Brother, this is just your overreaction; if humans can cultivate into immortals, then animals can naturally cultivate into spirits."

There are gentle stone steps in the mountains, which are clearly maintained regularly. A small stream flows down from the mountain top, making a soothing sound.

From this perspective, although Cheng Qian is still young, his determination and principles are already much more steadfast than those of his mentor.

Thus, this gentle dignity is something he has painstakingly constructed for himself amidst confusion and constraints, and it must not be allowed to falter under any circumstances

It is evident that the back door of the Fuyiao Sect is not securely closed

The master listened to the story of the weasel spirit, and was seemingly touched by a particular word, his expression appearing somewhat strange, as if he had a toothache or perhaps a slight stomach upset. After a long while, he finally replied in a drifting and absent-minded manner: "All things possess spirit, and thus can likely attain enlightenment."

On that day, the master leaned against the tree and took an afternoon nap, while Cheng Qian was flipping through an old classic in the master's backpack. The archaic language of the classic was convoluted and difficult, and Cheng Qian, being somewhat lacking in knowledge, found most of the scriptures to be "familiar yet unrecognizable." However, he took pleasure in it and did not find it tedious—regardless of what was written in the master's scriptures, this was, after all, the first time in his life that he could openly and legitimately touch a book.

At this moment, Han Mahou had also run off to who knows where, and Cheng Qian was enjoying the peace and quiet. However, it wasn't long before he saw Han Yuan running back, crying and wailing.

Han Yuan: "There is a river ahead, and I originally intended to catch fish for my master and senior brother, but there is a large dog by the riverbank, and it chased me."

In the Cheng family, the newly tailored clothes belong to the eldest brother, and the sweetened milk paste is for the youngest brother. Good fortune never seems to come to Cheng Qian, who is often assigned to do the chores. Cheng Qian, by nature, is not broad-minded, and thus he harbors resentment. However, he has also absorbed the old scholar's constant teachings of "filial piety and brotherly love," which leads him to often feel that his resentment is entirely unjustified