Chapter 5

Although the eyes of the wooden camellia master are small, the gaze that emanates from them is like a torch. After observing coldly for a moment, he interrupted Han Yuan, who was eagerly indulging in his own foolishness, saying: "Xiao Yuan, come here"

This short-sighted little beggar has been completely won over by a bag of pine nut candy, convinced that Cheng Qian treats him well, and no longer calls him "senior brother" in a sarcastic manner. Instead, he affectionately pulls at Cheng Qian's sleeve and says: "Xiao Qian, why didn't you come to play with me yesterday?"

The Master Mu Chun thought with some emotion: "This little rascal, his heart is too hard; he will not achieve great things in the future, but will surely bring about great calamity."

Pine nut candy is not just any ordinary pine nut candy; it is elegantly presented in exquisite small sachets, each piece plump and coated with a layer of crystal-clear icing, infused with an indescribable floral fragrance that is delightfully refreshing.

At this time, the sky had not yet brightened significantly; the light was faint, in small clusters, shimmering white like moonlight, illuminating the mountains and forests with a touch of ethereal beauty, clinging to various stones and trees, winding through the woods to form a clear and distinct path.

Xue Qing could not correct Cheng Qian's title, so she simply let it be. When asked, she replied: "It is the sect leader"

He indeed put into practice what it means to be "disregarding formalities"; as soon as he entered, he exclaimed in surprise: "Oh, Master, why do you live in such a dilapidated place!"

The master, upon hearing this, solemnly put away the coins, gathered his hands back into his sleeves, and said leisurely: "The will of heaven dictates that today’s meal must include an additional dish of chicken stewed with mushrooms"

Could it be that he possesses some undisclosed abilities?

Thus, the little rascal Cheng Qian officially joined the Fuyao Sect

Until not long ago, in Cheng Qian's eyes, his master was merely a somewhat endearing long-necked wild chicken, neither pleasing to the eye nor of any use—could it be that he was not a fraud after all

He thought of this, and upon looking at Mu Chuan, he saw that he had a long waist and short legs, with a gaunt frame, complemented by a small head and a chicken-like face...! ... No matter how one looked at him, he resembled a weasel that had become a spirit!

Cheng Qian's footsteps involuntarily paused for a moment, and for an instant, he felt a profound and solemn presence emanating from his master, who was fixated on the copper coins.

He said in a blunt manner: "It's fine, but don't let yourself go in the future"

Cheng Qian, with a sense of incredulous longing, imagined for a moment, yet found himself still unable to cultivate a genuine reverence for his master

Han Yuan is a beggar without parents or upbringing, who finds fault with everyone he dislikes and sees only good in those he likes. Cheng Qian, in his eyes, is someone he can only view positively. Therefore, he does not mind the other person's indifference at all, and happily thinks to himself: "This sheltered child is different from us who have roamed the world; he is shy, and I will have to take good care of him in the future"

Cheng Qian seemed as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water in the depths of winter, his features frozen like ice. With an expressionless face, he stepped forward, avoiding Yan Zhengming's hand, and formally bowed in greeting, saying: "Senior Brother."

Yan Zhengming's attitude was dismissive, and the gesture he used to summon Cheng Qian was clearly one meant for calling a dog

He leisurely scanned Cheng Qian from head to toe, much like assessing a horse. Afterward, he seemed to find him somewhat pleasing to the eye, and Yan Zhengming casually nodded, completely disregarding the reactions of others, and offered his junior brother, whom he had just met, a sincere piece of advice.

Cheng Qian bitterly thought to himself: "What is there to celebrate? Chicken stewed with mushrooms?"

Cheng Qian asked, "Xue Qing, who did all of this?"

His actions successfully brought Cheng Qian back to reality from his moment of astonishment.

The master smiled and waved his hand, saying: "No need for excessive formalities, it's quite sour; our Fuyiao Sect does not engage in such practices"

He spent his first night in his tranquil residence, sleeping soundly until the third watch of the next day, without any dreams, without feeling out of place, and without longing for home

Cheng Qian, having been neglected since childhood, harbored deep-seated feelings of inferiority. Over time, this inferiority became ingrained in his very being, transforming into an intense and almost obsessive sense of self-esteem. A mere glance could make him sensitive, let alone the gestures used to tease cats and dogs.

The snow-blue figure on one side smiled and said, "What divine mandate did the sect leader glimpse in today's divination?"

Can the master also be as invincible and commanding as described in legends, able to summon the wind and call the rain

Children need not bind their hair and wear a crown, but Xueqing said that this is because he has already entered the realm of immortals and can no longer be considered an ordinary child of the world

Han Yuan felt a warmth in his chest; while being moved, he developed a tremendous misunderstanding in his heart—this newly recognized junior brother of his was perhaps not weak and easily bullied, but genuinely magnanimous and kind to him

When he spoke these words, his mustache slightly curled, his small eyes turned left and right a few times, and the tip of his nose twitched slightly, revealing a genuine longing

Xue Qing possesses exceptional skills in reading people's expressions and emotions. She noticed that this child was feeling sour and was quite pretentious. Therefore, upon seeing his astonishment, she did not directly address it but waited for him to look over on his own. Only then did she subtly suggest, "Master San, please come this way, follow the light."

After speaking, in order to demonstrate the easygoing nature expected of a senior disciple, the young master reluctantly swept his palm just an inch above Cheng Qian's head, pretending to pat his head, and then perfunctorily instructed: "I have seen both the 'wronged' and the 'aggrieved', Master, you can take them away together—um, Xiao Yu'er, give them... each of them a handful of pine nut candy to eat"

Children from impoverished families have never seen such exquisite food, yet Cheng Qian shows no attachment and, as soon as he steps outside, hands over the sachet and pine nut candy to Han Yuan without a second thought, casually saying: "These should be given to my junior brother to eat"

After calling out, the little beggar, as if familiar, wandered around the courtyard of the unknown hall and finally settled in front of Cheng Qian

Yan Zhengming glanced at him. As he leaned slightly forward, a fragrance reminiscent of orchids, seemingly born from the shadows, enveloped Cheng Qian. One could not tell how many layers of perfume had permeated his tattered clothes, enough to ward off insects.

Note: "The way of heaven forbids opportunism, forbids arrogance and self-satisfaction, and forbids a lack of focus" comes from a letter in the family correspondence of Zeng Guofan, which mentions "the way of heaven forbids cleverness," "the way of heaven forbids excess," and "the way of heaven forbids duplicity." This is an extension of my own forced interpretation.

"Huang Daxian" refers to the weasel spirit, while "Qing Daxian" refers to the snake spirit, also known as "Guardian Snake." It is said that by venerating these two deities, one can safeguard their home and ensure peace in the area.

Cheng Qian did not have time to respond; he stared in astonishment at the tree roots in front of him, which emitted a faint glow.

The next morning, Xueqing dressed Cheng Qian in a long robe, styled his hair into a bun, and made him look quite presentable.

Xueqing said, stepping forward to demonstrate, addressing the roots of the large tree: "Please go to 'Unknowing Hall'—Unknowing Hall is the residence of the sect leader. My uncle has just entered the sect, and today he is to receive his precepts from the sect leader."

The "Unknowing Hall" is actually just a small thatched cottage, lacking any celestial artifacts or plaques. At the entrance hangs a palm-sized wooden sign, roughly carved with the image of a beast's head. Cheng Qian found the beast's head somewhat familiar, but could not recall what it was at the moment. Next to the beast's head, there is a line of small characters that reads "One question, three unknowns"

Cheng Qian was taken aback, finding it somewhat hard to believe

His "generosity" left Han Yuan momentarily stunned, and with a complex mix of emotions, Han Yuan accepted the sachet, feeling somewhat embarrassed for once

It was only then that Cheng Qian realized that his master did not actually have naturally slanted eyes; rather, his eyelids were slightly double-folded, and he often kept his eyes half-closed, giving him a wandering gaze that appeared somewhat lewd. This time, when he opened his eyes, they revealed a clarity that was strikingly distinct in black and white, with a slightly somber expression, almost sternly directed at Cheng Qian.

Han Yuan hurriedly walked to his rickety little table and asked, "Master, what is it?"

The tray is a poorly made coarse pottery, with craftsmanship that is quite crude. Its shape is neither square nor round, and even the bottom is not smoothed out. Scattered on top are a few old, rusted copper coins, which, in their juxtaposition, inexplicably evoke a sense of ancient eeriness.

At the entrance of the house, there is a small courtyard that appears desolate. In the center of the courtyard stands a small wooden table with three legs, one of which is missing a corner and is propped up on a stone. The surface of the wooden table is covered with cracks, and the wooden deity sits upright behind the small table, intently gazing at a small tray on the table.

The Master Mu Chun looked at him and said solemnly: "Although you are a latecomer, you are slightly older than your third senior brother. Therefore, I must first give you a few words of advice."

Walking on the path paved with fluorescence, Cheng Qian felt that he was becoming another kind of person and was about to live a different kind of life

The little beggar has grown up like this, always having to fight for food. Everyone comes out to survive, living as if they were wild dogs. Who has the energy to care for others?

Xue Qing accompanied Cheng Qian along the glowing path and arrived at the Unknowing Hall of Master Mu Chun

A master resembling a weasel is still a master; he rarely shows a serious demeanor, causing Han Yuan to involuntarily straighten his back

Han Yuan raised his hand to wipe his nose, and he did not understand a single word of this admonition, responding in a dazed manner with a simple "ah".

First and foremost are the talismans. According to legend, the rare and precious talismans of immortals are almost everywhere here, even carved into trees and stones. Xueqing pointed to a talisman on the root of a tree and said to Cheng Qian: "If Master Uncle San were to get lost on the mountain, he only needs to ask these stones and trees."

At this moment, Han Yuan also arrived, calling out from a distance: "Master! Senior Brother!"

However, to put it another way, the greatest temptations that a child of this age can encounter are merely food and drink. Cheng Qian was actually able to resist, to not show any gratitude, and to not even glance at it.

Muzhuan Dao: "You are naturally lively and prone to frivolity, therefore I, as your teacher, present you with the two characters 'Rock' as a reminder. It serves to caution you that the way of heaven forbids opportunism, forbids arrogance and self-satisfaction, and forbids a lack of focus. In the future, you must often practice restraint and concentration, and you must not be negligent for even a single day, do you understand?"

... still a rather unattractive young girl!

The rural populace is unaware of what constitutes a sage, nor can they comprehend the Buddhist and Taoist scriptures. Their worship of deities is chaotic, with figures such as "Master Huang" and "Master Qing"—so-called "immortals" of dubious origin—also mingling among them, becoming well-known in various regions.

The wooden camellia master was not so easily deceived. He clearly saw Cheng Qian disdainfully patting his hands, as if he had touched something unclean. He immediately understood that this young man was offering sugar, but it was certainly not out of any good quality of modesty; it was purely because he was too lazy to give face to his demonic and monstrous senior brother.

Cheng Qian felt annoyed upon seeing him, and immediately took a half step back without showing any emotion, withdrawing his sleeve from the other’s hand, and said in a measured tone: "Fourth Junior Brother"

The thatched cottage made Cheng Qian momentarily believe he had returned to his rural home, where simplicity was taken to an extreme, almost as if there was nothing at all.

The old face of Master Mu Chun twitched slightly, and he suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if the two disciples he had brought in for his unworthy apprentice to see were not his two junior brothers, but rather two distant concubines he had fetched for him.

Cheng Qian recognized his expression at first glance, and then suddenly connected the cause and effect, realizing in an instant that the beast's head on the wooden sign at the entrance was that of a yellow weasel

Xueqing dressed him in adult attire, revealing a smooth forehead and elongated brows, making him appear delicate and attractive, like a jade figure. If a person were truly made of jade, a hint of eccentricity might indeed be forgivable

Although this is not the first celestial artifact that Cheng Qian has encountered, it is the first useful celestial artifact he has seen

This young master, the senior brother, probably does not pay much attention to people's expressions, as he is completely oblivious to Cheng Qian's barely contained anger.

Fortunately, Mu Chun did not pursue his rudeness; after speaking, he turned to Cheng Qian

In his childhood, Cheng Qian had seen a tablet dedicated to the worship of the Yellow Emperor in the village, which featured a beast's head on it

Cheng Qian, harboring an indescribable doubt, stepped forward and, with a complex state of mind, paid his respects to his master, who resembled a weasel, with his mortal eyes and body

The most significant difference between the poultry faction and the wild chicken faction is that the wild chicken faction is purely chaotic and nonsensical, while the poultry faction, despite its dubious origins, does possess some substantial foundation on the surface.