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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
"Elder Hong said, 'You look a bit anxious!'"
I replied, "It seems I appear older than my actual age."
"Elder Hong remarked, 'That's not just a minor issue. At your age, you could already be an Inner Sect Disciple.'"
I noted, "Elder Hong laughed."
"I'm not laughing," Elder Hong said seriously. "As you can see, everyone here is just a child who hasn't even grown all their hair yet. The oldest among them is only seventeen or eighteen. Even if you are twenty-three, you've already surpassed the age for the Daoist Sect to accept disciples."
I countered, "The founders of Taoism, like Kong Lao Meng Zhuang, all achieved enlightenment in their later years. I've never heard of anyone practicing martial arts or cultivating the Dao in their youth."
"They were great Confucian sages, not ordinary people. They attained enlightenment in their later years and became immortals in a single moment. How can you compare to them?" Fat Boy scoffed.
Elder Hong continued, "Indeed, your bones have already formed, and your Dao Foundation is mostly established. It would be extremely difficult to reshape it now. You might spend your entire life achieving nothing. It would be better to avoid hardship and live as a mountain woodcutter."
I asked, "May I ask, Elder, has anyone from Azure Cloud Sect ever entered the Dao despite being over the appropriate age?"
Elder Hong replied, "There have been cases, but either they had connections that allowed them to get a nominal position for a meal or they contributed significantly to the sect or possessed special talents."
Elder Hong's words were straightforward: either rely on connections or wealth, or possess extraordinary skills. I had neither connections nor money at Azure Cloud Mountain, and I lacked any special abilities. I certainly couldn't hand over the Zhou Compass; it was a Daoist Sacred Artifact with treasure-finding capabilities that I must not lose. Moreover, I couldn't reveal the Seven-Colored Elixir or the Millennium Medicine King Ointment. Such rare treasures would surely incite fierce competition among cultivators; by then, I'd have no way to defend myself and wouldn't even know how I met my end.
Now I finally understood that the Book of Life and Death within me was not invincible. Against opponents far stronger than myself, it was equally ineffective. Furthermore, using the power of the Book had aged me significantly; if it weren't for taking Medicine King Ointment, I might have aged to death by now. Until I cultivated Dao Qi, I must not use the Book of Life and Death again.
The only treasure I could bring out seemed to be the Fish Intestine Sword.
The Fish Intestine Sword is an Ancient Famous Sword, rumored to have been forged by the renowned ancient swordsmith Ou Yezi for the King of Yue. Many later swordsmiths have attempted to replicate the craftsmanship and design of the Fish Intestine Sword. This particular sword was obtained from the Medicine King's Cave. Although it is uncertain whether it was truly crafted by Master Ou Yezi, it is still an ancient sword that can cut through iron like mud and is indestructible.
I held the Fish Intestine Sword in my hands and said, "My father once excavated treasures and obtained this precious sword known as Fish Intestine. If Elder Hong does not mind, I would like to present it to you."
The young men nearby burst into laughter.
"Is this even a sword? Have you ever seen such a weapon?"
"Exactly, it's all bent and twisted. Clearly, the craftsmanship is lacking. How embarrassing to bring it out."
Upon hearing this, Elder Hong looked at the sword in my hand with a hint of interest. With a slight movement of his fingers, the sword flew into his grasp. He examined the delicate patterns on the Sword Body and the words 'Fish Intestine' on the hilt, exclaiming with delight, "Could this truly be the ancient weapon Fish Intestine? Even if it's not, it can't be far off. After some refining, it would make a fine artifact for our Daoist Sect. However, this sword is rather small; it would suit a woman better. My junior sister..."
Elder Hong murmured to himself, glanced at me, and said, "Very well then, I will make an exception and accept you as a disciple. But given your situation, you might not cultivate even a bit of Dao Qi in ten years. I can't let you just eat and drink for free in the Daoist Sect. Do you know how strong you are?"
I replied, "Having grown up in a mountain village, I can handle several bags of grain without issue."
In truth, I had not been very strong before; my mother never let me exert myself while working in the fields. However, after soaking in medicinal baths on Qingliang Mountain and refining my body with nourishment from Ointment and hot springs in the Medicine King's Cave, my physique had improved significantly. Carrying several hundred pounds would certainly not be a problem for me now.
Elder Hong nodded and turned to a Dao Child beside him. "Arrange for him to work in the Outer Sect's Water Storage Room; they are short on manpower there."
"Yes, Master," the Dao Child replied before looking at me and pointing to a testing compass. "If you're really strong enough, lift this and follow me inside."
I looked at the massive stone table before me, stepped forward, lifted it onto my shoulders, and began to walk away with it. The stone table must have weighed at least five or six hundred pounds; an ordinary person could only carry two or three hundred pounds at most and might struggle to move at all. Yet here I was, easily carrying this five or six hundred-pound stone table as I walked.
A group of boys behind me burst into laughter, and Fat Boy pointed at me, spitting as he said, "Look at him, he's just the type to carry heavy loads. Elder Hong, I really suggest you let him handle the dirty work for the sect."
I followed Dao Child for over ten minutes until we arrived at the entrance of an ancient building, where three large characters read "Treasure Pavilion." Dao Child instructed a disciple guarding the door to open it and then motioned for me to enter with him.
Inside the Treasure Pavilion were many strange and unusual items, most of which I had never seen before. Dao Child pointed to an empty space and said, "Just put it here. Oh, and make sure to sweep this area quickly; we need to prepare for the new disciples' orientation meeting."
I nodded, placed the stone table in the designated spot, and picked up a broom leaning against the steps to start sweeping. Dao Child gave me one last reminder before stepping out of the Treasure Pavilion, seemingly afraid of being choked by dust. I didn't feel disappointed; after all, I had made it into the Entrance to the Dao. As long as I was here, there would always be opportunities to engage with things from the Daoist Sect.
After finishing my sweeping, I was about to head out when I noticed the stone table in front of me and felt a sudden urge. Everyone else had tested it; why hadn't I?
I placed my palm flat on the compass in the center of the stone table. Suddenly, a gray orb floating above erupted with an incredibly intense light—much brighter than anything I had seen during anyone else's tests.
With a loud crack, the orb shattered, scattering its pieces across the stone table while only a few spots on the compass lit up.
"What are you doing? Why haven't you finished cleaning?" Dao Child called from outside the Treasure Pavilion.
"Almost done, coming out now," I shouted back as I hastily swept the pieces off the stone table and ran out.
As I exited, I saw new disciples being led by another Dao Child beside Elder Hong toward a square for assembly. Elder Hong followed behind with his newly accepted handsome apprentice, chatting amiably.
Dao Child said, "I'll take you to your work area; you'll start tomorrow."
I asked in confusion, "Don't new disciples need to check in or register?"
"You don't need to. You're working in the Outer Sect; your master hasn't taken you as an Outer Sect Disciple."
I wanted to ask for clarification, but the Dao Child didn’t even glance at me as he headed up the mountain. I had no choice but to swallow my frustration and follow behind him.
We arrived at the entrance of a Taoist house, where I saw two young Taoists, one fat and one thin, sitting there. They had a table in front of them and were enthusiastically chatting while tapping their thighs, their expressions quite lewd.
"Hey, it's Brother Ma!" The two young men immediately stood up to greet the Dao Child as he approached.
The Dao Child nodded, his face serious. "This is the new disciple from the Water Storage Room. Make sure to take care of him; I have matters to attend to and must leave."
"Sure thing, Brother Ma! Your word is our command. We'll definitely take good care of this brother. If you have time, please say a few good words for us in front of Elder Hong!" One of them, a sly-looking Slim Young Man, said with a flattering smile.
The Dao Child nodded again and turned to me. "This is the Miscellaneous Room, located just below the Water Storage Room. If you need anything in the future, you can come to them. They will explain some rules you need to follow as a newcomer. I'm leaving now."
"Brother Ma," I called out to him.
"Hmm?" The Dao Child remained stern and asked, "Is there anything else?"
I inquired, "I would like to write a letter to my grandmother to let her know I'm safe in the sect. Is that possible?"
The Dao Child replied, "New disciples have the privilege of sending one free letter during their first month at the sect. The brothers in the Miscellaneous Room will help you deliver it."
"Yes, yes! We'll help you send it," said the Fat Young Man with a face full of freckles as he pulled out paper and a pen from under the table for me to write my letter.
I wrote simply: "Grandmother, I have joined the Azure Cloud Sect and will help you inquire about news from the sea."
On the envelope, I wrote: Shanquan Village at the foot of Azure Cloud Mountain, Grandma Wu Xiuying.
After handing the letter to the young man in the Miscellaneous Room, the Dao Child called me aside and reminded me to do a good job in the Water Storage Room. If I performed well, I might have the opportunity to enter the Outer Sect and become an Outer Sect Disciple, learning Taoist Arts.
I nodded in agreement and turned to look at the Miscellaneous Room, just in time to see two young men, one fat and one thin, snickering as they looked at a letter. Then they tore it apart and tossed the pieces under the table.
I felt a surge of anger but kept my composure as I walked straight up to them and asked, "Where's my letter?"
The Mole-faced Youth calmly replied, "We'll help you send it out."
I noticed he was still holding the envelope, snatched it from his hand, and realized it was indeed the envelope I had sent to Grandma Wu. The letter inside was gone.
"Do you think this is funny?" I asked.
"What did we do? We didn't do anything at all. If you don't believe me, go tell the elder!" said the Mole-faced Youth.
The Slim Young Man beside him wore a smug expression.
I punched the Mole-faced Youth right in the eye. He stumbled back, cursing, "You dare hit me? I'll make you pay!"
The Slim Young Man sneered, "A newcomer like you is so arrogant. You haven't even reached Entry-Level Realm yet and dare to strike. Just wait until I break a finger of yours!"
"Stop!" The Dao Child shouted from behind us.
Seeing the Dao Child's displeased expression, the Slim Young Man quickly became respectful. "Brother Ma, this newcomer doesn't know his place. He hurt his senior brother after just a few words. Someone like him needs to be taught a lesson; otherwise, he'll think he can act without consequence."
The Dao Child replied, "Enough! Do you think I didn't see what happened? You tore up his letter and still have the nerve to play the victim."
The words of the Dao Child made the Slim Young Man lower his head in silence. The Dao Child sighed and called me aside, saying, "Why did you cause trouble after entering the Daoist Sect? Hasn't anyone told you how treacherous it can be here?"
I replied, "I've heard a bit about it, but I didn't expect it to be like this."
The Dao Child said, "You seem honest and respectful towards me, so I'll tell you the truth. The Azure Cloud Sect isn't as easy to navigate as you think. You've offended someone from the Miscellaneous Room, and your days here won't be pleasant. I advise you to leave the mountain."
I responded, "But I've already given the Fish Intestine Sword to my Master. Am I not even going to be an Outer Sect Disciple?"
The Dao Child replied, "In any case, your sword won't come into my hands. I'll be straightforward with you: if your Master wanted you, he would have made you an Outer Sect Disciple directly instead of placing you in the Water Storage Room. I can't say much more about the specifics. You haven't registered yet, so it's up to you whether you want to stay or go. Since you're older than most, I'll make an exception and let you leave this time."
I said, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Ma. I do need to go down the mountain to inform my grandmother that I've joined the Azure Cloud Sect, so she won't be waiting anxiously at home."
"Are you planning to come back?" the Dao Child asked.
I answered, "I've delivered my things and done my work; I should at least stay for a while."
The Dao Child chuckled lightly and said, "It's really hard to communicate with you people; your behavior is the least understandable among those of lower status. I'll take you to the entrance and speak with the Gatekeeper Disciple. Just remember to return before dark."
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