Entry-Level and Inner Disciples, Senior Brother

"When a person is born, they receive the vital energy of heaven and earth, becoming spirit and form; they receive the primal energy, becoming liquid and essence. When heavenly energy is depleted, the spirit scatters; when earthly energy is depleted, the form becomes ill; when vital energy is depleted, life is exhausted..."

As dusk settled, in a small courtyard near the summit of Shushan's Geli Peaks, the sound of reading emanated.

Luo Bei, dressed in a simple blue cloth shirt, was diligently reading by the light of an oil lamp on his table.

"Junior Brother Luo Bei is so serious."

Suddenly, Luo Bei heard a voice in his ear. "Junior Brother Luo Bei, may I disturb you?" The sound of scattered footsteps stopped at the entrance outside the courtyard.

"Who is it?" Although he had been at Shushan for three days, during this time Xiao Xiao, the middle-aged scholar who had taken Luo Bei to meet Yu Ruochen and Yan Jingxie that day, had been teaching him to read and write. Luo Bei knew next to nothing about Shushan and had not met anyone else, so he had no idea who was visiting him now.

Slightly dazed, Luo Bei opened the slightly ajar courtyard door, only to find two youths standing at the entrance, dressed in the same blue shirts as him and of similar age.

The one on the left had a handsome face and a tall build, being a full half-head taller than Luo Bei. The youth on the right had beautiful black hair tied back with a silk ribbon, a bright smile, and a very refined appearance. "Junior Brother Luo Bei." Seeing Luo Bei standing before them, looking a little stunned, the refined youth cheerfully pointed to himself and the tall youth beside him, introducing themselves: "My name is Zi Gu Xuan, and this is Ling Dong Shan. Like you, we are both disciples of Geli Peak. We joined the sect a few days before you, so would it be presumptuous to call you Junior Brother?"

"This... of course." Hearing Zi Gu Xuan's words, Luo Bei immediately nodded, but he was still bewildered by the unexpected guests and didn't understand social niceties. After answering, he stood at the door, somewhat wooden, unsure of what to say.

"Since that's the case, we'll boldly call you Junior Brother Luo Bei." Zi Gu Xuan smiled and asked, "Junior Brother Luo Bei, have you had dinner yet?"

"No."

"Since you haven't, that's perfect. We haven't eaten either, and Dong Shan has prepared some food. Could we trouble you to invite us in, Junior Brother Luo Bei, so we can eat together, get acquainted, and become closer?"

"...Alright." Luo Bei only then noticed the blue-covered basket in Ling Dong Shan's hand. Luo Bei had been receiving his meals for the past three days from the lame and stuttering youth, Lin Hang, and it was almost time for Lin Hang to bring his food. However, seeing Zi Gu Xuan and Ling Dong Shan's enthusiasm, Luo Bei, who didn't understand etiquette or social customs, hesitated slightly but felt it would be impolite to refuse. He invited them into the room.

Ling Dong Shan took out a basin of salted peanuts, several roasted rabbit legs, a basin of cured fish, a few small dishes, and some purple wild fruits that Luo Bei had never seen before. White rice was served in wooden boxes, still emitting a gentle warmth.

"I wonder where Old Zhao Nan is now and what he's doing?" Seeing the slightly yellowish cured fish, Luo Bei felt a pang of remembrance, thinking of Old Zhao Nan on that nameless peak in Luofu, who was skilled at making cured meat.

"Junior Brother Luo Bei, please don't be polite. We have to recite scriptures during the day and don't have much time to prepare food. These are just some side dishes we picked up from the kitchen. However, these fruits are unique to Shushan, freshly picked, and very delicious. Since you've just arrived at Shushan, you probably haven't tried them. You should eat more."

"En." Luo Bei collected his thoughts, accepted a bowl of rice handed to him by Ling Dong Shan, picked up a piece of cured fish with his chopsticks, and chewed it carefully. "Senior Brother Zi Gu Xuan, where do you and Senior Brother Ling Dong Shan live? Is it far from here?"

"Not far, just on Tianyu Peak opposite. If we walk quickly, it's only an hour or two round trip." Zi Gu Xuan pointed outside the window. "It's dark now, and the clouds obscure the view, otherwise, you could see where we live."

"How long have you been at Shushan? Do you all live together?"

"Our batch entered Shushan last month, only a month before you." Zi Gu Xuan smiled, a fleeting, almost imperceptible strangeness in his eyes. "New disciples on Geli Peak all live on Tianyu Peak. It's just that Junior Brother Luo Bei has exceptional aptitude, which is why you receive such treatment."

"New disciples, and only I get this kind of treatment?"

"Yes. The other disciples share rooms, six to a room. And Senior Uncle Xiao Xiao is personally teaching you to read and write. This is unheard of, not just on Geli Peak, but in the entire Shushan."

"..."

Luo Bei ate slowly, conversing with Zi Gu Xuan and Ling Dong Shan, his heart filled with a mix of emotions.

Although Zi Gu Xuan and Ling Dong Shan had only joined Shushan a month before Luo Bei, they were clearly already familiar with many aspects of the sect. Through their explanations, Luo Bei gradually learned that Shushan had thousands of disciples. The Sect Leader was named Tian Xiyue, but he had been in seclusion for ten years, and the current acting Sect Leader was Yu Ruochen, whom Luo Bei had already met. The entire Shushan was now divided into three branches: Geli Peaks, Tianzhu Peaks, and Jingshen Peaks, each managed by Yan Jingxie, Zong Leyu, and Bing Zhujun, respectively.

Each of these three branches would send people out to select suitable disciples and bring them back to Shushan. Apart from Luofu and Chì Lè, Shushan was recognized as the second-greatest sect among the orthodox Xuanmen schools in the world, second only to Kunlun in prestige. With a thousand years of heritage, Shushan's approach to teaching and passing down knowledge was not aggressive or radical, but rather patient and gradual.

Disciples selected for the three branches, upon entering Shushan, would first learn to read and write, understanding many principles. For example, the Qi Nourishing Chapter that Luo Bei had just read explained how one could maintain sufficient vital energy and how illness could arise. Shushan's method was to first understand the principles, then cultivate the Dao, ensuring that disciples not only knew how to cultivate but also why they were cultivating in that manner and what actions would be harmful.

However, within the Geli Peak branch, even the later disciples all lived on Tianyu Peak and slowly learned to read and write. There had never been a case like Luo Bei's, where a disciple was personally tutored by a contemporary second-generation disciple of Shushan like Xiao Xiao to catch up. It was evident how highly Geli Peak valued Luo Bei.

Zi Gu Xuan and Ling Dong Shan were still unclear why the sect was divided into three or what the differences between them were. They had only heard that disciples of Geli Peaks had the most opportunities for external trials. Although they had the chance to enter Shushan, a place envied by mortals, to cultivate the Dao, their youthful nature couldn't help but feel inwardly pleased by this. However, they hadn't considered another point: Shushan, like other sects with outer and inner courts, also had entry-level disciples and inner disciples. Those who failed the trials would always remain ordinary entry-level disciples. Like Zi Gu Xuan and Ling Dong Shan now, they addressed Xiao Xiao and others as Senior Uncle. Only those who passed the trials and became inner disciples would receive profound techniques from their masters. Otherwise, the chance to roam the world on sword light, as they imagined, would be extremely slim.

"How did you two end up joining Shushan?" Luo Bei asked again.

"I'm from Luoyang in Zhongzhou. I happened to be spotted by Senior Uncle Ao Huang, who was on a trial there, and he brought me back to Shushan," Ling Dong Shan replied. Zi Gu Xuan, however, said, "My father is the Sect Master of Ziyun Sect. He knows Senior Uncle Xiao Xiao, so he recommended me to Shushan."

"Ziyun Sect?"

"It's about five hundred li from here and is considered an outer sect of Shushan," Zi Gu Xuan said, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes.

Although Ziyun Sect was insignificant compared to Shushan, Zi Gu Xuan had a foundation in cultivation, and with his father's connections to Xiao Xiao and others, his background was much better than that of other disciples.

"I heard from Senior Brother Ming Zhe that once Senior Uncle Xiao Xiao finishes teaching you, you'll begin cultivating with us, and we'll have more opportunities to get close then."

"Junior Brother Luo Bei, the entire Shushan now knows that Geli has produced a disciple with such exceptional aptitude... It's said your aptitude is the best Shushan has seen in decades. Your future achievements are bound to be limitless."

"Yes, if you don't understand anything or need any help, just ask us. Perhaps in the future, when we're stuck in our cultivation, we'll have to ask you."

"..."

As Ling Dong Shan and Zi Gu Xuan spoke, Zi Gu Xuan suddenly took out over a dozen blue talismans and handed them to Luo Bei.

"What are these?" Luo Bei asked, looking at the dozen blue talismans Zi Gu Xuan handed him.

"These are Divine Speed Talismans refined by my father. If you stick one on your feet, your walking speed will be several times faster than usual for two hours. With these Divine Speed Talismans, you can come find us on Tianyu Peak anytime. By the way, did Senior Uncle Xiao Xiao instruct you not to leave this place?"

"He didn't say that..."

Luo Bei looked at the dozen Divine Speed Talismans Zi Gu Xuan handed him, unsure whether to accept them or not. "Lo... Junior Brother Luo Bei." Just then, a stuttering voice came from the doorway. It was Lin Hang, who usually brought Luo Bei his meals.

"Your... your... food."

Seeing Ling Dong Shan and Zi Gu Xuan present, and that the three of them were eating, Lin Hang, holding the basket, clearly wanted to ask Luo Bei if he no longer needed the food he brought, or if he should still leave it there. But Lin Hang was a stutterer, and he hadn't expected Ling Dong Shan and Zi Gu Xuan to be there. The sudden appearance of two more people seemed to make him nervous, and he couldn't articulate his question.

"Eat... eat what?" A look of disdain appeared on Zi Gu Xuan's refined face. "Don't you see we're already eating?"

"No... I... I..."

"Stop with the 'I, I, I.' You can't even speak clearly. No wonder people look down on you everywhere," Zi Gu Xuan snorted dismissively.

"Forget it, don't bother. You can leave," Ling Dong Shan waved at Lin Hang. He then said to Luo Bei, "Don't mind him. It's said he's been at Shushan for two years, yet he's still not as good as a disciple who's been here for three months. Looking at his cultivation level, there's no way he'll become an inner disciple."

Although Ling Dong Shan's voice was not loud, the room was small, and Lin Hang clearly heard him. He couldn't help but lower his head, appearing even more humble and frail.