Sanqing Temple

Miao He's fourth senior sister was called Miao Zhen, a disciple of her Second Martial Uncle, Yin Song.

According to Miao He, there were currently nine people in Sanqing Temple. Six of them lived in the temple at present. "With you, that makes seven."

Miao He scooted closer to Pan Yun until they were pressed together, shoulder to shoulder. "Fourth senior sister loves studying too much. Every day, aside from lessons, she just cultivates. Only third senior brother occasionally plays with me. It's so boring."

Before Tao Ji and the others returned, First Martial Uncle had been the only one in the temple looking after the three children. One was obsessed with cultivation, one was an elder, and the other was a busy Senior Brother. No matter what Miao He wanted to do, she could never find anyone to accompany her.

Oh, Pan Yun had also learned the details of that formidable Senior Brother from Miao He—of course, all the details that Miao He knew.

"First Martial Uncle's surname is Wang. How would I dare know his given name? Nobody dares call First Martial Uncle by name. But I know his Daoist title. It's Fei Yin."

Without the slightest guard, Miao He babbled on and spilled everything about her First Martial Uncle, Second Martial Uncle, master, and Martial Aunt. "First Martial Uncle's home is at the foot of the mountain. Second Martial Uncle is a high-ranking official in the Capital City now, and Second Senior Brother follows him. Second Martial Uncle has the most disciples in our temple. Senior brother through fourth senior sister are all Second Martial Uncle's disciples. Only I belong to my master."

Pan Yun's eyes lit up. "What kind of high-ranking official?"

"I don't know," Miao He said. "Anyway, he's a high-ranking official."

A high-ranking official was good. She liked high-ranking officials best. Overturning a verdict required high-ranking officials most of all.

"Second Senior Brother is with Second Martial Uncle, while third senior brother and fourth senior sister are here. What about senior brother?"

"Senior Brother went out to earn money," Miao He said. "Cultivation costs money. What we eat, drink, and wear—all of it has to be earned by Senior Brother."

Pan Yun's expression froze. It sounded a little pitiful.

"All I hear you talk about are your Martial Uncles. They don't seem that old either. What about the patriarchs of your Master's Master's generation?"

"Here." Miao He lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her foot.

Pan Yun lowered her head to look at her toe. "Where?"

Dead?

Miao He lowered her voice. "He's the Mountain God."

Pan Yun: ...

In a tiny voice, Miao He said, "The Mountain God is everywhere. As long as we are on Mount Sanqing, the patriarch will always be by our side."

Pan Yun said, "...The patriarch is the Mountain God?"

"That's right. Legend says First Martial Uncle met the patriarch in a dream. The patriarch taught First Martial Uncle cultivation methods, and then First Martial Uncle went up the mountain, established the temple, and took disciples."

Pan Yun humbly asked, "Then did Second Martial Uncle, your Master, and Daoist Priest Xuan Miao also meet the patriarch in dreams and receive cultivation methods from him?"

"Not that," Miao He said. "My Master and the others were all taken in by First Martial Uncle on the patriarch's behalf."

Pan Yun immediately sensed something was off. "May I presumptuously ask how old your First Martial Uncle is this year?"

"Fifty-eight. He'll celebrate his sixtieth birthday next year."

Tao Ji and Xuan Miao looked to be only in their twenties. Pan Yun understood now—he had forcibly taken disciples as his junior brothers and sisters.

Yet this Daoist Priest Wang looked rather young.

Miao He lightly bumped Pan Yun's shoulder. "Sister Pan Yun, whose disciple are you going to become?"

Pan Yun fell silent.

Miao He wholeheartedly recommended her own Master. "Become my Master's disciple. My Master is wonderful. His medical skills are famous far and wide, and his attainments in alchemy are second only to First Martial Uncle's. Even Second Martial Uncle can't compare."

"My main studies are talismans and formations," Pan Yun said.

"Ah." Miao He was deeply regretful. "Then you can only look for Fourth Martial Aunt. But Fourth Martial Aunt doesn't like taking disciples, and she's very strict when teaching. We're all a little afraid of her. Though fourth senior sister likes her very much."

Miao He sighed.

Pan Yun sighed as well.

She truly had no reverence for Tao Ji and Xuan Miao as elders, and she did not want to become either of their disciples.

She thought Daoist Priest Wang was rather good. He was Senior Brother, the head of Sanqing Temple, older, knowledgeable, and kind. If she had to take a master, naturally she should take the greatest one.

She asked Miao He, "Must one take a master to stay in the temple? Can't I simply join without becoming anyone's disciple?"

Miao He looked utterly baffled. "I don't know. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters have all taken masters. If you don't, how would we address you, little sister?"

Sanqing Temple was too small, with too few people. Every disciple was a direct disciple, and the curriculum was far from limited. Each elder taught separate classes.

Take Miao He, for example. Apart from studying alchemy with her Master, she also learned cultivation, astronomy, talismans, formations, and ghost-catching from the other Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts.

The variety of subjects she studied was no less than the courses offered in twenty-sixth-century schools.

Pan Yun was dumbfounded. Just as she wanted to ask for more details, she heard a sound from the black cat's direction. Daoist Priest Wang had emerged from meditation.

She immediately yawned and said with a sleepy face, "I still want to hear more from you, but I'm too tired right now, Miao He. How about I come find you first thing tomorrow morning, and we can continue?"

"Okay, okay." Miao He jumped down from the bed. "Then rest first. I'll come find you tomorrow morning."

Pan Yun saw her out, shut the door, and blew out the lamp. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she sank her consciousness into the spirit realm. Through her connection with Pan Little Black, she looked through Pan Little Black's eyes and saw Wang Fei Yin.

At this moment, Daoist Priest Wang appeared much taller. Stroking his beard, he said, "Fortunately, although there is a problem with that child's cultivation method, it is only that her Qi cultivation efficiency is low. She has not gone down an evil path."

Xuan Miao said, "She is very talented."

Daoist Priest Wang nodded too. "She truly is the most gifted person I have ever seen."

His gaze fell on Xuan Miao, and he smiled. "More gifted even than you."

Xuan Miao nodded. "That is why I ask Senior Brother to cultivate her carefully."

Senior Brother asked, "There are many ways to repay a favor. Taking her out of the Capital City and concealing the matter of her killing Imperial Guards would settle the favor owed to the Xue Family. At worst, you could entrust her to a reliable household. Yet you brought her back to Sanqing Temple. Clearly, you truly cherish her talent. Since that is so, why not take her as your disciple and teach her yourself?"

"Senior Brother, I am a lone star of heavenly calamity. Everyone who draws close to me will come to no good end. Why harm others?"

"Fate in this world can always be broken. It is precisely because you care too much and tread too carefully that fate has become ever more firmly fixed. Her fate is hard as well. One of you is a lone star of heavenly calamity, while the other's fate is hard as mountain rock. Putting you together is just right."

Xuan Miao said bluntly, "I do not like trouble, I do not like worrying, and I do not like being someone's Master."

Senior Brother's beard bristled. He was so angry that his face twisted. "So you've handed the trouble to me?"

Xuan Miao frowned at him. "I never meant for senior brother to take her as a disciple. Just raise her in the temple like Miao Zhen and Miao He. Raising two is raising them, and raising three is raising them too. What difference does one more make?"

Senior Brother said, "There must be a proper status."

"Put her under Second Senior Brother's name. Second Senior Brother already has so many disciples. One more makes no difference."

Senior Brother choked on his words and could not speak for a long while.

The martial brother and sister looked at each other for a moment. In the end, Senior Brother conceded defeat. He waved a hand. "Fine, go on. I'll think it over some more."

Xuan Miao turned and left, utterly decisive.

Senior Brother silently watched her back disappear. The black cat, sensing that nothing else was happening, stood up to leave. Pan Yun was about to withdraw her consciousness as well when she heard Senior Brother say, "Come up here. Let me have a look at you."

Pan Yun paused. Then she felt her entire body fall into Wang Fei Yin's arms.

Oh, it was the black cat's body.

Pan Little Black went stiff all over, and he and Pan Yun stared at him with wide eyes.

Senior Brother stroked its head, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "A genius indeed. Truly unusual."

If she had not walked into Sanqing Temple herself, passed by the statues of the Three Pure Ones, and entered the rear courtyard, he would almost have suspected that a spirit creature had possessed her.

Otherwise, how could someone so young know so many techniques?

Senior Brother suspected that she had once had a teacher to guide her, only for some unknown reason she could not speak of it to others.

But regardless of the reason, now that she had entered Sanqing Temple, she was one of Sanqing Temple's people.

Senior Brother smiled as he stroked the black cat. "When were you left here? How did I never discover you? Do not misunderstand Xuan Miao. She is hard of mouth but soft of heart. Nor should you fear her fate. Among us at Sanqing Temple, everyone except me has some kind of flaw. A lone star of heavenly calamity cannot bring calamity upon you."

Pan Yun: ...Was he praising himself, or trying to frighten her?

"Xuan Miao once owed Xue Xuan, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a favor. Your... master's father was exiled partly due to Xue Xuan's influence. So when Xue Xuan returned to his hometown, he happened to encounter Xuan Miao and asked her to repay the favor by escorting your... master's family to Datong.

"Pan Hong refused and instead asked Xuan Miao to look after your master. Originally, she had only planned to secretly escort the Pan Family Second Branch back to their ancestral home in Changzhou Prefecture. Yet before she could even reach your master's home, she ran into your master killing someone."

Senior Brother sighed. "This is what they mean by fate bringing people together even from a thousand miles away. The bond between you, one person and one cat, and our Sanqing Temple simply cannot be stopped."

Pan Yun and Pan Little Black: ...

Senior Brother set it on the ground and patted its round head with a smile. "All right, the story is over. The night is dark and cold. Even a cat cannot catch a chill and fall ill. Go on now."

Pan Little Black shuddered, then bolted away in a flash and vanished.

Senior Brother smiled, stroking his beard. "That's more like it. If there is something to say, say it openly. Hiding this and concealing that only breeds needless sorrow. Look what they forced a perfectly fine child into becoming—she even took the initiative to attach her spirit to a cat."

What eight-year-old child was this suspicious?

Senior Brother sighed. Children of poor families grew up early. Pan Yun's family had been exiled, and from now on, she could only wear herself out worrying and laboring.

Senior Brother shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and returned to his room, muttering, "Where exactly did I stuff that half-volume cultivation manual?"

Once inside, he began turning the room upside down. First came the bookcase holding books, but he could not find it. Then came the chest of clothes. Finally, he even dragged out the money chest hidden beneath the bed and searched through it carefully, but still found nothing.

"No, I definitely put it in this room. Though it is only half a volume, I would never have thrown it away. It must still be here. Search again."

Senior brother retraced his steps and searched again. At last, he collapsed onto a pile of books and miscellaneous items, brows tightly furrowed. "If I go ask fourth junior sister to divine it now, I wonder if she'll lose her temper."

After considering it, he decided not to disturb Xuan Miao. Instead, he ran to the front and found a turtle shell.

"My divination may be a little worse, but I still know a bit."

Senior Brother prayed sincerely, then tossed out the turtle shell...

The lucky numbers are those ending in 0. Screenshots are proof; the screenshot deadline is before the next chapter is published.