Several people sat around the stone table. After a few bowls of wine went down, the atmosphere immediately changed. The four of them dropped some of their formalities, and their words became much more straightforward. After some idle chatter, Yue Qianchou had gained a rough understanding of the three men's temperaments. Ling Feng and Bei Zi were open and forthright, speaking bluntly—men of true disposition, a rare sight in the Cultivation World. Xuan Ping, meanwhile, was sparing with his words, but a single sentence from him could often leave one choking.
There was nothing to fault in the character of the three men, and Yue Qianchou felt they were worth befriending. Besides, in this unfamiliar place, knowing a few more friends could only be a good thing. Yet people of such character were truly rare in the Cultivation World, and he had encountered three at once. Unable to suppress his doubts, Yue Qianchou beat around the bush and questioned them.
There was no other reason—they simply did not know how to conduct themselves. To put it bluntly, they did not know how to drift with the current and flatter others. They had offended those in charge and been thrown together, usually assigned the menial and grueling chores no one else wanted. It could also be said that their unbending natures had brought this trouble upon them. Unfortunately, none of their natural foundations were particularly good. All three had failed Foundation Establishment once before. If they failed twice more, they would all be expelled from Fu Xian Island.
Yue Qianchou was a little dumbfounded. What did it mean that he had been assigned here? Why had he been put together with three men with no prospects? Could it be that Guan Wei Wu intended to tear down the bridge after crossing the river? Now that he had gotten the Fu Xian Token, was he simply going to wash his hands of him?
Ling Feng seemed to see his gloom. He raised his wine bowl, drained it in one gulp, and smiled. "You were brought here by Yan Shu, so there are probably things you don't know yet. Yan Shu's father is Elder Yan Tuo, Elder Yan, who manages all the miscellaneous affairs of Fu Xian Island. When Yan Shu joined the Alchemy Pavilion years ago, he originally wanted to rely on his father's name to become Elder Guan's disciple. But Elder Guan did not give him even a shred of face. He rejected him on the spot and casually assigned him another master. Yan Shu is narrow-minded, a complete petty villain. He was furious at the time, but there was nothing he could do to Elder Guan. After that, whenever Elder Guan took an interest and accepted disciples, every last one of them was harmed to death by Yan Shu."
"Uh..." The wine Yue Qianchou had just swallowed nearly sprayed from his mouth. He barely managed to force it down when Bei Zi gave a chuckle. "Brother Yue, are you afraid? You're Elder Guan's disciple too! Let's hope you're the exception."
Yue Qianchou set down his wine bowl and stared at the three men in astonishment. "Isn't that a little too exaggerated? Yan Shu killed the disciples Elder Guan later accepted just because Elder Guan refused to take him as a disciple?"
"No mistake." Xuan Ping, who had been drinking with his head lowered, settled the matter with a single sentence. Though he spoke little, his words carried more weight than ten explanations from Ling Feng and Bei Zi. Yue Qianchou completely abandoned his doubts and asked unwillingly, "Could it be that Elder Guan did nothing even after his own disciples were murdered?"
Bei Zi chuckled again. "Haven't you heard Elder Guan's nickname, 'Alchemy Fanatic'? Other than pill refining, there's probably nothing he takes to heart. He might accept a disciple today and forget about him the very next day. Can you rely on a master like that?"
Xuan Ping, who was pouring wine, shook his head and added, "You can't."
Yue Qianchou was speechless. There was actually such a muddleheaded master? How had he run into one? He hated himself for being blind at the time. Why had he chosen that man as his master? Damn it! His life was more bitter than a little cabbage.
Ling Feng grabbed the wine jar beside Xuan Ping, filled Yue Qianchou's bowl, and said, "If Yan Shu were not relying on his father's prestige, there are plenty of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators around. How could a mere Core Formation stage cultivator like him become the steward of miscellaneous affairs for the Alchemy Pavilion? Still, since he assigned you to our courtyard, it does look as if he intends to harm you. That said, you need not worry too much. Fu Xian Island's rules are not just for show. He would not dare harm you openly. As long as you remain vigilant, it will not be easy for him to do anything to you..."
Yue Qianchou nodded without speaking. A flash of cold ferocity flickered through his eyes and vanished in an instant. None of them noticed that he had already developed murderous intent toward Yan Shu. He did not know whether the Yan Shu in their stories was truly so vile, but if he had to live every day in constant fear, then there was nothing left to consider. It was not the first time he had chosen to let a fellow cultivator die rather than himself.
Still, for the sake of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, he would endure what he could. A sect with conditions this good was hard to find, and what he had heard was only the three men's side of the story. Some things were better seen with one's own eyes. Thinking this, Yue Qianchou clasped his hands and smiled. "Thank you for the warning, brothers. I'll remember it. Since we have only just met, let's not speak of such disappointing things. They say Fu Xian Island is a blessed land on earth, but I have yet to admire its scenery. Could you three brothers show me around?"
Xuan Ping shook his head. "No."
Yue Qianchou froze. "Why?"
"Didn't Yan Shu tell you that disciples who have not reached the Foundation Establishment Realm are not permitted to wander around without authorization?" Ling Feng asked strangely. The other two also looked at him.
After thinking about it, Yue Qianchou recalled that Yan Shu really had told him such a rule. At the time, he had thought Yan Shu was merely trying to frighten a newcomer like him, so he had not taken it to heart. Now it seemed to be true. He could not help asking, "There really is such a rule? Why?"
"It's simple," Ling Feng said. "Only disciples with Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation or above can be considered true initiated disciples of Fu Xian Island. They may freely enter and leave any unrestricted area of Fu Xian Island, including the Scripture Pavilion to browse all cultivation manuals open to the sect. Secondly, every sect has secrets it does not wish outsiders to know, and Fu Xian Island is no exception. Most importantly, disciples of Fu Xian Island who fail Foundation Establishment three times are expelled from the sect. Brother Yue, you should understand now why disciples below the Foundation Establishment Realm cannot wander around without permission!"
"I understand. They're afraid those expelled disciples will reveal Fu Xian Island's secrets." Yue Qianchou frowned again. "In other words, those of us who have not reached the Foundation Establishment Realm cannot yet be considered true disciples of Fu Xian Island."
Ling Feng stood and patted his shoulder with a smile. "Brother Yue, don't dwell on it. Looking across the entire Cultivation World, what sect gives its disciples three chances to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill and attempt Foundation Establishment like Fu Xian Island does? I'm afraid you couldn't find a second one besides Fu Xian Island. That alone is enough to make disciples of other sects green with envy. As far as I know, some sect disciples never have a chance to obtain even one Foundation Establishment Pill in their entire lives."
"Mm." Bei Zi nodded. "I figured it out long ago too. If I fail Foundation Establishment all three times and am expelled from Fu Xian Island, I will have nothing to say. The opportunities are equal. I can only blame myself for being inferior to others."
"So do I." The tight-lipped Xuan Ping added a sentence to show his agreement.
They had misunderstood him. Yue Qianchou was not unable to accept it; he was angry that Guan Yu had been so unreliable. He had not even told him these most basic things, leaving him completely in the dark and forcing him to ask one idiotic basic question after another. Guan Yu clearly had a problem with his mindset—he had deliberately wanted to make a fool of him. As for whether he was a true disciple of Fu Xian Island, that did not matter to him. So long as he successfully reached Foundation Establishment, everything would be negotiable.
Besides, he still held the trump card that could solve all his present troubles. At this thought, Yue Qianchou smiled faintly. Wasn't Guan Wei Wu the biggest figure in the Alchemy Pavilion? Wasn't Guan Wei Wu an Alchemy Fanatic? I refuse to believe the Pill Sect's pill formulas can't handle you...
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Before you continue