Elder Hong of the Fire Refining Sect

"Qiao Wei, is this your nephew?"

Below Mount Luofeng, there was a small town.

It was called Yanghua Town.

But after many years, calling it Yanghua Town was no longer appropriate.

In the beginning, it was indeed a small town, but the Fire Refining Sect moved here.

A natural disaster.

Heavenly Fire descended from the sky, igniting Earth Fire.

Or perhaps a phoenix was born, as some claimed to have seen a phoenix dancing within the flames.

In any case, this place became a living hell. All living beings, whether human or animal, died in an instant, and the land turned into scorched earth.

But then, the Fire Refining Sect discovered the never-extinguishing Earth Fire within Mount Luofeng.

So, the Fire Refining Sect moved here.

When the Fire Refining Sect arrived, those who depended on them also came.

Most of these people were family members of the Fire Refining Sect disciples. They were mostly mortals and naturally could not live on Mount Luofeng.

Thus, Yanghua Town had people again.

As years passed, the population grew.

Now, it was less of a Yanghua Town and more of a Yanghua City.

It had become so prosperous that it could rival a small county town.

The Fire Refining Sect assigned an elder to manage affairs in Yanghua Town, and this elder was Hong Lang.

As for the Qiao Wei he mentioned, he was a young man in his thirties, currently sporting a fawning smile.

Qiao Wei.

To be honest, Hong Lang didn't like the man.

Because this man was too frivolous.

He was always glib-tongued and couldn't get anything done properly.

Yet, despite this, Hong Lang still appointed him as a steward in Yanghua Town, responsible for a street.

All of this was because Qiao Wei's father had once been his most outstanding disciple.

That was Hong Lang's favorite disciple.

He had poured all his effort into cultivating this disciple, but unfortunately, the disciple died young.

He was killed in a duel with someone.

It was a fair duel.

The opponent also hailed from a major sect, no less prominent than the Fire Refining Sect.

Elder Hong couldn't seek revenge even if he wanted to.

Although Elder Hong's disciple had died, he left behind a pregnant Dao companion.

She was a disciple with little talent.

Her talent was so poor that she didn't even qualify to join the Fire Refining Sect.

But at the disciple's pleading, Elder Hong pulled some strings and got the disciple into the Fire Refining Sect.

He even officiated their wedding later.

He had truly given a lot for this disciple.

Later, he continued to look after the disciple's widow.

Qiao Wei was this posthumous child.

However, it was regrettable that although descendants of cultivators had a high probability of having spiritual aptitude, it wasn't absolute.

Qiao Wei lacked the aptitude for cultivation.

Otherwise, he could have directly become Elder Hong's disciple, regardless of his talent.

But even without much talent, Elder Hong still provided a livelihood for them, mother and child.

He told the woman.

As long as Qiao Wei didn't change his surname, she and her son would always have a place to eat in Yanghua Town, within the Fire Refining Sect.

The woman with poor cultivation talent later married someone else.

But Qiao Wei never changed his surname.

Elder Hong wasn't angry about her remarriage; in fact, he sent a generous gift when she got married.

And he said again.

As long as Qiao Wei didn't change his surname.

Hong Lang would forever recognize these two juniors as his own.

The woman naturally knew what it meant to have an elder as a backer, so for all these years, she never let Qiao Wei change his surname, and she went to worship Qiao Wei's father every year.

And Qiao Wei!

He had never met his father since he was young, so naturally, he didn't have any feelings for this father he had never met.

To him, it was just a name.

But in front of Hong Lang, he always tried his best to act like a filial junior.

Because he understood who could make his life good.

Hong Lang naturally saw through these little schemes at a glance.

However, he didn't care.

Because Hong Lang felt that...

In this world, nothing is perfect.

As long as it's passable, it's fine.

This was his principle of conduct.

Sometimes he also regretted it; if he had taught Qiao Wei's father these principles back then, Qiao Wei's father wouldn't have lost his life due to a moment of impulsive conflict.

Time flew by, and forty years had passed.

Qiao Wei was already a middle-aged man.

And Elder Hong, even though he had achieved success in his cultivation, had also grown old over the years.

Hong Lang looked at the young man who was following behind Qiao Wei.

He looked to be in his thirties.

Standing beside Qiao Wei, seeing him look over, he immediately fumbled to bow.

"Yes, Elder!"

"He is also from Huisan Ridge, and by seniority, he is indeed my nephew."

"It's just that he couldn't make a living, so he came to me, wanting to find a job in the Fire Refining Sect."

"Fire Refining Sect?"

Elder Hong frowned.

If he wanted a job in Yanghua Town, it would be a matter of his word.

But if it was the Fire Refining Sect...

He couldn't help but suspect that the other party had ulterior motives.

He looked at the man: "Are there any other family members? Why do you want to find a job in the Fire Refining Sect?"

Song Chengan cupped his fists and said: "Reporting to the Elder, my parents passed away long ago."

"I have no other relatives."

"Why, at this age, do you still want to be a Menial Disciple in the Fire Refining Sect?"

"You know, the Menial Disciples the Fire Refining Sect used to recruit were all young children."

"You are already thirty years old."

"Elder."

Qiao Wei spoke.

He stepped forward and said in a low voice.

"My nephew here, his family originally had ten mu of land."

"He himself was also a scholar. By farming and teaching at a private school, he could be considered to have enough to live on."

"But he was alone, so people bullied him."

"They took his land."

"He had a wife, but she left him for someone else."

"He had no choice, gritted his teeth, and ran away."

"He eventually ended up in Yanghua Town. I saw he was pitiful, so I took him in. After inquiring, I found out he was my relative."

Song Chengan also cupped his fists at this time, pleading: "I beg Elder Hong for mercy and grant me a job."

"So that I may have a place to stand."

"So that one day, I can return with glory!"

Elder Hong simply pondered.

"Is there any proof of his identity?"

"Yes, yes." Qiao Wei took out a letter: "When he said this, I wrote back to the Ridge to ask someone, and it is indeed my nephew."

Elder Hong finished reading.

He still didn't agree.

Instead, he looked at Song Chengan and said, "Since you're looking for a job, you could just stay in Yanghua Town. Why do you want to go to Mount Luofeng?"

Song Chengan replied, "Elder."

He looked up, a hint of defiance in his eyes. "Villains bullied me, humiliated me."

"My wife abandoned me."

"If I just found a job in Yanghua Town, no matter how good my life is, what's the point? I'll always be a defeated dog!"

"I want to become immortal, I want to cultivate, I want eternal life!"

"I want to return to Huisan Ridge one day and make them regret it!"

"I heard that becoming a Menial Disciple of the Fire Refining Sect allows one to learn immortal techniques!"

Elder Hong chuckled upon hearing this. "You're thirty years old. Even if you cultivate, how much can you achieve?"

"Even if I've cultivated for three hundred years, on this path, I'm still as insignificant as an ant."

"However, since you are related to Qiao Wei, I will give you a chance."

"Where do you want to be a Menial Disciple?"

"You cannot go to the Scripture Repository, the Pill Pavilion, or the Artifact Refining Pavilion. You can go to any other place."

Song Chengan cupped his fists. "This disciple is not picky. I'm willing to do any hard or tiring work, as long as I can learn immortal techniques!"

Elder Hong's suspicion towards Song Chengan lessened upon hearing this.

He truly believed Song Chengan was a fallen scholar who had suffered greatly and harbored resentment.

"You can go up the mountain, but I need to make one thing clear."

"In ten days, the sect will conduct a Heart-Questioning Trial."

"To put it plainly, it's to test if you have malicious intentions."

"As long as you pass the test, you will be a Menial Disciple of the Fire Refining Sect."

"Are you willing?"

Song Chengan cupped his fists without hesitation.

"This disciple is willing!"

Elder Hong nodded.

"Very well."

"Follow Qiao Wei to find a place to stay. If you have money, buy some decent clothes. I will take you up the mountain in three days."

"There are also a few other children who will be coming up the mountain to be menial disciples."

"Thank you, Elder!"

Song Chengan cupped his fists.

Ten days?

That should be enough.

I'll find a way to get close to the Earth Fire then.

Song Chengan had already inquired.

The Fire Refining Sect used that Earth Fire to forge over a thousand furnaces that burned year-round, supplying disciples for artifact refining and pill concocting.

Song Chengan only intended to take a wisp of the furnace fire; he wasn't trying to steal the Fire Refining Sect's magic tools or pills, so it shouldn't be difficult.

"See? I told you this would work nine times out of ten!"

"Elder Hong himself started cultivating on the mountain in anger because he was bullied back then."

Qiao Wei whispered as they walked.

"Oh right, nephew, you promised me that pill!"

Song Chengan took out the pill and tossed it to Qiao Wei.

"Hehe." Qiao Wei happily took it.

He would have to work as a steward for a year to afford this pill.

This poor scholar truly didn't know its value.

Didn't he know he could be well-off for life by selling this pill?

Why did he have to go to the Fire Refining Sect and work himself to death as a menial disciple?

Could it be that he really thought he could become an immortal by cultivating at thirty?

Song Chengan, naturally unaware of Qiao Wei's thoughts, had fabricated a story.

He presented himself as a fallen scholar whose family fortune had been usurped and who had been abandoned by his wife.

Then, after promising Qiao Wei the Wonderful Grass Pill he'd found on the dead man once the deed was done, Qiao Wei helped him complete his background identity.

As for why Qiao Wei didn't suspect the origin of the pill.

It was because there was a rogue cultivator who had been doing business around Yanghua Town for a long time, killing people and robbing them.

He specialized in preying on low-level cultivators in the Dao Seed Realm.

And today, this elusive rogue cultivator had the misfortune of encountering a passing Fire Refining Sect elder, who then casually killed him with a single sword strike.

After the elder left, they all rushed towards the rogue cultivator, but Song Chengan was a step faster.

Then, in his conversation with Qiao Wei, Song Chengan learned about his relationship with the Fire Refining Sect elder, and an idea struck him, leading to what happened later.

Qiao Wei didn't know that the Wonderful Grass Pill wasn't actually found on that rogue cultivator.