A New Disciple Enters the Sect, the First Act

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Stepping outside the cave, one sees a middle-aged Daoist priest standing there, his long beard flowing, exuding an air of otherworldly grace. Upon seeing Qin Yi emerge, he cups his hands and smiles, saying, "Our Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace has gained another pillar of strength; congratulations!"

Qin Yi politely returned the greeting. "I'm new here, so I hope this Senior Brother will give me some guidance."

"Of course, of course." The Daoist priest flicked his sleeve, quickly clearing away the fallen leaves and dust from the stone table in front of the cave. He then pulled out a Wine Gourd and asked with a smile, "Would you like a drink?"

"I can have a little." Qin Yi gestured for them to sit down at the stone table.

Liusu said in the shadows, "There are quite a few others watching from the air. This Daoist priest is probably just the vanguard."

Qin Yi nodded.

The Daoist priest took out two small wooden cups, poured wine, and said with a smile, "This humble Daoist Xi Xiangzi of the Medical School. My junior brother's surname is Qin?"

"What is your relationship with Dong Huazi?"

"Uh? I don't know him."

"Alright, my name is Qin Yi, greetings to Senior Brother Xi Xiang."

"Yi, Junior Brother, is this the way of Go?"

This question surprised Qin Yi for a moment.

The Immortal Dao sometimes truly speaks of this kind of preordained the Unseen, the so-called interaction between Celestial Person, the natural flow of energy, and the fact that everything is predetermined in the Unseen. Thus, there is the Daoist practice of divination to predict the secrets of heaven.

His name was Yi, and he studied painting.

This is preordained in a previous life and cannot be changed.

Wanting to visit a sect and consult Minghe, the first direction was the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace, so he came here. Disdainful of eating Eating, Drinking, Whoring, Gambling, whoring, and gambling, and without having had time to look at other systems, he hesitated to leave amidst the Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting. After only one night, he became a disciple of this sect after a few words.

If there truly is the Unseen, one could even say that Qin Yi came from Southern Li specifically for this purpose: to cultivate the Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting Sect.

This is interesting; we can look into it later.

In reality, his approach to chess is like this: he knows some Chinese chess, but his skill level is average; he only understands some basic rules of Go, which is typical of most modern students. I wonder if Gomoku, checkers, or Ludo count... well, even if they do, his skill level is still average...

These thoughts flashed through his mind, but of course he couldn't say it to others. If the sect leader of the Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting Sect couldn't play chess, it would be a disgrace to Ju Yunxiu.

So I could only reply, "I only have a superficial understanding of Go; Non-Self my main focus."

Xi Xiangzi laughed and said, "Is that the way of the zither? I wonder what instrument you specialize in, junior brother? Could you play a piece for me to hear your celestial music?"

This isn't meant to make things difficult for you or to order you to perform. For someone who is passionate about the qin (a seven-stringed zither), having someone willing to listen to you play is actually a sign of support and friendliness. A true qin master would be overjoyed and play along.

But this straight man made Qin Yi extremely embarrassed. What musical instrument could he possibly play? He could at least say he knew chess, but what musical instrument could he possibly use to fool people?

He could only feign profundity. "The way of the zither is not merely about musical instruments; Senior Brother does not understand this way."

"Huh?" Xi Xiangzi was taken aback. "What does Junior Brother mean..."

"The Way of the Qin is just a way of referring to the Qin, but it actually refers to the Way of Music, and it is not just about musical instruments."

"I see. I was ignorant. Which school of thought do you specialize in, junior brother?"

"Hmm... you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Do you know what singing, dancing, and rapping are? It's about bringing out the beauty of a chicken and making it known to everyone."

"... I know a little about singing and dancing, but as for that Rip thing, I really don't know anything about it." Xi Xiangzi said with embarrassment, "Indeed, there are countless paths to enlightenment, and what we know is just a drop in the ocean."

Qin Yi was afraid he would continue asking about calligraphy and painting, so he quickly changed the subject. "Senior Brother, are you a practitioner of medicine and divination?"

"Indeed, I specialize in medicine and External Pill."

This was actually Qin Yi's area of expertise, but Qin Yi had no interest in discussing External Pill with him. Instead, he went straight to the point. "So, Senior Brother did you come here..."

Xi Xiangzi seemed surprised by Qin Yi's directness. After all, cultivators have plenty of time and can talk about the Dao for days. Moreover, they all value a sense of mutual understanding and harmony. As long as you can speak to their heart and gain their feeling of "they understand my Dao," when you reveal your purpose in the midst of drinking and conversation, they will most likely just laugh it off and say, "Take it, take it."

He certainly didn't expect that Qin Yi was afraid he would continue to discuss the Dao and reveal his ignorance, so he decided it was better to get straight to the point and avoid unnecessary words.

Xi Xiangzi pondered for a moment, drank a cup of wine to cover his thoughts, and then slowly said, "Since you are skilled in the Calligraphy and Painting Dao, and Dao of Alchemy. You may have practiced it, but you are certainly not a person who loves it."

Qin Yi smiled and asked, "So?"

"I am a great lover of Dao of Alchemy, but I lack a good furnace. I know that there is Purple-Gold Eight Directions Beast Head Furnace on this peak... Although this furnace is not of the highest grade, it is extremely suitable for my alchemical practice." Xi Xiangzi spoke slowly, observing Qin Yi's expression. Seeing that Qin Yi was still smiling slightly, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "If Junior Brother is willing to part with it, I can exchange it for something Junior Brother needs."

Qin Yi smiled and asked, "So, what can you offer in exchange, Senior Brother?"

Xi Xiangzi opened his palm, revealing a small cloth bag with a faint Spiritual Qi emanating from its opening.

"I know you're new here and lack seeds if you want to grow some spirit medicine," Xi Xiangzi said with a smile. "To be honest, Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting things aren't available here; you have to go to our Medical Sect to find them. Here are some rare immortal seeds, quite valuable, that you can exchange with me."

Qin Yi's expression remained unchanged, but he sneered inwardly.

As someone who Dao of Alchemy, even without proper testing, I can tell that the Purple-Gold Eight Directions Beast Head Furnace is definitely a good furnace. If we categorize it by its material, it might have already surpassed the level of Law Artifact and reached the level of Law Treasure.

But this damned Daoist priest dared to say it was "not anything of high quality," and then tried to exchange it for a few broken seeds.

Saying it's relatively rare probably means it's not exactly common, not the kind of thing you'd find in a pharmacy. Are they trying to fool people with some kind of rare commodity? Do they think I'm a fool?

Perhaps those obsessed with the arts of music, Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting are mostly easy to deceive... In fact, if it were a genuine exchange of equal value, Ju Yunxiu might not have refused, and they could have already completed the exchange, each getting what they needed. However, these treasures are quite valuable, and most people cannot afford to exchange them, so they can only try to deceive or simply demand them directly, which led to Ju Yunxiu's refusal.

But they dared not seize it by force, and when they saw a new "fool" arrive, they couldn't wait to reach out their claws.

Just as Qin Yi was about to refuse, Zhen Bangchui spoke in his Sea of Consciousness: "Qin Yi, I want those seeds. One of them is useful to me."

Qin Yi almost vomited blood, the words of refusal stuck in his throat.

"What? Junior Brother feels like you're at a disadvantage?" Seeing that Qin Yi didn't answer for a long time, Xi Xiangzi smiled and took out a seed, saying, "This is the Crimson Ghost Vine, which has endless protective effects on cave abode. If it is nourished enough, even the Shining Sun Realm cannot enter it. It can be said to be the best choice for opening up mountains and creating cave dwellings. It is simply impossible to buy it outside."

You'd be a fool to believe you.

Qin Yi's mind raced. Even if it was just for Liusu, exchanging with him wasn't out of the question. Even if the value of the Pill Furnace were ten thousand times higher, it wouldn't matter at all compared to Liusu's needs.

The problem is that it can't be too direct. This isn't a problem between him and Xi Xiangzi; it's a play that everyone is watching.

Those observing from the cloud may come from all sorts of sects and cults. If others see this and think you're too easily fooled, then it will never end. Not only will you embarrass yourself, Ju Yunxiu will also be greatly disappointed.

The only way to get through this is to replace it with something else of truly equal value.

So he said, "To be honest, I also need that Pill Furnace myself and don't intend to give it away. But I am indeed interested in these seeds of yours, Senior Brother. How about I exchange something else with Senior Brother?"

Xi Xiangzi glanced at Qin Yi, a barely perceptible hint of contempt in his eyes.

A young man who has just begun to grasp the essence of music and whose skills are not yet solid, who was previously Rogue Cultivator, what could he possibly have to exchange for?

He didn't mince words and said directly, "With your cultivation level, Junior Brother, there's probably nothing of value that I would want, besides this Pill Furnace."

"Hey," Qin Yi said, "Don't underestimate me. Even though my Senior Brother has reached the fifth level of Qin Xin, you might not be able to beat me."

Xi Xiangzi finally couldn't help but laugh, "Junior Brother's cultivation is indeed quite solid, much stronger than the average cultivator of the same level. It seems Junior Brother is very confident in his cultivation. Junior Brother, don't forget that what you've seen in the past are mostly rogue Rogue Cultivator who roam the mortal world, while my Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace is a famous sect, different from others."

Qin Yi said helplessly, "I really have something to trade with you."

He has a ring full of Spirit Stone; such a versatile item can be exchanged for seeds anywhere...

To everyone's surprise, Xi Xiangzi laughed and said, "Junior Brother, since you're so confident in your abilities, how about we make a bet? If you lose, the Pill Furnace is mine; if I lose, the seed is yours."

As soon as these words were spoken, a voice immediately rang out from the sky. "Gamble! Gamble! I, the Gambling Sect, will bear witness for you!"