Disciplinary Hall

"You've been traveling for a long time. Please rest well for tonight.

Tomorrow, you'll come up the mountain with me to report the details of your attack, and then you'll register your cultivator identity at the Outer Hall," Lu Zhi arranged after a moment of thought.

The night passed without incident. It was the next morning.

The Lu Family's Blessed Land was located on Mihe Peak.

Lu Qingshan followed Lu Zhi up the mountain path. After half an hour, when the clouds ahead obscured the path, they stopped.

Lu Qingshan knew that these clouds were the Lu Family's Gatekeeping Illusion Array.

Lu Zhi took a bronze token from his怀. The token was inscribed with a flowing "Lu" character.

This was the Lu Family's Communication Token.

Lu Zhi threw the token into the clouds.

Under Lu Zhi's spiritual power, the token transformed into a stream of light and flew into the mist.

In less than a moment.

A young cultivator emerged from the clouds.

He must be the one responsible for guarding this Gatekeeping Illusion Array, commonly known as a gatekeeper.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?" the young cultivator asked, holding the token Lu Zhi had just thrown.

"Lu Zhi from the Outer Hall. I have matters to report to the Disciplinary Hall."

The young cultivator nodded and turned his gaze to Lu Qingshan beside him.

"And him?"

"His name is Lu Qingshan. He recently cultivated spiritual power. I'm bringing him to the Outer Hall for registration."

The young cultivator's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help but glance at Lu Qingshan a few more times.

He looked about fifteen or sixteen. Although he had only just become a cultivator, it seemed a bit late.

However, as long as one cultivated spiritual power before the age of eighteen, they could enter the Lu Family's Outer Hall.

He would be his colleague from now on.

With this thought, the young cultivator's tone became a bit more polite: "Alright, you may enter."

The young cultivator waved his hand, and the clouds instantly dispersed, revealing a narrow, winding path.

The young cultivator slightly shifted aside, making way for Lu Zhi and Lu Qingshan.

Lu Zhi thanked the young cultivator and led Lu Qingshan inside.

The entrance was narrow, barely allowing a person to pass. After walking several dozen steps, it opened up into a vast space.

Beautiful clouds floated in the sky, surrounded by lush greenery, and the air was much fresher than outside.

Lu Qingshan couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

This was because the spiritual energy here was incredibly abundant.

The Lu Family's Blessed Land was built upon a third-grade Spirit Vein.

The spiritual energy production of a third-grade Spirit Vein was limited. To avoid depleting it, the Lu Family had always controlled the number of people within the Blessed Land.

Many cultivators like Lu Zhi, who were advanced in age and had little chance of breaking through to the next cultivation realm, were dispatched by the Lu Family to Mihe Town to manage family businesses, preventing the waste of spiritual energy within the Blessed Land.

This was Lu Qingshan's second time in the Lu Family's Blessed Land.

The first time was to test his Spiritual Root.

All disciples of the Lu Family underwent a test by the family at the age of five.

The test was for the Spiritual Root within their bodies.

If the test results showed good Spiritual Root aptitude and excellent cultivation talent, the child would be valued by the family and allowed to cultivate within the Blessed Land.

If the test revealed poor Spiritual Root aptitude, they would not be allowed to stay in the Blessed Land.

However, this did not mean they were completely cut off from cultivation.

Although talent was a very important part of cultivation, it was by no means everything.

How many cultivators with ordinary Spiritual Root aptitude had eventually become powerful cultivators?

The Lu Family was certainly not so short-sighted. They were willing to give their disciples a chance to prove themselves through their own efforts.

Disciples with poor cultivation talent could take a cultivation method back home and practice it on their own.

If they could cultivate spiritual energy and become cultivators before the age of eighteen, they could enter the family's Outer Hall.

Lu Qingshan's first Spiritual Root test was not satisfactory, so he did not stay in the Lu Family's Blessed Land.

Although Lu Qingshan had practiced the cultivation method in his spare time, he had never successfully sensed spiritual energy, so he had not entered the Lu Family's Blessed Land again.

The entire architectural complex within the Blessed Land faced east, built against the mountain and following its natural contours.

The surrounding mountains coiled like jade dragons, forming a tiered structure.

A river shimmering with silver light flowed down from the mountaintop, which was the so-called Mihe River.

Lu Zhi led Lu Qingshan along the Mihe River. Before long, a three-story building came into view.

"This is the Disciplinary Hall. Once we go inside, you'll report the details of the attack to the cultivator there. After he records it, you'll be all set," Lu Zhi instructed.

Lu Qingshan naturally had no objections.

As soon as they entered the Disciplinary Hall, a stern-faced cultivator in black immediately approached them. "What is it?"

He was a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Even within the Lu Family, Foundation Establishment cultivators held extremely high status, so most of the people working in the various halls of the Lu Family were Qi Refining cultivators.

Lu Zhi explained their purpose.

The cultivator in black understood and, without further words, led Lu Zhi and Lu Qingshan into a side room.

The four walls of the side room were lined with large cabinets, which were further divided into numerous small compartments.

Each compartment held a Jade Slip.

These Jade Slips contained records of all the tasks handled by the Disciplinary Hall.

"On what date did the attack occur?" the cultivator in black asked.

"April 13th," Lu Zhi replied respectfully after recalling.

"April 13th." The cultivator in black scanned the cabinets, his fingertips brushing over one Jade Slip after another.

"Here it is!" Soon, the cultivator in black retrieved a Jade Slip from one of the compartments.

"On April 13th of Chang'an Year 20,000, Lu Qingshan (son of Lu Bei) of the Lu Family's clothing workshop mysteriously disappeared while transporting goods. This report is submitted to the family, requesting an investigation into the cause.

Reporter: Lu Zhi of the Outer Hall

Report Date: April 17th

Resolution: Unresolved. The Disciplinary Hall dispatched personnel for investigation on April 18th, but they found nothing and no witnesses. Cold case."

The cultivator in black slowly read the contents of the Jade Slip aloud.

Upon seeing the note "son of Lu Bei," the cultivator in black couldn't help but look up and glance at Lu Qingshan.

—It was precisely because Lu Qingshan was the son of the Golden Core cultivator Lu Bei that the Disciplinary Hall would diligently investigate the circumstances of Lu Qingshan's attack.

Otherwise, if an ordinary mortal from the Lu Family were attacked and went missing, and it also had to be managed by the Disciplinary Hall, how could they possibly handle all the work?

"Is this it?"

Lu Zhi nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Alright, please recount the detailed events to me."

Lu Zhi looked at Lu Qingshan, who didn't hesitate. He recounted the same explanation he had given to Lu Zhi earlier.

Following Lu Qingshan's account, the cultivator in black first changed the resolution from "Unresolved" to "Resolved" and then added much more information within the Jade Slip.

"Okay, I've recorded it. This matter is now considered concluded." After Lu Qingshan finished explaining the events, the cultivator in black finished registering the information, placed the Jade Slip back into its compartment, and looked up at the two of them.

Clearly, the cultivator in black didn't understand what the name Zhishou Tower signified, otherwise, he wouldn't have dismissed the matter so casually.

There will be another chapter later, but it will be after midnight.