We Don't Welcome Trash

Xu Yi looked at the enormous boulder before him and said, "This is a mountain-guarding stone. Visitors only need to place their identity plaques on it, and the people on the mountain will be notified! Lingquan Mountain is one of the better peaks among the outer sect. Its spiritual energy is abundant, and there are still two vacant courtyards. Let's see whether you have the luck to get in!"

Although Xu Yi knew Junior Brother Fang Chen had little chance of entering Lingquan Mountain, he still brought Fang Chen here to try his luck.

He took out his identity plaque and held it over the groove in the mountain-guarding stone.

Buzz!

Xu Yi's identity plaque glowed faintly, and the mountain-guarding stone trembled gently. Azure rune patterns emerged across its surface.

After a while, the mountain-guarding stone slowly shifted aside, and a young man emerged from the mist. He was fair-faced and beardless, with refined features and a tall, slender frame, elegant as a jade tree in the wind.

Upon seeing him, Xu Yi cupped his hands and said respectfully, "Xu Yi greets Senior Brother Liu Xu! I was ordered to bring someone here to pay respects to the mountain. May I ask whether Lingquan Mountain still has any vacant courtyards?"

Xu Yi actually knew that Lingquan Mountain still had two vacant courtyards, but out of politeness, he merely pretended not to know.

The young man Xu Yi called Liu Xu wore an indifferent expression. His gaze swept over Fang Chen before he said, "Show me your identity plaque!"

Fang Chen immediately handed over his identity plaque.

Liu Xu took the plaque and scanned it with his Spiritual Sense. When he saw the information on Fang Chen's plaque, his brow immediately furrowed. He looked up at Xu Yi and asked, "This boy has no spiritual roots?"

Xu Yi nodded slightly. "That's right! Elder Bai Lie personally tested him!"

Liu Xu immediately tossed the identity plaque back into Fang Chen's arms and said in a deep voice, "Our Lingquan Mountain has no vacant courtyards left. Go look elsewhere!"

With that, he turned and walked back into the mist.

Rumble!

The mountain-guarding stone slowly shifted back into its original position.

Fang Chen frowned slightly and asked, "Senior Brother Xu Yi, didn't you just say there were vacant residences inside? Why won't he let me enter?"

Xu Yi sighed softly. "The sect periodically holds competitions and events, and these competitions and events are contested by mountain peak. You have no spiritual roots, so your cultivation is destined to be difficult to improve in the future. In their eyes, you have no value whatsoever. If you moved into Lingquan Mountain, you might even drag them down. They welcome geniuses, not trash!"

"Within the sect, most people place great importance on benefits. That's why they will do everything they can to protect their own interests. They reject you from the bottom of their hearts. Even if you moved in, they would find every possible way to make things difficult for you. That might not be a good thing for you either!"

Fang Chen knitted his brows. "If everyone acts like this, doesn't that mean no one will want me?"

Xu Yi smiled. "Someone will. Don't worry. Let's go!"

With that, Xu Yi led him onward to continue paying visits to the mountains.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Fang Chen and the others arrived at the foot of Lingluo Mountain.

After Lingluo Mountain's people looked over Fang Chen's information, they disdainfully flung his identity plaque onto the ground and said, "A worthless piece of trash without spiritual roots wants to enter our Lingluo Mountain? Why don't you piss in a puddle and take a good look at what kind of bird you are!"

After saying that, the man turned around and went back inside.

"That's too much!"

Fang Chen gritted his teeth in fury.

Xu Yi bent down, picked up Fang Chen's identity plaque, and handed it to him. "That's how it is in the sect. Only those with value receive others' attention and favor!"

Fang Chen accepted the plaque and said to Xu Yi, "Senior Brother Xu Yi, thank you!"

Xu Yi smiled faintly and turned to leave.

Three hours later, Fang Chen followed Xu Yi to a low hill. There was no mountain-guarding stone on this hill. A winding gravel path stretched all the way toward the foot of the mountain ahead.

Fang Chen was exhausted by now. Over the past three-odd hours, Xu Yi had brought him to visit more than several dozen mountain peaks, yet once those people learned that he was trash without spiritual roots, none were willing to associate with him.

Looking at the gravel path stretching toward the foot of the mountain, Fang Chen frowned slightly and asked Xu Yi, "Senior Brother Xu Yi, why doesn't this mountain have a mountain-guarding stone?"

Xu Yi smiled. "It does!"

With that, he lowered his head and found a pitch-black stone in the roadside grass. It was only as large as an ordinary washbasin, covered in cracks, with the three crooked words "Dog Head Ridge" written on it. Fang Chen even suspected that a dog had scratched out those three characters.

Though the stone was small, it also had a groove on it.

Xu Yi placed his identity plaque on it, and azure rune patterns immediately appeared across the black stone's surface.

After a while, a middle-aged man rode a gaunt little donkey slowly down the gravel road toward Fang Chen and Xu Yi. His face was covered in stubble, and a long scar slanted from his left forehead to the corner of his mouth on the right. His left eye was covered by a black eyepatch.

When he reached Xu Yi and Fang Chen, the middle-aged man tried to dismount, but Xu Yi stopped him.

Xu Yi said to the middle-aged man, "Senior Brother Li Yanshan, no need for formalities!"

The middle-aged man looked at Xu Yi and said, "I did not know Junior Brother Xu Yi would honor us with your presence. Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar!"

Xu Yi shook his head slightly. "Senior Brother, saying that will shave years off my life. I came this time to bring someone to pay respects to the mountain. This is Junior Brother Fang Chen, and his circumstances are somewhat special. Junior Brother Fang Chen, give your identity plaque to Senior Brother Li Yanshan!"

Fang Chen nodded and immediately handed over his identity plaque.

Li Yanshan took Fang Chen's identity plaque and scanned it with his Spiritual Sense. A trace of surprise appeared on his face as he asked Xu Yi, "Does this Junior Brother Fang Chen truly have no spiritual roots?"

Xu Yi nodded slightly. "That's right!"

Li Yanshan glanced at Fang Chen, finally understanding why Xu Yi had brought him to their Dog Head Ridge. He said to Fang Chen, "If you do not find it beneath you, then Dog Head Ridge will be your home from now on!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Li Yanshan!"

Fang Chen immediately gave Li Yanshan a deep bow.

A smile appeared on Xu Yi's face as well. He said to Li Yanshan, "Senior Brother Li Yanshan is truly broad-minded. Thank you for being willing to take in Junior Brother Fang Chen!"

Li Yanshan vigorously waved Xu Yi off. "Junior Brother, you jest. If anyone should give thanks, it ought to be me thanking you. Our Dog Head Ridge is so sparsely populated that not even a rat is willing to come here. You've brought someone to our Dog Head Ridge—I can't thank you enough! Come, follow me inside. I've prepared some humble wine, and we'll have a drink!"

"Haha, Senior Brother, you really know how to joke. Since that's the case, Junior Brother Fang Chen is in your care. I still have matters to attend to, so I won't go in. When I have time another day, I'll definitely come drink with you!"

Xu Yi wore a smile as he politely declined Li Yanshan's invitation. It was not that he was putting on airs; he truly was busy. Because of Fang Chen, he had already wasted a great deal of time today.

"Fine then. When you're free another day, Junior Brother Xu Yi, you must come over!"

Li Yanshan's words had only been a courtesy to begin with. Since Xu Yi had politely declined, he could not very well force him to stay.

Xu Yi looked at Fang Chen and said, "Junior Brother Fang Chen, cultivate diligently at Dog Head Ridge. I hope you can pay off your debt as soon as possible!"

"Alright. Senior Brother Xu Yi, you've had a hard time all along the way!"

Fang Chen gave Xu Yi a deep bow. On this journey, Xu Yi had taken him from mountain gate to mountain gate, and who knew how many cold stares they had endured? Yet Xu Yi had remained neither servile nor overbearing. In the cold-hearted world of immortal cultivation, that was truly rare.

"I'm off. Until we meet again!"

Xu Yi smiled faintly at Fang Chen, then turned and left.

Fang Chen watched Xu Yi depart before turning around. He clasped his hands toward Li Yanshan, who sat atop the donkey, and said respectfully, "Fang Chen greets Senior Brother Li Yanshan!"

Li Yanshan waved a hand at Fang Chen. "Forget the 'Senior Brother.' If you don't mind, just call me Uncle Li."

"Alright, Uncle Li!"

Fang Chen gave Li Yanshan another slight bow.

Li Yanshan smiled, turned his donkey around, and headed toward Dog Head Ridge along the gravel road. Fang Chen immediately followed after him.