Senior Brother Song Yu pondered briefly before saying, "Elder Zhao loves Confucian culture. Whenever he accepted disciples in the past, he would set a small test, and those tests were always related to Confucian culture. He should choose one from poetry, ci poetry, calligraphy, and painting."
Li Xiuchang thought of his "electrocardiogram-style" calligraphy and minimalist stick-figure painting style. He felt that he was far too advanced in calligraphy and painting for this world; probably no one here could appreciate them.
That left poetry and ci poetry. Relying on the nine years of compulsory education he had received, he could play the part of a literary plagiarist for once.
Now, it all came down to luck. If the test involved poetry and ci poetry, perhaps he could dazzle everyone.
"Your junior brother attended a private school for several years and knows a little about poetry and ci poetry, but as for calligraphy and painting..."
Senior Brother Song Yu smiled and comforted him. "Don't worry. The last time Elder Zhao accepted disciples, the test was calligraphy. This time, he should change the subject. It will be either poetry and ci poetry or painting.
"And he doesn't require you to be proficient in either of those two arts. A test is only a test. I never said that the person who performs best in it will definitely be accepted as Elder Zhao's disciple."
Li Xiuchang asked in confusion, "Since he set a test, why not simply accept the best performer?"
"I told you just now. When Elder Zhao accepts disciples, the most important thing is whether he finds them pleasing to the eye. The testing process is the basis for his judgment of whether he likes the look of you."
Li Xiuchang heard a hint of teasing in Senior Brother Song Yu's tone. Feeling that there had to be more to it, he cupped his hands and said,
"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."
Senior Brother Song Yu toyed with the jade pendant at his waist for a moment. After pausing for several breaths, as if choosing his words, he finally said,
"Although Elder Zhao enjoys studying Confucian culture, he is busy with affairs, and most of his energy is still devoted to alchemy. Therefore, aside from having some attainments in calligraphy, as for poetry and ci poetry and painting..."
At this point, Senior Brother Song Yu gave Li Xiuchang a look that said, You know what I mean.
Li Xiuchang naturally understood as well. So this Elder Zhao was merely a man who affected an air of refinement; when it came to poetry and ci poetry and painting, he was only half-baked.
Seeing the look of sudden understanding on Li Xiuchang's face, Senior Brother Song Yu continued, "Therefore, when Elder Zhao sets a question to test you, remember this: so long as you pass, keep as low a profile as possible. Don't stick your head above the crowd. Elder Zhao doesn't like disciples who are too high-profile."
Li Xiuchang understood, yet did not understand. He vaguely grasped something.
Seeing that Li Xiuchang was still puzzled, Senior Brother Song Yu had no choice but to lower his voice and make it clearer. "If you were a master, would you choose someone better than yourself as your disciple?"
Li Xiuchang thought for a moment and finally understood what Senior Brother Song Yu meant—If I perform too brilliantly, Elder Zhao will be jealous of my talent!
Li Xiuchang was torn between laughter and tears.
Elder Zhao Yuansi loved Confucian culture and had studied it for many years, yet only his calligraphy was presentable. If he saw an Outer Sect disciple surpassing him in poetry and ci poetry or painting at a young age, he would naturally feel unhappy.
That bit of "unhappiness" would not be enough for him to target anyone, but he would naturally find such people unpleasant to look at. And Senior Brother Song Yu had repeatedly emphasized that the only requirement Elder Zhao had for accepting disciples was that they had to be pleasing to the eye.
Likewise, if someone knew nothing about Confucian culture and could not even pass the small test Elder Zhao set, Elder Zhao naturally would not find them pleasing to the eye either.
"So whether the test is poetry and ci poetry or painting, I have to pass it, but I can't display a level beyond Elder Zhao's. Only then will I have a chance of being accepted as Elder Zhao's disciple." Li Xiuchang rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Originally, he had planned to leave it to luck. If the test involved poetry and ci poetry, he would play the part of a literary plagiarist and dazzle everyone.
If it involved painting, he would simply give up.
Either way, he would have had a fifty percent chance of success.
But now the situation had suddenly grown complicated. Even if the test involved poetry and ci poetry, he was no longer very confident.
Li Xiuchang considered for a moment before asking, "Just how good are Elder Zhao's poetry and ci poetry and painting?"
Senior Brother Song Yu did not answer. He merely reached out and brushed away some nonexistent dust from the top of his foot.
Li Xiuchang understood.
It seemed this test was not about competing to see who was better, but competing to see who was worse!
Now Li Xiuchang found himself hoping that the test would involve painting. His painting was terrible, so perhaps there would still be a glimmer of hope.
If the test involved poetry and ci poetry, every poem and ci poem in his memory was a celebrated verse handed down through the ages. How could he use those to compete at being worse?
"Junior Brother, go back and make some preparations for now. Leave the recommendation quota to me. Once I have news, I'll have someone send word to you. Oh, right—I still don't know which district of the Outer Sect you live in."
"Number eighteen, Eastern Geng District."
Song Yu's expression suddenly turned strange.
"Junior Brother, that place isn't suitable for living!"
The words reached Song Yu's lips, but he swallowed them back down and ultimately did not say them.
Since Li Xiuchang had chosen to live in Eastern Geng District, he must already know the rumors surrounding it. There was no need for him to urge Li Xiuchang further.
Besides, even Song Yu could not say exactly what was wrong with Eastern Geng District. The talk of a curse was based entirely on guesswork, with no evidence whatsoever.
Li Xiuchang bade farewell to Senior Brother Song Yu and returned to Eastern Geng District.
There would be no convenient flying boat for him to take this time. He could only rely on his own two feet.
Yet just after he left the Inner Sect, a flying boat descended from the sky, and a voice came from aboard it:
"Junior Brother, are you heading back to Eastern Geng District? Why don't I give you a ride? I'll charge you less this time—just half a Spirit Stone."
Li Xiuchang looked up. A somewhat familiar pockmarked face entered his view. It was precisely the "flying-boat taxi driver" whom Zhang Wanzhi had driven away from the entrance to Eastern Geng District earlier.
Li Xiuchang furrowed his brows slightly. Half a Spirit Stone to take him back to Eastern Geng District—this trip was farther, so the price truly was not expensive.
But he had only nineteen Spirit Stones left, and for the time being he had no source of more Spirit Stones. He still needed to spend sparingly.
"If that won't do, I'll give you another discount. How about four Spirit Sand? Consider it making a friend." Pockmarked Senior Brother gritted his teeth and said this.
Spirit Sand consisted of fine, fragmented Spirit Stone particles. One low-grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for ten Spirit Sand.
Times were hard now, Spirit Stones were difficult to earn, and even a mosquito's leg was still meat.
Li Xiuchang neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he asked in return, "Senior Brother, are you a Talisman Master?"
Then, feeling that his question was not precise enough, he added, "A Tier 1 Talisman Master?"
Pockmarked Senior Brother's expression changed. It was as if someone had stabbed him through the heart with a sword. In an instant, his face went from red to white, deathly white, then from white back to red, redder than a spicy crayfish.
He shouted angrily, "If you don't want to ride, then don't! Why insult people?"
With that, he did not linger for a moment. He piloted the flying boat and tore away through the wind.
Li Xiuchang watched Pockmarked Senior Brother's back and blinked. Did I offend him?
He had merely remembered what Senior Brother Song Yu said—that Tier 1 Talisman Masters were everywhere, and some had even fallen so far that they had to earn money by carrying passengers in flying boats. He had casually asked a question, never expecting the other man to react so violently.
"It seems a Talisman Master's circumstances are even more difficult than I thought."
Li Xiuchang made up his mind. Unless he achieved "Spirit Stone freedom" in the future, he would not casually fall into the pit of the talisman path.
He did not know that this saying circulated through the Outer Sect of the Immortal Dust Sect: Of all pursuits, every one is superior; only Talisman Masters rank lowest.
That one question had struck straight into Pockmarked Senior Brother's heart and lungs.
Before you continue