"Next."
Kanwen Hall.
One by one, the Daoist priests Civilian Skill Cultivation verified formed a long queue, waiting one after another for the Mage inside to examine their Civilian Skill.
This is a special place for all Daoist priests to check their Civilian Skill progress.
It's notoriously difficult to investigate Civilian Skill. So we can only find a high-ranking cultivator.
"Speaking of which, how exactly will they investigate the Civilian Skill? Will they also need to feel the bones and look at the eyes, or something like that?"
Zhang Rongfang looked at the slowly moving queue ahead and asked in confusion.
He was still learning alchemy when he was suddenly pulled over and everyone checked his Civilian Skill.
Not only him, but also Chui Xi, who was with him, was pulled over.
"I checked you last time. He just reached out and poked around on your body, observed your reactions, and asked you some questions. The check was quite quick, and the questions changed depending on the pressure and location of his touch," Chui Xi replied.
She glanced at Zhang Rongfang.
"Actually, as for Civilian Skill, unless you're a top genius, you can just casually cultivate them. As the saying goes: 'Until you reach the Golden Core, you're nothing but ants!'"
Her last sentence seemed to mimic someone's tone; she raised her chin, gave a disdainful look, and waved her small hand.
"Hehe, you seem to have a very open mind," Zhang Rongfang laughed. "Isn't it advantageous to cultivate Civilian Skill? It can even prolong life and strengthen the body."
"That's true, but it takes too much time. We don't have that talent; what we need isn't longevity, but enjoyment."
After all, in this world, it's not just age that can harm you, but also bad people. Without martial arts skills, everything else is useless.
Since nearly being crippled last time, Chui Xi seems to have changed his attitude towards martial arts.
Recently, I've started practicing diligently every day, and under my Daoist robe, I've also started wearing a tight-fitting short jacket that's convenient for martial arts practice.
"After I went back last time, I started to seriously study with my father and practice the martial arts and Talisman Art of my Great Dao Sect. I hope to become a martial arts master in the future!" Chui Xi said fiercely, clenching her fist.
"Then keep it up," Zhang Rongfang encouraged.
"Don't worry, once I become Ninth Grade Master and get promoted, I'll definitely help you out!" Chui Xi said with a smile.
She's only just starting to train her body, and everyone knows that at this age, it's considered late to start martial arts. If she can reach the second or third rank before she turns thirty, that would be considered pretty good.
That is, to improve physical fitness.
Just then, an old Daoist priest walked up from the right side of the queue ahead.
"Listen up, everyone. To speed things up, we've assigned Gao Xiu to oversee the verification."
Now, those whose names are called, please come forward for individual verification.
Many of the Daoist priests in the long line turned their eyes to him.
The old Daoist priest seemed used to being watched by a large group of people and didn't care. He picked up the list in his hand and read it aloud to each person.
"Zhang Wenjun".
"Mo Xiangdong."
"Huang Ke".
"Tang Li".
"Shangguan Jing Er".
"Zhang Ying".
"Li Cunyi".
Upon suddenly hearing his name called, Zhang Rongfang waved to Chui Xi, stepped forward, and slowly left with a servant who was leading the way.
The old Daoist priest continued to call out, and the Daoist priests who were called out were all led away by special Daoist servants.
They seemed to be heading in different directions.
The people in the group didn't think much of it when they saw this.
This is very similar to the different senior officials in the palace, each assigned a few people to inspect.
Similar arrangements had been made before, so nobody paid any attention.
Seeing that no one reacted as if something was wrong, Zhang Rongfang followed the servant with peace of mind. They walked through alleys surrounded by high walls and soon arrived at a small building located between two temples.
The building has five floors and is dark and quiet inside. Only on the third floor is there a protruding semi-circular terrace.
On the terrace sat a kind-looking, plump old man with a large belly.
The old man had sparse hair, with only a few strands hanging on his forehead. He held a banana leaf fan in his hand and slowly fanned himself.
The Daoist priest who was leading the way brought Zhang Rongfang to the front of the small building, pointed to the terrace, and left without saying a word.
Zhang Rongfang understood what he meant; he meant that the high-level repairman was up there.
Without hesitation, he walked in through the entrance.
The small building was dimly lit, and the three walls were covered with black and white portraits.
Under this light, these black and white portraits gave him a feeling that was somewhat similar to... Zhang Rongfang shook his head inwardly, but there couldn't have been cameras in this era, so black and white portraits probably didn't have that kind of meaning.
He walked along, examining the portraits. He discovered that they all depicted the same person.
A long-haired woman dressed in black, with a cool and alluring face.
The woman's eyes were cold, as if everyone she looked at was a sharp, icy sword.
Yet her features possess an indescribable allure, a captivating blend of charm and coldness—two extremely contradictory qualities that seem to flow and shift within her like yin and yang.
This strange feeling made Zhang Rongfang feel as if these portraits were three-dimensional photographs.
He walked up to the second floor.
The picture hanging on the second floor shows the woman in a long court dress. She looks a little younger and has a gentler demeanor than she did on the first floor.
They wore long court dresses of various styles and colors, leather hats of all kinds, and cloud-shaped shawls. Some carried weapons, while others held small animals.
Next is the third floor.
The third floor is filled with images of women with their hair styled in a girlish bun, wearing skirts, trousers, and riding horses on outings.
At this moment, the woman's features were noticeably softer, though she still possessed a slightly aloof air.
But those eyes showed that she was still very clear and innocent.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
Suddenly, an old man's voice came to Zhang Rongfang's ear.
He shuddered subtly and quickly turned to look behind him.
Before he knew it, a figure had appeared behind him.
The figure was about 1.8 meters tall, slightly shorter than him, but fair-skinned and plump, with a large belly and a wealthy appearance.
It was none other than the old Daoist priest who had just been on the terrace.
"Yes, it's very beautiful," Zhang Rongfang said against his will.
Actually, he thought the woman had a good temperament, but her looks were only considered good-looking, not particularly beautiful.
Of course, looking at the old man's expression, it was obvious he was a sycophant, so naturally, I couldn't say anything to slap him in the face.
"That's right, she's beautiful. She was a good friend of mine when I was young." The old Daoist sighed.
"Sigh, I'm getting old, and now I often find myself reminiscing about people when I see familiar objects. So I just paint a few pictures to pass the time."
What elderly person would paint paintings to fill three floors of a house just to pass the time? And all of them would be paintings of the same person?
Zhang Rongfang was speechless.
As he went upstairs, he saw at least a hundred paintings, each one clearly meticulously drawn and colored.
"Come and sit down." The old Daoist glanced at Zhang Rongfang, then turned and walked to the terrace, where he sat cross-legged on a gray Prayer Mat.
Zhang Rongfang followed and sat down on another Prayer Mat.
There was a woolen felt between the two people, and there were two items on the felt.
A small silver hammer and a crystal tube filled with amber-colored Jingying liquid.
"Mage, may I ask how to check Civilian Skill?" Zhang Rongfang asked softly.
"That's easy," the old Daoist priest smiled.
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've chatted with young people. Let's not rush, let's talk."
With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a pot of wine and two cups from who-knows-where.
Pour a glass for each of them.
The pale red wine reflected an intoxicating luster in the sunlight.
"Want a drink?" The old Daoist picked up the wine and took a small sip.
Zhang Rongfang couldn't refuse, so he picked up the wine glass, smelled it, and then lightly touched his lips to make sure it wasn't poisoned before taking a small sip.
It has a sweet and lingering aroma, as if you really ate a grape, and there seem to be many other flavors hidden inside.
"How is it?" The old Daoist looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for his comments.
"It's very sweet," Zhang Rongfang replied, "But after the initial taste, it's a little bitter. But it's still very fragrant."
"Yes, I added sugar." The old Daoist priest smiled. "Otherwise, the sweetness would be too weak."
Zhang Rongfang always felt that these words were meaningful and had a story behind them.
The old Daoist priest put down his wine glass and looked up at him.
"You should know how to verify this, right? I need to ask you some questions."
"Please ask, Mage," Zhang Rongfang.
"You've studied martial arts, do you still remember your former teacher?" the old Daoist priest asked.
"I remember, my martial arts teacher was an unnamed old Daoist priest in Tanyang back then," Zhang Rongfang replied.
He is currently posing as Zhang Ying, so he naturally cannot mention Qinghe Temple. But aside from the name, he can simply refer to the name as Xiao Rong did back then.
What do you think of your teacher?
"Stubborn and unreasonable. Just an ordinary Martial Cultivator." Zhang Rongfang carefully recalled Xiao Rong from the past.
"But overall, he did nothing wrong. He did everything a teacher should do."
He didn't actually blame Xiao Rong for what happened back then.
Often, we cannot place all our hopes on the enlightenment and understanding of others.
Either give up and separate, or change things with your own hands.
"Yes, it's always difficult to hope that others will understand you in this life," the old Daoist priest sighed.
"Then why did you consider studying Civilian Skill in the first place?" he continued to ask.
"Martial arts protect you, Civilian Skill prolong your life. I don't know what others think, I just want to live longer," Zhang Rongfang replied earnestly.
"You only care about yourself? What about the people around you?"
"If one's martial arts skills can be improved, one can protect more people."
If one 'Civilian Skill can be strengthened, one can live longer and see more. In doing so, one can naturally protect those around them.
Zhang Rongfang answered.
"Like a big tree. If I provide shade and canopy, what do I have to fear from the wind and sun?"
"Good!" The old Daoist slapped his knee and smiled. "You're just my type, kid."
"At my age, most people reminisce about the past, but I alone look to the future. However, this future is dark, devoid of light. If you were in such a situation, what would you do?"
"If you can't see the light but still want to illuminate it, then light your own torch." Zhang Rongfang answered without hesitation.
"What if we can't find fire and kindling?"
Zhang Rongfang narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a moment.
"Then we shall lie low and wait for dawn."
"What if it takes too long for dawn to break?"
"Let's get used to the darkness first!"
The old Daoist priest stared at the young man before him, momentarily stunned.
After waiting a short while, he slowly spoke again.
"What if you are unable to protect those around you because of the darkness?"
Heaven represents something that is absolutely impossible to resist or reverse.
As dusk fell, Zhang Rongfang had already made up his mind.
His eyes flashed with a sharp light as he picked up the wine glass.
'Then go and see why the sky is the sky?'
He didn't say those words aloud. He simply remained silent.
He downed the drink in one gulp.
There are some things he knows in his heart, but he can't say them out loud.
The old Daoist priest didn't ask any more questions. He simply poured himself another glass of wine and slowly sipped it.
But judging from the other party's answer, emotions, and reaction, he had actually gotten the answer he wanted.
He felt that the person in front of him really didn't seem like a young man.
Your answer just now lacked the vigor of youth.
"Okay, next is the stress check. When I check, you need to truthfully describe your reaction and how you felt. That's how we can be honest."
Even if you deliberately conceal it and recite the stress response of advanced practitioners, I can still detect it.
The old Daoist priest said earnestly.
"Yes," Zhang Rongfang replied, bowing his head.
He was also somewhat expectant, wondering if the person in front of him could detect his true Civilian Skill Cultivation.
"Reach out your hand."
Suddenly, the old Daoist priest let out a low shout.
Zhang Rongfang extended his left hand, palm facing upwards. The old Daoist priest immediately reached out and pinched his pulse point.
The two fell silent for a moment.
The old Daoist priest gradually frowned.
He pinched the pulse and felt it carefully, but the pulse was completely different from what he had expected.
"Sit still and don't move!" He got up and walked behind Zhang Rongfang, his hands moving like raindrops on banana leaves, quickly tapping various points on Zhang's back, shoulders, and neck.
The click pressure is very light.
As he clicked, the old Daoist priest would occasionally ask a few questions.
The action lasted for about five minutes before the old Daoist stopped, his brows furrowing even deeper.
"Open your mouth!" he said again.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Rongfang opened his mouth.
Then he saw the old Daoist priest pick up the small hammer and begin to gently tap his teeth.
After taking turns tapping his teeth, the old Daoist priest picked up the Xiao Shui tube again.
"Come on, squeeze a drop of blood for me."
He opened the tube and pointed the opening at Zhang Rongfang.
Zhang Rongfang glanced at the old Daoist priest. He then reached into his mouth and gently bit down on his finger.
Then, extend your index finger, forcefully squeeze out a little blood, and drip it into the tube.
Crimson drops of blood sank, coalesced, and contracted in the amber liquid.
Finally, it sank to the bottom and solidified into a clump of gelatinous substance.
The old Daoist priest put the cap back on, picked up the tube, and shook it, but the drop of blood still didn't move.
He shook it vigorously up and down, but the drop of blood remained still.
With a sigh, the old Daoist priest tossed the pipe back onto the felt.
He raised his head and stared at Zhang Rongfang.
"Your Civilian Skill Cultivation have been tested."
"Their age has also been determined."
*** Great Capital, Cloud Dream Tower.
Yan Shuang, carrying Long Sword on her back and dressed in a black dress, gracefully walked into the first floor.
She glanced around, found her target among the bustling diners, and quickly walked over.
He plopped down on the bench with a whoosh.
She tossed a small, black, gold-embroidered money pouch onto the table, her beautiful eyes fixed on the man opposite her.
"Your share."
Her voice was clear, decisive, and without any hesitation, a completely different tone from when she met Zhang Rongfang before.
"You succeeded?" The man looked dejected, with a long weapon wrapped in black cloth slung over his back, and his full beard looked like it hadn't been trimmed in a long time.
"With me personally in charge, there's no reason why I shouldn't succeed," Yan Shuang said with a smile. "When are you going to make your move?"
"Wait for further instructions," the man replied. "Cloud Mist Mountain Manor is, after all, one of the three key locations of the Eastern Sect. Now that the Golden Wing Tower is crippled, Cloud Mist Mountain Manor has definitely absorbed many Eastern Sect. It will be very difficult to fight."