The Situation, Part Two

"What people are you?" Xiao Rong suddenly asked.

"Reporting to Mage, this disciple is of the Man People." Zhang Rongfang answered truthfully.

"And your ancestors?"

"My ancestors were a Confucian Household."

Xiao Rong's face immediately showed regret.

"I see. Go back for now and carry on as usual. Once I have secretly verified the truth, I will summon you again."

"Yes."

Zhang Rongfang's expression did not change. He bowed in salute and withdrew.

The Man People were fourth class. In Great Ling's ten-tier hierarchy, a Confucian Household was a group ranked only a little above beggars.

Put the two together, and it was no wonder Xiao Rong had worn such an expression.

Originally, Zhang Rongfang was not from this world, and he had felt no real attachment to either identity.

But just now, Xiao Rong had clearly been tempted to take him as a disciple. Yet upon hearing his background, he had immediately dropped the matter.

For the first time, Zhang Rongfang truly experienced how strict Great Ling's class system was.

Clearly, even though he was in the Daoist Registry, his origins as a Man Person and from a Confucian Household would affect his future development.

Zhang Rongfang did not know exactly how, but judging by Xiao Rong's expression, it would not be simple.

After leaving the training grounds, the image of Xiao Rong's regret kept flashing through Zhang Rongfang's mind.

If Xiao Rong had taken him as a disciple, he would have entered the ranks of Cultivation Disciples in one leap.

Then, not only would he no longer have to do servant work, he would also have ample time to cultivate Civilian Skill and martial arts. His meals and treatment would greatly improve, and he might even someday be granted a Daoist Title and become a Mage.

Most importantly, he would then be able to accumulate Attribute Points faster and improve himself.

Up to now, his Attribute Panel had only two options: Life and Skills.

What exactly counted as a skill? Zhang Rongfang had tried many things, but none had worked.

And just now, he had almost made it. What a pity. Success and failure had been separated by only an instant.

After sighing inwardly, Zhang Rongfang returned alone to his room.

Qinghe Temple's treatment was actually quite decent. Every disciple had a room of his own, though it was so plain and cramped that it could fit only one bed and one stool.

Still, it was better than having a whole crowd squeezed together to sleep.

After word had spread, Zhang Rongfang continued as before: his daily routine, Morning Bell Evening Drum, Morning and Evening Homework, and servant chores during the remaining hours.

This continued until the Cultivation Disciple assessment period had passed and June was approaching.

Only then did Xiao Rong finally give a response.

May 14th.

In the early morning, mist filled the air, like smoke curling around the entire Qinghe Temple.

Zhang Rongfang was just preparing to report for work at the Laundry Room.

"Zhang Rongfang, Mingguang Dharma Master summons you! Go to the Master's Residence on the Back Mountain."

A Servant Disciple suddenly came up to call out to him halfway there.

The nearby Servant Disciples immediately turned to look upon hearing this.

"Understood." Zhang Rongfang's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he let out a small breath of relief.

He followed the Servant Disciple, one before and one behind, moving quickly toward the Back Mountain.

From afar within the temple came the chanting of other Daoists, along with the laughter and conversation of the distinguished Incense Guests in Shangde Garden.

"A Mage is holding a Scripture Recitation Meeting today, and quite a few distinguished guests have arrived. Watch out for guests carrying Yellow Ruyi Tokens. Do not offend them," the Servant Disciple ahead of him quietly reminded him.

Zhang Rongfang understood and offered his thanks.

The man was clearly not giving a casual reminder. No one would inexplicably show kindness to a completely unfamiliar Servant Disciple.

So there was likely good news from Mage Xiao Rong's side.

Zhang Rongfang recognized him. This Servant Disciple differed from the rest. It was said that every year, his family donated a considerable amount of money and goods to Mage Xiao Rong in exchange for the chance to attend upon the Mage at close range.

That reminder just now was clearly a gesture of goodwill, and Zhang Rongfang remembered it.

"May I ask Senior Brother's name?"

"No need for such courtesy. My surname is Sun, given name Yuanfeng. I have no style name." The Servant Disciple smiled as he answered.

"So it is Brother Feng—" Zhang Rongfang paused, suddenly sensing something improper. "Thank you for Senior Brother Feng's guidance. Zhang will remember it."

"A small matter." Sun Yuanfeng waved his hand.

Soon, the two passed through alleyways one after another, crossed corridors, training grounds, and disciple quarters, and reached a cluster of pavilions enclosed by red walls at the very rear of Qinghe Temple.

The three-story pavilions had red walls and gray tiles, each arranged in a pleasing scattered pattern.

Sun Yuanfeng led Zhang Rongfang inside, and they quickly arrived before one of the pavilions.

Xiao Rong had a well-proportioned build. He stood on the second-floor balcony, dressed in Light Yellow Short Clothes with a Gray White Cloak draped over them, as though he had only just finished practicing martial arts.

Qinghe Temple belonged to Great Ling's Great Dao Sect. It revered the Three Pure Ones, and the sect's disciples mainly cultivated along two paths, civil and martial. There were more practitioners of Civilian Skill and fewer of martial arts.

The people Zhang Rongfang had seen in the training grounds had all been practicing martial arts.

At this moment, he followed Sun Yuanfeng beneath the pavilion and waited at the entrance.

"Come in first." Xiao Rong spoke calmly, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Rongfang.

"Yes."

Zhang Rongfang bowed in salute, entered the first floor of the pavilion, and stood at the entrance to the sitting room to wait.

Not long after, Xiao Rong came down from the second floor. He held a hot, damp towel and wiped his cheeks and palms before handing it to an Attendant Disciple nearby.

He waved his hand, signaling the surrounding disciples to leave.

Only after the others had departed, leaving behind Sun Yuanfeng and Zhang Rongfang, did he clear his throat.

"Zhang Rongfang."

"This disciple is here!" Zhang Rongfang promptly replied.

"Are you willing to take me as your master and enter my school?" Xiao Rong gave no explanation and asked directly.

The question came out of nowhere, with no prior sign whatsoever, leaving both Zhang Rongfang and Sun Yuanfeng slightly stunned.

Fortunately, Zhang Rongfang quickly reacted and immediately knelt to bow.

"This disciple Zhang Rongfang greets Master!"

This was not a true inheritance apprenticeship. In the Great Dao Sect, taking a master came in two forms. One was an ordinary ordination master.

It was also called a Lesser Master.

Taking a Lesser Master merely made one that master's ordinary disciple, a disciple in name only. There would be no major training, only the proper Daoist Registry status and official treatment.

The other was taking a great master. That was the true inheritance, the core line, where one would be granted a Daoist Title and give gifts and red envelopes.

After taking a great master, the relationship between master and disciple was like that of father and son. There were even corresponding inheritance rights to portions of the master's property. The disciple also bore many obligations toward the master.

Only after coming here did Zhang Rongfang learn that things were unlike the TV Series from his Previous Life. Not everyone who entered the Daoist Sect could casually receive a Daoist Title.

From an ordination master to a great master, a disciple had to pass many trials in between.

At that moment, Zhang Rongfang felt a wave of relief. He knew that he had finally taken the right first step.

Though he had only taken a Lesser Master.

As long as he escaped the grueling life of a Servant Disciple, he would surely be able to accumulate Attribute Points and climb step by step to higher levels.

Knock, knock, knock.

As Zhang Rongfang knelt and kowtowed, Xiao Rong smiled. He had finally taken a formal step forward, breaking free from being a Servant Disciple who could be discarded at any time and becoming an official Cultivation Disciple.

A trace of envy flashed through Sun Yuanfeng's eyes. He had no idea what stroke of dogshit luck Zhang Rongfang had received to be personally chosen by Mage Xiao Rong as a disciple.

Even Sun Yuanfeng himself had been serving attentively at the Mage's side for four years, while his family sent so much money every year, yet Mage Xiao Rong still had not accepted him as a disciple.

In the Great Dao Sect, when a Mage accepted disciples, he had to divide part of his own treatment and resources to train them.

Thus, Mages were generally extremely cautious when accepting disciples. As a result, in many Dao Palaces and Daoist Temples, the number of disciples remained unchanged year after year.

Therefore, Sun Yuanfeng guessed there had to be some reason Zhang Rongfang had caught Mage Xiao Rong's eye, making him willing to accept him despite his background.

Zhang Rongfang was born among the fourth-class Man People, his parents were from a Confucian Household, his appearance was unremarkable, and he showed no visible talent.

Anyone with eyes could guess that Zhang Rongfang must have displayed something exceptional recently for Xiao Rong to favor him.

After Zhang Rongfang finished kowtowing, Xiao Rong examined him.

"From now on, follow Xiao Ying. Her temperament is not good, so keep a closer eye on her and remind her."

"Yes." Zhang Rongfang hurriedly answered. As a disciple, he had no say in whatever task was assigned to him.

From those words, Xiao Rong had clearly accepted him for the sake of his daughter.

"Also, Qinghe Temple's Civilian Skill practitioners cultivate the Guanxu Skill, while Martial Cultivators cultivate the Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic. Your qi and blood are insufficient, so cultivate the Guanxu Skill first and nourish yourself before anything else," Xiao Rong instructed.

"Yes."

Zhang Rongfang lowered his head, and at last a flicker of joy appeared on his face.

He had always held a suspicion: the Skills section on his Attribute Panel most likely referred to orthodox Daoist cultivation methods.

"May I ask, Master, if martial arts are cultivated well, can one Leap Over Eaves and Run on Walls? Strike the Cow Through the Mountain?" he could not help asking respectfully.

"Hehe." Xiao Rong smiled. "When movement techniques are trained to their peak, one can indeed Leap Over Eaves and Run on Walls. But people have limits. Martial arts were only created to let us better bring out our own strength.

"Of course, some martial arts can also strengthen and train the body itself. But a person's limit is there. No matter how one trains, one can only reach a certain point."

Looking at Zhang Rongfang before him, he seemed to recall something, and his gaze grew distant.

"Martial arts can let you fight five people under the same physical conditions. If they come at you one after another, perhaps even ten. But that is the limit. Also, remember this: bare-handed people generally cannot defeat those holding weapons, and those holding weapons generally cannot defeat those wearing Full Body Armor and Weapons."

"Furthermore, if you face Elite Officers and Soldiers, then even for an expert, fighting five alone is the limit."

He paused, then continued.

"Also, the Guanxu Skill cultivated by Civilian Skill practitioners is for cultivating one's body and character. Unless you can pass the examination barrier for Martial Cultivation Disciples, cultivating only the Guanxu Skill can merely make your body strong and grant you a long life. It has no other use."

Zhang Rongfang was immediately stunned.

"But I clearly heard before that a Hall Master successfully formed a core and gave birth to an infant."

"Oh, Senior Brother Zhang from the Wealth God Hall. Senior Brother Zhang's Daoist arts are profound indeed, and he did condense a nascent infant. But he is not a Martial Cultivator. After condensing the nascent infant, he was so delighted that he accidentally fell down. His forehead struck the stone steps and raised a huge lump."

Xiao Rong sighed. "The Three Pure Ones above, later we invited Senior Sister from the Elixir Room to treat him. Fortunately, it was nothing serious."

"..." Zhang Rongfang had no idea how to describe his feelings.

"That is nothing. In my Taiqing Palace, there are quite a few who have condensed Inner Cores. Counting them up, there are at least twenty, and most are Daoists who cultivate Civilian Skill.

"Martial Cultivators do not have such idle time. They all go to temper their tendons and bones and hone their strength. So if your aptitude is not particularly good, do not choose to cultivate both civil and martial paths. Remember this, remember it well."

Xiao Rong gave the warning earnestly.

"Then, Master, what benefits are there to condensing an Inner Core?" Zhang Rongfang unwillingly asked again.

"If one avoids illness and disaster, one can live past ninety." Xiao Rong smiled.

"This is the art of longevity."

After saying that, he seemed somewhat wistful.

"In terms of Daoist arts cultivated through Civilian Skill, our Daoist Sect once had the Four Seasons Daoist. He cultivated past the nascent infant stage into the path of Refining Spirit.

"Legend says he had already touched upon the realm of Return to Emptiness beyond Refining Spirit. Unfortunately, he was arrested and imprisoned by the County Magistrate of that time, who interrogated him over a shortcut to longevity. Unable to endure the torture, he smashed his head against a wall and died."

"..." Zhang Rongfang had no reply.