First Hearing, Part Two (Thanks to 1 Jia Yi Deng Yu San for the Alliance Leader Reward)

"I understand."

Zhang Rongfang understood at once.

He lowered his head and glanced at his Attribute Panel again.

'Zhang Rongfang—Life 8-9, Skill: Guanxu Skill. Available Attributes: 0.'

Sure enough, it had appeared. He let out a heavy breath of relief.

As long as it could appear, there was hope! After finishing the Guanxu Skill, at around ten in the morning, he quickly found Xiao Qingying's Disciple Room and waited outside her door.

The Cultivation Disciples' rooms stood right beside the Servant Disciples' rooms, both within the same area.

Xiao Qingying's room was among the best-maintained of them.

Before long, Xiao Qingying, fully dressed and looking melancholy, pushed open the door.

At a glance, she spotted Zhang Rongfang waiting in the corridor outside.

"You're the little Daoist Priest Father assigned to me?"

"Zhang Rongfang pays respects to Senior Sister." Zhang Rongfang hurriedly bowed. Counting it out, he was only sixteen now, so he truly was younger than her—a little Daoist Priest.

"Mm. Just stay farther away from me and don't get in my way." Xiao Qingying waved him off bluntly.

It seemed she did not recognize at all that the person before her was the strange little Daoist Priest she had once saved.

She wore a fitted white Daoist Robe. Just over five feet tall, she had an exceedingly full curve at her chest, and her well-maintained skin was fair and delicate as milk.

Even Zhang Rongfang, who had seen all kinds of beautified faces in his Previous Life, could not help but cast her a second glance.

Though her face was merely pretty, her figure was nothing like that of a seventeen-year-old girl.

Remembering that one must not look upon impropriety, he slightly averted his gaze from her and looked toward her shoulder instead.

"From today onward, I will follow Senior Sister at all times in accordance with Master's wishes. I hope Senior Sister will forgive the inconvenience," he replied earnestly.

"Got it. So annoying." Xiao Qingying impatiently waved her hand.

Zhang Rongfang said nothing more. When Xiao Qingying left, he silently followed behind her, keeping about five meters between them.

The distance was neither too close nor too far—just right.

At first, Xiao Qingying found him irritating. When she went to the latrine or chatted with her Best Friend, Zhang Rongfang would stay farther away.

When she practiced martial arts, Zhang Rongfang would stand to one side and watch.

When she ate or took walks, he followed quietly as well, with barely any presence at all.

After several days in a row, Xiao Qingying gradually began to treat him as though he did not exist.

Zhang Rongfang was also happy to have more time to himself. Whenever he was free, he could practice and familiarize himself with the Guanxu Skill.

The Guanxu Skill could be cultivated whether walking, sitting, lying down, or standing. It was simply a state of mental visualization, and it was not too difficult at the start.

While following Xiao Qingying, he also considered where his own path lay in the future.

Now that he had shed his status as a Servant Disciple, he finally had a little room to arrange his future.

Great Ling had rigid ranks, harsh social rules, and overwhelming military strength. With his identity as a Fourth Class Man People, coupled with his Confucian Household background, everything he did in the future would be difficult.

Originally, he had planned to take the Daoist Registry route, but judging by Master Xiao Rong's attitude, that path also seemed to have requirements regarding one's background.

Even his current status as a Cultivation Disciple had only been forcibly elevated because he had ridden on Xiao Qingying's coattails.

In that case, he might also face many restrictions in the Daoist Registry later on.

Each day, Zhang Rongfang followed Xiao Qingying while silently pondering a way forward.

After turning it over and over in his mind, the only way out was to first learn martial arts to protect himself. Then, using his Attribute Special Ability, no matter what he did, he could at least ensure his own safety.

In this Great Ling, he had been born a Fourth Class Man People and could only do hard labor. As a descendant of a Confucian Household, he was targeted even more. Even if he possessed talents in other areas in the future, he could only work at the bottom rung.

Life as Xiao Qingying's Follower was quite good.

Apart from occasionally being summoned by Xiao Rong to report on the situation, his meals had increased to four white-flour steamed buns, a pound of meat, and all the vegetables he could eat per meal.

Good food, together with a regular routine, gradually allowed Zhang Rongfang to recover after more than ten consecutive days.

His cheeks slowly gained a healthy flush, and his skin became more lustrous than before.

Most importantly, the warm current in his chest and abdomen that could accumulate Attribute Points had returned.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed.

Inside Qinghe Temple's dining hall.

"Hey, I heard you really became a Cultivation Disciple?" Pang Pangzi carried a food tray and plopped down opposite Zhang Rongfang.

Two other Servant Disciples had come with him.

One was Li Suanmei, and the other was Si Tunan.

Li Suanmei had a rough name and an utterly ordinary face. She was the kind of girl who, walking down a Great Road, would draw no attention at a single glance.

She came from a Farming Family. Her father was a wealthy farmer who favored sons over daughters, so to reduce taxes and avoid the Military Service Draft, he had spent quite a bit of money to send her here.

Si Tunan was much the same. Unlike Li Suanmei, her family were Rich Merchants, and her name had been chosen by a down-and-out Confucian Scholar her family paid.

"What are you all doing here?" Zhang Rongfang raised his head and nodded to the three, counting it as a greeting.

After arriving at Qinghe Temple, the only people he knew were these three. He had learned much news and many details from them.

"We're fellow townsfolk, Rongfang, Senior Brother. You're a Senior Brother now, so you'll have to look after us more in the future." Pang Pangzi smiled, though there was a trace of fawning in that smile.

"Also, Situ has been promoted too. She's working at the Scripture Repository now and has become the disciple of the Mage in charge of managing it." He smiled and pointed at Si Tunan beside him.

Zhang Rongfang was not surprised. Of the four of them, Si Tunan had always been the most likely to be promoted.

The reason was naturally her looks.

Si Tunan had fair skin and a pleasant appearance. Her temperament was calm and aloof, and she was diligent and meticulous in her work. Most importantly, her family had money and had greased quite a few palms.

A disciple like this offered plenty of tribute, caused little trouble, and was pleasing to the eye. Many Mages liked such disciples.

After sitting down, Si Tunan glanced at the Cultivation Disciple's Daoist Robe Zhang Rongfang wore.

"Rongfang, if anything comes up in the future, we can exchange information."

"Mm." Zhang Rongfang nodded. That had been his intention as well.

"I heard you follow Master Xiao Rong's daughter every day now—that Senior Sister Xiao Qingying?" Pang Pangzi leaned closer and asked quietly.

"Mm." Zhang Rongfang nodded.

He swept his gaze around and noticed the eyes of the Servant Disciples nearby. Most were filled with envy, though there were also traces of concealed jealousy.

Many of them probably thought he had stepped in dog shit to be promoted into a Cultivation Disciple.

"There's a gathering later at Shangde Garden. Come with us. They're all Cultivation Disciples who were promoted in the last few months," Si Tunan invited.

Zhang Rongfang pondered for a moment, then agreed. There were quite a few such gatherings among disciples, where people huddled together for warmth.

If luck was on their side, they could trade for plenty of useful information and secrets.

"Alright."

"Brother Rongfang, Sister Situ, I'm so jealous that you were promoted so quickly. If there's anything you need done in the future, just say the word," Li Suanmei could not help saying.

"Don't worry. If I can help, I'll certainly do my best," Si Tunan nodded.

After the meal, the four parted ways.

Zhang Rongfang happened to be on leave these days. Xiao Qingying was going out to visit friends with her father, Xiao Rong, so he had gained some free time.

Together with Si Tunan, he headed toward Shangde Garden in the rear section of Qinghe Temple.

Along the way, every Servant Disciple they encountered lowered their heads, stepped aside, and took the initiative to salute.

Si Tunan walked ahead, about two paces in front.

"Zhang Rongfang, do you know how Cultivation Disciples can be promoted further?"

"I don't." Zhang Rongfang had been considering the same question.

Above Cultivation Disciples, one had to be formally accepted into a Mage's school and become a Direct Lineage Disciple.

Only Direct Lineage Disciples were qualified to possess a Daoist Title, and only afterward could they qualify to advance to Mage.

"I only learned it at the last gathering," Si Tunan said. "The advancement of Cultivation Disciples mainly depends on martial arts cultivation. That's because the realm of Civilian Skill cultivation is difficult to judge. Whether it's an illusion or a mental manifestation, no one can tell true from false. So the main measure still depends on the level of one's martial arts."

"It's the easiest and most straightforward way to determine who stands higher and who lower."

Si Tunan's words made Zhang Rongfang frown slightly.

He thought for a moment.

"Now that Great Ling's martial arts sweep across the realm without equal, what use is there in focusing on martial arts?"

"Great Ling is powerful, but I heard Master say that Qinghe Temple belongs to the Great Dao Sect, and it isn't without enemies. Not to mention the other sects in the Jianghu martial world, even the nearby White Bell Temple often sends people over to stir up trouble.

"There are also wandering monks passing through, vicious figures on the Black List, and bandits who roam the rivers and lakes. Many of them must be guarded against."

Zhang Rongfang came to a realization.

"And if one cannot cultivate martial arts?"

"Then your Daoist arts must be profound. Once you reach eighty and remain healthy, able to walk freely, that naturally proves your Daoist arts have reached a lofty realm. At that time, you'll be promoted in rank." Si Tunan's words were exceedingly practical.

Because Wen Xiu's Guanxu Skill had no concrete standard and it was difficult to define an individual's realm, one could only rely on martial arts.

In that case, under such a system, the upper ranks of Qinghe Temple—even the entire Great Dao Sect—were probably mostly Martial Cultivators.

"The martial world, the Jianghu—do you know what they are like?" Zhang Rongfang understood more clearly and continued asking.

"I don't either. But now, Imperial Tutor Damir of the Buddhist School oversees the martial world under heaven. Aside from those on the Black List and Crimson List, no one else dares act recklessly. I'm afraid only those Martial Cultivation Disciples know such things best.

"Alright, we're here." Si Tunan led Zhang Rongfang into the gardens of Shangde Garden.

They entered through a white archway and followed a pebble path inward. From time to time, they passed stone carvings of immortal cranes and ancient turtles.

Shangde Garden covered a vast area and contained many small sections for various purposes.

Before long, several figures appeared ahead on the path they were taking.

Those figures had gathered in a little red pavilion, whispering about something.

Zhang Rongfang calmed his mind and followed Si Tunan closer.

But after taking only a few steps, he suddenly felt heat surge through his chest and abdomen. A black line flashed abruptly across the corner of his vision.

Delight rose in his heart, and he hurriedly lowered his head to look at his arm.

The Attribute Panel immediately appeared.

'Zhang Rongfang—Life 9-9, Skill: Guanxu Skill. Available Attributes: 1.'

It really appeared! An indescribable anticipation filled Zhang Rongfang's heart.

Looking at the two glowing yellow plus signs after Life and Skill, he felt an urge to tap them immediately.

But there were people around him now. If adding Attributes caused some abnormal change in his body and others noticed, the loss would outweigh the gain.

No rush. I can't be impatient for this moment. I'll study it carefully after I return.

Zhang Rongfang forcibly suppressed the impulse in his heart, raised his head, and followed Si Tunan into the red pavilion.