Monkey

Wang Jingyuan still did not recognize meridians and could not make sense of the terminology. Yet at this moment, he simply knew how to cultivate the Mount Hua Basic Internal Cultivation: what to visualize when inhaling, where to focus his attention when exhaling, the force, speed, and depth of each breath, and where to guide the flow of qi generated through breathing techniques. He knew it all.

What surprised him even more was that once he began cultivating the Mount Hua Basic Internal Cultivation, he could not stop. His body began cultivating on its own without any deliberate control from him. This gave Wang Jingyuan a strange sense of familiarity. This was...

AFK farming?

Awesome. Wang Jingyuan loved AFK farming the most. Not just him—most gamers loved it too, because its core concept was gaining something for nothing.

Most games required players to perform actions to earn rewards. But AFK farming freed players from repetitive operations; even without doing anything at all, they could keep earning rewards, just like passive income while asleep.

Unfortunately, to maintain player activity, fewer and fewer games offered AFK functions, so Wang Jingyuan often had to rely on mouse macros... Forget it, he was getting off track.

Wang Jingyuan opened his eyes and looked at Yue Buqun, who was likewise studying him with an inquisitive expression.

"Old man, what are you staring at?"

"Ahem... I wished to ask whether Immortal Elder needed me to explain... repeat anything?"

"No need. I've already learned it."

Yue Buqun was not overly surprised. After all, he was an immortal. There was nothing strange about learning mundane martial arts in an instant.

Then Yue Buqun drew his sword and began demonstrating the Mount Hua Sword Technique. At the same time, another notification appeared before Wang Jingyuan.

[Yue Buqun is teaching you Mount Hua Sword Technique]

[Learn it: Yes/No]

Wang Jingyuan looked at the notification panel.

[Yes]

Just as before, Wang Jingyuan learned the Mount Hua Sword Technique instantly.

Wang Jingyuan had no sword at his side. His hands itched, so he grabbed a chopstick from the table and began practicing with it. It was indeed the standard Mount Hua Sword Technique.

Seeing that Wang Jingyuan had mastered all of the Mount Hua Sect's beginner techniques, Yue Buqun excused himself and went to the rear courtyard to find Ning Zhongze.

After seeing Ning Zhongze, Yue Buqun pondered for a moment before saying to his wife, "Junior Sister, this man is named Wang Jingyuan. He is not an immortal descended into the mortal world, but someone blessed with Immortal Affinity?"

"Someone blessed with Immortal Affinity?"

"He has been chosen by an immortal, but he must still undergo trials in the mortal realm. Only after his merits are complete will the immortal take him away to cultivate. I took it upon myself to accept him into the Mount Hua Sect.

Since he must undergo trials, why can't he undergo them here on Huashan? If he has caught an immortal's eye, he must possess something extraordinary."

Yue Buqun spoke a half-truth, half-lie—the excuse he had just concocted. He viewed Wang Jingyuan as the opportunity for the Mount Hua Sect's rise. If a secret leaked, it would bring disaster upon oneself; even with the person beside him in bed, he was unwilling to reveal too much.

Ning Zhongze had always trusted Yue Buqun. After considering it, she said, "Then what should we tell the other disciples...?"

"Of course, they should not be allowed to know. We need only say that Jingyuan is a new disciple I have accepted." Yue Buqun paused, then added, "But privately warn them that Jingyuan comes from an extraordinary family and tell them to treat him with courtesy. There is no need to say anything else."

Ning Zhongze nodded. "I understand. But the apprenticeship ceremony..."

Yue Buqun waved a hand. "Treat it as though it has already been held."

When the other disciples got up to practice that morning, Ning Zhongze announced the matter to them. All of them were rather confused. Even though the Mount Hua Sect had fallen somewhat into decline, taking on a disciple was still an event of the utmost importance.

When a master accepted a new disciple, an apprenticeship ceremony would ordinarily be prepared well in advance. Yet when their Mistress made the announcement, she said they had gained a Junior Disciple Brother, rather than that they would gain one several days later.

That meant this new disciple had already been accepted by their Master.

They had all been on Huashan these past few days, and their Master and Mistress had not left the mountain. When had this apprenticeship ceremony taken place? Could it have been held secretly overnight?!

Though they were full of doubts, Yue Buqun's authority within the Mount Hua Sect remained formidable. His word was final in all matters. Thus, the disciples accepted the fact that they had suddenly gained a Junior Disciple Brother.

The happiest of them all was Yue Lingshan. Ever since she could remember, she had been the Junior Disciple Sister. After holding that position for so many years, it was time for it to be passed on.

So, relying on her status as Ning Zhongze's daughter, she did not practice that morning and instead pestered Ning Zhongze to take her to see her Junior Disciple Brother. Ning Zhongze could not refuse her. Thinking that Wang Jingyuan would have to meet the other disciples eventually, she nodded in agreement.

Yue Lingshan skipped along behind Ning Zhongze, making her way from Zhengqi Chongxiao Hall to the sect leader's residence. There, she saw Yue Buqun seated at a table, speaking with a handsome young man. Doubt rose in her heart.

This should be her Junior Disciple Brother, but why was he sitting before her father instead of standing? When her father was seated, neither she nor her senior brothers would dare sit as well.

Moreover, her father's manner differed from when he lectured the disciples. There was none of his usual authority. His face was full of kindness, and even a trace of... caution?

Yue Lingshan suspected she had seen wrong, but Wang Jingyuan soon drew away her attention. What a handsome young man... Junior Disciple Brother.

Yue Lingshan's eyes lit up as she stepped before Yue Buqun and asked, "This is Junior Disciple Brother, right?"

Though she was asking Yue Buqun, her bright eyes were fixed on Wang Jingyuan as she openly stared at him. Yue Buqun saw her lovestruck expression as well. After some thought, he said, "He is Wang Jingyuan, the disciple I have newly accepted. I have already taught him our sect's martial arts. From now on, you will urge him to cultivate diligently."

Wang Jingyuan's eyes lit up as he looked at Yue Lingshan. So this was the training-dummy mob the sect had assigned him to practice his attack rotations on?

"Understood, Father." Yue Lingshan agreed sweetly, without considering in the slightest that she was the most playful person on all of Huashan. She herself needed her parents to constantly urge her to practice martial arts, so what qualifications did she have to urge someone else?

At that moment, she was simply too immersed in Wang Jingyuan's jade-like face, sword-shaped brows, and starry eyes to pull herself free. Jingyuan? The name truly suited the man.

But only a few days later, she would thoroughly understand just how absurdly wrong she had been.

Beside the pool beneath Siguo Cliff, Wang Jingyuan did not lose focus in the slightest just because Yue Lingshan had run off in anger. He simply continued practicing his sword technique. Based on his experience, Yue Lingshan would automatically respawn nearby before long.

A youth with a monkey perched on his shoulder watched Yue Lingshan depart, shook his head, and walked over to the pool. It was none other than Lu Dayou of the Mount Hua Sect, also known as Lu Hou'er.

When Wang Jingyuan had first arrived, everyone could clearly see Yue Lingshan's lovestruck expression. As Linghu Chong's number-one diehard supporter, Lu Dayou saw his Junior Disciple Sister apparently transferring her affections to another and, not daring to resent her, naturally directed his hatred toward Wang Jingyuan.

Yet in only a few short days, that hatred had vanished. Lu Hou'er believed that there was absolutely no chance between his Junior Disciple Brother and Junior Disciple Sister. It was not a matter of his Junior Disciple Brother having some unusual preference. He was truly the sort of... the sort that was rarely seen.

Lu Hou'er even suspected that, despite wearing such an attractive face, his Junior Disciple Brother might never find a wife in his lifetime.

Wang Jingyuan turned and spotted Lu Hou'er. He put away his sword, waved at him, and said, "Oi, Beast King Hunter, you're here? Where's your pet? Hurry up and let me pet it."

Lu Hou'er said helplessly, "Junior Disciple Brother, you're saying things no one can understand again."

Still, he whistled. A little monkey leaped from his back onto his shoulder.

Wang Jingyuan somehow produced a handful of dried fruit and beckoned to the little monkey. The monkey skillfully jumped onto Wang Jingyuan's arm, sat down, and began eating the dried fruit.

With a smile on his face, Wang Jingyuan fiercely rubbed the monkey's head. He had coveted this monkey for a long time. On his first day at Huashan, he had seen the troop of monkeys living on the mountain, but none of them were like this one.

This one understood human nature and could even comprehend human commands. Unfortunately, it belonged to Lu Hou'er, and Lu Hou'er would not sell it.

"Look, an airplane." Wang Jingyuan pointed behind Lu Dayou. Though Lu Dayou did not know what an airplane was, he still turned to look.

A flash of white light streaked forth. Wang Jingyuan executed an exceptionally standard White Rainbow Piercing the Sun, his sword thrust straight toward Lu Dayou's throat.