Tian Buyi's Surprise

Inside the great hall, everyone else looked troubled when they heard of their junior brother's misfortune.

He was only eight or nine years old. What kind of parents could be so cruel?

"Because his legs are inconvenient, that child will no longer need to go to the Back Mountain to chop bamboo."

The next day, after breakfast, Tian Buyi took Song Daren and Xiao Xuan to Tongtian Peak.

Within Qingyun, whenever any peak accepted a disciple, they had to report it at Tongtian Peak. That was the advantage of the main peak.

The three left the courtyard and arrived outside Tongtian Peak.

"Junior Brother, this is the Sea of Clouds, and this is the Rainbow Bridge... Both are renowned throughout Shenzhou."

As they passed through the enormous plaza of Tongtian Peak, Song Daren carried him while introducing the Sea of Clouds and the Rainbow Bridge, two of Qingyun's Six Scenic Wonders.

Before long, the three finally arrived at Yuqing Hall on Tongtian Peak.

The doors of the great hall stood wide open, and the interior was brightly lit. Three divine tablets were enshrined within, exuding solemn majesty.

Before the divine tablets, dozens of people stood in the hall, both Daoists and laymen. In front of them were seven large sandalwood chairs, three on each side and one at the foremost center.

Of the seven chairs, only the one in the center was occupied. The other six stood empty.

After Tian Buyi arrived, he took the last seat on the right.

"Greetings, Sect Master Uncle!"

"Senior Brother!"

"Junior Brother, who is this child?"

Tian Buyi looked troubled, but he still said, "Senior Brother, while traveling, I came across this pitiful little fellow.

His legs had congenital cartilage weakness, and he had also lost his memories.

Unable to bear it, I brought him back to Dazhu Peak.

Dazhu Peak has few people, and our disciples are famously lacking in talent within Qingyun. One more little fellow makes no difference.

I have now accepted him as my eighth disciple. He has forgotten his name and only vaguely remembers that his surname is Xiao, so I gave him the name Xiao Xuan.

That is why I have come to report this matter to Senior Brother."

After speaking, Tian Buyi glanced at Xiao Xuan. Fortunately, the boy remained utterly calm. Perhaps he had already experienced far too much since childhood.

Upon hearing this, Daoxuan came down and touched Xiao Xuan's legs. After probing them with true energy, he found that it was indeed as Tian Buyi had said.

As the leader of the righteous path, sending this child down the mountain would be no different from pushing him toward death.

Since Tian Buyi was willing, and Dazhu Peak had few people to begin with, Daoxuan agreed to the matter.

"Very well. I approve."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

"Thank you, Sect Master Uncle, for not casting me aside!"

After the three left Yuqing Hall, Tian Buyi asked, "Eighth, aren't you saddened after hearing about the condition of your legs?"

Xiao Xuan replied calmly, "Master, since it is the truth, why should I trouble myself over it? Perhaps that was why I had nowhere to go before.

I am deeply grateful that Master did not abandon me and instead took me in. My gratitude is beyond words.

My congenital cartilage weakness is something I was born with. But I have always believed one thing: Heaven gives every person talents that can be put to use.

Heaven and earth are heartless, treating all things as straw dogs. I suppose I could not have been some monstrous villain hated by Heaven in my previous life.

Since Heaven has closed one door for me, I believe it must have opened another. I simply have yet to find it.

In any case, I do not have to go to the Back Mountain to chop bamboo, but I do not wish to waste my time for nothing.

Therefore, I ask Master to grant me the privilege of freely entering the Scripture Depository of Dazhu Peak.

While my senior brothers and sisters spend these years tempering themselves, I also wish to broaden my knowledge."

Heaven and earth are heartless, treating all things as straw dogs? What an optimistic child, such a sensible child.

Before, Tian Buyi had only pitied the boy. But now, seeing his such firm resolve, Tian Buyi truly did not know what changes he might bring to Dazhu Peak, even if the possibility was infinitesimal.

Those words gave him a different impression of this young disciple.

"Good, I grant your request!

When the time comes, I will have your eldest senior brother teach you and Seventh Taiji Xuanqing Dao. Although cultivation may be difficult for you, do not give up on yourself."

Not long after returning to Dazhu Peak, Tian Buyi personally went down the mountain and bought him a wheelchair for his daily convenience.

In the courtyard and around the plaza of Dazhu Peak, he could slowly wheel himself about and get some fresh air...

That evening, Song Daren first had Xiao Xuan and Zhang Xiaofan swear an oath not to reveal anything to outsiders, then taught them how to meditate and enter contemplation.

He also gave them a rough explanation of the human body's meridians and the circulation of essence and energy. Finally, he passed on to them the first-level cultivation method of Taiji Xuanqing Dao.

Afterward, Song Daren took his leave, leaving Zhang Xiaofan and Xiao Xuan in the room to study the first level of Taiji Xuanqing Dao.

Just like that, more than three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Night had deepened over Dazhu Peak. Zhang Xiaofan awoke from another nightmare, shaking his head...

Outside the courtyard, someone sat in a wheelchair, silently gazing at the deep night sky.

For the past few months, he had continually pondered things, hoping to recover his memories, but he had gained nothing.

Moreover, for some reason, Qingyun, Dazhu Peak, the names of his master and mistress, and the names of his senior brothers all seemed familiar to him, yet he simply could not remember them.

Over the past few months, he had also frequently visited Dazhu Peak's Scripture Depository, but it had been of no help at all in recovering his memories.

However, he discovered one thing: he never forgot anything he read. As a result, he had memorized quite a few secret records from the Scripture Depository, some low-level sword techniques, and mundane dance techniques.

A few days earlier, Tian Buyi had suddenly taken an interest and come to inspect Zhang Xiaofan and Xiao Xuan's progress in the Dao.

He had not held much hope to begin with, but there was still a faint trace of luck in his heart.

In the end, after asking and testing them, he was nearly angered to death.

By common sense, even an ordinary person practicing Taiji Xuanqing Dao should, given the shallowness of the first level, have achieved minor success after three months. They should have been able to initially draw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into their bodies and circulate it through three to five cycles.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaofan's aptitude was so poor that it was truly rare beyond measure. After cultivating for a full three months, he could not even freely control the apertures throughout his body. Drawing spiritual energy into his body was already a struggle, let alone circulating it for several cycles.

As for Xiao Xuan, fortunately, Tian Buyi had not even held that faint trace of hope for him.

Yet he discovered something unusual about this disciple: he never forgot anything he read.

In just three short months, although Dazhu Peak's Scripture Depository did not have an enormous collection, it was still considerable after several centuries of accumulation.

Tian Buyi himself had never fully understood or known precisely what it contained, yet this young disciple knew it all clearly.

"Eighth, have you finished reading all the books in the Scripture Depository?"

Xiao Xuan shook his head. "I cannot say all of them, but I have read most of them."

Hearing this, Tian Buyi was shocked beyond belief. Was this the door Heaven had opened for him? But it did not seem particularly useful.

"Do you want to read more books and secret records?"

Xiao Xuan's eyes lit up. He had been worrying over how to bring it up.

He hurriedly nodded. "Thank you, Master. Sorry to trouble you!"

"It is a small matter. Given your circumstances and this request, the other six peaks will still give me this bit of face.

The next time the heads of the major peaks gather at Tongtian Peak, I will seek the opinions of the other peak heads."

"Yes, thank you, Master!"