About half an hour later, light footsteps could be heard outside the corridor.
Qui Lan pushed open the door and entered, stopping in front of Fang Han and bowing as she reported:
"Senior brother, we've found out everything."
"Explain."
"To apply for an internal disciple position, applicants must be either True Disciple or Elder of the same level."
Qui Lan paused, her tone calm.
"In addition, it will cost 100,000 contribution points."
"100,000 contribution points..."
Fang Han stirred slightly. It wasn't a small amount of contribution points, but it meant nothing to him.
He earns 35,000 contribution points every month without doing anything, and he accumulated quite a lot last year.
Despite spending a considerable amount at the end of the year, there is still a significant amount left over.
The next morning, the thin fog had not yet dissipated.
After having breakfast, Fang Han took Fang Yingxue away from the No. 35 Annex and headed towards the You Courtyard along the bluestone path.
You Courtyard is located in the southwest of Azure Profound Mountain, not far from Zi Courtyard. At the gate of the courtyard stands a blue stone tablet with the simple and elegant characters " You Courtyard " engraved on it.
When the servant disciples saw Fang Han, they were taken aback at first, then quickly bowed and greeted him. One of them hurriedly went inside to report to the courtyard.
Before long, an elderly man dressed in a dark blue Elder's robe came out from the courtyard to greet them.
The old man was about sixty years old, thin, with a Fang Zheng face and a gray-white goatee. His eyes were not large, but they were quite bright.
With a long sword hanging at his waist, he moved swiftly and reached the courtyard gate in just a few steps.
"I am Xu An, a humble servant, and I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you True Disciple, Master Fang!"
The old man cupped his hands in greeting and smiled, his voice loud and clear, his attitude extremely warm.
" Elder, you're too kind."
Fang Han returned the greeting with clasped hands.
Xu An stepped aside to lead the way, and said with a smile:
"Please come in, please come in!"
Fang Han led Fang Yingxue and followed Xu An into the You Courtyard, where they walked along a bluestone path to an elegant reception Living Room.
The room was simply furnished, with several landscape paintings hanging on the walls and a burner of Sandalwood Incense burning on the table, its smoke curling upwards.
Xu An's gaze swept quickly over Fang Yingxue, and he already had some guesses in his mind, but he didn't show it on his face and continued to be enthusiastic.
In terms of strength, Fang Han, who once killed Qi Zhen, First Grade Late Stage first-rank cultivator, is definitely above him, the head of the You Courtyard.
In terms of status, although Fang Han was only True Disciple, as the number one on the Prodigy Ranking and the most talented disciple of the Azure Profound Sect in hundreds of years, he was still above him.
He had no choice but to be enthusiastic.
Most importantly, he didn't want to end up like Tu Baichuan and Yan Lu.
Those two Elder, having offended Fang Han, were nominally sent to guard important towns within the prefecture, but in reality, they were exiled by the sect.
Not only were they sent to remote places, but they also had almost no chance to return to the sect, and they were even unable to attend the annual Elder' meetings.
His power within the sect was completely stripped away, which was tantamount to exile.
Whenever he thought about this, he felt a sense of vigilance.
"Fang True Disciple has come to visit today. May I ask what business this old man may have with me?"
Xu An sat down opposite Fang Han, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked with a smile.
"To be honest, Elder, I have come here today with a request."
Fang Han put down his teacup and turned to look at Fang Yingxue.
"This is a younger sister from the clan named Fang Yingxue. She is eighteen years old and Bone Forging Realm. I would like to apply for an internal disciple spot for her so that she can study at the You Courtyard."
Upon hearing this, Xu An looked Fang Yingxue up and down again and said:
"No problem, I'll have someone process it for Fang True Disciple."
Although sects do allow applications for internal disciple slots, the number of slots is limited each year, and it's impossible to cram in too many people and disrupt normal order.
But since Fang Han personally came to apply, we have to give him a spot no matter what.
He summoned a servant disciple who was standing outside the hall.
"Go and invite Deacon Yang here."
The servant disciple responded and left. A short while later, a middle-aged man dressed in a blue Deacon's uniform strode into the hall.
This man was of medium height and had an ordinary face, but his eyes were quite shrewd. He was Yang Lin, the Deacon of the You Courtyard.
"Headmaster, you wanted to see me?"
Yang Lin bowed respectfully, and when his gaze swept over Fang Han, he paused slightly, recognizing Fang Han, and quickly greeted Fang Han.
"Fang True Disciple wants to apply for an internal disciple position for this young lady. True Disciple and handle it for him."
Xu An pointed at Fang Yingxue, his tone calm but with an undeniable air of authority.
"Yes."
Yang Lin quickly agreed, and then bowed to Fang Han.
"This way, please, True Disciple."
Fang Han nodded slightly to Xu An, then led Fang Yingxue and Yang Lin out of the reception Living Room, and along a corridor to the affairs hall of the You Courtyard.
Behind the desk in the hall, several Deacon were processing documents. When they saw Yang Lin leading Fang Han in, they all stopped what they were doing and stood up to greet him.
Yang Lin took a list of names from the table, spread out the inkstone, and looked up at Fang Yingxue:
"Young lady, please tell me your name, age, and place of origin."
Fang Yingxue took a small step forward, her voice slightly nervous but still relatively calm:
Fang Yingxue, eighteen years old, from the Fang Clan Liangshui City.
Yang Lin picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and recorded everything in the register. He then asked, "What is your relationship with the recommender?"
"Same race."
Fang Han answered for her.
Yang Lin nodded, finished recording, and then took out the Transmission Jade Inkstone.
As a faint light appeared, 100,000 contribution points were deducted from Cold Jade's token.
"Alright."
Yang Lin handed a brand-new jade Fang Yingxue.
"This is your Identity Jade Token, keep it safe."
Fang Yingxue accepted it with both hands, held it solemnly in her palms, and bowed her head to express her gratitude.
Yang Lin then looked at Fang Han and asked:
"Master True Disciple, would you like to arrange for Miss Fang to move into the You Courtyard now?"
Fang Han shook his head and said:
"No need. It's not time for new disciples to Beginner stage yet. The You Courtyard is empty. If she moves in now, the canteen won't be open, and she might have trouble getting food."
He paused, glanced at Fang Yingxue, and continued:
"Let her stay with me for now; she can move over when the new disciple officially Beginner stage."
Yang Lin nodded in agreement, thinking to himself that Fang Han was quite considerate of his cousin.
After completing the formalities, Fang Han led Fang Yingxue back to the reception Living Room and bid farewell to Xu An.
"Thank you very much, Elder, for today's matter."
Fang Han cupped his hands in greeting.
"It was nothing, not worth mentioning!"
Xu An rose to see him off, his face beaming with smiles.
"If you ever need anything in the future, Fang True Disciple, please feel free to come to You Courtyard to find me."
Xu An escorted Fang Han all the way to the gate of the You Courtyard before stopping.
Fang Yingxue followed Fang Han onto the bluestone path leading back to the True Transmission Courtyard.
She held the warm, smooth jade pendant, her mind replaying everything that had just happened in the You Courtyard.
The Elder's enthusiasm and politeness towards Fang Han, and the Deacon's carefulness in handling the procedures.
What she saw and heard today made her realize even more clearly just how high Fang Han's status was in the Azure Profound Sect.
The rumors I heard at the Fang family martial arts school were far less shocking than what I saw with my own eyes.
Back at the No. 35 Annex, Qui Lan came forward to greet him and took the outer robe that Fang Han had taken off.
Fang Han had a Maid take Fang Yingxue back to her guest room to rest, while he himself headed towards the Quiet Room, pondering what he needed to do next.
He had already decided before the new year to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament to be held in the Imperial Capital in March.
Although there is still more than a month until March, even for martial artists of the Upper Third Grade, it would take nearly a month to travel from the Azure Profound Sect to the Imperial Capital.
This means that the departure date is fast approaching.
"The Great Chu Dynasty..."
Fang Han read it in a low voice.
The royal family of the Great Chu Dynasty, this behemoth that ruled over hundreds of millions of miles of land and lasted for more than three thousand years, always seemed shrouded in mystery to Fang Han.
Despite being the ruler of the entire dynasty, he had an extremely low profile and never interfered in matters concerning martial artists.
This attitude is like deliberately allowing various sects and factions to grow and expand.
The practice of holding Martial Arts Tournament is even more incomprehensible.
Simply by participating, one can receive rare and precious natural treasures as a reward. Distributing a large number of these treasures to talented disciples from various prefectures—isn't this cultivating powerful individuals for each sect and faction?
Aren't you worried that the growing power of sectarian factions might threaten the rule of the Great Chu Dynasty?
"The royal family of the Great Chu Dynasty has lasted for more than three thousand years, so it's impossible that they're stupid. But why would they do this?"
Fang Han walked to the futon and sat down cross-legged, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knees.
What exactly is the Great Chu Imperial Family plotting?
Behind this, there must be a huge, unknown secret.
February 1st, as dawn broke.
Fang Han got up from the Quiet Room and checked his luggage one last time.
The Windshock Sword hung at his waist, and he carried a bag containing several sets of clothes and Danyao for daily cultivation.
Yun Qianyue was already waiting outside the courtyard gate.
Today she wore a light blue satin long dress, covered with a moon-white fox fur coat, and her face was veiled with purple gauze, revealing only a pair of cool, clear eyes.
Be careful on the road.
She spoke in a cool, clear voice.
"Um."
Fang Han nodded slightly, reached out and grasped Yun Qianyue's slightly cool fingers, then released them and turned to walk towards the mountain gate.
At the mountain gate, a massive White Tiger had already lowered its body.
Its pure white fur shimmered like satin in the morning light, and its amber vertical pupils were half-open and half-closed as it lazily yawned.
Luo Yuntian had arrived first, standing with his hands behind his back beside White Tiger.
He wore a dark blue True Disciple, a long sword at his waist, and had a calm expression.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around and nodded slightly to Fang Han.
"Senior Brother Fang."
"Junior Brother Luo."
Fang Han returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his gaze falling on the White Tiger.
"We originally thought we'd have to travel using our Body Movement, but we didn't expect the sect leader to lend us his mount."
A smile appeared on Luo Yuntian's lips as he said:
"The sect leader said that the journey to the Imperial Capital is long, and it would be a waste to spend all our time traveling."
He paused, his tone tinged with emotion.
"Therefore, they made an exception and lent us the White Tiger mount so that we could continue our cultivation on the road."
The carriage was secured to the tiger's back with wide leather straps, making it stable and comfortable.
The two of them leaped onto the tiger's back one after the other and sat on either side.
The carriage was furnished with thick plush carpets, a heater, and tea warming utensils; the furnishings were simple yet sophisticated.
The Deacon riding the White Tiger sat at the very front, took out a copper whistle from his robes, put it in his mouth, and blew it gently.
The whistle wasn't loud, but it had a strange penetrating power.
The White Tiger suddenly stood up from its crouching position, its four paws pushing off the ground, and its massive body, like a white lightning bolt, sped down the mountain path.
Luo Yuntian took out a sword manual from his bag and began to peruse it.
Fang Han closed his eyes and slowly circulated the < Azure Profound Art > within his body.
The wheels rumbled, tiger claws pounded the ground, and the scenery outside the window rushed past.
The two men took different approaches, but their intentions were the same.
The journey to the Imperial Capital is long, so we must make the most of every minute to improve our strength in order to go further in the Martial Arts Tournament.