The Tian Family Siblings

"Thanks, Li Li and Li Qing. It's getting late, so let's turn in early."

Back in the courtyard, Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe bade farewell to the Li family uncle and nephew.

Although they were uncle and nephew, the older one was only a little older than the two of them, while the younger one was only a little younger.

Neither of them could bring himself to call one of them uncle or nephew, so they simply called each other by their own names.

After saying goodbye, Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe returned to their dormitory. Zhu Guang was already back.

"Where'd you two go? I looked all over the courtyard and couldn't find you."

Sitting behind the desk, Zhu Guang had just finished drawing a talisman. He looked at the two of them and asked.

"We went out for a stroll with the Li family uncle and nephew. What, was the kitchen work easy?"

The two answered, and Zhang Zhe casually asked as he made his bed.

"Easy? What easy work?

You have no idea. It was exhausting, and there was an endless amount to do. I couldn't stop for even a moment.

It was like climbing the mountain yesterday. By the end, I was so worn out I could barely think straight."

Zhu Guang was putting away the cinnabar and yellow paper. At their question, he immediately opened the floodgates and began pouring out his complaints.

"We had to chop and carry firewood. Wasn't that just as bad? Why don't you ask Senior Brother Zhang if you can come chop wood with us?"

Ling Qing washed his hands, splashed his face a couple of times, then dried off with a towel. He looked at Zhu Guang and grinned.

"No, thanks. I know that firewood's no ordinary wood."

Zhu Guang hurriedly shook his head. "Today, when I helped Senior Brother carry wood, I nearly ran myself off my feet.

I don't know if it's the stove or the firewood.

It's heavy and hard, and it burns so fast. I nearly killed myself carrying it over, and it still wasn't enough to keep the fire going for long."

"But that Li family uncle and nephew really are nice people." After joking around, they brought up the Li family uncle and nephew again, since they had warned Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe.

Li Li had told them to put all their strength into the work. He must have known the secret behind it.

Whether he had figured it out himself or heard it from someone else, given his character and determination, there was no way he and his nephew would come away empty-handed from this instance.

"No wonder Senior Brother Zhang keeps an eye on me like I'm a thief. So that's what's going on."

After listening to the two explain the method, Zhu Guang said thoughtfully.

Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe exchanged a glance, feeling a little helpless.

It looked like Senior Brother Zhang really had taken a liking to this chubby fellow. Otherwise, he would've simply told him the secret; there'd be no need to keep such a close eye on him.

After all, Zhu Guang wasn't the only one helping out in the kitchen.

By then, the three of them had all washed up. They sat facing the wall on three meditation cushions, their backs to the door.

"Tai Shang Tai Xing, ever-changing and ceaseless;

Drive away evil, bind demons, preserve life and protect the body;

May wisdom shine clear and bright, may the mind and spirit be at peace;

May the three souls endure forever, and may the seven spirits never be lost."

With Ling Qing leading, the three began their evening lesson.

It might not have been quite the same as the formal morning and evening lessons, but Ling Qing wanted to raise his skill proficiency, and he had grown somewhat accustomed to it as well.

Zhang Zhe and Zhu Guang joined him partly to keep him company and partly for their own sake.

It wasn't yet the hour of deep night—about nine o'clock by modern reckoning—and reciting the divine incantation once also helped them sleep.

After one recitation, a peaceful, serene feeling lingered in the hearts of all three.

They lay down with their minds free of distracting thoughts, and before long, they were asleep.

The next morning, after their morning lesson, they went back to their usual chores: chopping firewood and helping in the kitchen.

Zhu Guang, though, had it rough. Being singled out by Senior Brother Zhang meant he was dragged off to help in the kitchen before dawn.

After all, they had to prepare breakfast in advance for the senior and junior brothers up on the mountain.

Two or three days passed like this, and people began arriving one after another.

They weren't just the gifted; there were also people from the instance seeking immortality and the Dao.

Each time someone arrived, Master would ask if they could endure hardship. Anyone who said they were willing to tough it out was accepted.

Even when Master could tell someone wouldn't be able to bear the hardship, he would at most offer a word of warning. He never turned anyone away.

Of course, some came and some left. Those who couldn't stand the mountain's harsh, exhausting life only had to say they wanted to leave. Master wouldn't try to stop them.

He would simply ask them to abandon evil and do good before they departed, then let them go on their way.

So far, though, even the earliest of the gifted newcomers had only been on the mountain for a few days. None of them had thought of leaving.

Some people who had lived on the mountain for years, however, couldn't take it anymore and went down.

That evening, Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe ran into two familiar faces at dinner.

Since they were in the dining hall, neither side said much. They nodded to each other, hurried through their meal, and left together.

"How come you two took so long to get here?"

As soon as they were outside, Zhang Zhe eagerly asked.

"On the way, Yingying met a female sword immortal and followed her to learn some swordsmanship, so we were delayed for a few days."

Tian Yong explained with a smile. He seemed quite pleased with his younger sister's good fortune.

The two were the Tian family siblings.

They had entered instances together many times before, usually spawning in the same starting location. Even when they were separated, they hadn't been far apart.

It was nothing like this time, when they hadn't seen each other for over half a month.

Zhang Zhe hadn't said anything before, but he had been thinking about the two of them the whole time.

"Not bad, Yingying." Zhang Zhe looked at Tian Ying in surprise.

Ling Qing looked her way too. Everyone naturally envied the ability to fly through the sky on a sword.

As the saying went: "In half a day, you can roam the whole world; no need to ride a phoenix or dragon. Once, for sport, I sent my spirit sword flying and toppled Zhongnan's highest peak. At dawn, I wandered beyond the northern mountains; by dusk, I was at Cangwu. The green snake in my sleeve filled me with courage. I passed through Yueyang three times, unknown to all, singing as I flew across Dongting Lake."

Unable to help himself, he asked, "Did you master it?"

"Not yet. My master was in a hurry, so she only taught me the basics, though she did pass on the sword-training method."

Tian Ying gave a shy smile. "Some parts are too profound for me to understand yet."

She was still that simple, unworldly young girl.

"That's nothing to worry about. Now that you have the method, you can practice diligently from here on," Tian Yong reassured her. Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe chimed in too.

"Isn't that why we came to Mount Lao, to seek the Dao? Read more scriptures, and once you've gained enough understanding, you'll naturally be able to make sense of it."

"Exactly. The masters and senior brothers at the temple aren't just for show. If you can't figure something out, ask them."

Tian Ying nodded happily. "Mm. My master also said I could ask one of the senior brothers at the temple for guidance."

The two of them had only meant to comfort her. After all, whether immortal or mortal, people treasured their own cultivation methods.

Unless you were a direct disciple, outsiders generally weren't allowed to read them.

Showing one to an outsider without permission was considered taboo.

Even if you didn't mind, the person you asked might think less of you.

They might think you were untrustworthy and disloyal: if you asked them about a technique you'd learned from someone else today, would you trade away the technique they taught you tomorrow?

Even in modern times, when exchanging for manuals through the Special Affairs Department, people had to sign different agreements depending on the provider's requirements, including agreements not to disclose the contents.

You could choose not to honor the agreement, but if the Special Affairs Department found out, exchanging for anything else would become difficult.

At the very least, you would have to make up for the Department's losses first.

But it seemed that sword immortal knew one of the senior brothers at the temple well enough not to mind. It was also a stroke of luck for Tian Ying.