First Meeting with Xu Xian

Clear Wind and the others were not orphans, but children from nearby families.

It was only because there were too many siblings at home to feed that they had been sent to the temple to serve as young Taoist attendants.

They did not truly count as Taoist Liu's disciples either.

Yet they had all come to the temple willingly. Not to mention that Taoist Liu possessed genuine skill—if they could learn even a little from him, it would benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Even if the old Taoist taught them nothing, they would still save their families a mouthful of grain, and from time to time could tag along with him for some meat. Wasn't that far better than staying at home?

Now that they saw Ling Qing was willing to teach them, they were naturally overjoyed.

Judging by the way Ling Qing had performed his morning practice just now, anyone who saw him would have to call him an immortal master who had attained the Dao.

They did not even ask to learn any real skills. If they learned only that bearing of his, they would never have to worry about food and drink in the future.

Ling Qing immediately gave Clear Wind some copper coins and had him go into town to buy breakfast.

Their usual breakfast consisted of reheating leftover baked cakes and eating them with pickled vegetables.

After breakfast, Ling Qing taught them the Eight Divine Incantations word by word and sentence by sentence, telling them to memorize them.

People said that interest was the greatest motivation for learning, but that was not so.

Desire was.

Just like Ling Qing: he desired eternal life, indestructible through ten thousand tribulations.

Thus, even cultivation that others found unbearably dull was sweet as honey to him.