Five Sects Board the Vessel, Take Her Own Life

"Remember, the difference between going up the mountain for the Spring Examination and going up the mountain for the Autumn Examination is just that you have an extra hundred days of leisure time."

The Lone Pavilion Master solemnly instructed in the council hall:

"If you fail to break through to the Refining Qi stage within these hundred days, you will be sent back to the market, thus ending your journey up the mountain."

Of course, very few people can break through to the Refining Qi within a hundred days and directly become an outer disciple of the Immortal Sect. The vast majority accumulate enough cultivation to reach the third tribulation within a hundred days. In this way, they can serve as menial tasks within the Immortal Sect with the cultivation of the third tribulation, which is equivalent to "going up the mountain for the Autumn Examination" and staying on the mountain directly.

The old woman spoke eloquently:

"Therefore, your only two tasks after you go up the mountain are: first, to cultivate diligently and seek to Refining Qi; and second, to familiarize yourself with the ways of the world and find a good place for your menial tasks a hundred days from now. After all, having a clear goal is better than being randomly assigned."

Besides, the Immortal Sect will definitely have various methods of coercion and enticement to enslave you. Remember, remember, don't be tricked. Even if you are tricked, remember that you went there to cultivate."

"Yes, Master!"

Fang Shu and the others stood below the hall, bowing in unison in agreement.

After giving a detailed explanation, the Lone Pavilion Master slowed his voice and suddenly said to Xiao Lili:

"Li'er, your situation is different from theirs. You went up the mountain as a medicine slave, which doesn't count as a menial task."

Therefore, once you reach the mountain, if you're not careful, you might be targeted by sect disciples, and they could easily kill you. Although this matter was planned for you by me, I'm not forcing you to go. Are you truly willing?

If you leave, do not resent me in the future.

Xiao Lili lowered her head again, her voice firm and resolute:

"Master, this disciple is willing!"

Immediately, she fixed her gaze on the Lone Pavilion Master and spoke:

Even if it means becoming a drug slave, the opportunity to enter Immortal Sect for cultivation is still a rare one.

Moreover, this disciple is already quite old, and my cultivation has been damaged. Even with this fortuitous opportunity, if I cannot quickly recover, my future path to immortality remains uncertain. This disciple is truly grateful to Master for granting me this excellent opportunity to cultivate on the mountain!

Seeing that Xiao Lili understood the pros and cons of the matter perfectly well, the Lone Pavilion Master smiled.

"It's good that you understand."

The old woman paused for a moment, then spoke again, "But there's no need to worry too much. This time Yu'er 're going to that Flesh Abbey with Yu'er, so you two can support each other. For the next hundred days, you can hide in her room, be careful when you go out, and act as her maid."

Furthermore, there are no men in the Flesh Abbey, only female disciples, so your risk of being sexually exploited is much lower compared to other Daoist temples. Of course, you still need to quickly increase your cultivation to the peak of the Third Tribulation to escape your status as a drug slave.

Xiao Lili cupped her hands in greeting. "This disciple obeys your command and will certainly take good care of Yu'er!"

Fang Shu listened from the side, and couldn't help but glance at Du Yu'er again.

It is said that as the only grandson of a sect leader, he was treated very well! Not only did he not have to fight to the death, but he could also go up the mountain and join the sect directly. He was also given a maid to accompany him up the mountain, which was definitely the treatment of a "young lady".

Seeing such a thing, if Fang Shu said he wasn't envious at all, he would be deceiving himself.

However, Du Yu'er was humble, friendly, and considerate, making her a good senior sister in the academy, so he had no reason to be jealous or resentful.

What surprised Fang Shu even more was something else. He paused, then asked:

"May I ask, Master, is this 'Flesh Abbey' also located on Mount Lu?"

The Lone Pavilion Master nodded upon hearing this.

Then, the old woman methodically and concisely gave a brief introduction to the situation of the Immortal Sect on Mount Lu:

"In the Mount Lu area, there are Five Directions Immortal Sect: Beauty Palace, Flesh Abbey, Four Limbs Temple, Five Viscera Temple, and Withered Bone Abbey."

Among the Five Sects, Beauty Palace is the most powerful. This palace only accepts talented and beautiful people and pays attention to appearance. Even if someone has Spirit Root, if they are ugly and vulgar, they will not be allowed to enter. Therefore, the disciples in the palace can all be said to be handsome men and beautiful women, who are the face of Mount Lu.

In addition, the Five Sects had interactions with each other, but also harbored grudges.

The disciples of the Immortal Sect who attacked this town a few days ago were from the Withered Bone Abbey. Because this town is under the jurisdiction of the Five Viscera Temple, the two sects are not on good terms, which is why that person dared to make the move.

As they listened, apart from Du Yu'er, Fang Shu and Xiao Lili both looked enlightened.

This was the first time they had learned the full names and descriptions of the Five Sects of Mount Lu.

Prior to this, only the news about the Five Viscera Temple was verifiable in the market. The news about the other four cases was difficult to verify and few people talked about them, as if they had been deliberately suppressed.

Fang Shu thought to himself:

"Master descended the mountain to cultivate talents for the Five Viscera Temple, yet he managed to send Yu'er Sister Yu'er to the Flesh Abbey. It seems that the Five Viscera Temple and the Flesh Abbey are Immortal Sect with a fairly good relationship."

After giving a brief explanation, the Lone Pavilion Master told Fang Shu and the others to ask any questions or concerns they might have, and she would try her best to answer them.

After their conversation, the Lone Pavilion Master finally picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of tea, and said:

"At the earliest tomorrow, at the latest seven days, Five Viscera Transport Vessel from various towns will pass through this town. You can board the ship when the time comes."

Yu'er and Li'er, you two should also get ready. We'll board the ship together and use the boat from the Five Viscera Temple to travel to the territory of the Flesh Abbey.

All three bowed and said, "Yes, Master."

The Lone Pavilion Master sat there, looking at the three young, excited, and expectant faces, but her eyes held a complex mix of joy and melancholy.

But she still smiled with satisfaction and said slowly, "It will be many years before I can come down the mountain. If there are any worldly matters in the town these few days, please take good care of them so that you will have no regrets."

Since you are about to go up the mountain, the town will treat you with some leniency and consideration, as long as you don't cause any major trouble.

She kept rambling on and on, as if she had become an ordinary, mundane woman.

However, even the most lengthy explanations eventually come to an end.

After Fang Shu and the other two left one by one, only the old woman remained sitting alone in the hall.

In the days that followed.

Fang Shu thought to himself that he had no worldly affairs, and his second uncle was not very old. If nothing unexpected happened, he would have a great chance to meet him in the future.

Besides, since they were both father and son, there was no need for them to be sentimental. So, in the rest of his time, he simply spent his time eating, drinking, and wandering around town with his second uncle Yu Le.

Believe it or not, this seemed to be the first time he had so seriously examined Guling Town and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Fang Shu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion:

"I never realized before that Guling Town was so big and prosperous, with all sorts of things to do, from singing and dancing to gambling and prostitution. This small town has a population of hundreds of thousands."

However, he did not feel any reluctance, compared to going up the mountain to cultivate and embark on a true journey of immortality.

All of this is nothing but fleeting smoke and mud bricks.

Day 5.

A large boat sailed past Guling Town. The boat was ten zhang high and more than thirty zhang wide. It sailed across the river, resembling a city, majestic and imposing.

It was surrounded by copper sheets and iron horns, and could spew black smoke, resembling a giant beast. The people in the market who had never seen anything like it before turned pale, all thinking that another giant demon had attacked.

Those with some knowledge of the subject knew that these were transport ships belonging to the outer sect of the Immortal Sect, responsible for collecting resources and money from various places and transporting them to the Immortal Sect.

Sure enough, in the eyes of the onlookers, a large number of people dressed in black robes and hats soon arrived, like ants, carrying all kinds of Talisman Coins, coins, rice, and other items into the giant ship, in an endless stream that lasted all day.

Some people watched this scene with either admiration or inward grumbling. "The Immortal Sect, the Immortal Sect, takes every last penny, and uses it like dirt."

When Fang Shu and the others appeared in front of the transport boat, the onlookers could only feel envy.

Those who came to see him off today included not only relatives and friends of various immortals, but also many other people.

Fang Shu landed in the crowd, he immediately noticed many strange gazes fixed on him.

He glanced at them and spotted the Seven Fragrance Tower, his former second aunt, and others among them.

They mingled in the crowd, each with a complex expression as they looked on.

Fang Shu glanced at it once and then paid no further attention.

From his perspective, the number of people on the shore was so great that they were densely packed together, and they were as common as mud and sand.

As he was about to leave, his second uncle Yu Le, had some red in his eyes.

The man seemed to have a thousand words to say, but in the end he only gritted his teeth and said, "Once you're up the mountain, just stay put. There's nothing in this wretched town worth your attention. Don't come back."

After saying that, Second Uncle Yu Le quickly changed his tune. "But if you want to go down the mountain yourself, don't force yourself... just come back."

The other person kept rambling on and on, Fang Shu just smiled and watched, occasionally nodding.

During this time, he also squinted slightly and looked in the direction of the Lead Mountain Mine.

In this "rotten and cowardly town," besides his second uncle, there was something else that he cared about.

"The poison den and medicine den have been found, and we're also making some progress on the true location of the Hu Family's lineage."

Fang Shu has now fully mastered the Dragon-Seeking Gold-Finding Art- moving, and can easily locate the true lineage based on the positions of the two caves.

He thought to himself:

"This is a Refining Qi level formation inheritance; it shouldn't be missed, and it's definitely worth making a special trip for."

But this matter is not urgent; going up the mountain is the priority.

After that, they said their goodbyes and left without saying anything more.

Fang Shu nimbly strode onto the deck of the giant ship.

Amidst the roar of the giant ship, he simply turned around, bowed to his second uncle and the others from afar, and his figure grew farther and farther away until it turned into a black dot and disappeared into the misty waves.

On the shore, the group from the Solitary Gu Hall looked up, then slowly withdrew their gazes, their interest waning.

But soon, before they even returned to the museum, they heard something on the way that stirred up their emotions once again.

Even the usually aloof Lone Pavilion Master couldn't help but pause, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

A disciple came to report.

Qin Min, this woman, has already committed suicide in the mansion.