Three Visits to Scorched-Tail Hall-Are You Its Master?

In front of the dojo, the autumn sun slanted across the eaves, warming the dojo.

Fang Shu glanced at the charred plaque above the gate. The characters were painted in vermilion with scorch marks, and it read "Scorched-Tail Hall).

He walked into the building with practiced ease.

Unlike before, this time when he entered the sect, the female Daoist priest named Xiao Lili did not come out to greet him in time.

However, this was someone else's dojo, and Fang Shu couldn't just go in directly, lest he break a taboo and get into trouble.

He could only wait outside the hall to see if anyone from the Scorched-Tail Hall would come out to take over.

But Fang Shu didn't just stand there idly. He strolled around in the nearby open space.

During his wait, people kept passing by him.

One of them glanced at him a few more times, then suddenly turned around and walked towards him.

The other person was moving stealthily, seemingly trying to scare him, but before he could get within three zhang of Fang Shu noticed him and turned his head to look.

A gaunt young man appeared in Fang Shu's eyes. Who else could it be but the toad-like boy, Yin Xiaojian!

Yin Xiaojian assumed that Fang Shu had turned his head to look at him by coincidence.

A bored smile appeared on the other person's face, then they walked briskly towards Fang Shu, raising an eyebrow and saying:

"Brother Fang is here again. As I said last time, if the dojo is accepting apprentices, I will naturally let you know in advance."

Yin Xiaojian, her voice carrying a slight cadence:

"Look at you, you've made another wasted trip. There's still a month or two left."

Fang Shu recognized him as an acquaintance and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings, Brother Yin."

He thought for a moment and then said, "I have come here today on business, and I would like to ask Brother Yin for a favor."

Where is Fellow Daoist Xiao, who is in charge of reception? Or is there another manager in the academy? Please ask him to inform him for me.

When Yin Xiaojian heard that Fang Shu wanted to talk to him, he stopped in his tracks and was about to turn around and leave, thinking that he had something to do.

He only wanted to tease Fang Shu, not get into any trouble.

However, upon hearing that Fang Shu was looking for Xiao Lili, the man's eyes darted around, he stopped turning, and asked as if suddenly realizing something:

"I understand. You know Senior Sister Xiao, are you looking for someone to do you a favor?"

Upon hearing this question, Fang Shu realized that the other party had misunderstood, but he didn't explain much, simply nodding.

"Indeed, I have something to ask of you."

Yin Xiaojian smiled and immediately said, "So you came here beforehand to smooth things over. Since you know Senior Sister Xiao, I'll take you inside to find her."

As he spoke, he casually tried to put his arm around Fang Shu's shoulder and lead him towards the main hall of the Scorched-Tail Hall.

Fang Shu simply smiled and took a step forward, skillfully avoiding the other man's attempt to put his arm around his shoulder, and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Brother Yin."

Yin Xiaojian's arm missed its mark, and she showed displeasure, but seeing that Fang Shu seemed to have some connections in the restaurant, she continued to lead him forward.

"Let me tell you, if you join the academy, you'll become a junior disciple. You see, the academy ranks members according to the time they joined."

As Yin Xiaojian walked, she kept chattering away, seemingly uncharacteristically speaking with such apprehension in front of others.

"Don't worry, just call me 'Senior Brother' then, and I'll naturally look after you. When I, your senior brother, undergo my tribulation and enter the inner courtyard next year, you'll be truly blessed."

Fang Shu noticed that this fellow kept assuming he had come to become an apprentice, and his behavior was quite pretentious.

He didn't expose it, but just listened with a smile.

With a disciple of the dojo accompanying him, Fang Shu was no longer considered to have trespassed into the main hall of the Scorched-Tail Hall. The two entered and soon found two figures in a corner of the hall.

The figures were a man and a woman, standing by the courtyard, looking at the withered lotus in a water vat under the eaves, whispering to each other as if they were talking about something.

Upon seeing this, Yin Xiaojian immediately called out, "Senior Sister Xiao! Someone's here to see you."

A man and a woman looked up at the sound and immediately spotted Fang Shu.

Xiao Lili recognized Fang Shu immediately, while the man scrutinized Fang Shu, vaguely feeling that Fang Shu looked somewhat familiar.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Fang." Xiao Lili bowed respectfully.

Seeing that the other party took the initiative to Fang Shu, Yin Xiaojian thought to herself that Fang Shu must have indeed found some connections in the restaurant.

"Most likely, he couldn't get into the temple last time, so he gritted his teeth and spent a lot of Talisman Coins this time," Yin Xiaojian thought to herself.

However, Yin Xiaojian maintained a smiling face and bowed slightly to the man beside her, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother."

Fang Shu's gaze inadvertently drifted to the man's face.

He recognized at a glance that the man standing next to Xiao Lili was the same Scorched-Tail Hall disciple who had once ridiculed him and his second uncle.

The other person was also sizing up Fang Shu, finding Fang Shu increasingly familiar, but unable to recall where they had met before.

"I wonder what brings Fellow Daoist Fang here today?" the female Daoist Xiao Lili asked.

Fang Shu didn't delay. He took out the name card of the Lone Pavilion Master from his sleeve, handed it to the other party, and said, "Just like last time, I've come with a request."

These words caused a look of surprise to appear in Xiao Lili's eyes.

She stared intently at Fang Shu for a few moments, then took the name card, glanced at it briefly, and her surprise deepened.

The other person's expression made Yin Xiaojian, who was standing next to her, keep wondering if Fang Shu had somehow gotten close to a powerful figure, since a letter of introduction could make Xiao Lili so surprised.

As for the man surnamed Ling, he glanced at the contents of the name card, and a hint of surprise and doubt appeared in his eyes.

Xiao Lili didn't explain to the two of them; she simply cupped her hands in a respectful gesture towards Fang Shu.

"Since that's the matter, please come with me, Fellow Daoist Fang, into the hall for a discussion."

Fang Shu nodded calmly, indicating that the other party should lead the way.

The two quickly entered the depths of the hall, one after the other, seemingly heading to find Manager Xiao Hu.

So by the courtyard,

For a moment, only Ling Baiquan and Yin Xiaojian remained.

One of them was pondering who Fang Shu was, while the other turned his attention away from Fang Shu and instead focused on the Ling Baiquan beside him.

Yin Xiaojian had a smile on his face as he stared intently at Ling Baiquan's hair, his mind racing with ideas for a topic.

This fellow suddenly spoke up:

"Brother, what kind of hair oil do you use? Your hair is so black and shiny!"

The Ling Baiquan casually replied, "Alchemy Hall."

This answer made Yin Xiaojian's smile widen, and she even puffed out her chest and shook her head, saying:

"Excellent! I also use Alchemy Hall's Osmanthus Hair Oil."

These words made Ling Baiquan glance at the person, but he didn't respond.

The Ling Baiquan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What was that kid who came in from outside the building doing here?"

"Oh, that guy, he's here to become an apprentice. He failed the first two times, so he's probably trying his luck again."

Ling Baiquan could even ask any further questions, Yin Xiaojian rattled off everything she knew about Fang Shu.

Upon Ling Baiquan immediately recalled Fang Shu and his nephew.

An odd light flickered in the man's eyes.

"Is this boy a suitable candidate for our school's Cultivation Method?" A thought also surfaced in Ling Baiquan's mind.

Meanwhile, Yin Xiaojian remained oblivious to Ling Baiquan's strange behavior, continuing to try and strike up a conversation with him.

On the other side.

Fang Shu followed Xiao Lili, and before long, just as they entered the depths of the main hall, they found the person the two were looking for.

There stood a middle-aged man with slightly dark skin, a square face, and an air of authority. He had several deep lines on his forehead, wore a dark blue steward's robe, and carried a leather whip with the tip dangling to the ground.

The man was supervising a group of servants in the main hall, his face so grim it could drip water.

The servants all around were silent, carefully spreading out the notebooks and placing them under the courtyard to dry.

Before Fang Shu even got close, he heard the middle-aged foreman's voice, rough and deep, tinged with impatience:

"Watch your skin, all of you. If even one page of these books is damaged, I'll skin you alive."

Upon hearing this, the servants shuddered, hunched over, heads bowed, and rustled as they turned the pages of their books, not daring to be distracted in the slightest.

Xiao Lili walked over, not even glancing at the servants, but quickly went to the middle-aged foreman's side and called out in a clear voice, "Father!"

The middle-aged manager looked up, a smile immediately spreading across his face, but then he noticed Fang Shu behind Xiao Lili.

The man's expression immediately darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "How many times have I told you? When you're working in the shop, you have to call me 'Manager Xiao Hu,' and follow the rules."

Xiao Lili rolled her eyes and reluctantly cupped her hands in greeting. "Greetings, Steward Xiao Hu."

This middle-aged manager was none other than Xiao Lili's father, Xiao Hu, the head manager of the Scorched-Tail Hall.

The other person shifted their gaze from Xiao Lili to Fang Shu, and said indifferently:

"You've brought someone to see me today again. Tell me, what business do you have here, and what are your grievances?"

"Neither." Xiao Lili's expression grew even more displeased, and she directly handed over the name card in her hand:

"The visitor is an inner disciple of the Solitary Gu Hall, wishing to obtain a manual of the Lead Method. You will need to review it."

Upon hearing this, the steward Xiao Hu immediately showed a look of surprise. He said to Xiao Lili:

"The Solitary Gu Hall, Lead Method? That sounds familiar. Didn't you take those last time?"

As he spoke, the man's gaze fell on Fang Shu, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Before Xiao Lili could answer, the steward Xiao Hu's eyelids twitched as if he had thought of something. He immediately flipped open the name card and glanced at it.

Upon seeing this, the man's eyelids opened wide, and he stared intently at the nameplate, especially the two characters "Fang Shu" on it.

His mind was in turmoil as he recalled Fang Shu's identity and what had happened before.

After several breaths, the steward Xiao Hu looked at Fang Shu with a dazed expression and asked to confirm:

"You little rascal, are you really Yu the Second's nephew?"

Fang Shu nodded and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the other party.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to greet the other person politely.

"My nephew Fang Shu greets Uncle Xiao Hu."

Now, the steward Xiao Hu looked at Fang Shu with even more astonishment. He took a few steps forward and circled Fang Shu to examine him, his surprise almost overflowing.

He asked in surprise:

"It's been less than a year, and you've already come to request the Lead Method Marrow Refinement Chapter from our school. Are you really not just making fun of us?"

Fang Shu didn't say anything, but just smiled and pointed to the name card in the other person's hand.

It means that the post made it very clear.

However, the look of surprise and doubt in the eyes of the steward Xiao Hu did not disappear; instead, his brows furrowed.

Manager Xiao Hu was now feeling quite annoyed. If he had known this would happen, he should have gone with the flow and accepted Fang Shu.

In that case, wouldn't that guy surnamed Fang and that Yu the Second be extremely grateful to him?

Furthermore, raising an obedient inner disciple is far more valuable than that woman surnamed Yin's body.

Unfortunately, it's too late to regret it now.

"No, I did give him a chance back then, I wanted him to be a handyman, but he didn't take it." Xiao Hu tried to justify himself in his mind, but he still couldn't suppress his frustration.

Fang Shu asked, "Manager Xiao?"

He quickly regained his composure, and, adopting a composed demeanor, paced back and forth in the room.

He coughed lightly:

"The Marrow Refinement Chapter's Cultivation Method is far superior to the Entry-Level Essence Refinement Chapter. It's already considered one of the core treasures of our sect. According to the rules, even if one could obtain it, one would still have to consult the Lone Pavilion Master, but the sect leader is an extremely busy man..."

"Alright, alright, who told me to know your second uncle?" He then changed the subject, speaking again:

"Since you are a descendant of an old friend, I will give you a chance. Choose someone from my sect and have a duel with them to show your true abilities."

If you are worthy of this lead -Lead Method, I will grant your request directly! Later, when the master asks, I will have an explanation to give him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lili was both stunned and speechless.

She immediately realized that her father was probably playing those so-called power games again, trying to manipulate others.

However, the woman simply pursed her lips, neither interrupting nor uttering a single word.

She pretended not to see the questioning look Fang Shu was giving her.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Hu, the manager, who was still standing in the middle of the room, suddenly looked past Fang Shu.

He looked in the direction Fang Shu, his eyelids twitching. "Oh, your nephew, you've arrived."

The man who had just entered the depths of the hall was Ling Baiquan been by the courtyard, and Yin Xiaojian.

Smack!

Manager Xiao Hu clapped his hands and said with a smile:

"That's perfect timing. Your nephew is not only the adopted son of the academy, but he has now broken through to become a Second Tribulation Immortal cultivator. His skills are extraordinary, making him a suitable Fang Shu to test your abilities, lest you be harmed."

Upon hearing this, the Ling Baiquan had just entered sensed something and vaguely understood what was happening.

The person did not verbally refuse, but their eyes flickered.

As for Yin Xiaojian, he stood aside like a lackey, just staring blankly at the scene.

This guy couldn't understand how Fang Shu could talk to the manager Xiao Hu, so easily, especially since the latter seemed to value him highly.

What confused and surprised Yin Xiaojian even more was that Fang Shu, upon hearing the suggestion, showed no intention of agreeing. Instead, after a moment of surprise, he suddenly let out a soft laugh.

Fang Shu ignored the manager Xiao Hu's intentions. He straightened up, pointed directly at the name card in the other man's hand, and asked with a smile:

"May I ask, Steward Xiao, are you now the owner of the Scorched-Tail Hall?"