Here for the disciple recruitment assembly?

"Have you heard? An Outer Sect disciple tested positive for a wind spiritual root this year. He'll be attending the Apprenticeship Ceremony in October."

"...Would you rather believe our sect has a disciple with a wind spiritual root, or believe I'm the First Emperor of Qin?"

Classes had just ended at the Cloud Radiance Sect. Two elders, exhausted after instructing their disciples, headed toward the newly opened restaurant, determined to soothe the hearts their brilliantly idiotic disciples had shattered with a hearty meal.

Sect Master Lu, who had traveled to the Southwestern Territory some time ago, had suddenly sent word back that an Outer Sect disciple with a wind spiritual root would be seeking a master this year.

Once the news spread, the elders in charge of the various peaks began entertaining all sorts of ideas.

Some sighed in despair. "We finally get a disciple with a single spiritual root, and it just has to be a rare wind spiritual root! Damn it, I have a metal-earth dual spiritual root. Wind techniques have nothing whatsoever to do with me! How am I supposed to take him as a disciple?"

Some cried out that the sect's ancestors had answered their prayers. "Founding ancestor! Do you see this? After Sect Master Lu, our Cloud Radiance Sect finally has another disciple with a single spiritual root! The day we grow powerful and prosperous is just around the corner!"

Some rubbed their hands eagerly. "This disciple will definitely choose me. Oh dear, if he insists on becoming my disciple, should I play hard to get? What should I give him? Perhaps I'll casually bring out a few saint-rank cultivation arts and magic artifacts for him to choose from?"

Others, having suffered deeply at Sect Master Lu's hands, remained skeptical. "For real? If there really were a disciple like that, Sect Master Lu would have snatched him up already. Would we ever get a turn? That... that fine fellow wouldn't be playing a prank on us out of boredom, would he?"

Several elders met in a private room at the Cloud Radiance Restaurant.

They nodded and greeted one another with cheerful smiles.

"Long time no see, Elder Xuanji. Didn't you suffer a severe loss of cultivation while divining heavenly secrets last time and go into seclusion? Why are you out again?"

"Hahaha, thank you for your concern, Elder Songzhu. I heard the food here was good, so I came to try it."

"Surely you didn't hear about that disciple with a wind spiritual root looking for a master and decide to..."

"Of course not! I have absolutely no interest in disciples with wind spiritual roots! I certainly didn't leave seclusion because I wanted a disciple! Since you brought him up yourself, Elder Songzhu, could it be that you—"

"I didn't, I haven't, don't make things up! I don't want that disciple at all either!"

"I heard he wants a master proficient in wind techniques."

"I certainly won't switch to a wind-type cultivation art."

"Neither will I. I don't even know any wind-type cultivation arts."

The elders each ordered a Hot Pot broth, smiling warmly while inwardly cursing nonstop.

Fuck! I'd be a complete dumbass if I believed any of your bullshit!

You old bastards all want to steal that wind spiritual root disciple from me!

Scheming, conniving scoundrels! How dare you!

I'll switch to a wind-type cultivation art today and outwork every last one of you!

Meanwhile, the sky above Cicada Song Pavilion was clear and bright. Its exotic flowers and rare plants were at their most luxuriant of the year.

It was Shen Leyan's first visit.

Although Cicada Song Pavilion stood on the Cloud Radiance Sect's highest peak, the grounds within were not steep. The spacious courtyard looked more like an herb farm crossed with a zoo. Some unusual flowers stood half a person tall, giving off rich, strange fragrances. A few cranes strolled leisurely beside a stream, occasionally flapping their wings.

Shen Leyan followed Lu Yuanyi through a long corridor. As he rounded a corner, he failed to notice his dangling hand brushing against a flower the size of a bronze mirror.

Before he could pull his hand away, the swaying, seemingly delicate flower suddenly opened its bud, revealing dense rows of pearly white teeth. With a chomp, it swallowed his hand.

◝₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎◞

Before he could react, the flower spat his hand back out with a splutter.

It spoke in a human voice. "Disgusting. So disgusting. Blegh, blegh, blegh—"

Shen Leyan stared at the faint rows of tooth marks on the back of his hand.

"?"

"This is a man-eating flower that has cultivated for nearly five hundred years and developed sentience."

"...A man-eating flower? Then what does it usually feed on..."

"Although it's a man-eating flower, it prefers vegetables."

Shen Leyan watched as the man-eating flower turned away disdainfully, bit into a nearby willow branch, and began chewing with loud crunches, bobbing its head.

I honestly don't know whether this is more horrifying than watching a man-eating flower eat someone.

The boy cautiously tucked his hand into his sleeve and gave a couple of dry laughs. "The plants Sect Master Lu grows really are just like Sect Master Lu..."

Freaks.

"Refreshing and extraordinary."

Half a step ahead of him, Lu Yuanyi stopped to wait. The upturned corners of his phoenix eyes held an almost teasing look.

"I have no interest in plants. All these exotic flowers, rare herbs, birds, and beasts were raised by your Senior Brother Zheng."

Zheng Ziheng had water-wood dual spiritual roots and primarily cultivated water techniques. His Spiritual Power should greatly benefit these plants' growth. Cultivating in an herb garden year-round should also help his cultivation, making it a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"Has Senior Brother Zheng not returned to the sect yet?"

"No. He took the jadeblood snakegrass to the capital and hasn't returned. Perhaps there are still family matters he needs to settle."

Shen Leyan nodded.

He remembered the original novel mentioning that Zheng Ziheng had been the heir to the Marquis of Yongping's Estate in Great Xia. He should have followed the usual path for sons of noble families: entering the palace as a prince's study companion or studying at the Imperial College, then serving in the Imperial Guard at the appropriate age to burnish his credentials before taking a military post.

But Zheng Ziheng had loved reading since childhood. Unlike most sons of military families, he disliked fighting and killing, and his disposition was gentle and humble. He had also tested positive for water-wood dual spiritual roots at a very young age, so his family sent him to study at the Cloud Radiance Sect when he was ten.

Twelve years had passed in a flash, and his trips home could be counted on one hand.

Now that he had finally obtained a spiritual herb to treat his mentally impaired younger brother, it was only natural that he would spend a little longer in the capital.

However... Shen Leyan seemed to remember that Senior Brother Zheng's eventual disgrace in the original novel had been closely tied to the Marquis of Yongping's Estate.

But that happened much later in the story, another year or two from now. He could not travel to the capital at present anyway, so he would wait until Senior Brother Zheng returned.

Shen Leyan put those thoughts aside. After walking for another quarter of an hour or so, they stopped in front of a bamboo building.

A plaque on the building bore the words "Hundred Herbs Pavilion" in flowing calligraphy.

They were still a dozen steps from the main entrance, but he could already smell the faint bitterness of medicinal herbs.

"The fire-yang divine wood that can repair Chen Jing's meridians is inside. Chen Jing will need to stay here for some time. If you need to see him, you may come to Cicada Song Pavilion yourself."

As Lu Yuanyi finished speaking, an antique bronze token landed in Shen Leyan's hand.

Shen Leyan lifted the token and examined it closely.

It seemed to be made of ordinary bronze and iron. A few spare strokes depicted an ancient tree and a singing cicada, creating a surprisingly evocative scene.

When he infused it with Spiritual Power, the bronze token gave off a slight chill. It had a mysterious ability to steady the spirit and calm the mind.

"This is..."

"A token granting entry to Cicada Song Pavilion. With it, the pavilion's formations won't stop you. The exotic plants in the courtyard, whether they bite or not, will also show you some courtesy out of respect for this token."

A cord was attached to the bronze token, allowing it to hang at his waist like a jade pendant.

Shen Leyan carefully secured it, then cupped his hands and bowed to Lu Yuanyi.

"Thank you, Sect Master Lu," he said solemnly.

He was thanking him both for saving Senior Brother Chen Jing and for the token.

A token that could soothe the mind and spirit would surely aid cultivation. It was certainly more than an ordinary entry pass.

Without even realizing it... I seem to owe Sect Master Lu, Senior Brother Zheng, and the Cloud Radiance Sect more and more.

Other than staying in the sect, cultivating, and working hard to make the Cloud Radiance Sect powerful and prosperous, there doesn't seem to be any other way to repay all these favors...

Lu Yuanyi retrieved a piece of dead wood from Hundred Herbs Pavilion. Unlike ordinary dead wood, red patterns wound around its surface.

Curious, Shen Leyan poked it with a fingertip, and a spark instantly leaped from the wood.

(⊙o⊙)

Doesn't that burn? Sect Master Lu really has hands of iron...

Lu Yuanyi explained calmly, "Have you forgotten? My Spiritual Power is ice-aligned. It can't burn me."

As he spoke, the piece of fire-yang divine wood froze into a lump of ice.

An ice spiritual root is so useful. You could make ice-boiled lamb anytime, anywhere. If you bought food that was too hot to eat, you could cool it with Spiritual Power. And there are no refrigerators in this era, so storing ice in summer is difficult. With an ice spiritual root, you could have chilled drinks and fruit whenever you wanted...

"Hungry?"

Shen Leyan snapped out of his daydream and instinctively shook his head.

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded instead.

Worried that spending too long in the ice coffin might harm Senior Brother Chen Jing, he had restrained himself throughout the journey and rushed back to the Cloud Radiance Sect with almost no stops.

Now dusk had fallen. He had not eaten lunch, let alone dinner, and was already ravenous.

"I need to stay here to repair Chen Jing's meridians. I'll have the Jiangxue Sword take you to the Cloud Radiance Restaurant... Get some rest early tonight."

"Thank you, Sect Master Lu!"

He had become quite familiar with the Jiangxue Sword over the past few days. He nimbly stepped onto it, and it dutifully carried him down the mountain.

Looking down from the Jiangxue Sword along the way, he saw rows of brightly lit buildings and bustling streets filled with voices.

Disciples walked in groups of three or five, chatting and laughing.

Some complained that the new instructor in class today had been too strict and had punished them by making them copy texts again.

Some talked about meeting a beautiful senior sister that day, falling in love at first sight, and wondering how to confess their feelings.

Others discussed newly learned techniques, then headed to the Martial Arts Training Ground to spar as their conversation continued...

Shen Leyan's lips curved unconsciously. The warm bustle of everyday life gave his dark eyes a bright, glossy sheen.

When he had lived in the Cloud Radiance Sect all this time, he had never thought it was particularly wonderful. Only after traveling far away had he begun to miss it like home.

There seemed to be another disciple behind the Jiangxue Sword, also heading toward the restaurant.

Still filled with warmth, Shen Leyan turned enthusiastically to greet them.

"You're going to the restaurant for dinner too—"

He and the little girl with the horn-shaped pigtails following the Jiangxue Sword stared at each other for a moment.

"Qingli?!" "Shen Leyan?!"

Shen Leyan signaled for the Jiangxue Sword to slow down and waited for Qingli to catch up. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm flying from Spirit Perch Pavilion to the restaurant. Of course I'd take this route! What about you? You were gone from the Cloud Radiance Sect for so long. If you hadn't contacted me with the image transmission technique to ask about Chen Jing, I would've thought you'd died out there and weren't coming back!"

Shen Leyan fell silent.

"...Without Senior Brother Chen Jing, I really might not have made it back."

Qingli looked surprised. "What happened? Didn't you leave with that big bully Lu Yuanyi?"

After a moment of silence, Qingli ventured a question.

"Did you run into someone even Lu Yuanyi couldn't beat? Who was it? Could you introduce me..."

"...No, that wasn't it."

He briefly recounted what had happened on the journey to the Southwestern Territory, including the fact that Lu Yuanyi had no sense of direction.

"Senior Brother Chen Jing is still asleep in the ice coffin. Sect Master Lu is repairing his meridians, and he probably won't wake up for a few more days. I just left Cicada Song Pavilion myself and wanted to check on the restaurant and get something to eat."

Qingli sounded half relieved and half disappointed. "Thank goodness you're all fine... What a shame. I thought that big bully Lu Yuanyi had gotten thoroughly beaten up out there."

They landed outside the restaurant's back entrance.

The back entrance faced a small hill, and hardly anyone ever came this way.

Business at the restaurant was simply too good. During the days Qingli had managed it, she had even taught the cooks to make the snow mochi, taro milk tea, and other treats he had made before. Now customers who came for Hot Pot liked to take a dessert home when they left.

The front entrance was packed with disciples lining up for queue numbers. They were better off avoiding the crowd.

"There definitely aren't any empty tables inside. Even if you're the owner, you can't jump the queue, right? But you can fend for yourself in the kitchen and let me have a few bites too."

Shen Leyan laughed. "All right. I'll fend for myself."

He set up a pot in the kitchen, sliced a few plates of meat rolls, and waited for the water to boil.

A curtain separated the kitchen from the dining hall. While waiting for the ingredients to cook, he glanced into the hall through a gap in the curtain.

The Cloud Radiance Sect's disciples had standard uniforms. Outer Sect disciples wore fitted navy outfits, while Inner Sect disciples wore russet robes patterned with subtle, dark clouds.

Disciples were required to wear their uniforms to class to prevent a culture of vanity and competition over clothing from developing within the sect.

Only the elders' personal disciples, who rarely attended general classes, were exempt from wearing these uniforms.

Yet today, several tables in the dining hall were occupied by people in all kinds of clothing, and every face was unfamiliar.

"...Has the Cloud Radiance Sect had a lot of visitors lately?"

Qingli crossed her legs and expertly fished out meat rolls to eat.

"Yes. The disciple recruitment assembly that's held once every five years is coming up, isn't it? People from all nine territories of Great Xia who want to cultivate at the Cloud Radiance Sect are coming... Those who arrive early can stay in the Outer Sect. Of course, until they officially become Cloud Radiance Sect disciples, they have to pay for their own food and lodging."

"So all those people out there came for the disciple recruitment assembly?"

"Yep! I heard even Great Xia's crown prince is coming this time, along with several sons and daughters of major families... This year's disciple recruitment assembly is definitely going to be lively!"