Cloud Cottage Mountain, West Wind Pavilion.
This was one of the places where the Azure Profound Sect handled matters concerning outer sect disciples.
"Fairy Linglong, this young brother's registration has been completed. Please take this bronze mirror and this Cultivation Transmission Jade Slip."
Inside the West Wind Pavilion, an elderly man with graying hair handed Linglong a wooden box containing a bronze mirror, along with a jade slip made of white jade.
"Taiping, keep this bronze mirror safe. It serves as proof of your identity as an outer sect registered disciple, and it is also a magical artifact you can use to listen to the sect elders expound the scriptures."
Linglong first handed the bronze mirror and jade slip to Taiping.
"That's right. Outer sect disciples cannot receive personal guidance from their teachers as inner sect disciples do. They can only use this bronze mirror to watch the sect elders expound the scriptures on the first and fifteenth of each month."
The old man from the West Wind Pavilion added this with a smile.
"What about this jade slip?"
Xu Taiping nodded, then picked up the jade slip and asked.
"This is a Cultivation Transmission Jade Slip. It contains a Qi Refining cultivation method. To use it, you need only calm your mind, focus your thoughts, and press it against the space between your brows."
It was still the old man speaking.
"That's right. The jade slip also contains detailed instructions on using the bronze mirror, along with the rules you must observe after joining the sect. You can use it once you've settled in."
Linglong added this.
"All right."
Xu Taiping nodded.
"Pavilion Master Liu, do you have any medicine gardens under your supervision that still need someone to tend them?"
Linglong turned her gaze toward the master of the West Wind Pavilion.
"Well..."
Pavilion Master Liu's expression stiffened.
In the outer sect, the easiest place to earn merit was undoubtedly a spirit medicine garden. Not only was the work easy, but it also earned plenty of merit.
"Pavilion Master Liu, this child is a distant relative of mine. If you can help with this, I, Zhao Linglong of the Seventh Peak, will owe you a favor."
Zhao Linglong spoke in earnest.
At those words, Pavilion Master Liu's eyes suddenly lit up.
He knew Zhao Linglong's standing. As a personal disciple of the Seventh Peak's master, she was certain to have boundless prospects. A favor from her was worth a great deal.
"Since you have asked, Fairy Linglong, naturally I must help."
Pavilion Master Liu considered briefly, then nodded.
Hearing this, Zhao Linglong immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Beside her, Xu Taiping cast Zhao Linglong a grateful look, silently engraving this kindness in his heart.
"To be frank with you, Fairy, there is indeed an untended medicine garden among the mountains west of Cloud Cottage Mountain, within our West Wind Pavilion's jurisdiction."
As Pavilion Master Liu spoke, he pointed to a map on the wall, then stroked his beard. "It is in Cloud Perch Valley, three thousand li from the West Wind Pavilion, and is called Green Bamboo Abode. Besides a three-mu spirit medicine garden, it has a ready-built courtyard residence where you can live and cultivate."
Half an hour later.
At the entrance to the West Wind Pavilion.
"Pavilion Master, didn't a cultivator report that an evil presence had been sighted at Green Bamboo Abode? If you send that little fellow there and something happens, won't it be difficult to answer to Fairy Linglong?"
Watching Fairy Linglong and Xu Taiping depart on an immortal crane, a steward of the West Wind Pavilion looked worriedly at the old pavilion master beside him.
"It was nothing but chasing the wind and clutching at shadows. Several disciples from the Fourth Peak went to investigate a few days ago and found nothing unusual."
Pavilion Master Liu shook his head dismissively.
"Besides, even if something does happen, he is merely a child from outside the mountains. If he dies, he dies. Of the outer sect registered disciples who join each year, we're lucky if half survive in the mountains. If I must answer for every death, how am I supposed to remain pavilion master?"
He then rolled his eyes at the steward.
"You're right, Pavilion Master. I was worrying too much."
The steward withdrew sheepishly.
Another half hour later.
Green Bamboo Abode.
"Fairy Linglong, we have arrived at Green Bamboo Abode."
Speaking in a human voice, the immortal crane gave its wings a gentle shake, setting Linglong and Xu Taiping safely on the ground.
Once Xu Taiping had steadied himself, he looked up ahead.
Amid a lush green bamboo grove, a small courtyard enclosed by earthen walls sat quietly. Fallen bamboo leaves covered the ground, nearly burying the threshold.
"Little Taiping, from now on, you'll have to rely on yourself."
Linglong glanced at the sky, then spoke to Xu Taiping with some reluctance to part.
The time she had agreed upon with Elder Black Dragon had arrived.
"Thank you, Sister Linglong. I'll work hard at cultivation and strive to reach the Seventh Peak as soon as possible."
A resolve beyond his years appeared on Xu Taiping's young face.
"I believe in you."
Smiling, Linglong reached out and stroked Xu Taiping's little face. Then she took a bone flute and a money pouch from her sleeve, held them out to him, and said:
"This bone flute can summon nearby spirit birds. The pouch contains the thirty Merit Coins that the West Wind Pavilion gives every new disciple. If you urgently need something, you can spend one Merit Coin to have a nearby spirit bird take you to buy it. But unless you have no other choice, don't spend these thirty Merit Coins carelessly. Barring anything unexpected, the medicine garden behind your house will have fallen into neglect, and you'll need this money to buy seeds and food."
"I won't spend it carelessly, Sister Linglong."
Xu Taiping nodded and accepted the bone flute and money pouch.
"Little Taiping, may fate bring us together again. Take care."
Having mounted the immortal crane again, Linglong smiled and waved to Xu Taiping.
"Goodbye, Sister Linglong."
Xu Taiping waved to Linglong as well.
Whoosh!
No sooner had he spoken than the immortal crane shook its wings, stirring up a fierce gust as it soared into the heavens.
"Little Taiping, I hope we can meet again."
From atop the immortal crane, Linglong watched the figure below grow smaller and smaller, letting out a wistful sigh.
Having grown up in the Azure Profound Sect, she knew all too well that among outer sect disciples who possessed only a white spirit bone, fewer than one in a thousand ultimately entered the Seven Peaks. Most failed to pass the Seven Peaks Selection within the three-year limit.
"Creeeak..."
Once Linglong had left, Xu Taiping pushed open the courtyard gate and strode inside, only stopping when he reached the medicine garden in the back courtyard.
"Just as Sister Linglong said, this medicine garden really has fallen into neglect."
Looking at the barren medicine garden overgrown with weeds, Xu Taiping murmured to himself.
But confirming this was not why he had hurried to the medicine garden.
Xu Taiping carefully took a wooden box from inside his robe, then removed a small porcelain bottle from it and tipped the Soybean Seed out of the bottle.
Indeed, this was the very Soybean Seed his grandfather had left him.
"Grandpa said that once I reached the immortal mountains and planted this seed, I would gain another great stroke of fortune."
Speaking softly, he crouched down, dug a hole in the medicine garden's soil with his hands, and planted the Soybean Seed.
"Since that pill was real, that means this seed is real too."
As Xu Taiping spoke, he scraped together some more soil with his little hands and carefully covered the Soybean Seed.
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