When Qin Tiexin arrived at the foot of the Flowing Cloud Sect mountain, it was already the eighteenth day after leaving Green Cliff Town.
From a distance, the first thing you see is not mountains, but people.
Spreading out for several miles from the foot of the mountain, the darkness was full of human heads. Most of them were young and girls, most of them ten to twenty years old, wearing all kinds of clothes - some silk, some coarse cloth, some with patches. Everyone's face was full of hope, and their eyes glanced up the mountain from time to time. There were also some older ones, in their mid-twenties, sixties, and thirties, with more calm expressions, but the longing in their eyes could not be hidden.
The crowd was noisy, like a big gathering.
Qin Tiexin led the horse and walked along the edge of the crowd. Carrying the luggage on the horse's back, there were also the Demon Beast materials that he had saved in the past half month - lynx claws, porcupine thorns, and wolf teeth and wolf eyes, all tightly wrapped in cloth. These things could be sold for some money at Green Cliff Town, but here, he wanted to see if there was a better way out.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, my eyes suddenly opened up.
A huge white stone square is paved at the foot of the mountain, probably dozens of acres in size. The ground is polished smooth and glows warmly in the sun. This is "Immortal-Welcoming Flat".
Areas have been divided on the ground. There are several temporary wooden platforms standing near the mountain gate, guarded by the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples. There is a large area in the middle, which should be a venue for assessment. On the outside, there are dense crowds, gathered in small groups, talking in low voices.
The outermost area is more lively - I don't know when a small market was formed. It sells food, water, simple bedding, and even a few experienced fortune tellers setting up stalls. The sounds of shouting, bargaining, and children crying are mixed together.
Qin Tiexin tied the horse in the woods outside the market, unloaded his luggage, and first found a stall selling cakes.
The stall owner was a woman in her forties. Seeing Qin Tiexin's outfit, she greeted her warmly, "Brother, would you like a piece of cake? It's freshly baked. It's worth two cents each."
Qin Tiexin ordered five, and also a bowl of free hot water, and squatted by the stall to eat. The biscuits were white flour mixed with grains, not very delicious, but very hungry. He took a few bites of each, and ate the five biscuits in the blink of an eye.
The woman was stunned when she saw it. "My little brother has a good appetite."
Qin Tiexin wiped his mouth and said, "Auntie, I want to ask something. Are there any workers here?"
The woman looked at him. "Are you here for an assessment, or..."
"I want to find some work and earn a living while I wait for the mountain gate to open."
"Then you go and ask at the back." The woman pointed to the west side of the square, "There is a wooden shed there, which is the residence of the sect steward. There are not enough people to move things these days, and I heard that we are hiring temporary workers."
Qin Tiexin thanked him, picked up his luggage and walked west.
***
The wooden shed was crudely built, but large enough. Standing outside the shed were two young men in green clothes, both in their early twenties, with swords on their waists and Flowing Cloud patterns embroidered on their cuffs - they were outer disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
A tall and thin disciple was talking to a middle-aged man. "... Twenty cents a day, two meals, and living in the Datongpu in the back. Work until the day before the apprenticeship ceremony, and the balance will be paid then."
The middle-aged man nodded and bowed. "Yes, thank you, Master Immortal."
Qin Tiexin waited for the man to leave, then stepped forward and clasped his fists. "Senior brother, are you still recruiting people?"
The tall and thin disciple looked at him. "What are you doing?"
"Any physical work is fine, including moving and carrying goods."
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen."
"Nineteen?" The disciple frowned, "Come for the assessment?"
"Hmm."
Another square-faced disciple next to him smiled, "You're still here at nineteen? Our sect has difficulty accepting disciples after sixteen. Have you ever taken the Spirit Root test?"
"No."
"Then you..." The tall and thin disciple was about to speak when an old man in gray robe walked out of the shed.
The old man was in his fifties, with dark skin and thick knuckles, as if he had done heavy work. He looked at Qin Tiexin for a few times and suddenly said, "Have you ever carried something?"
"Carried it."
"How much?"
"A two-hundred-pound sack can walk a hundred steps."
Both disciples were stunned for a moment. The square-faced disciple said, "Steward Hu, is he bragging? Two hundred catties..."
Steward Hu ignored him and pointed to a pile of wooden boxes next to the shed. "There are the stone foundations of the soul-finding platform, each weighing one hundred kilograms. You move one, walk from here to that tree, and then back."
The tree is thirty steps away.
Qin Tiexin put down his luggage and walked to the wooden box. The box was made of hardwood nails and was square with no handles. He squatted down, crossed his arms, and strengthened his waist and legs.
"Start--"
The wooden box was lifted off the ground and he picked it up steadily. He stepped forward, his steps neither fast nor slow. He walked to the tree, turned around, walked back, and put the box down. His face was not red, and he was not out of breath.
Steward Hu had a smile in his eyes, "Okay, stay. Thirty cents a day, three meals, and live in Datongbu. Come to work tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, steward."
Qin Tiexin received a wooden sign with the word "Servant" engraved on it. The square-faced disciple led him back and passed through the wooden shed. Behind him were several rows of simple wooden houses.
"You will stay in this room." The square-faced disciple opened a door, "There are twelve bunks inside, find an empty one yourself. There will be hot water in the evening, and meals will be served at the east end of the shed, one at Chen time, noon time, and You time. Don't miss the time."
"Yes."
The house was indeed a large bunkhouse, with two rows of wooden beds and straw mats. There were already seven or eight people living there, all men, old and young. Seeing Qin Tiexin come in, some people looked up and then lowered their heads to continue packing.
Qin Tiexin found a bunk against the wall and put down his luggage.
***
Started working the next day.
The work is indeed all physical work - transporting supplies from the warehouse at the foot of the mountain to Immortal-Welcoming Flat. The components of the spiritual testing platform, tables and chairs, tents, pots and pans, and bags of rice and noodles.
Steward Hu is a real person. Seeing that Qin Tiexin is very strong and not lazy, he simply asked him to carry heavy objects. It was difficult for two people to lift the two hundred kilograms of stone foundation, but Qin Tiexin carried one by one and walked steadily.
At lunch, Qin Tiexin also received more food than others - three large bowls of brown rice and a bowl of stew, with a few pieces of meat in the dish. He squatted by the shed with the bowl to eat, and Steward Hu came over with the bowl and squatted down next to him.
"Young man, where are you from?"
"Green Cliff Town is here."
"You've walked a lot, right?" Steward Hu looked at the thick calluses on his hands, "Have you practiced martial arts?"
"Worked as a blacksmith."
"No wonder." Steward Hu took a bite of food, "With your strength, it would be a pity not to practice martial arts. Come to the Flowing Cloud Sect and want to learn to refine weapons?"
"Hmm."
Steward Hu was silent for a moment and lowered his voice. "Seeing that you are an honest person, let me tell you the truth. Flowing Cloud Sect is famous for refining weapons, but that is the matter of monk Qi Refining. If you want Spirit Root to be good, you will naturally have a future. If Spirit Root is not good... "He paused and said, "The sect also has Body Refining Cultivation Method, but it can only be repaired to 'Middle Stage of the Qi and Blood Realm', which is equivalent to the fourth or fifth floor of Qi Refining. Beyond that, the road is cut off. Moreover, Body Refining ers cannot control Law Artifact in a precise manner, and most of them do some guarding and transportation work in the sect."
Qin Tiexin chewed his rice slowly. "Is the manager Body Refining?"
"Me?" Steward Hu smiled bitterly, "I didn't even get started in Body Refining, I just have some brute strength. I have worked as a handyman in the sect for twenty years, making a living. You are better than me, but... well, it depends on your fate."
After eating, continue working.
In the afternoon, we were moving bundles of tent fabrics. Qin Tiexin was carrying two bundles and walking to the flat when he heard someone shouting next to him, "Brother, help me!"
When I turned around, I saw a young man, about fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing a blue shirt that had been washed white, struggling to drag a large wooden box. The box looked heavy, and the young man's face turned red.
Qin Tiexin put down the tent, walked over, and lifted the box with one hand. "Where to put it?"
The young man was stunned and hurriedly said, "Front, on the edge of the stage in front."
Qin Tiexin carried the box to the designated location and put it down. The young man followed, wiped his sweat and grinned. "Thank you big brother! My name is Lu Ming, the land of land, the bright Ming. What do you call me brother?"
"Qin Tiexin."
"Big Brother Qin is so strong!" Lu Ming's eyes were bright, "I couldn't move it after carrying it for a long time, but you just lifted it over with one hand."
Qin Tiexin glanced at him. The young man was not tall and thin, but had delicate eyebrows. When he smiled, he had two shallow dimples at the corners of his mouth, which made him feel comfortable.
"You came alone?"
"Well, I came from Cloud Maple City and have been away for two months." Lu Ming patted the dust on his body. "My family is a carpenter. My parents said that I have been smart since I was a child. I might have Spirit Root. Let me try. If I can't choose, I will go back and inherit the shop."
"Spirit Root tested?"
"The old Daoist priest from the Daoist temple in the town felt the bones and said there might be some." Lu Ming scratched his head, "Who knows, I'm here anyway, let's give it a try."
The two of them were talking and working at the same time. Lu Ming talked a lot and asked questions, but he was very measured and didn't ask too many questions that shouldn't be asked.
Work until evening, then finish your work and have a meal.
Lu Ming moved next to Qin Tiexin, and they squatted together. Dinner was still brown rice stew, Qin Tiexin ate four bowls, and Lu Ming was full after eating one and a half bowls.
"Big Brother Qin, you can really eat it." Lu Ming clicked his tongue.
"Work hard and eat more."
While eating, there was a sudden commotion on the ground.
The crowd automatically separated into lanes, and an old man in white robes walked over surrounded by several disciples in green clothes. The old man had white beard and hair, but his face was ruddy, his steps were light, and there was a faint spiritual light flowing around his body.
"It's Elder Li from the inner door!" someone exclaimed in a low voice.
Elder Li walked to a temporary high platform and scanned the people on the platform. His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly:
"In ten more days, it will be the day when Flowing Cloud Sect opens the mountain gate. Anyone who wants to enter our sect must pass three tests. The first test is Spirit Root, the second is the mental or physical test, and the third is the character. Those who pass can enter the outer sect to practice. Those who fail can leave on their own without entanglement."
He paused and then said, "Private fights are strictly prohibited in this important place of the sect. Anyone who violates this rule will be expelled from the sect and will never be hired again. You should do your own thing."
After saying that, he turned around and left. His disciples followed behind him, and the crowd slowly closed in again.
Lu Ming whispered, "Big Brother Qin, are you nervous?"
"Not nervous."
"I'm a little nervous." Lu Ming rubbed his hands, "If you can't choose, it will be embarrassing to go back."
"If you can't get the choice, go back to work as a carpenter. There's no shame in it."
Lu Ming smiled, "That's right. But my father said that as a person, you have to look high. Now that you are here, you have to work hard."
That night, Qin Tiexin lay on the bunk bed, listening to the snoring of the men around him, and opened his eyes and looked at the roof.
Steward Hu's words echoed in my mind.
Body Refining...Middle Stage of the Qi and Blood Realm... The circuit is broken.
He clenched his fists. The muscles in his arms were tense, and strength was flowing through his veins. This strength was gained from blacksmithing since childhood and later in the military. If he could only reach Middle Stage of Qi Refining, would it be enough?
Not enough.
He still has to go to Heavenly South Domain, he still has to find Repair Edgeless, and he still has to find Lin Household.
There has to be a longer way.
He closed his eyes and his consciousness sank into the sea of consciousness. In the Illusory Realm Hall, the structure of Sharpness Spiritual Rune was repeatedly outlined in his consciousness. Every turn and every node was engraved in his heart.
Although I can't write it down yet, I'll remember it first. I'll be able to use it one day.
It's late at night.
The market outside Ping became quiet, only the footsteps of patrolling disciples occasionally sounded.
In the direction of the mountain gate, on the peak shrouded in clouds and mist, there was a faint flash of light, as if someone was flying with a sword.
Qin Tiexin turned over and fell into a deep sleep.