Chapter Eleven: Becoming an Apprentice

  Li Muran only felt that the eyes of the Zixia Dao person were like a sharp sword, almost piercing through himself inside and out. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he involuntarily lowered his head, not daring to look at the other party.

  "What's your name?" Zixia Daoren pointed to Li Muran and said, "The law force in your body is not deep, but you have made progress in the Confluence Hole Meridian, your Gong Sun hole has been opened halfway, and your Chong Qi cultivation is good."

  Li Muran was shocked in his heart, the other party just swept a glance, and actually analyzed his own cultivation situation clearly, indeed it was a "high person" that he couldn't imagine yet.

  "Disciple Zhao Wuming, sincerely requests Master to accept him as a disciple." Li Muran's words were extremely sincere.

  As he spoke, he took out three talismans from his bosom, each of which was a one-star yuanqi symbol. He also said: "Although the disciple's talent is ordinary, but can make up for diligence with clumsiness, and has already been able to create a one-star yuanqi symbol."

  "Hmm, not bad!" Zi Xia Dao Ren smiled and nodded, "Those few seniors who didn't accept you as a disciple probably missed out. Indeed, there are also some rare exceptions, although the start was not smooth, but later on in cultivation, they won't fall behind."

  However, Zixia Dao Ren did not give a direct answer to the question of accepting disciples. Instead, he turned to Mu Li, who was standing beside Li Muran, and asked: "What about you? What are your strengths?"

  "Disciple Mu Li," ... Mu Li suddenly became very nervous, his face flushed red as he said: "The disciple heard that Shifu likes drinks, so personally brewed a pot of hundred-fruit wine, please Shifu taste it."

  As he spoke, he took out a gourd from his bosom, and a faint wine aroma wafted out.

  Zi Xia Dao Ren was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing loudly, which made Mu Li even more nervous and uneasy.

  "Good, good, good!" Zi Xia Dao Ren said three "good"s in a row. He put away the wine gourd but didn't immediately take a swig.

  "What about you few? Say something and see what skills you have?" Zixia Daoren seemed to be in a great mood, smiling as he asked the other disciples.

  These disciples hurriedly introduced themselves, some saying they were not afraid of hardship, others claiming to be naturally strong, and still others boasting that they had quick feet and could handle any errands for the Taoist temple.

  Li Muran's eyebrows slightly furrowed, becoming a disciple was for the purpose of seeking immortality and asking about the Dao, naturally it should be mainly based on one's ability in cultivation; however these few disciples who were listening in all knew that they themselves lacked innate talent in cultivation, so they could only find an opportunity in "heterodox ways". Mu Li was like this, the other few people were also like this.

  Li Muran didn't worry about Mu Li, after all the latter had a few Yuanqi symbols in his hand, and at critical moments he could take them out to move Zixia Daoist; as for the other disciples, it would be difficult to keep them.

  After listening to the words of the various disciples, Zixia Daoren burst out laughing and said: "You few little things are indeed each talented in your own way! Alright, Heaven does not cut off the path of men, I can take all of you as my disciples and let you stay in the sect to cultivate. However, you must agree to one condition from me!"

  "Thank you, Master!" The disciples were overjoyed upon hearing this.

  Li Muran was quite surprised in his heart. How could he have thought that all of this would go so smoothly, and even Mu Li had not yet shown those yuanqi symbols.

  "What conditions?" Li Muran asked tentatively.

  Zi Xia Dao Ren said, "Three years later, the sect will have a task to be carried out. This task has some risks, but it also has many benefits for you all. To become a disciple of this sect, one must participate in this task and cannot make excuses to shirk responsibility. Otherwise, the master will definitely severely punish you. Are you willing to accept?"

  "Disciples willing!" Mu Li and several others immediately responded with a mouthful of agreement, for them, such an opportunity was simply a once-in-a-lifetime chance!

  "A mission with risks?" Li Muran had some doubts in his heart and did not answer for a while.

  "If you're unwilling, I won't force you, but then you'll have to leave!" Zi Xia said calmly.

  Having no other choice, Li Muran, although still having doubts in his heart, could only agree for the time being: "Disciple is willing, pay respects to Master!"

  The disciples lined up neatly and paid homage to Zixia Daoist, who smiled and accepted their respects, personally helping each of them up.

  After the master and disciples had a warm reunion, Zixia Dao Ren said: "For these three years, you all should cultivate diligently and work hard. As your master likes to wander around, it's probably not easy for you to see me on ordinary days. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask your senior fellow apprentice Qingfengzi for guidance. Your master's magical power has not fully recovered yet, so you all should take your leave first."

  "Yes, thank you Master!" The disciples replied in unison.

  Zi Xia Daoist was about to leave, when he suddenly thought of something. He shook the gourd in his hand and said, "Li Er, the hundred-fruit wine is too sweet and too weak. Next time, brew some strong liquor for me! Haha!"

  "Yes, Master!" Mu Li excitedly responded.

  After Zixia Daoren left, all the disciples were overjoyed and cheered together.

  "Zhang Shixiong, what's wrong? We've finally become official disciples, but you seem a bit unhappy?" Mu Li asked with some concern as he saw Li Muran remaining silent.

  "There's nothing," Li Muran smiled faintly: "I just think that this is a bit too smooth, somewhat unexpected."

  "Haha, this is what they mean by 'when you reach the mountain, there will always be a road', after all, there's always a glimmer of hope! From now on, we're fellow disciples!" Mu Li was overjoyed, and as for that sect mission a few years later, he didn't even put it in his heart.

  Another disciple chimed in, "Yes, we became auditing disciples, who would have thought it was a blessing! Our master always spoke to us with a smile on his face, I think he's much more approachable than the other masters!"

  "I hope so!" Li Muran nodded slightly and said no more.

  ……

  Zhī shì fáng, Mù lí hé Lǐ mù rán zhèng zài cǐ chù dēng jì, bàn lǐ chéng wéi yī míng zhèng shì de dí zǐ de xiāng guān shǒu xù.

  "What's your name?" The one in charge of registration was a young senior fellow with mid-stage Qi refinement.

  "Zhao Wuming."

  "When did you start?"

  "Four years ago, I entered this school as an outer door disciple."

  "What was your background before entering?"

  "Uh...this..." Li Muran suddenly stuttered a bit.

  "What's wrong?" the young monk asked curiously. "Even if there is something difficult to say, it can't be hidden. Moreover, our sect is a world-renowned Taoist school, and worldly grudges will not be pursued."

  "It's like this," Mu Li hastily explained for Li Mochen: "Three years ago, Zhao Shixiong encountered a great calamity. Although he preserved his life, his memories were all lost, so he can't recall things that happened in the past. It's not intentional concealment. I remember Zhao Shixiong saying before that he was born in a nearby mountain village and his family made a living by collecting medicinal herbs."

  "Oh, it's you!" The young master was taken aback. He looked at Li Muran with great interest and said, "I heard that three years ago, an outer door disciple was struck by thunder and fell unconscious for two days before suddenly waking up, but lost his memory and had a drastic change in personality. So it was you!"

  "It's indeed Shidi." Li Muran nodded.

  The young man asked, "I heard that heavenly thunder never strikes innocent people without reason. Either they have accumulated too much evil energy and are punished by heaven, or there is another mysterious reason. Why were you struck by lightning? What did you do?"

  Li Muran smiled wryly: "Elder brother is joking, I'm just unlucky."

  "No, no, great difficulties do not kill, there must be good fortune afterwards! How can you say it's bad luck?" The young man laughed and briefly recorded these words, then handed over a token of the Li Muren sect to him.

  "What about you?" he asked Mu Li again.

  "In the Xiaomu family, he was an orphan who had been adopted by a disciple of this sect since childhood. Because the disciple was found under a big tree at that time, so he took the surname 'Mu', with only one character 'Li' as his name, and later..."

  Li Muran took the Disciple Token and his first task was to go to the inner gate's library.

  He had long heard that there were over 10,000 volumes in the library of the inner gate, but only formal disciples could enter and read.

  The Zangshuge is located on the Chaoyuan Peak, which is not far from the Zixiao Temple. After Li Muran moved into the Zixiao Temple from the Xinxiu Peak, he went to the Chaoyuan Peak.

  It's quite quiet here, in the depths of the green mountains, with only a narrow stone mountain road, covered with lush moss and broken everywhere, apparently it has been neglected for years, probably not many disciples will set foot here on ordinary days.

  At the end of the winding mountain road, there is a solitary three-story pavilion, which is also somewhat ancient. The pavilion is not very large, hidden among the tall and dense trees, making it even more serene and secluded.

  The door of the book pavilion was half closed, and Li Muran pushed it open and entered. A familiar scent of books wafted out to greet him.

  Li Muran suddenly felt refreshed and clear-headed. The interior of the book pavilion, however, was spotless and free from any musty smell, indicating that someone had been taking good care of it regularly.

  A young man in his early thirties, dressed as a scholar, sat at the entrance. Behind him, row upon row of bookshelves were filled with volumes of classics.

  The young scholar was holding a yellowed ancient book and reading it with great interest, seemingly unaware of Li Muran's arrival.

  Li Muran smiled slightly and saw this senior fellow disciple. He seemed to have seen his former self, who was equally absorbed in reading books.

  Li Muran couldn't bear to disturb the young man's elegant mood, so he slowly walked around him and headed towards those rows of bookshelves.

  "Halt!" The young man suddenly put down the ancient book in his hand and said lightly, "This junior brother of mine, you haven't paid your spirit stone yet!"

  "Spirit stones? I'm a formal disciple, and I still have to pay spirit stones to read books?" Li Muran frowned.

  The young man pointed to the wall at the entrance, on which were written a few lines of large characters, explaining the rules of the book pavilion.

  Li Muran followed his gaze and indeed saw the rule: "All formal disciples entering the Cangshu Pavilion on any day must pay one piece of spiritual stone!"

  Li Muran was immediately in a difficult situation, and he tentatively asked: "Senior brother, can you be flexible with this? Junior brother has just entered the sect and doesn't have any spirit stones on hand. Can we first record the debt and pay it back later?"

  "This won't do!" The young scholar hastily shook his head and said, "This is the sect's rules, I'm just a disciple in charge of this place, I have no authority to make decisions."

  Li Muran loved books as his life, seeing countless classics in front of him, yet he couldn't flip through them, and it was quite unbearable for him.

  He thought for a moment and asked: "Junior brother, there are some yuanqi symbols here, I wonder if..."

  The young scholar immediately asked with surprise and delight: "Do you have a Yuanqi symbol?"