Chapter 3: Trials and Tribulations

  Lin Fan felt the Sect Master's attitude and asked: "Sect Master, it seems like you don't think much of the Imperial Sword?"

  "No, I just don't want to see you riding a sword." The sect master explained: "Riding a sword has nothing to do with cultivation. As long as one refines a precious sword and understands the art of riding a sword, they can ride it and fly. The spiritual energy of the sword will slowly wear out, eventually becoming worthless iron, and then they'll go get another piece of cold iron to refine into a sword. This cause-and-effect relationship will be repaid during the Yuan Ying period when cultivating sword control. It's possible that one's cultivation will stagnate and be unable to break through again. Therefore, I only have one rule for you: don't ride a sword before controlling it." Although many people can't reach the Yuan Ying stage.

  "Huh?" Lin Feng didn't understand.

  The sect leader said impatiently, "You can think about it this way: if you sleep with a different woman every day, when the time comes to marry, won't you be thinking of other women? The key to mastering the sword lies in sincerity. Only when one's heart is sincere can they become one with the sword. That's why all sects have certain restrictions. To obtain the Cold Iron, one must get the personal approval of the sect leader."

  Zhang Lao said: "Xiao San, after building the foundation, it's time for tempering. Who will Lin Fan be with?"

  "Let things take their course." The sect master said, "Lin Fan is experienced and trained, I want to retreat for a period of time. Zhang Lao, you play by yourself... There aren't many opportunities like this, if Lin Fan has nothing to do, accompany Zhang Lao more often."

  "Got it." Lin Feng nodded slightly.

  ……

  The hundred-day foundation-building period came to a successful end, and on that day, Lin Fan also went to the main hall of the sect to report. Every time a disciple completed their foundation-building, they would come to the main hall to report, and then be recorded in the register by a special person, after which they would form a team with three or four peers of similar age. In the future, when needed, the sect leader would assess each team's situation and dispatch disciples accordingly. It was possible that one might never be dispatched throughout their lifetime, and perhaps three or four people would spend their entire lives without knowing who their teammates were.

  Three hundred years ago, the evil sect invaded the twelve continents, and the living beings were devastated. The demonic cult and the righteous way joined forces to defeat the evil sect and drove them back to the desolate land. In this great war, the demonic cult's combat power was astonishing with a small group of four or five people as a unit. After the war, this method was imitated by various schools.

  "Senior brother, it's your turn to practice." Lin Fan said to a junior disciple in the side hall. The disciples took turns with different tasks, such as guarding the mountain gate or organizing documents and books.

  The disciple of Wén ān raised his head and glanced at Lín Fán: "Sect?"

  "Orthodox Sect."

  "What's your name?"

  "Forest of troubles."

  "How old?"

  "Sixteen."

  "Entry time."

  "Seven years ago."

  "Good at?"

  "Tianjiu brand."

  "...". The text written by the disciple of Wén àn was ruined, and with a stroke of his brush, he scribbled all over the paper. The disciple of Wén àn looked at Lín Fán: "Qí Mén Dùn Jiǎ? Jiàn, Dào Fǎ, Liàn Qì, Liàn Dān..."

  Lin Fan thought for a moment: "Draw a talisman."

  "Skilled in talismans." The disciple asked: "Can you wield a sword?"

  "I won't."

  "Alright, junior brother, return to the sect first. If there's any news about your training, someone will inform you. If you want to leave the mountain gate, come to me to register."

  "Thank you, senior brother." Lin Fan bowed and left, the grand hall was quiet and empty. Lin Fan didn't have any interest in staying longer either, so he returned to Zhengyi Sect. The sect leader had already started his closed-door meditation, only Zhang Lao was present. A young person and an old person occasionally playing chess together can be interesting, but after a long time, it becomes very boring. Yun Qing Shan didn't allow Lin Fan to visit other sects without permission from the seniors, so Lin Fan had nowhere else to go, he could only go to the library to read books and take a nap.

  Two hours later, a disciple rode his sword to Zhengyi Mountain: "Passing on the order of the sect leader... Is anyone there? Is anyone there?"

  An hour later, the disciple was frantic. He had been circling Zhengyi Mountain for so long and hadn't seen a single person. This situation had happened to him before when delivering messages, usually just leaving the letter at the main hall of the sect would do, but now it was an oral message from the leader that needed to be delivered in person, there was no way to just drop it off.

  "Is anyone there?"

  Lin Fan finally heard the voice in his dream, he stuck his head out of the book pavilion and saw the messenger disciple. Lin Fan drew a Wind Chasing Symbol and jumped out of the window: "I'm coming, I'm coming."

  Finally saw people, the messenger disciple flew to Lin Fan's side and said: "Pass on the order of the sect leader, Zhengyi Sect disciple Lin Fan goes to the main hall to receive orders."

  "Thanks, brother." Lin said with a hint of politeness.

  "Good!" Indeed, it was a hard-won victory. The messenger disciple didn't mince words and returned to the main hall to report the order.

  ……

  Inside the grand hall, a woman who looked less than thirty years old stood beside the bookshelf on the side, quietly reading and waiting. She was the current leader of Yun Qing Men: Qian Yu Zhen Ren.

  Below stood three disciples, one of whom wore a white Taoist robe, a male, sixteen or seventeen years old, elegant and refined, with a pale face and a beautiful appearance.

  A man wearing a black Taoist robe, seventeen or eighteen years old, with a sword scabbard on his back, standing like a pine tree, motionless, with sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes, coldly arrogant and proud.

  A woman in green clothing, sixteen or seventeen years old, elegant and beautiful, with a small bamboo tube on her back.

  Outside the main hall, a disciple reported: "A disciple of Zhengyi Sect, Lin Fan, has arrived."

  "Let him in." The master put away the book and walked to the center of the room.

  Lin Fan was seeing the sect leader for the first time, knowing that the sect leader was a woman, but didn't expect her to be so young. However, cultivators couldn't be judged by their appearance. Lin Fan stepped forward and bowed: "Orthodox Sect disciple Lin Fan greets the sect leader."

  "Better late than never." The leader said: "You all get to know each other first."

  A man in white Taoist robes bowed his head: "Bai Mu."

  The man in black robes nodded slightly: "Gu Yan."

  Emerald-green female disciple bowed her head: "Ye Wushuang."

  Lin Fan was fed up: "Lin Fan." It's still better to be his own sect, today all day, this courtesy to himself is already tired.

  He clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the four of them, saying: "From now on, you will be a team. Gu Yan, you are the oldest, so you will be the leader of this team."

  "Yes!" Gu Yan answered with his chest out.

  "Does anyone of you know Xiaodongzhou?"

  Bai Mu replied, "About 400 miles west of here is a large river crossing. After crossing the river is the border of Xiao Dong Zhou. Xiao Dong Zhou is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side, it is the granary of the twelve continents. To its east is Dong Zhou, to its west is Zhong Zhou, it is a must-pass place when going to Zhong Zhou. Xiao Dong Zhou reveres Buddhism and belittles Taoism, with a tradition of several hundred years. Among them, Tian Yin Temple is the largest temple in the twelve continents. In Xiao Dong Zhou, there are very few Daoist practitioners of the Xiu Zhen Men sect."

  The sect leader nodded: "Indeed, the disciples of Qingyuan Sect are all well-read and know the affairs of the world without leaving their doors. The place where Xiaodongzhou and Zhongzhou meet is called Jiulang Mountain, which stretches for hundreds of miles. Inside, there is a Taoist temple called Sanqing Temple, just an ordinary Taoist temple with more than ten Taoist disciples, and nearby are two villages. However, starting from two months ago, some Taoist disciples and villagers have gone missing one after another. The master of Sanqing Temple was once a junior apprentice of my Yunqing Sect who was expelled from the sect. He also has some Taoist skills and sensed that something is wrong, so he asked for help from my Yunqing Sect. You go and handle this matter. Here is the map and the location of Sanqing Temple."

  "I will never betray the expectations of our school."

  "Besides, you already know that the Honorable Buddha of Xiaodongzhou is a gentle person. As Buddhists, they are warm and friendly by nature. Even if you press them hard, they will yield to you. However, the people of Xiaodongzhou may be rude to you, but you must give in and not use force to bully them."

  The four replied in unison: "We humbly accept your teachings."

  "Go ahead."