Chapter 16: I’ll Support You!
Ask Dao Peak, Grand Hall.
Li Chunsong, who had been busy all night, flew back again to report to the top brass of the Daoist Sect.
“The cultivation technique Chu Huaixu is practicing has a problem, it’s extremely bizarre!”
“It looks like an adaptation based on artifact refining techniques, following a path of both internal and external cultivation.”
“I suspect the person who created this cultivation technique had extremely high artifact refining skills, their comprehension in this path reaching the pinnacle, likely an artifact refining grandmaster!”
Hearing his words, everyone in the hall frowned.
Sect Master Xiang Yan asked, “Did you investigate where this technique came from?”
Li Chunsong nodded, “I went to the Scripture Pavilion and checked the records.”
“Are there any issues?” asked Enforcement Elder Lu Pan.
“This technique was brought back and stored by Junior Uncle a few years ago.” Li Chunsong spread his hands.
Disciples of the Daoist Sect, if they obtained cultivation techniques or spells externally, could bring them back to the sect for review and storage.
The sect had its own set of review standards, which would rate them and then issue rewards.
Of course, the storage review could also be rejected.
But that storyteller had a special identity.
Would anyone dare to reject the items he brought back? Would the review process even be difficult?
Xiang Yan knitted his brows, unable to comprehend, feeling as if hair was about to grow on his bald head:
“Junior Uncle specifically brought back a Meridian-Opening Stage cultivation technique?”
Li Chunsong shook his head and said, “No, I checked, and two spells were stored along with it, as well as a set of top-tier artifact refining techniques.”
“This ‘Sword Refining Art’ was just included in the package.”
“Therefore, I suspect that Junior Uncle happened to obtain the relics of some artifact-refining grandmaster during his last travels.”
The crowd nodded slightly, finding this much more reasonable.
Li Chunsong continued to reveal his speculation: “Of course, it’s also possible that Junior Uncle killed an artifact refining grandmaster.”
Upon hearing this, everyone found it even more plausible.
It was just that everything was coincidental; the cultivation technique Junior Uncle had tossed back to the sect years ago happened to be learned by the kid he brought to the mountain.
Xiang Yan pondered for a moment before speaking, “This ‘Sword Refining Art’, let’s remove it from the cultivation technique library then.”
It was too bizarre, and also very useless, with obvious drawbacks.
It was fundamentally incompatible with legitimate Daoist Sect disciples.
Li Chunsong suddenly smiled upon hearing this.
“Why do you smile, Sixth Junior Brother?” Xiang Yan asked, perplexed.
“Sect Master, you may not know, but I just probed with my Divine Sense and found that the kid has woken up. He also wrote four characters on the small notebook where he recorded his insights on the cultivation technique.”
Nangong Yue immediately pressed, “What characters?”
Li Chunsong’s smile became even more irrepressible, and he burst out laughing, “Peerless Divine Skill! Haha, hahahaha!”
Instantly, a joyful atmosphere filled the grand hall, and the Daoist Sect’s high-ranking officials felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation, except for the Grand Elder.
“Hmph! This young man chosen by Junior Uncle seems a bit black-hearted,” Enforcement Elder Lu Pan snorted coldly.
“Uh.” Li Chunsong immediately contained his smile, realizing he had spoken out of turn.
These kinds of people were not favored by the Senior Brother!
Grand Elder Lu Pan indeed spoke again, “Since it is a peerless divine skill, then let the outer sect stewards supervise him more closely, so that he can diligently practice!”
Medicine Mountain, Bamboo House.
The sky was gradually brightening.
He had been studying the [Heart Sword] for a long time but hadn’t figured anything out.
“It’s normal, the Meridian-Opening Stage is just laying the foundation for future cultivation. Strictly speaking, I’m not even a cultivator yet.”
Chu Huaixu touched his stomach; he was already starving.
Cultivators in the Profound Yellow Realm did not achieve complete grain abstinence.
Everyone had to eat, without exception.
Compared to ordinary people, cultivators did not have many differences other than possessing greater power.
Even their lifespan did not increase significantly.
In the cultivation world, living to a hundred years old was considered a blessing, not a curse.
The Medicine Mountain where Chu Huaixu was currently located had a canteen. Disciples paid monthly and could dine there at their leisure.
Of course, if you wanted to buy ingredients and cook at home, that was also fine.
The entire outer sect of the Daoist Sect was not like a sect academy; it was more like a small town formed by low-level cultivators, forming its own area.
There were ordinary canteens, as well as high-class restaurants.
There were tailor shops, Spirit Pill shops, and also weapon pavilions.
Therefore, living here, everything cost money.
Including the bamboo house where Chu Huaixu was currently residing, starting next month, he would also have to pay rent to the sect.
If he had the ability to do business and wanted to open a shop, he would also need to seek permission from the Daoist Sect for a “permit,” obtain a “business license,” and also pay taxes.
Of course, he could also work as an apprentice in a shop run by others, working like a beast of burden.
In addition to this, the Daoist Sect itself would offer some job positions to disciples.
The most typical employment project in Medicine Mountain was spiritual herb cultivation.
As for outer sect stewards like Niu Yuanshan, they were actually part of the official management class, genuine leading cadres with immense power.
However, the inner sect of the Daoist Sect was worlds apart from the outer sect.
That place was more like a sect.
The disciples’ main goal was to cultivate, to become stronger!
As for money, Chu Huaixu was not worried for the time being.
Don’t forget, he had a banknote for one hundred taels of silver on him.
This money was enough for him to live for a while.
Chu Huaixu, holding an outer sect map, headed towards the officially managed canteen.
Along the way, diligent people had already set up stalls to earn money.
“Fellow senior and junior brothers, why not come and see my newly developed grain-abstinence pills.”
The famished Chu Huaixu was attracted by this voice.
There was no grain-abstinence stage in the Profound Yellow Realm, but there were grain-abstinence pills; eating them meant not needing to eat.
The man hawking continued his sales pitch: “Junior brother, look at my newly developed white flour grain-abstinence pills, they are white and soft, rise exceptionally well, and have a fluffy texture.”
Chu Huaixu asked speechlessly, “Fellow senior brother, the principle of grain-abstinence pills is that eating one will not make you hungry, not that you are full and then not hungry.”
This fist-sized thing you are selling is just a steamed bun!
“Not at all, not at all, junior brother, these are white flour grain-abstinence pills. After eating one, it can replace five white flour steamed buns of the same size!”
“And you need to go to the restroom after eating steamed buns, right?”
“You don’t need to do that with my white flour grain-abstinence pills.”
“Tell me, aren’t they suitable for eating during closed-door cultivation!” the disciple said proudly.
Chu Huaixu: “…”
He walked along, browsing with curiosity.
When he played [The Borrowed Sword], the outer sect of Spring-Autumn Mountain was also like this, forming its own area. Chu Huaixu was very familiar with it; he had even run a shop there.
But this was his first time in the Daoist Sect.
“Spring-Autumn Mountain is known for having many perverts, it’s a bit more chaotic.”
“The Daoist Sect is much better in this regard.”
“But how to put it, the prices are the same as Spring-Autumn Mountain!” he grumbled in his heart.
As the ancient saying goes, cultivation requires: wealth, Dharma, companions, and a place.
Cultivation is truly expensive.
His one hundred taels of silver could sustain him comfortably for a long time in the outside world.
But in the outer sect of the Daoist Sect, that was hard to say.
As Chu Huaixu reached the entrance of the canteen, he encountered an acquaintance.
Han Shuangjiang, wearing a veil, walked out from inside, her expression displeased.
“Everything here is so expensive. Overall, the sect canteen is the cheapest, but you have to pay for the entire month in advance.” she was short of money.
There was no way around it; she had grown up in a brothel since childhood, and later went to the Joyous Sect.
After the destruction of the Joyous Sect, she lived a life of wandering.
After meeting that storyteller, she hurried all the way to Wumeng Mountain, her travel expenses nearly all spent.
Han Shuangjiang currently had only 103 wen on her.
Given the terrifying prices in the outer sect, this meager 103 wen was not enough for her three meals today!
This meant she had to find work today.
The daily life of registered disciples generally consisted of working during the day and cultivating at night.
Such difficult days were beckoning this ice mountain.
At this moment, Han Shuangjiang looked forward, her gaze inevitably settling on Chu Huaixu.
The morning light bathed half of his body. In the bustling crowd, looking down from the high steps, it was hard not to notice him.
There was no way around it; after all, he was the supreme quality furnace cauldron.
However, Han Shuangjiang only intended to nod as they passed.
After a brief interaction, she felt that this furnace cauldron was not particularly easy to talk to.
He had rebuffed her several times.
Unexpectedly, this man bathed in the golden morning light actually took the initiative to talk to her with a smile.
“Good morning, have you eaten?” Chu Huaixu said, his gaze beginning to appraise her.
Just by looking at her preoccupied look from before, he actually had the answer in his heart, feeling that everything was becoming easier.
This cold and aloof [Protagonist of the World]…
—So you’re a pauper!
