Chapter 6 Becoming a Disciple

In the open courtyard outside the side quarters.

Dozens of youths surrounded Zhang Cheng and Er Niu, relentlessly pestering them for the secret to drawing Qi into their bodies.

With only three days remaining in the one-month deadline, the crowd had grown anxious. None of them wanted to lose this chance to become a cultivator and soar into the heavens.

However, although Er Niu and Zhang Cheng were not stingy about sharing their experiences, it seemed to be of no help.

Watching the heated discussions by the wing rooms, two guards standing near the courtyard wall looked on with mocking eyes.

"These fools don't even know that death is staring them in the face," one guard sneered.

"Ah, they're just a pitiful bunch. At fourteen or fifteen, they haven't seen enough of the world to understand the sinister nature of men. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Their voices were low, but Song Wen, hiding behind a large tree, heard every word clearly.

The thick trunk blocked their line of sight, preventing them from noticing him.

Song Wen felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. It was not difficult to parse the meaning behind their conversation: regardless of whether they succeeded in drawing Qi into their bodies, this batch of youths was destined for the grave.

Originally, Song Wen had only worried that Jiyin had malicious designs on those with cultivation aptitude. Now, it seemed even those without talent wouldn't escape his venomous hands.

Thinking it over carefully, it made perfect sense.

All these youths had practiced the Everlasting Longevity Art. Even if they had failed, they still memorized the technique and its cultivation essentials. Letting them go would inevitably lead to the manual leaking out.

Eventually, someone out there would successfully refine Qi and become a cultivator.

Jiyin naturally would not allow this to happen. It would only create unnecessary competitors for himself. If a large number of cultivators appeared near Yancheng, it would likely threaten the status and authority of Jiyin and the Heavenly Fiend Gang in this region.

Song Wen remained carefully hidden behind the tree, listening for a while longer. After failing to glean any more information, he retreated with light footsteps, careful not to disturb the two guards who were still shooting the breeze.

Returning to his room, Song Wen cemented his decision. Tomorrow, he would seek out Jiyin and reveal that he had successfully drawn Qi into his body.

The next day, during the Chen hour.

Song Wen stood with the other youths in the open space outside the side quarters, awaiting Jiyin's arrival.

Today, Jiyin was uncharacteristically late by a full half-hour. Er Niu and Zhang Cheng arrived alongside him.

Er Niu's condition today was rather strange. His footsteps were unsteady, and his spirit was listless. Even his skin had grown somewhat loose, as if he had aged thirty years overnight. The once vibrant youth had been reduced to a declining middle-aged man.

An abnormal flush colored his face, much like a patient recovering from a severe illness who had consumed too many tonics, resulting in a weak body unable to bear the heavy nourishment.

"Why did this sudden issue arise? Could his cultivation have gone awry, causing an injury that depleted his blood and Qi?"

Unable to figure out what had happened to Er Niu, Song Wen could only stick to his predetermined strategy: revealing to Jiyin that he had successfully drawn Qi into his body.

With only three days left until the deadline, failing to successfully draw Qi into the body would likely cost him his life.

Judging from the current situation, those who succeeded in drawing Qi into their bodies were seemingly safe in the short term.

Stepping directly toward Jiyin, Song Wen bowed and saluted.

"Lord Jiyin, I successfully drew Qi into my body last night."

A brilliant light exploded in Jiyin's eyes as he seized Song Wen's wrist.

Song Wen immediately felt a stream of heat flow through his wrist and into his body. This heat shared the same origin as the Spiritual Qi he had refined, but it was vastly more majestic and boundless.

A wave of unease hit him. Having secretly cultivated for over twenty days, the Spiritual Qi in his body was certainly far stronger than someone who had only just drawn Qi into their body.

He deeply feared that Jiyin would notice something amiss and hold him accountable for his concealment.

Fortunately, Jiyin did not examine the strength of Song Wen's internal Spiritual Qi too carefully. The moment he detected the presence of Spiritual Qi within him, he immediately withdrew his probe.

Because Song Wen was supposed to have just drawn Qi into his body, his internal Spiritual Qi would naturally be extremely weak. Jiyin was wary that injecting too much Spiritual Qi might crush that fragile strand, causing irreversible damage.

Jiyin revealed a look of appreciation. "You are quite good. What is your name?"

"Song Wen!"

"From today onward, you are this seat's third disciple. Come, sit next to your Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother."

"Thank you, Master."

Song Wen took his seat beside Zhang Cheng.

At the same time, both Zhang Cheng and Er Niu cast friendly glances his way.

Both of them hailed from small villages. Still young and pure-hearted, their minds had yet to be poisoned by the sinister aspects of society. They showed immense goodwill toward their new Junior Brother.

Half an hour later, Jiyin wrapped up his brief lecture for the day.

As the one-month deadline loomed closer, Jiyin's daily explanations on cultivation techniques had become increasingly perfunctory. It was only because a newcomer like Song Wen had successfully drawn Qi into his body that he broke his routine and lectured for a full half-hour. Over the past few days, he had only spoken for about a quarter of an hour. Clearly, he was gradually losing hope in the rest of the youths.

"Song Wen, come with your Master."

Jiyin turned and headed toward the small two-story building at the foot of the mountain. Song Wen, Zhang Cheng, and Er Niu quickly followed, leaving behind the envious gazes of the other youths.

"Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, I hope you two will look after me in the future."

Trailing behind Jiyin, Song Wen offered his low greetings to Zhang Cheng and Er Niu.

Moments later, the four arrived outside the small building.

"Song Wen, you will stay in the empty room on the first floor. Cultivate diligently. If there is anything you do not understand, you may come and ask your Master at any time."

"Er Niu, follow your Master to the second floor for a moment."

The first floor was the disciples' living quarters, while the second floor served as Jiyin's personal cultivation space. Without his explicit permission, disciples were strictly forbidden from going upstairs.

"Yes, Master."

The three disciples bowed as they replied.

Er Niu followed Jiyin up the stairs to the second floor.

"Junior Brother, I will take you to your room," Zhang Cheng said.

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother."

The first floor had exactly three rooms. With Er Niu and Zhang Cheng occupying two of them, only the empty room near the staircase remained.

After the two entered the room, countless questions swirled in Song Wen's mind. Most of them centered around Jiyin's habits, routines, and schedule. If he wanted to survive and eventually escape, he needed to understand Jiyin as thoroughly as possible.

However, this was certainly not the right place to ask questions. The wooden structure of the small building offered terribly poor sound insulation. Even a slightly raised voice would be overheard by Jiyin upstairs.

Not to mention that Jiyin was a cultivator, with senses far sharper than any ordinary mortal's.

Moreover, directly pressing Zhang Cheng for information would inevitably arouse his suspicions. If Zhang Cheng turned around and reported him, the risks would far outweigh the rewards.

If he wanted to pry into Jiyin's affairs, he had to beat around the bush and ask indirectly.

Furthermore, Zhang Cheng was not the best target. Er Niu had a rather slow, wooden personality and had spent the longest time shadowing Jiyin. Factoring in his abnormal physical condition today, Er Niu was truly the most ideal target for interrogation.