Yun Xian was hit on the head with the handle of a fan by the angry Xue Lingxiu. It didn't hurt, but it was quite loud.
"Who told you to always talk about 'this thing', 'that thing', and 'how strong is the medicine'? I thought I'd accidentally bought something incredible..." Yun Xian abruptly changed the subject, "Alright, alright, I did it on purpose. Fellow Daoist Xue, let's quickly see what's so strange about this thing. You just said that this tonic pill can improve one's innate ability, but didn't I remember you saying that improving one's innate ability is impossible?"
"Fellow Daoist Xue said so." Qiao Lingshan's eyes grew sharper. "Yun Xian! Have you ever thought about that magic core of the Sword Sect? It's also said that absorbing it can improve one's foundation!"
"Yeah. But didn't we fish them out already?" Yun Xian wondered, "That one was fake, a trick to trick the little disciple. But judging by his reaction just now, could this one be real? The only difference between the two is whether it's in a bottle or not. Could it be that oral administration is stronger than external use?"
Xue Lingxiu made a prompt decision: "...I can't make this decision alone. Now follow me back to the Miaoshou Sect. I want to hand this item over to the Sect Master."
Judging from his expression, it seemed that this was no trivial matter. Yun Xian also stood up. Just as he reached the gate, Xue Lingxiu suddenly stopped.
Qiao Lingshan asked nervously, "What's wrong?"
"Boss, pack it up." The dishes on the table had barely been touched when Xue Lingxiu said firmly, "Don't waste them. Take them back for Feng Ye to eat."
I returned to Miaoshou Gate and happened to see that the West Sect Gate was wide open. There were many carts and carriages parked at the gate, and even a few little donkeys chewing grass with their heads down.
Normally, the carriages parked in front of Miaoshou's Gate were occupied by the wealthy and the noble, rarely by such a mixed crowd. Yun Xian asked, "What's happening today?"
"Nothing big," Li Pei said with a smile in front of everyone. "Today is the registration day for the entrance exam. Everyone around here is here, so it looks a bit messy."
Xue Lingxiu said, "Third sister! Are you back?"
"Yes." Li Pei looked the same as she did during the previous four-way battle, except that she looked a little tired. She said, "The sect is short of manpower lately, and it just so happens that I came back to maintain order. Are you going to look for the Sect Master now? They are in the Qihuang Hall."
Every year, the Miaoshou Sect opens its doors to recruit disciples. This is the only fair opportunity for ordinary people to stand on the same page as the wealthy. Linen clothes and silks and satins are crammed together, and the line is extremely long. They should be going through the first stage now, testing their spiritual roots.
"Wood or water are good." The sect was packed with people, so Xue Lingxiu decided not to take the carriage. Everyone walked. He looked at the crowd, as if searching for someone. "Of course, other attributes are also fine. Talent is more important."
Even the bones of the hand, visible on the outside, are important. A medical practitioner's hands must be delicate and nimble, with well-proportioned bones and flesh, yet also stable and strong. A person's hands, whether thin or plump, will not change much, a sign of natural conditioning.
Yun Xian took a quick look and saw that they were all tiny children. No wonder they had to be brought along by their parents. The youngest one was barely as tall as her calf. She wondered, "Isn't the age limit around eight? This child is clearly not eight years old, is he?"
"It's limited to eight years old, but actually anyone under twelve is welcome," Xue Lingxiu said. "It's only once a year, and only a few are accepted each year. Some people bring their children a few years in advance, just to try their luck and gain experience."
Yun Xian couldn't help but frown when he looked somewhere.
It was early spring, March, and the weather wasn't particularly warm. While the cultivators were fine, the children, at best, were only just beginning their foundation-building stages. The cold wind blew, and they shivered. A man stood there, hugging four children: three girls and a boy, all around eight or nine years old. Their hands were covered in fresh scars, and they shrank back, looking at him with fear in their eyes.
If it was really your own child, would you just let the wind blow to your face? Even if your family is poor and you can't afford thick clothes, at least you can change your position and block the wind instead of standing in the wind. It shouldn't be that difficult.
The adults around him seemed to know him, and seeing him like this, they couldn't help but show contempt on their faces. Yun Xian listened attentively:
"It's that Wang Laosan again... Don't you feel guilty about making this money?"
"It's really hard for these children."
"The guy on the left, his face is almost burning red, and he's still here at this time? Well, if he cared about this, he wouldn't do this every time."
Xue Lingxiu noticed the direction of Yun Xian's gaze, and looked over there too. He paused, and frowned slightly.
Qiao Lingshan asked, "If it's not your own child, can you still bring him to participate?"
"No." Xue Lingxiu seemed to not want to mention him and said briefly, "He does this every year. These children have been brought here since they were five years old, and they don't even go to private school. They should be nine years old this year."
Aside from joining the Miaoshou Sect, there's no way out at all? If they still haven't been accepted into the sect by the time they turn twelve, what will become of these four children?
Yun Xian suddenly remembered the rules he had mentioned before.
If you are accepted into the Miaoshou Sect, you will receive a considerable subsidy of spirit stones and silver, and you will have no worries about food and accommodation within the sect. If you are a little hard-working to yourself, you may be able to live frugally and send money home every month.
The Miaoshou Sect originally established this rule to cultivate medical practitioners, encourage competition among young people, and relieve the worries of impoverished families. However, this initial intention doesn't guarantee universal support. Elders, driven by the desire for money, are forcing the issue, putting the cart before the horse, and ultimately causing suffering to innocent children.
But there is no absolute fairness in the world. Where there are rich and powerful, there are naturally poor and destitute. The rules of the Miaoshou Sect have tried their best to be fair, but no matter how perfect the rules are, they cannot control those who seek to gain advantages and take advantage of others.
Xue Lingxiu spotted the familiar little girl in the corner. Everyone else had at least one adult standing beside them, but she was all alone, her head bowed. Her long, untrimmed hair draped over her face, obscuring her childish features.
Perhaps because today was a "big day," the girl still wore her unsewable "open smile" shoes, but she had a small copper longevity lock on her chest. The lock was so small it looked rather pitiful, and a thief would surely not want to take it. Yet, she held it carefully in her arms, shining as brightly as new.
It seems that although she has no money, the elders in her family still love her very much.
Xue Lingxiu's lips curved slightly as she said to Yun Xian, "There should be a good seed this year."
“…”
After passing the hurried and chaotic front hall, the group finally arrived at the Qihuang Hall where Li Jianye was.
It was an annual event, and with so many outsiders entering the sect, the headmaster had to be on guard. It looked like there were guests today. Li Jianye was talking to someone, and the others didn't want to interrupt, so they waited nearby. After listening for a while, Yun Xian began to get a headache.
Isn't the first prerequisite for being a leader to learn not to speak human language? For example, something that could be solved with a simple "yes," "I won't do it," or "not enough money," he managed to twist and turn it around, like guessing lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival, successfully creating the effect of seemingly saying a lot without actually saying anything, and the other party kept praising him:
"As expected of the leader of the Southern Realm, the Jianye Sect Leader is truly profound!"
"..." Yun Xian secretly asked Xue Lingxiu, "Does everyone agree with this 'Head of the Southern Realm'?"
Xue Lingxiu said: "Maybe I don't agree in my heart, but I dare not say it."
Yun Xian: "Why don't you dare to say it?"
Xue Lingxiu pointed and saw his second sister, Li Batu, approaching with a strange man in tow. "If you dare not admit it, you'll be beaten by my second sister."
"..." Yun Xian thought to herself, she is worthy of being the second sister. She looks like she can fight very well, and it turns out that she can fight very well in fact.
"Wow! Everyone's here, it's so lively?" Li Batu stood there without looking at anything. He said, "Ah Xiu, did you see your third sister? What did you get out of going out today?"
"Yes. We'll tell you about the harvest later." Xue Lingxiu looked at the handsome boy with dark circles under his eyes behind her and was stunned. "Who is this...?"
"Jiangshan." Li Batu said as a matter of course: "He shaved his head and didn't want to go out, so I asked him to transform into a human form. Doesn't it look quite good in human form? Strange, I really don't agree with the aesthetics of the demon race."
Jiang Shan said gloomily from behind: "How can this be beautiful... If it weren't for the last resort..."
Xue Lingxiu said gently, "It's indeed not as good as the demon form. You should transform less in the future."
“…” Qiao Lingshan thought, judging by your expression, it’s obvious that you think she’s prettier than you!! How can you lie like that with your eyes open!!
Everyone came to see Yun Xian. It was common knowledge that Yun Xian liked beautiful women, but unexpectedly, when Yun Xian looked at Jiang Shan, a hint of disappointment appeared on his face. "Jiang Shan, Brother Xue is right. I prefer my demon form."
Xue Lingxiu couldn't believe it herself: "?"
Su Chi: “?”
"Next time your fur grows back, I'll take you shopping." Jiang Shan pursed his lips, looking a little unhappy, but his expression was quickly smoothed over. Yun Xian then gave him a long and rosy picture, "It's the most lively time, when everyone's attention will be focused! I'll ride on you, and you'll carry me, and everyone will surrender to your furry belly!"
…
After chatting for a long time, we finally waited for the distinguished guest to leave.
Li Jianye clutched her chest, seemingly feeling uncomfortable. Li Batu rushed over and supported her, "Master, are you okay?"
"Nothing." Li Jianye looked at everyone and said gently, "Thank you for your hard work. Did you find out anything?"
It seems that Xue Lingxiu really admires his elder sister. When the two of them spoke with gentle expressions, even their tone and intonation were exactly the same.
"This medicine... was produced by the Lingxu Sect, but they're still using the Miaoshou Sect's name." Xue Lingxiu briefly recounted what everyone had seen and heard, then said, "I took the medicine. But I can't confirm its effectiveness. I've never seen such a profound effect before. Furthermore, many people are already secretly using it. I wonder how widespread it has become."
The more Li Jianye listened, the tighter his brows furrowed.
"Lingxu...corpse...demon cult..." She said, "Give me the medicine bottle."
Li Batu said, "Give it to me."
Xue Lingxiu didn't know who to listen to for a moment.
"Although I have a heart disease, I'm not that weak." Li Jianye comforted him, "Try some medicine, it's nothing serious."
She reached out and took the jade bottle from Xue Lingxiu's palm. After drinking it, sweat broke out on her forehead in an instant, but her expression did not change. She just coughed lightly twice.
Yun Xian and Qiao Lingshan looked at each other, and both knew what the other wanted to say.
So only Brother Xue gets this way when he takes medicine?? This feels even weirder!
The drug seemed to be very strong, and Li Jianye's breathing was disordered for a while. When he raised his eyes again, he said calmly: "From today on, all of this medicine will be destroyed. Don't leave any of it. Even Lingxu Sect can't leave it."
Just a few words, but it reveals a turbulent undercurrent.
"Master." Li Batu said in astonishment: "Lingxu Sect, what exactly is it..."
"I've been pondering a few questions, questions I asked you all when you first arrived," Li Jianye said. "How does one become possessed by the devil? From what you've all said about Ji Rongxue and the Smiling Buddha, I believe that for demonic energy to infect consciousness, it must require a master's 'permission', a contract. Permissions and contracts can take many forms; it's not just something written in black and white that counts as a contract."
Therefore, the Sword Sect's magic core could not sign a contract with the Sword Sect's disciples because they were unaware that external infection could only infect them with demonic energy, but not their inner selves.
"I still don't know how the people from Lingxu Sect can make people 'go to the mountain of tigers even though they know there are tigers there'. Or maybe they haven't had time to act yet and are just paving the way for the follow-up." Li Jianye poured out the liquid in the other jade bottle, and with the spiritual power in his palm, the flowers and plants used to whitewash the situation in the medicine liquid were instantly annihilated. The fragrance was gone, and only a familiar stench of corruption remained.
Yun Xian even saw a trace of white flesh and blood inside.
Jiang Shandao: "What a disgusting smell..."
"Even if I tell you the truth a thousand times, those who don't want to believe it still won't." Li Jianye said coldly, "The foundation is innate and cannot be changed. They simply use special methods to extract the spiritual roots and essence from the bodies of deceased cultivators and make them into medicine. Taking this medicine can indeed improve your cultivation in a short period of time, and even strengthen your foundation, making cultivation more effective. But - it can't be changed! It may be okay once or twice, but if you become addicted and take it repeatedly, the consequences will be disastrous."
"Is this the demon seed?" Qiao Lingshan asked confusedly, "But what does this have to do with the 'contract' you mentioned, Sect Leader?"
"If I ask you, I can improve your strength, but you will fall into the devil's way from now on. Most people will refuse." Li Jianye said, "What if it's another way? You took the initiative to buy it and actively asked for the improvement. I only need to ask you one more question, 'Do you know what the consequences will be?' If you say 'yes'... do you think this counts as a contract?"
Just as Li Jianye said, those who can rely on these medicines must not be people with profound cultivation and strong minds.
Chi You knew very well that his identity had been revealed and his purpose had been exposed to all the sects, but he actually turned his spearhead and started using these despicable tricks.
Li Jianye: "If you want to verify whether my guess is true, you can go and confirm whether the corpses stolen by Lingxu Sect all have spiritual roots."
Without a doubt, it must be.
Yun Xian: "...I understand."
"Why has the atmosphere suddenly become so heavy?" Li Batu, listening nearby, said, "Don't be like that. Why are you sighing like a child? Early detection and early treatment are crucial. Fortunately, it's not too late yet. Don't worry, we'll take it one step at a time."
"What's more, the entrance examination is coming soon, and a new batch of people will be coming in soon." Li Batu said, "Leave the more dangerous things like Lingxu Sect to me. How about you and Third Sister go destroy these things together?"
"No." Yun Xian thought for a moment and said, "We can just go. Sect Leader Li Pei, and even Brother Xue, don't go for now."
Regardless, we were now in the Southern Realm. Li Pei and Xue Lingxiu's actions represented the entire Miaoshou Sect. The situation wasn't irreversible yet. If someone with ulterior motives stirred up trouble and spread rumors, it would only make things increasingly difficult to move forward.
Li Jianye said: "You all came to visit the Miaoshou Sect, but you are so tired..."
"Oh, don't be polite!" Li Batu said cheerfully, "That's settled then! Jiangshan, who are you following? Are you going with me to Lingxu Sect, or do you want to go out for a walk?"
Jiang Shan said without a second thought: "I won't go out."
"Second Sect Leader." Yun Xian thought of something and said, "Are Feng Ye and Qi Xingye still at Grandma's? Brother Xue packed up a table of food and brought it back to feed them."
"Huh? Come to think of it, I haven't seen them since this morning..." Li Batu scratched his head and said, "Maybe they're at Li Yuan's place? You can just look around. Miaoshou Sect is so small anyway."
Everyone: “…”
How can it be just a little bit big?! It’s bigger than three Jiange, okay?!
After searching around, I didn't find Qi Zhiye and Feng Ye, but I did find Grandma Li and Li Yuan.
Li Yuan hadn't rested for a few hours a day. The reason she was able to come out and play today was probably because it was a special day and Li Jianye wanted her to see the world.
Grandma Li was completely different to the younger generation and the younger generation. But when it came to Li Yuan, her face was full of old age and her voice was especially gentle: "Xiao Yuan, do you want some oranges? Do you want some candied cakes? Do you want some candied haws?"
"No, Grandma." Li Yuan said obediently, "I'm not hungry."
Grandma Li Zu: "How can you not be hungry? You haven't eaten for two hours!"
Yun Xian stood there, afraid that if he interrupted the family's joy, Grandma Li would pounce on him and scratch his face. He said cautiously, "Grandma, may I ask where those two male cultivators are? The two you called over to study the structure of the brain."
"They?" Grandma Li Zu didn't like Yun Xian very much and stood up, muttering, "Didn't they leave a long time ago? I didn't keep them!"
Where was she going? Yun Xian really wanted to know what the research had revealed, but she decided not to risk it. "Okay, excuse me. Grandma, please continue."
"Wait." Grandma Li Zu called her again, and after a long while she reluctantly said, "Go to the canteen first and get some blood-tonifying medicinal food."
Yun Xian: "...Okay. Got it."
Oh no, I don't know how inhumanely Qi Zhiye and Feng Ye suffered in this short morning...
Everyone was still thinking about what Li Jianye had just said, each with their own thoughts along the way. When they reached the dining hall, they saw that the gate of the tall building next to it, which had always been closed, was now open. Yun Xian had long been curious about the purpose of this strangely shaped building. "Brother Xue, why is this door open today?"
"Registration day," Xue Lingxiu said, "also sightseeing day. We have to let these elders know what it's like inside the sect so they can feel comfortable handing their children over. Why, do you want to go in and take a look too?"
Yun Xian: "It's not necessary to go in."
"...So you want to come in?" Xue Lingxiu walked towards the door and said, "Come in."
The building was tall, but the interior wasn't very bright. Su Chi stepped through the threshold and said to Yun Xian, "The oath-taking platform."
Just like the statue of the Sword Sect's founder, the Miaoshou Sect naturally had a similar territory. Yun Xian was uneducated and didn't know how to describe it, but he felt that the statue before him was not only not luxurious, but even extremely simple. He held a needle in his right hand and a fan in his left, his eyes slightly lowered, as if smiling.
These were the most stunning pair of hands Yun Xian had ever seen.
The statue does not seem pathetic, and is even quite vivid.
Qiao Lingshan raised her chin with great effort and said, "Come to think of it, wasn't Divine Doctor Fang from Qiankun City originally from the Miaoshou Sect?"
He had only learned half of it when he defected from the sect and went to the northern realm to set up his own school.
"With so many disciples in the Miaoshou Sect, how could every one of them be so proficient in everything?" Xue Lingxiu said, "With his abilities, even if he didn't study medicine, he could do anything well, haha."
A gust of cold wind blew.
"The oath-taking platform... Oh, I get it!" Yun Xian knew that medical students do take an oath, and it seems to start with "Health is at stake, life is entrusted to you", "Save the dying and the wounded, and don't hesitate to endure hardships"... It seems that the Miaoshou Sect's oath is similar.
Xue Lingxiu asked, "Know what?"
On the altar, besides a few incense sticks, there was also a stack of bamboo slips. Before Yun Xian asked, "Can I see it?" Xue Lingxiu said, "Take it."
Yun Xian took the bamboo slips, and sure enough, it was the oath taken when entering the sect.
"I promise not to harbor any personal feelings towards the patient."
"I promise not to harbor any noble thoughts about myself."
"I practice medicine, and doctors practice medicine for me. Treating both equally is the way of benevolence."
“…”
“I deeply understand my own incompetence.”
"I deeply understand that after embarking on this journey, more people will die at my hands than I will save."
"Even so, I will still enter this door. I will never regret it. I will bring people back to health with my miraculous skills and become famous in the medical field."
The sect's gate was open, and the newly arrived children stepped through the threshold with hope and curiosity. The golden and silver grasses all over the mountains of Miaoshou Sect swayed gently in the early spring breeze.
The little girl wearing the longevity lock was tripped and fell heavily to the ground, her knees immediately bleeding red. She gritted her teeth and quickly grabbed the longevity lock on her chest. After confirming that she had not lost it, she shouted angrily: "Xiaotian! What are you doing?!"
Xiaotian stood before her, his cultivation level even higher than the day before, progressing incredibly fast. It seemed as if the depression she had been holding back had been swept away at this moment. He said proudly, "You are only fit to watch."
The girl didn't say anything.
"Come back next year! You're so talented anyway, you can still get in even if you wait a year." Xiao Tian said coldly, "Who made you so unlucky that you met me this year?"
Oda turned and left.
The golden and silver grass was still swaying, but the girl didn't get up immediately. Instead, she reached out, carefully grabbed a bunch, and put it in her pocket.
No, she is not worthy of just looking.
She must step in here... No one can stop her!
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