"Oh?" Shen Qingmang asked calmly, "When did you get that impression? Have you met me before?"
"No, but I have heard my father mention you. He said you are as pure and cool as the fairy Gushe, untainted by the mundane world."
Shen Qingmang, who had helped the children in his class feed the pigs and plant rice seedlings during the busy farming season, quietly twisted his fingers and said, "That's just a rumor. Your father and I have never met before, so it's normal for him not to understand me."
Gu Suihan's eyes flickered. "What kind of person wouldn't be considered a complete stranger to Master?"
"Of course it's you, my disciples." Shen Qingmang smiled. "You are the ones I care about the most."
Gu Suihan's ears turned slightly red and he said nothing more.
They returned to the foot of the mountain and still had plenty of time. Shen Qingmang thought the children would wander around for a while, but she didn't expect that except for Si Rong and Hao Xin, the rest of the children were already waiting outside the mountain gate. When they saw her, they quickly stood in two rows of boys and girls.
Everyone was feeling bored standing there, so Shen Qingmang walked over to them and chatted with the students. The stories in the original book focused on the world of immortal cultivation, and hardly mentioned the situation in the mortal world. When she asked, she learned that the immortals in this world were in a ruling position, and there was no royal family in the mortal world. The highest status was held by the immortal cultivation families, and in order to ensure the purity of their bloodline, the families never intermarried with the poor.
"Are all the children of aristocratic families single-rooted?" Shen Qingmang asked. She noticed that all the outer disciples present were from humble backgrounds.
"Right... Aniu's family and Gao Yang's family live on the same street, so he knows more. Aniu, what can you tell me?" Lin Wei said.
"Aniu, Aniu?"
The child whose name was called seemed a little slow to react. The person behind him patted him before he spoke hurriedly, "Ah, that, yes, yes. The Gaoyang clan all... all have water spirit roots."
"This person is not right." Gu Sui Han whispered in Shen Qingmang's ear.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Shen Qingmang looked intently at the child who was lowering his head and moving awkwardly, and suddenly found that there seemed to be a layer of shadow on his body, as if he was wearing a skin that did not belong to him.
Gu Suihan stretched out his hand and lightly tapped the other party. The girl next to "Aniu" immediately exclaimed.
The originally dark and thin "Aniu" suddenly became fair and clean, and his height increased by several inches. Looking at his face, he was clearly a different person.
Shen Qingmang suddenly realized what was going on. He then stepped forward and asked, "Who are you? Where is Ah Niu?"
"Master, spare me!" The boy protected his head with his hands and curled up into a ball. "I didn't do anything to Ah Niu. I just... I just locked him up. The restrictions will be lifted tomorrow!"
"You want to replace him and infiltrate the Taichu Sect? What is your intention?"
Shen Qingmang's cold expression was very intimidating, and the boy's voice was filled with tears. "I, I don't want to either, but even if Ah Niu doesn't cultivate, he still has a family that loves him. If I can't join the Taichu Sect, I'll have nothing."
"He's from the Gaoyang clan." Gu Suihan said, "There's the Gaoyang clan emblem on his clothes."
Seeing his identity exposed, the boy broke down and burst into tears. "Oh, oh, oh, please... don't send me home. They'll kill me!"
"Deal with it?" Shen Qingmang frowned.
From the boy's halting description, she realized that not all immortal cultivation families would give birth to offspring with single spiritual roots for generations. Marriages between families might produce offspring with dual spiritual roots, or even with mixed spiritual roots. However, the families never recognized offspring with mixed spiritual roots, and they would usually be expelled from the family after they reached adulthood.
So, Hao Xin might not have lied at all?
The boy was still crying about his miserable fate when suddenly a voice interrupted him.
"You can't survive without the support of your family? I think people like you are useless not because of mixed spiritual roots, but even if you have a single spiritual root, you are still useless!"
Shen Qingmang turned around and saw that Hao Xin and Si Rong had returned at some point, and it was Hao Xin who had spoken just now.
This child is quick to learn. The principles taught to him yesterday can be used to teach others today.
"Okay, where is Aniu? Go and bring him back." Shen Qingmang said.
"I'll be there right away!" The boy got up from the ground and ran into the town. After a while, he came back with the real Aniu. Both of them were panting.
"Teacher, I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Aniu said with a sad face.
"It's okay. Be more careful next time and don't get fooled again."
"Definitely not. But the young master also has his reasons. He has always been very kind to me and it was he who encouraged me to become his disciple."
Shen Qingmang looked expressionlessly at the disciple who radiated the aura of the "Holy Father." Then she heard another peerless naivete, her second disciple Si Rong, say, "Master, why don't we take that Qingyang clan member with us as well? He's so pitiful."
Hao Xin sneered, and Shen Qingmang rubbed his brow. "I'll take him away, and you teach him?"
"Ah?" Si Rong waved his hand. "I don't know anything yet."
"Then why should you be so generous to others?" Shen Qingmang sighed and glanced at the children around him. Sympathy, disdain, indignation... all kinds of different expressions appeared on their faces.
The Qingyang Clan boy prostrated himself at her feet. "Please, Master, take me in. I will cultivate diligently!"
"I won't accept you this time." Shen Qingmang looked down at him. "But if you want to change your fate, don't give up on your cultivation. You'll still have a chance at the next disciple-recruiting conference."
"But the Taichu sect only accepts people under the age of twenty."
"That was in the past." Shen Qingmang said seriously. "I will work hard to change everything. Go back, and don't give up on yourself."
In modern society, even retired elderly people can attend senior citizen universities, so why is the age limit for accepting apprentices so strict?
"Thank you very much, sir. I will try my best!" The boy kowtowed again, then got up and left.
Shen Qingmang breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, everyone is here, let's go back too."
"Wait, teacher!" another child called out to her.
"What's wrong?"
"Xiangling's talisman is missing."
Shen Qingmang felt like she was back in the days of taking her class on a spring outing. As expected, with so many people, there were all sorts of problems. She patiently asked, "Why is it gone? Was it stolen?"
"No, teacher," the girl named Xiangling stepped forward. "Everyone, go ahead. I can walk back by myself. I gave the talisman... the talisman to Daddy. He has to bring vegetables in from outside the city every day and sell them on the streets. His feet often get blisters from it, so I want to save him some energy."
"Silly girl, if you walk back, you won't get there in three days and three nights." Shen Qingmang pulled out a piece of talisman paper from his pocket. "Luckily, I brought a few extra. I'll forgive you this time, but it won't happen again. Items from the immortal world can't be easily transferred to the mortal world. Otherwise, it will easily cause unrest. You all must remember this."
"Okay!" everyone answered in unison.
Xiangling smiled happily. "Thank you, Teacher! You are such a kind person!"
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