The day after becoming an apprentice, Ruan Bei began his classes. His first task was to learn the basics, including an introduction to the Heart Sutra, an introduction to Taoist scriptures, and an introduction to cultivation.
He took the basic knowledge classes with the junior Taoist disciples of the Xiu generation, while his master, Xu Ziduan, personally taught him the rest. Qin Gu led the martial arts classes. Ruan Bei was too embarrassed to follow the little kids who were only as tall as his legs and laugh and joke around. He was also thinking about learning the basic knowledge as soon as possible and skipping a grade.
Having just escaped the clutches of the college entrance examination, Ruan Bei plunged headfirst into the sea of learning, but he found the knowledge particularly interesting.
Not just him, any teenager would be willing to learn these amazing skills, even if the theoretical knowledge was a bit dry.
The first time he felt the existence of Qi, the first time he guided Qi into his body, every novel experience captivated Ruan Bei.
Lost in the mountains, Ruan Bei barely used his cell phone anymore, except for making a few phone calls home each week, completely absorbed in the excitement of discovering a new world.
At first, Ruan's parents thought that Ruan Bei had studied too hard and wanted to go out and have some fun. They didn't expect him to stay for so long. When they asked him again, he said that his master said he had good physique and was practicing martial arts in the mountains.
If it weren't for Qin Gu accompanying them, and the fact that the master was personally found by Grandpa He back then and was reliable, Mr. and Mrs. Ruan would have suspected that their child had been abducted.
However, since he was willing to learn a skill, his parents naturally supported him and even asked if he needed tuition fees and sent him some money.
Ruan Bei hurriedly refused. His master would never accept his money. Their apprenticeship was a traditional master-disciple relationship, where the master was like a father figure.
Once you enter a master's school, the master will provide you with food and lodging and worry about your future. The disciple must also be filial to the master, inherit the master's mantle, and take care of the master in his old age.
Mr. Ruan said again, "You've been eating and sleeping at their place, so you should pay for their lodging and meals."
I didn't know how to refuse, and I dared not say that he not only ate and stayed for free, but also accepted a lot of gifts.
When I brought back the gifts I received on the day I became an apprentice, I was surprised to find that they included all sorts of things.
The gifts from those senior uncles from other sects were relatively normal. Some gave Taoist scriptures with annotations, some gave low-grade magic tools, some gave various materials and medicinal herbs, and one senior uncle even gave a set of talisman-drawing tools.
However, no one gave him any talismans, probably because they knew he was close to Qin Gu and wouldn't lack talismans.
His direct senior uncle and senior brothers had a rather strange style. His second senior uncle, Zhou Ziyi, gave him a large red envelope containing money, telling him to buy whatever he wanted...
The fourth senior brother gave him a pair of shoes, which were either the single-layer shoes worn by Taoist priests or the sneakers worn by young men. Ruan Bei searched for the price on the official website and found that they cost nearly 30,000 yuan.
It's amazing that he was able to buy the shoes in such a short time.
The other gifts from his fellow disciples were unfamiliar to Ruan Bei and difficult to value, but the gifts from these two were obviously very valuable, leaving Ruan Bei unsure of what to do.
When asked, Qin Gu took out the shoes and told him to try them on, saying, "Don't worry about it. Let me tell you, in our temple, Second Master Uncle and Fourth Master Brother are the richest."
Second Master Uncle Zhou Ziyi was adept at making money; he managed the finances of the entire Xuanqing Temple. It's not that he embezzled, but compared to other Taoist priests, he certainly earned more.
Feng Ningrui comes from a wealthy family; the Feng family is a large clan. One of his uncles entered the industry by accident and is a well-known weapon refiner.
When they got home, they discovered that Xiao Fengrui was very talented. After consulting with his parents and Xiao Fengrui himself, they brought him to become an apprentice.
Ruan Bei changed his shoes and walked around twice. Qin Gu looked at him carefully and praised, "Beautiful."
Ruan Bei looked at him and smiled: "Do you like it?"
These shoes won't fit Kunkun; his feet are a size smaller than Kunkun's. But if Kunkun likes them, he can buy him a pair. He's quite wealthy now, with plenty of savings.
"I like what you're wearing, it looks good." Qin Gu never hesitated to praise Ruan Bei: "You look especially handsome."
Ruan Bei smiled, her eyes crinkling with delight.
Those shoes were just for trying out at the time. He needed to practice martial arts and study scriptures, and it wasn't suitable for him to wear those kinds of shoes, whether he was practicing boxing or sitting cross-legged listening to scriptures. The cloth shoes provided by the Taoist temple were much more comfortable to wear.
After staying at Xuanqing Temple for more than half a month, Ruan Bei and Qin Gu's admission notices were sent home. Their parents called and chatted for a long time, talking excitedly.
Later, his sister secretly complained to Ruan Bei on the phone that his and Kun Kun's admission notices had been seen by all their relatives and friends. If it weren't for the fact that they needed them for school registration, their parents would have loved to frame them and hang them up.
Ruan Bei was extremely embarrassed and very grateful that his parents hadn't actually done that. Otherwise, he would have been unable to bear seeing his college acceptance letter hanging alongside the family photo every time he came home.
Ruan Bei's birthday is June 13th. He celebrates his birthday according to the lunar calendar, which is July 24th according to the Gregorian calendar.
Just before his birthday, Ruan Bei successfully guided Qi into his body, feeling the subtle spiritual energy within him, like a small fish. The sense of satisfaction was indescribable.
He was just starting to lay the foundation, and his master was only teaching him cultivation methods. Other minor techniques were not taught for the time being. Ruan Bei was thinking about the Qi Observation Technique, but he didn't dare to ask his master. So he asked Qin Gu in private when he could learn Qi Observation.
Qin Gu told him that observing qi was actually very simple. As long as one could manipulate the spiritual energy within their body and apply it to their eyes, they would naturally be able to observe qi.
Ruan Bei was disappointed. The wisp of spiritual energy within his body was imperceptible unless one carefully sensed it, making it impossible to control.
"Don't be discouraged, you've already done a great job," Qin Gu comforted him.
He was telling the truth. To be able to draw in Qi into one's body in a month—such talent would absolutely leave other cultivators far behind. Qin Gu, who prided himself on his talent and had entered the Dao at a young age, also spent a month drawing in Qi back then.
As for the others, it took even longer. For example, the fourth senior brother took three months, and the eldest senior brother took five months.
But they are all considered to have exceptional talent; there are plenty of practitioners in the temple who cannot even begin to cultivate qi after three years.
After listening to the advice, Ruan Bei felt a little more at ease and diligently began practicing how to control his spiritual fish.
He used to celebrate his birthday at home, but this year he celebrated it at the Taoist temple, with his fellow disciples celebrating it on his behalf.
The fourth senior brother generously ordered a multi-tiered cake for him at the foot of the mountain. The little ones who were taking the basic courses together came to celebrate their grandmaster's seventeenth birthday and also to get a taste of the cake.
Those close to him prepared gifts for him, including several young Taoist priests of the "Wei" generation whom he had become acquainted with during this time.
Everyone ate the cake in a lively atmosphere, and the chef in the cafeteria made Ruan Bei a bowl of longevity noodles. They were really long, one noodle made up a whole bowl.
Ruan Bei answered a video call home, and the family ate together via video call. That's how her seventeenth birthday came to an end.
Back in the courtyard that evening, after washing up, the two boys sat in the yard to cool off as usual. Their fourth senior brother brought over some chilled watermelon, and they each ate half with a spoon.
Ruan Bei scooped out the middle half of Qin Gu's piece with a spoon, stuffed it into her mouth, and asked him with puffed-out cheeks, "Don't I have a birthday present?"
If it were someone else, he would rather they not give him a gift at all. He always felt it was too much trouble to return the gift, and he felt embarrassed to accept a gift from someone he wasn't very familiar with.
But this is Kunkun; every year on his partner's birthday, he starts preparing well in advance.
Qin Gu smiled and said, "I thought you weren't going to ask."
"No, I remember everything," Ruan Bei said seriously.
Qin Gu pulled up a picture on his phone and showed it to him: "I was originally planning to give you this."
It was a huge Lego castle, and Ruan Bei fell in love with it at first sight, eager to play with it: "Where is it?"
"I didn't buy it," Qin Gu said frankly, leaving Ruan Bei speechless.
Qin Gu patted his head and said with a smile, "I wanted to give you something even better."
Ruan Bei blinked, then scooped out the middle piece of his watermelon and offered it to him: "Here, have some."
After Qin Gu ate, he hurriedly asked, "What's better?"
"Come here." Qin Gu got up and led him to see the large desk in the study, with an open umbrella on it. The umbrella handle was made of wood, polished very smoothly, and the paint was grayish-brown to black, not dull, but only heavy.
The handle is not bent; instead, it naturally features a slightly flattened curve.
The umbrella ribs weren't made of wood, but Ruan Bei couldn't tell what material they were made of either. If you said they were metal, they lacked the coldness of metal, but they didn't look like wood or plastic either.
The umbrella fabric puzzled Ruan Bei even more. The color of the umbrella fabric was similar to that of the umbrella ribs, both being a grayish-white color, neither quite paper nor quite cloth.
The umbrella surface appears to be painted with a landscape painting, depicting mountains, water, pavilions, and towers. It is not yet finished, but with just a few strokes, the overall character of the umbrella is brought to life.
"This umbrella is so beautiful, is it a gift for me?" Ruan Bei didn't dare to move, but walked around the table to look at it. This umbrella was obviously not ordinary, it was both grand and beautiful.
"This is an unfinished magical umbrella. I asked my fourth senior brother to have someone make it." Qin Gu picked up the umbrella. "The shaft is made of ebony, and the handle..."
He gripped the umbrella handle and pulled hard, drawing a slightly thinner short sword from the umbrella shaft: "This is a sword made of thousand-year-old peach wood core. Don't underestimate its size; it's much more powerful than an ordinary peach wood sword."
Xiao Bei has the ability to see ghosts, which means he's destined to attract them. He had previously mentioned that he would prepare a magical umbrella for him, and he wasn't joking.
Peach wood can harm ghosts. If the ghost is benevolent, it can take refuge under the umbrella; if it is malevolent, it can be fought by drawing the sword.
Ruan Bei nodded hurriedly: "I believe you, I believe you, let me try."
Just by listening to it, you can tell that the core of the wood is made of thousand-year-old peach wood, which is extremely rare, and the sword inside the umbrella is so cool.
Qin Gu sheathed the sword, handed the umbrella to Ruan Bei, and watched him play with it with interest for a while before continuing his introduction.
"The umbrella ribs are made of stardust stone. You may not have heard of this stone. It is a basic material for refining weapons. Its most outstanding feature is its excellent compatibility. It can be compatible with almost any material."
He pursed his lips, looking a little embarrassed, and said, "I can't find good materials to make umbrella ribs right now, so I'm using stardust stones for now. When I find something more suitable, I can find a craftsman to refine them again."
"The umbrella cloth is also made of stardust stone powder and soft brocade paper, the latter of which can be used to make talisman paper."
"This is already wonderful!" Ruan Bei loved the gift.
Why is it called stardust stone?
Qin Gu went to turn off the light, and the room instantly became dark, with only the moonlight shining through the window.
He showed Ruan Bei the umbrella; its ribs and canopy resembled the Milky Way, flowing with starlight. The rows of ribs looked like a thin shooting star with a trailing tail, falling together into the vast Milky Way.
"This...this is so beautiful..." Ruan Bei even lowered his voice.
Do you like it?
"I love it." Ruan Bei nodded vigorously. "I especially love it. It's the best gift I've ever received."
Qin Gu chuckled lightly: "Then you'll be disappointed. I can't give it to you now."
Ruan Bei froze, clutching his umbrella pitifully, unwilling to let go: "Why? I love this umbrella so much..."
Unable to resist his coquettish gaze, Qin Gu turned his head away and coughed lightly, "Stop being coquettish, this umbrella isn't finished yet."
He pointed to the painting on the umbrella and said, "I plan to draw talismans on the umbrella. I'll draw everything I can for you."
This isn't just drawing on talisman paper, a one-time thing. He wants to draw talismans that can be used at least a few times, without damaging the umbrella surface, and that can be refilled even if the talisman is lost.
You also need to pay attention to the balance between the talismans. For example, the Fiery Talisman and the Dew Talisman should not be drawn too close together, as this will affect each other's performance and may even cause a riot.
Ruan Bei instantly understood that Kun Kun wanted to hide the talisman in the landscape painting; what a brilliant idea!
"Alright then, I want to see you draw." Ruan Bei obediently returned the umbrella, reluctant to part with it. The gift that Kun Kun prepared for him this year was just too good.
Qin Gu put the umbrella back on the table and said with a smile, "Are you unhappy because you didn't receive a gift tonight?"
Ruan Bei shook her head vigorously: "No, I've already received it. I love the gift Kun Kun gave me."
Qin Gu glanced at the unfinished magic umbrella and said indifferently, "This doesn't count. I didn't give it to you. How about I give you another gift?"
"This is already very good, there's no need to prepare anything else." Ruan Bei felt that she shouldn't be too greedy; one gift from Kun Kun was worth many.
"It's not really a gift." Qin Gu turned on the light and took out a box and a talisman pen from the cabinet.
He opened the box, which contained some yellow powder. He added a little green, unidentified liquid—which smelled a bit like some kind of plant extract to Ruan Bei. The mixture should have turned dark green, but instead it turned into a reddish-brown mixture.
"I used the materials my uncle gave you, and added a few other things to make this box of talisman ink," Qin Gu explained.
Previously, Ruan Bei received a bunch of gifts that he didn't recognize or know how to use, so he gave them all to Qin Gu. He said that Qin Gu could use them freely if needed.
"What's the use of this? Can it be used to draw special symbols?" Ruan Bei asked curiously.
“Yes, he can draw special talismans.” Qin Gu pulled Ruan Bei to sit down at the desk and made him stretch out his hand and lay it flat on the table.
"What are you going to do?" Ruan Bei was even more curious. Did they want to draw a talisman on his hand?
Qin Gu mixed the talisman ink until it was the right consistency before explaining, "This kind of talisman ink can be applied to the human body. In ancient times, many people liked to draw various totems on their bodies, and this was the kind of ink they used. I'll draw two talismans for you: the left hand to restrain yin and the right hand to scorch yang. The left hand can capture ghosts, and the right hand can injure souls. When you use them, just infuse your hands with spiritual energy."
“Okay, okay…” Ruan Bei was stunned by what he said and could only nod and had no other opinion.
Then, a timid thought crossed his mind: if he encountered an evil spirit, he might not dare to reach out and grab it...
However, Ruan Bei was very grateful that this was Kun Kun's way of ensuring his safety. He stood still, hands outstretched, and asked cautiously, "What do I need to do?"
"No need." Qin Gu had already dipped the brush in the talisman ink and was ready to start: "Just don't move."
"Okay, I won't move." Ruan Bei was so nervous that he almost clenched his fist. The talisman pen landed in his palm. The talisman ink itself was cool, but after it landed, it inexplicably began to heat up and slowly seeped into his skin, leaving a red talisman mark.
Ruan Beifen thought to himself, "Luckily it was in my palm. If it were somewhere else, I would have to explain to my parents why I got a tattoo."
However, after Qin Gu finished drawing, he changed his mind. As the last stroke was completed, Ruan Bei, who had already learned to observe qi, saw the twisted and complex talisman flash with a faint light before disappearing instantly.
Ruan Bei opened his eyes wide, held his hands and looked at them back and forth for a while: "That's it?"
"I added some materials that can make it invisible. When I use it, I infuse it with spiritual energy, and then it becomes visible." Otherwise, it's inconvenient to keep the talisman on your hand all the time.
"That's amazing." Ruan Bei couldn't think of anything else to say but praise. His Kunkun was truly unbelievably awesome.
"Is this all? Is there anything else we need to do?" Ruan Bei held his hands, still not daring to move.
Qin Gu was about to say "okay" when a thought struck him, and before he could think it through, he blurted out, "There's still one step left."
"Oh, how do I do it?" Ruan Bei remained motionless, looking at him obediently.
Qin Gu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his eyelashes drooped: "Yes, there's one last step. Close your eyes."
Ruan Bei, unsuspecting, obediently closed her eyes, her thick eyelashes like small fans casting a small shadow on her fair cheeks.
Qin Gu took his hand, his eyes fixed on Ruan Bei. Ruan Bei closed his eyes, letting Qin Gu do as he pleased, quiet and obedient.
A faint smile bloomed on Qin Gu's lips. He lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on Ruan Bei's palm.
Author's Note:
What was I going to say? Oh, I remember now.
First, as I mentioned before, some of you might not have seen this, but Lu Sibai did not reincarnate, transmigrate into a book, or have a system.
Secondly, the little bird made a cameo appearance yesterday, hahaha. This book won't involve him. It's just that I got stuck when I was naming the Taoist temple, so I just used the one from the previous book. Anyway, they're all Taoist temples, so it's natural to give the little bird the identity of a patriarch.
Finally, my best friend has chosen an auspicious day. She said she wants me to help her celebrate the holiday. That's right, it's Children's Day. Just to clarify, we're not friends despite our age difference. I can't stop her from celebrating the holiday. We're all grown-up kids at heart.
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