Chapter 3 003 This Shen family is nothing but a facade.
A-Chuan was a newcomer. On his first day at Yunque Heavenly Palace, he mentally reviewed Young Master Mu's great achievements.
During the war against the demons, Young Master Mu made many meritorious contributions that were unmatched by others, so there is no need to mention them.
The current requirement that all those who enter the Yuan Yuan Heaven must offer blood for verification is a very frivolous and disrespectful decision.
At first, some people were certainly unwilling, until Young Master Mu re-conquered the unruly Lin family.
The Lin family suffered a severe blow, causing an uproar throughout the surrounding area.
After the war against the demons, all four borders were exhausted and people longed for peace. Yet, Young Master Mu recklessly launched another campaign. It's no wonder that some people speculate that Young Master Mu is still trapped in the past war against the demons, seemingly unable to escape its grip, and is therefore trying every means to find another excuse to fight again.
Such a state of mind is practically indistinguishable from that of a demon.
The Lin family suffered a severe blow, and the entire family's cultivation level dropped, causing them to completely disappear from the Yuan Yuan Heaven realm.
From then on, no one dared to nag about Young Master Mu's decision.
Just listen to whatever Young Master Mu instructs.
And now, A-Chuan is to serve such a master.
The lord is domineering and arrogant, but A-Chuan is not ashamed but proud. He is somewhat afraid, but he is more proud of his lord's power.
He went to report to Fairy Xueyou. Ming Xueyou was one of the Six Nether Lords under Young Master Mu. She was gentle and graceful and managed all the trivial matters of Yunque Heavenly Palace for Young Master Mu.
Mingxue has beautiful eyes like autumn water and a radiant face. She is a well-known beauty in Yuanyuantian, but she seems to have no interest in romantic relationships and has rejected many admirers.
She was quite amiable towards A-Chuan, a newcomer, and said gently, "I suppose you've heard many rumors, but there's no need to take them to heart. As long as you serve him carefully, the young master is not a man of indiscriminate killing and will not take lives casually."
Ming Xueyou took out another small box: "You naturally know a little about the rules."
A-Chuan nodded.
A small insect flew out of the box. A-Chuan opened his mouth, and the insect cut a gash under A-Chuan's tongue and buried itself at the root of his tongue.
This sound-listening Gu is usually very docile and will not harm people.
However, if a subordinate loses his loyalty and says something that betrays his master, then the Gu worm will eat A-Chuan's tongue and then go down into his cavity to eat the traitor's heart.
After being implanted with the Sound-Listening Gu, A-Chuan completed his induction ceremony.
Ming Xueyou: "Young Master Mu will have his blood tested every fifteen days, and it just so happens to be today. You should quickly send this blood over."
A-Chuan hurriedly agreed.
He entered Young Master Mu's residence, where a strange fragrance emanated from the incense burner adorned with mythical beasts. A flute, carved from a single piece of jade, hung on a plain white screen, its emerald green color almost dripping.
Above the jade flute hangs a white ghost mask, which looks somewhat ferocious.
A-Chuan knew that Young Master Mu liked to appear in public wearing a mask.
It is said that Young Master Mu also secretly kept several body doubles, making him seem ever-changing and unpredictable.
A-Chuan dared not look any longer.
He doesn't look much, but he thinks a lot; his mind is constantly filled with gossip.
I've heard that Young Master Mu is quite handsome, perhaps because he inherited the immortal breath of the Great Evolution Immortal Venerable, and his appearance is somewhat similar to that of the Great Evolution Immortal Venerable.
I've also heard that Young Master Mu keeps a painting of a beautiful woman in his room. The woman in the painting is an absolute beauty, but Young Master Mu doesn't really want others to see it.
The room was lit, casting the shadow of Young Master Mu onto the plain white screen.
The figure was elongated, and although it was only a projection, its beauty was exquisite.
Judging from this silhouette, it seems that Young Master Mu is writing at his desk.
Then he heard Young Master Mu say gently, "Are you new here? Please wait a moment."
Unlike those wild rumors, Young Master Mu spoke gently and politely.
On the other side, after Shen Xiaochun rescued the person, the mother and daughter were led by Sang Jing to register for freshman registration.
Rong Ying stared at the two figures as they walked away, thought for a moment, and then suddenly turned her head and asked, "Lord Ling, do you know anything about this Sect Leader Shen?"
Ling Qingshu is the master of Ziyun Prefecture and resides in the second heaven.
However, Rong Ying was noticeably more amiable in her words.
The Ling clan is a major clan of cultivators in the Yuan Yuan Heaven. Ling Qingshu's branch has developed independently and is considered a very capable branch.
Many large families would leave behind seeds, allowing their members to grow and flourish in lower realms, thus making the family as prosperous as a giant tree.
Ling Qingshu has always been close to the Ling family. It is said that the Ziyun Mansion he established rose to the second level of heaven in less than five years, and it is estimated that it will rise to the third level of heaven in at most ten years.
This is partly due to the irrigation resources behind the Yuanyuan Tianling clan, but Ling Qingshu himself also manages them.
Ling Qingshu smiled: "I do know a thing or two about this Sect Leader Shen."
Ten years ago, after the war to slay the demons, the human cultivators won a pyrrhic victory, and the four realms were desolate.
The cultivators from all realms rested and recuperated, and after a period of desolation, a vibrant new life emerged. Because there was a mineral vein at the foot of Mount Sumeru, many small sects sprang up like mushrooms after rain along Mount Kumu, and the Bixia Sect was one of them.
These dozen or so sects, large and small, operate in similar ways: they all rely on the mountains for their livelihood, using a single mineral vein on the Drywood Mountain to refine and sell pills, essentially engaging in the pill trading business.
As a result, the products are monotonous and the content is similar, leading to severe infighting among these smaller groups.
As a result, within a few years, all the other minor sects collapsed, leaving only the Bixia Sect as the sole survivor.
The leader who led the Bixia Sect to greatness was Shen Zhiwei.
This Sect Leader Shen is quite interesting. At that time, Shen Zhiwei put forward the slogan of mutual assistance after the war. For example, if your relatives or friends died in the war against the demons, or if you were injured, the Bixia Sect cultivators would provide delivery services. When delivering the goods, they would help you with any work you could do. They would also help you stand up for yourself if you needed anything. This united everyone and made it difficult for people to bully each other. As a result, he gained a lot of fame and goodwill.
Shen Zhiwei then promoted the slogan "Genuine products, ten times the compensation for fakes," ensuring the quality of the elixirs was well controlled.
Back then, when some independent cultivators and small sects near Kumu Mountain wanted to buy pills, they would always go to Bixia Sect, as they were sure they wouldn't go wrong.
Ling Qingshu was quite a clever person; she didn't say anything or interrupt when everyone was talking about crickets and Chen Zhiwei.
Now, however, she knows everything about this Sect Leader Shen, mentioning Shen Zhiwei's outstanding abilities, and doesn't seem to dislike Shen Zhiwei at all.
She said that next, in the Bixia Sect, there were only two disciples, and the rest were all apprentices.
In all four realms, the master-disciple relationship is extremely sacred, requiring a formal contract. Deceiving one's master and ancestors is intolerable to heaven and earth, and one must be deeply bound to one's sect.
Before the great battle, all sects operated in this way to increase sect loyalty.
Shen Zhiwei is quite bold; her sect, located at the foot of Mount Sumeru, employs mostly mercenaries. This means these disciples are free to come and go within the Bixia Sect, and even if they leave, they don't face any moral condemnation.
In fact, even among the major families and sects of Yuan Yuan Tian, the number of disciples without a master-disciple relationship is increasing day by day, which is an inevitable trend.
In the past, a sect was responsible for both training disciples and managing the sect. However, this hybrid model of sect operation has gradually disintegrated. Major sects are no longer training disciples but only recruiting as needed, separating teaching from recruitment. As for the progress of cultivators, specialized immortal abodes are used to teach junior cultivators.
It's not unusual now, but more than ten years ago, Shen Zhiwei's vision was quite forward-thinking.
Moreover, although there is no master-disciple bond, the disciples of the Bixia Sect are quite loyal.
Bixia Sect's business is booming, and Shen Zhiwei is also providing generous benefits.
Whenever a disciple of the Bixia Sect is injured, falls ill, or makes a mistake in practicing their internal energy, the sect will treat them with elixirs and provide medical care and support.
Such benefits are not uncommon for major sects in Yuan Yuan Tian, but the Bixia Sect is just a small sect at the foot of Mount Sumeru, yet it acts in such a standardized and thorough manner.
Then, after the war against the demons, all realms were in decline, and the small sects that remained in the first heaven had no resources to teach disciples. So Shen Zhiwei gathered everyone together, and since there were no dedicated immortal masters, he had the cultivators take turns teaching the lesser cultivators in their respective realms.
As a result, the Bixia Sect developed rapidly over the past ten years, gathering more than a thousand disciples, and its size was not small even in the First Heaven.
Rong Ying pretended to listen attentively, but a sense of anxiety rose within her.
The story is glorious, righteous, and beautiful, but that's not what Rong Ying wants to hear. She wants to know who Shen Zhiwei's backers are, whose mistress she is, and who is hiding behind her.
Can Shen Zhiwei accomplish anything by herself alone? Absolutely not!
No matter how good the story sounds, don't believe it. There must be someone behind Shen Zhiwei.
She needed to first assess Chen Zhiwei's capabilities.
Because of a hint of impatience, Rong Ying's expression also underwent a subtle change.
Ling Qingshu seemed unaware, but she immediately said that after the Bixia Sect became the dominant force in the business, it also recruited the disciples and elders of those small sects that were unable to continue operating, so that the cultivators in the Kumu Mountain area would not lose their property or jobs.
Shen Zhiwei even turned enemies into friends, and respectfully invited the two former sect leaders, Shi Miaoxue and Nan Yulou, to join the Bixia Sect as eminent elders.
They also have the capacity to tolerate others.
Rong Ying perked up a bit and finally spoke: "Surname Nan? Is it related to the Sect Master Nan of the Third Heaven?"
She felt she had grasped the key point.
Although the third heaven is below the Yuan Yuan Heaven, it is already within reach of the Yuan Yuan Heaven's feet.
The Southern Sect Master of the Third Heaven was quite famous. While his cultivation was indeed decent, he was known for his womanizing and womanizing ways. As the Palace Master of Tianchi Palace, Nan Yuxiu owned a golden palace and had twelve concubines, who fathered a large number of children. His wife and concubines, the legitimate and illegitimate, all joined together to compete for favor and resources, creating a chaotic and noisy mess.
Because of its compelling storyline and chaotic atmosphere, even Rong Ying knew a little about it.
Ling Qingshu: "This Nan Yulou is indeed the son of the Nan Sect Master. Although he was born to a maid, he is exceptionally talented and has caught the attention of the Nan Sect Master. They have some interactions on a regular basis."
After Ling Qingshu said so much, the audience, who had been lacking interest, suddenly perked up and all seemed to understand.
I see!
It must be thanks to Nan Yu Lou!
With a third layer of heaven, a great illegitimate child was brought in to pull strings, no wonder the Bixia Sect is doing quite well.
The Shen family is nothing but a facade.
Rong Ying naturally didn't know whether Shen Zhiwei was a decoy, but since Shen Zhiwei was so respectful and subservient to even the illegitimate son of the Third Heavenly Sect Master, treating him with the respect of a high-ranking elder, it showed that Shen Zhiwei's backing wasn't that powerful either.
She has now figured out Shen Zhiwei's true nature.
Rong Ying also relaxed.
Someone nearby flattered her: "Fairy Rong, I heard that this Sect Master Nan sends gifts to your sister every year, but your sister never accepts them."
Rong Ying married well, and her family was incredibly supportive. Her elder sister, Rong Yuejun, possessed exceptional talent, being the number one swordswoman in the four realms, and she and Rong Ying shared a deep sisterly bond. Who wouldn't say Rong Ying was lucky?
Upon hearing this, Rong Ying smiled and said, "Sister is just a bit aloof and prefers peace and quiet. She doesn't really like to socialize with people. It's not that she looks down on anyone."
But in reality, they just look down on them. Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can curry favor with the Rong family or be qualified to exchange gifts with them.
If the Southern Sect Master hadn't been in the third level of heaven and possessed some cultivation, he wouldn't even have been qualified to be rejected by the Rong family; he probably wouldn't have been able to even enter the Rong family's gate.
Thinking of this, Rong Ying found her earlier thoughts somewhat amusing, as she had been unsettled by Shen Zhiwei's arrogant and presumptuous words.
The Southern Sect Master has come to the Rong family to curry favor every year, yet the mere illegitimate son of the Southern Sect Master has already been respectfully invited by the Shen family to serve as an elder.
It seems that Shen Zhiwei's foundation ends here.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhiwei was filling out a form in front of the Celestial Master of Tianyuan Mansion.
Shen Zhiwei's hair was tucked behind her ears, revealing a section of her snow-white neck. Her beautiful face was framed by a focused gaze that seemed to be taking a very careful look.
As she filled out the form, strands of hair slipped down her face, which Shen Zhiwei gently tucked behind her ears.
Sect Leader Shen was a beauty, but the immortal master who received her dared not underestimate her.
Knowing how Shen Zhiwei helped Shen Xiaochun gain admission would reveal the remarkable skill of this sect leader.
He has a keen eye for rules and is an expert at exploiting bugs.
At first, Tianyuan Prefecture only considered talent and cultivation level when accepting young cultivators. However, some parents of young cultivators resorted to evil cultivation methods, forcibly consuming pills to temporarily improve their cultivation level, or using methods such as sealing the five senses to temper the bodies of young children.
Although they successfully entered Tianyuan Academy, several of them became demonic cultivators with unstable mindsets and fell into the demonic path.
Therefore, at the request of the Rong family's Sword Immortal, junior cultivators were required to accumulate spiritual points and participate in social practice before enrolling. Enrollment required accumulating enough spiritual points through official sect missions in order to successfully enroll.
This rule has its advantages and disadvantages. Without connections, major sects won't casually allow junior cultivators to participate in sect missions. Junior cultivators are young and lack cultivation, so they need others to take care of them when participating in missions, and they also need to shoulder some responsibility.
You can choose not to do missions in major sects, but depending on the sect's level, missions in smaller sects yield fewer spirit points. As a result, by the time you've accumulated enough spirit points, your child will already be too old.
Once a child is over twelve years old, Tianyuan Prefecture will no longer accept them.
Shen Xiaochun started doing small sect tasks for the Bixia Sect when she was six years old. Each task didn't earn many spirit points, but the quantity mattered. Shen Xiaochun's tasks were all short-term. So far, she has completed 127 tasks to accumulate enough spirit points before enrolling in the sect.
Shen Xiaochun's mission records are complete and detailed, explaining her contributions to each mission. There are also signatures and inscriptions from her teammates, which can be reviewed and revisited by the examiners of Tianyuan Prefecture.
The Bixia Sect was officially registered nine years ago, confirming it as a legitimate small sect.
The materials sent by Shen Zhiwei were perfect. The reviewers of Tianyuan Prefecture reviewed them again and again, and followed up on each one. Only three of the 127 small tasks were deemed unqualified, but the spiritual points were more than enough.
Many minor cultivators from immortal sects and families cannot have such perfect files. If they are reviewed by the examiners of Tianyuan Prefecture, about one-third of their tasks will be deemed unqualified and cannot be counted as spiritual points.
Shen Xiaochun's number of completed tasks and success rate were both astonishing; no one had ever exploited the bug like this before her.
Shen Zhiwei had a thorough understanding of the rules.
Before the mother and daughter arrived, they had already subtly "competed" with the immortal masters of Tianyuan Mansion, and now the immortal masters had finally met the real people.
However, having come this far, there was hardly any animosity between them; their visit was mostly driven by curiosity.
The rule of Tianyuan Prefecture is that people can go home on weekends.
Shen Xiaochun received the uniform for junior cultivators from Tianyuan Prefecture and a spirit stone for identity verification, which she had to keep on her wrist at all times; otherwise, she would not be allowed to enter or leave Tianyuan Prefecture.
There is also a list that records the scrolls, medicinal herbs, and spiritual items that Shen Xiaochan needs for her classes.
Sang Jing conjured a jade slip with intricate patterns: "Parents' Group for Class 4, Year of the Snake (癸巳), scan the code with your divine sense to join."
Shen Zhiwei swept it with his divine sense.
The next moment, beeping notifications sounded all around Rong Ying.
Rong Ying observed with her divine sense that a new member, Shen Zhiwei, had been added to the group.
Following the advice of the immortal master Sang Jing, Shen Zhiwei changed the group name to "Old Shen of Shen Xiaochan's Family".
Chen Zhiwei's WeChat group name card suffix: Wholesale pills, discounts for bulk orders.
There will be no notification sound when a new person joins the group, but there will be when they add a friend.
Shen Zhiwei cast a wide net, quickly adding all the group members after joining, but notably omitting Rong Ying.
There were friend request notifications all around, but Rong Ying remained silent.
Although Rong Ying had absolutely no chance of accepting Shen Zhiwei's friend request, she was still furious. She gritted her teeth secretly, thinking to herself, "That's just how scheming female cultivators in the lower realm are!"
Rong Ying remained silent, and the people around her didn't say anything either. Everyone kept quiet, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.
Everyone wondered if the Shen family really had a grudge against Fairy Rong.
Fifteen minutes passed in this manner.
"Ding-dong!"
When everyone was quiet, Rong Ying's friend request notification sounded.
This time, it was Rong Ying alone.
Rong Ying looked and saw that it was indeed Shen Zhiwei, though he seemed to be hesitant. She gritted her teeth and, without hesitation or resoluteness, immediately and firmly rejected him.
Inside the Cloud Palace, Young Master Mu had stopped writing.
He curled his fingers and tapped the surface lightly a few times.
A dark figure stepped out from the shadows, knelt respectfully before Young Master Mu, and accepted the scroll that Young Master Mu had just written.
Young Master Mu instructed, "I have written down a few new names. You all need to keep a close watch on the cultivators on the list and be aware of their every move."
The shadowy figure agreed and slowly disappeared into the darkness.
Throughout, Young Master Mu spoke gently, as kind as a great philanthropist.
A-Chuan, the newcomer, was sweating profusely as he listened.
The image on the screen changed, and the other person was now facing A-Chuan: "You should be called Jin Chuan?"
A-Chuan nodded frantically and quickly said "yes."
He was just a nobody, and he had only arrived today, yet Young Master Mu actually recognized him.
Young Master Mu: "I remember the names of all those who serve me, no matter who they are. You don't need to be nervous. I treat everyone around me, whether they are new or old, with sincerity and I usually do not avoid them."
A-Chuan's knees buckled, and he suddenly knelt down, kowtowing twice.
For some reason, although he was terrified to the extreme, Young Master Mu's casual words made him feel a burning desire to die for him.
The other party seemed to possess an indescribable, bewitching magic.
After A-Chuan stepped down, Young Master Mu waved his hand and began the blood test.
He snapped his fingers lightly, and the glass bottles filled with blood flew into the air, shimmering and swaying.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com