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Chapter 7: To Practice This Technique

“Yue Qianchou, is that right?” the master walking ahead asked with an indifferent tone. The disciple behind him quickly replied, “Yes, Master!” His voice carried deep respect, even bordering on flattery.

“Your spiritual roots are utterly terrible, though your name has some meaning to it.” The master nodded and asked again, “Why do you want to cultivate immortality?” The disciple immediately responded, “To subdue demons and eliminate evil, to uphold justice…”

The master stopped, turned around, and interrupted him, “Don’t give me that useless nonsense. Answer honestly.”

‘If I tell you the truth and you don’t kick me out, I‘ll tell you… it’s to pick up girls, you understand?‘ the disciple thought to himself, but his face showed an awkward smile as he said, “Master truly has keen insight. I cannot hide my thoughts from you. It’s to pick up… to achieve immortality and eternal life!”

“Hmph!” The master turned and continued walking, with the disciple following behind. The two continued their question-and-answer exchange as they walked further away.

Through his master‘s words, Yue Qianchou gained some understanding of the Azure Light Sect. His master’s name was Hao Sansi, belonging to the eighth generation of disciples, the same generation as Sect Leader Liu Changqing. As for those of higher seniority, they no longer concerned themselves with worldly affairs, hiding in the back mountains to focus on cultivation. Speaking of which, Yue Qianchou’s seniority was quite high. The lowest-ranking disciples in the Azure Light Sect were eleventh-generation disciples, and when they encountered Yue Qianchou, a ninth-generation disciple, they had to address him as “Grand Master Uncle.” Hao Sansi had never taken a disciple before; Yue Qianchou was his first.

Just as they crossed a courtyard wall, Yue Qianchou was startled. Looking around, he saw that the back mountain had over a thousand buildings of various sizes built along the mountain range. To construct such a vast complex of buildings on such a high mountain required tremendous power. Yue Qianchou’s assessment of the Azure Light Sect could be summed up in two words: “wealthy.”

Following the stone path, he noticed that the houses weren’t uniform in style, and most came with courtyards. Both houses and courtyards varied in size. Hao Sansi led Yue Qianchou to a reasonably large house with a sizable courtyard. After entering, Hao Sansi said, “I live here alone. There are plenty of rooms, so pick whichever one you like.”

Yue Qianchou was somewhat dumbfounded upon entering. From outside the courtyard, the house looked decent enough, but as soon as he got close, there was an indescribable smell—absolutely nauseating. At the time, he wondered, ‘Could this be the legendary scent of alchemical pills?’ Now, the scene before him made him unable to believe this was where a cultivator lived.

The smell of alcohol, body odor, foot odor, and the putrid stench of various accumulated garbage filled the air. Looking around at all the… that… that… and that other thing. Yue Qianchou couldn‘t identify what these black, lumpy piles were—one here, another there, stacked so high around the courtyard they nearly reached the top of the walls, emitting all sorts of foul odors. Amazingly, not even a single weed could be seen in the entire courtyard. He immediately felt like vomiting, but to save his master’s face, he forcibly held it back. He couldn’t believe that a living person could turn a house into such a state!

When his master told him to pick any room he liked, he nodded in agreement with tears in his eyes—not from being moved, but from being overwhelmed by the stench. In his own words, it was more irritating to the eyes than cutting onions. At that moment, Yue Qianchou wanted to give his master two words: “beast.”

Hao Sansi seemed to know what Yue Qianchou was thinking. He fetched a wine jug, took a gulp, and laughed, “Haven’t cleaned up in over a hundred years. You’ll have to make do!”

“Over a hundred years… damn!” Yue Qianchou finally couldn’t hold back and rushed outside, retching violently.

For the next half month, Yue Qianchou fully demonstrated his spirit of hard work and perseverance, resting at sunset and working at sunrise. During the day, dressed like a ninja turtle, he carried bag after bag of things that everyone avoided down the mountain cliff. At night, he slept in the outdoor forest, with the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed.

After another half month, the house was completely renovated after being washed with water and cleaned with springs, with fragrant flowers planted everywhere. Yue Qianchou finally chose his own room—a process that was indescribably painful. He also understood why all the houses within a hundred meters of his master were empty.

…

“Smoke rises again from cooking fires, dusk covers the earth. I want to ask the wisps of smoke, where are you going? The sunset holds poetry, the twilight holds artistry…” In the same courtyard, under the setting sun, wisps of cooking smoke rose. Yue Qianchou hummed a little song, wearing a hat made from folded banana leaves, busily working with great enthusiasm. On his homemade grill, various items were arranged, and he held a brush, dipping it in sauce and continuously coating the roasting food. During this time, he had created many strange and wonderful things to flatter his master, with obvious intentions.

“What nonsense song are you singing again? It sounds terrible.” Hao Sansi laughed and scolded, holding bamboo skewers threaded with field frogs, wild chicken meat, rabbit meat… The air was filled with enticing aromas.

Under the moonlight, two simple bamboo reclining chairs held one old man and one young man, both holding wine jugs in one hand and tearing at roasted meat with the other. Between them sat the grill, its fire dying down but still radiating warmth, keeping the already-cooked meat warm. Whenever they wanted to eat, they could simply reach out and grab some—extremely convenient.

“Master! Don’t throw the bamboo skewers around carelessly. Please cherish the fruits of my labor!”

“Hehe! I’m used to throwing things around. I’ll definitely change, definitely change!”

‘How are my friends in that distant land doing?’ Yue Qianchou lay in his chair, gazing at the starry sky, his heart filled with countless worries. Perhaps because Azure Light Mountain was quite high, the twinkling stars appeared exceptionally bright. Taking a sip of wine, he asked listlessly, “Master! I’ve been here for three months now. When will you start teaching me cultivation?”

From beside the grill came a wine burp and the reply, “Qianchou! I’ve told you before—your spiritual roots are too poor. You simply cannot cultivate. Even if I taught you cultivation, it would be a waste of time and effort. Why won’t you give up? Would your master lie to you?”

“I really can’t accept this! I came here full of enthusiasm, but now I’m filled with grief and indignation. Sigh! Even those eleventh-generation disciples dare to mock and ridicule me when they see me. Fine! That doesn’t matter—I can endure it! But when will these days end? Don’t I even have a chance to turn things around? Master! Even if it’s hopeless, you should at least let me try! Won’t you give me even this tiny chance…” As Zhao Wuchou spoke, his voice grew smaller and smaller. From the smell of alcohol, he seemed to be drunk. During this time, he had been like this almost every day, drowning in alcohol every night just like his master. In his mumbling voice, that repeated phrase could still be heard: “Master! I really can’t accept this…”

Hao Sansi sighed softly, his drunken, drowsy eyelids drooping. The master and disciple began snoring under the brilliant starlight.

When the ground began to show a faint white light, the clouds and mist floating around the mountainside of Azure Light Mountain had already been dyed golden yellow by the sun that had just jumped above the horizon, with clouds swirling and mist surging, draped in rosy clouds. The peak of Azure Light Mountain was the first to be bathed in golden light.

Lying in the bamboo chair, Yue Qianchou, who was dreaming of meeting fairy sisters, felt something hit his chest and woke up. Raising his hand to block the golden rays illuminating everything, he sat up just as something fell from his body. Without question, it must have been thrown by his master. Stretching lazily, he picked it up casually—it was a book. On the blue cover were written three large characters: “Mysterious Heaven Technique.” Yue Qianchou glanced at it without much interest and was about to toss it aside when he suddenly froze, hardly believing what he saw—two small characters in the lower corner of the cover: “Elementary.”

Wow… Yue Qianchou jumped up excitedly. What he held was indeed the elementary cultivation method of the Azure Light Sect’s “Mysterious Heaven Technique,” which he had heard about long ago but never had the chance to see. After his excitement, he clutched it tightly to his chest. Turning around, he saw his master Hao Sansi watching him with a smile. Yue Qianchou suddenly felt this old fellow was too adorable, so excited he could barely speak.

Hao Sansi laughed heartily and went back into the house, his faint words drifting out: “Although I’ve never taught you anything, I know you’ve been preparing for cultivation these past few months. I believe you should be able to understand this book, so I won’t need to teach you anymore! If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come find me anytime.”

Yue Qianchou hugged the book, tears welling up in his eyes. He wiped them away, dropped to his knees, and kowtowed three times with resounding thuds. In life, what could be more joyful than getting what one’s heart desires? These three kowtows were sincere and heartfelt, and he truly accepted Hao Sansi as his master in his heart.

…

In Yue Qianchou‘s own room, for nearly a month, he had already memorized the introductory cultivation method for the Qi Refining stage by heart. Except when hungry, he had barely left the courtyard. Even Hao Sansi, who often pestered him for food, hadn’t disturbed him. According to the cultivation method, one must first sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, then absorb and utilize it. However, this blockhead of a body had spent nearly a month without feeling even a fart, let alone any spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Thinking of the Azure Light Sect elders‘ assessment of him as worthless, his heart felt desolate. Yet he refused to give up. If he were the type to retreat when facing difficulties, his previous life’s self wouldn’t have become the notorious Boss Guo. There was a line from a TV drama that he deeply agreed with… Never abandon, never give up!

After another two months, Yue Qianchou in his room began to feel restless—still no response whatsoever! During this time, he often encouraged himself with the story of the tortoise and the hare. But this feeling of marking time in place was unbearable for anyone! Sensing that his mindset had become problematic, he immediately decided to stop, go out for a walk, and adjust his mentality. He believed that someday, even an iron rod could be ground into a needle.

Stretching his limbs, he wandered out of the courtyard gate. Hao Sansi, holding a wine jug and leaning against the doorway, watched the departing figure, sighed, and shook his head.

The Azure Light Sect had many disciples, and along the way, he encountered quite a few familiar and unfamiliar faces. Many people pointed and whispered about him. Although Yue Qianchou rarely went out, his reputation as a waste had already spread throughout the entire Azure Light Sect. Those familiar faces were naturally people he had conversed with before, like the two eleventh-generation disciples approaching him now.

One said, “Oh! Grand Master Uncle! Have you eaten your fill, sir?”

The other said, “What kind of talk is that? Just because Grand Master Uncle hasn’t eaten his fill doesn’t mean he can’t come out for a stroll! Eating, drinking, and sleeping all day long—anyone would get tired of it! Missing a meal won’t hurt! Grand Master Uncle, don’t you think I’m right?”

The two immediately burst into laughter. This was the kind of conversation he had with those familiar faces. Some masters even used him as a negative example to educate their disciples. Yue Qianchou had grown accustomed to these things, smiled sardonically, and brushed past the two. To make someone who was once high and mighty, with pride in his heart, calmly face such gossip and mockery—the bitterness involved was something outsiders couldn’t comprehend. For the person himself, it was an unforgettable experience.

Looking around, the Azure Light Sect had quite a few beautiful female disciples! Yue Qianchou sighed inwardly, but seeing the hint of mockery in their eyes, he could no longer utter the words “picking up girls.” He clearly knew he had lost that qualification. Even relying on appearance, Yue Qianchou‘s current body didn’t meet the standards! Could he hope to move them with his kind heart? Yue Qianchou wasn‘t that naive. Or use the shameless persistence approach to pester them? Without confidence, he disdained to do such things. To him, that was no different from begging or seeking others’ pity.

In his own words… one could do despicable, shameless, and lowly things, but one couldn’t become a despicable, shameless, and lowly person. A person must not lose their basic dignity. From this, one could see that deep in his bones, Yue Qianchou was still that proud underworld boss who laughed at the world.

His gaze swept over the long swords carried by passersby, and he felt envious. Those were symbols of disciples who had reached the fourth level of Qi Refining. The Qi Refining stage had three levels—elementary, intermediate, and advanced. Breaking through the third level to reach the fourth was considered intermediate level, and the Azure Light Sect would provide weapons—a specially crafted long sword that was naturally far superior to ordinary worldly swords.

To avoid those mocking gazes, or perhaps subconsciously escaping, Yue Qianchou walked toward the depths of the back mountain. The back mountain was home to retired predecessors of the Azure Light Sect who had withdrawn from worldly affairs. Ordinary disciples didn’t dare disturb them there, and he knew this. With a vague sense of pilgrimage, he walked toward that area.

Looking at the end of the path, where dozens of ancient buildings were hidden among the forest, Yue Qianchou stopped. He didn‘t dare go further. Those were the residences of the predecessors—even Sect Leader Liu Changqing wouldn’t dare trespass there. This was his first time walking to this place, and he couldn‘t go any further. That wasn’t a place he could enter. Sighing, he turned to return the way he came. After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

What was this? There seemed to be an overgrown forest path beside him, extending downward along the mountain slope, leading to an unknown destination. If one didn‘t look carefully, it would be hard to notice—one could vaguely make out traces of what had once been a path. After a moment’s hesitation, Yue Qianchou decided to investigate. Stepping on the thorn-covered wild path, he carefully made his way through.

The mountain slope continued downward, and after walking for about half an hour, stone steps suddenly appeared beneath his feet. The gaps between the stones were overgrown with wild grass, almost completely concealing them. The path wound and twisted, leading to an unknown destination. The surrounding trees were densely packed and gloomy. Yue Qianchou had thoughts of turning back, but having walked for so long, he couldn’t suppress his curiosity and continued downward.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he heard the sound of rushing water nearby, and his pace quickened involuntarily. Suddenly, the view opened up before him—he had reached the end of the path. A spray of water mist hit his face, and what came into view was a waterfall cascading straight down from the cliff above. Below was a pool carved out by the waterfall’s constant erosion day and night.

The area around the pool, nestled in the mountain hollow, had clearly been artificially excavated into flat ground. A stone monument about two meters high stood beside the pool. From Yue Qianchou‘s angle, he couldn’t see what was written on it. He hurried over to look.

“Forbidden Area”—two blood-red characters, imposing and intimidating, were carved into the stone monument.

Yue Qianchou‘s heart skipped a beat, wondering if he had trespassed into a place he shouldn’t have entered. He couldn’t help but look along the path beside the monument, where a dark cave was hidden behind the cascading waterfall.

***********