Chapter 173: The Difficulty of Being a Master and Apprentice, Orders from He Mountain

In the cultivation world, both "teacher" and "apprentice" are actually high-risk professions, especially in heterodox, evil sects like the He Mountain Sect; if the relationship isn't handled well, a "benevolent teacher and filial apprentice" outcome is just normal.

Something like, "With the teacher above, today this apprentice honors you, old man, with a front-row seat in the Soul-Bewitching Banner."

Or, "Apprentice, your talent is peerless. I have a copy of the Xiangjia Strange Technique here; go practice it quickly so that in the future you may roam the world with me—wouldn't that be grand?"

Sigh. Why bother?

Right, if you're taking on apprentices, those surnamed Xiao are fine, those surnamed Tang are not—remember that.

Although Chen Ci only took on Long Xianzhi as a Registered Disciple, a Registered Disciple is still an apprentice, far beyond the status of the previous menial laborers or servants; it isn't just a matter of tossing them a cultivation manual and calling it a day, but rather one must provide them with real gold, silver, and cultivation resources every month to support them.

Yes, you read that right: taking on an apprentice is actually the teacher paying the apprentice; this is the teacher's obligation. Those cases where the apprentice pays the master are called "trainees," and that doesn't count as a teacher-apprentice relationship.

As for the apprentice, their obligation is: "When the teacher has affairs, the apprentice performs the labor."

Don't look down on that monthly supply of cultivation resources and hard cash; even for a cultivator who has just entered the Dao, if they serve as a retainer, they must receive a monthly stipend of about five hundred to one thousand taels of silver. This is the cost of employing people in the cultivation world; otherwise, if every power took on a hundred or eighty apprentices and retainers, there would be no Loose Practitioners left in this world.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the sound of two sets of footsteps came from outside the door.

If this were in the He Mountain Sect, one of them would definitely have been turned into a Dharma Artifact; it goes to show that stipends are no small matter—what should be given must be given.

"Greetings, Teacher (Uncle-Master)!"

"Yes, Uncle-Master."

"The two of you, come here."

But relying solely on the agricultural income of Sanyin Temple, supporting one Master Chen was already a struggle; taking on a Registered Disciple was effectively a loss-making business. Chen Ci using the Baiyang Sword Solution as payment had already significantly lowered the stipend, yet over these thirty years, he still had to occasionally bestow pills and talismans to win hearts. Not only that, he had to open new sources of revenue, otherwise he couldn't afford to support his own foundation; if it went on too long, people's hearts would naturally drift away.

Extending his finger, he let his Nether Yin True Qi circulate through their bodies; Chen Ci's expression remained unchanged, but he had a rough idea in his mind.

As for not paying money and wanting to freeload on an apprentice's labor, one might manage for three or five years relying on sentiment, techniques, and empty promises, but once some time passes and the apprentice makes a name for themselves, one would have to refer back to the aforementioned "benevolent teacher and filial apprentice" dynamic.

"The Baiyang Sword Solution is a heterodox art; although its power is not small, you must be careful and cautious, and practice slowly."

Long Xianzhi's Baiyang Sword Solution had not yet entered the threshold either. He was previously just an ordinary hero of the pugilistic world, not some renowned swordsman; although he had cultivated a wisp of Innate True Qi, switching to this kind of heterodox sword energy was very strenuous for him.

In the side room, Geng Yuanqing responded, and then Chen Ci heard the sound of the door opening and someone leaving.

"Come in, all of you."

There was no sense of Qi in Geng Yuanqing's body; clearly, the Nurturing Qi Heart Classic had not yet been mastered. He was far worse than that little black-skinned girl he had picked up before.

Chen Ci pondered for a moment and called out: "Yuanqing, go call your Senior Brother Long over; I have matters to instruct you both on."

If he's lacking, he's lacking; in any case, he isn't his own apprentice, and Ahu can worry about him in the future.

Chen Ci instructed indifferently.

Chen Ci fished six Longevity Pills from his sleeve and flicked them to his apprentice, saying: "This Gold Swallowing Method easily damages the liver and stomach; besides consuming gold and iron, you must also nourish your body constantly. Keep that in mind."

His own Sanyin Temple was too thinly populated, yet he needed to find some servants; otherwise, if his disciples had to attend to every little trivial matter, how would they find time to cultivate?

Chen Ci beckoned and asked: "In your recent cultivation, has there been any slackening?"

Didn't Master Chen have a pair of "benevolent teacher and filial apprentice" in his past life that caused such an uproar, where the teacher even cursed them with the famous line, "Deceiving heaven and destroying ancestors, defying human ethics"? Chen Ci had originally thought the apprentice had slept with the teacher's wife and was preparing to watch the drama, only to find out in the end that, hey, it was all just over a dispute about a stipend.

Their aptitudes... were not very good.

"Thank you, Teacher, for the pills!"

Long Xianzhi received the pills, his face full of respect.

"Although the Nurturing Qi Heart Classic is only a breathing technique, it is very important for the body's foundation. Even if you feel your cultivation has not progressed, you must persevere; when the time is ripe, True Qi will naturally arise."

Chen Ci turned his head and gave Geng Yuanqing a few pointers as well. One sheep is easy to herd, and two are just as easy; since this cheap nephew-disciple was following him, it wouldn't do to ignore him, so he flicked six Longevity Pills to him as well.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master!"

Geng Yuanqing was slightly excited, as if he hadn't expected that he too could receive a reward.

"I called you here today because there are a few things I need you to do. Sanyin Temple does not feed idlers; even if you have stepped onto the path of the Dao, there is work to be done."

Chen Ci laughed lightly: "Worldly wisdom is also a form of cultivation; both of you, take note."

"First, I saw yesterday that the various fields under the temple have already been planted by tenant farmers. During this period, the temple has been vacant and no one has been managing things. You two go to the county and inquire about who helped organize the spring planting, prepare some modest gifts, and pay them a visit to express gratitude. Do not lose the decorum of my Sanyin Temple."

"Second, the temple's estates and businesses must be set up again. Recruit more animal keepers to purchase fresh livestock within the borders of Xishan Prefecture. The Frost Sugar business can also be started up appropriately; it should be no problem now. Right, have the Head of the Family of the Huang Family come over tomorrow."

"Third, go to the estates and among the tenant farmers to recruit four honest and clever boys to serve here. You two must cultivate, so trivial matters can be left to the Daoist acolytes."

"Have you remembered clearly?"

The two went over Chen Ci's instructions in their minds and replied in unison: "We have remembered."

"Go on down."

Chen Ci waved his hand and let them both go off to get busy.

The feeling of having apprentices to order around is really quite good; this is the benefit of having a foundation. Although Changping County is too remote and there are few fellow cultivators, and the income from the fields isn't much, if one doesn't have to pay tribute to the Fuhu Altar, life is actually quite passable, and one can devote one's energy to cultivation.

Unlike the Liangjiang Sea Market—good as it is, if Master Chen wanted to earn some silver there, he would have to work bitterly like an ox or a horse.

"The worldly affairs should be handled steadily by the two of them, but matters of cultivation still rely on me, the Master."

Chen Ci shook his head, his figure flashed, and he left Sanyin Temple, heading into the mountains.

He still had some items he couldn't take with him back then, which he had hidden in a pit in the mountains; now, he had to go retrieve them.

A bronze ancient tripod, the "Medicine Spring."

A Baiyang Sword.

An ordinary small tripod.

Together with some miscellaneous items, they were all dug out of the mountains by Chen Ci and moved back to the Sanyin Temple's alchemy room.

Not to mention anything else, just this "Medicine Spring" tripod and this Baiyang Sword could be worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, along with dozens of catties of Five Elements Divine Sand; it was just that the objects were too large, and it was hard to find a suitable buyer.

This could be considered the fixed assets of Sanyin Temple.

Chen Ci stroked his chin and flicked his finger against the "Medicine Spring" tripod, producing a muffled sound.

Worldly business can find enough flesh and Essence Refining for Master Chen, but for a cultivator, if one truly wants to earn cultivation resources, one must rely on immortal methods.

It's just that with these immortal methods, Master Chen is currently only familiar with alchemy but not proficient, still in the stage of losing money while researching; although he knows and is proficient in talisman arts, there isn't much of a consumer market. While the Soul Fixing Talisman is good, and he will be able to produce them in large quantities once he studies talisman arts further, it's not that Chen Ci can't sell them at a low price, but he can't force the wealthy families in the county and the Loose Practitioners in the mountains to run into evil spirits every day, right?

Besides, this Changping County doesn't have that many ghosts and evil spirits.

As for other talisman techniques

Huh, wait, actually it's not that I can't have them.

Chen Ci pondered in silence, his brows twitching slightly, as if he were hesitant.

He possessed the three talismans of Dream Entry, Nether Connection, and Nightmare Victory, as well as the five ghosts of Red Center, East, South, West, and North; since this was the specialty of a He Mountain cultivator, he could actually handle it with ease.

It's just that, sigh, Master Chen is kind-hearted; if it were another place, it would be fine, but this Changping County is considered his Daoist practice ground, and making his methods look too ugly would be unjustifiable—this is a method of draining the pond to catch the fish, not a steady path of long-term development.

"Forget it, in this poor place, there isn't much oil to squeeze out anyway; it is better to study alchemy, become an alchemist, and live in luxury—that is the proper path."

Chen "He Mountain" Kind-hearted let out a soft hum; ever since his low-to-medium quality Three Yin True Qi upgraded to top-tier Nether Yin True Qi, both his talisman techniques and medicine-gathering methods had improved, but he hadn't been able to settle down outside to test them; now that he had returned to his practice ground to refine the Yellow Sprout Pill again, the success rate would surely be much higher, but he currently lacked the pill ingredients, otherwise Master Chen would have started a furnace immediately.

No one knows the alchemy of gathering Qi, but one cry of "pill formed" will shock the world.

Money, come!

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Teacher, the County Venerable requests an audience!"

Outside the door, the voice of his Apprentice Long Xianzhi rang out, interrupting Chen Ci's daydreams.

Wiping the corner of his mouth, Chen Ci asked indifferently: "Mm, I know. Do you know what it is about?"

"The County Venerable says it is an order sent down from Nine Springs Temple and the Xishan Prefecture government, commanding him and Teacher to cooperate fully on a matter."

Pausing for a moment, Long Xianzhi reported in a low voice from outside the door: "Accompanying the County Venerable is also a young Daoist; this Apprentice's vision is shallow, and I cannot discern the depth of his background, but he seems to possess True Qi cultivation."

(End of chapter)