Chapter 259: Refusal

Qu Le turned his head to glance at her, but shifted his gaze away after just one look and continued gazing eagerly at Master Xuanmiao. "Master Xuanmiao, in this life I will only acknowledge you as my master."

Master Xuanmiao's brows were tightly furrowed, her patience nearly at its limit. Pan Yun glanced at her, saw her irritation, and without ceremony kicked Qu Le squarely in the chest, waving him off unceremoniously: "Get lost."

Not considering a second path—what kind of master would he be apprenticing to?

Did he think being the founding disciple of her senior sister was that easy?

Qu Le was sent flying with a kick, tumbling twice on the sand before finally stopping.

But he touched his own chest and found it didn't hurt at all.

Lin Qingyang hurried over to help him up. "Cousin, are you all right?"

Qu Le dusted himself off and climbed up from the sand, frowning: "I'm fine."

Lin Qingyang complained: "Why did you go provoke her? She's incredibly fierce, comparable to a great demon lord—her martial arts are high, and her temperament is ruthless. When we were trapped on that path, she was cackling as she killed people, she went on a killing frenzy."

Qu Le: "She's that formidable?"

Lin Qingyang nodded. "Super formidable."

"Can she fly? The kind where she steps on a sword and flies."

"I was unconscious at the time, so I don't know, but I do know that more than half of the dead Japanese pirates were killed by her."

Qu Le fell into thought. "Actually, apprenticing to someone else isn't out of the question. She's so young, so her master must not be old either. I'll just go apprentice under her master. If I can't be Master Xuanmiao's disciple, I'll be her junior brother."

Lin Qingyang: "... Cousin, she's a disciple of Long Hushan Academy. If you want to study at the academy, you first have to become a Daoist Priest, and only then can you take the examination."

Lin Mengzhu let out an earth-shaking roar. "Qu Le, Lin Qingyang, what are you two still doing? Hurry up and pack your things, we're returning to the city!"

The two of them shuddered, dared not speak further, and immediately ran to grab their bundles and catch up with the group.

No matter how Lin Mengzhu looked at them, they looked displeasing to him. "What are you two whispering about together? Who said anything about becoming a Daoist Priest?"

"No, no," Lin Qingyang shook his head. "Father, you misheard. Cousin wasn't going to become a Daoist Priest."

Qu Le:...

Lin Mengzhu's fierce gaze swept toward Qu Le, and he said through gritted teeth: "Once we get back, I'll deal with you!"

Qu Le shrank his neck and fell silent.

Pan Yun, meanwhile, was expressing regret. "Miao Zhen, I almost got you a rich junior brother."

Miao Zhen: "If Master were to find out, I wonder if he'd be pleased."

Pan Yun: "I thought you seemed quite pleased just now. You're pleased, I'm pleased, and Senior Sister has lost another nuisance—a situation that satisfies everyone. How could Second Senior Brother not be pleased?"

Miao He: "Anyway, you all just love collecting disciples for Second Uncle-Master. But I don't see any talent for Dao cultivation in that Qu Le at all."

Tao Ji nodded. "Indeed there is none—a block of elm wood. If he wanted to cultivate primordial force, he'd probably go his entire life without comprehending spiritual energy, transforming spirit into primordial. He can only practice martial arts, and at the absolute peak of martial force he might comprehend transforming internal force into primordial force, stepping into First Marquis."

Only by entering First Marquis can one truly be called a cultivator of Dao.

One could say that, among those sitting in the carriage now, not a single one has truly stepped into that rank.

To be more precise, Master Xuanmiao once had half a foot in, and Pan Yun now has half a foot in.

Tao Ji looked at Master Xuanmiao, then at Pan Yun, and said: "And our Mount Sanqing has no martial arts manuals suited for him. If he came to apprentice, it would only ruin him."

Pan Yun: "Aren't there plenty of senior brothers and sisters at Long Hushan Academy who can only practice martial arts and not cultivate primordial force?"

"They don't currently cultivate primordial force, but they have the talent. Unlike Qu Le, who is utterly rotten wood—without a shred of possibility."

Pan Yun grew curious. "Senior Brother, how do you determine whether a person has the talent for Dao cultivation?"

Because in the 26th century, they had instruments for testing. A child could be tested for free at birth, at three, at six, at eight...

Through instruments, they could see a child's affinity for the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as well as their talents across various dimensions. So many children had their path set for them from birth.

For instance, after her first test, she was singled out for focused cultivation.

Once they knew her talent dimensions, the state wouldn't force her choice, but her toys since childhood had been formation disks. Whenever she went out for a stroll or fought small monsters, they would give her large quantities of talismans...

From using them, to realizing that these talismans and formation disks could earn a great deal of money, Pan Yun had determined at eight years old that she would study talismans and formations in the future.

But this world had no testing instruments. She had previously assumed that the students in the academy were like her—determined by their teachers after probing their meridians and talent with primordial force.

After more exposure, she learned that their teachers hadn't necessarily even cultivated primordial force themselves, so they couldn't personally probe out their students' talents.

Wang Feiyin was still unique.

Then she was a little curious.

Tao Ji said: "Very simple—let them learn to draw talismans."

Pan Yun: "Draw talismans?"

Pan Yun immediately caught on. "By having them draw talismans, you observe how they connect with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?"

"Correct. They may have no primordial force, perhaps not even internal force, but talisman script is the writing that lets the body connect with the energies of heaven and earth. As long as they can draw it out, they can connect with spiritual energy."

"So anyone who can draw out talisman script has the talent for Dao cultivation. The faster and more complete they draw, the more spiritual energy the script captures, and the higher the talent."

Tao Ji said: "So many people's talent is determined the moment they enter the field. They are ignorant of this point when doing it, not knowing, and by the time they know, they themselves have become someone else's teacher." Pan Yun asked: "How well does Senior Brother draw talisman script?"

Tao Ji raised his chin and said: "Although I couldn't draw a complete talisman script at first, the moment my brush touched paper I connected with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so whether I could finish drawing a talisman became unimportant."

It was precisely because of this that Wang Feiyin determined this junior brother was unsuited for the talisman path, and very decisively had him study the alchemy path instead.

"Has Qu Le ever picked up a brush?"

Tao Ji: "No."

"Then how do you know he's unsuitable?"

Tao Ji: "He's too stupid. Limited insight isn't a problem, but his temperament is also poor. If he cultivated Dao, he'd probably bring disaster upon the entire sect."

Tao Ji glanced at Pan Yun and said: "You're also a source of trouble, but your trouble isn't a lifelong disaster—it somewhat answers to the righteous path of this world. We're willing to bear your trouble willingly. As for him..."

"If he were to bring upon us a catastrophe of sect-annihilation over a petty quarrel with someone, I would personally cleanse such a disciple from the sect."

Pan Yun immediately raised her hand and swore: "I swear, if he comes looking again, even if he offers ten thousand strings of wealth, I absolutely will not be tempted again into collecting a disciple for Second Senior Brother."

Miao Zhen was also frightened, and immediately said: "If Little Martial-Aunt goes back on her word and agrees, I will absolutely stop her."

! 。Read

She had no intention of getting involved with that troublemaking junior brother.

Tao Ji was satisfied and gave a slight nod.

Pan Yun mused, "Perhaps we could recommend him to Long Hushan."

Master Xuanmiao: …

Tao Ji immediately glanced at Master Xuanmiao, then turned to glare at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun finally realized and immediately covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, Fourth Sister—I forgot you're a Zhang."

Master Xuanmiao snorted, "Why don't you just recommend him to Wa Country instead?"

Pan Yun: "I'd love to, but I don't have any connections there."

The group bantered as Miao He drove the carriage ahead, gradually pulling distance from those behind.

Pan Yun drew closer to Master Xuanmiao and whispered, "Sister, what do you think of Chen Wen's character?"

Master Xuanmiao: "He values loyalty and righteousness, has a broad mind, excels in swordplay, and is skilled in water. As a naval battalion commander, he's acceptable."

"Does he care about wealth?"

Master Xuanmiao turned her head and stared at her silently.

Pan Yun smiled at her. "Fourth Sister, I have a treasure I can't retrieve alone—but if I hand it over to the imperial court, I'll be miserable."

Master Xuanmiao recalled how Pan Yun had approached Chen Wen with delight, then grown sour after Wu Xiaoli appeared, and how she'd just deliberately provoked him.

Master Xuanmiao instantly understood. "You're worried the treasure won't reach the imperial court, but end up in Wu Xiaoli's pockets?"

Pan Yun: "Look at his conduct and his face—does he seem like the type to share spoils with his troops or submit them to the imperial court? This isn't worry—it's fact."

Master Xuanmiao snorted. "Chen Wen would risk everything to partner with you. If word leaks, you're a cultivator—you can vanish anytime. He could face family annihilation and confiscation of his estate."

"His career is thriving now—he probably won't agree."

Pan Yun said, "I don't know how many sea maps exist. Can the Wa people find that island? If they can't reach it, I wouldn't mind waiting two more years."

Master Xuanmiao: "In two years, you'll be able to retrieve it yourself?"

Pan Yun lifted her chin proudly. "Maybe not even two years—one year, or even half a year. When I enter the First Marquis realm, I can slip away secretly and claim the treasure myself."

Master Xuanmiao: "You're the kind who falls ill if you have over five hundred taels, and might die if you have eight hundred—why do you want so much treasure? Are you planning to leave it in the sea to feed fish?"

Pan Yun fell silent, then turned to Miao Zhen and Miao He. "When the time comes, you two come with me—I'll make you plenty of huge space-storage items."

Master Xuanmiao sat up straight. "You can carve space arrays?"

Miao Zhen and Miao He finally found something to say and immediately pulled out the jade pendants around their necks, suppressing their excitement. "Master, look at this."

Master Xuanmiao instantly recognized the two jade pendants as space artifacts and froze.

Tao Ji watched helplessly as they conjured steamed buns, dumplings, and water bags out of thin air, then finally realized. "Y-you—you all…"

His eyes turned red with envy and a touch of grievance. "I don't even have one!"

Pan Yun patted her chest. "Third Brother, I'll make you one too—when the time comes, come with me to sea!"

"Fourth Sister too—we'll all go together. When we arrive, you handle the loot. Oh no, I mean—the treasure."

Tao Ji, Miao Zhen, and Miao He all nodded vigorously, faces alight with excitement.

Master Xuanmiao watched them silently, then sighed. "I'll test the waters with Chen Wen. Keep the treasure hidden and don't let the news leak."

Miao He: "Fourth Auntie, why can't we do it ourselves? Why do we need someone else?"

Tao Ji tapped her forehead. "Fool, this is going to sea. If you can have an experienced hand guide you, wouldn't it be better to have one?"

One more chapter—everyone get some rest.

(End of Chapter)