5 Chapter 4: Initiation into Huayang

The news that the Young Master had been rid of the evil by the High People, and was even about to become a Taoist priest, spread throughout the Shen family, causing quite a commotion from top to bottom.

From the main mother of the family, the "Second Mother", to the junior servants and maids who swept the floor, their faces were full of excitement.

It wasn't long before even half of Chunhua County was abuzz with chatter about this news.

Everyone knew that the well-known wealthy family in the county, Shen family's "sickly Young Master", a perfectly good Young Master suddenly wanted to become a Taoist Priest.

...

About half a month later, Shin Luo was found in an unnamed and somewhat desolate small mountain just outside Chunhua County.

Dressed in an Azure Robe and carrying a Small Parcel on his back, Shen Luo, who was looking rosy, stood in the pavilion, constantly looking around as if he was waiting for something.

In the center of a decaying Stone Table in the pavilion, was a palm-sized Triangle Plate embedded, cast from what seemed to be high-quality iron and lightly emitting white light, which looked quite magical.

"Are you the Junior Brother Shen mentioned by Master?" A deep male voice suddenly sounded from behind Shen Luo, startling him to turn around immediately.

He saw that there was a burly young Taoist Priest with thick eyebrows and big eyes in the pavilion, smiling at him.

"I am indeed Shen Luo, may I ask who is the Taoist master …" Shen Luo cautiously asked with a salute.

"I am also a disciple of Master Luo, my name is Tian Tiesheng. Master Luo asked me to take you to the Pavilion." The young Taoist Priest touched his head and said in a simple and honest manner.

"So it's Senior Brother Tian." Shen Luo saluted again.

"You can just call me Tiesheng. Although I am wearing a Taoist Robe, just like you, I am not a real Taoist Priest. The same goes for others in the Pavilion." Tian Tiesheng replied while casually patting the Stone Table with one hand.

With a "bang".

The Stone Table shook slightly, and the iron plate in the center immediately popped out and landed steadily in his hand.

Then, Shen Luo followed the young Taoist Priest out of the pavilion and walked along a seemingly remote path.

"Senior Brother Tiesheng, your action of patting the Stone Table just now was so powerful, it seemed like your palm was larger for a moment, what kind of skill is this, is it very powerful?"

"Hehe, that's Qingyang Hand. It's a type of external power, most of the disciples in our sect have practiced it. It is said that if it is practiced to a profound level, it can make you invulnerable to blades and guns, and even able to Cut Gold and Jade."

"That's amazing. It sounds like there are a lot of people in the Pavilion, am I right?"

"Not too many, add up the Inner and Outer Sect Disciples, there are around a hundred or so, plus some senior uncles and the like."

"Inner and Outer Sect Disciples? What is that, am I an Inner or Outer Sect Disciple as a registered disciple? And Senior Brother must be an Inner Sect Disciple, right?"

"I am currently an Outer Sect Disciple, it's not so easy to become an Inner Sect Disciple, there are only three slots in the Pavilion, and I've missed it by a bit several times... In fact, most of the disciples in the sect are Outer Sect Disciples, there are also not many registered disciples like you, I think you might be the only registered disciple in the Pavilion right now. Also, I should tell you that we have an ancestor in our sect who has secluded himself for years and is said to have lived for several hundred years."

"Just one person..."

"Junior Brother Shen, why aren't you speaking? I don't know why, but I feel like we get along really well, I want to tell you everything, I'm sure we'll get along well in the future." Tian Tiesheng's rugged voice echoed among the small mountains.

"I..."

...

Two years later.

On a grey-white rock, a young man who seemed to be in his twenties sat cross-legged, facing the slowly rising crimson sun, with his eyes slightly closed, his hands in a circle, his body motionless.

After an unknown amount of time, a seemingly invisible red thread started to materialize in the space between his cupped hands. At first, it was only an inch long but gradually grew to an inch and a half, two inches, two and a half inches. When it reached three inches, it could no longer grow any longer, and instead seemed like it would crumble and disappear amidst mild flickering.

The young man suddenly took a deep breath, and the red thread in his palms instantly turned into a red mist, which was directly absorbed into his nose and mouth. Only then did he lower his arms, open his eyes, and his face momentarily shone with a crystal-clear red light.

"I guess this means I've made it past the entrance level," mumbled the young man, feeling the warm sensation spread throughout his body and a smile of joy spread across his face.

As a matter of fact, the young man was Shen Luo.

"Clap. Clap."

"Props to our junior brother Shen. Everyone betted you couldn't master 'The Minor Transformation Yang Technique' within three years. Only I believed that your diligence would definitely make it possible. You sure didn't let me down."

A young man in a blue robe with a clear complexion suddenly walked out from behind the stone. There was an exquisite white jade cicada pendant hanging from his waist. He clapped his hands, smilingly towards Shen Luo.

"Bai Xiaotian, how did you get here? You bet on me with the others again." On seeing the young man in the blue robe, Shen Luo immediately felt his head spin.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it betting. It's more like winning a bit of 'copper-smelly' stuff, certainly cannot be compared to your wealth, Young Master." The young man in the blue robe, Brother Bai, responded, swaying his head as if the only thing missing was a folding fan in his hand.

Shen Luo rolled his eyes at this comment.

Others may not know, but wasn't he aware?

If you were to rank the wealthiest amongst the hundreds of disciples in the Spring and Autumn Pavilion, his ranking as a registered disciple would fall in the top three. The first would possibly be Bai Xiaotian, who joined the Pavilion around the same time as him. If he wasn't mistaken, the pendant hanging around Bai Xiaotian's waist alone would be a rare novelty worth a hundred gold.

These thoughts were not suitable for open discussion. Therefore, Shen Luo did not dwell on it.

"Since this money was won because of me, if not splitting half on meeting, at least you could treat me to a good meal, right?" He raised his eyebrows, laughing while addressing Bai Xiaotian.

"Oh, that won't be a problem. But the food in our Pavilion is difficult to stomach. If you want to taste something good, we'll have to go downhill. The senior brother guarding the mountain gate might make things difficult..." Bai Xiaotian looked hesitant, struggling to respond.

"Cut the act. When you snuck down the mountain to buy wine earlier, I did not see you complaining about the trouble of going out," Shen Luo pulled the plug on Bai Xiaotian's excuse.

"The gatekeeper, our Brother Niu Dadao, is truly ruthless. He would ask for half of my belongings every time before he allowed me to return. Thankfully, I found a secret path down the mountain where I could bypass the gate. I can take you there one day..." Bai Xiaotian initially looked disgruntled, but soon started laughing.

"It's fine for you, as an inner sect disciple, to sneak out of the Pavilion without getting in trouble. But as a registered disciple like me, I'll certainly be in big trouble if I dare to do so," Shen Luo raised his hands to answer.

Others might come to the Spring and Autumn Pavilion to learn martial arts or mystics, but not him. He was here to prolong his life, how could he risk it?

"I have a favor to ask, since you're going to the town, could you go to the pharmacy and paper store and get me some cinnabar and yellow paper," Shen Luo remembered something urgent, caught up with a few steps, and seriously said.

"You want to make talismans? Did Master Luo teach you?" Bai Xiaotian asked, surprised.

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