Chapter 5

After sitting still and digesting the last two spirit-enhancing pills, Lu Bei took a deep breath, slowly got up, and walked around for a moment to loosen his stiff body, then added some firewood.

A quilt was spread out in front of the offering table, and Lu Bei, not seeing Bai Jin, very conscientiously crawled into the quilt.

There was no need to be shy. Considering his senior sister's realm and strength, she had long transcended the low-level pleasure of a quilt. On the contrary, he was weak, helpless, and pitiful. Without the protection of a quilt, it would be hard to ensure he wouldn't catch a cold the next day.

"Hey, it smells so good!"

...

The next morning, Lu Bei was woken by the noise. Upon getting up, he saw about twenty strong men in the front courtyard, which scared him so much that he quickly rolled up his bedding and ran to the back yard with a small box full of Mo Buxiu.

Bai Jin was in the back yard, her face covered with a white veil, followed by a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant. Every time Bai Jin pointed, the middle-aged man would mark something in his ledger.

"Senior Sister, what happened?"

"Junior Brother Lu, you came just in time. Let me introduce you. This is the head of the Four Jing Peak of the Emei Sect, Master Ding..."

"Master Ding?"

"I am Daoist Ding Lei. Greetings, Master Lu."

"???"

The Four Jing Peak and the Three Qing Peak both belong to the Jiuzhu Mountain system, the Emei Sect's base, which can be considered a neighbor to the Yuhua Sect.

This Emei is not that Emei. It just sounds impressive, but in reality, it is as insignificant as the Yuhua Sect. From Ding Lei's secular appearance, it was clear that his intentions were not purely for cultivation. He cultivated to have a good physique, and with a good physique, he could earn more money.

Last night, Bai Jin broke into the Emei Sect, had a friendly meeting with Master Ding, and signed an order for the renovation and decoration of the Yuhua Sect.

Logically, being woken up in the middle of the night by an uninvited female demon and forced to sign a humiliating labor contract would be intolerable for any man in the Emei Sect. But...

She paid.

The contract was signed under duress, but the money was real. Ding Lei knew that if this matter were reported to the Huangji Sect's Dasha Pass, the authorities might not even bother with it, and the final result would be a private settlement.

Considering Bai Jin's generous payment and swift sword, Ding Lei gritted his teeth and swallowed his pride, arriving at the Three Qing Peak at dawn.

The other disciples were half recruited to accompany and boost morale, while the rest went to Langyu County to hire workers.

When he saw Lu Bei, Ding Lei was very polite, but his words had a hint of jealousy, clearly viewing him as a good-for-nothing pretty boy.

He despised him, but also envied him, which was not contradictory.

Lu Bei felt uncomfortable under Ding Lei's sour gaze. After understanding the situation, he pulled Bai Jin's sleeve and came to the old tree: "Senior Sister, why so sudden?"

"Not really sudden. For cultivators, wealth, companions, methods, and location are all essential. Since Uncle Mo entrusted you to me, I must take full responsibility."

Bai Jin frowned and said, "Junior Brother Lu, last night I toured the surrounding peaks. The Three Qing Peak, where the Yuhua Sect is located, is the poorest. It is not a good location for a Daoist temple."

Last night, Bai Jin toured the nine peaks of Jiuzhu Mountain and found that the Three Qing Peak was aptly named. It had no people, no money, and no spiritual energy. Even the spiritual bamboo, which Jiuzhu Mountain is famous for, could not be found on the Three Qing Peak.

The poverty was obvious, and the Three Qing Peak lived up to its name.

The lack of people and money could be solved, and the lack of spiritual energy was not a big issue. There were better places nearby, and with a bit of discussion and martial exchange, a satisfactory result could be reached in no time.

Hearing the underlying meaning in Bai Jin's words, Lu Bei's eyes twitched. He thought, "No wonder she is from the Sword Sect. Her words are concise and direct."

I like it!

However...

"Senior Sister, harmony is precious. I just took over as the sect leader. How can I develop the Yuhua Sect and fulfill my master's legacy if I offend our neighbors?"

Lu Bei earnestly said, "Moreover, my master was very skilled. If he chose the Three Qing Peak, there must be a reason. As his disciple, how can I go against his wishes?"

Bai Jin frowned, about to say something, but was interrupted by Lu Bei: "I know you will take care of me, but you can't take care of me forever. You will eventually return to the Lingxiao Sword Sect, right?"

Bai Jin nodded, acknowledging Lu Bei's point, and no longer mentioned changing the location.

"By the way, Senior Sister, next time..."

Lu Bei pointed at Ding Lei, who was measuring, and whispered, "Can you discuss it with me first?"

"Is there anything wrong?"

"I'm still young and want to try harder."

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm just talking nonsense."

...

At noon, the disciples who went to recruit workers arrived, bringing dozens of people up the mountain.

Bai Jin didn't mention the cost of rebuilding the Yuhua Sect, and Lu Bei didn't ask. Asking or not asking would be the same; they couldn't afford it anyway.

Watching the gradually busy sect, Lu Bei secretly enjoyed the pointing and whispering around him, feeling a bit ashamed of his own enjoyment.

His senior sister was so good to him; he should respect her.

So, he decided to respect Bai Jin from the heart, letting the gossip about him being a pretty boy go in one ear and out the other, with no intention of explaining.

Explanations were too deliberate and superficial, and he was not interested in such superficial respect.

Bai Jin also heard some gossip but remained unperturbed. She took Lu Bei to the deep pond at the back of the mountain and began his first step in cultivation.

Reading.

Three sets of twelve Daoist classics were placed in front of Lu Bei. His task was to read them repeatedly until his internal spiritual energy reacted, completing the initial 'opening of the orifices' stage.

The bad news was that the twelve classics stacked up to about half a meter high, which was intimidating; the good news was that everything was there, not just the table of contents.

So, this is how NPCs 'open their orifices.' It's different from players!

Opening the orifices is like choosing a main profession for players. Each account can only choose once, and once chosen, it cannot be changed. Players who regret their choice can only delete their account and start over.

In the Nine States world, there are four main professions: Daoist cultivation, demonic cultivation, demonic beast cultivation, and Buddhist cultivation. Each has its own focus in the early stages and distinct characteristics in the later stages, with each profession having its unique charm.

In the Nine States world, Daoist, demonic beast, and Buddhist cultivation are officially recognized by the various countries, while demonic cultivation is considered a deviation. Due to the poor reputation of most demonic cultivators, they often occupy nine out of ten spots on the wanted lists of various countries and are not recognized as mainstream.

On the surface, it's like this, but in private...

Let's put it this way: whether it's Daoist or demonic beast cultivation, the path of cultivation ultimately leads to the same destination. Taking the best from each is the best way. If you don't know a few demonic cultivation techniques, you can't even claim to be a cultivator.

Similarly, as a demonic cultivator, it's reasonable and logical to have a few Buddha relics for protection.

Among the four main professions, Daoist cultivation has the greatest compatibility, with the philosophy of embracing all rivers and the largest range of techniques to choose from.

Demonic cultivation is passionate and emphasizes breaking through to establish, with no retreat. Therefore, it attracts a lot of foolish and ruthless people, producing all sorts of oddities.

Demonic beast cultivation has the most restrictions, only allowing demonic beasts and humans with demonic blood to practice. Its essence is to refine the bloodline, tracing back to the innate from the acquired, similar to a green caterpillar evolving into a裂空座 (a powerful creature). Demonic beast cultivators with strong bloodlines can awaken innate abilities, easily overwhelming their peers.

Compared to these three flashy professions, Buddhist cultivation is more traditional, maintaining its own principles without resorting to flashy gimmicks.

In the early stages, Buddhist cultivators have the lowest combat power, but in the later stages, a powerful Buddhist cultivator can excel in all aspects, competing in magic with Daoist cultivators, in mental fortitude with demonic cultivators, and in physical strength with demonic beast cultivators.

Of course, the above situations occurred before the players logged in. By the fourth day of the disaster, these fearless players were doing all sorts of things, making the local NPC cultivators exclaim, "I've never seen such cultivation before!"