Chapter 3

In the following days, Ding Qi was fully focused on going up the mountain, hoping to find a few plants of the phoenix tail grass. However, perhaps the good luck from finding medicinal herbs for several consecutive days had already been used up. These days, Ding Qi had no harvest at all.

On this day, Ding Qi, carrying a basket full of firewood, came down the mountain with his head hanging low.

Just like the previous days, there was no harvest today either.

However, after returning home, Ding Qi remembered another matter and couldn't help but feel happy.

This matter was that his second uncle was coming.

Ding Qi's second uncle, named Ding Shan, was his father's younger brother. When he was young, he went out to make his way in the world. It was said that he had achieved some success outside.

Ding Qi's father and this second uncle had a very close relationship and often interacted. Whenever the second uncle came, Ding Qi's mother would always prepare some dried mountain goods for him to take back.

Whenever the second uncle came, it was also the happiest time for the Ding family siblings. Because the second uncle would always bring them some delicious and fun things from outside the mountains.

The family would also rarely have a meaty meal to entertain the guest. The last time Ding Qi had tasted meat was when the second uncle came.

The second uncle arrived earlier than Ding Qi had expected, coming the next day at noon.

After eating, the second uncle, who hadn't been there for a long time, chatted with Ding Qi's father and mother.

The conversation soon turned to the second uncle's adventures and life over the years. Ding Qi stood beside them, listening very attentively.

Ding Qi had long known that Ding Shan was a semi-gangster, managing business for a gang. This made Ding Qi, who was very curious about the gang world, pay extra attention. He wanted to hear more about the gang from his second uncle.

Unexpectedly, in the second uncle's conversation, something Ding Qi was quite familiar with appeared.

In the conversation between Ding Shan and Ding Qi's parents, the term 'true qi' was mentioned.

Ding Qi's father and mother clearly didn't know what true qi was and didn't care much about it. Ding Shan also didn't plan to explain it in detail. The conversation was about to move away from this topic.

However, Ding Qi, standing aside, didn't want to miss this opportunity to inquire.

He was extremely curious about the gang world and wanted to know more about it.

After hesitating for a moment, Ding Qi asked his second uncle about the true qi he had mentioned earlier.

After a series of questions, Ding Qi confirmed that the warm current in his body was indeed the true qi mentioned in the gang world, which made him very happy.

However, upon learning that Ding Qi had true qi in his body, Ding Shan was quite surprised.

After that, Ding Shan couldn't help but inquire about the specific situation of the true qi in Ding Qi's body and compared it with the characteristics of true qi he knew. Finally, Ding Shan initially believed that the current flowing in Ding Qi's body was indeed the true qi of a martial artist.

Next, Ding Shan's strange expression, alternating between a smile and a frown, made Ding Qi very puzzled. He really couldn't understand why the true qi in his body would cause such a big reaction from his second uncle.

After understanding that Ding Qi had true qi in his body, facing the puzzled look from his father, Ding Qi's second uncle explained why he had acted so strangely.

From the subsequent conversation between his second uncle and his father, Ding Qi roughly understood the reason.

The gang sect where Ding Shan was, called the Qingyun Sect, was a large sect in Jingzhou, a remote area with weak government control and many sects. The sect was divided into inner and outer disciples, and Ding Shan was an outer disciple.

Every year, the Qingyun Sect would recruit a batch of inner disciples from outside.

Of course, the sect's recruitment of inner disciples wasn't open to everyone; it required a recommendation. With Ding Shan's status in the sect, he didn't have the right to recommend. However, after learning that Ding Qi had true qi in his body, Ding Shan had a sudden idea.

The Qingyun Sect's recruitment of disciples required a recommendation, but there were exceptions. For example, exceptionally talented martial arts prodigies could be recruited without a recommendation.

A situation like Ding Qi's, where he had true qi in his body at such a young age, had a high chance of being accepted into the sect.

Ding Shan's unusual behavior was because he wanted Ding Qi to try.

Ding Qi's father was a simple mountain man who had an instinctive fear of 'gangs' and 'sects.' However, after Ding Shan's repeated explanations, he understood that if Ding Qi could really join a gang sect, it would be much more promising than learning a trade.

Even achieving great wealth and status was not impossible.

After thinking it through, Ding Qi's father, who was initially hesitant, finally agreed to Ding Shan's suggestion.

According to Ding Shan, as an outer disciple, he didn't have the authority to finalize this matter. He would need to have someone from the sect check Ding Qi again to confirm the final situation.

After informing the sect, he would come back to take Ding Qi to the city for an initial test.

As Ding Qi saw his second uncle off at the village entrance, his young face was full of excitement.

Ding Qi, not yet thirteen years old, had a face and figure that were between a child and a young adult, with a very ordinary appearance. From the outside, he looked like a common mountain person. However, over the past two years, listening to Old Zhang's mysterious and complex gang stories, many things had taken root in his heart, making his mind more mature than that of his peers.

Similarly, those gang stories made Ding Qi eager to see the outside world.

Looking at his second uncle in the distance, Ding Qi knew that his wish might soon come true.

Half a month later, in Ding Qi's anticipation, Ding Shan arrived at Ding Qi's home in a carriage. His second uncle told him that they would go to the city this time, where someone from the Qingyun Sect would check Ding Qi's body to see if the warm current in his body was really true qi.

If the examination passed, in about a month, it would be the time for the Qingyun Sect to recruit inner disciples each year. Ding Qi would be sent to the Qingyun Sect with others for the final assessment.