Chapter 7

★ ★ ★

At that moment, a few elders were seated in the main hall of the Daesan Sect, listening to the account of how Zhang found Hanje. As the story was coming to an end, one of the elders, his face red, slammed the table and spoke with dissatisfaction.

"Really, what does a mortal from the secular world have to do with us? There's no other sect that disgraces itself like we do. Sending someone to find a runaway kid just because he failed an exam is just plain embarrassing!"

A middle-aged man with a pale face sighed deeply.

"Elder Ma is right. There's probably no other sect like ours. However, if that boy had died, it would have certainly affected our ability to take in new disciples in the future."

An old man in silk clothing took a sip of tea and spoke calmly.

"In fact, this is all because our Daesan Sect is not what it used to be, which is why we're trying to take in disciples from the secular world. A few hundred years ago, we wouldn't have needed to involve ourselves in the affairs of ordinary people."

Finally, an old man with a deeply wrinkled face spoke slowly.

"About this boy. I heard he narrowly failed the second test. His talent is ordinary, but his perseverance is outstanding. Moreover, he is so earnest. What do you think about accepting him?"

After finishing his words, he glanced at the middle-aged man, closed his eyes, and did not speak again.

The red-faced elder frowned and spoke with dissatisfaction.

"Is our Daesan Sect so weak that we have to break precedent for such an ordinary kid?"

The elder who had his eyes closed responded calmly.

"Elder Ma, I'll take responsibility. Leave this matter to me."

The middle-aged man, trying to ease the tension, said,

"Fine. There's no need to make a fuss over a small matter. Let's do this: we'll take him in as a temporary disciple and observe him. If he doesn't become a sage after a few years, we can send him back. What do you think?"

The old man in silk clothing spoke.

"Will this set a precedent for failed test-takers to threaten suicide every time?"

The middle-aged man smiled and said,

"Well, we can plant a thought in their minds using the Soul Transformation Technique (化神術) to prevent them from committing suicide in the future. This boy is already in this situation, so let's just take him in as a disciple. After all, there's no major issue in taking in one temporary disciple."

Everyone fell silent, and the middle-aged man smiled.

'I've done everything I can to help. His fourth uncle, who is well-informed and knowledgeable, pleaded with me so earnestly, handing over a fine material. I had to do this much. But how did an ordinary person get his hands on such material? It's strange.'

Hanje's fourth uncle, who was well-informed and knowledgeable, had discovered an extraordinary material while trying to buy a sword from a blacksmith. The blacksmith, unaware of its value, sold it for a low price, and now it was worth many times more.

★ ★ ★

Two days later, he bid farewell to his parents. When he heard that he had been accepted as a disciple, he couldn't believe it, but seeing his parents' joy made him happy too. He resolved to practice diligently here.

After his parents returned home, Hanje met a fierce-looking man in yellow clothing at the place where tasks were assigned to the named disciples. The young man scanned Hanje with a contemptuous look and sneered.

"Are you Hanje, who tried to commit suicide to become a disciple?"

When Hanje didn't respond, the young man laughed again.

"Kid, starting tomorrow, you must come here as soon as the sun rises. Your job is to fetch water. If you can't fill ten jars, don't even think about eating. If you fail to meet the quota for seven days, I'll report to the elders and have you expelled from the Daesan Sect. This is your uniform. Disciples can only wear gray. When you become a formal inner disciple, you'll be given a different color."

The young man threw the clothes and a waist badge at Hanje, as if he were bothered by the task, and ignored him.

Hanje picked up the clothes and asked,

"Where will I stay?"

"Go north. You'll see a row of single-story houses. Show your waist badge to someone there, and they'll guide you."

The young man answered dismissively without making eye contact.

As Hanje turned to leave, the young man muttered to himself,

"Coming in by attempting suicide, what a useless guy."

Most of the people he encountered on his way were wearing gray. They all moved busily with expressionless faces.

Some carried tools, looking slightly exhausted.

As Hanje walked, observing the people, he eventually saw low houses. Many people in gray were there, busy with their tasks and not talking to each other.

Hanje showed his waist badge to a man in yellow, who managed the area. The man pointed to a building without saying a word.

Hanje, already accustomed to the cold expressions of the people, arrived at the house where he would stay and inspected the room.

The room, not very large, had two beds and a desk. It was clean and tidy, somewhat similar to his home.

He placed his luggage on the bed that seemed unused.

Various thoughts flooded his mind. Although he had finally entered the Daesan Sect, he wondered if he would learn the immortal techniques he had imagined. For now, he could only fetch water, as the young man in yellow had said.

Hanje sighed lightly and stroked the stone pillar tied to his chest with a rope.

Instinctively, he felt he should hide it somewhere and keep it a secret from others.

As night fell, a frail-looking boy entered the room. He was also wearing gray and looked exhausted. He seemed surprised to see Hanje, pondered something, and then lay down, falling asleep.

Hanje, not caring much, took a sweet potato from the bundle his parents had given him.

Biting into the sweet potato, which he was hungry for, he felt better. Suddenly, the boy on the opposite bed turned over and stared at the sweet potato with a look of longing, swallowing his saliva.

Hanje took out a few more sweet potatoes and threw them to the boy.

"I have plenty. If you want more, just say so."

Hanje smiled.

The boy quickly picked up the sweet potatoes and gobbled them down, then ran to the desk to drink water.

"Damn, I haven't eaten anything for two days. Thanks. Oh, what's your name?"

The boy, surprised to hear Hanje's name, covered his mouth with his hand and then smiled sheepishly.

"I'm Zhang Huo. Right now, there's probably no one in the Daesan Sect who doesn't know you. Don't take what I just said to heart. Actually, I was impressed by your story."

Hanje didn't defend himself. He just chuckled and gave Zhang Huo a few more sweet potatoes. Zhang Huo quickly took them, bit into one, and added,

"Hanje, be careful. You don't know how malicious that fox in the miscellaneous affairs office is. He doesn't even treat us disciples like human beings! You'll find out soon enough."

"Fox?"

It seemed to fit the young man in yellow who had mocked him.

"That guy in yellow. He wears yellow because he's qualified to receive the immortal techniques. He looks and acts like a fox, so everyone calls him that behind his back."

Zhang Huo drank water and clenched his teeth.

"Yeah, I know who you mean. He told me to fetch ten jars of water every day starting tomorrow. If I can't fill them, I shouldn't even think about eating."

Zhang Huo jumped up in shock.

"What? Ten jars? Have you ever wronged him?"

Hanje shook his head.

"No. I just met him today. Why?"

Zhang Huo looked at Hanje with pity and sighed deeply.

"No, you must have wronged him. Ten jars? Ha! The jars he's talking about aren't the small ones at home; they're as big as this house. Ten jars... Keep these sweet potatoes. You might not be able to eat for a few days. There are fruits in the mountains, but you're new and young, so it might be hard for you to get them..."

Zhang Huo left the remaining sweet potatoes on the desk, shook his head, and went back to sleep.

Hanje was furious at the fox's actions. He wanted to quit, but the hopeful look in his parents' eyes stopped him. He fell asleep, still unable to calm his anger.

★ ★ ★

Hanje got out of bed before the sun rose. Zhang Huo was still snoring. Hanje changed into his gray clothes and quickly went to the miscellaneous affairs office.

As the sun rose, the young man in yellow opened the door, glanced at Hanje, and said coldly,

"You're on time. Come in and take the jars. Go out the east gate, and you'll find a spring in the mountains. Fetch the water from there."

The young man, having said his piece, ignored Hanje and sat cross-legged, starting his Daoist breathing exercises as the sun rose.

White smoke emerged from his nostrils, resembling two white dragons ascending to the sky.