Chapter Four Absurdity
The light of the sunrise broke through the darkness, the red sun slowly rising. As the light streamed into the seclusion room through the windows, the thin fingers suddenly turned gold!
Zuo Mo put his index finger in front of his red-veined eyes.
There seemed to be a gold layer around his index finger. The expressionless Zuo Mo’s eyes were intoxicated. As the sunlight changed direction, leaving his finger, it revealed the original appearance. A layer of light gold energy was wrapped around Zuo Mo’s index finger, slowly turning.
The aged gold energy!
Just at this time, clang clang clang clang clang. The melodious bell ran five times, echoing in the mountains.
The gold light on the finger shook and the aged gold energy suddenly collapsed.
Zuo Mo jumped up dishevelled from the ground. Damn it! It was already morning. Disregarding his hunger, he ran outside like the wind.
At this time, if one was in the sky above Wu Kong Mountain, they would see hundreds of figures running out of their yards to head to the same place.
Zuo Mo once again cursed inside the rule that outer sect members were not allowed to fly inside the mountain, his feet moving frantically as he sprinted.
The Hall of Hearing Principles was located at the Cow Horn Peak of Wu Kong Mountain. This mountain peak was named due to its shape.
When Zuo Mo burst into the Hall of Hearing Principles, there were already many people sitting down. He randomly found a mat to sit and gasped for air.
At the front, a young person was sitting. About twenty or so, his face like jade, his eyes like stars, the light threatening. A dark blue plain robe. Among the tens of people in the room, he was like the crane among the chickens.
Xu Yue, third ranked among the inner sect disciples. Usually, he was responsible for teaching the outer sect disciple. He was the disciple of Master Xin Yan. He was the one most talented at forging among the inner sect disciples. Other than that, he had a vast knowledge on a variety of miscellaneous topics.
Ding!
On the table, a bell made from jade rang, the sound rising and spreading out. Zuo Mo felt his mind jump and become refreshed, the tiredness from staying up all night disappearing.
Xu Yi shixiong’s Green Water Jade Bell Set was one of the talismans that Zuo Mo wanted the most. The rack was made up of red copper. Seven green bells were arranged in order of large to small. Carved on each bell were countless ant-like seal characters. The green light would flow and it was lovely.
Each bell had a different affect. The one that had been struck was [Great Clear Sound Incantation]
Zuo M could only just be envious. This set of green jade bells had taken tremendous time and energy by Xu Yi shixiong to forge. The other shixiong didn’t have one either.
Xu Yue shixiong was well loved by the outer sect disciple. Any other shixiong, who would use [Great Clear Sound Incantation] to help clear their minds?
Xu Yue’s sleeve swept out and the doors of the Hall of Hearing Principles loudly closed.
Zuo Mo’s attention was on the desk in front of shixiong. Other than that set of green jade bells, there were also a variety of knick-knacks.
Forging? Zuo Mo instantly rejoiced inside. He had entered Wu Kong Sword Sect for two years but never heard san shixiong[1] talk about forging.
Every so often after an amount of time passed, san shixiong would teach some of the methods of cultivation. It was one of the benefits for outer sect disciples. Many people entered the sect just in order to learn these cultivation methods so when they left the mountain sect, they could find a good job.
Like Zuo Mo. He only had a cultivation of seventh level lianqi. He couldn’t find many jobs. But if his third level of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain], he could find a pretty good job in any farm or medicine garden. Tian Yu Jie didn’t have many exports but due to the good climate and abundant ling energy, there were many farms and medicine gardens.
Scriptures increase ling energy and cultivation. What was needed was the resources and accumulation. Ling veins, ling medicine, jingshi, they could all increase cultivation. If they were not available, then you could only rely on time to slowly accumulate.
Spells were the usage of ling energy. What was needed was teachings and comprehension. There were geniuses who could comprehend the arts on their own but for normal people, receiving teachings was more realistic.
Some large sects, before their disciples achieved zhuji, they were restricted from learning arts. That was because the way they looked at it, cultivation was the most fundamental.
But for normal xiuzhe, cultivation was just a delusion. Ling veins, ling medicine, jingshi etc . None of those were things they could wish for. In comparison, spells were more realistic. One could find a pretty good job, receive a pretty good income. Other than guaranteeing a livelihood, their descendants wouldn’t find it as difficult for their cultivation.
“You have spent a certain amount of time at this sect. I know how much effort and hardship you have endured. You have to keep cultivating and not start to neglect it. It will make it easier to find a living in the future. Your efforts would not be wasted. Cultivation through scriptures, I won’t be chatty. There isn’t anything to talk about there. If your scores this year are excellent, I naturally will pass on high-level scriptures to you.
Today, what I am going to be speaking of is two ways of forging talismans. The first is Ling Exciting Hoe, the second is Needle and Thread Sucking Pouch.
The ling Exciting Hoe is an essential talisman for you in order to take care of the ling fields. It can excite the ling energy inside the ling fields and make it easier for the ling plants to absorb ling energy. The Needle and Thread Sucking Pouch is used to intake the sap of the ling plants. Remember, you have to quickly hand over the sap of the ling plants that are sucked out. Otherwise, when the ling energy in the sap has dissipated, you can’t get a single contribution point.
Pay close attention. I’ll only say all of this once today ……”
Xu Yue shixiong spoke plainly, spirit in his words that made convinced people.
Zuo Mo listened extremely carefully. This was the first time he touched the topic of forging. He was afraid to lose even one word.
When Xu Yue shixiong finished his lecture, it was six hours later. He hadn’t ate all night, and concentrated for six hours, the front chest of Zuo Mo was touching his back. Quickly returning to his yard, he searched around for something to fill his stomach.
Before he could wipe his mouth, a sudden sword light came down from the sky, landing in the yard. The jinzhi around the yard didn’t have any strength to resist before exploding.
A man with an icy expression appeared in front of Zuo Mo.
Zuo Mo swallowed the swear that had reached his mouth right back into his stomach, his heart jumping wildly. Why did this death god come?
Before he could make a bow, he heard the other snort: “You are Zuo Mo?”
“Zuo Mo greets Luo Li shixiong!” Zuo Mo’s voice was respectful as he made a deep bow. Luo Li shixiong might be ranked fourth among the inner sect disciple but he had the deepest cultivation among this generation of disciples. His natural personality was cold and he was a fanatic about cultivation. His innate talents were outstanding and among the second generation, he was the only disciple that managed to achieve [Empty Sword]. He was the one widely accepted as the one most likely in two hundred years to achieve the sect’s greatest technique, [Void Sword].
Just as famous as his innate talents and power was his moody temper. He was responsible for supervising a mine for the sect. According to rumors, if the xiu servants who mind there were even the least bit incompliant, he would kill them with one stroke.
Luo Li was too lazy to talk to him. He suddenly appeared behind Zuo Mo’s back and lifted off, holding his collar.
Zuo Mo might have called himself the first one among the outer sect disciples to have a steed, but it was the first time he experienced such flying speed. He only felt the sky and earth were rotating, the oncoming wing making his face hurt and he couldn’t even open his eyes.
When his feet touched the ground, Zuo Mo almost collapsed.
“So it really is a zombie face.”
Zuo Mo, who had just recovered from dizziness, heard this and instantly his good opinion of the speaker was zero.
A young female dressed in green examined him in interest. Her chin was pointy, her cheekbones slightly high. There was a smile on her face but there wasn’t any warmth in her eyes.
Her gaze made Zuo Mo very uncomfortable but he didn’t dare to show any discontent. He respectfully gave a bow: “Greetings to Hao shijie !”[2]
Hao Min shijie and Luo Li shixiong were the disciples of Yan Le Shishu. [3]. Supposedly, Luo Li shixiong was weirdly infatuated with her. That rumor didn’t seem to be unfounded.
“I heard your [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] is at the third level?” Hao Min pierced Zuo Mo with a look and asked.
“Yes!”
“Very good.” Hao Min said, satisfied: “I’m going out for a time. In this time, the medicine fields will be given into your care.”
Not given Zuo Mo any time to talk, she threw a jade pendant at Zuo Mo, coldly stating: “This is the certificate to get into the medicine fields. Rain once a day. From today until I return, in this time, you have to take care of the medicine fields.”
Her tone instantly became severe: “My temper isn’t very good. We’ll put the ugly words first. If something goes wrong with the medicine fields, I won’t forgive you when I return!”
Finishing, she didn’t look at Zuo Mo, turning to look at Luo Li. She wrapped around his arm, her smile like a flower, her voice gentle as water: “Shixiong, let’s go.”
A few hints of warmth floated on Luo Li’s face. He looked carelessly at Zuo Mo, snorted coldly and the two flew into the air.
Zuo Mo held the jade pendent, frozen to the spot as he watched the two disappear into the sky.
When a person is misfortunate, even drinking water would get stuck in the teeth. He had never thought he would be this misfortunate.
The outer sect disciples didn’t like Hao Min shijie. She was ruthless and selfish. Being ordered about by her didn’t have any benefits. Her temper was also nasty and as fickle as Luo Li shixiong. If one didn’t take care, it was beatings and scolding.
From beginning to end, the two never even asked for his opinion.
Zuo Mo screamed inside.
From when he opened his eyes to now, he only interacted with the ling grains. He had never taken care of medicine fields before. Even worse, with his cultivation, he could only do the third level of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] once every day.
Thinking about the rain agreements he had signed with the other shixiong, his mouth was bitter.
There were three places in Wu Kong Sword Sect for medicine fields. The one that Hao Min shijie was responsible was in Cold Mist Valley. He held the jade pendant, his heart jumping as he walked in the direction of Cold Mist Valley.
Cold Mist Valley was between two mountain peaks, mist swirling about all year around. The temperature was lower than anywhere else on Wu Kong Mountain and that was how it got its name. It was one of the important areas of the sect. Outer sect disciples basically had no permission to enter. If it wasn’t that Zuo Mo’s [Little Art of Rain and Cloud] had reached the third level, Hao Min definitely wouldn’t have picked him.
On the road, there were old trees, grass everywhere. Fragrance rose and vitality was present. Sometimes, small animals like rabbits and squirrels passed by, joyfully jumping. But Zuo Mo had no interest in admiring scenery. His heart beat frantically as he held the jade pendant and furtively made his way, two legs trembling.
Everywhere on this road were jinzhi. They were in the open or in the shadows. Some strong jinzhi occasionally would discharge a terrifying aura which made him almost suffocate. With his seventh level lianqi abilities, if he accidentally set off the jinzhi, not a drop of him would remain.
If it wasn’t that he naturally had a zombie face, his face definitely would be pasty white and bloodless.
[1] 三师兄: third elder student. Referring to Xu Yi who is ranked third
[2] 师姐: senior female student
[3] 师叔: senior uncle. Male of a sect’s older generation.