DONG! DONG! DONG!
As the morning bell rang out, Hong Yuan quickly changed his clothes and washed up. Following the orders given by his Senior Brother Zhu Wushang the previous day, he headed straight to the White Frost Stone House where his master, Lin Daoyan, resided.
Lush, verdant bamboos stood in picturesque rows along both sides of the path. Their emerald leaves intertwined overhead, forming an arched "roof."
The intense sunlight and the broiling heat of late summer were thus kept at bay. No matter where one stood in this area, the view ahead was obscured beyond a few meters down the path.
The towering green bamboo forest concealed the entire White Frost Stone House. Winding paths led through it, yet at every turn, one's view was met with an expanse of bamboo.
As it happened, aside from his initial apprenticeship, Hong Yuan had not seen his master Lin Daoyan, who was known for his swift and decisive actions, for almost two months.
He hadn't expected that his next visit would be because his master's daughter had become a first-order Alchemist.
It seemed that even the most powerful Martial Artists could be constrained by family ties.
"Yuan, this way!" His Senior Brother Zhu Wushang waved him over, standing beside two men whom Hong Yuan did not recognize.
"Greetings, Senior Brother," Hong Yuan politely said to Zhu Wushang.
"Haha, I've always said Yuan is very polite, with impeccable character," Zhu Wushang chuckled happily. "This is your Fourth Senior Brother, Bai Ge, who currently serves as the Lord of Tiannan City."
"Greetings, Fourth Senior Brother," Hong Yuan bowed his head in greeting.
Garbed in luxurious brocade robes, Bai Ge had a tall and slender figure, standing with a crane-like grace, his eyes bright as stars.
He smiled faintly at Hong Yuan. "Ah, Junior Brother, greetings. Here is a small token that I hope will be of assistance to you."
Zhu Wushang saw Bai Ge pull a White Bull Bow from a large storage bag and gently nodded to Hong Yuan, indicating he should not refuse.
The White Bull Bow was a superior weapon with a powerful draw weight. It was excellent for strength training and could withstand repeated dry firing without issue. Even if Hong Yuan reached the third stage as a Martial Artist, he would still find it useful!
Hong Yuan, understanding the gesture, said, "It's a gift from an elder; I dare not decline. Thank you, Senior Brother."
Bai Ge watched with a pleasant smile as Hong Yuan took the impressively heavy longbow. Fortunately, Hong Yuan hadn't been lazy with his iron-forging recently; otherwise, he wouldn't even have had the strength to hold it.
Seeing Hong Yuan take the White Bull Bow, Bai Ge smiled at Zhu Wushang and said, "Indeed, he's a diligent lad."
Zhu Wushang, pleased by the comment, hummed a few times and then introduced the second person to Hong Yuan.
"Yuan, this is your Fifth Senior Brother, Mo Jiuyou. He is General Black Wolf of the Yong State army and commands the Black Wolf Cavalry."
Dressed in black combat attire, Mo Jiuyou stood with a bear-like robustness and an intimidating presence.
"Greetings, Fifth Senior Brother," Hong Yuan also politely bowed his head to greet him.
Mo Jiuyou, who was not one for casual smiles or words, strained to force one, making every effort to appear friendly to Hong Yuan. "Archery and strength are inseparable. Since Fourth Senior Brother has gifted you a precious bow, I shall gift you the Qinglu Mountain Moving Skill from the Qinglu Taoist Temple, along with its related medicinal formulas."
"Generous of you, Junior Brother!" Zhu Wushang's eyes lit up. He decisively stepped forward, took the items, and placed them in Hong Yuan's arms.
Although the Qinglu Mountain Moving Skill was only a second-order Cultivation Technique, its effect on enhancing strength was comparable to that of a fourth-order technique. It was a method most coveted by the lower-ranked disciples of the Qinglu Taoist Temple.
"Hehe..." Mo Jiuyou chuckled naively, scratching his head.
Naturally, Hong Yuan thanked his Senior Brother Mo Jiuyou profusely and then stood aside at Zhu Wushang's signal, listening as the three senior brothers analyzed the current state of affairs.
Today was a bumper harvest for him! A super bumper harvest! The White Bull Bow! The Qinglu Mountain Moving Skill! Both items were priceless treasures, extremely rare, and exactly what he urgently needed. It seemed Senior Brother Zhu Wushang had arranged for these gifts from his other senior brothers in advance. Looking back, apprenticing under Lin Daoyan and behaving properly in front of Senior Brother Zhu Wushang were some of the best decisions Hong Yuan had ever made. His senior brothers were all very magnanimous and took great care of their junior brother. They didn't engage in cutthroat competitions over minor gains like the other Elders did. This made Hong Yuan feel immensely comfortable.
"The Qinglu Taoist Temple might not make it past the end of this year," Bai Ge said softly.
"It's not that soon yet. As long as the Qinglu warriors stand, Qing State will not fall apart," Mo Jiuyou reported on the situation from the front lines.
Listening to his three Senior Brothers analyze the Daxuan Dynasty's situation, an image of a dynasty in decline and chaos formed in Hong Yuan's mind.
The central region of the Daxuan Dynasty had essentially lost control over the various states and counties, except for Central State. The imperial edicts could not reach anywhere else. The dozen or so top sects within the Daxuan Dynasty each acted as independent rulers, like little emperors. Whoever had the largest territory was the boss.
The common people lived in misery, suffering unspeakably. Although it hadn't reached the extremity of resorting to cannibalism, it wasn't far off.
Just this March, a calamity struck the Qinglu Taoist Temple, causing its governed Qing State to destabilize and a terrifying famine to occur.
Nearly a million people died from the great famine, and countless refugees poured into Yong State, governed by the Phoenix Creek Sect…
So, it's total chaos outside the Sect. Good heavens, it looks like I need to keep working hard on my forging skills to become a qualified logistics staff member. I'm determined to stay in the Sect's rear echelon and avoid the front lines.
As the three senior brothers talked from the Daxuan Dynasty to the Qinglu Taoist Temple, and then from the Qinglu Taoist Temple to who would be this year's Phoenix Creek Tutelage holder, the door to the White Frost Stone House opened.
CREAK.
Standing at the door was a young lady dressed in pink maiden's attire, tall and graceful, exquisitely charming. She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen, exuding an alluring beauty that was breathtakingly enchanting.
She called out crisply to Hong Yuan's three Senior Brothers, her voice as pleasant as a gentle stream, refreshing to the soul, "Brother Wushang, Brother Bai Ge, Brother Nine Nether."
GULP.
It wasn't because the young girl before him was a feast for the eyes, but because he recognized her. Moreover, he had a verbal agreement with her. Lin Yiru! This young lady was none other than Lin Yiru, whom he had exploited during her desperate times, leaving her indebted to him for a huge sum of 200 Energy Stones! He couldn't help but recall what she had proclaimed about her background: "I can give you lots of Energy Stones, many, many Energy Stones! My master is a Sect Elder! My father is also a Sect Elder!!!" So, it seemed Lin Yiru was actually the daughter of his master, Lin Daoyan!?
Oh dear, talk about an internal blunder. Now the show must truly go on.
"Xiaoru, long time no see," Zhu Wushang greeted warmly.
"Yiru has become even more beautiful. I daresay she'll captivate the entire younger generation of the Phoenix Creek Sect," Bai Ge remarked, his eyes narrowing in a faint smile.
"Xiaoru, how has Master been lately?" Mo Jiuyou asked softly.
Just as Lin Yiru was about to respond to her three "brothers" one by one, she caught sight of Hong Yuan.
Upon a closer look, confirming she hadn't mistaken him, she suddenly exclaimed, "Hong Yuan!?"
The three Senior Brothers simultaneously directed their curious gazes at him, making Hong Yuan feel enormous pressure.
"Sister Yiru, hello," Hong Yuan said with forced calm and a gentle smile.
However arrogant and indifferent he had been half a month ago, he was now equally humble and sincere.