"The Three Emperor-Officials emerged from the chaos. Under the order of the Jade Emperor, they took on the roles of the Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official. The Heavenly Official ruled over all that is under the heavens, including the major gods, the great sages, and the emperors. The Earthly Official ruled over the gods of the Five Great Mountains, the minor gods, the sages, and the enlightened ones. The Water Official ruled over the gods of the rivers, streams, lakes, and the Immortals. The Three Emperor-Officials ruled over their respective realms with integrity, and the beings in these realms prospered. They took pity on the mortal realm and did many things to fulfill the needs of mortals. With their supreme intellect and compassion, they lovingly blessed and protected the mortal realm."
The sound of chanting echoed through the large cave. Li Huowang, along with the six disciples of Zephyr Temple, sat on mats listening to their Master's morning lecture.
There were no books to read from. Li Huowang chanted as accurately as he could along with the other disciples.
While chanting, Li Huowang raised his head and focused his gaze on Dan Yangzi, who was sitting at the front. Hostility flashed within his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
Facing the repulsive bastard, Li Huowang wanted nothing more than to flay him and consume his flesh. But he endured. He knew he was too weak right now.
His enemy was too strong, so he could not act rashly. All he could do was endure and wait for an opportunity to arise.
Though it might be very difficult, and Dan Yangzi might discover his plans and kill him, Li Huowang didn't care anymore.
When he saw Dan Yangzi shift his body sideways, Li Huowang quickly averted his gaze upward, past the three incense sticks, and focused on the three deity statues placed within an alcove in the wall of the cave. The three deities were wearing yellow Taoist robes, their eyes neither sad nor joyful, their gaze forever fixed on the insignificant mortals below. The three deities didn't exude an air of holiness. In fact, they looked quite normal. If it weren't for the Taoist robes, they would appear just like ordinary humans.
Although Li Huowang didn't recognize the three deities, he secretly etched their faces into his memory.
The chanting gradually died down. After the final verse, one of the assistants pounded a red drum three times, signaling the end of the morning lecture.
All of the disciples stood up along with Dan Yangzi. They held their left thumb with their right hand, covering it with their remaining four fingers, then raised both hands above their heads and paid respect to the three deities.
After paying their respects, Dan Yangzi slowly turned around and looked at his disciples.
When he saw Li Huowang standing at the very end in his Taoist robes, he nodded with satisfaction.
"Xuan Yuan, Xuan Yang has just become an official disciple, so he naturally knows very little about what we do. As his senior brother, you should guide him."
"Yes, Master." A chubby man with a round face bowed toward Dan Yangzi.
"Alright. It is now past 7 am. I have nothing else to tell you. Go and have your meals," Dan Yangzi said as he walked into an adjacent cave with his hands behind his back.
A man wearing a Huyuan hat followed Dan Yangzi, albeit with a gloomy expression.
"That was Senior Brother Zheng Kun. Ever since Zheng Kan and Zheng Zhen betrayed Master, he is the only direct disciple left. Please be more respectful to him if you meet him again. His temper is even worse than Master's," Xuan Yuan came up to Li Huowang and explained the other disciple.
Li Huowang nodded. "Thank you for explaining that to me, Senior Brother Xuan Yuan. Does Zheng Kun also know how to use special powers, like Master?"
Though there were still many things Li Huowang didn't know, it was clear that Dan Yangzi could manipulate objects through the air and possessed super strength, easily capable of lifting a stone urn weighing hundreds of kilograms.
But what Li Huowang feared most was his Master's most terrifying ability—the complete knowledge of everything happening within the cave, even knowing that Li Huowang had not agreed to run away with the other disciples.
If Li Huowang wanted to fight against Dan Yangzi, he needed to understand the details of this ability.
"Zheng Kun is a direct disciple. How would I know what he has learned from Master?" Xuan Yuan replied.
Li Huowang sensed a hint of jealousy in the statement.
The strength of a single person is too weak here. Should I find an ally within Zephyr Temple?
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it.
Those who would have stood against Master were probably already consumed by the Black Taisui. The remaining people were either loyal to Master or deeply afraid of him.
"Let's go. We can talk as we walk." Xuan Yuan turned around and guided Li Huowang toward the kitchen. "I know what you're thinking. Don't try to learn Master's method of becoming an Immortal. In terms of seniority, you're the youngest. All you need to do is follow Master's orders. When the time comes, you will naturally learn about it."
They arrived at the cave used for meals. The rest of the disciples were already there, eating congee.
Li Huowang recognized three of them. One was Xuan Yin, while the other two were Chang Ming and Chang Ren. Both of them had swords strapped to their backs. Along with Xuan Yuan and himself, all five official disciples of Zephyr Temple were gathered there.
"One of the rules of Zephyr Temple is that we don't speak while eating or sleeping. I'll teach you the rest after our meal," Xuan Yuan said, informing Li Huowang of the rule before sitting down to eat his congee.
Li Huowang followed suit and drank a mouthful from his black ceramic bowl, silently observing the other official disciples.
Their faces were distinct but average—neither ugly nor attractive. Li Huowang felt something was off, sitting at the same table and wearing the same Taoist robes as them.
When Xuan Yang blew his nose, his snot falling to the ground, the other two official disciples frowned. Li Huowang finally realized what was strange: it was their aura!
Some had a dignified aura like that of a scholar, while others had a rough presence, almost as if they were born to do menial labor.
Where did Dan Yangzi find these other four official disciples? Did he promote them from among the guiding drug ingredient collectors?
After their meal, the other disciples set down their empty bowls and left without even looking at their new junior brother.
Meanwhile, Xuan Yuan guided Li Huowang throughout Zephyr Temple, explaining the different sectors. From Xuan Yuan's explanation, Li Huowang learned that the other four official disciples were in charge of different aspects of the Temple.
Some were responsible for the assistants, others for collecting and buying raw materials from the outside. Some were even tasked with feeding the Black Taisui. Those with more experience even had multiple duties. However, it hadn't always been so busy for them. Since the last batch of escapees were killed, they had to take care of extra responsibilities.
Li Huowang's task was the same as Xuan Yang's before him: managing the Preparation Room. The main goal of the official disciples was to assist their Master in becoming an Immortal.
After talking for the entire day, Li Huowang gained a much deeper understanding of Zephyr Temple through Xuan Yuan's explanations. He did his best to remember as much as possible. This was no longer a hallucination he could leave freely. All of this information might be useful when killing Dan Yangzi. His relationship with Xuan Yuan had also grown slightly closer. They were both walking back together.
"Junior Brother Xuan Yang, there's no need to be so nervous. You probably won't have much to do since Master doesn't refine pills every day."
"Huh? Could you explain that to me in more detail?"
"Refining pills depends heavily on the weather and timing. Some ingredients only reach their peak potency at certain times. For example, today is not a good day to refine pills, but the day after tomorrow, between 11 pm and 1 am, would be an excellent time to do so."