Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Lu Zheng handed the Brocade Spring Saber, which was about to be sharpened, to the shop girl, and he took the Cloud Pattern Longquan Sword, examining it from side to side.
"What a great sword!"
"Although the material and sharpness are similar, this sword is far different from that saber. It’s not ant for brute force hacking," Du Lin reminded.
Lu Zheng acknowledged, "Don’t worry."
Last ti when he went to White Cloud Temple to deliver the Corpse Ghost’s relic to Daoist Mingzhang, Lu Zheng noticed a sword hanging on the wall inside his room.
Judging from the hilt, it’s likely wielded often, so Lu Zheng intended to curry favor.
A Divine Sword, coupled with my own potential of sensing qi within half a month—can I draw sothing more from him?
Receiving the Cloud Pattern Sword, Lu Zheng happily called a cab and went ho.
"Hmm?"
As soon as he entered the door, Lu Zheng lowered his head, about to change into slippers, but his gaze suddenly sharpened, and his brows furrowed.
Soone had just entered the house!
During the ti he was out.
Because the slippers that Lu Zheng left at the entrance had been moved slightly!
He rembered clearly; when he went out, he had kicked the slippers out of place, leaving them slanted. Now they were much straighter.
If more ti had passed, Lu Zheng might have thought he rembered wrong, but it had only been since the morning. And what’s more, right before he left, he specifically glanced at them, too lazy to bend down again. That’s why Lu Zheng was certain he hadn’t rembered wrong.
A thief ca in? In broad daylight?
Such audacity?
Lu Zheng checked all the more valuable items at ho with a blank expression but found no signs of theft of any precious belongings.
If it weren’t for the clearly moved slippers, Lu Zheng might have thought he was imagining things.
"How could it be? Maybe a thief ca in, found nothing valuable, and left?"
Opening the door and looking around, the silent corridor made no sound.
Lu Zheng frowned and could only put down his suspicions.
Nothing was stolen, and reporting to the police just because of repositioned slippers would likely earn him a lesson on wasting public resources.
"Seems like I need to change the lock... Would a password lock be safer?"
Lu Zheng shifted the box containing his ID card and bank card to a new location and carefully inspected his ho to ensure no one had secretly installed a pinhole cara.
Luckily, there wasn’t any...
In the afternoon, Lu Zheng traveled back to ancient tis, first asking Uncle Li to go to the carriage yard to book a vehicle for the next morning, then proceeded to practice the Breathing Technique and cultivate the Eighteen Mountain-Carrying Techniques, consolidating his internal true qi and blood qi.
He also occasionally returned to modern tis to handle various ssages on his phone, including his mother’s check-ins and encouragent, as well as Tong Muxuan’s teasing and bragging.
The day passed just like that—dull and tasteless.
...
The next day, at White Cloud Temple.
"What brings Young Master Lu to burn incense at our White Cloud Temple again today?" Daoist Mingzhang chuckled.
Lu Zheng routinely donated one thousand rit coins and then, holding a box, arrived at Daoist Mingzhang’s quiet chamber.
"What is this, young master?"
"I must first thank you, Daoist, for the Breathing Technique you bestowed on ." Lu Zheng first expressed his gratitude, "As for the Corpse Ghost’s relic, you actually helped relieve my worries. Although I, Lu Mou, am not very skilled, I do understand reason."
"Young Master Lu is too kind. Those two scriptures and skills also brought so rit. No need to be modest."
Lu Zheng smiled, "Today, I ca for two reasons: first, I recently acquired an excellent sword, which I brought to offer to you as a token of my gratitude; second, I have successfully cultivated the ’ridian Breathing thod’ and sensed qi, and I wish to ask if you have any teachable spells for ?"
Upon hearing Lu Zheng ntion the first part, Daoist Mingzhang was still smiling while stroking his beard. However, when Lu Zheng finished speaking, his surprise was evident.
"You’ve already developed qi sensitivity?"
"That’s correct."
Daoist Mingzhang reached out and grasped Lu Zheng’s wrist, channeling true qi into him.
Lu Zheng followed suit, directing the qi from his dantian, circulating through his body in a Great Circulation.
"You’ve truly cultivated true qi!" Daoist Mingzhang was amazed, "And in just a few days, why has your blood qi beco so rich? Have you also practiced a Martial Cultivation Technique?"
"Uh, yes," Lu Zheng grinned, not daring to elaborate.
"You have a Martial Cultivation teacher?"
"No, I don’t. I just inadvertently ca across the ’Eighteen Mountain-Carrying Techniques’ and practiced on my own."
"Practiced on your own..." Daoist Mingzhang was speechless.
Unable to help, he shook his head and continued, "Previously, I only noted that you had a strong constitution; I didn’t expect you were also cultivating a Martial Dao Technique."
Daoist Mingzhang muttered to himself, "Without guidance from a renowned master, you were only strengthening your body, not cultivating a Martial Artist’s blood qi. Yet, after acquiring the Breathing Technique, you drew analogies and, only in recent days, achieved this?"
"Cough, cough..."
"While cultivating blood qi, you experienced a mont of intense sensitivity to your insides, leading you to directly cultivate Daoist qi sensitivity?"
"Uh, yes..."
"Regardless, being able to cultivate qi sensitivity within half a month, and with such strong true qi at that, Young Master Lu, you are truly talented."
"Cough, cough, you flatter ..."
Daoist Mingzhang released Lu Zheng’s hand, returning to his seat, and stared at Lu Zheng without speaking.
"Daoist?"
"I’ve known for so ti that you wish to cultivate, but seeing you as a wealthy layman within the mundane world, I had no intention of taking you as a disciple."
By wealthy layman, he ans soone who doesn’t seem capable of enduring hardship, thus simply ignoring .
"I didn’t expect that you were also cultivating a Martial Cultivation Technique, I misjudged you."
"You flatter , you flatter ."
"Managing to kill a Corpse Ghost with a mortal body already proves your exceptional nature."
"Overpraise, overpraise!"
"I do have external techniques, though they aren’t particularly powerful—better than nothing."
"Uh..."
"Are you only content with these external techniques I can provide?"
Lu Zheng was speechless, the issue was I wanted to beco a disciple before, but you didn’t accept ?
"Would you be willing to join our White Cloud Temple?" Daoist Mingzhang asked seriously.
Eh? This ti I can?
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up, "That’s what I wish, but, um, are there any requirents?"
"Direct disciples must wear Daoist robes, reside in the Daoist Temple, attend daily morning and evening classes without fail, and be registered in the official Daoist records," Daoist Mingzhang said with a smile that wasn’t really a smile.
"Hehe." Lu Zheng forced a laugh, fully understanding why they didn’t accept him previously.
"There’s another option, as a lay practitioner, which is sowhat like a registered disciple. Although you won’t receive the temple’s core teachings, you can still gain access to most cultivation techniques."
Daoist Mingzhang explained, "However, as a lay practitioner, you are expected to contribute both financially and physically to the temple when needed, without shirking."
"Even to the extent of killing and burning?" Lu Zheng asked involuntarily.
"Nonsense, White Cloud Temple is a well-known Daoist sect renowned throughout the Great Jing Dynasty, how could we ask you to commit such acts?"
"Just asking, just asking," Lu Zheng replied with successive dry laughs.
"Any other questions?"
"How powerful are the cultivation techniques provided—can they grant immortality?"
"That depends on you. We do have an ancestor who witnessed the divine might of Emperor Jing’s founding of the Great Jing."
"Can they subdue demons and exorcise evil?"
"The main temple has a white crane, which is a Great Demon from the Southern Country."
"Is training in other techniques allowed? Of course, only righteous thods."
"If you have the ability and opportunity, the temple would welco it."
"Then that’s what I wish, although, uh, are there any requirents?"
"As a direct disciple, you would need to wear the Daoist robe, reside in the temple, and train without fail," Daoist Mingzhang explained.
"Hehe," Lu Zheng chuckled dryly; he could fully understand why he wasn’t accepted last ti.
"The lay practitioner position does require supporting the temple when necessary."
Daoist Mingzhang explained, "This status allows you access to most of our cultivation techniques, even if it’s not the core ones."
"Any more questions?"
"How advanced are the cultivation techniques offered? Are they capable of longevity?"
"That depends on your own ability and fate. We even have ancestors who witnessed Emperor Jing’s divine might in the past."
"Can they subdue demons and exorcise evil?"
"We have thods for subduing demons and exorcising evil within the main temple."
"And is it permissible to learn other righteous thods?"
"The temple would actually appreciate it if you have that talent and opportunity."
"That’s great! Um, are there any requirents?"
"I have no reason not to accept you this ti. Even though you were a layman of wealth and idleness in the mortal realm, you were trained in Martial Cultivation Techniques I did not initially perceive. It’s my fault for misjudging."
"Not at all, not at all."
"So do you wish to beco a direct disciple of the Daoist Temple? You would need to stay here regularly."
"Yes, that’s my wish, though are there any specific requirents?"
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up.
"No more questions?"
"No, I’ve nothing else."
"Very well then, let us begin your training." Daoist Mingzhang exclaid as he gestured to the training ground.
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