Chapter 83: Inner Disciples (Part 1)

“You want to have two masters? Is there such a good deal in the world?” Hua Qingyu was furious and waved her sleeve, sweeping Xu Qianyu out the door.
A sudden gust of wind filled the room, sending paper pages flying everywhere. Xu Qianyu stepped back a few paces to steady herself, embarrassed and angry: “I was just asking. If you don’t want to, then forget it.”

As she turned to leave, Hua Qingyu called her back. “Wait, what do you see in me?”
Xu Qianyu thought to herself that it was because she held grudges. In this life and the last, Xu Bing came from great arrogance, which was intolerable. Taking her Soul Lock had deeply angered her; if it weren’t for her senior brother, she wouldn’t have come under the cheap father’s roof.

Hua Qingyu was merciless in person yet willing to take her as a disciple behind her back. This contrast moved her somewhat.
Xu Qianyu said, “What you said makes some sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“Throwing away all your cultivation for a man is not worth it.”
If she had been awakened in her previous life, she wouldn’t have lost her life.

Although she couldn’t remember when she had said those words, Hua Qingyu clearly agreed, letting out a cold snort: “However, I’m a talisman cultivator. Naturally, I can only teach you how to draw talismans, not how to learn swordsmanship.” Hua Qingyu reached out, and a page of the rules that Xu Qianyu had copied fell into her hand.

She tilted her head to look at it. The characters on the page, under her spiritual consciousness, began to shift and rearrange like flowing sand. A wind swept through the room, and as she released her hand, the paper suddenly ignited, transforming into countless fire crows that flew into the sky.
“Sword cultivators practice martial arts, while talisman cultivators communicate with spirits. A talisman cultivator must first have good inner strength. Your inner strength is good, but whether you can draw talismans depends on whether you have the fate and methods for it.”
A piece of paper floated down into Xu Qianyu’s hand.

Hua Qingyu said, “Come on, immerse yourself in the spiritual pool and draw the simplest Gathering Spirit Talisman.”
Xu Qianyu pinched the cinnabar and tried to imitate the example given by Hua Qingyu, drawing a swirling symbol.

With her eyes tightly shut, her hand and consciousness in the spiritual pool moved simultaneously.
This symbol seemed simple, but as she started, it felt as if a great weight was obstructing her hand, making it impossible to continue, and her consciousness in the spiritual pool couldn’t advance an inch either. Xu Qianyu forcibly drew a stroke with her spiritual energy, but the cinnabar flew off at an angle, and the paper spontaneously burned to ashes.
She hurriedly waved her hand to extinguish the fire.

Hua Qingyu sneered, “Get lost. Come back when you can draw something, then we can talk about becoming a disciple.”

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of apprenticeship.
“When I came out of the Flower Realm, the first person I met was Elder Fang Zheng. I wanted to ask him if he could take me as a disciple, but I was so nervous that as soon as I got in front of him, my legs went weak, and I knelt down.” Yu Chu said while changing clothes, “Elder Fang Zheng was very touched; he said, ‘Child, if I take you, then I will. Don’t perform such a grand ceremony.’ And that’s how I successfully became his disciple.”

Xu Qianyu said, “You really have good luck as always.”
Yu Chu replied, “I think so too.”
The two were separated by a curtain, each changing into their inner sect disciple robes.
Unlike the outer sect disciple robes, the inner sect robes were much more elaborate and luxurious, tailored for each individual, resulting in slight variations in appearance. For example, hers had narrow sleeves with wrist ties and a hem adorned with a circle of ice-like crystal stones that made a crisp sound when she moved, looking sharp and lively. Yu Chu, on the other hand, wore wide sleeves and a long skirt, looking light and graceful.

As Xu Qianyu tied her sash, she suddenly noticed changes in her body.
In her room, there was a mirror polished from spirit stone, which she loved because it made her skin glow. She placed her hand on the mirror, looking at herself: compared to when she first entered Penglai, she had grown taller and fuller, and without realizing it, her figure was beginning to show curves.
She looked better in a skirt.
Xu Qianyu twirled around, admiring herself, quite pleased.

Previously, her face had been small, and the vermilion on her forehead was slightly too bright, resembling some rare breed of cat. Now, her features had matured a bit; after daily cleansing and cultivation, her skin was like luminous jade, and that little round red mark had taken on an air of dignity and brightness.

After tying on her wrist ties, Xu Qianyu walked outside while taking out a piece of paper to draw a whirlpool. Sure enough, she burned it in her hand, startling Yu Chu. “Qianyu, why are you setting things on fire?”
In the past few days, Xu Qianyu had been experimenting but had met with repeated failures, leaving her quite frustrated. She took out a prepared slip of paper and vermilion and insisted on having Yu Chu draw something.
Yu Chu’s internal skills were too weak; as soon as she put pen to paper, her hand began to tremble. After a while, her hand slipped, and the vermilion fell, leaving only an imprint on the paper.

Yu Chu had always been lucky but couldn’t draw anything this time, which balanced Xu Qianyu’s feelings.
After delaying for a bit, the two hurried to Liuying Pavilion.
The usually closed hall was open and filled with many people.
This year, ten disciples had entered the inner sect, all standing together. Among the familiar faces Xu Qianyu saw were Lu You, Su Mingyu, and Jian Yao, while the others, likely disciples of the Law and Alchemy schools, were unfamiliar to her.

“Brother Su!” Xu Qianyu tugged at Yu Chu, running to an empty spot beside Su Mingyu, her collar. “Which elder did you join?”straightening
Su Mingyu was the senior brother who had previously praised her for looking beautiful in her disciple robes during the sword competition, and he was undoubtedly deserving of entering the inner sect in terms of strength and character.

“Qianyu, congratulations! We can spar in the future,” Su Mingyu said. “I joined Elder Lin Jin; how about you?”
“I, the Sect Leader.”
Su Mingyu laughed, “You’re amazing. What about you, Yu Chu?”
Yu Chu, feeling shy, replied, “Elder Fang Zheng.”
Su Mingyu gave a thumbs up: “Junior Sister Yu Chu will surely become a master of artifact crafting in the future.”
Xu Qianyu curled her lips, glancing around. Hua Qingyu hadn’t taken in any disciples. She simply didn’t come.

Elder Lin Jin, waving his fan, began to speak in front, summarizing: “You all entering the inner sect means that you have exceptional abilities in cultivation, skills, reactions, and temperament. Inner sect disciples will be personally taught by their masters, specializing in their arts, and will no longer need to attend classes in the tower’s training ground.”

Inner sect disciples are required to undertake tasks for the sect and represent the sect’s honor. Except for the autumn season, they can participate in the “Spring” events with disciples from other sects.
The Spring often leads to areas populated by demons and monsters, posing extreme dangers. Mild injuries can occur, and in severe cases, one might lose their life, so they cannot be complacent. They need to practice diligently and serve as role models for outer sect disciples.

Midway through his speech, a boy entered, bringing significant news: Master Wuzhen had recovered and would soon emerge from his retreat.
Lin Jin was momentarily taken aback, and the boy continued, “Master Wuzhen requests that Senior Sister Lu You be accepted as his disciple.”
Master Wuzhen had been in seclusion for many years, and it was surprising that a disciple could have such an opportunity this time. Curious and envious glances immediately focused on Lu You.

Initially, Lu You had been unhappy about not being able to join the Sect Leader, but unexpectedly, Master Xie Wang’s action had taken her by surprise. She was unsure of what he was thinking. However, joining Master Wuzhen was certainly much better than joining Elder Xiao in terms of status and prospects. As everyone discussed and envied her, her mood lifted, and her face flushed with embarrassment.

Only one person looked displeased: Elder Xiao Changqing, who had originally intended to take Lu You under his wing. He had brought Lu You into Penglai and had carefully guided her, and she had expressed a desire to recognize him as her master. Who would have thought that Master Wuzhen would intercept his prized disciple?
He had hoped Lu You would decline, but she glanced at him awkwardly, then said many things about being unable to refuse, before walking away without looking back, following the boy.
Elder Xiao Changqing’s beard trembled as he slumped in his chair, speechless for a long time—how could Lu You act like this? Could it be that he had misjudged her?
Xu Qianyu wasn’t surprised, staring straight ahead, considering it merely an interlude.
Lin Jin also smiled silently; as an elder in the disciple hall, he had seen all sorts of people, so it wasn’t unexpected. He waved his fan, asking everyone to quiet down.
Entering the inner sect meant graduating from the outer sect. Each disciple retrieved their jade token and a set amount of communication talismans before seeking out their respective masters for instruction.

Xu Qianyu and Yu Chu said their goodbyes and headed to the Sect Leader’s hall.
Today, as Xu Qianyu entered the sect, the three disciples under Xu Bing’s command were also gathered together, though they stood quite far apart.
Xu Jianxu was eating cherries from a golden platter, finding them very sweet, and packed some for Qianqian.
Thinking of Xu Qianqian reminded him of Shen Suwei, so he turned to look for Shen Suwei, only to see him standing beside Xu Bing, seemingly engaged in conversation.

This junior disciple had always been subservient to the Sect Leader, causing Xu Jianxu to sneer coldly and peek outside the curtain; the shortest one must be the little junior sister.
All of the new inner sect disciples were at the foundation stage, so they were not a concern; he didn’t think much of this little junior sister.
After all, he wouldn’t be the one teaching her.
Xu Bing was complaining to Shen Suwei, “Didn’t they say she shouldn’t style her hair like that? It looks so odd.”

Shen Suwei glanced outside the curtain. Xu Qianyu stood quite upright. However, most of the other female cultivators had their hair styled high, making Xu Qianyu’s pointed double twisted buns stand out indeed.
“You should relay that to her.”
Shen Suwei replied, “Okay.”

Xu Baopu stood beside Fu Shuangshuang’s chair.
Fu Shuangshuang sat with her legs crossed, holding a sword. Dressed in a gown of imperial color, with embroidered shoes in peach-red vines peeking out from beneath the hem, she appeared somewhat out of place compared to the clusters of disciples from Penglai in their white robes. However, with her delicate and refined features—small nose and mouth—alongside her proud and cold demeanor, the vibrant colors of her attire didn’t seem vulgar; instead, they made her look as beautiful as blooming peach and plum blossoms.

Before the disciples began their training, Fu Shuangshuang disregarded Xu Baopu’s advice and pulled back a corner of the curtain. Upon seeing the gold hairpin on Xu Qianyu’s head, which Xu Baopu had chosen a few days prior, her expression darkened.
Xu Qianyu noticed her gaze and looked towards the curtain, seeing her pretty face. “Sister-in-law?”
In her past life, Xu Qianyu didn’t have much interaction with Fu Shuangshuang, but she remembered her as a decent sister-in-law. Every birthday, Fu Shuangshuang would send carefully selected gifts, even after Lu You entered the sect.
Fu Shuangshuang beckoned, “Come here.”

Xu Qianyu walked over, and Fu Shuangshuang presented her with a meeting gift. The Tianshan Immortal Sect was renowned for its flourishing alchemical practices, and the marrow-clearing pill she gifted was of excellent quality. Xu Qianyu took a glance but couldn’t discern its value, so she accepted it with indifference. To Fu Shuangshuang, this younger sister was quite poised and respectful, showing she came from a good background.
Xu Qianyu returned the gesture with a full set of twelve zodiac hairpins, treating it as a return gift for her birthday.
It was the first time Fu Shuangshuang had seen a female cultivator present such a grand gift, and her eyes widened slightly. The hairpins were stunning; there was no female cultivator who wouldn’t appreciate them. Her expression brightened a little: “It could have been divided into twelve gifts. Isn’t it a waste to give them all to me?”
“There’s nothing to waste,” Xu Qianyu thought, as she had plenty of such sets. “Sister-in-law, you’re beautiful; you should wear more.”
“Oh?” Fu Shuangshuang stared at her for a long moment, a forced smile on her face. “So tell me, who looks better between you and me?”

Xu Qianyu raised her chin slightly, unabashedly declaring, “If you want my honest opinion, I think I look better. But sister-in-law isn’t bad either; we both have our charms.”
Fu Shuangshuang had a sharp temperament, and Xu Baopu felt a bit nervous about such dangerous remarks from his younger sister. Before he could interject to mediate, Fu Shuangshuang smiled and pulled the curtain shut.
Inside, she looked at the hairpins in her hand and said, “Your little sister is quite adorable and honest. I think she’s much better than your delicate younger sister.”
“Don’t speak carelessly,” Xu Baopu reminded quietly.

Xu Bing came to tell Xu Qianyu to get to know her seniors first.
Xu Qianyu then greeted everyone one by one: “Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother.”
The eldest senior brother looked pleased and nodded slightly, presenting her with an entry gift. Xu Jiansu had not prepared a gift, but he didn’t feel ashamed; he simply picked a cherry from a gold plate and placed it in Xu Qianyu’s palm. “Here, Second Senior Brother gives you a cherry.”
Xu Qianyu was already prepared for Xu Jiansu’s generous demeanor. She closed her palm around it. “Thank you, Second Senior Brother.”
“Not at all.” Xu Jiansu smiled with a mischievous, boyish charm. “You’re too short; it must be inconvenient to wield a sword. You should draw more qi into your body in the future.”
Shen Suwei knew that Xu Qianyu was sensitive about her height, and seeing her expression darken, he took the opportunity to hand her the entry gift.
“Senior Brother.” Xu Qianyu looked at him. Did they still need to observe formalities?
Shen Suwei replied, “You still need to give an entry gift.”

“Hey,” Xu Jiansu frowned slightly, reminding her, “We’re still standing here; call him ‘Third Senior Brother.’”
“Senior Brother.” Xu Qianyu simply wouldn’t call him that.
Shen Suwei said, “Sister, once you enter, everything will go smoothly.”
Xu Qianyu stumbled over her words before finally managing to say, “Thank you, Third… Third Senior Brother.”
Shen Suwei nodded, feeling quite awkward himself.