Selecting a Disciple

"We're here, Elder Wu," Jin Ruo said, bowing respectfully. "Please allow me to lead the way to the Disciple Selection Ceremony."

I nodded, no words were needed.

Maintaining the facade of the man whose body I possessed was essential now. With Jin Ruo, I could loosen up a bit, but around the other Elders, I had to play the part perfectly. Their scrutiny could prove dangerous if they sensed anything amiss. After all, possession was common in this world, and I certainly didn't want to give them a reason to turn against me

Time flew by, and soon we reached our destination—a majestic pagoda where my fellow Elders had gathered for the ceremony. I waved off Jin Ruo and made my way up several flights of stairs. Surprisingly, the guards I passed showed no contempt despite my crippled state. Then I recalled that only a select few individuals knew of my crippled status. To these guards, I'd appear nothing but someone so high they couldn't even see my depths. Respectful nods were exchanged, and I continued on.

At last, I reached the topmost room, where the most powerful cultivators of the Crimson Mist Sect awaited. Their gazes felt like an immense weight on my shoulders. Here, four formidable figures stood before me—two women and two men, their eyes locked onto mine.

I gulped back my nervousness, and my vigilance grew as I scrutinized every single one of them. I had no clue who my enemy was. Any one of them could be, or all. So, all I could do was simply act as casually and naturally as Wu Ryujin would.

"Greetings, Elders," I bowed respectfully, as was proper, or so Ryujin's memory told me. The Elders followed, smiling. I could not discern their intentions, and that had me on edge. "This one's apologies if there was a delay in my arrival."

"Haha," one of the women chuckled, her laughter like a soft melody, "No need to apologize, Junior Brother Wu. Your condition speaks for itself." She said, her smile was sweet, and she was stunningly beautiful. A jade beauty. Quite literally…

Li Mei, the third Elder. From what I knew, she seemed kind, but you could never be sure if it was all just a front. And yes, she was literally a jade beauty, with emerald skin that strangely drew you in, and those glistening golden eyes with a touch of red in them were mesmerizing. Her white hair framed her delicate yet sharp features perfectly, making her all the more captivating.

"How are you, Junior Brother Wu." She asked, smiling.

"Can't say I'm having a blast," a sarcastic comment involuntarily left my mouth but it was too late by the time I realized. Internally chastising myself, I sighed, "Apologies, Senior Sister. It's just—"

"I understand," she looked at me kindly.

That smile was really creeping me out. Taking my assigned seat among the elders, I discreetly avoided excessive direct eye contact with any of them, though I still maintained eye contact from time to time lest it be suspicious. Unlike the other cultivators who grew up within the Crimson Mist Sect, I had been recruited directly as the disciple of the Sect Leader. As a result, my connection with the other Elders was more formal than personal. It was evident that they were a tightly-knit group, making me feel like an outsider amidst their camaraderie. Their camaraderie was strange as well, given that they were literal Demonic Cultivators. Honestly, my view of Demonic Cultivators had completely shattered at this point.

I gazed upon the ongoing test, it seemed I was late. From what I knew, the test was—like most Xianxia—a simple "put your hand on the crystal ball" thingy. I wondered if this crystal ball had an actual mechanism or some magic bullshit working behind it, but I couldn't say. What I could do, however, was check it out later when I was done with this stuff. However, how I would check was the question.

Pushing that thought aside, I quickly swept my gaze across the place.

Year after year, the clans of Crimson Misty Peak conducted a Vitra Test. It was a big deal for these kids, all hopeful and nervous, aged twelve to thirteen, dressed up in their finest outfits. The pressure was on as they gathered, waiting to see if they would make the cut and get into the Sect or not.

Or to see who would be catching the attention of the Elders or the Sect Leader—though this year, Sect Leader was a no-go, given that he was, well, dead and all. Though that was kept under tight wraps. As the children lined up, the elders from each clan took their positions in front of them, observing with hawk-like precision. And, of course, the parents were there too, probably more anxious than the kids themselves, eager to see what fate had in store for their little ones.

The kids, looking like scared little ducklings about to face a lion, awkwardly lined up in front of their clans' leaders. The old geezer held up a small, white crystal like it was some fancy diamond, but everyone knew better—it was Gu, the creepy dark stuff that could be trouble in the wrong hands.

They made sure only a teensy-weensy bit of that stuff was in there, just enough to keep the kids safe during the test. The purpose of the Vitra Test was to reveal the inherent talents and aptitudes of the young ones, guiding them toward their suitable Paths in the world of cultivation in the future. The most important part of this test, however, was Vitra itself.

Some called it the manifestation of one's soul, and some speculated it was a gift divine, passed on from the Gods of old. However, no one knew of the truth, and neither did I.

So, along with everyone else, I waited to see who would catch my interest. While they waited for them to check with the crystal, I was already busy scanning the crowd with [Identify].

I wonder whom I will—or should try to—get.

My gaze could not go farther than the first child. I was simply dumbstruck; well, not really, but still, I was surprised. As the first child approached, his clan leader studied him with a stern gaze. "Step closer," he commanded, his voice carrying the weight of authority. The poor kid gulped audibly but did as he was told, hesitantly extending his hand. The Leader placed the crystal on his palm, and an immediate shiver ran down the kid's spine.

How could I tell? Well, the little guy's legs literally shivered like he was having his first orgasm.

"Focus your mind, young one," the clan leader said, his tone unyielding yet encouraging. "Feel the essence of Gu within. Control it, reign on it, never let it reign on you, and it shall serve you well."

The child closed his eyes, trying to steady his trembling hands and legs. With a deep breath, he attempted to harness its power. Slowly, the Gu started to react, responding to the child.

A fiery bird, so hazy that it was barely distinguishable, materialized on top of the crystal ball as red tendrils of wisp-like steam emerged around the child and fueled the manifestation.

Vitra appeared to be quite interesting to me, especially because I had one when I was a cultivator. I had an owl. It was a bird as well. Very hazy, too, when I first found out about it. But as my cultivation soared, so did the Vitra, and it wasn't far when I started using it. All big and powerful. Yes, Vitra were manifestations each Cultivator had, and there would be a time when each and every one of them could use it as a mountable Gundam of sorts. Though it was more complicated than that, scratch that, it was very complicated than that. Gundam was just an analogy.

Around them, the spectators held their breath, watching the unfolding scene with rapt attention. Once done with the Vitra check, the clan leader went ahead and checked aptitude and affinities.

"There is no affinity," the clan leader declared, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment.

Using [Identify] had been enough to tell me who the kid was and that was exactly why I had been surprised.

Li Renji, thirteen years of age and stuck in the role of your typical xianxia protagonist. The poor kid had a decent Vitra, but of fucking course, he had the shittiest talent and no affinities whatsoever. Talk about cliché. That was quite typical, yes, but I knew better.

- System Panel -

Name=Li Renji

Sex=Male

Age=13

Race=Human

Template=Demonic Protagonist, Type D

Cultivation=Mortal Realm (49% Purity)

Talent=Rank 1 Trash (Suppressed Due to Yin Heart Physique)

Constitution=Yin Heart Physique

Bloodline=None

Affinity=Suppressed

Path=None

- Overall -

He who has been deemed trash due to a presumed "disease" that suppresses not only his affinities and Eclipse Heart, but his talent as well.

Yin Heart Physique will suppress him from breaking through, even though he was a hard worker and had cultivated this far with such a shit physique and talent.

Indeed, such a person could be nothing but a protagonist. I could already see the clichés piling up around him. The loner with a tragic past, no parents to speak of, and every one treating him like crap—might have some hidden master backing him up though, as a grandpa or some horseshit. Classic. I wondered if he was the only one here, or if there were more protagonists in this world. After all, his "Template" showed a Type D Protagonist, so there had to be more.

As it turned out, he was frowned upon and shoved to the back instantly when it was declared that he possessed no affinity, and of course, he had no parents. Heh. Called it. I wondered when the usual young masters or wanna-be big brothers would come and start giving him pointers only to leave him on death's door before some kind of treasure or some shit would save his ass.

Regardless of all that, though, I need to bag him.

My disciples, my little pawns in this twisted world, would be nothing but my meat shields. No time for sentimentality or mushy mushy here, especially not in these damned demonic lands. The poor kid was totally being ignored, and sure enough, not a single Elder paid him any heed either, and that suited me just fine. Good, very good. I could use him, exploit him as a shield if need be. But I had to be careful, I couldn't raise any eyebrows among the other Elders, they'd get suspicious, and I'd be done for.

Hmm. Now, how to bag without appearing sus…

I sighed warily, something to think about later. Turning my attention back to the ongoing tests, a bunch of kids had been done with the small test, but no one intriguing—or overwhelmingly talented genius—yet. Boring. I heard a yawn from the side, and when I turned to look, there was Elder Shen Yue, the fourth Elder of our sect. She looked like she was about to doze off right there. Classic Shen Yue. I caught her eye, and she snorted, rolled her eyes, and promptly drifted off to dreamland. Typical. Others ignored her, she was just like that.

Focusing on the tests, I made a point not to look in Li Renji's direction. Couldn't really risk being suspicious, not even for a second.

To my surprise, the second Elder, Zhang Jun, spoke up, "Has someone caught your eye this year, little brother?"

I bit back a sigh and replied impassively, "No."

"Ho? You seem quite interested in the kids this year though. If I'm not mistaken, you are not known for taking in disciples, so what is the change this year?" and there it was, that insufferable face of his, the ridicule and contempt I had been waiting for the moment I'd come to know of the fact that I was a "cripple."

So, the solution?

Just be fucking blunt.

"Well, I'm crippled, and will probably die in a few years as my body withers, I can at least leave a legacy, Master would have wanted nothing more, aren't I right, big brother?"

The atmosphere was suddenly tense. No one had broken the ice on my condition yet, although all knew, so it was shocking that I seemed too much at peace with my future. Zhang Jun seemed taken aback before he coughed, recomposing himself. "This Zhang Jun did not mean disrespect, Junior Brother."

At least he had the common-fucking-sense to back down. Mentioning Master, the late Sect Leader, had been enough to do the trick it seems.

"By the way," I began as I suddenly recalled something. "What happened to the Master's body?"

Not like I cared for the guy—Ryujin might have, but I did not. My tone was casual, like asking about the weather. Sure enough, the Elders were surprised except the Eldest; he was calm, not a ripple in his expression. Heck, he had not spoken a single word yet. Even Shen Yue perked up and seemed sober at my question.

"I did not get any chance to ask about him so I would appreciate it if you do—"

"Master's body… we could not retrieve it. It was… beyond recovery." It was Li Mei who replied and if I was not mistaken, I caught quite a bit of sadness in her voice.

"I see."

Nothing more was said and silence settled over us.

My attention shifted to the Eldest, Wei Rui. I had always found him odd, alright. I tried getting some info on him but found out that [Identify] did not reveal anything aside from names for those stronger than me. Shrugging, I focused my attention back on the screens in front of us. Ah, yes, had I forgotten to mention the screens? It was some sort of an artifact, in front of each elder. It worked like a camera one could zoom at will, but it was hidden from others so no one really knew what each of us was looking at. It was a good thing I supposed, I wouldn't want to let them find out whom I looked at, the same could be said for them, although I doubted they really needed this artifact. Yet, what fascinated me more was the mechanism behind this artifact. I couldn't help but wonder how it worked, the engineering and magic bullshit to create such a device. But that was a curiosity for another time.

I swept my gaze across the entire place, searching for any potential "protagonist" or any decent meat shield at least. Yeah, call me ruthless, but I had to look out for myself. I needed someone capable but not too capable, you know? Just enough so that I could nurture them to keep me safe without coming off as suspicious or a threat to the elders or anything. Not too good lest I need to fight it off with one of the elders. Not an actual fight, just verbal exchanges, or fucking favors or shit, as if we were weighing the pros and cons of the kids and selling to each other.

Sigh… there is no one like the protagonist… but hey, at least I found his "potential love interest." Scratch that, one of many, because of course, he's gonna have a damn harem. Typical xianxia protag move, I guess. Can't say I'm surprised, really. That kinda dude's got all the luck and charisma in the world. It's like the universe just bends to his will, and everyone falls for him. Wish I had that kind of charm—could just bag the 3rd Elder, Li Mei, and 4th Elder, Shen Yue, or any big strong female I could find—they'd protect me. How disgraceful… but hey, I guess I'll just make do with what I have.

As for using the kids... I mean, I did question myself for a moment there, wondering why I was so damn ready to use those kids as, uh, meat shields, but I brushed it aside. Survival came first.

I spotted a few interesting individuals, though. Also, an interesting thing, all the kids were in the Mortal Realm, It wasn't strange actually, and was very normal, I just expected that there would be some kinda hidden genius who was hiding his or her actual Realm. You know, that classic trope they love to throw around in these stories. Quite typical of the genre, but whatever.

Glancing at the "potential harem member" of my dear protagonist, I let out a sigh. I wished I could get this chick as my disciple, she would be strong when she grew, and that'd keep me safe.

- System Panel -

Name=Huang Jingyi

Sex=Female

Age=12

Race=Human (1.4% Demonic Serpent)

Template=Childhood Friend, Type G

Cultivation=Mortal Realm (57% Purity)

Talent=Rank 4 Gifted-Talent

Constitution=Thousand Poison Physique

Bloodline=Demonic Serpent

Affinity=Poison, Water

Path=None

- Overall -

She who likes the protagonist, but it isn't meant to be due to her immense talents, constitution, and bloodline.

Yeah, yes sir, this is exactly what a heroine would be. Heh. The girl had talent, no denying that. But, alas, she was destined to fall into the clutches of Li Mei. Yeah, that Li Mei, the one who needed a disciple she could actually teach. See, poison was a rare thing in this world, and this girl had an affinity for it.

And sure enough, when the girl stepped up for the test and got tested, Li Mei practically squealed with excitement, though she apologized and had the decency to blush, trying to act all innocent. It was kind of weird, though—given… well… given her brilliant jade skin—and kind of cute.

No one in their right mind would mess with her and try to make things difficult for her. I mean, come on, Poison was like a rare affinity in this world, sure, but nobody really wanted that kind of trouble on their head if they couldn't handle it. Surprisingly sensible, right? Definitely not something you'd expect from your typical xianxia crowd, especially not those Cultivators—especially not the Demonic ones. They usually thrive on chaos and power, but even they know better than to mess around with this lethal stuff. Smart move, I'd say. Li Mei could train the girl better anyway.

Next, there were those with good talents and affinities, though not many, most were "trash," as they put it. I had eyes for only two people, though, one was the unfortunate little protag, and the other was Wang Kai. Both are seemingly trash, although Wang Kai was a bit better on the talent side of things. He didn't appear too bad, actually.

- System Panel -

Name Wang Kai

Sex=Male

Age=13

Race=Human

Template=Enemy turned Friend.

Cultivation=Mortal Realm (48% Purity)

Talent=Rank 2 Average-Talent

Constitution=None

Bloodline=None

Affinity=Wood

Path=None

- Overall -

He who is the enemy of the protagonist and then is put in his place, only to turn into a friend and minion.

Yeah, he certainly wasn't bad. Average, yes, but it wasn't bad. I couldn't really afford someone with a better talent, to be honest, they would either be poached by the 2nd, just to rub it on my face, or I'd get a suspicious flag right on my head. Eldest and 4th wouldn't give a shit since the former rarely spoke and the latter preferred sleep over this stuff. 3rd would giggle at best, though.

I sighed and slumped back, which seemed to be enough to get Li Wei's attention, as she asked with a concerned tone. "Are you alright, Junior Brother Wu?" Great, now all the other Elders looked at me again. Just fucking great—

Actually, I've got a good idea.

"Nothing much, I just… get tired easily, " I replied with a tired tone. "I do not have much time it seems…" I trailed off before sighing and seemingly looking over at the kids. "Let this Wu Ryujin pick two kids he shall take under his wing. He shall go and rest then. If Seniors do not mind."

"Let's see. Hmmm…" I looked disinterested and just pointed at two kids who would be quite useless in the eyes of others, but were exactly the ones I wanted.

"That, and that one."

The second Elder, Zhang Jun, smiled in contempt, "Why do you take such… trash, Junior Brother? If you so wish, this Big Brother of yours shall give you better ones. For you can no longer really discern what is good and who is not, it seems."

"Nay, I'm fine." I did not spare him a glance.

He shrugged, "As you wish, Junior Brother."

"If that is so, could I take my leave, Seniors—"

"Wait, Elder Wu," the Eldest spoke suddenly, making the others stop whatever they were doing as his deep and rumbly voice reverberated. I was shocked that he would speak. He spoke very little, and only when needed. So, I knew this was of importance.

"Stay until the announcement has been made." Saying so, the eldest closed his eyes and started meditating.

Ah… the announcement, I had forgotten about that. What can it be