Apprentice to Qingyun

The Daoist Sir, please, take me in as a disciple. I come from a family of modest means, but we suffered a tragedy at the hands of evil men. Three hundred of us were slaughtered, leaving only me and a younger sister to fend for ourselves. We roamed the Jianghu, seeking refuge in front of your mountain gate, hoping to become your disciple and learn the Dao. If you would accept me, I promise to devote myself to the Dao..."

In the southern part of the Dandan Province, under the Chu Feng Dynasty, beneath the Taihang Mountains, in front of the Qingyun Daoist Sect's mountain gate, hundreds of young people were lined up, waiting for a fat Daoist to question them. At the forefront of the queue was a ten-year-old boy with tear-stained cheeks, dirty face, but bright eyes, tearfully pleading. His pitiful appearance stirred sympathy.

The fat Daoist impatiently glanced at the boy and asked, "Do you have a recommendation letter?"

"No..." the boy replied sheepishly.

"Do you have treasures to offer?"

"No..."

"Do you have a rare physique?"

"No..."

The fat Daoist asked, and the boy answered, three questions in an instant. The fat Daoist widened his eyes and kicked the boy, sending him rolling. He scolded, "No recommendation letter makes you a lowly person. No treasures make you a beggar. No rare physique makes you worthless. You, a beggar-like pauper, dare to come to our Qingyun Sect to seek apprenticeship? Open your eyes and see, this is not a charity house!"

The long queue behind burst into laughter at this scene.

Everyone found the boy's audacity laughable. Being penniless, he wanted to become a disciple of the Qingyun Daoist Sect?

Little did they know, within the Qingyun Daoist Sect, disciples were all elite practitioners. Just recently, in the northwest of Chu Domain, a group of bandits terrorized the area, even the authorities couldn't handle them. When a true disciple of Qingyun Daoist Sect, Xiao Jianming, heard of this, he single-handedly entered the bandits' lair and defeated nine out of the ten notorious bandits, leaving only one to flee. His fame spread throughout the Chu Domain.

Because of this incident, the Qingyun Daoist Sect's reputation soared among the commoners in Chu Domain. Now, during the once-in-a-decade disciple recruitment event, countless aristocrats spared no effort to send their children to cultivate in the sect. Some used connections, some offered treasures, but despite their efforts, they couldn't secure admission.

And here was this boy, with nothing to offer, trying to become a disciple of Qingyun Daoist Sect, an utterly ridiculous idea.

The boy received a kick but remained silent. He walked about ten yards away, then suddenly started cursing, "You fat pig with festering sores on your head and pus under your feet, just because of your ugly appearance and short stature, you dare call me a pauper? I came to your Qingyun Sect to seek apprenticeship. If you have eyes but can't see Mount Tai, I'll burn down your dilapidated temple someday..."

"You brat, how dare you insult me!"

The fat Daoist was furious. He picked up a sword nearby and charged towards the boy, who tried to escape in the crowd, agilely dodging. The fat Daoist couldn't catch up, standing there angrily, cursing.

What was originally a solemn disciple recruitment ceremony at Qingyun Daoist Sect suddenly turned into a farce. Everyone thought the boy was ridiculous, penniless yet aspiring to join Qingyun Daoist Sect?

Qingyun Daoist Sect, with its three-thousand-year heritage, was highly respected and deeply rooted. Any disciple within was an outstanding martial artist. Just recently, a disciple, Xiao Jianming, had made a name for himself by defeating notorious bandits in Chu Domain. This incident further enhanced the sect's reputation, attracting countless aspirants.

Seeing the fat Daoist chasing after the boy, the crowd burst into laughter.

"A beggar like him dares to seek apprenticeship at Qingyun Daoist Sect? Hilarious!"

Little did they know, within the crowd, a rare talent was hidden, waiting for an opportunity.