Chapter 36: Shangyang Sect

Lin Xiao packed up his small stool, and Lin Dayou grabbed the bulging money pouch, ready to leave. Lin Xiao tugged at his father's sleeve and whispered, "Dad, wait, come over here."

Puzzled, Lin Dayou asked, "What's up?" But he followed his son into a nearby alley anyway.

Lin Xiao cautiously looked around, not yet used to sensing whether any strangers were nearby. After ensuring they were alone, Lin Dayou watched as his son pulled out a small, worn pouch.

"Dad, quickly, put the money in here," Lin Xiao said, opening the pouch and handing it to him.

Lin Dayou looked at his son in disbelief, then at the money pouch stuffed with copper coins, and finally at the small, shabby pouch that wasn't even the size of his palm.

Has my son gone mad? But then he remembered his son's new identity as a "cultivator."

Well, if he says to put it in, I'll put it in, he thought. Still doubtful, Lin Dayou hesitantly placed the money pouch into the small bag.

To his amazement, it fit!

Lin Dayou's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't help but marvel at how convenient cultivation could be!

Meanwhile, outside, Lin Dahan and Qin Shi noticed Lin Xiao and Lin Dayou sneak into the alley, and now they watched them emerge with somewhat different expressions. Lin Xiao seemed as sneaky as ever, while Lin Dayou, who had entered looking puzzled, now appeared quite pleased with himself.

Lin Dahan and Qin Shi found this odd. Lin Dahan felt that something about his younger brother seemed different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Lin Xiao didn't make any grand gestures, like thumping his chest and saying, "Let's go! I'll treat everyone to a meal at the restaurant!" One reason was that he knew such a statement would earn him a scolding from Lin Dayou: "You earn a little money and forget who you are, huh?"

He could already imagine what his father would say.

Another reason was that this town was genuinely impoverished. As they walked through it at midday, Lin Xiao didn't even catch a whiff of any mouthwatering aromas—just the smell of steamed dry goods and vegetables, which he could smell back in the village every day.

So, in the end, they crouched by the wall and made do with the dry food they had brought along.

While Lin Dayou and the others ate, Lin Xiao slipped away to a nearby general store to buy some supplies.

He purchased a few common pigments. Though they were just basic colors and in small quantities, they cost him a hefty 300 copper coins!

When paying, the store owner had to put in quite an effort to pry those 300 coins from Lin Xiao's reluctant hands. Lin Xiao was deeply unwilling—after all, it had taken him six tooth-cleaning jobs to earn that money!

Cleaning teeth might seem like easy money, but those were mouths that had only been rinsed with water for decades, with cavities galore! You can imagine the odor that comes from using nothing but water and willow twigs for brushing!

So Lin Xiao considered it hard-earned money! And it was basically a one-time deal. In this small town and the surrounding villages, there were only so many people who could afford to have their teeth cleaned, and once their teeth were white, they wouldn't waste money on it again.

That's why every coin he spent pained him. But then he thought about how the sect hall needed to be built—he couldn't just throw up a simple mudbrick structure. The sect hall had to have some flair, something special.

In a secluded corner, Lin Xiao carefully placed the pigments, which had cost him 300 coins, into his storage pouch and securely tucked it away before rejoining his father and the others, ready to head back to the village.

As they walked along the main road leading to the city gate, they noticed a crowd of people lingering around. A small group of government officers approached from the gate.

The officers stopped at a notice board on the street. The leader took a poster from another officer carrying a stack of papers and posted it on the board. Before he had even finished, the other officers had already moved on to the next location to put up more notices.

The officer left behind turned to the gathering crowd and said, "Listen up, everyone! There's great news—don't say the officials didn't tell you later. Listen carefully—our province's immortal sect, the Shangyang Sect, is recruiting new disciples! This is a once-in-thirty-years opportunity! In the past, they only recruited in the capital or, at most, the county town, so it never concerned us folks in the countryside. But this time, things are different!

"Now, the immortal sect has shown mercy and expanded the recruitment area to include our town! Of course, there are conditions—you must be under twelve years old, and it doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl! If you have kids at home who meet the age requirement, hurry up and get them ready. In ten days, the recruitment will take place at our town's market! Don't forget!"

People immediately started asking questions.

"Officer, what is this immortal sect?"

"Yeah, we don't even know what an immortal sect is! What kind of good fortune are we talking about here?"

"Tell us more, officer!"

The officer wore an expression that said, "I can't believe you don't know this," and began explaining, "This immortal sect, let me tell you, is something incredible! You know, there really are immortals in this world! And the immortal sect is where they train immortals!

"If any of your children get chosen by the immortal sect, well, let me tell you, it's a blessing for the whole family! Your child will be taken into the sect, living with immortals every day, receiving their guidance. Who knows, maybe one day, your child will learn those heaven-defying abilities!"

Immediately, someone in the crowd voiced doubt, "Officer, are you serious? Do immortals really exist? Are the powerful beings from the stories real?"

The officer slapped his thigh and said, "Who's lying to you? This job of mine has been passed down from my grandfather! He used to work as an officer in the county. Thirty years ago, all the county officers were sent to the capital to help out!

"My grandfather saw it with his own eyes! The immortals who came to recruit disciples in the capital just waved their hands, and a boat floated in the air! Then, with another wave, all the chosen kids floated up and landed on that boat!

"Now, if that's not an immortal, what is?"

Hearing this, the crowd nodded in admiration.