Chapter One Hundred: Core Disciple

When she saw me, her face broke at once into a smile, and she called out without even putting on her shoes, “Come in quickly. Come on!”

I pushed open the bamboo door and hurried inside.

Though the place was built of bamboo, Elder Yuan had decorated it beautifully. Even the flowerpots were made of bamboo. The pebbles scattered here and there had all been gathered by him from the mountains whenever he had nothing else to do.

I did not stand on ceremony and sat down on a wooden stool.

The stool was not made of bamboo, perhaps because bamboo would not have lasted.

With a grin, Elder Yuan poured me a cup of tea and motioned for me to taste it.

I lifted the cup and sniffed. According to him, the leaves were a special rock tea found only on Heavenly Sun Mountain, and after no less than thirty days of drying, their aroma was already rich and fragrant.

I took a light sip and found not only a refreshing fragrance, but also an incomparable mellow taste.

“Excellent tea.”

I gave him a thumbs-up. I was no connoisseur, after all; I only thought it tasted very good.

“Hahahaha, you boy, you really are a little like I was when I was young.”

Elder Yuan sat on the stool and took a sip too, smacking his lips afterward.

After a few more pleasantries, he finally got to the point.

“How long will you be staying here for?”

“About a month.”

I glanced at the pigeon flying overhead as I spoke.

“That works... But since you have our sect’s honored token, and your strength is considerable besides, I’ll directly promote you to a core disciple of the inner sect.”

One had to know that the examination on Heavenly Sun Mountain was extremely strict. For Elder Yuan to raise me straight to the rank of inner sect core disciple made it clear how much influence he held within the sect.

“If you stayed a while longer, you could certainly make it to elder status by then, and afterward...”

I waved a hand to stop him.

“You need not persuade me. I’m only staying for a month.”

Elder Yuan was startled by my words, then burst into hearty laughter.

I did not understand what he was laughing at and could only tilt my head and watch him.

“You boy... you’re promising stock. With the supreme bloodline within you, your future is beyond measure...”

After I rose to thank him, Elder Yuan simply took a plain storage pouch from his ring.

This was the lowest-grade kind, and it held the daily necessities of a core inner disciple.

“During your time on Heavenly Sun Mountain, you can’t wear the robe you’re in now. Inside is the sect’s own robe; it should fit you perfectly.”

I opened the pouch and looked inside. Sure enough, there were two robes, both the same, perhaps meant for alternating wear.

“The dining halls on Heavenly Sun Mountain are all free. You don’t need to pay anything, so your expenses will naturally be very low.”

Elder Yuan explained further while I kept rummaging through the pouch.

Inside were not only two sets of clothing, but also a hairband for tying up one’s hair.

In addition, there was a basic manual of swordsmanship. At that, Elder Yuan added, “Heavenly Sun Mountain has its own inherited sword art. Naturally, it is famed for the sword. But that inherited art can only be studied by the sect master alone. I have only glimpsed it a few times myself.”

“Still, Heavenly Sun Mountain does not limit its disciples to swordsmanship. It encourages them to blossom in many directions.”

I nodded and asked, “Then where am I staying?”

Elder Yuan seemed to have known I would ask that question long ago. He handed me the Heavenly Sun Mountain map that he had been toying with in his hands for quite some time.

The map was drawn in great detail, including many of the smaller peaks around Heavenly Sun Mountain.

Even the rear gate of Elder Yuan’s house led to a named peak: Deer Peak.

With this map, things would be much easier, and I would not have to worry about getting lost.

“You core inner disciples live in Qilin Tower. Find it yourself. Oh, and remember to carry your disciple token with you at all times.”

A disciple token? I did not have one.

I looked again in my storage ring and found that it had been tucked inside the clothes.

This token was rather distinctive. Though made of wood, there were no characters on it at first.

I tried channeling spiritual energy into it, and sure enough, a few words appeared:

Core Disciple.

The words shimmered with a flowing radiance, looking both fantastical and beautiful.

I looked at the back, and my name had been written there as well. I glanced at Elder Yuan, who gave a slight smile and said, “I carved it yesterday. I guessed you would definitely come.”

“All right, everything that needed saying has been said. You core disciples also have classes. Once you reach Qilin Tower, just ask the old lady downstairs for a dormitory card. Off you go.”

I stepped back, then bowed deeply.

“Your junior thanks you.”

At that, Elder Yuan turned his back and ambled leisurely toward the house.

I quietly backed out as well and closed the door behind me.

I put the items from the storage pouch into my ring, then casually tossed the pouch in after them.

Following the route Qin Ciyu had brought me by, I retraced my steps. Before long, I was back at the main gate.

By now, the children should have finished their tests, and there was not a soul by the gate.

It was nearly afternoon, and the sun was blazing fiercely, so the vast square was scarcely populated.

I could feel the heat too, but for safety’s sake, and so I would not take a wrong turn, I still kept the map in hand as I walked.

Whenever those disciples saw me, all of them took interest in this outsider.

But I had no time to chatter with them, and quickened my pace toward Qilin Tower.

Qilin Tower stood at Heavenly Sun Mountain’s north gate. Behind it rose the mountain’s greatest peak, Azure Chair Mountain.

That peak also shot straight into the clouds, seeming to rise several thousand meters high.

There would be plenty of time to admire the scenery. Right now, all I wanted was to get back to my room and escape the heat.

With the map, I did not have to wander about aimlessly, and I found Qilin Tower without difficulty.

The tower had six stories and a very distinctive design. On both sides of the building were two beast-like figures resembling qilins, locked in combat with one another, incredibly imposing.

Looking toward the entrance, I saw that an old woman really was sitting downstairs.

She looked even older than Elder Yuan, and her clothes did not fit her very well. Her eyes were narrowed as though she were dozing.

Yet from the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, I could tell that when she was young, she must have been an absolute beauty.

“Senior.”

I stood a step away and cupped my hands to greet her.

I thought she had fallen asleep and was about to call to her, but she spoke first in a flat tone.

“What is your name, and why were you directly promoted to a core inner disciple?”

I answered patiently, one by one.

“Junior Lin Yao. I was recommended by Elder Yuan and granted the status of core inner disciple.”

The old woman clicked her tongue and, while writing in her battered notebook, muttered to herself, “That dead old fossil, Elder Yuan...”

That said, she still handed me a room card.

“Get lost!”

I glanced at the card a few times, but the old woman’s sharp rebuke sent me packing.

For some reason, I felt no annoyance toward this stern old lady at all. In fact, I rather liked her.

I looked at the room card. It was very simple: a blue card with the large number 5006 printed on it.

It was probably room six on the fifth floor.

Entering the building, I found that the residence of core inner disciples truly was very quiet, with not a sound to be heard.