Destiny is ashes

Chapter 6 Senior Brother

What happened next was unremarkable.

Deputy Medicine Envoy took everyone to a deep valley behind Xuanming Manor and ordered them to wash off the dust there, and then change into sets of dark grey clothes of the same style.

These clothes are similar to those worn by the special boys and girls that An Jing had seen before, but they are simpler.

Next, is the record roster.

"An Jing, from Gufeng County, Xuanque Prefecture, Hanbei Road, bone age eleven..."

"Xia Li, Hanhai Prefecture, Hanhai Road, bone age twelve..."

"Tangyuan Town, Laifeng City, Liuguang Prefecture, Hanbei Road, bone age nine..."

An Jing stood at the front with his eyes downcast, silently noting down all the roll calls and recorded sounds, analyzing their origins.

Most of the people collected by Xuanming Manor were children and young girls who had suffered from the frost disaster in the north of the Vast Sea. The most remote one among them was a girl named Bai Qinghan from the South Road, one of the three roads in the Vast Sea.

What she suffered was probably not the frost disaster, but the vast sea demon disaster nearly ten years ago. She was born in that demon disaster and is a survivor who has struggled to this day.

After the roster was finalized, there were 248 people. The five people who were not on the roster were the five black-robed boys and girls that An Jing discovered at the beginning. They had already been taken away.

After the list was finalized, it was almost dusk and it was time for lunch.

The dinner prepared by Xuanming Manor was very simple, consisting of simple corn and a strange bean paste mixed with a lot of medicinal flavor, with a large bowl of each, and three flatbreads spread with oil and salt.

It was simple, but everyone ate with relish. When the steward announced that it was time to eat, there was no other sound in the whole hall except that of eating.

After all, they had suffered from the disaster for more than a year, and had to eat tree bark and grass roots along the way to get here. It had been more than ten days of bumpy ride to the villa. How could they possibly be dissatisfied with these generous portions of food?

Not to mention, everyone can get a can of meatball soup. In the brown earthenware pot, three white meatballs are floating in the soup with oily spots, which looks very appetizing. An Jing scooped it up with a spoon and took a bite. The long-lost meaty taste filled his cheeks. The elastic taste was fresh and salty, which made people unable to stop.

Even An Jing didn't have time to think about other things while eating. It was only after he finished eating and was led to his residence by the servants that he reacted.

——This Xuanming Manor is quite adept at controlling people's hearts.

Standing in front of his bamboo bed, An Jing turned around thoughtfully and looked at the pavilion of Xuanming Manor under the moonlight.

For most of the children who were bought, they had just been rescued from the disaster area, cured of their chronic illnesses, and had traveled a long and bumpy journey away from their hometown, feeling very uneasy.

Then, they came to a secret manor isolated from the world, when they were at their most vulnerable and sensitive and needed support the most.

Xuanming Manor bathed them, changed their clothes into new ones, washed away their past fatigue, panic and fear, and established a common mentality by using the same clothes.

Finally, by taking roll call, they built a sense of recognition and deepened everyone's appreciation for them with a hearty meal and a little meat.

Thinking of this, An Jing couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "It's just that I am wise and suspicious - but even I don't have a bad impression of Xuanming Manor, I even have a very good impression of it."

"After all, they really spend money on medical treatment and use food to buy people. So far, no one has persecuted or abused us young boys and girls. We have nothing to complain about in terms of food, drink and clothing... I see."

At this moment, An Jing felt a little confused.

When he was a child, he was actually quite indifferent to the many "death warriors" and "hidden hands" in those historical novels. He always couldn't understand where those people's loyalty came from. How could they be so loyal to their masters while lurking in the dark?
But now, he understood a little bit - if Xuanming Manor continued to train these boys and girls in this way, when they grew up, each of them would be an absolute die-hard fan of Xuanming Manor.

Lurking in secret? That's nothing. Even if Xuanming Manor is really an evil sect, it won't affect his loyalty.

They will regard all the world's vigilance, disgust and caution towards Xuanming Manor as slander, and recognize from the bottom of their hearts that Xuanming Manor is absolutely right.

The worse the reputation of Xuanming Manor becomes, the angrier those who have received the favor of Xuanming Manor and have fully recognized their status as disciples of Xuanming Manor will become. They will purify themselves and become the true foundation of Xuanming Manor!
This requires that Xuanming Manor is an evil sect. If Xuanming Manor is a famous and large sect, it would be easy for people to be willing to die for it and sacrifice for justice!

"Um……"

An Jing was not in a position to say much. He recalled the taste of meat in the earthenware pot soup and smacked his lips and said to himself, "Okay, I'll eat one portion of meat and do one portion of work."

Because of his personality and wisdom, An Jing knew that it would be difficult for him to be absolutely loyal to other people in this lifetime.

But if the salary is adequate...

He can also be a loyal minister!
Xuanming Manor divided the children into boys and girls and arranged a separate room for each of them.

It was a residence that was open from front to back and almost like a large dormitory, but they used bamboo walls to separate everyone.

The room was very small, with only room for a bed and a little space for stretching legs, but this cramped environment made these children in disaster feel at ease - after living on the ground for a long time, people would rather huddle in their own warm little space than be exposed to the wind and rain.

An Jing couldn't help but think of capsule hotels. Although he had no idea what a capsule hotel was, all kinds of images would appear in his mind, allowing him to have a deeper understanding of those unfamiliar concepts. This was his wisdom since childhood. An Jing's wisdom and mature way of thinking were his reliance on dealing with many dangers and still being able to protect himself.

That's it for now, go to bed first.

Feeling extremely sleepy, An Jing also knew that instead of analyzing Xuanming Manor's method of cultivating loyal disciples, it would be better to get some more sleep to recuperate.

He lay down on the bed, covered himself with a blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

For the next period of time, Xuanming Manor did nothing but let the more than 200 sons of the tribulation adjust their work and rest schedules, take care of their stomachs and bodies, and adapt to the water and soil of the mountains and forests.

They claim to be an ancient hidden tradition, but because the living environment is too harsh and they have to live in the deep mountains and forests for a long time, it is difficult to recruit normal disciples. For the sake of inheritance, they go from all over the place to buy orphans and refugees who can endure this kind of life.

This explanation is actually quite weak. If it was said in a refugee camp or when you first arrived at the manor, anyone who believed it would definitely have something wrong with their brains.

But Xuanming Manor had taken care of everyone's food and daily life, allowing many young boys and girls to sleep peacefully, have food and meat on a daily basis, and new clothes. They were neither sold as slaves nor abused or whipped.

As a matter of fact, these kids will believe whatever they say.

From An Jing's perspective, Xuanming Manor is like a huge closed training camp.

Every morning, Zhuangzi would gather all the children together, and the riders would serve as instructors to teach them a simple set of physical fitness techniques. In the afternoon, he would also teach the children how to read and write, and then have the doctors check their physical conditions.

This martial art is far inferior to An Jing's own family martial arts, but it can indeed strengthen the body. In fact, An Jing has only learned the basics of his own martial arts classics, so there is no harm in learning more other martial arts.

To learn to read and write, one has to read an ancient book on the Mandate of Heaven called "Huang Tian Jing". It is not some scripture that is meant to mislead people. It focuses on respecting the will of Heaven and worshipping Heaven. It is circulated throughout Dachen.

There was a meal each after practicing martial arts and reading in the evening. An Jing believed that it was some kind of medicinal food. He could feel that his body was getting better rapidly under the combination of medicinal food and sufficient sleep. He was getting healthier and his thin figure was beginning to recover.

This kind of day lasted for half a month, and everyone's spirit and energy were very different from when they first entered the manor. All the children except An Jing had fully accepted their identity as "disciples of Xuanming Manor".

Even someone as cautious as An Jing began to think that this place was indeed quite good.

——Eating and sleeping, reading and practicing martial arts every day, what kind of life is this as a young master!
For more people, life here is much better than in their own homes before the frost disaster. They begin to completely regard Xuanming Manor as their real "home".

At the same time, during this period, An Jing gradually became familiar with other boys and girls.

First of all, An Jing had learned martial arts and was literate, and was the most talented one among the group. He would occasionally be called forward by lecturers and coaches to demonstrate moves or recite scriptures to others, and then be rewarded and praised.

Secondly, it is also because An Jing does have an extraordinary image.

When we first arrived at the manor, everyone was basically skinny and bony, with no visible features or posture.

But even then, An Jing's aura was enough to suppress everyone's doubts, and only a few people were dissatisfied.

As everyone gradually recovered their health, An Jing also regained his original appearance.

He was born with a graceful demeanor and was elegant and graceful. This was his original appearance. After wandering for a year, An Jing, who had killed many villains, had a sense of danger even when he smiled, just like a clouded leopard in the mountains, graceful and bloodthirsty.

Even the owner of the medicine shop sighed repeatedly. When An Jing stood there, everyone would look up to him without saying anything.

An Jing appeared extremely grateful for Xuanming Manor's arrangement, but he was analyzing it calmly in his heart.

He naturally knew that this was a cost-effective way to win over others, allowing him, the individual with the best performance and good image, to instinctively regard himself as "an insider of Xuanming Village" and "the eldest brother", thus having a strong sense of belonging. It could also attract other children and create a sense of collectivism.

At the same time, it can also stimulate the desire for challenge and victory in other "reluctant" children.

An Jing himself is not proud of this identity, but there are always other young boys and girls who gather around him.

However, whether it was because of his identity as the 'senior brother' or because of his appearance... An Jing himself was not sure.

In short, now all the kids in the same dormitory act around him, and he has unknowingly become a big brother-like figure. Normally, whether they are gathering to go to the cafeteria or going to the martial arts field for training, he is the one who leads and organizes the team.

Just like a real senior brother, guiding other junior brothers and sisters in their studies, such a life can easily make people relax too much.

However, these are just preludes.

After all, Xuanming Manor is a sect that inherits the martial arts tradition. It is impossible for it to allow people to eat and drink for free and live the life of a rich master.

Soon, the extremely arduous formal training began.

(End of this chapter)