Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 236, Section 235: The Test, the Female Taoist Priest

Guo Zhao seemed to be deep in thought, then felt a headache coming on:
“I have been inviting Li Cunxiao to come here often lately, but he has been in seclusion ever since he joined the sect, so I have been unable to find out anything about him.”

Just as Changsun Chi was about to say something more, someone outside suddenly announced the news.

"Master, Senior Sister Ye has emerged from seclusion and is waiting to see you outside the gate."

The master and apprentice's eyes lit up immediately.

"Shuyi is skilled in alchemy; if you have this to offer, please hurry and let Junior Sister Ye in!"

The paths of cultivation in the world are divided among the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

In addition to sectarian groups, there are also family lineages in various regions that have their own lineages and traditions.

Besides the old-established aristocratic families like the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families that spanned two dynasties, there were also emerging families supported by Emperor Taizong after he established his rule.

When the An Lushan Rebellion wreaked havoc on the Central Plains, powerful families such as the Cui family of Boling, the Cui family of Qinghe, and the Li family of Zhao County were greatly weakened by the war. However, some rising stars seized the opportunity to rise to prominence.

More than a hundred years ago, Grandmaster Ye Daoyuan emerged out of nowhere and made great contributions with Guo Huayin, the Prince of Fenyang, in the process of conquering the two capitals.

Legend has it that his master was from the Shangqing Maoshan lineage, but later established his own sect. He was highly regarded by Emperor Xuanzong, who ordered the construction of Jinglong Temple.

After Ye Daoyuan's death, the imperial court posthumously awarded him the titles of Grand Master of the Palace, Minister of State Ceremonies, and Duke of Yue. From then on, Jinglong Temple became the Taoist sect, besides Louguan Taoism, that was closest to the imperial family.

When the Ye family passed down to this generation, Ye Jingneng, the current abbot of Jinglong Temple, did not become a grandmaster, but his daughter Ye Shuyi became a disciple of Louguan Dao and became a true disciple of Changsun Chi, especially skilled in alchemy.

"Greetings, Master and Senior Brother."

Outside the quiet room, a female Taoist priest walked gracefully in.

A golden crown and purple robes, flowing garments. Eyebrows like crescent moons, nose like smooth goose fat.

She possessed both an ethereal and otherworldly purity and a noble air of being pampered and privileged; the two complemented each other, making her dignified face even more serene and beautiful.

"Junior sister, you've ascended the Heavenly Ladder?"

Guo Zhao noticed the disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy and couldn't help but show a hint of joy.

"After all, Shuyi has been through five years of hard work, and things have finally come to fruition. She has overcome the most difficult hurdle, and everyone can finally breathe a sigh of relief before she breaks through the barrier."

Changsun Chi nodded with satisfaction. After gesturing for his disciple to take his seat, he exchanged a glance with Guo Zhao, who then seemingly brought up the topic unintentionally:
"My junior sister has been in seclusion for three months, and many important things have happened both inside and outside the sect."

"I have already heard about the fact that the traitors of the pseudo-Qi state have occupied the eastern capital."

Ye Shuyi sighed, "With the world in ruins, I wonder how many more people will be displaced."

"Traitors and villains are truly hateful. However, with Master Uncle's return imminent, we need not fear the machinations of these treacherous individuals."

"What I wanted to say was that Uncle-Master Taiyi took on a new disciple a month ago and values ​​him highly."

"Ok?"

Ye Shuyi's eyes lit up. "Master Taiyi has returned to the mountain?"

"Perfect timing! After ascending the Heavenly Ladder, my true essence has been able to harness spiritual energy, which has brought about many changes in alchemy. I was just about to go and learn from them."

"Junior sister," Guo Zhao said, looking at the eager female Taoist priest with a hint of helplessness.

This Junior Sister Ye is obsessed with alchemy, even more so than martial arts; she's practically a miniature Taiyi Zhenren.

Her father, Ye Jingneng, felt that his daughter was growing up and wanted to arrange a marriage for her.

However, Ye Shuyi said that the Dao of alchemy is vast and profound, and one cannot understand it even after a lifetime. If she were to marry and become a wife and mother, she would have even less hope of reaching a higher level.

With such repeated excuses and the promise of becoming a nun, Ye Jing had no choice but to let his beloved woman have her way.

Fortunately, Taoism was the most important religion in the dynasty, and many noblewomen became Taoist nuns. Under the influence of the royal princesses, it gradually became a trend.

However, unlike those princesses who called themselves "female Taoists" but actually used the opportunity to escape their families and indulge in sensual pleasures, Ye Shuyi became a female Taoist priestess, and her daily work consisted only of Taoist scriptures and alchemy.

As the heir apparent of the Prince of Fenyang, Guo Zhao was already married with children and had to avoid suspicion when alone with his wife, so he naturally had no way to discipline his junior sister.

"You little brat, how utterly rude! My Vermilion Bird lineage is also skilled in alchemy. How could you go looking for that Pharmacist Li as soon as you leave seclusion? Are you deliberately trying to make a fool of your master in front of outsiders?"

Changsun Chi feigned anger, and Ye Shuyi calmed down a bit.

“Master, please forgive me. You and my senior brother are managing the sect and are also worried about the court. I do not wish to disturb you.”

"Master Taiyi is naturally no better than you in alchemy, but he has delegated most of his duties to Senior Brother Li Siqi, so he is more relaxed."

Changsun Chi immediately laughed, "You."

"You don't like to socialize and only focus on studying ancient alchemy books. You could say you're clumsy, but you're quick-witted when it matters."

"Brother Ye, it's no wonder you have a headache having an only daughter like you."

"If Master has finished scolding me, then I will go to Uncle-Master Taiyi to seek further guidance."

Ye Shuyi realized that her master didn't mean to blame her, so she actually stood up.

"Go ahead, and while you're at it, take a look at your Uncle-Master Taiyi's new disciple. What's his quality?"

Upon hearing this, the female Taoist priest crossed her left hand over her right, made a Zi-Wu mudra, and then slowly took her leave.

Guo Zhao looked at his junior sister's retreating figure, a hint of worry in his eyes.

“Master, my junior sister is focused on alchemy, so I’m afraid we won’t be able to find anything out.”

"There's no need to find out anything in one go; there's plenty of time in the future."

Changsun Chi picked up the cup of flavorful tea and took a sip.

"Perhaps she and Li Cunxiao will have some other encounters, who knows?"

"Junior Brother Ye, Junior Brother Wei, how have things been in the outer sect lately?"

"Thanks to my senior brother, I didn't encounter any trouble. On the contrary, I met many people who showed me goodwill and gave me a lot of gold, silver and pills."

"Wei He and I didn't know what to do, so we came here specifically to ask our senior brother for advice."

"Oh?"

Li Cunxiao looked at the two people sitting on his left and right, somewhat surprised.

Ye Chengxiao had originally mastered the second stage of the art, and he practiced the Tiger Demon Fist, one of the introductory fist techniques of the Louguan Sect. After that, he directly switched to the Four Fire Birds Technique and has now mastered the third stage.

This speed is certainly not fast compared to his, but it is considered good within the outer sect of Louguan Dao, and he is expected to advance to the internal organs level before the age of twenty.

Wei He was already at the peak of his Qi and Blood. After obtaining the Tiger Demon Fist Temptation Magic and a large amount of pills, he accumulated strength and unleashed it. He achieved minor success in the third stage of training as soon as he broke through the Muscle Realm, making him no less than Li Cunxiao back then.

With his cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, he arrived at one of the most prestigious Daoist holy sites in the world and made many new friends. It's easy for an ordinary person to become a little arrogant.

Wei He was somewhat slow to grasp the change and might not yet be able to fully comprehend it, but Ye Chengxiao was quite astute.

As soon as a disciple in the sect shows goodwill, they immediately come to seek guidance from their patron, demonstrating an exceptionally high level of awareness.

"Gifts are certainly acceptable, but it's best not to exceed your means. Such valuable items are often not gifts, but traps." "Junior Brother Ye, Junior Brother Wei, we come from the same place; we are both fellow townsmen and fellow disciples."

"I am happy to help you, and I believe that you will definitely lend a helping hand if I encounter any trouble in the future."

"But if someone comes to you asking for a favor or asking me to do something, then I can only close the door to visitors."

As soon as Li Cunxiao finished speaking, Ye Chengxiao immediately patted his chest:

"Don't worry, senior brother, we know what's important. It's already a great honor to be able to learn martial arts from a major sect like Louguan Dao, how could we have time to care about those with ill intentions?"

"me too!"

Li Cunxiao nodded in satisfaction.

He always combined kindness and severity. He didn't necessarily want to train these two into loyal henchmen, but at least he wanted to establish his authority and be a good leader.

After all, Ye Chengxiao and Wei He were the first, but they wouldn't be the last.

Being in a foreign land, he was completely alone and helpless, except for the old Taoist priest he could rely on.

He has just entered the sect, and his cultivation and reputation are not yet prominent. He is merely an appendage of Taiyi Zhenren.

However, once he begins to compete for the true teachings, and even for the position of the Azure Dragon Pavilion Master, many things will inevitably happen.

If a person is overwhelmed with tasks, he cannot wait until he is in a state of chaos before thinking about building a team.

From now on, you can give each other small tasks from time to time as a way for both parties to get to know each other and build rapport.

"By the way, last time our senior brother asked us to find out who in the inner sect and true disciples are skilled in alchemy. We have compiled a list here, which are the most frequently mentioned by the outer sect disciples."

As Ye Chengxiao spoke, he took out a roster from his pocket and handed it over.

When Li Cunxiao opened it, in addition to the disciples' personal information, such as their cultivation level and which pills they were good at refining, there were also occasional notes about the family power behind them in the capital.

The information wasn't very detailed. After all, these were two newcomers with limited social connections, but what they wrote could be corroborated by what Li Cunxiao knew, and there was basically nothing unfounded.

'From now on, Ye Chengxiao can handle intelligence, while Wei He is better suited to manage logistics.'

A fleeting thought crossed his mind. Li Cunxiao skipped the section on inner disciples and went straight to the true disciples, where, unsurprisingly, he saw two names.

"Li Siqi, Ye Shuyi"

Although Li Siqi was not valued by Taiyi, he had been able to maintain his position as a true disciple on Qinglong Peak for so many years, which naturally meant that he had remarkable skills in alchemy.

There are no different levels of alchemists. The most direct way to judge how skilled an alchemist is is to see what grade of pills they can refine.

Generally speaking, the grade of pills a master alchemist can refine is closely related to their own skill level. The higher the grade of the pill, the more skillful the technique required, and the higher the demands on the manipulation of true qi and even true essence.

Li Siqi's Heavenly Ladder cultivation level is at the average level among the true disciples, but he is able to refine sixth-grade pills, which is the foundation of his position.

Ye Shuyi was a disciple of Vermilion Bird Peak. When she was in the True Form Realm, she had already begun to try to refine sixth-order pills, but she failed in the end.

Nevertheless, his techniques and understanding of alchemy were surprisingly praised by the immortal Taiyi Zhenren.

Of the Four Symbols and Four Peaks, the Vermilion Bird originally controlled elixirs, the White Tiger controlled weapons and armor, the Azure Dragon controlled the transmission of scriptures, and the Black Tortoise controlled the Daoist army.

However, after Emperor Taizong established his rule, the sects had already moved from Zhongnan Mountain in Fengxiang Prefecture to Huayin County. Under the emperor's nose, the Taoist soldiers of the Xuanwu lineage naturally fell into disuse.

The current leader of Vermilion Bird Peak, Changsun Chi, is more skilled in combat than in alchemy. On the contrary, it was Taiyi Zhenren who comprehended the principles of alchemy and weaponry through the "Nine Revolutions Divine Elixir Scripture," making Azure Dragon Peak the representative of Louguan Dao in alchemy.

The disciples of Vermilion Bird Peak and White Tiger Peak were naturally eager to respond.

To secure his position as the leader of the Azure Dragon Pavilion, the latter will not care, but the former will definitely launch a challenge to vindicate his own position.

According to the rules, succeeding as the master of the Azure Dragon Pavilion only requires defeating a rival from the same sect. But in reality, only by subduing all the alchemists in the sect can Li Cunxiao truly dispel all doubts and gain the authority of a Taiyi Zhenren among his peers.

“You two junior brothers have done well; I can see you put your heart into it. I have some pills here that will replenish your qi and blood.”

"Thank you, senior brother!"

Ye Chengxiao and Wei He were overjoyed. In such a large sect, it's impossible for everyone to be a master; there must be people to do things. In addition to their monthly mandatory tasks, outer disciples often have to run around for cultivation resources.

With Li Cunxiao as a powerful backer and the support of Taiyi Zhenren, the mere second-tier pills for cultivating the muscle and muscular realm are but a drop in the ocean.

With these pills in hand, the two could focus on their cultivation, and their efficiency in practicing martial arts would certainly be higher than that of their peers, and even some of their senior brothers from the outer sect.

"There's no need for that. Mucha is only thirteen and has only recently begun formally learning martial arts. He can't possibly use all the pills I refine by himself, so you should share the burden."

Li Cunxiao said this, but in reality, the medicine he used on Li Mucha was far superior to that of the two of them.

The process of learning martial arts is a process of destruction and regeneration.

Previously, his family was poor, and Li Mucha was physically weak. He was well cared for in Chuqiu County, and when he arrived in the prefecture city, his muscles and bones grew stronger.

Now that Li Mucha is thirteen years old, he is already 1.7 meters tall and has developed some muscle mass, Li Cunxiao finally allowed him to start practicing martial arts.

Besides the elixirs of Louguandao and the private treasury of Taiyi, Li Cunxiao also possessed the treasures of the former Zhou imperial family on the dragon boat.

With these foundational elements, even if Li Mucha wasn't particularly talented, he could still manage to elevate his younger brother's skill level.

As for malevolent energy and inner demons, with the Vajra Pestle present, it's not impossible to deduce martial arts techniques to resolve these issues in the future.

"Brother, Ye Shuyi, the true disciple of Zhuque Peak, has come to visit and has already entered Miaoyan Palace."

Just as Li Cunxiao saw the two off, Li Mucha came to report the news.

"He really came as soon as he was told," Li Cunxiao said, not surprised, as he looked at his younger brother.

The handsome young man was also dressed in a jade-colored Taoist robe, but instead of a jade crown, he wore a thin wooden crown to distinguish himself from his elder brother.

At this moment, Li Mucha tried to remain calm, but his face still showed a hint of nervousness.

He was no longer an innocent child, and had heard a lot of rumors circulating in the sect recently. He knew that the fates of the two brothers were now closely linked to the old Taoist priest.

At this moment, a true disciple of Biefeng visited Taiyi, and it was Ye Shuyi, whom the latter had once praised. Naturally, Taiyi's heart was in turmoil.

“My brother has grown up,” Li Cunxiao sighed, his expression complex.

I don't know if it's referring to the younger brother growing taller, or to his understanding of human relationships and the unpredictability of life.

"Let's go, accompany your brother to take a look."

After speaking, the two brothers passed through pavilions and towers and went straight into Miaoyan Palace.

Upon entering, one sees a female Taoist priest talking to Taiyi, who has a rare smile on his face.

When he saw Li Cunxiao arrive, his smile deepened, and his eyes darted back and forth between the female Taoist priest and his own disciple.

“Nephew Ye, this is my good-for-nothing disciple.”

"Cunxiao, why aren't you coming to pay your respects?"

(End of this chapter)