Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

As I stepped out of Changchun Courtyard, the morning light filtered through the branches of the pine trees, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick path.

Yin Zhiping walked side by side with Su Yan, explaining in a calm tone.

"Junior Brother Su, after becoming a formal disciple, you will need to choose one of the sect's general affairs to undertake. This is both a duty and a training experience. Guarding the mountain requires taking turns to guard the mountain gate, preaching requires instructing new disciples in basic martial arts, martial arts hall affairs involve assisting in managing the sword training ground, and there are also tasks to go down the mountain to eliminate bandits, mostly at the request of local wealthy merchants, which is also an important source of income for the sect."

Su Yan listened quietly, without any bias in her heart.

His most pressing task now is to improve his strength, protect Su Ye, and hone his martial arts skills using the resources of the Quanzhen Sect. As for his specific duties, he just needs to make sure they don't interfere with his cultivation.

Before long, the two arrived at the Hall of General Affairs. The hall was simply furnished, with thick volumes of general affairs books on wooden shelves against the wall, and several Taoist priests in charge were sorting through the files.

After Yin Zhiping explained his purpose, the steward handed him a yellowed book filled with various tasks, the ink of which was of varying ages.

Su Yan's fingertips traced across the pages, her gaze sweeping quickly over them.

The mountain guard duty requires shifts day and night, which might interfere with nighttime cultivation, so this option is rejected.

Preaching requires answering all sorts of questions from new disciples, which is time-consuming and energy-draining, so I passed.

Going down the mountain to eliminate bandits can improve combat proficiency, but the journey is arduous, so I'll pass.

Only the task of "cleaning and guarding the library" recorded on the last page caught his eye.

The register states that the library was originally guarded by Master Wen, who was responsible for cleaning, drying, and organizing the books. However, Master Wen passed away recently, and this position has been vacant ever since.

This task requires long-term commitment, involving daily cleaning of bookshelves and airing out ancient texts. It is tedious and monotonous, and most formal disciples are keen on practicing swordsmanship or going out for training, so no one is willing to take it on.

More importantly, the library mainly contains Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist classics, which Wang Chongyang and his seven disciples collected from various places in their early years. Later disciples mostly joined the sect to learn martial arts. After morning lessons, they had to practice swordsmanship with their master, take turns on duty in the morning or afternoon, and participate in the Big Dipper Sword Formation practice in their spare time. In the evening, they could only spare time for breathing exercises and cultivation, and had no time to read these "useless" classics. Only the "Qingjing Jing" and "Tao Te Ching", which were required to be read in morning and evening lessons, could be considered to be related to classics.

Su Yan's heart stirred slightly. In his previous life, he had been quite interested in Buddhist and Taoist classics. Although he was busy with survival and cultivation after transmigrating, this interest had not diminished.

Moreover, these classic texts may contain wisdom beyond martial arts. The famous "Nine Yin Manual" is a technique that Huang Chang, a person who had never practiced martial arts, comprehended after flipping through three thousand Daoist scriptures.

Moreover, being able to cultivate and study the classics in the quiet library is far more to his liking than any other activity. More importantly, this place is secluded, allowing Su Ye to practice his swordsmanship peacefully without worrying about being disturbed.

"I choose to clean and guard the library."

Su Yan closed the book, his tone resolute.

Yin Zhiping was slightly surprised, then smiled knowingly.

"Although this task is tedious, it is the most tranquil, which is suitable for Junior Brother to concentrate on his cultivation. By the way, there is a small courtyard on the west side of the library, which is perfect for you and Su Ye to live in. You don't need to participate in the morning and evening lessons, you only need to complete the daily book management."

Su Yan was overjoyed to hear this, as it was exactly what he had been hoping for, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Senior Brother Yin."

"It was just a small favor."

Yin Zhiping waved his hand and immediately reported to the steward, finalizing the tasks and accommodations for the two men.

Afterwards, Yin Zhiping led Su Yan and Su Ye to the library.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, a whiff of dusty ink and the aroma of books wafted out. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting swirling dust motes in the beams of light. The bookshelves were piled high with classic texts, many of which were covered in a thick layer of dust, exuding the weight of time.

"The books here cover Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, as well as some miscellaneous notes and observations. You need to clean and sweep them regularly every day, and air out the books that are prone to dampness once a month. If any disciples borrow them, you need to register them."

Yin Zhiping pointed to each item on the bookshelf and explained them one by one.

"The small courtyard on the west side can be tidied up and is ready for habitation. Meals will be delivered to us by servants on time every day, so there's no need to worry about it."

Su Yan noted them down one by one, her gaze sweeping over the titles of books on the bookshelf, such as "Commentary on the Tao Te Ching," "Collected Commentaries on the Diamond Sutra," and "Annotated and Collated Zhuangzi," her heart filled with anticipation.

Su Ye looked around curiously, her little hand gently brushing against the bookshelf, her eyes full of wonder.

After settling in, the two spent two days cleaning up the courtyard and library.

Although the courtyard was small, there was an open space for practicing swordsmanship. The interior was simply furnished but tidy. Su Yan left the west room to Su Ye and lived in the east room himself. They practiced separately on weekdays. In his spare time, Su Yan would instruct Su Ye on swordsmanship. The rest of the time, he would immerse himself in the library, managing the books and reading them. Occasionally, his panel would pop up with a few insights, which would help his breathing technique proficiency slowly increase.

Five days later, Qiu Chuji sent someone to summon Su Yan to Changchun Temple and imparted the Quanzhen School of Buddhism to him.

"This is the core internal skill of our sect. It requires sincere practice and cannot be rushed."

Qiu Chuji meticulously taught Su Yan the mental techniques, formulas, and operational diagrams, and Su Yan concentrated on memorizing them, engraving each word into his mind.

Upon returning to the library, Su Yan immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating his internal energy according to the Quanzhen Principles of Internal Energy.

The panel refreshed instantly.

[Internal Skill: Rank B - Quanzhen Inner Strength Technique (Unskilled, 0/100)]

The internal energy in the dantian originally surged like a stream. When it was circulated according to the path of the Quanzhen Internal Energy Method, it gradually became as condensed as silk, and the total amount of internal energy that was originally abundant was reduced.

The level displayed on the panel dropped from [Third-rate Martial Artist (99%)] to [Third-rate Martial Artist (79%)]. Su Yan was not flustered. He knew that this was an inevitable process of internal energy purification. The "Internal Energy Condensation +30%" notification on the panel proved that this reduction was worthwhile.

For the next ten days or so, Su Yan immersed himself in the practice of the Quanzhen Martial Arts and the study of its classic texts.

As Su Yan studied various Taoist scriptures, he found that each insight he gained greatly increased his proficiency in the Quanzhen Mental Cultivation Method. The annotations and explanations by senior masters were extremely consistent with the operational rules of the Quanzhen Mental Cultivation Method.

The operation of the Quanzhen Inner Strength Technique became increasingly smooth, and the internal energy flowed more and more smoothly through the meridians. Its refinement level continued to improve, and the proficiency on the panel steadily rose to [Grade B - Quanzhen Inner Strength Technique (Beginner, 86/200)], while the cultivation level slowly returned to [Third-rate Martial Artist (89%)].

He could clearly feel that although his current internal energy was not as strong as it had been at its peak, it was several times more condensed than before. It consumed less energy and was more powerful when used. When combined with the Quanzhen Sword Technique, the smoothness and ferocity of his sword moves reached a new level.

Su Ye's Quanzhen swordsmanship was also steadily improving under his guidance, and her posture became more and more upright. However, the only problem was that her normally righteous and peaceful swordsmanship was filled with murderous intent. After asking Qiu Chuji, he sighed and said that everyone has their own destiny and that she could try reading some scriptures.

Su Yan had to set aside time every day to teach Su Ye to recognize characters and study the classics.

That morning, Su Yan finished meditating and felt the mercury-like internal energy condensed in his dantian. The words "[Third-rate martial artist (99%)]" flashed on the panel. His proficiency in Quanzhen Inner Strength Technique had reached "[Entry-level (98/200)]", and the quality of his internal energy had more than doubled compared to before.

He slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them. He silently recited the prompts on the panel, a calm smile playing on his lips.

"Finally, I can break through."