Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

On the fourth day of Anping Residence, news arrived.

A disciple in a gray Taoist robe knocked on Jiang Lan's door. "The headmaster of the Cursed Arts lineage wants to see you. Come with me."

Jiang Lan picked up the wooden plaque from the bundle and followed them out.

After passing through the mountain gate and walking along the long plank road, we arrived at a secluded courtyard. Above the gate hung a plaque with the three characters "咒法脉" (Curse Lineage), written in a hasty handwriting, as if casually scribbled.

Several strange-looking trees grew in the yard, their trunks twisted and their bark covered in bumps. A pungent smell permeated the air, like herbs or poison powder.

The disciple led him to the backyard and stopped at the door of a quiet room. "Go in," he said, then turned and left.

Jiang Lan pushed open the door and went in.

The room was dimly lit, with the windows covered by black cloth and only a few oil lamps lit, their flames flickering and illuminating the talismans on the walls.

A middle-aged man sat behind his desk, wearing a worn blue Taoist robe with the collar open to reveal a white undergarment underneath. He had a thin face.

The head of the Spellcasting Cult is Qian Tong.

Jiang Lan bowed and said, "Junior Jiang Lan greets Dean Qian."

Qian Tong didn't offer him a seat, nor did he exchange pleasantries. His gaze fell on Jiang Lan, sizing him up from head to toe before he spoke, his voice low but crisp.

"You're the one who offered up the Soul-Suppressing Grass?"

"Yes."

"Where are the things?"

Jiang Lan took out a small jade box from his pocket and handed it over with both hands. Inside the jade box was a hundred-year-old Yin Soul Grass, completely black with intact roots.

This was secretly slipped into his bag by his master when he saw him off.

During his few days at Anping Residence, he inquired through the Liu family about Qian Tong, the head of the incantation lineage. He said that in addition to accepting disciples with good aptitude, he also accepted disciples who showed the proper "filial piety".

I originally wanted to keep it myself, but it didn't pass the cross-review process after several days.

I might as well give it a shot.

Qian Tong took the jade box, opened it, looked at it closely, pinched off a bit of grass with his fingernail, and smelled it.

He nodded, closed the jade box, and casually placed it on the table.

"The item is quite good. A hundred-year-old Yin Soul Grass, worth three hundred taels on the market." He raised his eyelids to look at Jiang Lan. "You want to join the Spellcasting lineage?"

"Yes."

"Your innate talent is at the fourth rank, making you suitable for the outer sect." Qian Tong tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice. "But your cultivation has reached the ninth level, so your combat skills are not bad. Plus, this Yin Soul Grass..." He paused, "The spellcasting lineage is short of people. You can stay and become a disciple under my name."

Jiang Lan felt relieved and clasped her hands in thanks: "Thank you, Headmaster."

"Don't rush to thank me." Qian Tong leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips. "As a registered disciple, you'll receive three Qi-boosting pills and a set of introductory cultivation techniques on the first day of each month. You'll be responsible for your own expenses. You can rent accommodation at the steward's office for fifty taels a month; maids and servants are available for an extra charge. You'll naturally learn these rules once you're settled in."

He took a wooden plaque from the drawer, on which the words "spell" were engraved, and pushed it to the side of the table.

"There's one more thing."

Jiang Lan looked at him.

Qian Tong held up three fingers. "The entry rule for inner disciples of the Spellcasting Clan is three hundred taels of 'mutual aid money.' This money isn't for me personally; it goes to the clan's public treasury to purchase talismans, poison catalysts, and consumables for hidden weapons." His tone was matter-of-fact. "The Yin Soul Grass you handed over is valued at three hundred taels, that's it. You don't need to pay any more mutual aid money."

Jiang Lan clasped her hands in thanks: "Thank you, Headmaster."

Qian Tong nodded and waved.

"Su Xiaotang, take him to settle in."

A young woman walked in through the door. She was about eighteen or nineteen years old, petite, wearing a light green Taoist robe with silver thread embroidered on the cuffs. Her hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing a section of her fair neck.

Her eyes were bright, and she had a slight smile on her face.

"Let's go, Junior Brother Jiang." Her voice was clear and cheerful, with a lively energy. "My name is Su Xiaotang, and I started learning the sect a year earlier than you. If you have any questions in the future, you can ask me."

Jiang Lan followed her out of the meditation room. Su Xiaotang walked ahead, her steps light and quick, the hem of her Taoist robe fluttering with each step.

"That's just how Master Qian is. He speaks bluntly, but he's honest in his work." Su Xiaotang didn't even turn her head. "He doesn't really look at a disciple's aptitude; he looks at whether you're 'useful.' He's been talking about your Yin Soul Grass for days, saying he's just missing this ingredient for refining medicine."

She paused, then glanced at Jiang Lan, saying, "You're quite clever; you know to give a gift first."

Jiang Lan did not respond.

Su Xiaotang didn't mind and continued leading the way. They passed through a long corridor with medicinal gardens on both sides, planted with all sorts of strange plants, some with purple flowers and others with blood-red leaves, the air filled with a mixture of spicy and bitter smells.

"This is the herb garden of the Spellcasting lineage," Su Xiaotang pointed out. "Most of the disciples in the academy grow their own herbs or go out to gather them. They rely on these for alchemy, poison making, and talisman drawing. If you understand pharmacology, you can try growing them yourself. If not, that's okay too; you can go to the Hall of Affairs to take on tasks and earn silver and contribution points."

She led Jiang Lan to a two-story building. The building was small, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and a clump of bamboo planted in front of the door.

"This is the disciples' quarters. Abbot Qian has arranged a room for you on the second floor on the east side, by the window." Su Xiaotang pushed open the door and went up the stairs. At the end of the corridor, there was a wooden plaque on a door with Jiang Lan's name on it.

She pushed open the door. The room was small, containing a bed, a table, a chair, and a wooden shelf in the corner with a few old books on it. The window faced east, offering a view of Dingbo Lake in the distance, its surface shrouded in mist.

"The conditions are so-so, but better than the outer sect." Su Xiaotang leaned against the door frame. "The monthly rent is fifty taels, deducted from your monthly allowance. If your allowance isn't enough, go to the steward's hall to take on tasks."

Jiang Lan put down her bundle and looked around. "Thank you, Senior Sister Su."

"You're welcome." Su Xiaotang smiled, took out a booklet from her sleeve, and handed it to him. "This is 'The True Explanation of Incantations: Introduction,' which Abbot Qian asked me to pass on. The mental cultivation method only goes up to the Condensation Realm; we'll discuss the rest after you break through. Remember, the mental cultivation method must not be passed on to outsiders, or you will be expelled and your cultivation will be ruined."

Jiang Lan took the booklet. The cover was made of kraft paper, with the words "True Explanation of Incantations" written on it in neat handwriting.

"In addition," Su Xiaotang pulled out a few thin booklets from her sleeve, "these are 'The Classic of Herbs,' 'The Manual of Poisons,' and 'An Introduction to Hidden Weapons.' Disciples of the Spellcasting lineage mainly study spellcasting, but they also need to know some poisons and hidden weapons. Headmaster Qian said that your fist techniques are already well-rounded, and you have no shortage of close-range skills, but you lack long-range and sneaky abilities. You can learn these things yourself."

Jiang Lan took the booklet and clasped her hands in thanks: "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Su Xiaotang waved her hand. "Don't thank me, I was just following Dean Qian's orders." She turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and looked back at him. "By the way, there aren't many disciples in the Cursed Arts lineage. Including those specially recruited from the inner and outer sects, there are less than twenty people. They usually practice separately and rarely gather together. Dean Qian doesn't really manage them. He distributes pills on the first day of each month and gives a lecture on the fifteenth. It's up to you whether you go or not."

She smiled and said, "To put it bluntly, it's about letting your child learn freely. How far they can go depends on their own abilities."

Jiang Lan nodded. "I understand."

Su Xiaotang left. Her footsteps faded into the distance in the corridor until they could no longer be heard.

Jiang Lan closed the door, placed the bundle on the bed, and sat down at the table. He opened "The True Explanation of Incantations," and the first page was the general outline, with a line that read: "Incantations are used to guide incantations with qi, to control objects with incantations, and to defeat enemies with objects. Only those with exceptional talent can learn it, and only those with unwavering will can succeed."

He flipped down. The introductory section explained how to use the Qi and blood of the Meridian Opening Realm to activate talismans and transform physical strength into incantational power. Unlike fist techniques, incantation techniques do not rely on brute force, but on the precise control of Qi.

He tried the breathing method, which was somewhat similar to the internal organ energy, but more complex, requiring the breath to be divided into several streams and circulated simultaneously.

He tried several times, but his breath raced wildly through his meridians like a headless fly. He stopped, took a deep breath, and started again.

A golden light appeared in my mind:

[An Introduction to the True Meaning of Spells (0/100)]

……

There were voices outside the window. Two disciples walked by downstairs. Their voices were not loud, but the night wind carried their words over, making them intermittent.

"...Another newcomer?"

"It's a fourth-grade Dao Foundation cultivator."

"Another bribe to Master Qian?"

"That's true, the spellcasting lineage is practically reduced to a junkyard."