Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

But since there were children with innate Qi who could negotiate with the Taoist priest, he decided to give it a try.

After hearing his mother's words, Master Qingxuzi paused, stroked his beard, and said, "Zhuhe, Liangqing, I understand what you mean, but let's let this child try the spiritual talisman first. Cultivation is something that cannot be forced; it's about following one's heart. No matter what the result is, we will not force this child to enter the temple."

The mother and father exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with hesitation.

"Father, Mother, let me try," Zhuang Xing echoed.

"Let him give it a try," Master Qingxuzi said with a smile.

Having said that, the father and mother backed down.

"Well... okay..."

They stood a little further away, giving up their spot.

Talking could be heard from the onlookers. Compared to Yunling, who was not very familiar to the crowd, Zhuang Xing was more eye-catching.

Almost everyone in the village knows him; they know he is the son of Zhu He and Zhuang Liangqing.

That's the downside of small villages; you can hear people talking about you no matter where you go.

Who got sick, whose daughter got pregnant, who got married...

All they talk about all day long is trivial family matters.

Amid the villagers' chatter, the father and mother turned their gaze toward Zhuang Xing, their eyes filled with concern, unease, and perhaps a hint of expectation.

Most of the villagers felt that Zhuangxing was definitely not a good option.

Or rather, they hoped Zhuang Xing would perform poorly, as this would give them some comfort.

See? Zhu He's son is not as good as our son.

Once the Taoist priests leave, these things will surely become the talk of the village.

Those who pay money to send their children up the mountain feel very confident.

Da Chun's family and Yun Ling's second uncle's family will become the envy of the villagers; they will become "other people's children".

The children who were chosen by the old hunter but failed to become the Taoist priest's disciples would become the subject of ridicule in their families.

As for Zhuang Xing, he will definitely be compared with Yun Ling, because he is the one the villagers know better, and Yun Ling is so close to their family.

I can almost picture the sarcastic remark, something like, "Your son is really something, he must have gotten a lot of money from that girl."

These words may not have been malicious, but they were still very unpleasant to hear.

Zhuang Xing didn't want others to say such hurtful things about him in front of his parents.

So he silently placed his hand on the spirit talisman and, under the watchful eyes of many, silently circulated his qi.

He recalled a story he had read before: Zhuangzi took his students up a mountain and encountered a woodcutter chopping wood. Because the wood was to be used as timber for building beams, the large, mature trees were cut down, while the crooked trees were allowed to die peacefully.

The student said, "I understand. One should temper one's sharpness."

Zhuangzi said, "You only understand half of it."

In the evening, they ate at a farmhouse. The host was about to kill a goose to entertain the guests, but there was a goose at the door that neither ran away nor hid, remaining calm and composed. This was because the goose's call was melodious, like the sound of flowing water in the mountains.

The talented goose survived, while the capable tree was cut down.

Zhuangzi asked his students how one should conduct oneself in life.

The student remained silent and could not answer.

Zhuangzi said that a virtuous person should dwell among the trees and wild geese, and possess the transformation of dragons and snakes.

When it's time to be patient, be patient; but when it's time to act, act decisively.

Rejoice, this is Jackie Chan's time!

The primordial Qi within Zhuang Xing's body flowed into his palm as the true Qi circulated.

The spirit talisman suddenly tore apart, cut into fragments by his qi, and scattered in all directions.

The scraps of paper burst into flames as they drifted into the sky, transforming into a blue, reverse-flowing rain of fire, much like a fireworks display.

Even the daytime sunlight could not overshadow the brilliance of the fireworks.

The mother and father had probably never seen such a dazzling scene before. They looked up and stared blankly as the fireworks drifted away.

The tiny sparks drifted into the distance before their eyes, like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind.

Chapter 55 Bai Sui's Disciple

"This... Uncle-Master Qingxuzi, why is that?"

"Is this also the primordial Qi?"

Master Lingwei stared in astonishment at the fragments of the spirit talisman drifting away in the sky. He had used spirit talismans for many years without ever encountering any accidents, but in such a short period of time, two unprecedented phenomena had occurred in succession, making him feel that everything he had learned in school was fake.

Even the well-informed Daoist Qingxuzi frowned.

"The color of this flame is indeed primordial Qi..." Master Qingxuzi said slowly, "but..."

The old Taoist priest pondered for a moment, then strode up to Zhuang Xing and asked, "Child, have you ever experienced any strange phenomena before? For example... something suddenly being cut open in front of you?"

Zhuang Xing nodded and said, "Yes, I have."

He said he used to cut weeds when he played with wooden swords.

That's true, but he concealed part of it, saying it was just a coincidence.

The old Taoist priest pondered for a while longer. All around was silent. The villagers remained quiet, and the Taoist priests all frowned.

Zhuang Xing stood there obediently without saying a word, pretending that he knew nothing.

After a long while, the old Taoist priest nodded, looking as if he understood.

Zhuang Xing had no idea what the old Taoist was imagining, so he kept quiet. At times like this, the more he said, the more likely he was to make a mistake. It was better to let the old Taoist fill in the details himself.

Master Lingwei stepped forward and asked, "Uncle-Master, do you understand what's going on?"

“Lingwei, this is a born extraordinary person.” The old Taoist exclaimed. “I have only seen such things in ancient books. Some people are born different from ordinary people. They can understand water, ride the wind, or hear a thousand miles away and see in all directions. Just like those pure-blooded demon beasts, they are born with innate supernatural powers.”

"This child... is probably a born extraordinary person, and... also has innate Qi within him..." The old Taoist priest's speech slowed down towards the end.

What am I talking about?

The old Taoist priest looked up at the sky and stared at it for a long time before looking down at Zhuang Xing, scrutinizing him closely for a long time.

Zhuang Xing's parents came over and put their hands on their son's shoulders.

"Child...would you...be willing to come with me to the temple to cultivate?" the old Taoist suddenly asked.

He didn't seem to be asking Zhuang Xing, but rather himself.

"Master Daoist," Zhuang Xing grasped his mother's and father's hands, "Now that I've become your disciple, does that mean I can't go home anymore?"

"How could that be?"

The old Taoist priest squatted down, bringing his line of sight to Zhuang Xing's level.

"Given the chance, you'll definitely be able to come back and visit."

"But what counts as an opportunity? And how long can I stay at home once I come back?" Zhuang Xing blinked.

"This..." the old Taoist said with some difficulty, "According to the rules of the temple, after a disciple is promoted to Qing Sui, he can go to the countryside to visit his relatives once every three years."

Zhuang Xing asked, "What is Qing Sui?"

The old Taoist priest said, "In the temple, disciples are ranked according to the color of their sword tassels. White tassel disciples are those who have just entered the sect. If a white tassel disciple, under the guidance of his senior brother, manages to exorcise a demon once, he can be promoted to a blue tassel disciple."

"How long can a Qing Sui disciple stay at home each time she goes back?"

"We must return for further observation within half a month..."

"Can't you go home once a year?"

"According to the rules... that's not allowed..."

"I see..." Zhuang Xing lowered his head.

The old Taoist touched Zhuang Xing's forehead: "Child... your mother should have told you that you were almost eaten by a tiger demon when you were a child. I'm not trying to scare you, but there are many man-eating demons in this world. If you are willing to come with me to the temple to cultivate and develop good skills, those man-eating demons will not be able to hurt you."

"But if I can't stay by my mother and father's side, what use is all the skill I've learned when they're in danger?" Zhuang Xing asked rhetorically, gripping his parents' hands tightly.

The old Taoist priest paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "How often do you want to be able to go home before you're willing to enter the temple to cultivate?"

Zhuang Xing said, "My mother originally said that I only needed to stay on the mountain for a little over a year before I could come home."

The old Taoist priest said, "You want to go home once a year?"

"Is that not allowed?" Zhuang Xing asked.

The old Taoist priest hesitated for a while before saying, "It's not impossible."

Zhuang Xing was surprised. Could it be that he could really go back once a year?

“Some disciples in the temple are actually not subject to any restrictions,” the old Taoist continued. “But those disciples are not inner disciples of the temple. They can learn skills in the temple, and the temple does not usually restrict their freedom too much, but they do not enjoy the many benefits of inner disciples.”

Zhuang Xing listened attentively to what Master Xu Zi had to say, and his father and mother also listened quietly.

According to Master Qingxuzi, although children like Yunling and Dachun who became inner disciples did not have to pay fees and their families even received a subsidy, the Taoist temple actually spent a lot of money on them.

The Taoist temple covers all the expenses for the disciples' food, clothing, and lodging. Their goal is not to cultivate a talent for free and then let him go far away on his own when he grows up.

Once the children become disciples, they are essentially bound to the Taoist temple. After they have practiced enough, they will be tasked with going down the mountain to exorcise demons, facing dangerous monsters face to face under the guidance of their senior brothers and sisters.

However, some independent cultivators who do not want to be restrained will use some money to exchange for the opportunity to learn skills, but they have to bear all the expenses themselves.

"Although the Taoist temple has many rules for the Qing Sui disciples, that's because the roads between villages are mostly in the wilderness. These rules are set up to prevent the Qing Sui disciples from encountering any mishaps. During the family visit once every three years, the senior brothers of the Taoist sect actually protect those young disciples all the way. The reason for setting a half-month time limit is so that the senior brother leading the team can plan the route and dates and return on time."

“But child, you are exceptionally talented. If you are willing to dedicate yourself to cultivation and advance to the level of Red Tassel or Black Tassel as soon as possible, then I, the old Daoist, can also help you by allowing you to go home to visit your family once a year. If you wish, you can stay at home for a longer period of time.”

"Master Qingxuzi..." Mother suddenly spoke up, "Zhuang'er...is he really that talented?"

"It's more than just talent..." Master Qingxuzi couldn't help but reach out and touch Zhuang Xing's hair as if it were a priceless treasure. "As long as he's willing to cultivate, he will definitely stand at a higher level than me in the future, seeing scenery that I can't see... That might be a realm that none of my fellow disciples have ever reached..."

"Zhu He, I'm sorry, I want to take back what I just said. I really want to take him away no matter what. Leaving him in a small village... is just... such a waste..."

"Oh, I see..." Zhu He said, holding Zhuang Xing's hand. "So my son is this amazing."

“Mother…” Zhuang Xing saw a tear glisten in his mother’s eye.

“Son, go and cultivate with the Taoist priest,” his mother said.