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墨書 Inktalez
After wandering around Qixiao City, he discovered that Jiangling had four sects, among which Yun Palace held the greatest power and influence. The place they were currently in was precisely within the territory of Yun Palace, which was built on the Misty Mountain just outside the city.
Due to the close proximity, it was common to see disciples of Yun Palace dressed in cloud-patterned robes throughout the city—ranging from elderly men and women to young boys and girls, with not a single person left out. In terms of appearance alone, the age span of a generation of disciples could be several decades.
What was so strange about this? It was simply a characteristic of Yun Palace; as long as one had the heart to seek the Dao, it was never too late, regardless of age. If it weren't for this openness, why would so many people come to Yun Palace to pursue their path?
Nearby, a street vendor was cracking sunflower seeds and casually offered some to Qixiao. After munching on a few, he remarked in wonder that other sects typically assessed potential based on aptitude and age—both criteria were indispensable. If a cultivator only managed to enter the Dao at seventy or eighty years old, they would be unlikely to have any chance at immortality, let alone reach higher realms.
Was Yun Palace not afraid of wasting resources by accepting such disciples? Although each disciple consumed relatively little in terms of resources when raised collectively, it still added up to a significant expense. No sect would willingly engage in such an obviously unprofitable investment.
Even the four major sects with substantial wealth categorized their disciples into several tiers and provided monthly allowances based on those tiers.
The vendor clicked his tongue after sizing up Qixiao. "You must be from one of those big sects," he said. "For those outside cultivators, just having a place to learn about cultivation is already quite good; who would even think about receiving any monthly allowance? As for those cultivation resources you mentioned, they have to trade their own items for them."
"But even that is quite decent; having resources is better than having none at all. Although the various resources at Yun Palace aren't cheap, they do provide a pathway. That's why many cultivators come here every year seeking to become disciples."
"Since so many people come here to seek guidance, can Yun Palace really accommodate them all?"
"You might not know this," the vendor replied. "Once you enter a sect, you're merely an outer disciple. If you want to learn higher-level techniques, you can choose to take on a master or exchange for better items."
Thus, after several years of cultivation, only a small portion of disciples who took on masters would remain in Yun Palace; most would venture out in search of opportunities and return only after accumulating enough spirit stones or other treasures for exchange.
Qixiao's eyes flickered with understanding. It seemed that there was significant turnover among the population at Yun Palace. Moreover, every year saw a large number of disciples voluntarily leaving the sect; if they truly wanted to do something underhanded, they wouldn't even need an excuse.
Quietly, Qixiao slipped a piece of spirit stone into the vendor's hand.
"Brother, if I want to enter the Cloud Palace, is there any way to do so?"
The street vendor looked at him suspiciously. "Aren't you a disciple of some major sect?"
Qi Xiao smiled. "I haven't formally apprenticed under anyone, but there is a bit of inheritance in my family. However, that minor inheritance pales in comparison to these centuries-old sects."
With a light sigh, he continued, "Previously, I participated in several sect assessments, but I could only become an outer disciple. I'm just hoping..."
At this point, the street vendor glanced at him with a hint of sympathy. There were too many monks and too little porridge, and those elders had discerning eyes. It was normal for someone like this young man, whose cultivation level was likely not very high, to be overlooked.
The reputation of the Cloud Palace for being lenient and kind had spread far and wide across the Central Continent. Every year, quite a few disciples with unsatisfactory assessment results would turn to the Cloud Palace, and those elders were indeed willing to accept them.
Thinking of this, the street vendor revealed a smile. "You asked the right person. We are right at the foot of the Cloud Palace here, so many elders come by. Some even have businesses in this city."
"If you can show your skills in places they frequent or in their shops, you’ll have a good chance of being accepted into the Cloud Palace."
"Brother, could you point me to where those elders might appear or where their businesses are?"
Qi Xiao pressed a spirit stone into the vendor's hand. The vendor weighed it and grinned widely.
"Come closer; let me tell you."
After a stick of incense burned down, Qi Xiao entered a narrow alley in the west of the city.
Most of the buildings here were low and dilapidated. The residents were mostly elderly, sickly individuals, as well as some impoverished people without any cultivation.
In the alley, a half-open courtyard door revealed a scrawny old yellow dog lying in front of it, lazily basking in the sun. Its eyes were half-opened, as if it could die at any moment; only the occasional passerby could catch its attention.
Just then, a chubby seven-year-old boy ran out and climbed onto the old yellow dog’s back, tugging at its fur while shouting commands. But despite his repeated calls, the dog didn’t budge. Frustrated, the boy kicked it twice.
"Get up! Get up!"
The implication was clear: if it didn’t get up, he would kick it to death.
The yellow dog yelped in pain, displaying a human-like expression of suffering as it struggled to stand on its shaky legs.
However, its frail body couldn't support the boy's weight. Eventually, it stumbled and collapsed sideways, causing the boy to roll off and land on the ground with a thud.
Sitting there, he burst into tears, kicking his legs and cursing loudly.
"You dare to hit me, you worthless dog! I swear I'll have my mother take care of you, you dead dog!"
The old yellow dog trembled, its eyes filled with fear. It immediately crawled over to lick the boy's hand, but the boy responded by kicking its belly twice with all his might. Seeing the dog fall to the ground whimpering in pain, he burst into tears of laughter.
"That's what you get for hitting me! Just wait and see if I don't kick you to death!"
Hearing the commotion, a girl rushed out from the back room and stood in front of the yellow dog, furious.
"Hey! You’re bullying it again! If you dare to do that one more time, I swear I’ll hit you!"
The boy scoffed, his expression malicious. "It deserved it for hitting me. If you keep talking back, I might just kick you too!"
"You!" The girl’s cheeks flushed with anger. Before she could react, she saw the boy give her a wicked grin and then start crying loudly while rubbing his eyes.
"Mom! Sister is going to kill me over that yellow dog! Mom, please save me!"
A woman stormed out, her voice sharp and angry. She grabbed the girl by the collar and slapped her twice across the face, making her see stars and causing blood to trickle from her nose and mouth.
"You little troublemaker! How dare you hit your brother? Have you lost your mind? If you dare to hit him today, do you think tomorrow you'll be able to ride on top of me? Just wait until I beat you senseless!"
The girl’s small face was defiant, tears welling in her eyes but not falling.
"He was the one who bullied Big Yellow! If I hadn’t come out, Big Yellow would have been bullied to death!"
"It's just a dog! If it dies, it dies. Can it compare to your brother? If it dies, that's one less mouth to feed!"
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