So, does this mean I've really embarked on the path of cultivation now?

 

Lin Jie had been one of the least noticed disciples since joining the sect ten years ago. As a result, his residence was in an extremely remote area, where it was rare to see any fellow disciples coming or going. No one managed him, and no one disturbed him.

Under normal circumstances, such an environment might have been lonely, but given the current situation, it was ideal.

According to the Hengtian Sect Leader, Bai Ke needed to take the elixirs sent daily; otherwise, the consequences would be calamitous—

From the Sect Leader's tone, Bai Ke wasn't the first to be used as a human medicine furnace. Before him, they had evidently tried with others who met the absurd criteria of being born in the "Yin year, Yin month, and Yin hour." However, these individuals, for some reason, did not meet the standards and self-destructed within a day of having the medicinal seed planted.

This was a terrifying outcome.

Bai Ke couldn't help but think of the "suicide " terrorists attacks he had heard about, where people strapped with explosives blew themselves up, taking innocent bystanders with them.

Those people deserved their fate, but Bai Ke had been unjustly caught up in this disaster.

He reflected that, while he hadn't done many good deeds in his eighteen years, he hadn't committed any grievous wrongs either. How did he end up in such a dire situation, so suddenly and without warning?

Even the bravest and hardest-hearted person would be frightened by the prospect of "dying without leaving a whole corpse," let alone Bai Ke, who was just coming of age.

Though he appeared calm and composed, he was somewhat anxious because he remembered what the Sect Leader and Hongxian had said: "Whether he lives or dies depends on his own fate..."

This meant that while the elixirs were essential, they didn't guarantee his safety. He could still explode at any moment, a fate even the Hengtian Sect couldn't control.

For some reason, Bai Ke, who usually disliked relying on others and had a stubborn temper, instinctively turned his head toward Junxiao.

Despite Bai Ke's closed eyes, Huo Junxiao immediately understood his gesture and clasped Bai Ke's clenched fist with his broad, warm hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Strangely enough, Bai Ke felt genuinely calmed by that warm, dry hand.

Perhaps it was Junxiao's composure, steadiness, and displayed strength from last night to today that inspired trust. Bai Ke had a sudden, bold thought: if it came to the point of self-destruction, this person would surely have a way to prevent it...

This confidence was utterly baseless, as Junxiao himself had never made such a boast, but it allowed Bai Ke to relax and regain his composure. By the time they followed Lin Jie to his courtyard, Bai Ke even had the presence of mind to admire the tranquil scenery.

The Hengtian Sect was far from a poor sect; even a remote courtyard like this one was quite well-built.

The courtyard had three rooms. Lin Jie occupied one, and the other two were empty, making it easy to accommodate the three newcomers.

Junxiao, following beside Bai Ke, glanced at a small patch of cloud bamboo enclosed by a low fence on one side of the courtyard, with a fleeting expression of nostalgia. Quickly surveying the entire courtyard, Junxiao nodded approvingly. "This place is good—quiet and undisturbed, convenient for our purposes."

"Our purposes?" Bai Ke repeated.

Junxiao replied, "When you heard those two mention the Seven-Star Charm earlier, did you pay attention to what they said?"

Bai Ke asked, "What do you mean?"

"He said the first pill they cultivate shouldn't be sent to Wangtian Cliff right away," Huo Junxiao said, his brows furrowing as he spoke of the pill cultivation, his expression dark with suppressed anger. "Then he mentioned that after cultivating two pills, they would need to find someone to test them. Only the third pill would be sent to that person."

Bai Ke nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"This means that the so-called Seven-Star Pill isn't formed all at once but one by one."

"So what?" Lin Jie, listening in, was a bit confused.

Bai Ke suddenly understood Junxiao's implication. "You mean that they only start cultivating the next pill after they've harvested the previous one?"

"Exactly." Junxiao nodded. "If that's the case, then the few days between the formation of two Seven-Star Pills present an opportunity."

The others realized the logic in this.

Bai Ke boldly speculated, "Those two implanted that thing in me last night. Elder Hongxian specifically mentioned it would take 15 hours to become effective. Does that mean the transition period between two Seven-Star Pills is also 15 hours? That it takes 15 hours for a Seven-Star Pill to fully stabilize? And the previous victims self-destructed because the pills were too unstable?"

Lin Jie snapped his fingers in frustration. "That's probably it... But now that we know, what do we do?"

"During the time it takes for a Seven-Star Pill to stabilize, we need to observe and understand its pattern. Then, during the transition period, we can remove the unstable pill from your body," Junxiao explained. "Of course, even removing an unstable Seven-Star Pill carries significant risks. The priority now is to build your foundation during the  days it takes for the first pill to form."

Bai Ke thought to himself, "So, does this mean I've really embarked on the path of cultivation now?"

Junxiao turned to Lin Jie. "You said you want to save your sister. With your current state, that's impossible, so you'll need to train as well."

Lin Jie was stunned. "Is this the kind of adventure you read about in novels? Can I be the protagonist?"

--

Small theater

Before joining the Yusheng Sect, Huo Junxiao was also from a prestigious family. His father, General Huo Xiao, was a renowned military leader, celebrated for his numerous victories and beloved by the people.

However, the public only knew that General Huo had a son named Lingyun, who, at a young age, could draw his father's golden-horned bow and was both literate and martial, showing the potential to inherit General Huo's legacy.

What they didn't know was that the general's mansion had more than just Huo Lingyun as a young master.

Huo Junxiao was General Huo Xiao’s second son. At birth, a renowned fortune-teller predicted he would bring great misfortune, and those close to him would meet untimely ends. Upon hearing this, General Huo ordered everyone who knew to keep silent and never speak of it.

Since then, everyone in the general's residence, whether aware or not, acted as if nothing had happened and continued to dote on Junxiao as usual. However, there are no secrets that can be kept forever, and this information eventually reached certain ears.

General Huo knew then that his younger son's future would be filled with difficulties, so he decided to conceal Junxiao's existence from the public.

When Junxiao was six, an eccentric old Taoist, wandering the world, stopped by the general's residence. After spending a few days and having a long conversation with General Huo, he took Junxiao with him.

This old Taoist was Yu Xian, who had wandered out of boredom. It was thanks to Yu Xian that Junxiao ended up at Yusheng Sect.

Junxiao’s first acquaintance at Yusheng Sect was this constantly wandering master, which naturally made him feel closer to Yu Xian than others.

That Mid-Autumn Festival, Yu Xian had made a bet with Junxiao and had no intention of going back on his word. He planned to take Junxiao to the general's residence early in the morning, where he could spend the day with his family and servants. Then, in the evening, they would head to Haishi and return to Yunfu Hall before Bai Lingchen.

But heaven’s calculations are stronger than those of man.

On the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, something went wrong.

Yu Xian tapped three times on the tiles above Junxiao’s bed in the side hall where he stayed with his junior disciples. This was their agreed signal.

Usually, it was easy for Junxiao to sneak out without waking his junior siblings. One was very disciplined and never woke up during the night. The other one was unscrupulous in eating and drinking. She was like a little pig when she slept, even thunder couldn’t wake her.

However, on this particular day, both were unexpectedly awake early, and they caught Junxiao trying to sneak out.

Wu Nan was diligent and knowledgeable, almost as capable as Junxiao. Stopping him was challenging. As for Shen Han, though she was nearly clueless about many things, her strategy was to cling to his leg, a surprisingly effective disturbance.

After half an hour of struggling, Junxiao couldn’t shake them off and had to surrender, feeling this was retribution for his usual antics with his juniors.

Yu Xian, expecting to take only one disciple, was instead greeted by three young children, each shorter than the last, tumbling out of the room.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Yu Xian sighed, holding his forehead.

Wu Nan looked at him with innocent, wide eyes, while Shen Han ran over, clinging to his leg and smiling up at him, drooling.

“Resign yourself to it, Master Xianyu...” Junxiao said, his face downcast, feeling that all his efforts of the past half month had been in vain compared to the simple but effective antics of his juniors.

(NT: Xianyu, reverse of Yu Xian, (咸鱼) means ‘salted fish’, a metaphor for a lazy person.)

And so, what was supposed to be a journey for the master and his disciple turned into a group of four, making Yu Xian feel several years older.

As they were about to leave the front yard of Yunfu Hall and reached the edge of the restricted area, they were taken aback.

There stood the headmaster, Bai Lingchen, with his hands behind his back. His long black hair, tied up high, fluttered slightly in the mountaintop breeze.

He turned around and looked at the group of one old man and three children with no expression. He pursed his lips as if to speak.

Before he could say anything, Huo Junxiao suddenly jumped up with a loud "Yow!" and threw himself at Bai Lingchen's leg. Emulating his junior siblings, he clung to the tall, slender Bai Lingchen and feigned congenital brain impairment, grinning foolishly.

"..." Bai Lingchen probably had never been pounced on like this in his life. Even Shen Han, when crying, would cautiously inch her way to his leg. But to be tackled so audaciously, Huo Junxiao was the first.

After another cup of tea's worth of time, Bai Lingchen, frowning in great reluctance, found himself standing at the foot of Yuxu Mountain. Behind him trailed an entourage consisting of an old man and two children, with a third seventeen year-old child clinging to his waist like an overzealous pendant, resembling a mallet...

 

Translator : DarNan