Section 8: Taking Disciples
Author: Gu Zhenren
Date: 2014-06-18
“This, this is an Upper grade Immortal Pouch, the space inside is so large!” The four Young Men, gathered around the Immortal Pouch that You Huang had bestowed upon Hong Fei, had their mouths agape in awe, praising it without end.
This was their first time seeing such an Upper grade Immortal Pouch, and they were astonished by its vast interior.
More importantly, this Immortal Pouch was not empty; it was filled with treasures.
Disha Stone Coins carpeted the entire space, and Tiangang Stone Coins were piled into a small mountain. Such wealth practically blinded the Young Men.
They had never seen so much money before.
Among these Stone Coins lay three slumbering Demon Soldiers, two Supreme grade Demonic Beast eggs, one Supreme grade Demonic Plant seed, and dozens of Jade Slips.
Hong Fei took out these Jade Slips and examined them, his face instantly blooming with deep joy.
The contents of these Jade Slips encompassed the heavens and earth, delved into the profound mysteries of the universe, and recorded countless Monster Tamer insights.
If Chu Yun were to glance at them, he would discard them. The content of the Jade Slips was extremely superficial, completely unworthy of a second thought. But to Hong Fei, these were supreme secret manuals. In Xingzhou, each Jade Slip would cause the world to fight tooth and nail.
Yet now, these Jade Slips belonged to him alone!
An overwhelming sense of happiness, like an incoming tide, instantly submerged him.
Hong Fei chuckled foolishly, while Tian Yun and Qing Guo watched him with envious eyes.
“This is great, Hong Fei, you’ve actually become You Huang’s disciple. This is practically leaping to heaven!”
“Hong Fei, you must not forget us, your companions.”
The two girls’ voices were filled with envy and a hint of sourness. Pan Shi remained silent, quickly averting his gaze from the Immortal Pouch.
“Of course, of course,” Hong Fei nodded repeatedly, responding to the girls. “If you have any needs in the future, I will do my best to help. It’s just a pity that these Jade Slips were bestowed upon me by Master You Huang; I cannot carelessly pass them on without his permission.”
Tian Yun swallowed the words that were about to escape her lips. She had been thinking of looking at these Jade Slips.
Qing Guo pouted, feeling that Hong Fei’s words were a bit insincere, and her heart grew agitated. They were all companions who had adventured together, so why was it that only Hong Fei received You Huang’s favor?
Human hearts are ever-changing; one does not fear poverty but inequality.
Poverty itself is not a big deal; at worst, everyone is poor together. But if one person becomes rich while others remain poor, that creates conflict.
Even among companions who have faced life and death together, a sense of imbalance and dissatisfaction can arise.
This is only human nature.
“Why did You Huang favor Hong Fei and not me?” Qing Guo felt indignant. She bit her lip, her eyes darting from You Huang’s statue to the Book Emperor’s statue.
With a determined bite, she knelt with a thud at the feet of the Book Emperor’s colossal statue, clasped her hands, and began to pray earnestly.
Initially, she was just hoping, wanting to test it out. But after finishing her prayer, she actually triggered an anomaly.
The Book Emperor’s statue emitted a pure, clear radiance that shone upon her.
“Qing Guo, since you have willingly joined my sect, you are now my eldest disciple,” the Book Emperor’s gentle voice echoed through the sacred hall.
Immediately after, the void shattered, and an Upper grade Immortal Pouch flew into Qing Guo’s hands.
Qing Guo’s lips parted in disbelief, her face beaming with ecstasy.
The anomaly vanished, and the sacred hall returned to its former tranquility. Qing Guo, as if electrified, leaped up from the ground, jumping three feet high.
She grabbed Tian Yun’s hand and shook it vigorously, “Did you see? Did you see! I’m the Book Emperor’s eldest disciple!!”
“Congratulations, congratulations!” Tian Yun forced a smile, her expression rather unnatural.
Not only Hong Fei, but even Qing Guo had become a disciple of an Emperor. This was akin to a sparrow transforming into a phoenix.
Tian Yun and Qing Guo were best friends, but at this moment, Tian Yun’s heart was filled with a growing rift. Seeing Qing Guo’s immense joy and excitement, Tian Yun couldn’t bring herself to be happy.
“Why did both of them become disciples of an Emperor? I’m no worse than them, so why can’t I?” This thought churned and bubbled in Tian Yun’s mind, finally compelling her to kneel before the Human Emperor’s statue.
She kowtowed and prayed. After a while, another anomaly occurred.
“Tian Yun, you and I have a master-disciple connection. Now that the缘分 has arrived, you are my disciple. As you venture into the world, do not disgrace your master’s reputation.”
Following this statement, another Upper grade Immortal Pouch tore through the void and landed before her. Tian Yun received it with immense joy and immediately opened it, finding it filled with treasures that nearly blinded her.
She carefully counted, discovering that the Stone Coins within were twice as many as Hong Fei’s, making her even happier.
“I understand. This is our destined opportunity. By opening this sacred hall and communicating with an Emperor, we can become their disciples,” Hong Fei mused.
“If you kneel before a statue, you will become that statue’s disciple.”
“Pan Shi, you should try it too!”
“Alright,” Pan Shi nodded and walked towards the Rain Emperor’s statue.
“Wait, Pan Shi,” Hong Fei stopped him. “If you’re going to take a master, you need to think carefully. Among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Three Sovereigns are clearly stronger and their merits more significant. Emperor level is below Royal level. I suggest you pay homage to You Huang. That way, we’ll be fellow disciples.”
Pan Shi shook his head and continued towards the Rain Emperor’s statue.
“Stone, wait up. We all know you need the Jin Yang Grass to cure your mother, but other Emperors might have it too.”
“Once you become the Rain Emperor’s disciple, you can’t take another. You only get one chance to choose; you must cherish it.”
Qing Guo and Tian Yun also urged him on.
Pan Shi sighed. Did he not understand this reasoning?
But he didn’t dare to gamble. His mother’s illness required the leaves of the Jin Yang Grass for healing. He had consulted historical records and was certain that the Rain Emperor possessed Jin Yang Grass. Other Emperors might or might not have it, but Pan Shi didn’t want to take that risk.
He walked directly to the Rain Emperor’s statue, kowtowed and knelt, praying sincerely in his heart, “Great Rain Emperor, I implore you to bestow upon me the Jin Yang Grass. I only need one leaf, just one leaf.”
“Sigh, this Pan Shi is truly thick-headed, not listening to our advice.”
“He’s too impulsive, wasting such a good opportunity.”
“Among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of Xingzhou, if we talk about merit, the Three Sovereigns naturally come first. If we talk about means, the Rain Emperor can only be secondary. She is, after all, a woman.”
Some things cannot be said aloud, especially not in this sacred hall.
The three Young Men, watching Pan Shi pray to the Rain Emperor, all muttered to themselves, some annoyed, some regretful, some pitying.
However, half an hour passed.
Pan Shi prayed three times, each time more sincere than the last. By the end, tears streamed down his face, and his kowtows had even drawn blood, yet he received no response from the Rain Emperor.
The statue remained just a statue, without the slightest change.
“What’s going on?”
“It seems Emperors don’t just accept disciples without standards. Perhaps Pan Shi didn’t meet the Rain Emperor’s standard.”
“That must be it. Pan Shi, why don’t you try other statues?”
The three Young Men discussed, offering suggestions to Pan Shi.
They didn’t know that the Rain Emperor had been paying attention all along. Pan Shi was one of the four children of destiny; how could he not meet her standards?
Let alone a single leaf of Jin Yang Grass, she would have gladly given him the entire plant.
But the moment she thought of Chu Yun, the Rain Emperor’s impulse vanished without a trace.
There were four children of destiny, and they were divided among the four Emperors. At the last assembly, Chu Yun had made it perfectly clear.
The Rain Emperor dared not act. She knew that even if she accepted Pan Shi as her disciple, she would ultimately be forced to give him up.
She had feared Chu Yun when he was at the peak of the Emperor level. Now that Chu Yun was an Emperor, how could the Rain Emperor dare to act presumptuously?
The four Young Men, of course, did not understand the division of interests at the higher levels.
Pan Shi was helpless. Since the Rain Emperor did not respond, he had no choice but to shift his target and knelt at the feet of You Huang’s statue.
You Huang was willing to respond, but constrained by Chu Yun, he could only refrain.
Although his strength surpassed that of the newly ascended Emperor Chu Yun, this was a matter that had already been decided upon. The division of interests had been agreed upon by everyone. If he, You Huang, were to go back on his word, it would severely damage his prestige. Who in Xingzhou would then trust him as their leader?
The losses would outweigh the gains, and You Huang’s statue remained silent.
After kneeling for a long time with no result, Pan Shi had no choice but to pay homage to the statues of the Book Emperor and the Human Emperor. He received no response from them either.
“It seems that when Emperors accept disciples, they look not only at fate but also at aptitude.” The other three Young Men naturally drew this conclusion.
“Pan Shi, don’t be discouraged. We’ll wait for you; you keep trying.”
“Stone, don’t worry. Even if no Emperor takes you as a disciple, we, as companions, will help you find the Jin Yang Grass.”
The three spoke words of encouragement or comfort, but an unavoidable hint of superiority crept into their speech.
In fact, in terms of talent, among the four, Pan Shi, despite his silence, was the most outstanding. They had been together for so long, sharing their days and nights, and had all noticed this. It was just that young people are often proud and unwilling to admit it.
Now that the three of them had become disciples of three Emperors, they were immediately accepted. In contrast, Pan Shi was desperately pleading without any response.
The difference was evident.
This caused a sliver of admitted joy to sprout in the hearts of the three Young Men. Even they themselves might not have been aware of this emotion. Even if they were, they certainly wouldn’t admit it.
Pan Shi did not give up. He kowtowed one by one, from silent prayers to finally weeping, his pleas filled with desperation.
The statues of Qin Emperor, White Emperor, and Dragon Emperor remained as silent as ever, with no reaction whatsoever.
Pan Shi was on the verge of despair.
With a sliver of hope remaining, he knelt at the feet of the Spirit Emperor’s statue.
“Great Spirit Emperor, I offer you my tribute. You are the ruler of the land of the rising sun; by the age of fourteen, you were already traveling the world. From then on, you roamed freely, invincible. You changed the landscape of Xingzhou, bringing glory to the people. Your deeds will be passed down for generations, and your brilliance will illuminate eternity. You are so great, and I, insignificant, beg for your mercy—a leaf of Jin Yang Grass. I do not expect to become your disciple. I only need one leaf, please, have boundless compassion!”
The sacred hall was silent, not a sound.
Pan Shi’s vision went dark, and he almost fainted on the spot. He was completely without hope!
Hong Fei, Tian Yun, and Qing Guo watched this scene, about to offer words of comfort.
Suddenly!
An anomaly occurred.
It was as if the sun had risen from the east, and unparalleled radiance erupted from the Spirit Emperor’s statue.
The earth shook, and the sacred hall trembled violently.
Crackle, crackle, a series of faint sounds. Spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread across the other Emperors’ statues.
The light was so dazzling that the Young Men had to close their eyes.
Even covering their eyes wasn’t enough to shield them from the radiance, so the four quickly raised their hands to shield their eyes and brows.
A powerful pressure swept out in all directions, vast and mighty, dominating the universe. Under this pressure, the Young Men were in utter shock, nearly scared out of their wits.
What power was this!
What majesty was this!
It completely surpassed the limits of their imagination.
Auspicious qi surged, and a vibrant, seven-colored splendor unfurled. The brilliant light shifted and changed, and a chariot emerged from the void, rolling and spinning, before coming to a halt before Pan Shi.
It then transformed into a beam of light, striking the center of Pan Shi’s brow, forming a colorful, wheel-shaped mark.
The next moment, the colorful light dispersed, and the pressure vanished without a trace.
The sacred hall was as quiet as death.
The four Young Men stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.
(To be continued)
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