Qingyun Mountain, a renowned Taoist sect in the Chu Domain, boasts a rich legacy that spans over three millennia.


    In the Chu Domain, or perhaps across the entire Southern Continent, disciples of the Qingyun Sect stand as deities atop the mortal realm. The countless sects and factions of the three teachings and nine schools are like insignificant dust in the face of the Taoist disciples. Just three months ago, one of Qingyun Mountain''s true disciples, Xiao Jianming, single-handedly slayed the Nine Great Outlaws of Ghost Smoke Valley with a single sword, leaving only one to flee.


    The heads of the Nine Outlaws were publicly displayed at the entrance of Ghost Smoke Valley, and Xiao Jianming, ever diligent, was tracking the last outlaw in the Yandang Mountain region. It was said that this final outlaw was the most mysterious one, known only by name, with no one ever having seen his face...


    Xiao Jianming was confident he would find him and swore to do so. But what no one knew was that this Tenth Outlaw had, three months later, entered the Qingyun Sect as one of Xiao Jianming''s juniors... or perhaps, if a temple boy could be considered a junior.


    Qingyun Sect only takes in disciples every ten years, and each time, a thousand are selected. However, temple boys are recruited year-round, with their numbers exceeding ten thousand. Nominally, temple boys are also considered disciples of Qingyun Mountain, though they are quite different from regular disciples. Temple boys don''t receive monthly medicinal herbs nor have elders specifically imparting teachings to them. They spend their days doing exhausting menial labor, with only one day off per month.


    What he received in return was a thin little booklet, titled Qingyun Qi Forging Method.


    After Fat Taoist led Fang Xing to a row of small wooden houses and handed him over to a young man of around eighteen or nineteen, whose face bore a large black mole, he sneered and passed Fang Xing a bundle of green clothes, a small booklet, and a small wooden tag engraved with a name.


    "Go ahead and practice. You’ve gotten lucky. Senior Sister Lingyun specifically spoke up for you to enter the sect. However, you have neither a letter of recommendation, nor wealth, nor talent. You''ll have to start from the bottom. This Qingyun Qi Forging Method is a secret of our Qingyun Sect, rarely seen by outsiders. Practice it well. Once you reach the first stage of Qi sensitivity with this method, you can become an outer disciple..."


    With that, the Fat Taoist left. Fang Xing looked at the young man with the large black mole, who was crossing his arms with a displeased expression, and the other young temple boys around him, who were all putting on airs that seemed much older than their actual age. Fang Xing spoke up, "How many stages are you all at?"


    The young man with the black mole pointed his thumb at himself and said fiercely, "I’ve already reached Qi Sensitivity. These others haven’t even felt a thing!"


    Fang Xing nodded thoughtfully and asked, "How long have you all been here?"


    The young man sneered and said, "I’ve been here for six years. The others have been here for three."


    Fang Xing sighed, tossed the booklet aside, and muttered, "Looks like I’ve been tricked by that woman."


    The young man with the black mole paused, surprised. "Which woman are you talking about?"


    Fang Xing replied, "Lingyun. That woman said she would take me into the sect. Who knew I’d end up doing chores? She only gave me this useless booklet. You guys have either been here for seven years or three, and yet, none of you have made any progress. Isn''t this just a scam?"


    “Senior Sister Lingyun?”


    The young man with the black mole was taken aback, rushing up to grab Fang Xing by the collar and growling, "Shut your mouth! Don’t bring misfortune upon yourself. If anyone hears you cursing Senior Sister Lingyun like that, not only will you be in trouble, but even we’ll be affected! Remember this—once you enter the medicinal fields here, you’ll follow my orders. If I tell you to go east, you don’t go west. If I tell you to catch bugs, you can’t chase chickens..."


    "Right, right. From now on, you’ll be the one to empty the latrine. And you’ll carry the water every day, filling up the water jars..."


    A freckled young temple boy chimed in, likely the one who had been tasked with the latrine and water duties before.


    "Hmph, and from now on, you’ll be the one to wash the clothes, until new people arrive!"


    Another somewhat fair-skinned temple boy added, obviously the one in charge of laundry.


    Fang Xing looked at each of them, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "So, you’re bullying me, huh..."


    The young man with the black mole sneered, "And what if we are?"


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    With that, he slammed his fist down on a nearby table with a loud bang, veins bulging on his arm as he looked fierce and threatening.


    "You want to hit me? I can scream, you know..."


    Fang Xing pretended to be terrified, as though he was about to scream at the slightest touch.


    The young man with the black mole sneered and said, "Don’t be afraid. We’re not going to touch you now, but when night falls and the door is closed, heh, there will only be the few of us within a ten-mile radius. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will care..."


    "Right, right. Every three months, a senior brother from the medicinal department comes to inspect, but for the rest of the time, this place is ours. Even if you report us, the senior brothers won’t bother. They won’t waste their time on this, and your days will be miserable. Once you become a Dao child, you’ll have to stay here for at least ten years before you can leave the mountain..."


    The freckled young temple boy excitedly threatened Fang Xing, seeming a bit too eager, as if it was his first time threatening someone.


    "Oh, brothers, I’m just an honest man. I’ll do whatever you say..."


    Fang Xing suddenly became submissive, looking pitiful as he begged for mercy from the older boys.


    "Haha, a softie!"


    The young man with the black mole and the others laughed, clearly accustomed to dealing with such people.


    The medicinal fields were vast and unique. Even in late autumn, when the surrounding area seemed lifeless, these fields remained lush and green, a testament to the Daoist sect’s skill.


    On his first day, Fang Xing took on the hardest task in the medicinal fields. Together with the black mole youth, six people were responsible for tending to the fields within a ten-mile radius. The freckled boy took it upon himself to instruct Fang Xing on what to do—watering, weeding, catching pests, and loosening the soil. The medicinal plant called Qingruihua needed to be watered at the hour of the rooster at night, and another plant, Mo Ling Grass, required watering at dawn when the dew had formed...


    Fang Xing learned quickly and had a very good attitude. After dinner in the evening, he carried a full bucket of water and even soaked the other boys'' dirty clothes in it, promising to wash them all together that night and hang them out to dry so they would be ready to wear the next day.


    The other Dao children were quite satisfied with Fang Xing’s performance and proudly patted their chests, promising to guide his cultivation well.


    Fang Xing smiled brightly and said, "Okay, okay, thank you, senior brothers!"


    That night, after the Dao children had fallen asleep, the entire Qingyun Mountain fell into silence.


    Fang Xing quietly took out a sharp dagger from his bundle. It looked very sharp, with a brass-inlaid edge, and the blade was still unstained with blood.


    It had been given to him by his third uncle, who also taught him a set of knife techniques—close combat, treacherous and devious.


    His bundle also contained many other useful items: a cloth tiger from his eldest uncle, medicine for wounds from his second uncle, a smoke flask that could release smoke from his fourth uncle, a pouch of iron needles from his fifth uncle, a wild ginseng from his sixth uncle, a wine gourd from his eighth uncle... and most importantly, a book from his ninth uncle.


    As for the gold leaves his third uncle gave him, they had been spent on purchasing a maid when they were on the road.


    All these items were originally carried by Xiao Man, but after Xiao Man fainted, the bundle was left behind, and Fang Xing retrieved it.


    Staring at the contents of his bundle, Fang Xing was momentarily lost in thought, then quickly tied it up again.


    With the dagger in hand, he silently approached the black mole youth’s bed and whispered, “Brother Wang Zhi, Brother Wang Zhi…”


    The black mole youth snored lightly, and it took Fang Xing three tries to wake him up. Disrupted from his sweet dreams, the youth angrily shouted, “What do you want in the middle of the night? Are you looking for death?”


    Fang Xing grinned and replied, “You’re the one looking for death!”


    With that, he stabbed the dagger down, burying it to the hilt.


    "Ah..."


    The black-spot youth screamed like a slaughtered pig, but as soon as he let out a sound, Fang Xing covered his mouth.


    He listened carefully to the surroundings. Good, it was quiet—indeed, there was no one for miles.


    Wang Zhi tried to struggle, but the knife was stuck in his stomach, seemingly pinned to the bed. He dared not move, for every movement sent sharp pain through him.


    The other people in the room were all awakened. In a panic, they quickly lit the oil lamps and immediately saw Fang Xing standing beside Wang Zhi''s bed, holding a knife and stabbing it into Wang Zhi''s stomach, his face twisted in a grimace. The timid little freckled boy immediately screamed in fright.


    "If you don''t want to die, shut your mouth!" Fang Xing whispered harshly. His voice, still sounding youthful, was now chilling and sinister.


    The little freckled boy immediately stopped his screams, but liquid began to seep through his pants.


    Fang Xing slowly pulled the knife out of Wang Zhi’s stomach, allowing Wang Zhi to writhe on the bed in agony, clutching his stomach like a large shrimp. Fang Xing then walked slowly between the other disciples. Every time he looked at one of them, they trembled in fear. The timid little freckled boy had already covered his head with the blanket, making muffled sobbing sounds, though it was barely audible, like a ghost.


    "I''ve always been the one bullying others. No one dares to bully me. You guys sure have guts..."


    Fang Xing swung the knife in front of each of the disciples: "I''ll make one thing clear. From today on, I’m the boss here. If I tell someone to go east, they better not go west. If I tell someone to catch bugs, they better not chase chickens. Otherwise... Heh heh, this knife in my hand doesn’t recognize anyone. With your worthless lives, killing you would be no different than swatting a fly. Do you know who my sister is?"


    "She’s a close confidante of Senior Sister Lingyun! Go ask around, you blind fools!"


    Fang Xing’s voice echoed in the cabin, and no one dared to respond. After all, the knife was right in front of them...


    "Fang Xing..."


    "What did you call me?"


    "Ah... Boss Fang, please help Brother Wang Zhi with the bandaging. He... he’s going to die..."


    Fang Xing glanced at Wang Zhi, who was curled up on the bed, silent. He chuckled sinisterly, twirling the knife in his hand before sheathing it, disdainfully saying, "He’s not going to die. My third uncle taught me that if the knife enters from the diaphragm and exits through the foot-arch point, it won’t damage the internal organs, so he won’t die. But if my hand slips and I miss, then that’s another story. Who’s going to bandage him?"