Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 146 Opportunities, Fortuitous Encounters, Selling Oneself to Seek the Dao
In the corridor, Lu Renjia, Bao Fengtao, Si Jiazi, the servants of the household, and Steward Sun and other guides waiting not far away were all smiling.

Fang Shu stood at the door, just as Si Jiazi had done when he left, enjoying everyone's attention.

Si Jiazi was the first to speak from the crowd:
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Fang, on joining the Gu Hall and choosing a renowned master."

As the man spoke, his face was no longer as indifferent as before, but rather showed a hint of coaxing amidst his composure.

Lu Renjia, who was standing nearby, quickly squeezed forward and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Si is right. Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Fang!"

Of the four people who joined today, only Bao Fengtao came forward. Although she did, her smile was forced. She simply cupped her hands in greeting to Fang Shu without saying a word.

Of the four newly promoted Qi Refining cultivators, she was the only one who had neither a master nor a position within the Eighteen Halls. Her future Qi Refining career was already predictable, which made her very depressed.

Fang Shu remained polite and respectful towards Bao Fengtao, showing no sign of pride or discrimination.

It should be noted that at this moment, he was holding the mountain tiger hairpin in his hand, feeling quite fortunate.

If he hadn't been so bold as to boast earlier, how could he have gotten even a second glance from the second master of that household? If he hadn't been careful, he might have displeased the other party, revealed his true colors, and even lost his job at the Gu Hall.

Fortunately, his boldness paid off.

To become an apprentice of a hall master is far more difficult than working in the Gu Hall!

He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Gentlemen, you flatter me greatly."

"Not at all, indeed a young talent emerges."

Lu Renjia laughed and said, "Haha, if Fellow Daoist Fang doesn't mind, we entered the sect at the same time, and we can get together in the future."

Bao Fengtao immediately nodded in response to the man's suggestion, while Si Jiazi didn't even lift his eyelids.

In Si Jiazi's view, only Fang Shu, who had also studied under the eighteen hall masters, was qualified to associate with him and be on equal footing.

Fang Shu calmly observed the appearances and behaviors of everyone outside the door.

Faced with everyone's flattery and attempts to win him over, he neither refused nor accepted. Not knowing what to say, he simply cupped his hands politely and offered a smile.

After a while.

The waiter from that restaurant coughed lightly, pointed to the private room, and gestured for them to be quiet. Only then did everyone realize what was happening, and they quickly lowered their voices and left.

After finally managing to escape Lu Renjia and his group, Fang Shu turned around and saw Steward Sun's old face again.

The other person's face crinkled with laughter, like a chrysanthemum, showing no trace of yesterday's ruthlessness.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Fang! You are truly a hidden master. Not only are your Gu techniques superb, but you also have such a background. I, Sun, have been utterly blind!"

After offering his congratulations, the man politely asked, "Come on, Fellow Daoist Fang, how about we have a few drinks?"

Before Fang Shu could answer, this fellow quickly added on his own:
"Yes, yes! Fellow Daoist has just become a disciple of a renowned master, you should hurry up and report to him, lest you be impolite. It was I who was presumptuous."

Seeing that this person was much more reasonable than yesterday, Fang Shu was slightly taken aback and almost burst out laughing.

However, his expression was warm, and he simply bowed politely and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Steward Sun."

He then said:

"By the way, I'm new to the temple and don't know anyone here. I'll need Steward Sun to guide me again. Could you also tell me about the situation inside the Gu Hall?"

"Hey! Don't call me Steward Sun, just call me Old Sun."

Upon hearing this, the man surnamed Sun's smile widened, his expression as simple and honest as an old farmer's.

“Come, let’s talk as we walk. I’m not much of a talent, just a bit old and know a lot. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied, Fellow Daoist Fang.”

So the two of them left the hall together and immediately headed straight for the location of the Gu Hall in the Five Internal Organs Temple.

along the way.

Without Fang Shu having to ask any questions, Steward Sun became much more talkative than before, and he gave a thorough account of the situation in the Gu Hall.

Although this old man was somewhat obsequious to the powerful and disdainful of the weak, he was incredibly well-informed, which made Fang Shu realize that continuing to treat him politely would be quite useful.

So he not only learned that his future master was a female immortal with the Taoist name "Long Gu" and was known as "Dragon Girl" in the temple, but also learned which outstanding disciples she had in public.

Having gained a general understanding of the sect he was about to join, Fang Shu's overwhelming joy subsided somewhat, returning to normal.

It's not that the Gu Hall or that Dragon Girl is bad, but rather that as the head of a hall, she actually has quite a few disciples under her command, with eight or nine still alive.

Even so, it was already because the Dragon Maiden was too lazy to take on disciples. The number of her disciples in the temple was still relatively low, not exceeding ten.

Of these disciples, apart from two inner disciples, the rest were only nominal disciples.

Fang Shu had just begun cultivating Qi and was considered an outer disciple in the temple. Naturally, he first became the disciple of the other party as a nominal disciple, rather than ascending to the top in one step.

If he wants to remove the word "registered," he not only has to obtain the status of an inner disciple, but also gain the other party's recognition.

Thinking about these things, Fang Shu immediately adjusted his mindset and put himself in the right place.

But he didn't belittle himself; instead, he thought to himself:
"Being able to become a disciple of the hall master is already something to be envied; we should seize this opportunity!"

………………

"Being able to serve as the furnace for the hall master is already a blessing for you all, so why don't you seize this opportunity?!"

In the temple of the five internal organs, there is another area.

A beautiful, androgynous, Qi-cultivating immortal was impatiently rebuking them.

Before this person stood a group of pink and white beauties, each of them like lambs, stripped bare, standing respectfully in the hall with only their bodies and arms folded around their arms.

The hall was filled with wisps of white mist, and the spiritual energy was astonishing. It could condense into water mist without the need for any formations.

In the center there is a sizable lotus pond, where each lotus flower is a twin blossom with a unique shape, one yin and one yang, intertwined and arranged in various shy and suggestive bedroom positions in the pond.

*Smack!*

The beautiful fairy held a lotus root whip in her hand and lashed it down fiercely.

This lotus root whip is not made from the tips of lotus roots, but from the stems below the lotus leaves. Each one is covered in thorns, and if it is used to whip someone, even if that person's skin is as tough as copper or iron, it will immediately become red, swollen, or even rotten.

The beautiful fairy scolded, "Why are you hugging me so tightly? Do you think your two lumps of flesh are anything special?"

The woman, whipped by the lotus root whip, didn't dare to scream. She just bit her lip and lowered her fleshy arm off her body.

Slap slap.

Soon, more than half of the women in the hall had been whipped. Those who cried were immediately driven out of the crowd by the beautiful fairy and told to get out of the hall. Just then, a voice came from deep within the hall, tinged with displeasure:
"Luan Tong'er, why are you so fierce? These disciples have come to help me with my cultivation. Don't be so willful."

The speaker must be a man, with a voice that is gentle and refined, making it clear at a glance that he is a handsome young man.

After being scolded, the beautiful fairy called "Luan Tong'er" showed a jealous expression. Despite looking quite old and having a name that suggested he was a man, he actually snorted, stomped his foot, and ran out of the main hall with his lotus whip in his hand.

Then, the voice that had reprimanded the other party turned to the crowd in the hall with a helpless tone:
"My disciple has been neglected in his upbringing, and I apologize for making a fool of myself. You have all been selected by our hall and are only one final hurdle to overcome to become immortals."

"I, Chuyang, would like to express my gratitude to all the celestial beings. I apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality and for causing you any trouble."

Clap clap! The sound of clapping rang out again.

Immediately, servants carrying various spiritual fruits, pastries, and spiritual wines came out from the left and right sides of the main hall, attracting the attention of the women inside who had been hungry for many days.

Their eyes were fixed on the food, their mouths watering and their hearts pounding with restlessness, but no one stepped forward to take the spiritual fruits and pastries.

It is said that this group of people have consumed a lot of energy recently and used a secret technique. They are all starving, and their appetites seem to have returned to those of mortals. They can't get full just by consuming spiritual energy.

"What are you doing! We're not even allowed to take fasting pills, why are you eating these?"

"Be patient. Although these are not grains, they will inevitably contain impurities after being ingested. Be careful not to be unclean, lest you offend the noble person and be rejected."

Fortunately, at this moment, a soft laugh rang out, and the immortal who called himself "Chuyang" spoke again:
"Please rest assured, everyone. What is being served now is all medicine and food. Apart from spiritual energy, the only other ingredients are spring water and fish."

This fish is also known as the 'oil fish,' and it only turns into some kind of oily liquid in its belly. It is not dirty and will not harm you. On the contrary, it adds to the fun. It is not that I have designed this to test you."

Upon hearing this, the people inside the hall became even more agitated, and finally someone shouted:
"It is our great fortune to be able to serve as a furnace for an immortal!"

With a shout, the man immediately took the spiritual food from the servants' hands and greedily stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing it whole.

At this point, no one was polite anymore. Inside the hall, people were fighting and scrambling for things, and some even started grappling with each other shirtless.

One of the women painstakingly grabbed a handful of spiritual food, hid in a corner, and squatted down to consume it.

As she refined the rich spiritual energy, she opened her eyes and peered around, taking in the scene inside the hall.

In order to be able to participate in this grand gathering, she had made many preparations. Not only did she close her business early, but she also made sure that her junior brother's celebration of his completion of seclusion was about to end.

She couldn't let herself be kicked out because of a moment's carelessness, and all her previous efforts go to waste.

That's right, this woman is none other than Fang Lu, the senior sister Fang Shuxin has been longing for.

Fang Lu turned his head and found the young woman beside him staring at the spiritual food in his hand. The woman's face was full of longing, and her eyes were almost green with desire.

After taking a closer look, Fang Lu realized that he was just a Refining Essence Immortal, not yet a Qi Refining Immortal, and did not have the ability to abstain from grains. No wonder he was so thirsty and could not compete with others.

With a slight sigh, Fang Lu reached out and offered the pastries in her hand: "Want some?"

Upon seeing this, Mai Sheng'er's eyes lit up. She quickly kowtowed, took the gift, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Seeing the woman eating so quickly, Fang Lu couldn't help but laugh and say, "Eat slowly. Once you get past the last hurdle, you'll have plenty to eat."

After finishing her meal, Mai Sheng'er quickly said, "Thank you, sister."

"You're welcome." Fang Lu asked curiously, "I see you're not very old, your cultivation level isn't high, and you still have your body intact. Did you come up the mountain for this year's spring imperial examination?"

Mai Sheng'er nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Upon hearing this, Fang Lu sighed softly, "Indeed, you and my junior brother are from the same batch."

"May I ask who your junior brother is, sister?"

Fang Lu originally just wanted to chat with the other party for a few minutes to relieve her boredom. She had been subjected to the rigorous selection process of this sex hall for the past few days, which had worn her down and made her feel extremely bored.

As a result, when the two talked, she discovered that the woman in front of her not only came from the same town as her, Guling, but also happened to be her junior brother Fang Shu's roommate.

The two women found themselves getting along very well. One was a senior Qi cultivator who needed to relieve her fatigue, while the other was a junior Essence cultivator who needed protection.

The two hit it off immediately and became inseparable in the palace.

"Don't underestimate yourself. Your sister wasn't as lucky as you were back then."

"The fact that you were able to enter the hall means that besides your primordial yin, your body might possess some unique qualities. Once you pass this test and endure another round of trials, I guarantee you'll be able to cultivate qi after leaving the hall."

While chatting, Fang Lu pouted and said, "If you don't believe me, just look around. How many people in the palace can actually refine essence?"

Upon hearing this, Mai Sheng'er's eyes lit up, and she immediately felt that the wounds on her body no longer hurt.

"Yes, I'll listen to you, sister. I hope to leave the palace with you!"

Seeing how well-behaved this little fellow was, Fang Lu couldn't help but smile and patted Mai Sheng'er's little head:
"Then you'd better try your best to pass the test."

Mai Sheng'er nodded seriously.

Just very quickly.

The young attendant emerged from the side of the main hall again, arrogantly selecting people once more. Fang Lulu stood in the crowd, chest out and head held high.

As a result, Luan Tong'er walked up to Fang Lu, carefully examined him using a secret method, and immediately said with disgust:

"Where did this filthy thing come from? It actually passed through so many checkpoints and was let in."

"Get out!"

"I..." Fang Lu's face stiffened. She wanted to argue, but the other party didn't give her a chance. Luan Tong'er raised the lotus whip in her hand and lashed it down hard.

clap clap clap!
immediately.

Mai Sheng'er, who was standing nearby, watched as her newly recognized elder sister was kicked out of the crowd. She could only slink away, clutching her clothes, and run out of the main hall without a word.

Mai Sheng'er stared in astonishment, unable to react for a long time.

After more people were eliminated, she was only briefly looked at by the Luan Tong'er who lifted her chin, and then she was kept in the hall and announced that she had passed the test.

Soon, none of the girls in the hall were eliminated, and everyone gasped in surprise, realizing that the selection process was over.

Mai Sheng'er belatedly came to her senses.

She didn't gasp, but instead gazed intently into the depths of the main hall.

Although that woman was very arrogant but lacked ability, she was right about one thing—

Deep within this great hall lies the path to her enlightenment!
(End of this chapter)