Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 160 The Daoist Struggle of Senior Brother Huai in the Gu Pit (6 words)

The main gate of the Gu Hall.

Fang Shu walked in discreetly and bowed to the stone snakes slowly wriggling on the screen wall at the entrance.

The toad in the very center lazily drooped its eyelids, glancing at Fang Shu only once, without moving an inch.

Before long, Fang Shu found his second senior brother, Hao Junliang, in the Gu Hall.

The other person noticed him, chuckled, and nodded: "Junior Brother is here."

There were already two people standing around this person, looking at Fang Shu with curiosity or scrutiny.

Although Fang Shu had never met them, he had already guessed their identities. They should be disciples of the Dragon Maiden Immortal Clan, just like him.

So he bowed to the two of them in greeting.

After finishing his work, Hao Junliang said, "Let's go. Although the time hasn't come yet, we disciples should go to the main hall to wait first."

The group walked towards the main hall and entered the Gu Hall, standing in a row in front of the medicine shelves.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Shu saw Gou Yandi, the person who had received him when he first came to Gu Hall.

By overhearing the conversations of the people present, he learned that Gou Yandi was the eighth disciple under the Longgu Immortal Family, only ahead of him.

However, Gou Yandi did not join the hall in the last two years, but seven years ago, so he can be considered an old-timer.

While waiting quietly, Fang Shu quickly recognized all the nominal disciples, but he still couldn't see the senior sister who was nominally their senior sister.

"They're all here."

Suddenly, a chilling feeling swept over everyone's hearts, and all eight of them paused for a moment. When they came to their senses, the figure of Immortal Longgu had already appeared in front of them.

The other party's appearance today was slightly different from when Fang Shu last saw him. Although he was still barefoot and wearing a lotus crown, he was dressed in a black robe, and half of his face was covered with a gold snake hollow mask, which concealed his decaying and peeling face, revealing only the other half of his fair and intact face.

The immortal Long Gu strolled in front of the eight people, exuding a mysterious and aloof aura. She slowly scrutinized them, and the chilling feeling that weighed on their hearts did not dissipate but instead grew stronger.

Finally, the other party spoke:
"Qingniao is in seclusion, so there's no need to wait this year. Let's start right away."

As soon as he finished speaking, the oppressive feeling that had been hanging over Fang Shu and the others vanished instantly, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The second senior brother, Hao Junliang, immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Yes, Master."

This year, the Gu Hall recruited a total of 67 new servants, while 43 existing servants were lost, 5 were released, and 3 successfully completed their Qi Refining cultivation. Regarding Qi Refining cultivators, excluding the 3 servants, 7 new members joined the hall, and 8 other Qi Refining cultivators are temporarily serving in the hall…”

After Hao Junliang finished his detailed report, the other disciples standing behind him also stepped forward one by one to report:
"Reporting to Master, the temple's floating income is the same as before this year, but there are still thirty-one spirit stone payments, totaling six thousand eight hundred and twenty spirit stones, which have not yet been deposited into the account."

"Reporting to Master, five new types of Gu worms have been introduced into the Water-class Gu pit. They have begun breeding and the survival rate is 10%, but it can still be improved."

Fang Shu stood in the crowd, listening for a full half hour, before hearing Gou Yandi beside him ramble on for a while before excitedly exclaiming:
"This disciple is already familiar with all the affairs of the Gu Hall and is willing to share more of Master's burdens!"

At this point, all seven people present had finished reporting their tasks in detail, which not only allowed Fang Shu to learn many inside stories of the Gu Hall, but also made him understand why the Dragon Maiden Immortal had summoned everyone here at the end of the year.

It turns out that the other party didn't intend to reminisce with his disciples or test them, but rather wanted to hear about how the Gu Hall was doing.

After Gou Yandi withdrew, everyone else's attention suddenly turned to Fang Shu, waiting to hear his report.

Since Fang Shu entered the Gu Hall, apart from meeting Long Gu for the first time, he has never seen her again, let alone been assigned any tasks or missions by her.

But he wasn't intimidated. He took half a step forward at a leisurely pace, then remembered something and immediately cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"Reporting to Master, your disciple has diligently followed your teachings, practicing daily and listening to the Dao monthly. Now I have a basic understanding of the nine disciplines of immortal studies and have comprehended the methods of true qi, thus entering the path of cultivation."

Since there was no work to report, he decided to report on his personal cultivation progress instead.

Seeing how brief his speech was, most of the other disciples indifferently withdrew their gazes. Only the second senior brother, Hao Junliang, glanced at Fang Shu a few more times, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The immortal Long Gu strolled in front of everyone. Without even glancing at Fang Shu, she began to make brief arrangements for the various tasks at hand, based on everyone's reports.

After only a quarter of an hour, the Dragon Maiden stopped speaking: "Alright, that's enough for this year. You may all leave."

Upon hearing this, many people breathed a sigh of relief, while others looked disappointed, such as Gou Yandi, who was standing next to Fang Shu.

This person in the Gu Hall was only responsible for coordinating miscellaneous tasks and was not involved in Gu worm breeding or Gu material collection; he was clearly just a menial worker. Since there were no new arrangements, it was obvious that this would continue next year, and he would not be entrusted with any important responsibilities for the time being.

Fang Shu himself felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

Although he was the last to enter the sect, and newly recruited Qi Refining disciples are required to listen to the Dao in the temple for nine years, everyone else has a job, but he is the only one without, which is clearly not very suitable.

Fortunately, at this moment, the second senior brother, Hao Junliang, took half a step forward and spoke up:
“Master, although Ninth Brother is new to this hall and has been in the temple for less than a year, he must diligently cultivate himself in the temple.”

However, given his calm and composed nature, his knowledge of Gu cultivation, and his solid foundation, he has not neglected his cultivation. Shouldn't we arrange some work for him to supplement his training?

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Maiden finally turned her gaze to Fang Shu.

Immediately, Fang Shu felt goosebumps rise all over his body, as if someone had seen through him inside and out.

This is the Dragon Maiden Fairy scanning him with her divine sense!
Immediately, a soft exclamation rang out from the Dragon Maiden Immortal's mouth: "You little rascal, you actually chose to cultivate the Yin-Yang method?"

Fang Shu's mind raced, recalling what Senior Brother Hao had hinted at earlier. He immediately withstood the other's spiritual scrutiny, took half a step forward, cupped his hands, and uttered:
"Yes, disciple has transformed all the true energy in his body into Yin-Yang true energy. Please check, Master, to see if there are any errors."

These words immediately drew the attention of the other disciples.

Especially a few senior disciples who knew some inside information, their lips moved slightly as they whispered to each other, as if they were discussing something.

Upon hearing this, the immortal Long Gu flashed and landed in front of Fang Shu. Her withered hand, resembling a chicken claw, reached out and grabbed Fang Shu's shoulder.

Immediately, Fang Shu felt an even more intense sense of oppression wash over him, washing over his body as if it were slicing him into pieces, leaving no part of his internal organs, head, or toes untouched.

The Dragon Maiden's eyes brightened slightly, and she murmured, "In less than half a year, she has already mastered the basics. The speed is quite good, and there have been no mistakes even without my supervision..."

Suddenly, Fang Shu noticed that the other person's attention was focused on his forehead, but fortunately it was just a fleeting glance and they didn't pay much attention to it.

After a few breaths, the Dragon Maiden's expression softened.

She sighed softly and released Fang Shu's shoulder: "It's a pity that although his foundation is decent, it is only a pseudo-spiritual root, and he has no special physique. He is just an ordinary mortal."

These words made Fang Shu's heart sink, and he clearly sensed the disappointment of the Dragon Maiden's family.

The other disciples in the hall all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, especially Gou Yandi and a middle-aged man ranked fifth.

The Immortal Dragon Maiden concealed her disappointment and paced around the hall, suddenly speaking:

“Jun’er is right. Although I have always adhered to the method of wild growth, since you have come under my command, I should give you some opportunities.”

She turned her head and looked at the middle-aged man who ranked fifth: "Fifth Brother, I have two Gu pits under my command that you are managing. Why don't you give one of them to Ninth Brother to manage? That would make things easier for you."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu was still somewhat confused. Although he knew that the so-called "Gu Pit" should be an industry of the Gu Hall, he did not understand what it meant.

The other disciples, including Hao Junliang, all looked at Fang Shu with surprise.

The middle-aged man ranked fifth stared intently at Fang Shu with a gaze as sharp as a hawk's.

The man hesitated, then suddenly gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice:

“Reporting to Master, Ninth Junior Brother has just entered this hall. Even if he is exceptionally talented, I am afraid he will be unable to handle the Gu pit matter. Moreover, the first nine years are a crucial period for Junior Brother to cultivate diligently and compete for inner disciple status.”

These words caused the Dragon Maiden to frown slightly.

With a thud, the middle-aged man, sensing the danger, immediately knelt on both knees and kowtowed:

"It's not that I'm unwilling to give up the Yin-Yang Gu Pit, but the Yin-Yang Gu Pit is at a critical moment. Please give me some more time, Master. I will definitely repair both Gu Pits."

By then, Ninth Junior Brother should have mastered all nine subjects and be able to return to the main hall to focus on Gu techniques. At that time, I can also hand over the repaired Gu pit to him, so he won't delay Master's important matters.

The man spoke sincerely, his head was banging against the ground repeatedly, and his eyes were even filled with tears.

Fang Shu stood to the side, his heart skipped a beat, and he decisively replied in a deep voice, "This disciple is also willing to share Master's burdens!"

These words made the fifth senior brother pause, but he did not look up.

The Immortal Longgu glanced at Fang Shu, then looked at the fifth-ranked disciple. Her expression remained unchanged, as if she had thought of something. After a few moments of silence, she sighed softly.
"Alright, what Xiao Wu said makes sense. Let Xiao Wu take charge for now, and we'll discuss this matter later."

These words reached the ears of the Fifth Senior Brother and Fang Shu. The former was overjoyed and grateful, and kowtowed again. Fang Shu's eyelids twitched, his eyes lowered, and he did not argue any further.

As for the others around them, their expressions were all gloomy and unclear, but no one interrupted.

Fortunately, the next moment.

The Dragon Maiden then changed the subject and instructed, "In that case, Little Nine, obey my command."

"Disciple is here," Fang Shu immediately replied.

Dragon Maiden's Family Sayings:
"I hereby grant you the right to observe the Yin-Yang Gu Pit. You may freely enter and exit the two pits, follow your fifth senior brother's arrangements, assist him in repairing the Gu Pit, and familiarize yourself with its affairs. If you encounter anything you don't understand, you may ask him."

This matter will count as three merits for you each year. It might take up some of your cultivation time, but there are no specific requirements. Are you willing?

Fang Shu was disappointed, but he readily agreed: "Disciple obeys!"

Seeing Fang Shu nod in agreement, the Dragon Maiden Immortal stretched out her finger and gently tapped Fang Shu's waist token from a distance. Two runes, one black and one white, then darted into his waist token.

"Now that this matter is settled, do you have anything else to discuss?"

Seeing that no one else spoke, the Dragon Maiden Fairy flicked her sleeves:

"Disperse." Fang Shu and the others bowed in unison: "Yes, Master."

When they looked up again, the figure of the Dragon Maiden had already disappeared into the Gu Palace.

With their master gone, the eight people in the hall relaxed even more, and those who knew each other immediately began to chat.

Fang Shu stood there, still processing the arrangements made by the Dragon Maiden Immortal Family, and immediately noticed that many people were looking at him.

He looked toward one of the more obvious gazes and nodded gratefully.

That person was none other than the second senior brother, Hao Junliang.

The other person strode over, seemingly wanting to pat Fang Shu on the shoulder, but stopped in time, simply smiling and saying:

"Cultivate diligently. Although your master says you are a mortal, judging from the instructions, he still has high expectations for you. As for guarding the Gu pit, it is indeed too tedious for you right now and may even delay your cultivation."

Secretly, the man whispered another sentence in Fang Shu's ear:

"The fifth disciple was the third disciple who switched to another cultivation method back then. If you can't continue cultivating, don't force yourself. Switch to another cultivation method in time, so as not to persist for too long and get more deeply involved like him, which could damage your foundation."

After exchanging a few words, Senior Brother Hao called over a few people around him and headed out of the hall, seemingly having other matters to attend to.

"Take care, senior brother." Fang Shu bowed with his hands clasped.

After receiving Hao's explanation, he immediately understood.

Fang Shu remained in the Gu Palace.

He didn't join in the other people's idle chatter, but just listened in. He quickly became a familiar face and overheard some things.

Combined with what everyone had previously reported to the Dragon Maiden Immortal, he had already pieced together some of the background information about that "Fifth Senior Brother".

This person was one of his predecessors, who had also cultivated the "Small Joy of Life and Death Yin and Yang," but changed his cultivation method along the way. Since his cultivation was still intact, he did not go down the mountain like the other two predecessors, but continued to stay in the Gu Hall as a nominal disciple of the Dragon Maiden Immortal Family.

And whether it was due to being valued or as compensation, the other party alone took charge of both the Yin and Yang Gu pits, which was the envy of the others.

As for the benefits of the Gu Pit item, Fang Shu had a slight understanding of it.

Suddenly, a disciple who had been formally registered approached. He was the sixth in rank. He bowed to Fang Shu and smiled, saying:
"Congratulations, Ninth Junior Brother. Although you can only observe the Gu pit now, I think that in a few years you will be able to share the burden for Fifth Senior Brother and take charge of a Gu pit."

As they spoke, the other person glanced at the fifth senior brother with a half-smile:
"This is the best job under Master's command. If you do it for a long time and raise the worms well, you won't be able to do without them until you reach the Foundation Establishment stage. You should ask Fifth Senior Brother for advice as much as possible to prepare for the future."

In contrast, the fifth senior brother remained silent, his eyelids drooping, and he didn't even glance at Fang Shu.

After dealing with the rest of the people, Fang Shu thought for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and bowed to them.

"I, Shu, greet my Fifth Senior Brother."

Fifth Senior Brother stood still.

The other person finally lifted their eyelids, revealed a smile, and returned the greeting in a fairly friendly manner.
"Xiao Jiu, right? My name is Huai Liangxing. You'll come with me to the Gu Pit later to get familiar with the place."

Seeing that the man's attitude was acceptable, Fang Shu responded politely. The two agreed to meet at the entrance of the Gu Hall an hour later.

After the people in the hall exchanged pleasantries and gradually dispersed, Fang Shu followed behind them and left the Gu Hall.

During the brief moment of meeting.

He began to wander around the Gu Hall and learned about the details of the Gu Pit from the other immortals in the hall and even some old servants.

It turns out that the so-called Gu Pit is not only an important industry of the Gu Hall, but also the most important creation of the Dragon Maiden Immortal Family in the temple.

Each Gu pit was meticulously crafted by her to raise and nurture Foundation Establishment level Gu worms. Each pit produced a considerable number of Foundation Establishment level Gu worms for her every year, enough to ensure that she had a sufficient supply of Gu worms and could also sell them frequently.

Even with numerous and complicated rules, managing such a place is incredibly lucrative for Qi Refining cultivators.

It can be said that there are a total of seven Gu pits in the Gu Hall, consisting of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, yin and yang. Each pit can produce various kinds of Gu insects. Each pit can provide the person who manages it with enough food and clothing and sufficient resources, so that they do not need to be busy with Dao cultivation or spirit stones.

As a Qi Refining disciple, one can manage a Gu pit and stay peacefully in the Five Internal Organs Temple, cultivating all the way to the Six Tribulations Immortal!

Indeed, four of the disciples in charge of the Gu Pit have already passed the sixth tribulation, leaving only the fifth senior brother Huai Liangxing and the sixth senior brother, who are still in the fifth tribulation of Qi Refining.

However, Fang Shu also heard that his sixth senior brother was already forty-five years old and was recently preparing for his tribulation. He estimated that he would definitely attempt the tribulation within five years.

Having learned these things.

Fang Shu's heart immediately burned with excitement, realizing just how much of an opportunity he had missed in the Gu Palace:
"If my master really gives me a Gu pit, I will take root right here in this Five Internal Organs Temple!"

By taking charge of a Gu pit, he can not only profit from it, but also place his own people in the Gu Hall in the future. For example, he can promote the disciples of the Du Gu Hall at the foot of the mountain, and even the dog in the hall, to the mountain and include them all in the immortal sect!
This move will not only bring glory to his sect, but also attract fellow disciples from the Dugu Pavilion to come up the mountain to help him cultivate, complementing each other!
Lost in thought, Fang Shu let out a long sigh and thought to himself, "It's a pity that I've missed this golden opportunity."

Furthermore, he was deeply grateful for his righteous words to Senior Brother Hao.

If it weren't for the other party's reminder, even if the Dragon Maiden Immortal Clan were to discover him in the future, it would be next year or several years from now, and they might not even value him that much.

Fang Shu's mind raced as he carefully considered the matter: "No! I haven't completely missed the opportunity; I've only postponed it for nine years..."

Before long, he suppressed these distracting thoughts and quickly walked to the entrance of the Gu Hall, where he stood properly.

Almost an hour had passed, and he and his fifth senior brother had agreed to meet here.

But time passed quickly, and there was still no one at the door.

Fang Shu narrowed his eyes, sensing something was wrong, but he didn't panic and continued to patiently watch over the situation.

It continued until it was dark.

Numerous servants and immortals, along with several of his fellow disciples, walked past him. The toad-skinned snake on the screen wall even dozed off and began to snore.

Even after all the daytime workers had left, there was still no sign of Senior Brother Huai.

But Fang Shu didn't leave. He just sat down cross-legged and didn't stand up anymore.

The night passed.

The next morning, the laborers and Qi Refining Immortals who came to work all discovered Fang Shu, who had been standing at the door the night before.

Unconsciously, they all pointed and whispered about Fang Shu, wondering what he was doing.

Among the crowd, a familiar face appeared before Fang Shu; it was Gou Yandi, the disciple in charge of odd jobs in the hall.

This person initially harbored hostility towards Fang Shu, fearing that Fang Shu's entry into the sect would hinder him from taking over the Gu Pit from his second senior brother. However, upon learning that Fang Shu only possessed a pseudo-spiritual root, he looked down on him and no longer took him seriously.

But who would have thought that Fang Shu, who had just entered the sect, had already reserved a Gu pit this year. Although it wasn't the one his second senior brother had reserved, it still made Gou Yandi feel uneasy, and she was driven crazy with envy and jealousy.

You should know that he has been working hard for several years and is only now starting to do odd jobs. His master hasn't even given him a definite answer yet.

The man squinted at Fang Shu several times, realizing that Fang Shu had been standing there stupidly all night. He chuckled to himself and deliberately swaggered past Fang Shu.

It didn't take long.

The story of Fang Shu standing dumbly at the entrance of the Gu Hall, waiting anxiously for his fifth senior brother, spread like wildfire and became a joke. Even some outsiders who came to the Gu Hall on business heard about it.

After the news had spread far and wide, Fang Shu finally seemed to have given up and walked away.

Not long after he left, a figure rushed over from outside the Gu Hall and searched for him near the gate of the Gu Hall.

This person was none other than his fifth senior brother, Huai Liangxing.

The other person stood at the doorway, enduring the scrutiny of others, his brows furrowed, secretly gritting his teeth: "What a cunning brat! His nature is indeed sinister."

He only wanted to give that guy a little warning, but he never expected that the other party would turn the tables and make it public, ruining his reputation.

If this matter were to reach the ears of the Dragon Maiden Immortal, the bond between him and the Dragon Maiden Immortal would surely be further damaged.

The more Huai Liangxing thought about it, the more unhappy he became, and his face darkened.

Those guys who dare to actively cultivate the "Minor Joy of Life and Death Yin and Yang" are indeed not simple. That guy surnamed Fang is probably a ruthless person as well.

"They're up to no good," he thought to himself.

For a moment, Huai Liangxing hesitated, wondering whether he should try to mend his relationship with Fang Shu. After all, he still had eight or nine years to enjoy the Gu Pit all to himself, and Fang Shu was likely to suffer a qi deviation and fall off the mountain.

But as soon as the thought popped up, he extinguished it, feeling that the idea was extremely weak.

Back then, he took a step back, which saved his life and cultivation, but he wasted his years and even damaged his foundation when he changed his cultivation method.

It was only through repeated retreats that he was unable to overcome even the sixth tribulation to this day... This time, he cannot retreat any further.

"At the very least, I must first cultivate to the Sixth Tribulation before I can give up the Gu Pit, otherwise I will have no hope of establishing my foundation in this lifetime... This is a struggle for the Dao, and even if my master knows, I think he will understand me." With this thought firmly in his heart, Huai Liangxing lowered his gaze and silently withdrew from the Gu Hall.

And the other side.

After leaving the Gu Hall, Fang Shu went directly to the Hu Hall. He sent letters to several of his friends, trying to find out about the background of his cheap fifth senior brother and the intricacies of the Gu Hall's Gu pit.

Not many days later.

All sorts of news and rumors were laid out on his desk.

　The two chapters are combined into one.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)