Mortal: The Path to Immortality

Three days later, inside the Hundred Beasts Pavilion.

On the blue brick floor of the side hall, Lu Nanzhu sat cross-legged, his body radiating spiritual energy. A knock came at the door, and he slowly finished his practice and approached the door.

Pushing open the door, Butler Zhong's previously indifferent face now carried a hint of a smile.

"Young friend, wonderful news! My third young master is safe and sound!"

As he spoke, he took out a heavy storage bag from his sleeve and tossed it aside.

"This is the payment I promised you, not a penny less." Butler Zhong patted Lu Nanzhu on the shoulder, his tone now carrying a hint of goodwill.

"Please get ready first. I will personally lead you up the mountain later to complete the entry procedures."

Lu Nanzhu took the storage bag, briefly examined it with his divine sense, and showed a hint of flattered excitement. He cupped his hands to Butler Zhong and said:

"It's all thanks to the Third Young Master's great fortune and the Steward's discerning eye; I dare not take credit. In the future, once we enter the mountains, I hope the Steward will take good care of us."

"Of course, of course." Butler Zhong stroked his beard, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

A moment later, Lu Nanzhu slung his bundle over his shoulder and followed Steward Zhong out of the Hundred Beasts Pavilion.

The steward rode his magical artifact and flew towards Spirit Beast Mountain with Lu Nanzhu.

Lu Nanzhu raised his head and squinted slightly, looking at the main peak of Spirit Beast Mountain, which was hidden in the clouds and mist. Among the verdant peaks, celestial birds flitted about, and auspicious beasts cried out, creating a scene of otherworldly grandeur.

Along the way, the two had their own thoughts.

While Butler Zhong was focused on maneuvering the magical implements, he inadvertently started talking.

"Young friend, your aura is quite solid, and your skills in alchemy and medicine making are not weak either. You've been in this market for so long, may I ask where you come from? Judging from your young age, you must not have been cultivating for long, right?" Steward Zhong turned his head and carefully glanced at Lu Nanzhu again.

Lu Nanzhu's heart stirred slightly, realizing that the other party had already investigated him.

"My lord, my ancestral home is Lanzhou, and my real name is Lu Nanzhu. There was once a cultivator elder in my family. By chance, I also began to cultivate with my elder. As for how long I have been cultivating..." Lu Nanzhu smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I can't remember my age anymore. I only know that I started to cultivate diligently from a young age. As for my current level of cultivation, I am truly ashamed."

Steward Zhong chuckled and continued probing, "It's not easy for rogue cultivators to cultivate, I understand. But young friend, your ability to find that rare herb is a stroke of good fortune, not something an ordinary person can possess. Many disciples within the sect might search their entire lives and never even catch a glimpse of that kind of spiritual herb. May I ask which sacred mountain you found it on?"

"What kind of immortal mountain is this? We ventured into several deadly desolate mountains and almost lost our lives. At that time, I and a few familiar rogue cultivators barely survived and found this plant in the crevices of that poisonous forest."

At this point, Lu Nanzhu paused, sounding somewhat helpless: "If I didn't urgently need spirit stones to buy some suitable medicinal herbs, how could I bear to sell such a treasure in such a hurry? It's really... embarrassing for you, sir."

After listening, Butler Zhong nodded slightly, and the doubt on his face lessened a bit.

Before long, the two landed in a rather quiet side hall.

A wooden sign reading "Office of Duty" hangs above the entrance to the side hall, and two sleepy-eyed disciples stand guard at the door.

"Young friend Lu, this is where you register to enter the sect." Butler Zhong put away his magical artifact and gave Lu Nanzhu a meaningful look. "Spirit Beast Mountain doesn't tolerate idlers. The first step to entering is to be assigned a place. However... places are in very high demand right now."

The two entered the main hall one after the other. Inside sat a fat steward with a bulbous nose, flipping through a stack of rosaries. His surname was Yan.

"Old Yan! Same as always, bring someone to register." Butler Zhong greeted him familiarly, then leaned closer to Steward Yan, and the two exchanged a glance.

Manager Yan flipped through the roster, his brow furrowed, and clicked his tongue. "Brother Zhong, you've really given me a hard time. These past two days have been the big days for opening the mountain and recruiting disciples, and all the spots have already been filled by the scions of those cultivation families. I've looked through them all, and there shouldn't be many openings left. Let me see..."

He glanced up at Lu Nanzhu, his eyes lingering on the storage pouch at Lu Nanzhu's waist, and deliberately sighed, "Oh dear, it's 'Abandoned Spirit Valley,' this..."

Before he could finish speaking, he looked helplessly at Butler Zhong.

Butler Zhong feigned surprise and grabbed Lu Nanzhu with a worried expression: "Oh dear, what kind of awful place is this? Young friend Lu, you are the Third Young Master's savior, how could I let you jump into a fire pit?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Nanzhu's face showed a hint of hesitation and curiosity, and he asked, "Seniors, ...is there something wrong with this 'Abandoned Spirit Valley'?"

Seeing this, Butler Zhong was secretly pleased, but on the surface he maintained the demeanor of a reliable elder, and sighed:

"Young friend Lu, you may not know this, but a hundred years ago, this 'Abandoned Spirit Valley' was a top-grade spiritual herb garden within the sect. Back then, it was incredibly difficult for ordinary disciples to even get a job there."

He changed the subject, his tone now tinged with regret:

"Unfortunately, the spiritual veins there were damaged later, and the spiritual energy became thin. In addition, the place is remote, and the seniors in the sect have long forgotten about it. The most troublesome thing is that it is rumored that some fellow disciples abandoned their inferior spirit beasts that had failed to advance and were violent and out of control there to fend for themselves. That place is definitely not a good choice for cultivation."

Then, he turned to Steward Yan anxiously and asked, "Old Yan, young friend Lu has done my Zhong family a great favor. Can't you think of a way?"

Manager Yan looked up, scratched his head, and after a while, slapped his thigh and said, "I've got it! I remember one of the alchemy elders in the sect is short of a student. That's a lucrative position; the place is not only rich in spiritual energy, but you can also receive personal guidance from the alchemy elder."

After saying that, he frowned somewhat embarrassedly: "However... that elder is currently refining a rare medicine and is short of spirit stones. If we can fill this gap, the apprentice position might be within my reach!"

Lu Nanzhu sneered inwardly. These two old foxes, working together, were only after the bag of spirit stones that the Zhong family had just given him.

To become an apprentice under an elder? Being watched and working all day, not only having to deal with the elder's temper, but also having to guard against the exclusion from fellow disciples. He carries the earth-shattering secret of the small inkstone; if he really went under the nose of such a powerful figure, he would probably be exposed in no time.

Lu Nanzhu feigned a pained yet resolute expression, took out a bag of spirit stones from his storage bag, and pushed it directly in front of Steward Yan.

"Senior Yan, I am but a rogue cultivator, and it is already extremely fortunate that I was able to enter this mountain gate," Lu Nanzhu said sincerely. "However, I have been a loner since childhood and am not good at socializing. If I were to go and serve under an elder, what if I clumsily cause trouble? Wouldn't that spoil your good intentions?"

When Steward Yan saw him decline, his expression darkened slightly, but after placing his palm on the bag of spirit stones, his eyebrows unconsciously twitched.

Lu Nanzhu pressed his advantage, continuing, "Although the Abandoned Spirit Valley is harsh, its tranquility suits my temperament perfectly. Consider these spirit stones as a token of my appreciation for your tea. As a newcomer, I will inevitably need your guidance on the unwritten rules and taboos for navigating this sect in the future."

Manager Yan chuckled, "Very well, since you're a quiet person, it would seem unreasonable of me, Old Yan, to force you to go to those troublesome places."

Butler Zhong watched from the sidelines. Although he couldn't directly stuff Lu Nanzhu into the Elder's Mansion to earn double the favor, he still smiled and went along with it.

"Young friend Lu is indeed a wise man." Butler Zhong stroked his beard, his eyes full of approval. "Following Steward Yan, your days in the sect won't be bad. Since you've made up your mind to leave, Old Yan, then hurry up and get him the entry token."

Manager Yan stopped delaying and tossed Lu Nanzhu a "spirit testing ball." "Let's test your spiritual roots first. Although most rogue cultivators have mediocre aptitude, there's no guarantee that some might have extraordinary talent. We still need to go through the proper procedures."

Lu Nanzhu then grasped the spirit orb and infused it with spiritual power. The orb then flashed with golden, green, and blue light.

"The three spiritual roots of metal, wood, and water." Manager Yan nodded, then quickly wrote Lu Nanzhu's name on the roster with a flourish of his pen.

A moment later, a dark blue token and a set of brown clothes were pushed in front of Lu Nanzhu.

Once everything was ready, he followed Steward Yan to the Valley of Abandoned Spirits.