Nine Netherworld Demon Subduing Record

Upon hearing the girl's words, Fu Qing immediately began to ponder.

Putting aside why this girl insisted on taking him as her disciple, could it really be because he was exceptionally talented?

He once watched a movie where the apprenticeship process involved the master carefully selecting the disciple, and then the disciple would have to go through layers of procedures, bowing and kowtowing, before finally becoming a disciple of a master.

This girl didn't ask about his background or origins; she simply took his pulse and became his disciple.

Fu Qing naturally didn't think he was any different from others. The only difference was that he was a "transmigrator." But did transmigrators have a superior talent?

Moreover, the girl looked so young. Although she might be some kind of ancient monster in disguise, it was still strange that he called a girl who looked a decade younger than him "Master".

But right now, taking this young girl as my master is indeed the closest way for me to become a Daoist master.

Fu Qing didn't think for long before he bent down and kowtowed.

"Disciple greets Master."

Seeing Fu Qing's appearance, the girl narrowed her eyes and nodded. She then raised the jade ruyi in her hand and lifted Fu Qing up.

"No need for formalities. Since you are a disciple in name only, there's no need to call me 'Master.' Just call me 'Teacher.' Let me make this clear first: once you join my sect, you must learn the Daoist methods of my lineage. Once you begin, you cannot change your ways. Do you understand?"

Fu Qing suddenly broke out in a cold sweat: "Damn it, I forgot this is a pharmacy. Could that girl's path be related to spiritual herbs and other aids?"

The path of spiritual medicine, just from the name, one can tell that it is a non-aggressive method. If he were to truly cultivate it, he would probably find it difficult to deal with the monsters in the Netherworld on his own. He was speechless for a moment.

Seeing Fu Qing hesitate, the girl snapped angrily, "What? Is the path of spiritual herbs beneath your notice? Do you even know which path is most popular in this world?"

"The Way of Spiritual Medicine?"

This wasn't just Fu Qing's wild guess. The spiritual herbs in this world each have their own uses. If a restaurant employs a chef skilled in the art of spiritual herbs, the dishes they cook will have various effects. Such restaurants are usually packed every day. As for pharmacies, they are even more so. In this world, pharmacies are mostly run by Daoist masters. Each pharmacy specializes in different Daoist techniques, so the spiritual herbs they produce have different effects. Whether for ordinary people or Daoist masters, they are all beneficial.

As for other Daoist methods, Fu Qing only saw that there were quite a few spiritual machinery Daoist methods, but they were completely incomparable to the spiritual medicine Daoist method. As for the other Daoist masters, he had never seen them before. He wondered whether the abilities of the other Daoist masters were not as obvious as these two, or whether they were not as effective as these two.

"It's surprising you even know that." The young woman pressed the jade ruyi to her lips, swaying it gently. She moved with light, graceful steps, pacing in front of Fu Qing as she spoke, "If you truly wish to go to that so-called secluded realm to find the location of that 'gate,' then the path of spiritual herbs is the best option."

Why?

"Because whenever an individual enters that Netherworld, for safety reasons, they will be accompanied by a Daoist master of the Spirit Medicine Dao. A good Spirit Medicine master can be quite expensive to accompany you to that Netherworld. Basically, those who practice the Spirit Medicine Dao are the busiest Daoist masters. Moreover, even if you don't have the desire to seek the Dao, you can still make a living by opening a shop."

Fu Qing hadn't expected such inside information, but seeing that this would indeed increase the chances of contacting the Nine Netherworlds, Fu Qing felt reassured.

"Then I shall study the Way of Elixir, Master. How shall we begin?"

The girl finally managed to persuade Fu Qing, even though it took a lot of persuasion.

"No rush. You have to wait two days while I prepare. Come back in two days and I will teach you the Dao and also prepare a special skill for you."

"It possesses both Taoist principles and special characteristics?"

Fu Qing felt as if he had been hit by a pie, but he still had a vague feeling that something was wrong. Could there really be a free lunch in this world?

Seeing how easily he had become a Daoist Master, Fu Qing felt grateful to the girl in front of him, but also had some hidden worries.

Although it was hard to accept that the girl was his teacher, after much thought, Fu Qing had already put aside these superficial things.

He kowtowed respectfully again, and the girl covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Alright, you can go back now. Don't forget to come back here in two days." She added, "During this time, don't try to cultivate any Taoist techniques or merge any special traits. That would be a complete waste of your talent."

After she finished speaking, she waved her hand, and the door opened. The pharmacist was still standing at the door, looking respectful.

"Little Shili, see your junior brother off."

"Yes, Master!" The pharmacist was not puzzled by the addition of a "junior brother" and remained calm.

Fu Qing stood up, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "But may I ask your name, teacher?"

The girl knelt before the table, took a sip of tea, and said, "My name is Xing Luochen."

"Starfallen to Earth?" Fu Qing felt that the name was quite poetic, like a star falling to earth.

After bidding farewell to the young girl, Fu Qing heard the door behind him slowly close again. The white-robed pharmacist beside him smiled and said, "From now on, I will call you Junior Brother Fu. My name is Gu Shili."

Upon hearing this, Fu Qing cupped his hands in greeting: "Fu Qing greets Senior Brother Gu. However, I have unexpectedly become a disciple of our teacher today and have not made any preparations. I apologize for any abruptness."

Senior Brother Gu waved his hand: "Once you've entered the sect, you're family. Let's not bother with all that formalities."

Fu Qing quickly made a gesture of invitation, letting Senior Brother Gu go first, while he followed behind.

"I wonder, Senior Brother Gu, is our teacher really as old as she appears before us?" Fu Qing asked. Although our teacher appears as a young girl, if she were truly a transformation, the youthful spirit in her bones would not have faded. Xing Luochen, in many small details, is almost identical to a real young girl.

Senior Brother Gu laughed and said, "To be honest, Master has looked like this ever since I first met her. Now, it's been more than 20 years. During this time, Master has spent most of her time behind this door, completely oblivious to what's happening outside. If it weren't for you, Junior Brother, I don't know when she would have been able to summon me to see her."

"She's totally a shut-in girl." Fu Qing felt a bit rebellious. He felt like he had made a mistake. Now it really was a case of "the master leads you through the door, but the cultivation is up to you."

Upon exiting the gate, Senior Brother Gu cupped his hands and said, "Junior Brother Fu, I won't see you off. The Imperial Household Department is just half an hour's walk to the west."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Gu."

After bidding farewell to Senior Brother Gu, Fu Qing walked out of the gate. He was in an ordinary market town. Looking back, he saw an old wooden building on the tall steps. Although the Shili Pharmacy looked a bit old, it was still much more impressive than the surrounding buildings.

However, Fu Qing noticed that there were no towering mountains or steep ridges in this place, and he didn't know how the mountains between the ten-mile-long pharmacy were formed.

He felt lightheaded, as if he had inexplicably entered a pharmacy and inexplicably become a disciple. Anyone would be surprised and suspicious if they encountered such a situation.

Shaking his head, Fu Qing walked into the crowd on the street and quickly disappeared into the flow of people.

-

Inside the Shili Pharmacy.

The young girl, Xing Luochen, sat upright on the futon with her eyes closed, meditating quietly.

Behind him, the thousands of miles of mountains slowly changed, twisting, spreading, and dissolving like ripples on water, quickly transforming into a completely different appearance.

Behind them, the scenery transformed into a clear lake, as if sunlight were shining through it. In the middle of the lake was a viscous liquid, within which seemed a small sapling was being nurtured and grown.

Xing Luochen stood up and slowly walked to the liquid.

"I've finally found him, the one with a thousand veins."

The sapling seemed to understand her words, gently swaying its branches.

"I'd like to test whether your method is really that difficult to cultivate, and whether your essence is really that rare." Her expression was solemn, and through the lake water, the girl's figure was reflected in the water's shimmering light.

It turned out to be a woman who looked to be around thirty years old, with high-set eyebrows and a cold and arrogant demeanor.