Chapter 10: Entry

The red-faced Elder frowned, saying discontentedly, "Elder Li, must our Heng Yue School truly stoop this low? We are breaking a rule just for the life and death of a Mortal?"

Elder Li opened his eyes, his voice gradually chilling. He said, "Elder Ma, the Sect Leader said that this matter is entrusted entirely to us. If we handle it poorly, and this good-for-nothing kid truly commits suicide a second time, his parents will spread the word that our Heng Yue School forced their child to die. Wouldn't that embarrassing situation be just as low? Can you take responsibility? If you take responsibility, then I will wash my hands of this matter."

The Middle-aged Man quickly mediated, saying, "Alright, let's not argue over such a small thing. How about this: we first take him in as a Named Disciple. After eight or ten years, if he fails at Cultivating Immortality, we send him back. That way, we avoid future trouble, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The Elder in Brocade Robes suddenly spoke from the side, "What if the other children who weren't accepted try to imitate him?"

The Middle-aged Man chuckled and said, "That's easy to handle too. After this incident, we've learned a lesson. In the future, every child who fails the test can be enlightened using the Soul Transformation Technique to plant the thought of not committing suicide. Wouldn't that solve it? As for Wang Lin, since the situation has escalated this far, we might as well accept him. After all, a single Named Disciple is of little consequence."

Aside from Elder Li, the other two Elders looked at The Middle-aged Man with meaningful glances, then stopped speaking.

The Middle-aged Man smiled, thinking internally, "Wang Lin, oh Wang Lin, I've helped you as much as I can. I humbly accept the piece of Fine Iron your Fourth Uncle gave me. I am quite curious how a Mortal managed to obtain such Materials."

The Middle-aged Man did not know that Wang Lin's Fourth Uncle had bought that piece of Fine Iron by chance from a Blacksmith. Being experienced, he recognized its extraordinary nature immediately. This time, hoping to get Tie Zhu into the Heng Yue School, he took it out just to try his luck. As for the treasure's function, he was completely unaware.

A piece of Fine Iron changed Wang Lin's fate. When this news reached his ears, Wang Lin couldn't believe that he had inexplicably been accepted as a Named Disciple.

Two days later, he escorted his parents down from the Heng Yue School. Looking at his parents' excited expressions, Wang Lin felt quite joyful inside and secretly decided to diligently Cultivate Immortality here.

However, this idea changed after his parents left the mountain. Wang Lin was called to a house specifically designated for assigning work to Named Disciples. A shifty-looking Yellow-robed Youth, wearing a look of disdain, sized him up and mocked, "You're Wang Lin, the one who only became a Named Disciple by relying on suicide?"

Wang Lin glanced at him and remained silent. The Youth raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Kid, starting tomorrow, report to me every day as soon as the sun rises. Your job is to fetch water. If you don't fill ten large vats, you won't get food. If you fail continuously for seven days, I will report it to the Elder and have you expelled from the Heng Yue School. These are your clothes. Remember, Named Disciples can only wear Gray Robes. Only when you become a true Disciple will you be issued clothes of other colors." After speaking, he impatiently tossed a set of clothes and a Waist Token aside, closed his eyes, and ignored the other party.

Wang Lin picked up the clothes and asked, "Where do I live?"

The Youth didn't even open his eyes and said carelessly, "Walk north, and you will naturally see a row of simple houses. Give your Waist Token to the Disciple there, and they will arrange a room for you."

Wang Lin kept this in mind, turned, and walked north. After he left, the Youth opened his eyes and muttered disdainfully, "To rely on suicide just to join, truly a piece of trash."

Walking within the Heng Yue School, most of the Disciples Wang Lin saw along the way were wearing Gray Robes. They were all hurrying along, looking indifferent, and some were holding tools for manual labor, appearing slightly fatigued.

He walked north for a long time before finally seeing a row of low houses. There were significantly more Disciples in Gray Robes here than elsewhere, but they were still minding their own business, rarely speaking to one another.

After handing his Waist Token to the Yellow-robed Disciple in charge of the area, the latter didn't say a single word, merely pointing impatiently to one of the houses.

Wang Lin had grown accustomed to the indifferent expressions of everyone here. He walked to the house, pushed the door open, and looked inside. The room was small, containing two wooden beds and a table. It was very clean, and its condition was similar to that of his home.

He chose a wooden bed that looked unused, put away his luggage, and then lay down on the bed, his mind racing. Although he had finally entered the Heng Yue School, it was not the place where he could Cultivate Immortal Techniques as he had imagined. Judging by what the Yellow-robed Youth had implied earlier, his job was fetching water.

Thinking of this, he sighed softly and touched the Stone Bead tied with a string around his chest. This item was a treasure he valued greatly. Wang Lin had read extensively and knew many historical stories, including the one about an innocent man being punished for possessing a treasure. He secretly resolved not to let anyone know he had this treasure.

Before long, night fell. A thin Gray-robed Youth, looking utterly exhausted, pushed open the door and walked in. He paused when he saw Wang Lin, observed him carefully, then ignored him, lying straight down on the bed and falling into a deep sleep.

Wang Lin didn't mind. Knowing he had to wake up early tomorrow, he rubbed his stomach and took out some Sweet Potatoes from his package. His parents had brought this food to eat while searching for him on the road, and after finding Wang Lin and seeing him accepted into the Heng Yue School, they left the remaining Sweet Potatoes for him.

The Sweet Potatoes were very sweet. Wang Lin ate a few bites. Just then, the Youth lying opposite him stirred, sat up, and stared intently at the Sweet Potatoes. He swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva and whispered, "Can I have one?"

Wang Lin immediately took out a few pieces and tossed them onto the other bed, laughing, "I have plenty here. If you like them, eat more."

The Youth immediately grabbed them and devoured them ravenously. Then he rushed to the table, poured a cup of water, and drank it in one gulp, sighing, "Damn it, I haven't eaten anything for two days, buddy. Thanks. By the way, what's your name?"

Wang Lin stated his name. The Youth immediately looked stunned and exclaimed, "You're Wang Lin, the good-for-nothing who only got into the Heng Yue School by relying on suicide—" He stopped there, feeling awkward, and laughed softly, "Buddy, my name is Zhang Hu. Honestly, practically everyone in the School knows about you now. Don't blame me for what I just said. Actually, I really admire you for being able to get in using that method."

Wang Lin gave a wry smile, offered no explanation, and handed over a few more Sweet Potatoes.

Zhang Hu quickly accepted them, and after eating a few bites, he said awkwardly, "Wang Lin, you should save some for yourself. You're new here, so you don't know about The Weasel in the Errands Office and his wicked schemes. You'll find out tomorrow when you start working. Damn it, he doesn't treat us Named Disciples like people at all!"