Five Immortal Sects - Chapter 10: A Test

Chapter 10: A Test

Just as Hong Linying was deep in thought, he suddenly saw the curtain of the tent at the high platform being lifted, and someone walked out from inside.

Hong Linying’s eyes narrowed, but it wasn’t the young boy who had entered earlier. Instead, Ji Wenhe walked out first, and only after he stood at the entrance did another person follow him out.

“Hmm? Who is this?”

Hong Linying’s expression changed, and he straightened his body, his eyes suddenly widening, before slowly relaxing and regaining his calm demeanor.

At this time, Military Advisor Ji, who was below, turned his head to look up at the high platform, then bowed slightly, his hands clasped together in his sleeves, and said loudly:

“General!”

Hong Linying slowly stood up, also responding loudly:

“Ah, I’ve come to see how the recruitment of the Imperial Guard is going. If we can fill the quota today, we’ll need to arrange for the commanders to take charge of training the new recruits later.”

“Military Advisor, are you going back to the mansion? Did you gain anything today?”

After hearing this, a hint of subtle mockery flashed in the corner of Military Advisor Ji’s eyes, but he still had a smile on his face, and pointed at Li Yan behind him.

“My lord, you are thoughtful. Haha, it’s finally here after so much anticipation. It’s not easy to find the right person, indeed.”

After saying that, he shook his head gently, looking relieved.

“Is this the person you’ve been searching for? Congratulations, Military Advisor Ji. You’ve really found a gem in the rough. But I wonder how this person compares to the one we recruited last time?”

General Hong’s face showed genuine excitement as he spoke.

Upon hearing these words, Military Advisor Ji’s pale face darkened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

He didn’t want Li Yan to know about his previous disciple just yet. If Li Yan found out too much, he might start to have doubts, and it would be hard to say whether he would still be willing to cultivate.

Cultivation couldn’t be forced upon someone, and if Li Yan was unwilling, no one could change his mind.

Hong Linying’s words seemed to be congratulatory, but in reality, they were laced with malice.

Military Advisor Ji, however, nodded with his hands behind his back, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

“This child is well-versed in the classics, and his talent is exactly what I’m looking for. This is indeed a predestined encounter, and compared to the last time, this is much better. Thank you, General, for your concern.”

Without waiting for General Hong’s response, he turned to Li Yan and said, “Li Yan, go and pay your respects to General Hong!”

Li Yan was still in a daze after exiting the tent. He couldn’t help but think about the unexpected events that had just occurred. His mind was filled with excitement and wonder, thinking about the future and the possibilities that lay ahead.

He thought about how he had not only joined the military but also become a disciple of the renowned Military Advisor Ji, and how his monthly stipend would far exceed his expectations. He imagined being able to return home and take care of his parents in just a few years, and how he would buy a house in the city and bring his family to live with him.

He also thought about how he would go and find Li Yu and Li Shan and boast about his good fortune. ‘Yeah, I’ll go and tell Uncle Guoxing about this, and he can go back and tell my parents. I wonder how happy they’ll be… my third brother and fourth sister will also be thrilled…’

As he stood there, lost in thought, his face alternated between joy and worry, his mind a jumble of conflicting emotions.

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a shout in his ear, and he snapped back to reality, looking up to see his teacher staring at him with a hint of annoyance on his face.

Actually, he had heard some of the conversation between General Hong and Military Advisor Ji earlier, but he had been too caught up in his own thoughts to pay attention to the details. Now, seeing his teacher looking at him, he hurriedly tried to recall what had been said.

“Li Yan, hurry up and pay your respects to General Hong!”

There was an another shout, but this time with a hint of displeasure.

Military Advisor Ji looked at Li Yan, who was still standing there in a daze, seemingly lost in thought. He was thinking to himself, ‘Could it be that he’s been affected by what Hong Linying said earlier? That’s really annoying. I’ll have to clear up this misunderstanding later. That Hong Linying is really infuriating!’

As he thought this, Military Advisor Ji’s face showed a hint of anger, and he shouted at Li Yan again.

However, to Li Yan, the soldiers nearby, and General Hong on the platform, it seemed as though Military Advisor Ji was angry because Li Yan was not listening to his teacher’s words.

Li Yan saw that his teacher was displeased and immediately felt anxious, quickly taking a few steps forward and stopping in front of Military Advisor Ji, then turning to face General Hong on the platform and kowtowing.

“I, Li Yan, pay my respects to General Hong. I apologize for any offense I may have caused earlier.”

Li Yan had already met the two most powerful officials in the region in just half a day, which was an extraordinary experience for a commoner. He hastily paid his respects, trying to make up for his earlier mistake, amidst Military Advisor Ji’s displeased expression.

General Hong on the platform gazed at Li Yan, who was kowtowing, and thought to himself, ‘This kid looks a bit silly.’ But he didn’t know that Li Yan was not silly, just overwhelmed by the sudden good fortune.

Such an encounter would be overwhelming for anyone, not just a young man from a mountain village. Even an adult would find it hard to recover from such a shock in a short time.

Seeing this, General Hong waved his hand.

“Get up, you’re Li Yan, right?”

He had heard Military Advisor Ji call out the name of this young man earlier.

Li Yan stood up, bowing his head respectfully.

“I am Li Yan, from the Li family village in Great Green Mountain.”

“Ah? So your family is not too far from here. We’ve been searching for you everywhere, and it turns out you were right under our noses. Ha ha ha…”

General Hong’s face was smiling, and he looked at Li Yan, who was now standing up.

Li Yan’s face was dark and ordinary, his body slender, and he looked very ordinary. He didn’t seem to have any internal energy… It was hard to understand what criteria Military Advisor Ji used to select his disciples.

Suddenly, General Hong’s foot tapped on the stone platform, and his body suddenly jumped up.

Li Yan was still thinking about General Hong’s words earlier when he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

Li Yan quickly looked up, and his eyes blurred. His left wrist was suddenly grasped tightly, and he felt a surge of hot energy entering his body through his wrist, then rapidly spreading through his arm and into his body.

Li Yan was shocked and instinctively wanted to pull his arm back, but it was as if his arm was stuck in an iron clamp, unable to move. His body was also unsteady, as if he was about to fall over.

Li Yan’s face changed color, and when he tried to use all his strength to pull his arm back, he felt it loosen, and he stumbled backward, almost falling to the ground.

The person who had grabbed his arm had let go, and the hot flow of energy that had surged through his body earlier had disappeared without a trace.

The whole incident had happened in the blink of an eye, leaving Li Yan no time to react.

Li Yan quickly looked around, and his eyes landed on General Hong, who was standing in front of him. He wondered how General Hong had used his extraordinary abilities to appear here in an instant, moving as fast as lightning.

Li Yan looked at General Hong, then turned to look at his teacher, feeling uneasy and unsure of what was going on.

Military advisor Ji had been standing not far behind Li Yan the whole time, his face as calm as still water, as if he hadn’t seen anything.

At this moment, General Hong had already withdrawn his hand and was laughing loudly, bowing to Military advisor Ji.

“Please don’t take offense, General Hong. I was just curious. You’ve taken in a few disciples over the years, and only a select few have caught your eye.”

“I just wanted to know what kind of extraordinary person could be so lucky. I got a bit carried away, so please don’t take it to heart.”

Military advisor Ji’s face suddenly broke into a subtle, enigmatic smile.

“Perhaps you’ve seen something different about this disciple?”

General Hong’s expression turned serious, and he paused for a moment.

“I must admit, the depth of your sect’s teachings is beyond my comprehension! I’m ashamed to say that this disciple’s meridians aren’t necessarily wider than those of the young men in the military, and in some cases, they’re even narrower.”

“As for his bones, hmm… they’re above average, but not exceptionally good. That’s what I don’t understand.”

Military advisor Ji smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.

“You’re quite perceptive, General Hong. The requirements for my sect’s heart method aren’t just about having good meridians, but also about having a few unique meridians that differ from others.”

“Only then can one fully utilize the martial arts of our sect. The reasons behind this involve the secrets of our sect’s heart method, which I’m not at liberty to discuss further.”

“What’s the plan for the disciple’s future?”

Military advisor Ji bowed slightly to General Hong.

“The disciple will return with me to cultivate, and as you know, my body is getting weaker by the day. It’s imperative that I find a successor as soon as possible.”

“Therefore, he’ll spend most of his time cultivating with me, but occasionally, he’ll also help me with some military tasks. As for his salary, hmm… he’ll receive the same amount as a small team leader, deducted from my own stipend.”

After listening, General Hong burst out laughing.

“Haha, no need for that. Since your disciple will be helping you with military affairs, he’ll need an official position. Let’s make him a deputy lieutenant, and his salary will be paid by the military. I’ll have someone send the official seal to your residence later.”

General Hong was not stingy with the salary, and he even threw in the enlistment bonus.

After hearing this, the Military Advisor Ji was no longer polite.

“Then it’s settled, Li Yan, come and thank General Hong.”

Li Yan, who had been watching the conversation between the two, slowly began to understand the implications. From their conversation, he realized that it was extremely difficult to become a disciple of Military advisor Ji, and that his teacher must have been selecting disciples for many years.

Among the many people in the military, Military advisor Ji had only chosen two people, including himself, as disciples. General Hong was very curious about this, which was why he had made that sudden move earlier.

When General Hong mentioned the enlistment bonus, Li Yan’s face lit up, and he quickly bowed to thank General Hong. He didn’t know what the position of deputy lieutenant was or what it entailed, but he understood that the bonus would be sent to his parents in the village.

If he knew that he had risen from a commoner to an eighth-rank official in just half a day, his ancestors would be overjoyed, and their spirits would be soaring.

It was well-known that a common soldier would have to go through many life-and-death battles to rise from a ninth-rank soldier to an eighth-rank official. But Li Yan was more concerned about the real silver coins.

After Li Yan finished thanking General Hong, Military advisor Ji bowed slightly to General Hong.

“If you have no further instructions, I’ll take my leave.”

“Please, Military advisor Ji, you’re already distracted. Haha, I should congratulate you again. I still need to check on the recruitment situation and arrange the new military training, so I won’t see you off.”

General Hong laughed loudly.

Military advisor Ji turned and walked towards the military camp gate, with Li Yan hurrying to follow him. Li Yan could feel the envious and jealous gazes of the soldiers, and he began to sweat cold sweat.

As Military advisor Ji and Li Yan walked further away, General Hong stood outside the tent, stroking his short beard, lost in thought.

After a moment, he whispered a sentence to himself, “Does this kid really have a special physique? And what’s so special about it?”