[Yongle Immortal Path] Volume One: Stepping into Cultivation ~ Chapter 01

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

In the third year of the Shunhe reign of the Sui Dynasty, the world was in a state of peace and prosperity, filled with songs and dances.
The Sui Dynasty was vast, with over thirty prefectures, each further divided into counties and districts, and a population of millions. Cultivation sects were scattered like stars across the sky, countless in size. It was
truly a golden age, and the people lived in peace and contentment.
However, this year was also different from previous years, as it was the year when the major sects recruited disciples every ten years.
From the first year of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Taizu decreed that, in order not to disrupt the normal livelihoods of the people and to prevent the decline of
cultivation talent in the Sui Dynasty, each cultivation sect could recruit a batch of disciples every ten years. Once a disciple passed the sect's examination, they could remain within the sect as a trainee to begin their cultivation journey.
Their families, because someone was selected, would receive a certain allowance from their sect each year.
These allowances varied depending on the child's aptitude and subsequent promotions or demotions within the sect.
Of course, the subsidies given to the families of disciples by different sects vary depending on the sect's strength and the family's resources.
However, they are generally substantial, enough for the family's living expenses for a year, allowing the disciples to focus on cultivation and contribute to the sect in the future without worrying about their families' livelihoods.
But these aren't the main points. The main point is that their families can hold their heads high and become famous in their hometown. There's a difference between
immortals and mortals; once a family has a cultivator, it's safe to say that no one in the area will dare to bully them anymore.
Compared to those who ultimately pass the sect's assessment, those who fail suffer much worse consequences. They either remain within the sect as menial tasks, hoping to climb the ranks later, or they are directly sent home, reduced to their original state. Their families may face scorn, ridicule, and constant mockery, unable to hold their heads high for a long time.
In a very remote area in the southeast of the Sui Dynasty, there is a large mountain range called the Qingyun Mountains.
This mountain range stretches endlessly, covering an area of several hundred miles. The entire Qingyun Mountain Range is not only scenic but also boasts towering peaks and dense forests.
Because the area around the main peak of Qingyun Mountain is rich in spiritual energy, three sects—one righteous and one evil—have established themselves in this range, each occupying different areas and spiritual veins.
These three sects are not far apart, yet each dominates different peaks. The
Qingyun Sect is the largest and most powerful of the three, a Taoist sect. The other two are considered evil sects by righteous people: the Hehuan Sect and the Blood River Sect.
The three sects engage in open and covert struggles, maintaining a relative balance through mutual checks and balances.
The Qingyun Sect is the largest sect within a five-hundred-mile radius and the only one in the vicinity to have received imperial recognition. Its
leader, Qingyunzi, possesses profound cultivation, reportedly at the late stage of Core Formation, only one step away from the Great Perfection of Core Formation, and will soon be able to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
However, he had been stuck at a bottleneck for many years, unable to break through, so he secluded himself for years, detached from worldly affairs, leaving most of the sect's affairs to his elders.
This year was also the year the Qingyun Sect recruited disciples every ten years.
Therefore, at the beginning of the year, the Qingyun Sect notified all the surrounding prefectures, counties, and villages, asking all children aged eight to fifteen to prepare for the Qingyun Sect's selection of disciples.
◇◇◇ Xia Qing lived with his parents in Luo Family Village, a village very close to Qingyun Mountain.
He had just turned ten and was handsome.
Because his father was a hunter, he likely ate the game his father hunted in the mountains, making him appear stronger and taller than most children.
Xia Qing's father, Xia Kui, was not originally from Luo Family Village, but was a military general of the Sui Dynasty, who had fought valiantly on the battlefield in his early years.
With the country's peace, he gradually lost his purpose, and he had no interest in officialdom, finding the bureaucracy treacherous.
Although he was a military man, he was not immune to the dangers of being unwittingly drawn into various struggles. Disheartened, he decided to retire from the military and settle in Luo Family Village, where he married, had children, and became an honest and unassuming hunter, living a life of peace.
Xia Qing had been learning martial arts from his father for two years, rising early every morning to practice fist and sword techniques under his father's guidance.
After breakfast, he would go to the village's private school, where the teacher was specially hired by the village head, Luo Shijie, primarily to help his only son, Luo Jing, learn to read and write.
Luo Jing was already twelve years old, with striking features—sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a straight nose, and a square jaw—exuding a heroic air.
Besides the two of them, there were more than a dozen children of similar age to Luo Jing and Xia Qing studying at the private school. The purpose was to have them accompany Luo Jing in his studies for free, so that Luo Zhuangzhu wouldn't find studying boring. He also did a good deed by letting these children learn to read.
Xia Qing's family wasn't particularly wealthy, but they were quite well-off. From childhood, his parents had never let him lack food or clothing.
Every afternoon, he would go to the nearby mountains to gather firewood or help his mother with household chores, waiting for his father to return from hunting. His father would keep some of the game to sell at the nearby market,
and the rest would be skinned and slaughtered for the family. The remaining valuable animal pelts, besides some for their own use, would be sold to wealthy families at the market.
That afternoon, Xia Qing gathered some firewood from the mountains and carried it on his back as he slowly walked into the manor.
Just as he entered the manor, he saw seven or eight boys walking towards him from a distance.
Luo Jing was the leader, surrounded by the sons of various families in the village. Because Luo Jing's father was the village head, everyone fawned over him, regarding him as their leader. These children spent their days either studying or playing around the village and the surrounding mountains.
Xia Qing rarely interacted with them. Due to their different family circumstances, these children were much wealthier than him, and their parents spoiled them, so they didn't have to worry about household matters.
Unlike him, who had to help with chores, Xia Qing wasn't good at ingratiating himself with others, so he didn't fit in with these children and rarely spoke to them.
Carrying firewood, he saw Luo Jing and his group. As they approached, Xia Qing stepped aside to let them pass, accidentally stepping into a small ditch, twisting his ankle, and nearly falling.
"Watch out!" Luo Jing swiftly stepped forward and grabbed Xia Qing's arm, catching him and preventing him from falling.
"Thank you.
"

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