Jing Chengzi was the first to arrive, flying in on a crane, perfectly matching the mortal imagination of an immortal. Over the past year, Xin Xiu had learned quite a bit from the white-bearded old immortal, realizing he was quite skilled at playing dumb, showing off, and fooling people.
With such a personality, he was most suitable to take on the simple-minded Fifth. Perhaps after spending time together, he could even teach the Fifth some cunning.
Xin Xiu grinned and poked the Fifth's back. The Fifth smiled shyly at his brothers and sisters, then gazed at his future master with admiring eyes.
As soon as Jing Chengzi arrived, he wanted to joke around with his senior brother Han Fangzi. However, upon seeing the admiring gaze of his future disciple whom he had been observing for a long time, he felt the weight of responsibility. He immediately assumed the demeanor of an old immortal, stroking his beard and saying, "Senior Brother Han Fangzi, you must return this disciple to me. I've already prepared his alchemy furnace."
Han Fangzi glanced at his junior brother, then at the children, and pointed at the Fifth: "You've chosen this one?"
Jing Chengzi sat down on a low couch, occupying a meditation cushion, and said, "Senior Brother Han Fangzi has keen eyes."
Han Fangzi's face was solemn: "Then take your disciple and leave quickly. Why are you occupying my meditation cushion?"
Jing Chengzi laughed, "No rush, no rush. My disciple has deep feelings for the others. We should at least let him see that they're all settled."
Han Fangzi thought to himself that this rascal must be wanting to watch some excitement again.
The founder of Shuling Mountain, LingZhao Immortal, didn't adhere to age or status when accepting disciples. In his early years of traveling, he would take on disciples whenever he met someone he liked. When he accepted Jing Chengzi as his twenty-second disciple, Han Fangzi happened to be by his master's side and witnessed it personally.
At that time, Jing Chengzi wasn't called Jing Chengzi yet. He was in his twilight years, having suffered demotion in officialdom, with friends and relatives scattered and his wife deceased. Yet, lying on his sickbed, he could still drink wine and laugh heartily, wielding his brush to write carefree poems. Before cultivating immortality, he was a famous poet in the mortal world. When he was on his deathbed and accepted as a disciple by LingZhao Immortal, the mortals who witnessed the scene said this great immortal had ascended to heaven in broad daylight, and they built many temples for him.
This carefree poet, being the oldest in appearance, often used his age to bully his senior brothers and sisters, loving wine, food, and excitement. For a period, he caused so much trouble that his master and senior brothers had no time to deal with it, and it was always Han Fangzi who had to clean up after his old junior brother. Therefore, he was quite annoyed by this unruly old man.
Just as he was thinking about how to throw this fellow out, another person arrived. Seeing this person, Han Fangzi's expression softened considerably.
"Senior Brother Han Fangzi, I've come to take a look as well. Sorry for the intrusion." The one who arrived on colorful clouds was the previous "Guanyin Sister."
"Junior Sister Bai Fei, do you also want to take on a disciple?" Han Fangzi gestured for her to sit.
Bai Fei was LingZhao Immortal's thirtieth disciple, with a gentle personality and well-liked among her fellow disciples. Before being accepted by LingZhao Immortal, she was a concubine of a mortal emperor.
Human wars were difficult to quell, and because of her great beauty, she was fought over by various kings. Men's ambitions led to constant warfare, but in the end, it was she, a mere woman, who was branded as a femme fatale. Finally, she was to be sacrificed by her husband on the city walls. LingZhao Immortal took her as a disciple, and after cultivating for a hundred years, she returned to the mortal world and assisted an emperor in unifying the various states. Afterward, she returned to Shuling Mountain to continue her cultivation, and the mortal world called her "Lady Bai."
Bai Fei was also one of the few in Shuling Mountain who had never taken on a disciple, but this time she was indeed moved. The pair of young boy and girl that the spirited little girl pushed in front of her reminded her of her own children from many years ago. Her life as a mortal had been tumultuous, drifting with the tide, unable to control her own destiny. Even the children she gave birth to were forced to become sacrifices in a war, burned to death in her separate palace.
Those children were about this age when they died. After years of immortal cultivation, many things could no longer move her, but at this moment, she felt this was her destiny.
"Come here, let me have a look at you," Bai Fei beckoned to the Seventh and Old Eighth, the golden boy and jade girl pair.
Xin Xiu didn't know the inside story, but she particularly relied on her first impressions of people. She felt that the Guanyin Sister's tutelage would be very suitable for the two chubby children, so she gestured to them.
The two children, holding hands, ran expectantly to Bai Fei. They were already a bit chubby when they first arrived in the World in a Basin, and after being fed by Xin Xiu's big pot meals for a year, they were now even plumper, looking very lovable. The jade girl Seventh, being a bit of a looks-obsessed child, spoke with childish directness: "Are you going to take us as disciples? You're so beautiful~"
Bai Fei stroked the heads of the two chubby children and said gently, "I would like to take you as my disciples. Are you willing?"
The two children nodded repeatedly, sweetly calling her master.
After accepting the disciples, Bai Fei didn't leave, but instead, like Jing Chengzi, waited here. However, unlike Jing Chengzi who wanted to watch the excitement, she wanted to let these young children spend more time with the people they were familiar with.
It seemed that the disciples from the Cloud Realm had already spread the news, and those interested in taking disciples arrived one after another.
"I've had my eye on that earth-element one for a while. No one's going to fight me for him, right?"
"Don't worry, no one's going to fight you for him."
Two men arrived together. One had unkempt hair and a disheveled appearance, while the other was dressed simply and held a scroll in his hand. The disheveled one, upon arrival, didn't even greet Han Fangzi first. He walked directly to the Fourth and said, "Little one, do you want to be my seventh disciple? I'll teach you how to build heavenly palaces!"
The young master Fourth was startled by him, involuntarily leaning back, but when he heard the last part, he leaned forward again, asking in wonder, "Build heavenly palaces?!"
The man's face was full of pride: "My name is Tian Gong. All the craftsmanship in the mortal world..."
The Fourth suddenly jumped up, too excited to speak coherently: "I know! You're Tian Gong! Oh my god! It's Tian Gong! I'm willing! Master!"
The man laughed heartily: "That's good then, let's go!"
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared with the Fourth, all fire and energy.
Xin Xiu: "This uncle must be of the fire element."
The scholarly-looking man who had arrived with him shook his head and replied, "Not so, not so. He is of the earth element, the same as the disciple he chose."
Xin Xiu felt relieved and took the opportunity to continue the conversation: "Are you interested in taking on a disciple? Look, in this short time, people have almost all been chosen. If you want one, you should act quickly."
The scholar nodded with a smile: "What you say makes sense. Then, in your opinion, who would be suitable for me to choose as a disciple?"
Xin Xiu: "Do you hope for your future life to be more exciting and stimulating, or do you prefer to have fewer worries and enjoy some blessings, or perhaps you'd like to experience the joy of raising a child?"
The scholar shook his head and sighed, remembering something: "I'd rather have fewer worries. I've already had enough trouble with my previous two disciples."
Xin Xiu understood the client's needs and continued to inquire about the scholar's elemental affinity. Learning it was dual earth and wood, she immediately recommended the Sixth, the little village girl.
"Then it must be our Sixth. She's obedient, considerate, and hardworking. She has earth, wood, and fire affinities, making her the most suitable among our remaining few." She glanced at the book in the scholar's hand: "Moreover, this child is very studious."
The scholar nodded without hesitation: "Then it shall be her. Thank you, young friend." With that, he sat down and called the Sixth over to speak quietly.
Xin Xiu mused inwardly, are all the people here so easy to persuade? Whatever I say goes? This sales pitch is foolproof. Why did I ever think of making games? If I had switched to selling insurance, I might have been rich by now.
Seeing one after another being adopted, the Third became a bit restless. Xin Xiu patted her hand to comfort this sensitive child. Just then, a baby-faced youth came over, followed by two expectant-looking young men, one short and one fat, creating a very comical contrast.
"Junior Brother Jun Shan, you've come too," Han Fangzi said.
The baby-faced youth sighed helplessly: "It's all because of these two troublemakers. They keep thinking about me taking on another disciple so they can be elder brothers. That's why I'm here."
This time, before Xin Xiu could speak, the baby-faced youth directly asked the Third: "Are you willing to be my third disciple?"
The Third was a cool and aloof little girl, but she was so happy at this moment that she couldn't suppress her sweet smile. "Yes, I'm willing! Greetings, Master!"
Seeing that her master was about to take her away, the Third hesitated for a moment before speaking up: "Master, could we wait here for a little while longer? I'd like to wait until everyone else has chosen their masters before we leave."
The baby-faced youth nodded kindly: "Of course we can."
The room suddenly became more crowded. Only three people remained without a master: Xin Xiu, The Second, and the youngest, Little Ninth.
A few more senior disciples came to watch the excitement, though they had no intention of taking on disciples themselves.
A man wearing a dress, but incredibly handsome with flowers in his hair, had a few drinks with Jing Chengzi. He curiously eyed The Second, "You, boy, why do you seem so unconcerned?"
The Second gave him a puzzled look, "What's there to be concerned about? I'd like to stay here and clean the cave dwelling."
The flower-adorned man swayed as he laughed, "Haha, our senior brother Han Fangzi's cave is quite humble. How come you've taken a liking to it?"
The Second replied, "There are many birds outside the window. Once I catch them, I can fly down from this high cliff. It'll be exhilarating!" His face was full of anticipation and eagerness.
The man chuckled and held out his hands, "Well, that's it then. I'm afraid you won't be able to stay here."
The Second asked, "Why not?"
The man handed him the wine jug, letting him drink, and announced, "Because I've decided to take you as my disciple."
Han Fangzi's face tightened, "Brother Bo Luan, didn't you say you hadn't had enough fun yet? Why are you taking on a disciple now?"
This flower-adorned man was Bo Luan, the youngest disciple of LingZhao Immortal, and one of only two non-human disciples among LingZhao Immortal's thirty-six pupils.
Bo Luan replied, "I haven't had enough fun, so I'll just have fun with my disciple."
He patted The Second, who still seemed a bit reluctant, "It's just birds. Follow me, and you can tame any bird you want."
The people in the room sat chatting, but their gazes kept drifting towards Xin Xiu. She noticed this and felt a bit confused.
Someone quietly asked Jing Chengzi, "Why hasn't Senior Brother Shentu arrived yet? Could it be that he doesn't know about the early disciple selection?"
Jing Chengzi replied, "I sent him a message bird before I came. He should have been here by now."
"Could it be that Senior Brother Shentu actually doesn't want to take on a disciple?"
Jing Chengzi chuckled, "It's better if he doesn't come. I could take on another disciple myself."
The food this girl made is truly delicious.
Xin Xiu wasn't anxious at all, leisurely admiring the scenery outside.
What's that? She stared at a patch of white fur peeking through the window crack. After a while without seeing any movement, she couldn't help but lean half her body out the window to get a better look.
As she poked her head out, she saw a man standing silently by the wall outside.
He had unusual white hair and a face that looked like it belonged to a villain. He was very handsome, but perhaps because his eyeliner was a bit heavy, he resembled those antagonists in historical TV dramas who use dark eye makeup to signify their turn to evil. Xin Xiu's gaze moved downward, and she noticed the man's hands.
Black nail polish! This unknown senior was truly trendy, wearing black nail polish was absolutely cool.
Noticing her gaze, the man turned his face slightly. He wore a white cloak with a black fur collar. Xin Xiu wondered what material the fur was made of, it looked quite touchable.
She had been staring for quite a while, which caught the attention of others. Han Fangzi was the first to realize what was happening. He showed a slightly helpless expression and called out, "Brother Shentu, since you're here, why don't you say something or come in? Why are you hiding your presence and standing outside?"
The others' faces broke into smiles, which they quickly suppressed, and greeted Shentu Yu, whose hair was barely visible: "Senior Brother Shentu!"
"Senior Brother Shentu, why don't you come in?"
"Senior Brother Shentu, please come in quickly!"
But Shentu Yu outside didn't move. Only his slightly deep voice reached everyone's ears: "Too many people."
Han Fangzi knew this would happen. His junior brother's aversion to crowds was a habit that hadn't changed in hundreds of years.
He had no choice but to stand up and shoo away the other junior brothers and sisters who had come to watch, along with their chosen disciples. "Alright, alright, since you've chosen your disciples, you can leave now. Go back to your own cave dwellings."
After everyone left, leaving only Han Fangzi, Xin Xiu, and Little Ninth who hadn't been chosen, the man whose appearance had left such an impression on Xin Xiu finally walked in slowly.
He walked very slowly, with his gaze lowered, not looking at anyone.
Xin Xiu thought: This senior with a villain's face seems to be socially anxious.
Han Fangzi asked, "Junior Brother Shentu, are you here to choose a disciple?"
Shentu Yu: "Mm."
Han Fangzi: "I suppose you're choosing this girl? She also has dual gold and fire systems."
Shentu Yu: "Yes."
Xin Xiu thought: Socially anxious, and doesn't like to talk.
She belatedly realized that this late arrival, who didn't want to come in because of the crowd, might be her future master. She instinctively glanced at Little Ninth, realizing he was the only one left.
Little Ninth seemed to understand too, and hugged her arm, saying, "I want to go with you."
Xin Xiu thought to herself, maybe she should ask if this master would mind taking on another disciple? Before she could ask, Little Ninth, whose courage had grown over the past year under her care, suddenly jumped off the low couch and rushed towards Shentu Yu, opening his arms to hug his leg. This little one had developed a habit of hugging the legs of any brother or sister he wanted to cozy up to.
As the child opened his arms and approached Shentu Yu, for every step the child took forward, Shentu Yu took one step back. Little Ninth was confused for a moment but persisted in trying to hug the leg. The big and small figures engaged in a dance of advance and retreat, quickly cornering Shentu Yu against the wall.
Xin Xiu: "..."
If she hadn't been trained, she would have laughed so hard the earth dragons might flip over again.
Her future master, with his villainous face, was being cornered by a four-year-old child. The scene was truly hilarious.
Seeing that he had no escape from this fragile human offspring, Shentu Yu had no choice but to look at his senior brother Han Fangzi.
Shentu Yu: "Senior Brother, take him as your disciple and carry him away."
Han Fangzi: "?"
Little Ninth only felt a blur, and suddenly he was in Han Fangzi's arms. Han Fangzi looked at the child suddenly placed in his arms, then at the now empty room, and said, "Really..."
"Waaah—Mommy—" Little Ninth hugged his neck and cried as if his heart was breaking.
