Upon hearing this, Sun Yigao turned to Lin Xiao and said, "By the way, Brother Xiao, I plan to recruit some new teachers for the private school soon."
At the beginning of the year, even more people came to inquire about enrolling in the private school than last year. Moreover, unlike the previous year, where many parents were concerned about boys and girls studying together, this year's applicants, especially those from wealthy families, were not bothered by such concerns. The prestige of Lingxian Sect had grown to the point where such trivial worries no longer mattered.
Many affluent families, who would typically hire private tutors for their daughters, started approaching the school upon learning that even girls were accepted. They hoped their daughters could receive an education at the private school run by Immortal Sun of Lingxian Sect.
Not only were there more students from outside the village, but the quality of life in Xiushui Village had also improved greatly. Families who saw other children happily attending the school started to wonder whether their own children should be given the same opportunity. Some, who previously had their children helping with chores or wandering aimlessly, began to desire a more formal education for them.
Many of them sought out the village chief, asking if the private school would accept more students.
Faced with this growing demand, Sun Yigao knew his abilities were limited, and he couldn't handle so many students alone. But he wanted to help more children who lacked the opportunity to study, so he came up with the idea of hiring additional teachers and expanding the school.
Lin Xiao agreed wholeheartedly, "That's a great idea! If you're concerned about the character of the teachers, you could have them walk the Heart-Testing Path."
Although the Heart-Testing Path was primarily designed to assess the character of new disciples, it could certainly be used to screen potential teachers as well. With Sun Yigao ensuring their academic credentials and the Heart-Testing Path filtering their moral integrity, finding good teachers wouldn't be an issue, right?
As it turned out, it wasn't as easy as they thought.
The next day, when word spread that the Lingxian Sect's private school was recruiting teachers, Xiushui Village saw a new surge of visitors.
While the offered salary—ten taels of silver per month—was comparable to that of city schools, the real draw was Lingxian Sect's rising prestige in Hufang Province. Had Liu Yunian not established a temporary recruitment office on Beishan Mountain, the school's gates might have been trampled by the sheer number of applicants.
Fortunately, the village chief had held a meeting earlier, reminding the villagers to caution visitors against disturbing the immortals. With the influx of people, the villagers took it upon themselves to advise the newcomers and aspiring teachers to remain calm and avoid disrupting the sect members' cultivation.
Word spread quickly, and thanks to the villagers and some seasoned visitors, the crowds remained relatively orderly. Those seeking to apply for the teaching positions queued up for interviews, while onlookers quietly observed from a distance.
Despite the overwhelming number of applicants, finding suitable teachers who could pass the increasingly challenging Heart-Testing Path was no easy feat.
Most of the applicants were failed exam candidates, hoping to attach themselves to the immortals. Many lacked sufficient knowledge to pass even the academic interview, let alone the Heart-Testing Path.
Of those who made it past the academic interview, few could navigate the Heart-Testing Path successfully. Some didn't last even half an hour before being rejected by the path.
The Heart-Testing Path had its own unique approach. It seemed to tailor its challenges to each individual. Mortal applicants, regardless of whether they passed or failed, were usually done within two to three days. Meanwhile, cultivators faced varying time limits depending on their cultivation levels.
This system prevented mortals from staying in the path for too long and risking starvation.
By noon, the school had only managed to hire one qualified teacher—a scholar named Master Pei, who had moved to Xiushui Village to retire. Pei, now in his fifties, was a Juren (a scholar who had passed the provincial exam). He came from a wealthy family and was well-respected in the literary circles of Hufang Province. Although he hadn't pursued higher degrees, it wasn't due to a lack of ability, but rather because he chose not to.
Master Pei wasn't interested in the salary offered by the private school. What drew him was his admiration for Sun Yigao. He had observed some of the school's students and noticed that they were quite different from the students of most other private schools. This piqued his curiosity about the young teacher.
In the afternoon, the recruitment office finally welcomed a second promising candidate—Wen Yuejun, the youngest son of Wen Keming, the magistrate of Anqun County.
Wen Yuejun had been one of the first mortals to unintentionally enter the Heart-Testing Path last year. Among those who entered by accident, he was one of the few to make it out on his own, rather than being ejected.
That profoundly real dream-like experience had left a lasting impression on Wen Yuejun. Since then, he had developed immense respect and admiration for Lingxian Sect. He had been following the sect's activities closely, often visiting Xiushui Village. Upon hearing about the recruitment early that morning, Wen Yuejun bathed, dressed meticulously, and even reviewed the lessons he had been studying regularly before heading off to the interview, nervous yet excited.
Wen Yuejun, now seventeen, had passed the Xiucai (scholar) exam the same year as Sun Yigao. However, since his ancestral home wasn't in Hufang Province, he had taken the exam in his native region.
After receiving news of his successful but average exam results last year, Wen Keming had summoned his son to Anqun County, intending to personally tutor him. At the time, Wen Yuejun had been reluctant to go, as he didn't have a good relationship with his father. Or rather, he didn't care for his father's way of doing things.
As he grew older, Wen Yuejun realized his father was overly ambitious and had a tendency to curry favor with influential figures. This behavior disgusted Wen Yuejun, who felt his father was too driven by his pursuit of power.
Despite his disapproval, Wen Yuejun had no choice but to comply, as Wen Keming was still his father. He had confronted his father many times, arguing and expressing his frustration, but his father dismissed his complaints, insisting that Wen Yuejun was too young and naïve to understand.
Reluctantly, Wen Yuejun made the journey to Anqun County.
But fate had led him to stumble upon Lingxian Sect and, more importantly, the Heart-Testing Path. His first encounter with the path opened his eyes to many truths. He saw and learned much during that experience. Although he couldn't fully accept his father's actions, he gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of life.
Later, Wen Yuejun wrote to his teacher back in his hometown, sharing his thoughts on his father. He even returned home at his teacher's invitation to discuss these matters in person.