"From today onward, our sect will establish a disciple recruitment threshold. Only those who have reached the Golden Core stage in cultivation or have achieved at least a second-tier proficiency in any cultivation-related skill, as evaluated by the sect, can take disciples."
The reason Lin Xiao set the skill threshold at second-tier was because one of the sect missions involved nurturing specialized talent, requiring at least first-tier proficiency in skills to qualify.
At present, only Liu Chun, Sun Yigao, and Liao Pantu met this requirement in the sect. Liu Chun was a fourth-tier talisman master, and Liao Pantu, besides his alchemy skills, was proficient in several other skills, each at third-tier or higher. After more than a year of learning under Liao Pantu, Sun Yigao had now advanced to a second-tier alchemist.
Considering Sun Yigao's learning pace and his current alchemical capabilities, Lin Xiao felt that setting the disciple recruitment threshold at second-tier was reasonable. If the sect expanded and more talented individuals joined, the standards could be adjusted accordingly.
Finally, Lin Xiao concluded, "So, if any of you wish to take disciples in the future, you'll need to continue advancing your cultivation and skills."
With that, the second sect assembly came to a successful close.
The members of the sect gradually left the main hall, many of them thinking about how they could further improve their cultivation and abilities.
Lin Xiao approached Tie Tou, patting him on the shoulder. "Tie Tou, I've handed over the Law Enforcement Hall to Aunt Yang, but don't take it to heart. Although you've been in charge of patrol duties until now, I've always intended for you to take over the Artifact Forging Hall, which is why I didn't assign you to the Law Enforcement Hall."
Tie Tou, full of determination, clenched his fist and replied, "Brother Xiao, I understand! Honestly, I'm fine with patrol duty, but resolving conflicts between sect members would have been too difficult for me. Don't worry, I'll work hard at refining artifacts and make sure I'm ready to take over the Artifact Forging Hall soon!"
Liao Pantu, who was passing by, overheard and gave him a thumbs-up. "Tie Tou, that's the spirit! If you need any help, come find me. I'll guide you!"
After over a year together, Liao Pantu had grown much closer to everyone in the sect. He would even give lectures in the cultivation room from time to time.
The day after the assembly, early in the morning, Qin Jianghe finished counting the goods to be delivered to the capital and prepared to set off.
As Lin Xiao bid farewell to his brother, who had matured considerably over the past year, he felt both sentimental and deeply moved. Without Qin Jianghe and the support of his other brothers, even with the system, the process of establishing the sect would have been much harder and lonelier.
"Stay safe on the road. Once you've handled everything outside, hurry back. The Finance Hall still needs you to take charge."
Qin Jianghe took the storage bag filled with food from Jiang Youfu and smiled. "Got it. I've barely had time to properly cultivate in the sect these days."
Over the past year, aside from the early days of the sect's founding, Qin Jianghe had rarely had the opportunity to join the others in their daily cultivation routines. Reflecting on the year, he realized just how much had changed in his life—it had turned completely upside down compared to before.
After saying goodbye to his family and friends who had come to see him off, he took the goods for transport, the identity tokens for the others, and the gifts prepared by the sect members for him and those in the capital, and once again embarked on his journey.
Things were much easier now. At least, if anything came up, they could instantly communicate with each other through transmission talismans, rather than relying on slow, manual letters.
Meanwhile, preparations were also underway for the expansion of the private academy at the foot of the mountain. Now that the school had been expanded, they were gearing up to admit more students.
Since this year's imperial exams hadn't concluded yet, most of the knowledgeable individuals were still focused on their studies. For those with determination, becoming a teacher at an academy under a sect at the foot of a celestial mountain was certainly appealing, but they weren't willing to give up their years of preparation for the exams and their dreams of becoming officials.
As a result, most of the applicants for teaching positions were either students who had no hope in the exams or scholars whose progress had stalled. Other than Master Pei, who had already been hired, there were no candidates of juren rank (provincial graduates) due to the upcoming triennial exams.
Next year was a major examination year, when xiucai (county-level graduates) would test to become juren, juren would test to become gongshi (successful palace graduates), and gongshi would test to become jinshi (successful palace graduates entering the government).
Everyone was preparing for that one moment, hoping to soar to success after years of hard work.
Since there were currently only three teachers, even though the private academy was about to begin admitting new students, they wouldn't be admitting too many at once. To ensure the quality of education wouldn't drop, Sun Yigao decided to first double the number of students, based on the number of teachers. Once more teachers were recruited, they would consider expanding admissions further.
Since the Library Pavilion had been established, Sun Yigao had donated many of his own books to it. He would also spend time in the pavilion every day, reading. Not only did he read, but he also compiled interesting excerpts, including thoughts on cultivation techniques and various insights, intending to create a miscellany that students could read in their spare time.
After all, even though these teachings came from different sects, many of the ideas were universal and could provoke deep reflection.
At first, the students in the academy were a little downcast because, with two new teachers, Mr. Sun's classes had decreased, and they weren't able to spend as much time with him. However, they soon discovered that the collection in the academy's mini-library was growing by the day. The content inside was fascinating, often containing strange and intriguing ideas, with philosophical teachings that allowed them to expand their thinking.
Gradually, they forgot about their disappointment over not seeing Mr. Sun as much and started spending more and more time in the mini-library. Many even stayed at the academy for over an hour after class, poring over the books before heading home.
Meanwhile, Yang Jinshu hadn't expected to be appointed Head of the Law Enforcement Hall. Although she had some understanding of these matters, having helped Liu Yunan handle various affairs before, she was still a little at a loss when it came to taking over the patrols and organizing the Law Enforcement Hall.
However, this didn't daunt her for long.
Though she had lived as a villager's wife in Xiushui Village for many years, she had been well-trained by her parents before her marriage. For the women of well-to-do families, the most important skill was managing the household.
People often underestimated this skill, but managing a large family required exceptional organizational abilities, especially in this era. The management techniques developed for this purpose were quite formidable.
After a brief moment of hesitation while adjusting to her new responsibilities, Yang Jinshu quickly got the hang of running the Law Enforcement Hall. She efficiently organized patrols, monitored the daily behavior of sect members, and established sect regulations, all as required. Soon, the Law Enforcement Hall was running smoothly under her leadership.
Even her demeanor began to change. When she wasn't showing any particular expression, her presence exuded a quiet authority.