Chapter 44: Suspicion
Several days passed.
On this day, Han Yu slowly descended the stone steps of the mountain.
Since becoming Mo Dao Ren's personal disciple, aside from cultivating the Longevity Art each day, Mo Dao Ren forbade him from doing anything else.
Not to mention Han Yu's wish to study identifying spiritual herbs or learning pill formulas—he had even been refused permission to handle errands such as purchasing supplies. Only after repeated requests did Mo Dao Ren reluctantly agree. It was as if he wished Han Yu to cultivate from dawn till dusk without pause.
Han Yu merely thought his master was strict and did not dwell on it.
At the foot of the mountain, the market bustled with people, the cries of vendors rising and falling.
Just as Han Yu approached a shop selling sundries, someone suddenly called out from behind—
"Han Yu!"
He turned and saw a youth in coarse outer-sect robes waving with a familiar smile.
"Lin Xiaoshu?" Han Yu was stunned, then overjoyed. "You also entered the sect?"
Lin Xiaoshu chuckled and patted the Eight Elephants Sect insignia on his chest. "Well? Didn't expect this, did you?"
Han Yu looked him over, noticing that Lin Xiaoshu had grown sturdier than before. His eyes were brighter and more spirited, clearly having fared well in the outer sect.
"But you…" Han Yu remembered that Lin Xiaoshu had not even climbed to the eight hundredth step during the entrance trial, and should have been eliminated.
Lin Xiaoshu glanced around, lowered his voice, and said, "Come, let's find a quiet place to talk."
They sat down in a teahouse, where Lin Xiaoshu explained mysteriously, "Actually, entry to the outer sect isn't that strict. Besides those who perform well in the trial, anyone who climbs past the five hundredth step can pay some silver and still be accepted."
"Silver?" Han Yu was surprised.
"Fifty taels!" Lin Xiaoshu raised five fingers, clicking his tongue. "My father sold off two oxen just to scrape together that much."
Han Yu fell silent. He recalled the days when he barely had enough to eat. Fifty taels of silver was a fortune beyond imagination for farming families like theirs.
Seeing his thoughts, Lin Xiaoshu smiled. "Don't worry. People like me who bought our way in have lower status than those who passed the trial properly. If I want to stay past next year, I'll need to earn enough merit points."
Han Yu nodded, but did not reveal that he was already a personal disciple. His third uncle had warned him: human hearts are unpredictable, and some matters need not be shared.
"What are you all cultivating now?" Han Yu changed the subject.
Lin Xiaoshu's eyes lit up. "Elder Wang is teaching us to temper our muscles and bones. He says if we want to cultivate long-term, we must first enter the Dao through martial training. Once the body is refined to its limit, the soul will harmonize with the flesh, making cultivation twice as effective."
Han Yu fell into thought.
Mo Dao Ren had never mentioned such things, only instructing him to focus on the Longevity Art.
"Oh, right," Lin Xiaoshu leaned closer and whispered, "Elder Wang told us about a book called the Dao Scripture. It explains the fundamental principles of cultivation. Sadly, outer-sect disciples cannot access it. But if we accumulate enough merit, we can borrow it from the inner sect. He said that reading it would open our understanding greatly."
Han Yu's heart stirred, silently memorizing the name.
After several rounds of tea, he suddenly asked, "Among your group of outer-sect disciples, is there anyone called Li Hanzhou?"
Lin Xiaoshu thought for a while, then shook his head. "There are only a handful of us new ones, and we all know each other well. No one by that name."
Han Yu's fingers trembled, spilling tea onto the table.
"What's wrong?" Lin Xiaoshu asked in puzzlement.
"Nothing." Han Yu forced a smile. Yet in his heart, he could not shake the image of Mo Dao Ren's sinister eyes, nor the sight of Li Hanzhou's back as he was led away.
He suddenly recalled the word test he had taken in Qingyang City—the mysterious gentleman had warned him that misfortune would shadow him soon.
The thought left Han Yu uneasy.
"It's getting late. I should return." He rose to leave.
As they parted, Lin Xiaoshu waved. "Next time you come down the mountain, remember to find me!"
Han Yu nodded and turned toward the mountain gate.
The mountain wind swept past. He subconsciously touched the jade gourd hidden in his robe, a wave of unease welling up in his chest.
Senior Brother Li… where have you gone?
…
Back in his hut within the medicinal garden, Han Yu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, yet no matter how he tried, he could not calm his mind to cultivate the Longevity Art.
Lin Xiaoshu's words lingered in his mind—"Enter the Dao through martial training, refine the body."
He suddenly remembered a time when he had unintentionally opened his eyes while cultivating. At that moment, he met Mo Dao Ren's gaze—deep as an abyss.
That look…
It was not the look of a teacher toward his disciple. The eyes were fervent, as though gazing at a cherished possession.
A chill shot through Han Yu, and his fingers instinctively clutched at his robe.
"No… something isn't right…"
Mo Dao Ren never allowed him to practice any other techniques besides the Longevity Art. He refused to even teach him the most basic martial moves. Every time Han Yu asked, Mo Dao Ren would only sneer darkly and say, "Bite off more than you can chew, and you'll choke. Master the Longevity Art first."
"The Dao Scripture…"
Han Yu suddenly recalled seeing this book once inside Mo Dao Ren's residence.
He drew in a deep breath and glanced out the window. Dusk had already fallen. Mo Dao Ren should at this moment be tending to several yin-natured herbs deeper in the medicinal garden. At least for half an hour, he would not return.
"I'll gamble on it!"
Han Yu gritted his teeth, stood, and pushed open the door.
…
Mo Dao Ren's residence lay in the depths of the medicinal garden, a courtyard of black tiles and green bricks. Around it grew countless Soul-Eating Vines, said to drain the essence of any living being that came near.
Since accepting Han Yu as his personal disciple, Mo Dao Ren had told him he could come here with questions about cultivation.
Suppressing his unease, Han Yu approached the gate and deliberately raised his voice. "Master Mo? This disciple has questions in cultivation and comes seeking guidance!"
There was no response.
He called out twice more, but when no one answered, he cautiously pushed open the gate.
The courtyard was silent, only a few green lanterns swaying faintly in the wind, casting bleak shadows.
Han Yu hurried through the front hall and went straight for the study.
When he pushed open the door, a wave of old ink fragrance mixed with the smell of herbs rushed out. Bookshelves lined the room, but most eye-catching was the central shelf—
The Dao Scripture!
Han Yu's heart pounded violently. He drew a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.
Then, in a rush, he strode forward and opened the book.
On the very first page, vigorous characters leapt into view:
"The mortal world is like a sea of suffering, boundless without end. Cultivation is the voyage to the opposite shore. Cultivators must take the body as the raft, diligently tempering it—the stronger the raft, the farther it will go…"
Han Yu's pupils contracted—this was exactly the same as what Lin Xiaoshu had said!
He quickly flipped ahead, eager to find more passages about cultivation.
But at that moment—
"Tap, tap, tap…"
Footsteps suddenly echoed outside the door!
Han Yu froze, his blood seeming to solidify.
The footsteps were unhurried, yet each step landed squarely on his heart.
…
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