The Elders’ Appreciation Gathering

After hearing that Yingjie and Xiaotan had passed the inner disciple examination, I headed to Wallside Hall to congratulate them. Wallside Hall was still as run-down as ever, but a new building had been constructed nearby. The training hall that the outer disciples had worked together to build had been completed.

“Kou, is that you?”

When I looked toward the voice, Zengu and Ashin were standing there. It seemed they were about to go to the training hall to practice.

“Are you going to the training hall now?”

“Yeah. Yingjie-shixiong and Xiaotan-shixiong became inner disciples, so we’re working hard to become inner disciples too.”

When I asked about their qi levels, they said they had reached the Fifth Tier.

“Haven’t you stagnated a little?”

Hearing that, Ashin’s expression darkened.

“There’s no one to teach us.”

“Doesn’t Bowen-shixiong teach you?”

“No. Bowen-shixiong trained his qi through still art. Apparently, he doesn’t know much about moving art.”

Hearing that, I understood. Gyorei Cave was almost entirely made up of Taoist practitioners who used still art. However, I was sure I had explained the Meimei Gong, Middle Transmission to the two of them.

“Have you not tried the Meimei Gong, Middle Transmission?”

“It’s difficult without someone to guide us. A genius like you might be able to do it without instruction, but…”

I did not think I was a genius, so what was different? Perhaps my knowledge from my previous life had influenced it. I believed I knew more about the structure and functions of the human body than the people of this world. If that was what had helped me, then it was not talent but luck.

“If you come to the Old Immortal Cave, I can at least give you some advice.”

“Thank you. I’ll visit the Old Immortal Cave sometime.”

“I’ll come too.”

Zengu said that happily. After parting with the two of them, I went to see Yingjie and Xiaotan. When I looked into their room from the corridor, they were in the middle of tidying it.

Yingjie noticed me and called out.

“You came. Once we finished organizing our room, we were planning to go to the Old Immortal Cave.”

Hearing his voice, Xiaotan noticed me as well.

“Me too. There’s also something I wanted to discuss with you.”

“Congratulations to both of you on passing the examination. What did you want to discuss?”

“You probably experienced this too, Kou, but we have to choose a master within the next year. However, we cannot simply spend that year doing nothing, so we were wondering whether we could join the Old Refinement Fellowship and have you train us as well.”

I intended to maintain my routine of only instructing them in the mornings, so adding two more people would probably not be a major burden. It might also be a good idea to create something like an original training manual so they could continue training even while I was away.

The manuals in the library were often written in highly formal prose. That made them difficult to understand, so I thought comprehension would improve simply by rewriting them in careful, easy-to-read language. However, the manuals were treasures of Gyorei Cave. The problem was whether copying them in that manner would be permitted. I might have needed to consult the elders.

“Understood. If you join the Old Refinement Fellowship, I’ll instruct you.”

“Thank you. Then allow us to call you Master.”

I glared at Xiaotan and Yingjie.

“Please never do that.”

Hearing that, the two began laughing. It seemed they had been teasing me.

Bowen, Elder Shanshi, and Elder Mon, who had overseen the recent inner disciple examination, were holding an appreciation gathering. The snacks served with the alcohol were potato dishes prepared by the cooks in the dining hall.

“I’m glad the two of them passed.”

When Elder Mon said that, Bowen and Elder Shanshi nodded. They then began talking while pouring drinks for one another.

“Those two appeared to have been trained considerably. Were you the one who trained them?”

Elder Shanshi asked Bowen.

“I stopped instructing them while the snow was piled up. Their growth surprised me as well.”

Elder Mon turned her gaze toward Bowen.

“Then who trained them?”

“They seemed to have been going to the Old Immortal Cave, so it was probably Kou.”

“That prodigy certainly seems busy.”

“There is one thing that concerns me.”

When Bowen said that, Elder Shanshi and Elder Mon became interested.

“Those two appear to be cultivating their qi through moving art.”

Elder Shanshi tilted his head.

“Are you saying they reached the Eighth Tier through Girui Gong?”

“No. Girui Gong reaches its limit at the Fifth Tier. They appear to be practicing the Meimei Gong, Middle Transmission.”

“That is absurd.”

Elder Shanshi was astonished.

“Yes, I thought the same thing. The Meimei Gong, Middle Transmission became incomplete after the First Transmission was lost.”

“Then how are they able to practice it?”

“It seems Kou researched the unclear portions of the Meimei Gong, Middle Transmission and derived what he believed to be the correct answers.”

Elder Shanshi let out a sigh.

“That is something even I could not accomplish.”

Hearing that, Elder Mon laughed.

“He truly is a genius. But why was Kou so particular about moving art?”

“Apparently, people have different aptitudes. Some are suited to still art, while others are suited to moving art. Kou seems to be suited to moving art.”

“I see. What do you think, Elder Shanshi?”

“I had noticed it as well, but Gyorei Cave had no usable moving art.”

“How advanced is Kou’s qi?”

Elder Mon asked Elder Shanshi.

“It seems he has reached the Thirteenth Tier. If he advances one more level, he will join the ranks of the high disciples. I would like to visit the Old Immortal Cave once and see what kind of training he is doing.”

Elder Shanshi considered visiting the Old Immortal Cave as soon as the next day.