Chapter 80: Jia Xu

His spiritual sense continuously scanned the new disciples gathered in the plaza, and Liu Pan felt somewhat helpless. He had no idea if there were others besides Wang Broadsword who had transferred from the Hundred Sun Sect, but he knew for certain that he was being watched by a crowd. The moment he had produced the spirit herbs in the Cloudflow City plaza, Liu Pan knew he would inevitably attract attention. Though passing the entry examination for Cloudflow Gate had diminished the number of observers by more than half, those who remained were still plenty.

At this moment, Liu Pan sensed at least a dozen pairs of eyes secretly fixed on him. Whenever he moved, those eyes followed, and, much to his exasperation, the number only increased as he threaded through the crowd. After moving but a short distance, Liu Pan dared not press forward. He had barely traversed fifty meters when the number of people watching grew from a dozen to more than twenty, and worse yet, he felt two strands of divine sense from outside the crowd lock onto him in succession.

Every step he took was trailed by dozens of “little followers.” Liu Pan thought that, at this rate, not only would Wang Broadsword notice him, but the entire plaza would soon have their eyes on him. Decisively, he stopped, quietly commending himself for his prudence. This situation—being watched by dozens despite doing nothing particularly egregious—was reminiscent of the protagonist Liu Kuang in his books.

Wang Broadsword never did spot Liu Pan. Once those atop the platform began explaining the rules of Cloudflow Gate, most disciples’ attention shifted to the stage, giving Liu Pan a measure of relief.

Regarding the regulations of Cloudflow Gate, Liu Pan cared little. He understood well enough: the purpose of these rules was merely to remind those from lesser sects, who had not seen much of the world, of what ought and ought not to be done. As for sects themselves, though they served as nurseries for weaker cultivators, Liu Pan would never invest much emotion in them unless the sect belonged to him or someone close.

He knew, from a disciple’s perspective, a sect was a place for growth. From the leadership’s point of view, however, it was more about how much benefit the disciples could bring to the sect as they matured. After all, sects in this world were unlike schools on Earth; the strong had no duty to educate, nor did anyone pay them wages.

Managing a sect, in practical terms, meant the strong offered a small portion of refined resources to attract crowds of weaklings, who in turn gathered more unrefined resources for them. Different perspectives, different interests. Since it was all about profit, too much sentiment was simply unsuitable.

He could afford to invest feeling in people and events, but as for sects themselves, Liu Pan could only smile wryly.

The speaker on the platform soon finished explaining the rules and then gave a brief account of Cloudflow Gate’s current state. At the end, several dozen senior disciples, having waited nearby, began to organize the new entrants into groups.

The grouping was nothing special—essentially random, with a hundred per group. The only significance was that each hundred would live on the same mountain peak.

Being positioned near the back, Liu Pan ended up in one of the last groups. Seeing Xu Xiaozhan and Wang Broadsword led away earlier, he finally relaxed.

But only for a moment—Liu Pan soon felt a headache coming on. Xu Xiaozhan and Wang Broadsword were gone, but the dozens of eyes on him had not left, and by all appearances, these people would inevitably be grouped with him.

Any movement from him created the impression of “leading a flock of followers,” so Liu Pan resigned himself, waiting until he was placed in the final group.

“What’s with that guy? Why is he being watched by so many right as he enters Cloudflow Gate?” Jia Xu asked curiously, noticing the figure hemmed in by a crowd in the last group.

Jia Xu was the son of Cloudflow Gate’s master. His aptitude was decent, but in his youth, he had recklessly consumed large amounts of auxiliary pills to hasten his cultivation. After a brief surge, his progress stalled. At twelve years old, his cultivation was at Martial Apprentice’s completion; now, at over fifteen, it remained unchanged. Moreover, compared to others who advanced steadily, Jia Xu’s actual combat ability was markedly inferior to peers at the same level.

For this reason, Jia Xu had become the poster child for uselessness in Cloudflow Gate. While few dared voice complaints due to his status, the whispers behind his back were many.

This time, according to his father’s wishes, Jia Xu accompanied the recruiters to broaden his horizons and temper his heart, hoping to break through his three-year bottleneck before his coming-of-age at sixteen.

In truth, upon his return, Jia Xu would begin his closed-door attempt to break through to Martial Master.

Hearing Jia Xu’s question, the middle-aged man beside him—whose cultivation had reached Martial Master’s completion—paused slightly, then smiled, “Your state of mind has truly matured on this journey, Xu’er. To see that person’s predicament so clearly—your father will be pleased with your insight.”

Jia Xu fell silent at the man’s words, finding such praise utterly tedious.

In three years, his mindset had undergone a radical transformation—from arrogance and restlessness, to rage, to regret and unwillingness, and now to a tranquil heart. The bitterness of such metamorphosis could only be deeply felt by those who endured it. Jia Xu never wished to experience it again. He was determined to break through, staking everything on these last six months, hoping for a breakthrough before sixteen.

Seeing Jia Xu’s silence, the middle-aged man was unconcerned. He glanced at the solitary figure in the last group and said, “I’ve already asked around about that boy’s situation, but I won’t tell you the details. However…” He paused, as if recalling something, and looked at Jia Xu. “If, after your retreat, that boy is still thriving in the sect, I suggest you befriend him; his state of mind may rival yours. Of course, if he’s been battered into a dog, then there’s no need to bother.”

…

Being “surrounded” by a crowd was hardly a pleasant experience.

Noticing that the divine senses locked onto him had faded, Liu Pan decided to step out of the throng, approaching the senior disciple responsible for orienting them to the sect.

“Senior Brother, I’ve just arrived and am quite curious about the inner workings of the sect. Would you mind enlightening me?” As he spoke, Liu Pan discreetly pulled two spirit herbs from his storage pouch and handed them over.

The senior disciple frowned as Liu Pan broke from the group, but his expression instantly softened upon seeing Liu Pan’s tact. “Of course! Ask whatever you wish, Junior Brother, and I’ll answer as best I can.”

“It’s like this, Senior Brother. The speaker on the platform gave a general overview, but I’d like more specifics. In my former sect, I was disciple to the Elder Alchemist, so I know a bit about the art of pills. Now that I’m here, I’d like to see if there’s a chance to assist the Elder Alchemist of Cloudflow Gate…”

Before Liu Pan could finish, the senior disciple staggered, nearly falling, then exclaimed, “You were the Elder Alchemist’s disciple in your previous sect?”

Such an outburst from the senior disciple surprised no one, but the crowd of new disciples behind them was thoroughly startled. As they processed his words, each was left dazed.

Alchemists were, in the cultivation world, figures of inherent prestige. Many cultivators dreamed of befriending a skilled alchemist.

Yet the scarcity of alchemists meant most could only dream.

Now, Liu Pan had revealed himself as a former alchemist’s disciple—how could they not be shocked?

Seeing their reactions, Liu Pan was amused. Most had been coveting his spirit herbs, but now, hearing of his alchemical background, many would likely behave themselves. After all, antagonizing someone who might become an alchemist was clearly unwise.

When Liu Pan nodded, the senior disciple quickly produced the spirit herbs he had stashed earlier and returned them to Liu Pan. “Since you’re interested in the pill arts, you’d best keep these herbs yourself. Oh, by the way, I’m Qin Ling.”

He made sure to announce his name at the end.

Liu Pan understood well why Qin Ling returned the herbs, but feigned modest refusal before accepting them.

Thanks to his status as a former alchemist’s disciple, Qin Ling truly answered all his questions without reservation, and Liu Pan soon learned everything he wished to know.

With a subtle gesture, Liu Pan signaled Qin Ling, who thoughtfully skipped the trivial tour of Cloudflow Gate’s surroundings and took them straight to the Outer Hall’s administrative office. There, they received the waist tokens signifying their status as disciples, and then were led directly to the Outer Disciples’ Task Hall.

Upon entering, Liu Pan immediately spotted the most prominent task posted—Apprentice in the Pill Hall of Azure Cloud Peak.