Chapter 609: Belonging

Mortal Cultivation, Volume 5: Renowned Far and Wide

Continued from the previous chapter

“Thank you for your guidance, Martial Uncle Yu!” Despite feeling a bit awkward, Han Li expressed his gratitude with a respectful demeanor.

As for the bearded man, he simply grinned, appearing to be a simpleton who wasn’t good with words.

Han Li, who already knew there was something off about the man’s background, felt a surge of speechlessness.

Either the large man’s acting skills were truly divine, or he genuinely wasn’t aware of the anomaly within him.

But if that were the case, then Martial Brother Miao’s peculiar reaction upon seeing him became quite intriguing. Han Li found it hard to believe that a late Foundation Establishment cultivator could also detect the cold qi emanating from the man.

There was definitely something fishy going on.

The young man surnamed Yu seemed quite satisfied with Han Li and the large man’s reactions. After offering a few more pointers, he led them to descend in front of a cluster of pavilions located on the mountainside of Sky Spring Peak.

On a bluestone platform where they landed, a young boy and a young girl stood side by side, chatting. Upon seeing the young man, they immediately stopped talking and approached him.

“Isn’t that Martial Uncle Yu! Are you here to see Grandmaster?” the doll-faced girl, who looked only fifteen or sixteen, asked the young man with a cheerful smile.

Her casual demeanor astonished Han Li, who was well aware of the unusually strict hierarchy in the cultivation world.

“That’s right, these two are the newly assigned outer disciples. I need to introduce them to Grandmaster, and then we’ll see which senior martial brother’s tutelage would be best for them,” the young man surnamed Yu replied with a slight smile, seemingly quite familiar with the girl.

“Oh, new junior martial brothers. If you get the chance later, don’t forget to tell Martial Brother Xin and me about the mortal world. I’d really love to hear about it,” the girl said with a sweet smile, her eyes sparkling, as she addressed Han Li and the large man behind him.

“If you want to hear it, Senior Martial Sister, why drag me into it? I still need to cultivate,” the dark-skinned boy beside her mumbled honestly.

“Cultivation can start anytime. But new junior martial brothers from the mortal world joining Sky Spring Peak? That’s a rare occasion, so of course, we should listen to some interesting stories from the outside,” the girl, despite her small stature, adopted an old-fashioned, didactic tone while lecturing the boy, a sight that left one speechless.

The young man surnamed Yu offered a wry smile and shook his head, then without further ado, led the two into the courtyard opposite.

“Pay attention, both of you. Although Junior Martial Sister Ma and Junior Martial Brother Xin appear young and are of the same generation as you, they are Grandmaster’s descendants from the mortal world. While they haven’t been formally accepted as disciples yet, it’s only a matter of time. You must not offend them. Otherwise, if Grandmaster becomes displeased, no one will be able to protect you,” the young man advised as he walked.

Han Li nodded with a bitter smile upon hearing this.

The large man, meanwhile, rubbed the back of his head and chuckled without saying anything.

Seeing their expressions, the young man smiled faintly and offered further reassurance:

“Junior Martial Brother Xin is an honest person and won’t do anything inappropriate. As for Junior Martial Sister Xin, she’s merely been away from home since childhood and is a bit mischievous, but she means no harm to anyone. So, you two don’t need to worry too much about it. Just be a little mindful.”

Han Li and the large man naturally nodded in agreement repeatedly.

As they spoke, the group passed through several courtyards and arrived before a tranquil side chamber.

“Is that Jun’er?”

Almost immediately upon reaching the side chamber, a faint male voice resonated in everyone’s ears.

“Disciple greets Master!”

As soon as Yu Jun heard the voice, he immediately stopped, his expression solemn, and answered loudly.

“Your Third Senior Martial Brother and Fifth Senior Martial Sister are also here. Bring the two behind you into the room,” the clear voice said with a chuckle, seemingly in a good mood.

“Yes!” Yu Jun dared not delay. After gesturing to Han Li and the large man, he quickly entered the side chamber through its half-open door.

Inside was an exquisite and elegantly simple main hall. Apart from a few pots of verdant, unknown flowers, there was only a set of ebony table and chairs. Sitting by the table was a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, with an ancient and peculiar appearance, three strands of black beard flowing across his chest, exuding an air of ethereal detachment, like an immortal.

On either side of him stood a man and a woman.

The man had white hair and a face full of wrinkles, a smiling elder close to sixty years old who remained silent. The woman, with a face like white jade and a beautiful appearance, looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, her expression impassive.

Yu Jun hastily stepped forward and bowed.

“Greetings, Master. Third Senior Martial Brother. Fifth Senior Martial Sister!”

“Rise. You are not strangers; there’s no need for such formalities. These two must be the new disciples of my Sky Spring Peak!” The middle-aged man flicked his sleeve, indicating for the young man to stand up on his own, then observed Han Li and the other man with considerable interest.

Han Li immediately recognized that the man was a mid-Core Formation cultivator. Though he felt a bit dejected, he could only force a smile and address him as “Grandmaster.”

The large man did the same.

This Grandmaster clearly didn’t detect the anomaly on the large man’s body, nor did he possess the divine ability to discern Han Li’s true cultivation level.

Therefore, after asking Han Li and the large man named Du Dong their names and casually saying “Not bad” a few times, he turned to the male and female disciples beside him and gently instructed:

“Since you two are both here, there’s no need to trouble others. One of you is proficient in talisman crafting, and the other has made considerable achievements in alchemy; you both should be short-staffed. Let these two new disciples be temporarily guided by the two of you. Of course, also guide them in their cultivation methods. Even as outer disciples, if their cultivation is too low, it will become a laughingstock among fellow disciples from other peaks.”

“Yes, Master! My junior martial sister and I will each take one,” the white-haired elder replied, his face full of smiles.

The alluringly aloof woman, in her twenties, hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly.

“Since Junior Martial Sister has agreed. My talisman crafting requires some more reliable help, so let Martial Nephew Du go and assist me. And Martial Nephew Han can be guided by Junior Martial Sister!” the elder suggested after a moment of thought.

The woman replied with an unchanging “Hmm,” without even glancing at Han Li.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man nodded, then suddenly addressed Han Li and the large man:

“You two may leave for now. I still have matters to discuss with your martial uncles and aunt. Please wait outside for a moment.”

Han Li and the large man exchanged glances, then honestly affirmed and exited the room, moving several yards away from the side chamber to wait obediently.

Afterward, the large man Du Dong stood motionless, gazing blankly up at the clear, vast sky, lost in thought.

Han Li, on the other hand, feigned a relaxed demeanor while secretly listening to the sounds from inside the side chamber. With his powerful spiritual sense, nothing said within the room could escape his notice.

So, although his expression remained unchanged, a flicker of unusual light constantly shifted in his eyes.

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, the door of the side chamber opened again, and Yu Jun, the white-haired elder, and the aloof woman emerged one after another.

The elder, without a word, raised a hand and released a long, strip-shaped magic tool. After a brief farewell to the woman and Yu Jun, he whisked the large man away, soaring into the sky.

At this point, the woman walked up to Han Li, gave him a cold glance, and spoke dispassionately.

“Let’s go. Follow me back to my cultivation cave.”

Han Li’s lips curved upward slightly, but he quickly reverted to his usual expression and nodded.

A red light flashed, and a crimson glow enveloped him from above.

Han Li stood still, not moving an inch!

Two hours later, Han Li found himself in an unfamiliar herb garden, roughly a hundred zhang in size.

As he looked at the lush green, singular types of herbs in the garden, the three sole thatched huts in the middle, and an unnamed small mountain adjacent to the garden, Han Li rubbed his chin. A faint smile appeared on his face.

The alluringly aloof woman, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, used a red ribbon to carry them to her cultivation cave. This “Martial Aunt” Mu Peiling then asked him if he preferred to manage the herb garden or to learn alchemy from her. Han Li was momentarily stunned by this.

After all, any sensible cultivator would undoubtedly choose to learn alchemy.

However, before Han Li could reply, the woman continued in a cold tone.

Managing the herb garden was very simple: one only needed to submit a fixed amount of medicinal herbs annually, leaving ample time for cultivation. Outer disciples who learned alchemy, while having the opportunity to delve into profound elixirs, had to complete a set quota of pill concoctions every month, which significantly reduced their cultivation time in comparison.

Therefore, both jobs had their pros and cons, and she urged Han Li to think carefully before deciding.

Han Li was overjoyed and, without hesitation, naturally chose his old profession of managing the herb garden.

This job, practically tailor-made for him, would allow him to cultivate openly.

He had originally been wondering how to escape the myriad of miscellaneous tasks to focus on cultivation. Everything had been resolved so perfectly.

He truly had a deep connection with the work in this herb garden!

The alluringly aloof woman showed no surprise at Han Li choosing the herb garden work.

She immediately brought him to the location, instructed him to complete the handover with the female disciple previously working in the garden, then left a jade slip containing the water-attribute cultivation method “Profound Ice Art,” and flew away with the former caretaker.

Now, this place became Han Li’s territory.