Chapter 1991: Have Fate

At this moment, Zu An had arrived at the Yin-Yang Sect's booth, seemingly examining the questions for recruiting new disciples.

From the respectful gazes and hushed conversations of the people around him, Zu An quickly figured out the young man's identity. He was the third direct disciple of the Yin-Yang Venerable, named Fang Biao, and held an extraordinary position among the younger generation within the sect.

The two pickpockets also spotted him and hurriedly asked their master, "Young Master Biao, is that the 'fat sheep' from before?"

To their surprise, Fang Biao glanced at Zu An and then looked away, stating, "I'm not interested in men." Immediately, his eyes burned with desire as he followed the direction Zhang Zitong had left in.

Watching the group leave, Zu An frowned. Yan Xuehen had told him that the Yin-Yang Sect and the Demonic Cult were staunch allies, but the conduct of these people seemed rather unsavory. Although he understood that Yun Jianyue had to cultivate ties with the Yin-Yang Sect to counter other factions for the sake of the Demonic Cult, he didn't approve of their methods. Nevertheless, he didn't follow them to offer help. Zhang Zitong was, after all, a Silver-ranked Embroidered Envoy; if she couldn't handle such a situation, she would hardly be worthy of the title.

At this point, he finally saw the Yin-Yang Sect's recruitment test. It turned out to be the concoction of an aphrodisiac, effective for either men or women, with higher scores awarded for greater potency.

Zu An was speechless. They phrased it tactfully, but wasn't it just a love potion? Speaking of which, he was quite the expert in this field. From "I Love a Stick of Wood" and "Bull's Milk" to "Eighteen Degrees of Spring Breeze" and the recent "Forget-Sorrow Rosemary," every one of his creations was renowned in this domain. He didn't understand why he kept encountering so many such situations. Afterwards, he always kept a dose of the corresponding medicine, and after comprehending the *Baopuzi True Scripture*, he even refined several copies of each. He wasn't interested in these drugs for their own sake, but felt that by understanding their properties, he could provide targeted relief if he encountered them again. With his current mastery in this field, even the leader of the Yin-Yang Sect would be considered an amateur. It would be effortless for him to concoct a small amount of medicine and pass this test.

However, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to stay in such a sordid place. After a moment's thought, he moved to another booth. This one was much quieter than the others, with almost no one in front of it. Only a chubby young man sat swaying in a grand armchair, boredly sipping tea.

Zu An looked up at the banner: "Tomb Raider Sect." He couldn't help but smile. Why were grave robbers always plump? Wu Liang of the demon race was the same. Didn't their physique make them fear getting stuck in underground tunnels?

Seeing Zu An pause, the chubby man instantly perked up. "Brother, are you perhaps interested in joining our Tomb Raider Sect? Even if not, it's fine to just chat for a bit." As he spoke, he eagerly pulled Zu An to sit down.

Zu An mused that he was proficient in the *Ditian Sui Chanwei* and had explored numerous ancient tombs, having considerable experience in this area. He should be able to pass the test. So he sat down.

People in the distance sneered, "Another naive fellow duped by Fatty Hu."

"Who joins the Tomb Raider Sect these days? This faction has hardly any members left, and no one above to protect them. Forget Venerables, they don't even have an elder."

"Exactly. In today's society, without connections or protection, it's impossible to get anywhere. They don't even have enough basic cultivation resources; how can they compete with other factions?"

"Not only that, but this faction is reviled by everyone. The 'grave-digger' smell on them can't be washed off. In the martial arts world, if anyone knows you're from the Tomb Raider Sect, they'll usually beat you to death, and you might not even survive."

Although these voices were low, how could they escape Zu An's keen hearing? He thought to himself, *No wonder it's so deserted here.* But he didn't mind; he wasn't genuinely planning to join the Tomb Raider Sect anyway.

"What should I call you, brother?" the chubby young man asked, smiling as he poured Zu An a cup of tea.

For a moment, Zu An was "flattered," as he had been subjected to constant disdain from other factions before. "My name is Lu Ren. And you?"

"Lu Ren?" The chubby man appraised him from head to toe. "A good surname, and a good given name too."

Zu An was speechless. He wondered what was so good about that name. This guy was clearly praising him against his conscience.

"My surname is Hu, and my given name is Pangzi. You can just call me Fatty Hu from now on," the chubby man said, acting as if they were old friends.

Zu An thought, *His parents must have been incredibly casual with naming him; who names their child Fatty?*

"It seems you've been wandering around, clearly very interested in our Holy Sect," Fatty Hu said, his eyebrows dancing with excitement. "Perhaps you'd like to try our Tomb Raider Sect? Do you like ancient secrets, ancient divine inheritances, rooms full of treasures, and various divine artifacts? Only our Tomb Raider Sect offers the chance to experience these things."

Watching him speak with such gusto, Zu An had to remind him, "Have you experienced any of that yourself?"

Fatty Hu gasped, then gave him a plaintive look. "Asking questions like that will leave you without friends." He quickly composed himself. "As they say, great treasures require great fortune. My time just hasn't come yet. But I see Brother Lu has a full forehead and extraordinary bearing; you must possess great fortune. Perhaps you'll even obtain an ancient inheritance before me. Why not join our Tomb Raider Sect?"

Zu An knew he was being spun a yarn, but since he wanted to get closer to the Demonic Cult, he nodded. "That sounds interesting. Is there an entrance exam?"

"I was originally going to accept you directly, seeing how compatible we are, but ancestral rules are hard to break. I can only test you on some tomb-raiding knowledge first. I hope Brother Lu doesn't mind." Fatty Hu muttered quietly to himself after speaking, complaining that the Tomb Raider Sect already struggled to survive, yet had so many silly rules, practically driving away all potential members.

Zu An pretended not to hear. "Please, Brother Hu, test me."

Fatty Hu pondered for a moment. "Since we're fated, I'll give you a simple test. Tell me about your understanding of tomb raiding. Do you know how many styles there are in the world?"

Zu An paused, realizing he genuinely didn't know these details. A thought flashed through his mind, and he began to speak, drawing from a TV series he had watched in his previous life. "When descending into tombs, according to different methods and styles, there have historically been several major schools: Faqiu, Mojin, Banshan, and Xieling. Faqiu and Mojin are similar, excelling at divination and seeking dragon veins through feng shui, determining precise burial spots..."

Fatty Hu had only intended to ask casually, but he hadn't expected to hear so many things he'd never even heard of. He immediately leaned closer. "Tell me more details."

Zu An had no choice but to ramble on, weaving together information from *Ghost Blows Out the Light*, *The Lost Tomb*, and other sources. Combined with his own mastery of feng shui and several experiences in ancient tombs, the concocted details left Fatty Hu, an industry insider, completely dumbfounded.

Fatty Hu trembled with excitement, grasping Zu An's hands tightly. "Brother Lu, you are truly heaven-sent to save our Tomb Raider Sect!"

"I passed?" Zu An breathed a sigh of relief.

"More than just passing, from now on, my position as the Eldest Disciple of the Tomb Raider Sect is yours!" Fatty Hu declared, patting his chest.

"What about your master?" Zu An took the opportunity to inquire.

"My master passed away long ago. Now, I preside over the Tomb Raider Sect within the Holy Sect," Fatty Hu replied with a smile.

"Then how many fellow disciples are there?"

"Back when the Tomb Raider Sect was glorious, there were quite a few..."

"I mean now."

"If you count yourself, there are two of us."

*What's the point of being the Eldest Disciple then? No wonder he gave up the position so quickly.*

Seeing Zu An's expression, Fatty Hu seemed to realize the awkwardness and, fearing he might change his mind, hastily explained, "It's true our Tomb Raider Sect has few members now, but fewer people mean more opportunities! Look, if you join other factions, you'd have to start as an outer disciple doing odd jobs, pass a one or two-year assessment, then you might become an outer disciple. Among outer disciples, only through brutal competition can winners become inner disciples. And only the most outstanding inner disciples are taken as direct disciples by a Venerable or Elder of that faction."

"The whole process is like raising venomous insects; how many die along the way, perhaps not even becoming inner disciples?"

"In contrast, here with us, you'd immediately become an inner... no, we're so compatible, I'll accept you as a direct disciple on behalf of my master!"

Zu An's heart stirred. Although the Tomb Raider Sect was in decline, it seemed more suitable for him. He took the opportunity to inquire, "By the way, what's this about Venerables or Elders that you mentioned? Why do some people become disciples of Venerables, while others become disciples of Elders? Is there a difference?"

"Of course there's a difference!" Fatty Hu, afraid Zu An might leave, immediately began to explain, seeing his interest. "Within the Holy Sect, besides the Cult Master and Vice Cult Master, the most esteemed positions are the Venerables. Elders are slightly below them, and beneath them are the Hall Masters and Incense Masters, who are responsible for affairs in various prefectures."

"The Holy Gate comprises three major sects and six minor paths. Theoretically, the leader of each sect should be a Venerable. However, the situation varies among factions now, and many no longer possess the strength to hold the title of Venerable. Therefore, only four Venerables remain," Fatty Hu sighed, as if speaking of something sorrowful.