"Come in!"
As the lines of a ponderous frown formed on Ling Feng's face, a rather mild voice called to him from the bamboo house.
'Is this the monster everyone is so afraid of?'
Vigilant, Ling Feng clenched his fists and walked towards the largest dwelling.
When he arrived at the door, he stopped and saluted respectfully.
"Disciple Ling Feng pays homage to you, Master."
Since he was assigned to Small Bamboo Peak, then he should be this Senior Uncle Duanmu's disciple. In terms of status, he wondered if that made his own rank equal to that of this generation's peak lords.
Ling Feng smelled Duanmu long before he saw him as a breeze carried the reek of over-strong wine to his nostrils.
The next moment, a green-robed old man with a white beard came out of the house. He had a wine gourd pinned to his waist and his hair was scattered in disorder. It was as if a wine immortal had just descended from the heavens.
The old man definitely looked a little rough around the edges, but he didn't seem at all vicious.
"Are you the person who will be doing obeisance and becoming my disciple?" the old man asked, examining Ling Feng with a critical eye
"Yes! Disciple Ling Feng greets you, Master!"
Ling Feng gave a deep bow even as he wondered why someone with such a high status was living in this crude place?
"It seems you are a very clever child. You have accepted me as your master before I've even had the chance to decide whether to accept you," Duanmu Qingshan said, lips curling into a slight smile, "However, I think it is too early for you and I to become master and disciple. As you can see, we are the only two people here."
Ling Feng was stunned because he had indeed noticed that no one else lived near Small Bamboo Peak.
Was his master a strange person, therefore nobody dared to worship him as a teacher?
"Extend your hand."
Though emotionless, Duanmu Qingshan's commanding voice was oddly hypnotic.
As if grinding sand, Ling Feng gritted his teeth and extended his right hand.
Duanmu Qingshan held Ling Feng's outstretched arm and placed a finger on his pulse. After a moment, he shook his head.
"Another talentless child," he said with a dejected sigh.
Ling Feng blinked his eyes, silly. He knew that Yang Wei and Li Liang had planned nothing good for him. But why had they sent him to Duanmu Qingshan to be his disciple instead of someone more talented?
"No matter, since you have called me master, I will teach you the Questioning Immortal Sect's foundational Qi circulation method," Duanmu Qingshan said with his hands crossed behind his back, voice cold and emotionless.
Afterward, a book appeared seemingly from nowhere. Although it was covered in wine stains, he could still read its cover.
"Questioning Immortal Qi Refinement Art!"
"Take it away!" Duanmu Qingshan commanded, throwing the secret manual.
Ling Feng raised a hand to catch it. He knew that this was a Qi circulation method tailored to a disciple of the Coagulating Qi Boundary. After receiving the book, he quickly bowed to Duanmu Qingshan.
"Many thanks, Master."
"I told you not to be in such a rush to call me master," Duanmu Qingshan said with a dismissive wave of his hand, If you make it through the next few days, then we can become master and disciple."
"Make it through the next few days?" Ling Feng asked, almost breathlessly, "What do you mean?"
A trace of doubt arose in his heart and thoughts flashed through his mind. Zong Yuan's actions from before and Duanmu Qingshan's current attitude made him get the sense that trouble was coming.
Duanmu Qingshan lowered his head to look at Ling Feng.
"There is some food in your room. After you eat, practice. If not tonight, then tomorrow at the latest, disciples of the other lineages will arrive to humiliate you. If you can't support, leave and go to the outer sect."
"Really!"
Ling Feng's vision concentrated, clenched his fists. Although he was not willing to cause trouble, he wouldn't flinch if it arrived at his doorstep.
Since he had arrived at the inner sect, there was no way he would easily enter the outer sect. The resources an inner disciple could obtain were too good. An outer disciple couldn't even close to competing.
'Therefore, I have to become powerful as soon as possible if I want to remain in this place!'
"Since you and I are now connected by fate, you may pick any of the spirit grasses and medicines in my medicinal gardens," Duanmu Qingshan said as he patted Ling Feng's shoulder and untied the wine bottle gourd from around his waist. He took a long, deep draught before departing.
Ling Feng watched him leave, mewling in confusion.
Duanmu Qingshan is the senior uncle to this generation's peak lords. Is he just going to look on as his disciple gets humiliated?
'What information am I missing?'
At this moment, a smell caused Ling Feng's nose to wrinkle, interrupting his train of thought. Something seemed to be wrong with Duanmu Qingshan's body.
"Internal injury?" Ling Feng questioned, absently scratched the bridge of his nose.
Doctors examined and observed using all five of their senses.
Ling Feng's medical skills had already reached the level of a mortal saint. Therefore, he was confident in his diagnosis even though he hadn't felt Duanmu Qingshan's pulse.
"Not only does a senior of the Questioning Immortal Sect's elder generation not have any status, but his body is also carrying an internal injury…"
Ling Feng frowned.
"What does all of this mean?"
The next quarter, he shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"Right now, I am like a clay buddha crossing an ocean. Instead of worrying about someone else, I should be looking for a way to make it through the next few days."
Ling Feng tightened his open-palmed hands into fists. Only strength would allow him to untie the many questions riddling his heart.
Moments later, he moved out into the courtyard. Curiosity and a desperate need for strength had prompted him to examine Duanmu Qingshan's medicinal gardens. Perhaps there would be something there that could speed up his growth.
"Purple Blood Ginseng!"
"Strange Velvet Chrysanthemum!"
"Treasure… these are all excellent treasures!"
Ling Feng's eyelids jumped wildly at the sight in front of him. Not one of these spirit medicines could be found in the mortal world! And as a doctor, these spirit grasses made him dizzy with excitement.
'Since Duanmu Qingshan has allowed it, I might as well pick some,' he thought.
Duanmu Qingshan leaned on a window, drinking wine, as Ling Feng strolled along his sunlit gardens.
"Strange. Why is this boy so interested in my herbal medicines? An average person shouldn't be able to identify them," he mused aloud.
Duanmu Qingshan was a very skilled doctor himself. He had planted those medicinal herbs in the courtyard so he could treat his internal injury.
According to the truth, it would be impossible to recognize those rare and uncommon medicinal herbs without considerable knowledge of the medicinal arts.
But before he could think of anything more, black Qi flashed across his forehead, forcing him to seal up several acupoints on the left side of his body. It took a long moment for him to release the breath he'd been holding.
"Lin Canglang, Yang Wei! You won't be able to trap me forever!" he coldly snorted to himself. Then he received his gaze, no longer paying attention to Ling Feng.
He knew very well that even if Ling Feng seemed to hold some knowledge of the medicinal arts, he couldn't change his fate. It wouldn't be long before he would leave on his own volition, like the other mediocre talents that been sent to him over the last decade.