Chapter 15: Mountainous Secrets

"A deep breath in, as quick as lightning and as loud as thunder. Feel the zhen enter your body," Pengzi read the first line of the Sky Thunder Scripture.A chorus of inhales sounded around the fire pit."Guide the zhen from your lungs to your heart. Pause there for a moment before splitting it into four groups that go to each of your limbs. Let the zhen linger next to your limbs and then pull it back to your lungs. A breath out, soft like mist and quiet like rain…"A few seconds later, the group exhaled.After finishing the full cycle, Pengzi broke character with a smile. "It's a good thing that they taught us how to read. If not, I don't know how anyone could read these words.""Why don't I read it then?" Wangpan asked as he reached his hand out.Pengzi snapped the scroll shut and pulled it closer to himself. "I'm not done reading it yet. We agreed that since there's only one copy of the scripture, I'd read it aloud first to everyone and then we'd each get a turn at it."Xun had washed up in his hut, waiting until the water no longer turned red after brushing against his skin. Then, he rifled through the hut, finding a bunch of farm implements and two pairs of rough-spun cotton clothes. One was dull gray, while the other was a darker brown meant for fieldwork. He opened the door to find the sky pitch black, it was a cloudy night.Changing into the brown clothes, Xun slipped out and found the other laborers already discussing the Sky Thunder Scripture. He joined them."Brother Peng, what tier do you think the scripture is?" Lanhua asked."Hmm." Pengzi opened the scroll for a quick peek. "It's definitely not Chalk-tier. Maybe it's a Shale scripture, or perhaps even Silver level?""I wonder what scripture the disciples are practicing," Zhuge said."I bet it's the same as us," Wangpan said. "Disciple Zeran mentioned that everyone practices the Sky Thunder Scripture. At least when they first join the sect."Xun had enough of this. He had joined the circle to gain an alibi, not waste an entire night talking about useless things."Let me read it," Xun said as he stood up. Faced with Pengzi's questioning gaze, he gave a faint smile as he explained, "I don't want to fight you for the scripture but there's a reason I was on the Thunder Path to begin with. I might see something you don't.""Yeah, give it to Brother An," Wangpan said from the side.Even Lanhua joined in. "Anlin was the best of our year at classwork. He might find something."Faced with no other alternatives, Pengzi handed the scroll over, whispering a threat as he did."You better give it back soon."Xun ignored the comment as he scanned through the scroll. Much of it was quite basic, no different from the basic scriptures that he had seen in his past life. The only change of note was the slightly strange pathway that zhen went through at the end of each cycle, which allowed a cultivator to use lightning and thunder attribute techniques more easily. It confirmed his initial impression of the Nine Thunder Sect. They were a bunch of barbarians, relying on trash without realizing it.He tossed the scroll back to Pengzi. "It's a Shale scripture.""And how do you know?""The notes. It says that the scripture can only be practiced for thirty cycles in a single day. That's what Shale level is," Xun stated.It was unfortunate that scriptures didn't stack. Xun couldn't practice the Inner Breathing Method for a hundred cycles and then the Sky Thunder Scripture for another thirty cycles. If he tried to do that, not only would he not find zhen on the second thirty cycles, he'd also risk hurting himself."That's still much better than the Chalk scriptures that we would have used if we didn't join the sect," Pengzi said. "I'm sure there are better methods in the sect, but those are reserved for geniuses that actually succeed in what they set out to do."Xun ignored the implied insult. Instead, he turned to Wangpan and bowed."Sorry Brother Wang, I decided to change my name after the entrance exam. Please call me Xun from now on."Wangpan hurried got to his feet and returned the bow. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. Of course, I'll call you Brother Xun from now on.""So what's your talent now? Brother Xun?" Annoyed at being ignored, Pengzi forced his way back into the conversation. "You were at the Silver level but I heard your spirit channels were damaged in the Thunder Path. You're Shale like us now, aren't you? Or maybe even Chalk?"If only he knew that my spirit channels weren't even Chalk-tier at this point.Xun plastered a fake smile on his face. "I think I've mostly memorized the Sky Thunder Scripture. It's been a pretty long day, I'll go rest first and we can talk more tomorrow."Without waiting for a response, Xun turned for his hut on the edge of the community. In the earlier conversations, he had learned that the other laborers had mostly picked huts close to the central fire pit. The other female laborer, Zhuge, took the hut second closest to Lanhua's. And then the last two male laborers chose huts opposite to Pengzi's.As he walked away, Xun heard Pengzi's loud grumblings. "So what if he was a genius in the past. He's a laborer just like us now."Xun smiled at the comment. He tilted his head to look at the top of the mountain they now called home. Seeing the cabin in the distance, the disciple's words came to the top of his mind unbidden.There's no reason why Disciple Fanpin should emphasize for the laborers to not disturb him at the top of the mountain. Not unless he's hiding something. I wonder what it is?