Chapter 18: Human Paradise
Xiao Nanfeng soared through the sky on a crane with Elder Ku but couldn't see all of Taiqing Island due to the mist from array formations. He glanced back at the distant shore, remembering the ten thousand taels of gold beneath the big ship but decided against retrieving them now—it would attract too much attention.
The two soon landed in a clearing deep within the island. Surrounding them were numerous one-story palaces, except for the central one that stood four stories tall. "Scripture Palace?" Xiao Nanfeng read the plaque, realizing this was the heart of Taiqing Immortal Sect. The palace shimmered with golden light as disciples came and went, guards maintaining order around the premises.
Elder Ku led him towards the back of the palace, and as they walked, Xiao Nanfeng took in the surroundings curiously. Behind the palace loomed a steep cliff, where chanting echoed. Upon looking closer, he saw about two hundred men and women in Daoist robes seated in meditation, reciting scriptures. "Are they reciting... Daoist texts?" he wondered aloud.
"Really? You can tell?" Elder Ku asked, intrigued.
"Yes, I've read one of them before," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
Elder Ku then offered him a choice: to live here and listen to the daily chants or be sent to Xuan Faction Mountain to learn basic cultivation with other disciples. "Live here? Listening to them every day?" Xiao Nanfeng was surprised.
"Indeed!" Elder Ku said calmly, as if testing him.
Meanwhile, at the Hall of Invoking Immortals plaza, Ye Dafu watched Xiao Nanfeng disappear into the mountains, feeling uneasy. "Uncle, that brat, has he really stepped up in the world?" he complained.
"Not necessarily; Elder Ku's environment might be too much for him," his uncle sighed.
"Oh? Is Elder Ku's place really that harsh?" Ye Dafu's interest piqued.
"It's not just harsh; it's a living hell!" his uncle said, a hint of fear in his voice.
"Living hell? What do you mean?" Ye Dafu's curiosity surged.
If Xiao Nanfeng had it tough, then Ye Dafu felt more at ease. "Elder Ku lives by the Scripture Palace, right next to the Cliff of Regret. The constant chanting below is the stuff of nightmares for most disciples!" his uncle explained, recalling his own misfortune of being punished to memorize texts.
"Memorizing texts? What texts?" Ye Dafu asked, confused.
"The 48,000 Daoist scriptures inside the palace. If you break the rules, you must memorize related texts one hundred times, and no repeats allowed," his uncle lamented, recounting his own ordeal.
Ye Dafu's expression turned serious. "So, this Taiqing Immortal Sect is a sect of cultivation or punishment? Making people memorize scriptures as punishment? That's absurd! Who made such a rule?"
"That would be the sect leader, the master of the faction, and the elders," his uncle replied, exasperated.
Ye Dafu quickly backpedaled. "Uh, well, the ones who set such rules must be wise and noble—true masters!"
His uncle rolled his eyes; his nephew had really grown thick-skinned.
"They think the insights in Daoist scriptures are more important than cultivation techniques," his uncle shook his head.
Ye Dafu's eyes widened. "Really? But how can scriptures be more important than techniques?"
"Elder Ku's abode is near the Scripture Palace, so that Nanfeng fellow will probably be surrounded by chanting every moment. And if he gets punished, he'll be made to memorize texts—Elder Ku loves enforcing that tradition," his uncle warned.
Ye Dafu's face dropped. "It really is a hell on earth! Just listening to them chant would drive me insane!"
"Exactly!" his uncle echoed, clearly unsettled.
At that moment, in front of the Scripture Palace, Xiao Nanfeng glanced at Elder Ku and exclaimed, "This truly is a human paradise! To live here is a dream come true!"
Elder Ku paused, taken aback. The disciples chanting at the Cliff of Regret suddenly turned to stare at Xiao Nanfeng, shocked by his words.
"Who is that? Did he just call this a paradise? What an audacious statement!"
Elder Ku, uncertain whether Xiao Nanfeng was flattering him or genuinely pleased, stayed silent.
"Master! You're back!" Suddenly, a voice called out.
Xiao Nanfeng turned to see a young woman, who had been seated and chanting, spring up to greet Elder Ku. She was in her twenties, with an attractive figure accentuated by her black Daoist robe, her bright eyes sparkling with life.
"Xiao Yu? Why are you here again? I've told you, I'm not taking disciples. Go find your own master!" Elder Ku shook his head.
Xiao Yu's expression turned hopeful. "Elder Ku, I really want to learn the zither from you! I can learn the basics with my senior brothers, but no one else teaches the zither in the sect!"
Elder Ku replied firmly, "My zither isn't easy to learn. You're at the peak of the Innate Realm—this is a crucial time for you. Don't waste your time here."
Xiao Yu wasn't ready to give up. "You haven't even taught me! How can you know I can't learn?"
Elder Ku reiterated, "Enough. If you have doubts about your cultivation, I can offer guidance, but no apprenticeship."
The chanting disciples chimed in, "Xiao Yu, just let it go! Elder Ku hasn't taken a disciple in years."
Xiao Yu huffed in annoyance, "Mind your own business!"
They all chuckled, clearly fond of her.
"Have you finished memorizing your texts?" Elder Ku asked.
"I have! I memorize everything after reading a few times—memorization is a breeze for me!" Xiao Yu beamed.
"Then help Nanfeng find a place to stay nearby," Elder Ku instructed.
Xiao Yu turned to Xiao Nanfeng, eyes narrowing. "You're a newcomer, aren't you? Were you just flattering Elder Ku? Let me tell you, he won't fall for that!"
"Living here truly is a joy!" Xiao Nanfeng insisted, shaking his head. "I don't even have to pay for Daoist texts—people chant them for me daily! Where else could I find such a place?"
"Really? You think this is a joy?" Xiao Yu challenged, hands on her hips. "What's your background? Why does Elder Ku let you stay nearby? Are you just a new servant disciple? Flattery won't work!"
Xiao Nanfeng replied seriously, "I was fortunate enough to be accepted as Elder Ku's disciple in the Hall of Invoking Immortals. What I said earlier was heartfelt, not flattery."
Xiao Yu was taken aback, her teasing halted. "W-What? Elder Ku accepted you as a disciple? How is that possible?"
She had tried so many times to gain Elder Ku's attention, convinced he wouldn't take any more disciples. The other disciples were equally shocked, realizing the significance of Xiao Nanfeng's claim.
"Elder Ku must have keen insight to accept a disciple. What's impossible about that?" Xiao Nanfeng replied calmly.
Xiao Yu stared at him, then glanced at Elder Ku, wondering if perhaps they had misjudged. Did Elder Ku truly prefer disciples who flattered him?