◎ Classroom Seating, Homework Tips ◎
The Spirit Gathering Symbol was sold for 1,200 spirit stones, with only an initial payment of 600 received.
Before going to sleep, Lin Shuang sent a message to the generous fellow reminding him to inspect the goods.
“Discussion on the Fastest Cultivation” Miscellaneous Tasks Section: Small matters are best completed at the earliest thought to avoid the additional time and loss caused by memory, forgetfulness, and repeated misses.
However, the message she sent seemed to vanish into thin air, receiving no reply.
“Asleep?”
Lin Shuang frowned helplessly, and could only ask Xiao Ai to set a reminder alarm for tomorrow.
Unaware, as she slid under her blanket, that a bloody battle was unfolding five hundred miles from Clearwater Sect’s mountain gate.
“Haha, neither of you assassins made it into the top thousand ranks, right?”
“Only at the Third or Fourth Layer of Foundation Establishment, and you dare to ambush me!”
A ferocious cultivator wielding twin hammers laughed heartily under the moonlight.
The two copper hammers, each weighing a thousand jin, infused with the Qi of the Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment, were completely unmatched by the two small assassins before him.
With a single swing, he sent one of the Shadow Elimination Pavilion assassins crashing into a ten-meter-deep pit!
The other one had already dropped his heavy sword.
“Surrendering and disarming? Hmph, you know what’s good for you!” The fierce cultivator laughed uproariously.
Yet, the disheveled man who discarded his sword didn’t retreat. Instead, he stepped forward.
“No,” his chest oozed blood, staining his rumpled clothes, “it’s not over yet.”
Zhao Ming struggled to climb out of the pit he had fallen into, propping himself up with a longsword.
“Brother, I’m afraid we’re no match for him.”
“Give up—”
When there’s life, there’s hope.
However, he heard the untidy-dressed man muttering something under his breath.
(Note: The original text includes a lot of specialized terminology related to the story’s cultivation world, which might be challenging to translate directly. I’ve tried to provide explanations where possible to help convey the meaning in English. If you have any further questions about specific terms, feel free to ask.)
“If you give up, you’ll have thirty-six spirit stones for your journey—enough for three meat buns. But that’s a total loss.”
“If you kill the opponent, you’ll receive a reward of five thousand spirit stones. If you leave the opponent with just one arm, you’ll get two thousand spirit stones.”
“Even in death, there’s no escape!”
“We can only try… that, uh, half-finished talisman purchased with a hefty sum…”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ming was momentarily taken aback.
Looking up, he saw the man step over the spirit sword he had discarded, seeming unafraid of life or death.
What kind of talisman was so formidable?
As he pondered, he heard the man speak again.
“Brother, would you like to use this third-level talisman with me? We can share the cost of the talisman afterward.”
Clutching his broken ribcage, Zhao Ming nodded, enduring the pain.
Otherwise, they’d have a tough time surviving.
If he returned tomorrow morning, he could still coax his junior apprentice, Xiao Qi, saying that he went down the mountain to the town to buy roasted chicken.
“Great!” Meng Zi readily agreed.
Facing the incoming whirlwind of a raised iron hammer, he reached into his mustard-seed bag.
He pulled out a remarkable, specially-crafted square pear wood table from the bag—
“???”
Zhao Ming opened his mouth in astonishment.
The ferocious cultivator’s hammer came to a halt.
“What’s this, hahaha!”
“Get on it!”
Meng Zi, still with disheveled attire and mask, swiftly lifted Zhao Ming and jumped onto the table.
Zhao Ming clearly saw, beneath the two slightly misaligned masks on Meng Zi’s face, a hint of insecurity, uncertainty, and doubt in his captivating peach-blossom eyes.
Zhao Ming’s heart skipped a beat.
But soon, the surrounding spiritual energy rushed madly toward the table, flowing into his body through the soles of his feet.
Zhao Ming: “!”
‘Brother, I saw it with my own eyes. Her brushwork was forceful enough to penetrate the paper, and her cinnabar ink entered the table.’
‘Thus, forming the second level of the third-level talisman!’
Into… the table…
Table…
Zhao Ming: “…”
It’s true!
In an instant, the two assassins, rich in spiritual energy, collided with the malevolent cultivator who was losing spiritual energy.
The situation reversed!
“Brother, aim for the hand wearing the mustard-seed bag ring.”
“Got it. Are you a disciple of Clearwater Sect?”
“?! How did you… Don’t talk nonsense, I’m from Mountain-Sea Sect!”
“…”
Zhao Ming looked at the third-level talisman wooden table under his feet and fell into silence.
He forcefully swallowed his questions about whether he had seen his junior apprentice Xiao Qi and whether he was the person who could simultaneously draw multiple talismans.
Clearwater Sect, Outer Sect Transmission Hall.
Master of Transmission, Li Daowei, was currently reviewing the talisman assignments submitted by the disciples.
Each disciple sat cross-legged on a cushion, with a first-tier transmission talisman they had drawn laid out in front of them.
Li Daowei, dressed in a robe of myriad colors, held a whisk in his hand. He formed hand seals and floated swiftly from the first row to the last.
“Zhao Keran, Grade A.”
“Zhou Xuanwu, Grade A.”
…
“Lin Shuang, Grade B.”
…
“Lu Bing, Grade C.”
Lin Shuang sat cross-legged in the last row of the quiet room, in the position closest to the entrance threshold—quick entry and exit, a time-saving spot.
Upon hearing the results, she quickly counted on her fingers, revealing a satisfied smile.
C class, just right, squeezing into the last position of the bottom 49% of the class.
“Chen Xu, Lu Bing… Are you practicing ghostly talismans? Stay after class and copy the introductory essence of talisman inscriptions ten times!”
Lin Shuang looked up and heard Master Li Daowei’s dissatisfaction with the C-level disciples.
“Junior Sister Zhao, Brother Zhou, can I take a look at your grade-A talismans?”
“Could you please enlighten me on how to create a grade-A talisman, Junior Sister Zhao?”
Looking ahead, she saw Zhao Keran, the head of the A-level assessment disciples, surrounded by other disciples, making it impossible for her to leave for even a short while.
There was no chance of leaving before the incense burned out.
Lin Shuang was immediately filled with a slight sense of relief.
In the middle ranks.
Neither too bad to be reprimanded by the master nor too exceptional to be blocked by fellow disciples.
Perfect.
Lin Shuang smoothly rose from her cushion, silently leaving the quiet room of the training hall.
As she turned and stepped over the threshold, she caught a glimpse of the gratified look and the faint nod of approval from Master Li Daowei’s aged eyes as they landed on her.
Lin Shuang quickly turned back and responded with a respectful and humble smile.
Thanks to her precise actions, she had moved up one spot in the ranking for this round of talisman drawing.
Every little improvement counted.
In the teacher’s eyes, that made her a good disciple.
[Today’s Diary:
1. Classroom Results: Passed the Sound Transmission Talisman exam.
2. Personal Achievement: Improved talisman ranking by one position for the third consecutive time.
3. Interpersonal Relations: Earned the favor of Master Chen.]
Killing three birds with one stone.
She truly deserved the accolade!
With the least effort, she achieved success from all angles.
Lin Shuang left contentedly.
…
Departing from the Transmission Hall and heading southwest, after a brisk three hundred steps, one would arrive at the Outer Sect Management Office. Further west was where the disciples’ dwelling houses were located.
As Lin Shuang headed back to her room after class, she happened to encounter Senior Brother Xu Rui, who was currently on duty at the administrative office.
“Senior Brother, I would like to go on an outing to the outskirts for a two-day and one-night excursion.”
Senior Brother Xu Rui’s Eight Trigrams Sword on his back matched his demeanor, meticulous in every way, but there was a twitch on his forehead at the moment.
“Junior Sister, speak in human language.”
Lin Shuang closed her eyes and pointed to the Outer Sect Disciple Tasks board posted at the entrance of the management office.
Xu Rui: “…”
The disciple tasks were divided into two categories.
One was private transactions among disciples, similar to her selling talismans.
The other was more formal and mostly assigned by the sect. They were assessments given by mentors to their disciples, as well as tasks from wanderers and independent cultivators who sought out Clearwater Sect due to its reputation.
Tasks of this kind yield higher sect contributions, but they have to be claimed at the administrative office.
“It’s best to have a water view. A frozen lake in winter, with the whole sky covered in snow.”
Lin Shuang lived in the mountains day in and day out, so if she was going out, she wanted to see water.
“You don’t need many companions, one or two will do.”
The Eight Trigrams Sword behind Xu Rui vibrated and hummed as if it wanted to fly out of its sheath.
“Junior Sister, if you don’t want to end up buried somewhere, I only have a Grade D task that suits you.”
He took out his task book, flipped it open, and quickly turned to the last page.
The lowest difficulty, the lowest danger.
Without considering her personal scenery preferences.
“Escort duty at the Desolate Mountains. Bandits frequently appear there.”
Even martial bandits, no matter how skilled, wouldn’t last long in front of cultivators, let alone those in the realm of cultivation.
It could be said to be a task of infant-level safety.
Xu Rui looked up. “The companion is a 9th-layer Qi Refining disciple, Zhou Xuanwu. You should be familiar with him. He’s setting out for his hometown tomorrow and will pass by this area, so he took on this task.”
Zhou Xuanwu?
Ranked in the top three among Outer Sect disciples.
His talisman result today was also A-level, just one rank below Zhao Keran. He was considered an outstanding disciple in the eyes of the mentors.
Lin Shuang quickly remembered, but soon a mask of pain came over her face.
She wasn’t very familiar with this person. Among this batch of outer sect disciples, Zhou Xuanwu and Zhao Keran were always in the top ranks.
However, he didn’t interact much with disciples who ranked lower. He seemed a bit aloof and not very approachable, unlike her, a mid-level disciple who was on friendly terms with others.
For a weekend outing, to relax, she wanted a cheerful and friendly companion who could share the joy of the trip.
“Senior Brother, aren’t there any other options?”
Desolate Mountains didn’t sound very scenic.
Lin Shuang frowned and restrained Senior Brother Xu Rui from closing the task booklet.
Xu Rui’s brow twitched. He reached out as if he was about to touch the Eight Trigrams Sword on his back.
Lin Shuang quickly stepped back a step. “This one, this one. Senior Brother, if you have something to say, let’s talk properly. It’s not my sword practice time right now.”
Xu Rui: “…”
What sword practice? Could she even survive half a move under his sword?
“You’re setting out tomorrow. It will earn you 200 sect contributions!”
As Zhou Xuanwu was exchanging insights on the Sound Transmission Talisman with Zhao Keran, preparing to leave the Transmission Hall, he had a feeling. He took out his sect waist token.
[Escort Duty at the Desolate Mountains—Grade D (200 sect contributions, 200 spirit stones reward)]
[Accepted Disciples: 1. Zhou Xuanwu (Outer Sect Rank 2)
Lin Shuang (Outer Sect Rank 17291)]
Zhou Xuanwu froze.
But then he sighed wryly. He should have realized when he casually accepted this simple task that he might end up with lower-ranked disciples.
Well, on this trip, he would have her, a 3rd layer of Qi Refining, accompanying him.
“I was originally worried that Senior Sister would be going alone. Now that Senior Brother Zhou is coming, I feel relieved.”
Zhao Keran was unexpectedly pleased.
She had initially intended to free up three days to accompany Senior Sister on the task.
Zhou Xuanwu shook his head. “Can I even protect her?”
Thinking of Lin Shuang’s recent talisman grade of B, he sighed internally.
Lin Shuang joined the sect before Zhao Keran, yet her cultivation was now far behind.
“When you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, if you’re not already handling Outer Sect matters, you’ll be promoted to the Inner Sect. She’s destined not to accompany you.”
Hearing this, Zhao Keran’s gaze immediately turned worried, but quickly a hint of defiance flashed in her eyes.
“No, Senior Sister will catch up.”
“Someday, Senior Sister will become the fastest cultivator.”
Zhou Xuanwu was taken aback.
The fastest?
She ranked 17,291st among the outer sect.
Zhou Xuanwu pursed his lips, not saying anything, and bid farewell with a bow.
【The Most Generous One】has confirmed receipt of the ‘Third-grade Gathering Spirit Talisman (Unusual)’.
【The Most Generous One】has paid you 600 spirit stones.
【The Most Generous One】: Senior Sister, do you have any more third-grade Gathering Spirit Talismans? Or third-grade Armor Talismans, Swift Spirit Talismans, Enhancing Spirit Talismans, or similar ones? I want them all.
【The Most Generous One】: Oh, and I also want the ones engraved on the table. Is that possible?
Meng Zi, breathing heavily, turned away and took advantage of the other masked assassin’s distraction to quickly transmit a message using the sect waist token.
Throughout the night, they stood on the Gathering Spirit Table, battling against the wicked cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage 7. They finally exhausted the opponent’s spiritual energy and cut off his right arm.
Inside that mustard seed bag were more than 2,700 spirit stones, as well as herbs and weapons.
Adding the 2,000 spirit stones from the mission reward, they had hit the jackpot on this trip!
Meng Zi thoroughly tasted the sweetness of success.
“Brother, we shared the Gathering Spirit Talisman for a whole night. The cost of the talisman is 250 spirit stones. In addition to the reward and the contents of the mustard seed bag, I’ll give you 3,500. How about it?”
Deducting the costs, he probably earned around 3,000 spirit stones!
The village chief, he made a fortune this time!
He planned to burn paper offerings for his ancestors when he got back.
Meng Zi cut a quarter of the Revitalizing Pill, swallowed it, and then struggled to settle accounts with his companion assassin.
Then he heard the other person speak, “Brother, are there more of these talisman tables? I want to buy one in full.”
Meng Zi: “!”
Great minds think alike.
Talisman tables, what a miraculous effect!
The first time they took it out, the enemies couldn’t even react to it being a talisman!
But that fastest woman still hadn’t replied.
“I only have this one.”
Zhao Ming, who had taken a Rejuvenation Pill and was holding a long sword, had a flicker of emotion beneath his mask.
Could it be someone else who’s skilled at drawing talismans?
Could it be the same person that Junior Brother Xiao Qi saw? Or was it common to have talisman tables in the Clearwater Sect?
But when he fought for the spring with the Clearwater Sect a few years ago, he had never seen one.
“It’s just a pity that the guy with the Diamond Hammer escaped. I’ll go look for him again. Brother, you go ahead first!”
“Alright. Further ahead is the Desolate Mountains. He probably fled in there. I won’t pursue him. Farewell.”
*
Desolate Mountains, entrance to the southwestern mountain range.
With a packed meal for her junior sister slung on her back, Lin Shuang finally welcomed Zhou Xuanwu, the fellow escort, at the hour of Chen.
*
Meanwhile, as Zhao Ming, returned to the disciples’ dwelling of the Mountain and Sea Sect, he saw a message left by his junior brother.
—”Senior Brother, I went to the Desolate Mountains to get beaten up… No, I mean, I went for a fat-burning exercise.”
Zhao Ming: “?!?”
Author’s Note:
《Memoirs of the 134th Generation Leader Zhao of the Clearwater Sect, Entry 7》—
“Desolate Mountains. Looking back later, I’ve asked myself many times why I didn’t travel with my senior sister that day. Regret! I envied Senior Brother Zhou, envied Senior Brother Xiao! But if I could do it over again, I’m afraid the result would be the same. Because with senior sisters traveling together, we could split the task reward of 200 spirit stones. If I joined in, then… it would be… splitting 200 spirit stones between three people, how much would each get…
Stop, Zhao Keran, you can’t keep thinking about this, it’s too much of a waste of time! You’re someone who mastered Lin’s fastest method, after all. If you can’t solve it, move on to the next question!”
