```
As dawn broke, the slightly darkened sky was completely rent open, illuminating the plaza.
There was no crowing of roosters, nor any other reminder, but as day broke, those stationed at the Jinxian Sect emerged from their dwellings.
Qi Cultivators would take advantage of the sunrise to refine Qi, while the Mortals taken in by the sect came out half excited, half anxious.
However, today was different from other days, they did not rush to meditate first, as Zhang Fei Xuan stood in the center of the plaza, waiting for everyone to arrive.
"Second Senior Brother, what is this..."
The one who asked was the tall and sturdy Disciple, one of the five who descended the mountain yesterday; his spirit, energy, and soul were somewhat diminished compared to the day before.
After all, disaster had struck the night before, plunging him abruptly into an Illusory Realm, and it was the realm where he fought the Big Senior Brother. Afraid that the Big Senior Brother might take offense and come to kill him, he was too worried to sleep all night.
Zhang Fei Xuan glanced at him, then at the Mortals that were gradually gathering, with a touch of jealousy, "You're lucky today."
He didn't wait for the tall and sturdy Disciple to reply but turned to look at the main hall. At the entrance of the main hall stood Song Yin, resting with his eyes closed, complementing the half-statue within the hall.
Song Yin opened his eyes, sweeping his gaze over those gathered in the plaza and nodded in approval, "Not bad, being able to get up on time without reminders from others is at least commendable. Second Junior Brother, have them line up first."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Zhang Fei Xuan walked to the front of the plaza, turned around, and said to them, "Disciples of the sect on the right, Mortals on the left, line up first."
Just like yesterday, everyone split to the left and right and lined up.
The fellow Disciples were somewhat puzzled, not understanding why there was a need to line up at the threshold of Qi refinement, while the Mortals showed worry on their faces, whispering to each other, creating a bit of a commotion.
"Silence!"
With a shout from Song Yin, both lines of people were jolted to attention, involuntarily straightening their bodies.
He pulled out two small pouches and said, "The Master entrusted the affairs of the sect entirely to me. The previous food was simple, and there were no usable resources outside the mountain gate—we won't mention that—but I've also found a solution, which is these Elixirs..."
He looked towards Zhang Fei Xuan, a gentle smile on his face, "With the help of my Second Junior Brother, I refined these two bags of pills last night. They're all Superior Grade Pills, and this bag of Shengji Elixirs is for you; it not only replenishes what humans require but also accelerates the flow of Qi."
Then, holding the other bag, he said to the Mortals, "These are Yecai Elixirs, which also replenish what humans require; they just lack the ability to speed up the flow of Qi, but they're just right for you to eat."
After completing two pill furnaces, dawn had arrived, so he simply didn't sleep and pulled Zhang Fei Xuan to wait for everyone here.
Superior Grade Pills?!
When he finished speaking, an uproar immediately ensued among the Disciples.
Although they were also Disciples of the Jinxian Sect, most of them were at the first or second level, and their daily tasks involved gathering herbs for the Master. They had to solve their own food problems. What about pills? They didn't even have a Pill Furnace, hardly knew the Danfa, so how could they practice Alchemy.
Now a Big Senior Brother swoops in, saying he'll give them Superior Grade Pills...
No matter what type of Superior Grade Pill it was, it seemed like a dream.
"Silence!"
Song Yin called out again, addressing the crowd, "Come up and receive your Elixirs now."
But after he finished speaking, the Mortals didn't dare to move, and the Disciples also looked at each other, with no one stepping forward.
"Hmm? Why aren't you coming up to receive the Elixirs?" Song Yin frowned and asked.
"Senior Brother..."
At that moment, a Disciple mustered the courage to say, "We haven't contributed any materials, so this..."
The previous time Zhao Yuanhua distributed Elixirs, it was because they had brought Mortals up the mountain, and they were rewarded with a few medicinal herb Elixirs, which had no particular quality to speak of.
Occasionally getting an Inferior Grade was already considered good; as for Superior Grade Pills, they would need a considerable amount of materials.
Song Yin thought for a moment, a hint of realization crossing his face, "Oh, not to worry, we'll talk about that later. First, come and take the Elixirs. You..."
He looked towards the line of Mortals, addressing the one at the front, "You come and take this bag, distribute it, there are thirty pills in this bag, enough for your needs for the day, ensuring you won't go hungry."
In fact, there were a total of thirty-two Yecai Elixirs, but in order to test the effect, Song Yin and Zhang Fei Xuan each consumed one, confirming they indeed could satiate hunger and replenish human needs, and then he was reassured.
"Yes! Great Immortal!"
The leading Mortal excitedly stepped forward, carefully taking the bag of Elixir, then ran back to his line and began distributing two pills per person.
When the Elixir was taken out, it had already drawn the attention of the Disciples.
Nothing else, the fragrance of the medicine was strong, and by looking at its color, it was indeed a good Elixir.
One of the Mortals eagerly swallowed the Elixir as soon as he received it, and in just a moment, he let out a relieved sigh.
His face, pale from long-term malnutrition, was actually somewhat rosy at that moment.
At this instant, he was full and even seemed to have absorbed some nutrients, showing rapid effect.
"Good, good stuff! I even feel my mind has cleared up a lot," he exclaimed excitedly.
The others followed suit, swallowing the Elixirs, and instantly their spirit and energy seemed much replenished.
And the lone Youth in the Mortals, after swallowing the Elixir, couldn't believe his luck as he stuck out his tongue and jumped a few times, his eyes widening, "I, I'm not in pain anymore, no more pain!"
```
He strode forward, running wildly across the square for a distance, then threw his fists and feet about in a haphazard fashion; thereafter, he grimaced, covered his mouth, and coughed a few times.
"It's lessened, it's not as painful anymore..." Joy of near madness shone in the youth's eyes.
Song Yin said with a chuckle, "If you are ill, I can't guarantee a complete cure, but I can assure you it will alleviate a lot. Take the medicine daily, and one day it will surely heal."
The roots and stems of wild vegetables certainly possess medicinal properties; isn't alchemy about extracting the essence within them? By magnifying those most minute characteristics, the healing effect can naturally be achieved.
The youth rejoiced for a while, but soon, his eyes dulled.
He approached Song Yin, swallowed with difficulty, and suddenly knelt on both knees, holding his hands out in front of himself as if waiting for Song Yin to bestow something onto him...
The remaining mortals knelt down like the youth, their heads lowered, their expressions gradually numbing.
Seeing this, Song Yin was baffled, "What are you doing?"
"Great, Great Immortal..."
The youth said tremulously, "We beseech the Great Immortal to grant us a token..."
Song Yin turned to Zhang Fei Xuan. "Junior Brother?"
"Senior Brother, you should give them a token for them to make offerings. This is what we of the 'Righteous Path' should do," Zhang Fei Xuan said with a chuckle, heavily stressing the words 'Righteous Path'.
"What token?"
Song Yin furrowed his brows. "What token does our Jinxian Sect have for offerings? Hunyuan Tianzun?"
"That's for us cultivators to offer to, oh my, it's like that with the Green Lotus..."
The words abruptly stopped.
Zhang Fei Xuan clamped his mouth shut as his eyes darted about, saying, "It's just about giving them a token to set a contract, indicating we're now protecting these mortals."
"Oh..."
Song Yin nodded thoughtfully, looking at the youth, "No token is needed, nor such things. Stand up."
"No, no token?"
The youth was incredulous, nearly bursting into tears, "Great Immortal, we know we're not qualified for cultivation, but we're sincerely offering you our devotion..."
"Great Immortal, we really are offering our sincere devotion!"
The mortals behind him almost cried too, their heads banging against the ground.
"Didn't I say it is unnecessary to make offerings? What in the world are you doing? Everyone, stand up!"
Song Yin's eyebrows shot up as white Qi surged around him. He bellowed, and the white Qi radiated from his body, sending out ripples of force that made the bodies of the mortals tremble, causing them to stand up unconsciously.
Song Yin glanced over them, saying, "I, Song Yin, always stand by my word. If I say I'll protect you, I will protect you. Moreover, we've already reached an agreement yesterday. Don't you trust me, Song Yin?"
The mortals did not answer, only keeping their heads down.
Song Yin sighed in resignation and turned to Zhang Fei Xuan, "Junior Brother, bring out the tools we prepared yesterday."
Zhang Fei Xuan did as told and fetched the cloths, mops, and brooms that Song Yin had conjured and piled up inside the great hall, placing them in the square.
Song Yin continued, "The Sect protects you, and you will also work for the Sect. This is the contract we agreed upon yesterday, which is mutually beneficial. There is no need to kneel. If you really need a token..."
He pointed to the tools: "These are your tokens. Starting today, you are in charge of the cleaning duties for the Jinxian Sect. Do you understand? Now, take the tools and start cleaning from the side halls. Go!"
"Yes, yes... Great Immortal."
The youth stuttered, nervously picking up a broom. Following his lead, the other mortals did likewise, picking up their tools. The group slowly headed towards the side halls, looking back every three steps and turning around every five.
Song Yin shook his head. "We've already set down the rules, yet they beg for a token. Junior Brother, did we ever give out tokens to people like these before?"
"We certainly don't have that tradition," Zhang Fei Xuan responded.
Granting tokens was a practice of the Righteous Path. When they encountered mortals, they would typically lure them to the mountain and directly hand them over to their Master or Zhao Yuanhua, after which they had nothing more to do with them.
Just like the Green Lotus Sect, where each household is offering to the Green Lotus Ancestral Mother...
However, Song Yin labeled that as the Demonic Path, which made Zhang Fei Xuan dare not speak further on the matter.
Seeing Song Yin's frown grow deeper, Zhang Fei Xuan hurriedly added, "Senior Brother, the elixir is after all a treasure. To mortals, just ensuring their health is already a great kindness. Seeking a token is also a way for them to feel at ease."
"It seems mortals hold deep misunderstandings towards our Cultivation Sects. Look at Master, he never said anything about needing to provide a token. Even Hunyuan Tianzun, whom you say we of the Alchemical Faction should offer to, only receives offerings from one person. Even Master doesn't make offerings."
Song Yin remarked, "Besides, when Master accepted me into his fold, I only knelt once, signifying the mentor-disciple relationship. Later, when Master passed down the true methods, it was only after testing my Lianqi Realm that he decided, without making me kneel. This shows that our Jinxian Sect really doesn't follow such practices."
He smiled, "Master's intent is the direction we should be pursuing."
"Yes, yes... Senior Brother is absolutely right," Zhang Fei Xuan said dryly.
He was getting a bit confused.
Kneeling was the cheapest thing of all...
If a simple kneel could guarantee a full stomach every day without illness or harm, then what's the harm in a single kneel?