In Hou Niao's waiting, a Daoist with hands behind his back holding a scroll strolled out.
His black hair was like silk, his eyes like stars and moons, his figure like a spear, diagonally carrying a sword bag.
Looking at Hou Niao, he nodded and said warmly, "Fufeng's Hou Niao? I am Li Chuping, one of the three main officials of this Quanzhen major recruitment. No need to be nervous, just relax."
Hou Niao formally saluted, recognizing him as a true elder, "I greet the Daoist, may I know when the test begins?"
Chuping the Daoist waved his hand, "Not in a hurry, not in a hurry. Let me ask you, the prayer in Anhe, what exactly happened?"
Hou Niao cautiously answered, "My realm is lowly, and my knowledge shallow; I can only recount the events, but the underlying principles remain obscure to me, bizarre and inexplicable..."
Chuping the Daoist chuckled, "I'm only asking for the process, not expecting anything else..."
Hou Niao recounted what happened that day in full detail, neither exaggerating nor concealing anything except for the impact it had on him personally; he didn't believe any Daoist secrets were involved.
After listening, Chuping the Daoist felt there was some aftertaste to the story but didn't continue questioning; expecting him to sense the deep intentions of fate was indeed too difficult for such a minor pulse.
"...So it turns out you killed a man during the prayer process. I was wondering why the Daoist sect disregarded you so easily; now I see why."
"He tried to seize my body; that left me no choice!"
With that, things became clear. Given his character and temperament, he indeed was not favored by the Daoist sect, with low realm and impulsive murderous tendencies not fitting the Daoist's norms of recruiting disciples. However, this seemingly impulsive choice was also a calculated move.
The major recruitment by Quanzhen was driven by circumstances, as the higher-ups felt the storms brewing on the continent and decided to take preemptive actions. So-called Demon Sects like theirs had their own awkwardness in recruiting;
Most of their disciples were cultivated from a young age, loyal yes, but not necessarily able to become true members of the Sword Dao. It's all about individual disposition; if it's not suitable, it's not suitable.
The wild nature of the loose cultivators they recruited from outside, although full of murderous intent, entered halfway through, unruly and stubborn, with quite a few harboring conflicting dreams under the same roof. It's a contradictory situation.
But when a storm is brewing, battle is inevitable, and combat power is fundamental for a sect; that's the reason for their grand recruitment this time.
There were also many unspoken elements. For example, Quanzhen somewhat relaxed their standards quietly this time, leading to some unsuitable loose cultivators joining, especially some notorious criminals.
It was a necessary evil; even within the Quanzhen Sect there were divisions, with opinions not being unified, leading to constant disputes. These matters are not for outsiders to discuss.
This Hou Niao, with a more proper demeanor among the uncommon loose cultivators, caught the attention of the Capital Commandant's spy office after messages from Jiangyou Town came for collaboration. Being the head official of the Capital Commandant's mansion, he found this man's life intriguing and thus took an interest in his talent,
Looking at him now, aside from his lower realm, he seemed a suitable candidate for a Sword Cultivator seed.
His own preference was for such ancient spirited characters.
"Body seizing, this so-called practice, is but a nebulous legend with barely any successful cases, yet it brings endless troubles; especially during a prayer process, I have never heard of a successful case.
However, in the circles of loose cultivators, there are countless such legends, merely harboring a glimmer of hope, a major taboo in cultivation. What you encountered was probably a crude method learned from nowhere, harmful to others and oneself, a trouble brought upon by oneself."
Hou Niao felt that this Daoist had a very approachable attitude, though somewhat verbose, repeatedly asking him irrelevant questions, including cultivation techniques, cultivation, precautions during the Energy Induction phase, etc., but never discussing when the examination would start?
He patiently juggled the conversation. The Daoist didn't say, and he couldn't very well ask directly, could he? With countless loose cultivators coming to try their luck at this major Quanzhen recruitment, could they afford to give attention to everyone?
An hour later, Chuping the Daoist waved his hand, "Go to the outer mansion of Sword Mansion and wait for news. There have been quite a few Daoists coming during this time. To ensure fairness, announcing the results will take nearly a month. Take this time to cultivate well; your three Energy Induction Cultivation Techniques are good. Personally, I would advise that since you have started, it is not advisable to change."
Hou Niao was a bit stunned. Was this a dismissal?
He truly couldn't help himself. "Daoist, I haven't even undergone the Sword Grit assessment yet?"
Chuping the Daoist laughed in disbelief, "An assessment? No need for that! Your experiences have already said it all!
Killing a man outright in Fufeng shows righteousness, beheading the shrimp general in the Six Plates represents fearing no oppressor, and retaliating in prayer is wise self-preservation... These, these are what Sword Grit is all about!
"Do you think I'd summon a head demon just to prove it? You underestimate the means of our Quanzhen too much."
Hou Niao breathed a sigh of relief; this Daoist liked to leave his statements half-finished, always leaving others anxious.
"Thank you, Daoist, for your approval!"
Chuping nodded in satisfaction, "You have approved yourself, no need to thank me. Also, let's keep such internal decisions among ourselves..."
Hou Niao tacitly understood.
As he left the courtyard, he sighed inwardly. There's Jianghu everywhere, even within the Cultivation Sects, without exception.
Clearly, he had been recruited under the faction of Chuping the Daoist, who belongs to the lineage of the master; the exact God above this lineage was unclear to him, but those below surely included the four lords of Jiangyou Town.
Joining a group was normal; appreciating oneself in solitude had no future, especially when one's own strength was lacking. Since joining a group was inevitable, wasn't the lineage of Chuping at least decent?
What right did he, a low-lying rebel, have to be picky?
The underlying message of Chuping the Daoist was clear; his Sword Grit was not a problem. What was problematic was his realm; having realm without grit is effeminate, having grit without realm is reckless, only having both grit and realm is truly powerful.
Cultivation is a comprehensive evaluation, differing only in focus, just like the difference between Dao and Demon. The Daoist Sects value realm more, while Quanzhen places emphasis on grit as the measure.
Wang the Daoist led him to the outer hall, a place in the Jin City Sword Mansion used for hosting fellow sect members, which now served as the reception for initiates.
Obviously, this fellow was also from Chuping the Daoist's line; with an impassive face, he handed over a bamboo slip,
"Amidst your cultivation, do not forget the founding principles of Quanzhen. Here are three sets of swordsmanship, the fundamental skills our sect has inherited over thousands of years. Do not regard them as mere mortal skills.
This is the foundation. Getting acquainted earlier is always beneficial. A cultivator who lacks a strong base in swordsmanship will never qualify as a competent Sword Cultivator."
Knowing this was Chuping's kindness, he did not refuse; it was inevitable, and just right for familiarizing himself with his new body's strength during this transformational stage.
"Thank you, Daoist; otherwise, my journey wouldn't have been so smooth."
Wang the Daoist chuckled, "No need to be so formal, just call me Elder Brother Wang. I'm very familiar with Fatty Pang and the others."
Hou Niao pondered for a moment, "Daoist Chuping, um, in Jin City is..."
Wang the Daoist knew what he was asking, "The three heroes of Jin City Quanzhen: Mu Shuai You Sunzhi, Central Lads Gao Jianli, Capital Commandant Li Chuping. They run the affairs of the entire Da Feng Plain on the Upper Continent."
Hou Niao nodded, it seems the Quanzhen Demon Sect has a close tie with this realm.
Wang the Daoist glanced at him, unsure why the Capital Commandant held this junior cultivator in such high regard and so alerted him:
"Capital Commandant Li's family is profoundly learned, a man of immense talent, not just in the Da Feng Plain but also famed throughout Shan Country. Here's a poem to prove it:
'The disciple of Lord Liu has Chuping. At nine, he studied in the Imperial Capital. Heaven and numerology are but tracks of birds to him, a legacy sword in his family is the spirit of the dragon...'"