The Dormitory Dilemma and the Hot Spring’s Allure

“Choosing a dormitory…”

At the fork in the mountain path, Lin Tian faced a significant dilemma: should he choose the female dormitory or the male one?

“Is something wrong, Brother Luo Tian?” the stout young man asked, turning back.

“I’m fine. You two go on ahead,” he replied.

Luo Tao, understanding his predicament, urged the stout young man to return first.

“Sakura, perhaps you shouldn’t keep up the male disguise. Just go to the female dorm,” Luo Tao suggested.

“It’s fine,” Lin Tian shook his head. “I heard that inner disciples have their own housing, provided they pass tomorrow’s assessment.”

“Ah, alright then…” Luo Tao’s face flushed. Didn’t that imply he might end up sharing a room with his sister?

****

“You lucky dog! You actually managed to pass the selection! My brother and I both got our legs injured because of you. How are you going to compensate us?”

By the roadside, the four brothers had once again cornered the thin youth. Other disciples, seeing this, quickly gave them a wide berth.

“I—I didn’t injure you! Get out of my way!”

The youth tried to leave, but he was shoved back.

“You dare talk back? It seems you need a good lesson to understand the consequences of stealing from us!”

“Wait, Big Brother,” one of the younger brothers interjected.

“What is it?”

Following his subordinate’s gaze, the leader saw Lin Tian and Luo Tao in the distance. Their eyes met, and the leader instantly averted his own.

“Hmph, let’s go,” he scoffed.

Once the four had departed, the youth let out a huge sigh of relief, looking at Lin Tian and Luo Tao as if they were saviors.

“Hey, brothers, carrying so many things? Let me help you with them,” the youth called out, rushing over.

Luo Tao gave him a strange look, then cautioned, “Whoa! Be careful. Don’t break anything inside.”

The youth acknowledged him, then continued, seemingly to himself, “My name is Zhang Yu, and I’m from the village. From now on, we’re fellow disciples. It’s a good thing I was chosen, otherwise, walking for over a month would have been in vain.”

“What?! You walked all the way here alone?” Luo Tao exclaimed, astonished. Bandits and wild beasts outside were not easy to deal with; making it here was truly impressive.

“I was lucky. I didn’t run into any serious dangers…” Zhang Yu replied.

“Oh, right, you’re choosing dorms, aren’t you? Can I join you?”

“Absolutely not!” Luo Tao flatly refused. The youth immediately pleaded:

“Please, senior brothers, those four earlier seemed terrified of you. If you hadn’t come, I surely would have been beaten black and blue…”

Luo Tao ignored him completely. He had no intention of letting an extra person stay with Lin Tian.

“Alright,” Lin Tian quietly agreed.

“Hey!” Luo Tao started, but was cut off.

“Really?! Thank you, senior brother!” The youth’s face lit up with surprise. With their protection, he wouldn’t fear his enemies coming to find him.

Luo Tao, standing beside them, wanted to say something, but ultimately acquiesced.

The dormitories housed four people per room, with four beds. The stout young man had already found an empty room and waved them over.

After setting down their luggage, the exhausted group collapsed onto their beds, falling into a deep sleep. Lin Tian, however, wasn’t particularly tired, so he ventured out alone for a stroll.

Not far from the dorms was a reward platform, where many disciples in white robes were gathered, examining it.

“Reward platform?” Lin Tian also walked closer to observe.

There was an explanation beside the platform:

[Reward missions can only be accepted by inner disciples; outer disciples are assigned randomly. Each disciple must complete at least one reward mission per month.]

[Anyone can post missions, not limited to within the sect.]

“So, people from down the mountain can also post missions here,” Lin Tian nodded, comprehending.

The difficulty and danger level of a mission determined the reward’s value.

The rewards were Merit Points, which could be exchanged for martial arts manuals, weapons, elixirs, even silver, inner disciple slots, elder positions…

Everything could be exchanged. Even food and lodging fees had to be paid with Merit Points.

‘How incredibly stingy…’ he thought. He then scanned the mission board, which displayed numerous mission descriptions and their corresponding rewards.

[Escort a merchant caravan to Tianyuan Town. Reward: 300 Merit Points. Recommended: 5+ people.]

[Clear out a bandit hideout. Reward: 1000 Merit Points. Recommended: 20+ people.]

[Hunt wild beasts in the mountains. Reward: 200 Merit Points. Accept if confident.]

After a brief glance, he noted that these were all missions for inner disciples, carrying high prices. One hundred Merit Points, if converted to Earth currency, was roughly ten thousand yuan.

There were also simpler chores, such as [Carry ten vats of water. Reward: 2 Merit Points], [Tend to the medicinal fields for one day. Reward: 2 Merit Points], [Wash clothes], [Chop firewood]…

****

Aside from the female dormitory, Lin Tian explored every other area. Finally, he arrived at the Library Pavilion, which piqued his interest, and he stepped forward.

“Hmm? Who’s there?” An old man meditating at the entrance opened his eyes, inquiring upon seeing his unfamiliar face.

“Greetings, Elder. I am a newly inducted disciple. May I enter and peruse the books?”

Lin Tian bowed respectfully, and the elder’s expression softened.

“Newly inducted? No wonder you look unfamiliar. The sect issued uniforms, didn’t they? Remember to wear yours later.”

“Uh… alright.” In truth, he hadn’t had a chance to change clothes, as others were still in the dorm.

“Entering the Library Pavilion to read requires Merit Points. As a newcomer, you have none, so silver coins can be used as an alternative.”

Money, Lin Tian had plenty of. His parents had given him a substantial amount before he left, though he hadn’t let Luo Tao know.

Just then, a disciple in white robes walked past. He paid no mind to the elder, striding directly into the Library Pavilion.

“This… why?” Lin Tian wondered, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

“Inner disciples are permitted to read for one hour each day,” the elder explained, knowing what he was about to ask.

Lin Tian nodded, then pulled a gold ingot from his pocket and tossed it to the old man.

“Ho! This lad is quite generous. Go on in. That money should cover ten days,” the old man chuckled inwardly, tucking the ingot into his sleeve.

Upon entering the study, Lin Tian found fewer books than he had imagined, scattered haphazardly on the shelves. He had expected something akin to a library, but it seemed he had overestimated.

He randomly picked up a few to examine: Formless Shadow Rod, Heavenly Finger, Seven Injuries Fist, Ten Thousand Willow Wind Palm Art…

These were all cultivation techniques and secret manuals. He had hoped to find a method for immortal cultivation, but it seemed impossible here. He could only wait for an opportunity, focusing on improving his strength as much as possible for now.

His physical strength was already sufficient; the medicinal soups he had drunk over the years were not plain water. His only weakness was speed.

After searching for a while, Lin Tian found several secret manuals for increasing agility. He examined each one, ultimately selecting two that he found satisfactory:

Cloud-Treading Steps and Flowing Body Movement.

He first flipped through Cloud-Treading Steps. It described moving as if drifting on the wind, without exerting force from the feet, flowing with one’s will.

“It requires… standing on tiptoe?”

Lin Tian quickly finished reading. At first, he found it somewhat subtle, but after a while, it began to feel rather mystical.

This footwork, once mastered, would make one’s legs feel nonexistent, allowing one to float to their desired destination. This left him half in doubt.

Next, he examined Flowing Body Movement, which demanded extreme body flexibility. It taught evading enemy attacks with minimal movement and avoiding being trapped in close-quarters combat.

The techniques were numerous and required extensive practice. Once mastered, the body would become like flowing water, capable of easily dodging even the densest attacks…

Lin Tian remained in the study until nightfall before emerging. Instead of returning to the dorm, he headed towards the mountain peak.

There were numerous hot springs above Mount Bakufu, and he chose a time when the disciples were asleep to sneak up.

Along the way, he reflected on the cultivation techniques from the books, feeling a strong urge to try them out. However, he felt too embarrassed to practice on the spot; running around on tiptoes would be far too strange…

He washed his face in a low-lying spot, letting his white hair fall over his shoulders. He certainly wouldn’t go to the hot springs used by male disciples; being discovered would be disastrous.

The trees on the mountain thinned, giving way to bare rock, and a heavy mist of white steam was already drifting from the hot springs even before he reached them.

‘Natural open-air hot springs? I never even tried one in my previous life…’