29: Chapter 29 Pay to Join a Sect as a Mental Servant

The first child walked up to the mountain gate, and the bell in a young Disciple's hand suddenly rang.

"Only one sky sound bell rang. Your Aptitude is the lowest of the low. We will not accept you. Go back," Deacon Qin Wen announced expressionlessly.

The child's face fell, and he ran back in shame.

Since the first child was eliminated, everyone became nervous.

"Two sky sound bells rang. Your Aptitude is low-mid. We will not accept you. Go back."

So that bell was called a sky sound bell, a Magical Artifact capable of detecting a child's sensitivity to Spiritual Qi.

Only when three bells rang did it meet the standards of the Chiyan Sect.

Out of hundreds of children, most were eliminated, and only twenty were allowed up the mountain.

One child rang five bells, and the faces of the Chiyan Sect Disciples all showed joy.

When only a few people were left, Deacon Qin Wen finally noticed Xia Shaoxin at the back of the line and called out strangely, "Hey, why did you follow along?"

Xia Shaoxin said in a low voice, "I also want to join the Chiyan Sect."

As soon as these words were spoken, the parents behind him and the children near the mountain gate burst into laughter.

Deacon Qin Wen pulled a long face and shouted, "You are over the age limit! Are you here to cause trouble?"

With a light wave of his hand, Xia Shaoxin felt a powerful force rushing towards him; unable to stand steady, he stumbled back a few steps.

Is this the power of a Qi Refiner?

Xia Shaoxin was shocked; even if he ate a strength pill, he could not produce such a burst of Qi.

He immediately dared not move, watching helplessly as the last few children finished their tests.

Deacon Qin Wen announced loudly, "Children who pass the test will become formal Outer Sect Disciples of the Chiyan Sect. If you can successfully Cultivate Qi before the age of eighteen, you will be promoted to the Inner Sect. If you cannot, you will be sent home."

Cheers and sighs of grief immediately erupted outside the mountain gate.

Some were happy, while others were sorrowful.

Xia Shaoxin was very sad. A Bug Catcher is trapped in the poisonous miasma mountain region for a lifetime and never even knew there was such an opportunity to enter a Sect.

He had lived this long and only left home for the first time, yet he was already over the age limit.

Deacon Qin Wen continued to announce, "Listen well, children who were eliminated: those who had a reaction from the sky sound bell can also enter the Outer Sect as Probationary Disciples, but you need to pay one thousand taels of silver."

Hearing this heart-wrenching number, Xia Shaoxin couldn't help but be stunned.

Another one thousand taels!

"Both formal Outer Sect Disciples and Probationary Disciples will be taught methods to Cultivate. Those who pass the monthly assessment will receive one jade bamboo spirit leaf to help with their Cultivation."

"Everyone must think carefully. If you cannot Cultivate Qi within three years, you will still have to go home."

Three years, three thousand taels—how is it the same price as removing a Bug Catcher from the registry?

Everyone present was silent.

The eliminated children opened their large eyes, looking at the fathers who had brought them.

Most of the fathers looked elsewhere.

The people Xia Shaoxin had seen along his journey were as poor as the villagers of Liushu Ao, and far worse off than the Bug Catchers.

A family that could earn ten thousand copper coins a year was not considered poor.

By the end of the year, if they could afford a new set of clothes, they were considered to be doing well.

One thousand taels of silver was something they didn't even dare to imagine.

However, a few people on the spot raised their arms and shouted, "Deacon Qin Wen, I can pay this money."

They immediately pushed through the crowd and stepped forward to hand over the silver notes.

These people had already inquired clearly and made preparations, determined to send their children to Cultivate, to bring honor to their ancestors and glory to their family name.

Deacon Qin Wen collected the silver notes one by one and then announced, "This year's Disciple recruitment ceremony ends here. Everyone, please return home. There is no need to come next year."

The nine old men behind him moved in unison, retracting the Formation.

That charming halo of light disappeared, and the light in Xia Shaoxin's heart vanished along with it.

All Sects are the same; if the Chiyan Sect won't accept him, other Sects won't either.

Where should I go?

A chorus of low sighs came from the crowd.

Just at this moment, a person floated down from the mountain and landed in front of the mountain gate.

Deacon Qin Wen hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Deacon Wang, is something the matter?"

Wang Xinhao said to Deacon Qin Wen, "The Sect Head has ordered that many new houses have been built this year, and there are not enough Utility Disciples. Since there are many people today, we might as well recruit a few Utility Disciples."

Therefore, Deacon Qin Wen called out to the crowd, "Since you have all come, there is no need to have made the trip in vain. The Chiyan Sect needs to recruit Utility Disciples. It costs one thousand taels of silver per year. Those willing to come, as long as you can work, there is no age limit."

Xia Shaoxin hurriedly raised his hand and trotted over: "I, I, I am willing."

Deacon Qin Wen had just struck him with a palm, and felt he was a bit slow-witted.

Now, seeing that he was willing to pay to be a Utility Disciple, his impression improved slightly, and he nodded, saying, "You are quite determined to join the Chiyan Sect."

Xia Shaoxin said excitedly, "I will definitely work hard, I don't want money!"

Wang Xinhao's expression was a bit awkward, and he reminded him, "It is one thousand taels of silver per year."

Seeing their strange expressions, Xia Shaoxin thought of something and asked in surprise, "Could it be... that you aren't paying me one thousand taels of silver?"

A burst of laughter suddenly erupted all around.

Seeing that he was truly a blockhead, Deacon Qin Wen explained helplessly, "What are you thinking? You are a Utility Disciple; it is you who must pay the Chiyan Sect one thousand taels of silver every year!"

Wang Xinhao said, "Utility Disciples, apart from having to complete various chores every day, are the same as Outer Sect Probationary Disciples in other respects."

Xia Shaoxin discovered that there were at least a thousand people present, and it seemed he was the only one who hadn't inquired about the details.

He was purely a country bumpkin coming to the big city, making a fool of himself everywhere.

Seeing that Xia Shaoxin didn't take out any money, Deacon Qin Wen ignored him directly and shouted to the people behind him.

"Is there anyone else willing? The Chiyan Sect is not restricted by conventional standards; this is an opportunity."

There was a clamor below.

"Elder, you call this a Utility Disciple, but does adding the word 'Disciple' make them a real Disciple?"

"We have to pay our own way to join the Sect, and it's a huge sum of one thousand taels. We don't have that much money."

"That's right, can't you lower the silver amount, perhaps charge a few tens or a hundred, so we could scrape it together."

Those who had money had already paid and become Outer Sect Probationary Disciples.

Those without money no longer had any ideas.

The Chiyan Sect Disciples behind couldn't help but say, "Our Sect is not lacking in Disciples. If we don't set a condition, this place would be as noisy as a vegetable market every day."

A fifty-year-old old man said tremblingly, "I am willing, and I have the money. I wonder if that would work?"

Deacon Qin Wen's face turned green, and he didn't speak.

The wags behind the old man were very unkind and mocked him relentlessly.

"At your age, you can still do chores? Use this money to buy a good coffin; you'll be able to use it in a few years."

"At an age where you can't even pee straight, if you go up the mountain, who would be serving whom?"

The old man was drowned out by the spit of the crowd and shouted loudly, "My grandson is nine years old this year. Can't I let him be a Utility Disciple?"

Just a moment ago, his grandson hadn't even made one sky sound bell ring.

Deacon Qin Wen shook his head and said with a straight face, "What kind of chores can a nine-year-old do? Forget it, perhaps you can come back in ten years."

Wang Xinhao also roared with a dark face, "Utility Disciples must also be young, no older than twenty-five. At twenty-five, one absolutely cannot Cultivate Qi. Otherwise, our Chiyan Sect would truly just be swindling money."

Deacon Qin Wen said to Wang Xinhao, "Today they brought children to be tested. Even if they have young descendants at home, they didn't bring them along. Why don't you go to the nearby counties and announce it, and recruit Utility Disciples in a few days."

Both of them completely ignored Xia Shaoxin.

Unexpectedly, Xia Shaoxin was already clutching the silver notes in his hand.

He had scavenged three thousand taels from Liu Xinglong and hadn't spent much in these past few months.

"Two Seniors, I want to be a Utility Disciple."

Everyone's eyes widened instantly.

They never expected that this country bumpkin would actually have money!