Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

The crimson sun began its ascent, casting down rays of golden light.

Outside Yongning City, Zhu Huaishan boarded a southbound carriage, then poked his head out and waved to Zhao Lin.

"My disciple, don’t see me off any further. You should hurry to the sect."

Zhao Lin nodded firmly. "Master, when will you be back?"

"In a couple of years, I expect. I’m going to pass the cultivation techniques and medicinal formulas to Gao Yuan, and I’ll come back once he’s able to support the Liuhe Sect by himself."

"Then please be careful on your journey."

"Don’t worry. These old bones of your master can still take a bit of a beating..."

The driver cracked his whip, and the carriage wheels began to turn with speed.

Zhao Lin stood there for a long time. Only after the carriage had shrunk to a tiny black dot on the horizon did he turn and head back toward the city.

Yongning City was the largest prefectural capital in the northern provinces, home to several million people. It boasted thirteen outer gates and nine inner gates, earning it the nickname "Nine Inner, Thirteen Outer."

If he went around the city to reach the Xingyun Sect, the journey would take at least an hour longer.

Zhao Lin cut through the city. After a quick glance at the distant mountains to confirm his direction, he broke into a sprint.

After about the time it takes for three incense sticks to burn, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.

The Xingyun Sect was nestled amidst a circle of peaks, surrounded by lush, verdant forests. As he approached the mountain gate, a tranquil, ancient aura washed over him.

The area was quiet today, with only a few Xingyun Sect disciples on patrol before the mountain.

"Excuse me, talented friend. Might you be Junior Brother Zhao Lin?"

A man in black was sitting on the stone steps. When he saw Zhao Lin, he immediately stood to greet him, clasping his fists in salute.

The man was in his thirties, of average height, with a ramrod straight posture and a pair of piercing, spirited eyes.

’I just got to Yongning City and I don’t know a soul,’ Zhao Lin thought. ’How did this man find me?’

"I am Zhao Lin. Do you know me?"

Ma Chaoxian cracked a smile. "I am Ma Chaoxian, the Master of Yongning City’s Haoyue Martial Arts Hall. Dare I ask, are you a new disciple of the Wuxiang Institute?"

Zhao Lin raised an eyebrow, having a good idea of the man’s intentions. "I am. Is there something you need?"

Ma Chaoxian smiled. "Our Haoyue Martial Arts Hall is newly founded, and we were hoping to hire Junior Brother Zhao as a Head Instructor. What do you say?"

Zhao Lin mulled it over for a moment. "Where is your hall located?"

A Head Instructor was the equivalent of a guest professor from his past life, visiting the martial arts hall from time to time to teach martial arts.

Generally, a Head Instructor was a locally famous martial artist. The hall would use their name to attract and recruit students.

More students meant more tuition fees, and it also made it easier to expand one’s network and business connections.

A disciple from the Xingyun Sect’s Wuxiang Institute was, naturally, an excellent name to have on your sign.

Zhao Lin didn’t turn him down flat because he genuinely needed the money.

Back in Qinghe County, he had saved up a good amount of money. The rewards from quashing bandits alone had amounted to over a thousand taels of silver.

However, his expenses over the past month had been massive.

When he left Qinghe County, Zhao Lin had given Liang Song two hundred taels so he could continue his training without having to start working for a martial arts hall too soon.

His entire family had made the long trek here, and the cost of transport and lodging along the way was considerable.

Upon arriving in Yongning City, he had bought a house, and training at the Xingyun Sect also required payment...

Although he still had savings, with money only going out and none coming in, it was bound to run out eventually.

Being a Head Instructor at a martial arts hall was indeed a good option—it wasn’t dangerous, and it wouldn’t demand too much of his energy.

Reading his expression, Ma Chaoxian knew he had a chance and smiled. "The hall is on Zhidao Street, near Qingliang Gate. It’s not far from here."

"If Junior Brother Zhao is willing to join us, our hall will offer you a twenty-percent stake, plus a monthly stipend of one hundred taels of silver."

Zhao Lin thought it over. The terms were good, but a few things needed to be made clear up front.

"I am a disciple of the Xingyun Sect. I cannot teach its martial arts to outsiders..."

"Of course!"

Ma Chaoxian replied magnanimously, "We would never make such an unreasonable demand! All we ask is that Junior Brother Zhao comes by a few days a month to give the students some pointers and make an appearance. That would be more than enough."

With that, he pulled a pouch of silver from his robes. "Here is the first two months’ stipend. Please, Junior Brother, accept it."

Zhao Lin didn’t reach for it, shaking his head. "There’s no rush to accept the money. We can talk about it after I’ve had a chance to visit your hall."

He needed to see the place for himself to be sure. Otherwise, if he got involved with people of ill intent who used the Xingyun Sect’s name to swindle others, the trouble wouldn’t be worth it.

"Very well. Junior Brother Zhao is a cautious man. I won’t disturb you any further."

Ma Chaoxian didn’t press the issue. He put the silver away and took his leave.

Zhao Lin walked to the mountain gate, presented his jade tablet to the disciple on guard, and after asking for the location of the Wuxiang Institute, started up the mountain.

The mountain path was lined with clusters of buildings, their gray-green bricks and dark tiles creating an elegant, distinctive sight.

The Outer Courtyard was near the base of the mountain, the Inner Courtyard was halfway up, and the summit housed the residences of the Sect Leader, elders, deacons, and other high-ranking members of the Xingyun Sect.

The Wuxiang Institute wasn’t far from the Inner Courtyard. It was divided into five sections, which from a distance made it resemble a giant starfish.

Zhao Lin knew the Wuxiang Institute had five departments—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—and guessed the layout corresponded to them.

In the center of the "starfish" was a large, empty hall. A long, wide mahogany table sat in the middle, and behind it sat a middle-aged man with graying temples.

When they had come down the mountain yesterday, Hu Xuancheng had already informed the disciples of the procedure. So, upon reaching the Wuxiang Institute, Zhao Lin walked directly into the main hall.

"And you are?"

the middle-aged man asked as Zhao Lin entered.

"Zhao Lin, a new disciple," Zhao Lin said, presenting his jade tablet.

The middle-aged man grunted in acknowledgment. "Ah, I know you," he said with a smile. "Elder Water Mirror gave special instructions today that you must be sent to the Water Mirror Department."

Zhao Lin caught the undertone in his words. "Senior Brother," he asked, "are you saying I could choose a different department?"

"Precisely."

The middle-aged man nodded. "The human body contains the qi of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. For most people, their Five Qi are balanced, so it doesn’t make much difference which main Cultivation Technique they choose."

"But there’s a small minority who are naturally suited to a specific Cultivation Technique. That’s why some disciples, after reaching the Qi Realm, find their cultivation stagnating for years and decide to switch to a different technique."

"And the result?" Zhao Lin asked quickly.

"Nine times out of ten, it’s a losing bet," the middle-aged man sighed, as if speaking from personal experience.

"I’ll go to the Water Mirror Department then."

Zhao Lin had discussed it with his master yesterday. His martial progress was going smoothly; there was no need to change his Cultivation Technique and waste his time.

"Alright. Give me your tablet."

The middle-aged man took Zhao Lin’s jade tablet, pulled a carving knife from a drawer, and swiftly engraved Zhao Lin’s name on it. Next to the name, he carved the character for "Water."

Zhao Lin watched this and felt a wave of complex emotions.

’This man is clearly a martial artist, yet here he is doing clerical work.’

’Such is the path of a martial artist,’ he thought. ’Either you cultivate all the way to the Primordial Realm and become a true master in the eyes of the world, or you stall at a certain realm and get bogged down in mundane affairs.’

The middle-aged man finished carving the tablet and handed it back to Zhao Lin. "The monthly fee for medicinal supplies is twenty taels. You can pay for a year now."

The Liuhe Sect’s monthly tuition was only two taels, but the Xingyun Sect charged twenty.

It wasn’t that the Xingyun Sect was trying to profit from this. The reality was that with an operation so large and several thousand disciples, if the sect covered all expenses, the disciples would likely have to find outside work to survive, just like apprentices at a martial arts hall, and wouldn’t be able to focus on their cultivation.

"Can I pay for just half a year to start?"

Zhao Lin asked after a moment’s thought. ’Maybe I’ll have broken through to the Blood Realm in six months. Wouldn’t paying for a full year be a waste then?’