Chapter 157: 120. Three treatments of Lingyin Peak, Wisdom schemes for the best (4K words, seeking monthly tickets)_2
However, Xu Xing seemed like an unconcerned person, his eyes clear and showing no trace of greed.
He knocked on the door and entered.
The Zen Room was simply furnished. A Shrine three feet high was placed against the wall, enshrining a statue of the Three-life Buddha. There was an Incense Table in front of the Buddha, with a Three-legged Round Cauldron serving as an incense burner.
Indoors, the fragrance of Sandalwood lingered.
An Old Monk was sitting in meditation on a Lotus Meditation Seat.
"Please, Junior Brother Xu, have a seat."
As if hearing the door moving, the Old Monk turned around, waved his hand, and an extra Cushion appeared.
"Xuanzheng True Lord..."
Xu Xing paid his respects and then obediently sat down.
"Xuanji Temple is one of the 108 temples under my Lingyin Peak. Miaofeng has sent me several letters in praise of you..."
"Lingyin Peak cultivates Buddhism and is the least influenced by the power of Aristocratic Families among all the peaks."
Upon meeting, Xuanzheng True Lord didn’t discuss other matters much. He briefly explained the connection between Xu Xing and Lingyin Peak and then spoke of the advantages of joining Lingyin Peak.
Less influence from the Aristocratic Families meant that meritocracy prevailed in Lingyin Peak.
This was extremely important for the Commoner Disciples who were Geniuses of the Sect.
What they lacked was a platform to showcase their talents.
As for Miaofeng, he was the Grey-robed old monk of Xuanji Temple.
"Thank you for informing me, True Lord..."
Xu Xing nodded in agreement.
When Xuanzheng True Lord paused, Xu Xing brought up a topic himself, "After building my Immortal Base, I first went to the Lu Shi Pavilion, where my fellow Senior Brothers kindly assigned me a Xuanjing Abode in Biyuan Mountain. I did not stay in the Dan Lu of Lingyin Peak, and Biyuan Mountain is three thousand miles away from the Immortal Palace..."
"I’m afraid it might be inconvenient for the True Lord to find me in the future..."
"I felt I must inform the True Lord."
Xuanzheng True Lord was merely the Returning Core Cultivator who received him, an elder of a rank somewhat higher than a Deacon.
He was not the Master Xu Xing wished to acknowledge.
The Master and Disciple Lineage was merely a general term to distinguish it from the Family Lines. It was like the ’clear currents’ and ’muddy streams’ in the Imperial Court—a matter of factional struggle. The Aristocratic Families maintained their status through blood ties, while the Master and Disciple Lineage was more like Freelance Cultivators within the Sect.
Although not many disciples acknowledged masters with great Cultivation, the bond between master and disciple was no less than the bloodline inheritance of the Aristocratic Families.
Perhaps even stronger!
After all, only one or two disciples could inherit the mantle, but there were countless relatives in the bloodline.
"A Xuanjing Abode, Biyuan Mountain?"
Xuanzheng True Lord, who had been about to speak, paused.
What he had just said about Lingyin Peak being less influenced by the Aristocratic Families implied that Xu Xing joining Lingyin Peak was a great gain for Xu Xing.
This was a veiled attempt to devalue and admonish Xu Xing.
Lingyin Peak did not lack Resources, but they would not be taken for fools for nothing.
While providing Resources for disciples, Lingyin Peak would definitely want to invest one part and get two in return.
However, Xu Xing immediately grasped the deeper meaning and stated that he could obtain a Xuanjing Abode even without Lingyin Peak’s help.
The implication was clear: Not all Commoner Disciples were the same!
Even without Lingyin Peak as a platform, Xu Xing himself could make it to the end. The journey might be harder, but that didn’t mean it was a dead end. Of course, this was just a bargaining tactic; it didn’t mean Xu Xing really intended to leave Lingyin Peak and go it alone.
Saying this was more to show that he came to Lingyin Peak because he honored his commitment and was willing to reciprocate.
"Furthermore..."
Xu Xing paused, "True Lord Song and I may have some past grievances from the Mortal World. Therefore, when True Lord Song sent Fairy Yu Xue with a gift to congratulate me on building my Immortal Base, I did not refuse. Moreover, I returned the Nine Fragrance Jade Pill that True Lord Song had previously given me to Fairy Yu Xue, to exchange for a pill for the Immortal Foundation Realm..."
"Such a move might be seen as currying favor."
"When I was in the Mortal World, I took a descendant of Song Knife into my palace as a concubine..."
"If there are conflicts between Lingyin Peak and True Lord Song, please inform me early so that I can make preparations."
Both matters could highlight his own value.
The former revealed his connections, which were not limited to Commoner Disciples. The latter, mending relations with Song Knife, showed that he did not rush to use Lingyin Peak as a shield and did not act hastily when facing danger. Besides, wasn’t befriending Song Knife tantamount to attaching himself to another "Aristocratic Family"?
Although Song Knife was not as prominent as any of the renowned Aristocratic Families in the Sect...
Song Knife also didn’t have so many children to cultivate.
THUMP. THUMP.
The Wooden Fish in front of Xuanzheng True Lord suddenly sounded, and Xu Xing’s words stopped accordingly. Xuanzheng True Lord nodded slightly, "Junior Brother Xu is thorough in his actions. Lingyin Peak will only be gratified and will not interfere. On the ancient Immortal Journey, both aptitude and mentality are essential. With such a mindset, your future is bright."
"When this old monk received the Peak Master’s decree, the Peak Master had already informed me..."
"Your treatment can be assessed at three levels."
"If you merely seek opportunities cleverly and fear power and authority, you can only be granted lower-grade treatment."
"If your mind is calm and tranquil, without anger or resentment, you can be granted middle-grade treatment."
"If you leverage situations for clear benefits, daring to strive and seize what you want, you can be granted upper-grade treatment."
With that said, he took out three Jade Boxes from the cabinet below the Shrine. On the surface of each Jade Box was a Gold character: ’Upper,’ ’Middle,’ or ’Lower.’
"This is the upper-grade treatment, Junior Brother, please take it."
Xuanzheng True Lord put the Jade Boxes marked "Middle" and "Lower" into his Jade Belt, only pushing the Jade Box marked "Upper" in front of Xu Xing.
"Upper-grade treatment?"
Xu Xing was slightly moved and took the Jade Box.
This was something that hadn’t occurred in his Fate Deduction. Presumably, in that Fate Deduction, he hadn’t received Jiang Yan’s help and thus hadn’t obtained the Xuanjing Abode at Biyuan Mountain.
Sometimes, people’s hearts are hard to predict. Maybe in the Fate Deduction, although Jiang Yan intended to befriend Xu Xing, he was still unwilling to invest more resources...
Or perhaps, his Nine Luminaries Immortal Fate had improved his immortal luck somewhat. That’s how he gained Jiang Yan’s regard and was assigned this Xuanjing Abode at Biyuan Mountain.
Xuanzheng True Lord was now talking about the three-tiered rating for treatment. Although he only mentioned differences in mindset, Xu Xing suspected something else. If he hadn’t deliberately steered the conversation to Biyuan Mountain and his ’reconciliation’ with Song Knife, perhaps Xuanzheng True Lord wouldn’t have taken out these three Jade Boxes and given him the one marked ’Upper.’
"A Land Lease for a three-acre Spiritual Farmland on Lingyin Peak..."
"The subsequent Cultivation Method of the Eight-Armed Vajra Sutra: the Great Sun True Scripture."
"And an idle position in the Inner Sect; you only need to register your name to receive an annual salary, sufficient for one hundred years, totaling 213,400 Spirit Shells..."
"Also, a promise of a High-Grade Dinguang Talisman at the Late Immortal Foundation Stage."
Xu Xing opened the Jade Box, glanced at the treasures inside, and immediately felt much more cheerful.
The first benefit, the three-acre Spiritual Farmland, was invaluable. Even if he just leased it to other disciples, the guaranteed annual income would be nearly a thousand Spirit Shells. If he managed it carefully himself, planting only common spirit fruits, the income would double.
The second benefit, the subsequent Cultivation Method for the Eight-Armed Vajra Sutra, wasn’t particularly noteworthy. With his Bright King Body, and by joining Lingyin Peak, obtaining the subsequent Cultivation Method for the Eight-Armed Vajra Sutra wouldn’t be difficult. The Great Sun True Scripture was likely included in every grade of Jade Box.
The third benefit was similar to the courtyard sweeping duty Jiang Yan had arranged for him. However, while courtyard sweeping was a desirable assignment for Outer Sect Disciples, it was not so for Inner Sect Disciples.
The last benefit, the High-Grade Dinguang Talisman, pertained to the ’Xuanguang Talisman’ cultivation in the Late Immortal Foundation Stage. Having a High-Grade Dinguang Talisman could help him shorten the cultivation time by 20%.
Giving up on plundering the second-grade and third-grade Morning Glows from Purple Magpie Valley... It was precisely because I was confident that after entering the Inner Sect, I wouldn’t lack these tens of thousands of Spirit Shells...
Recalling Elder Shi’s words that day, Xu Xing swept away any lingering reluctance in his mind regarding those thirty or forty thousand Spirit Shells.
No more regrets!
"Are you satisfied with the treatment from Lingyin Peak, Junior Brother Xu?"
Seeing Xu Xing withdraw his gaze from the Jade Box, Xuanzheng True Lord asked with a smile.
For an Immortal Genius disciple, no peak would be stingy with Resources for cultivation. Giving Xu Xing such good treatment was not an exception in the Flying Feather Immortal Palace.
Some Aristocratic Young Masters had even better starting points than Xu Xing.