Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Fang Lin’s arrival had also drawn the attention of some of the junior alchemy disciples.
“Look, is that Fang Lin?”
“That’s him. No matter how lazy he is, Fang Lin doesn’t dare miss the alchemy altar lesson either.”
“Heh-heh. He fell asleep during the previous lesson. I wonder what kind of a spectacle he is about to make of himself!”
“Who cares? He does nothing but idles away and waits for death. It is said that he is the Withered Tree Revived in the Spring Embodiment. Hmph! So what if he is gifted with excellent natural talents? He’s going to be buried if he doesn’t put in the effort.”
…
Fang Lin wore his ordinary expression and his usual carefree attitude. It was as if he was utterly oblivious to the jeering and ridiculing noises in the surroundings.
“Fang Lin, over here.” Lu Xiaoqing waved her hand at Fang Lin from a nearby area to beckon him to go over quickly. Jovially, he walked over quickly and took a seat next to her.
Lu Xiaoqing grumbled, “Why are you so late? You will be regarded as absent if you arrive when the lesson starts!”
Fang Lin sniggered and said, “I bumped into Elder Meng and got held up for a while. Look, I’m not late, am I now?”
Lu Xiaoqing had yet to reply when a youngster by her side suddenly said, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re here or not. Anyhow, you’re just going to doze off.”
Upon listening to his words, Fang Lin smiled just as before. He was not bothered by the remark, but Lu Xiaoqing, on the other hand, was furious. She glared at the boy and demanded, “Sun Hao, what are you trying to imply?”
Fang Lin advised from the side, “It’s okay. Junior Disciple Sun didn’t do it on purpose.”
Who would have known that Sun Hao had utterly no appreciation for Fang Lin’s kindness? On the contrary, he sneered and looked at Fang Lin disdainfully before saying, “Who doesn’t know that you, Fang Lin, are a good-for-nothing idling away and waiting for death? You have no desire to improve yourself despite having natural talents that you don’t use. You were even sleeping during the previous alchemy altar lesson! I, Sun Hao, am ashamed to be your acquaintance.” Upon saying that, he stood up and walked to his seat.
Lu Xiaoqing was so infuriated she was speechless. Fang Lin patted her shoulder to console her. “It’s alright. I’m not angry, so why are you so cross?” he said while chuckling.
Lu Xiaoqing turned her head and looked at Fang Lin with a burning gaze. “Fang Lin, why aren’t you angry? Are you truly prepared to continue to idle away and wait for death? You have such excellent natural gifts, so why aren’t you trying to improve yourself?”
Fang Lin understood that she was exasperated because of his failure to live up to her expectation judging by her expression. As he said in a promising tone, his smile faded, “Don’t worry. I’m going to pass the examination for sure.”
Lu Xiaoqing heaved a sigh. There was no way to tell if she believed him or was disappointed in him. Regardless, she did not speak again.
Meanwhile, a dozen people walked in a line from afar. They were dressed in the junior alchemy disciple uniforms but appeared to be imposing as ever, especially the leader. He looked all around and was welcomed by the utmost respect and admiration gaze of the numerous junior alchemy disciples.
A few junior alchemy disciples with flattering expressions said to the leader, “Senior Brother Disciple Kang, I’ve kept your usual seat for you!”
Kang Lu was expressionless. He nodded ever so slightly before he walked to the frontest part of the alchemy altar and took a seat soon afterward. The junior alchemy disciples that followed Kang Lu took their respective seats nearby. This group of people occupied the best seats in the alchemy altar.
However, none of the junior alchemy disciples present showed any dissatisfaction in the face of such a situation. In fact, they regarded this situation as a norm. This was because the aforementioned person was Kang Lu. He was entitled to occupy the best seat in the house.
Kang Lu was reputed to be the person with the best prospect of passing the examination and becoming an official disciple out of the current three thousand junior alchemy disciples. Even though he had already failed twice, he only lacked a little during the previous two attempts, especially during the second attempt. He was only inches away from passing the examination.
Had it not been due to the strict rules in the alchemy sect, Kang Lu could have possibly become an official disciple after the second examination.
In the upcoming third examination, his passing was as sure as rain. It was also precisely due to this reason that he had an exceedingly high status amongst the junior alchemy disciples and his numerous supporters.
Since Kang Lu’s arrival, the alchemy altar that was still clamorous earlier quieted down. Despite the ongoing conversations, the volume of their voices was lowered in fear that Kang Lu would be irritated by the noise.
Kang Lu closed his eyes and refreshed his spirit as he sat with crossed legs. It made his slightly emaciated face appear rather cold and aloof.
“Senior Brother Disciple Kang, there’s someone worthy of your attention among the newly-joined junior alchemy disciples this time.”
Kang Lu did not open his eyes but he spoke softly, “Who’s that?”
The person answered, “His first name is Lin and his last name is Fang. He was discovered as the Withered Tree Revived in the Spring Embodiment during the entrance examination.”
Kang Lu answered with an “Oh”. His voice was tainted with slight astonishment and curiosity.
Another person pursed his lips upon listening to this person’s words. He said to Kang Lu, “Senior Brother Disciple Kang, I know about Fang Lin too. Even though he is gifted with rather impressive natural talents, he is good-for-nothing. He has only been to the Herb Garden once since his initiation a month ago. He even fell asleep during the alchemy altar lesson last month. Such a person is utterly unworthy of your attention.”
Kang Lu guffawed upon listening to this report. “So, it turns out that the person that fell asleep during the previous alchemy altar lesson is this Fang Lin boy, huh? Since that’s the case, then I shan’t pay any more attention to this person for he is unworthy.”
The few people nodded in agreement after listening to him, finding his remark to be extremely reasonable.
“Silence!” A deafening voice snapped and thundered through the place as a silhouette descended from the sky and landed on the high stone platform. The person was dressed in a white robe with long hair billowing in the wind and had a beautiful face. To everyone’s surprise, it was a woman.
“Elder Mu Yan is actually teaching the lesson today. That’s truly hard to come by!”
“I’m so lucky that I’ve had the chance to see Elder Mu Yan after joining the sect for a month. She’s just as exquisite, refined, and ethereal as the hearsay!”
“Albeit Elder Mu Yan’s exquisite looks, she is extremely harsh. I must pay attention to her lesson. Otherwise, I’m afraid that I might be punished when I fail to answer her question later.”
…
Elder Mu Yan kept a cold expression. Her pair of charming eyes looked all around the place at the junior alchemy disciples.
“Very well. All three thousand disciples are present without exception. We shall begin the lesson!” she stated. Her voice was not loud, but it could be heard echoing clearly in every junior alchemy disciple’s ear.
Upon hearing her words, the three thousand disciples including the lazy slob, Fang Lin, stood up simultaneously to worship the four statues built around the alchemy altar.
These four statues were the four great alchemy masters that had emerged in the alchemy sect once upon a time. They were the four great masters with the highest attainments ever in the Purple Glow Sect. After these four people became great masters, they left behind four types of legacies that were sealed within these four statues. They were meant to be passed down to the fated disciples in the alchemy sect later on.
However, no one managed to receive the legacies left behind by these four great masters up until now. Nonetheless, these four statues remained as a symbol of grandeur for the entire alchemy sect.
After the worship session, the three thousand disciples took their seats on the floor and listened to Elder Mu Yan’s lecture.
Since the lesson was targeted at junior alchemy disciples, Elder Mu Yan did not speak about the profound alchemy skills but focused mainly on explaining about herbology.
Herbology was the foundation of alchemy. However, the knowledge of herbology was broad and profound despite it being a foundational subject. Even the alchemists that were rather successful in their fields would still continue engaging in the training of herbology too.
On the contrary, shallow-headed alchemists would regard herbology as a trifling matter unworthy of investing much time and effort. However, it was precisely this ideology of theirs that resulted in their lack of achievements in their lifetimes.
Although Elder Mu Yan was a very serious person, her lecture sounded experienced. She was capable of explaining the profound theories in herbology in layman terms that the majority of the junior alchemy disciples could understand her.
Lu Xiaoqing listened to the lesson solemnly. She held a brush and paper in her hand with which she jotted notes occasionally. There were quite a large number of people doing the same as her.
Fang Lin just sat there. He looked up to the sky absentmindedly as he appeared to be caught in a trance. Soon, he lost count of the time when he closed his eyes and began snoring.
Fang Lin had fallen asleep once again!
Lu Xiaoqing widened her eyes in surprise when she heard his snore droning on. She looked at him incredulously. How could this boy actually fall asleep during such an important lesson? Had he turned mad?
“Wake up, quick!” Lu Xiaoqing nudged Fang Lin hastily, but it was already too late. The loud, piercing snore sounded especially sonorous in the quiet alchemy altar. At once, people began shifting their gazes in Fang Lin’s direction, including Elder Mu Yan on the stone platform.
Although she was expressionless, her eyes looked so frighteningly cold.
Kang Lu turned around and took a glance at Fang Lin. The corners of his lips curved into a disdainful smile.
“Fang Lin is really so useless that he can’t be helped at all,” said Sun Hao, who had ridiculed Fang Lin earlier, while sneering.
Fang Lin opened his eyes drowsily and looked all around him. He asked Lu Xiaoqing, “Has the lesson ended?”
Lu Xiaoqing truly wished that she could press Fang Lin’s head all the way deep down into the ground. The boy had actually fallen asleep and woke up groggily to ask such a foolish question! Lacking the courage to speak, she could only pray that he could be punished less severely.
Fang Lin had also become aware of the current situation, so he felt rather helpless in his heart.
Sigh. This particular body is too weak. I’ve actually fallen asleep during my momentary absentmindedness. Fang Lin was pondering to himself in his heart when he sensed a piercing cold gaze penetrating him.
“What’s your name?” Elder Mu Yan’s voice that was tainted with a tinge of anger boomed.
The junior alchemy disciples sitting on the ground began looking at Fang Lin in a schadenfreude manner one after another. They gleefully thought to themselves about how he was in huge trouble this time.
When Fang Lin had fallen asleep during the previous lesson, he had been scolded ferociously by the elder at the time. Today, he had fallen asleep again. Moreover, Elder Mu Yan had caught him, so he would surely be receiving a much heavier punishment than just a simple scolding.
Elder Mu Yan was famous amongst the numerous elders for her temperament and she was extremely strict. Once, she broke a junior alchemy disciple’s arm and leg on the spot when he was caught chatting and joking away during her lesson.
This time, Fang Lin was caught sleeping during her lesson. Many of the disciples could already predict his tragic ending.
Because he was confronted by Mu Yan’s query, Fang Lin could only answer honestly, “Your humble disciple is named Fang Lin.”
Mu Yan nodded. Then, her expression turned colder all of a sudden as she shouted aloud, “How dare you, Fang Lin!? Are you aware of your conviction?”
Fang Lin looked at Mu Yan piteously and said aggrievedly, “What is my conviction?”
Mu Yan began laughing in extreme rage. “You are so bold as to sleep during my lesson. I’ve been giving lessons for so many years, yet this is the first time that I’ve encountered a disciple like you. How dare you ask about what your conviction is?”
Fang Lin saluted Mu Yan respectfully before he began to speak, “Elder, I wasn’t sleeping. I was lost in deep rumination after listening to your lesson and I was deeply moved by your teaching. Please authenticate my claim, Elder.”