"Senior Brother knows me well, I..."
"Alright, alright, I won't urge you to improve yourself anymore," Lu Bogui said with a faint smile, shaking his head.
Seeing the disappointment on Lu Bogui's face, Jiang Beiran could only sigh helplessly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to strive for progress—it was the System’s options that left him no choice.
When he first arrived at the Heart Returning Sect, Jiang Beiran had passed the aptitude test and became an Outer Sect Disciple, earning the right to learn the Heart Returning Technique and the Single-Stroke Sword Art.
According to the sect’s rules, as long as an Outer Sect Disciple mastered the Heart Returning Technique and learned the first stance of the Single-Stroke Sword Art, they would pass the first trial and become an official disciple, qualifying to formally choose a master. What did "choosing a master" entail?
First, one had to understand the twenty-four halls established by the Heart Returning Sect. Each of these halls had its own unique specialty, covering everything from zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting to sabers, spears, and staffs. Outer Sect Disciples could choose based on their strengths or preferences.
When Jiang Beiran first heard of this, he was somewhat surprised. He didn’t know whether all sects in this world tailored their teachings to individual talents or if the Heart Returning Sect’s leader was particularly forward-thinking, recognizing the importance of nurturing diverse talents.
Once an Outer Sect Disciple passed the first trial and earned the right to choose a master, they could select one of these twenty-four halls to formally join. Upon successfully becoming a disciple, they would gain access to more advanced Heart Techniques and Martial Techniques.
If their aptitude was high enough, they might even be taken in as a Personal Disciple by a Blue Banner or Black Banner disciple within the hall—or even by the Hall Master themselves—receiving elite one-on-one instruction. ...
The Heart Returning Technique and the Single-Stroke Sword Art were both the most basic foundational techniques, so naturally, there was no elite one-on-one teaching involved. Hundreds of Outer Sect Disciples would gather in the lecture hall, where a seemingly young Senior Brother would instruct them.
During the lessons, Jiang Beiran noticed that aside from their batch of "new disciples," there were also some who seemed to have been here much longer—"senior disciples"—still attending the same classes. Four lessons a week, and after two weeks, the instruction ended.
Before leaving, the Senior Brother told Jiang Beiran and the others that from then on, they would have to practice and comprehend the techniques on their own. When it came to self-practice, Jiang Beiran discovered that his aptitude was unusually high. Among hundreds of Outer Sect Disciples, he was the first to master the Heart Returning Technique.
But just as he was about to report his progress to Qing Gang, the overseer in charge of them, three options suddenly appeared before him.
[Option 1: Immediately inform Qing Gang that you have mastered the Heart Returning Technique. Reward: Tyrant’s Tranquil Claw (Mysterious Grade, Mid Tier)] [Option 2: Silently continue practicing. Reward: Black Dragon Iron-Spine Arrows x20 (Yellow Grade, Low Tier)] [Option 3: Do nothing. Reward: Random Basic Attribute Point +1] "Good heavens... is it really this dangerous?"
Seeing that the first option directly offered a Mysterious Grade, Mid Tier reward, Jiang Beiran was stunned. After all, such a reward was practically synonymous with a death sentence.
"Is it because the nail that sticks out gets hammered down?"
Because of his extremely favorable impression of Lu Bogui—and the latter’s frequent praise of how upright and righteous the Heart Returning Sect was—Jiang Beiran had always imagined the sect as a model of virtue from top to bottom. But now, it seemed that merely displaying a bit of extraordinary talent could invite fatal consequences.
Then again, Jiang Beiran figured it made sense. Even in the 21st century, with its mature legal system, ubiquitous surveillance cameras, and facial recognition technology, people still dared to commit murder. How much easier would it be in a fantasy world where even fingerprinting hadn’t been developed yet?
If someone really wanted to kill you, they could poison your food, push you off a cliff while hiking, or even stab you in the dark while you were using the latrine—all methods that left no evidence. In such cases, solving even two or three out of a hundred similar crimes would be considered the work of a legendary investigator.
While he could understand the danger in the first option, the second one—where silently practicing could still bring disaster—left him puzzled. But it didn’t matter, because he had already chosen the third option. From then on, Jiang Beiran obediently played the role of a slacker.
Most disciples in the same dormitory area woke up at dawn to practice, while he slept in for another hour or two. When others finished their sword practice and prepared for meditation, he would tag along and pretend to do the same. Over time, he became the "trash" in the eyes of most Outer Sect Disciples.
Sometimes, while eating, he could even hear their deliberately loud mockery.
"Who knows how someone like him even passed the aptitude test?"
"Right? He sleeps until mid-morning every day. Even my family’s pigs aren’t that lazy."
"Come on, let’s not gossip. It’s not his fault if his talent is lacking." ...
Faced with such ridicule, Jiang Beiran felt not the slightest ripple of anger—if anything, he wanted to laugh.
"Isn’t this the classic 'trash-to-greatness' setup? Perfect!"
This routine continued for two weeks until a handsome disciple named Wei Yang took the lead, reporting to Qing Gang that he had mastered both the Heart Returning Technique and the first stance of the Single-Stroke Sword Art.
Amidst the envious gazes of his peers, Wei Yang bid farewell to his fellow disciples after a month together and set off to formally choose a master. Another two weeks passed, and by then, most of the Outer Sect Disciples from his batch had already passed the test. Only thirteen disciples, including Jiang Beiran, remained in the lecture hall.
One morning, without any prior notice, Jiang Beiran noticed a new batch of Outer Sect Disciples arriving at the lecture hall.
"The recruitment rate is impressive..."
In just over a month, the sect had recruited another hundred Outer Sect Disciples. This gave Jiang Beiran a clearer sense of the Heart Returning Sect’s scale. But his fellow disciples didn’t share his leisurely attitude.
When they saw the newcomers, their expressions darkened—because now, they had become the "repeaters" they had once mocked. ... Jiang Beiran didn’t remain a "repeater" for too long. By the end of the first month after the new batch arrived, when only a handful of his original peers were left, two options appeared before him.
[Option 1: Continue staying in the lecture hall. Reward: Azure Sky Palm (Mysterious Grade, Low Tier)] [Option 2: Pass the test. Reward: Random Basic Attribute Point +1] For once, there were only two options.
Without overthinking why the first one offered such a generous reward, Jiang Beiran immediately chose the second. He went to the small hut outside the lecture hall and told Qing Gang that he had mastered the Heart Returning Technique and the first stance of the Single-Stroke Sword Art.
Without much reaction, Qing Gang nodded and had Jiang Beiran demonstrate the first stance of the Single-Stroke Sword Art. Then, he placed his palm on Jiang Beiran’s chest and had him circulate the Heart Returning Technique.
The moment he activated the technique, Jiang Beiran suddenly realized that if he had chosen the second option—silently continuing to practice—Qing Gang would have undoubtedly discovered his deception, and who knew what consequences that might have brought. Feeling Jiang Beiran’s laborious circulation of the Heart Returning Technique, Qing Gang nodded.
"Good, you’ve passed the test. You are now an official disciple of the Heart Returning Sect and may proceed to choose a master."
(End of Chapter)