Chapter 4: Spirit Induction

The field fell silent for a moment; Zhao Chun could almost hear the sound of the people around her breathing.

She was too far from the high platform to see who was speaking clearly, only vaguely making out a white figure standing in the center of the dais.

Suddenly, the figure became sharp in her vision. It was a slightly thin, middle-aged man with prominent cheekbones and spirited eyes. He wore a pure white Daoist robe and held a whisk with a jade handle. Although he seemed as distant as the horizon, Zhao Chun could see the intricate crane patterns embroidered in fine gold thread on his collar with perfect clarity.

It was likely some special kind of spell.

The man in the Daoist robe curled his lips, offering a smile that felt like an act of charity. "Since everyone is seated, let us not delay. We shall begin immediately."

As his voice faded, attendants entered the field carrying items. They moved in silence, their footsteps flitting between the mats, placing a small bronze furnace wherever they passed.

They weren't exactly bronze, Zhao Chun realized; she couldn't quite identify the material, but it looked brighter than ordinary bronze. The furnace bodies were hollowed out with mysterious, intricate carvings.

"Close your eyes, sink your breath into your dantian, and let your hands hang naturally at your sides."

Zhao Chun followed the instructions, not daring to make a mistake.

Gradually, a strange fragrance began to linger at the tip of her nose. It was different from the incense used in daily life—a scent she had never encountered in her memories, extremely quiet and ethereal, enveloping her entirely.

Her mind became crystal clear, her consciousness seemingly passing through thick, dark clouds to enter a vast, boundless sea.

It was a sea, yet not a sea; golden-red waves surged and crashed toward her, carrying pain that felt almost tangible, along with hatred.

It was scorching hot. Zhao Chun felt as if she were burning, starting from her dantian and slowly searing her bones, flesh, and skin.

"Wake up!"

She opened her eyes. There was no fire, no golden-red sea. She was simply sitting quietly on her mat, a wisp of white smoke circling her body, identical to the long, vertical trail of smoke rising from the small furnace.

Looking left and right, she saw no one else in the same state.

"Please, follow me." The gray-clad attendant looked over in surprise and quickly stepped forward, intending to lead her away.

Zhao Chun’s heart stirred. She stood up nimbly, her line of sight suddenly elevated, and she saw a young boy on another mat also wreathed in white smoke. Her thoughts raced; she realized she had been selected. She followed the attendant with a sense of relief.

Some on the mats were still confused, but the sharp ones realized that those who hadn't been selected were likely out of luck, and they couldn't help but show disappointment.

When Pang Zhen saw Zhao Chun being led away, a look of joy appeared on his face. Zhao Mian and Zhao Yue, who finally understood what was happening, had their small faces crumpled like bun folds, waves of sour jealousy surging in their hearts.

Zhao Chun couldn't care about them; she was busy cursing in her heart with her eyes closed.

She didn't know whose bright idea this was, but children were slow on their feet. Fearing they would keep the Immortal Master waiting, the organizers had simply ordered the martial artists to grab one child in each arm and dash toward the high platform.

It was far from comfortable. She felt the martial artist’s grip was so tight it felt like she was being cut in half.

After closing her eyes, time seemed to stretch infinitely. Zhao Chun felt dizzy and stifled from the shaking until she finally felt herself being set down. The feeling of stepping on solid ground again was wonderful, and she finally let out a long breath.

She was currently standing on a circular platform made of red wood, with a white jade staircase connecting the high platform to this spot.

There weren't many children around—only about a hundred or so.

Out of tens of thousands, only this many had been chosen. Zhao Chun clicked her tongue slightly, feeling fortunate to have been selected. She then heard the man in the Daoist robe on the high platform say, "The preliminary selection is over. Those chosen, step forward. As for the rest—" He waved his wide sleeves, "Let the banquet begin."

Beautiful attendants in silk robes brought out delicacies, filling the empty tables. There was a wide variety of dishes, the aroma mouth-watering, but the most eye-catching item was a small cup of clear water placed before each person.

It was colorless and odorless, and one could see the bottom of the cup at a glance; it looked no different from ordinary water.

"This is 'Heart-Clearing Dew.' It has the effect of sharpening the mind and stabilizing the soul. Everyone, please partake."

The crowd drank it, half-doubting.

It was sweet and cool upon entering the mouth, and a breath of pure energy rose from the abdomen, traveling through the meridians and gathering at the Baihui acupoint on the crown of the head. Those who drank it felt their minds clear and their bodies purged of chronic ailments. Some even felt the bottlenecks that had troubled them for years beginning to loosen.

Pang Zhen was one of them. He had been stuck at the second stage of martial arts for nearly twenty years. The older he got, the more he felt the third stage was an insurmountable chasm, impossible to touch in this lifetime. After drinking the Heart-Clearing Dew, years of distracting thoughts were swept away in an instant, and the breakthrough to the third stage became increasingly clear in his mind.

Overjoyed, he hurriedly stood up and made a deep bow toward the high platform.

There were many like Pang Zhen. Zhao Chun noticed a clear look of smugness on the face of the man in the Daoist robe and found it amusing. Did those who cultivated the Dao and sought transcendence really care about such external things?

The children standing on the wooden platform couldn't help but look on with envy. Seeing this, the man in the Daoist robe lifted his chin slightly and said, "There is no need for you to envy them. Later, you will come forward one by one for me to make a further assessment. Those who are not selected may take a flask of Heart-Clearing Dew. As for those who are chosen—"

He stroked his long beard vaguely and said, "There will be rare treasures bestowed upon you."

Zhao Chun had already seen the loss of composure among the people below and understood how precious the Heart-Clearing Dew was. She thought to herself, "If I am not selected and return to the Zhao family, given Zhao Jian's character, how could he ever use such treasures on me? Not to mention Zhao Jian, I fear it would be confiscated by Pang Zhen in the name of the family before I even arrived. In that case, being selected is my only way out."

Someone came forward to organize the children into a single file, ordered by their home counties. Zhao Chun ended up near the end of the line. Right in front of her was Wang Chuyan, one of the sisters from the Wang family of Hedong County. Out of the twelve summoned from there, only one had been chosen. Thinking of Wang Yijiao’s bright yet slightly sorrowful little face, Zhao Chun sighed; she hadn't been selected.

Perhaps Zhao Chun had thought of it too simply. One out of eight hundred in Pingyang County, one out of thirteen hundred in Hedong County—both were cases of great fortune. There were several counties where no one had been selected at all. It was just that she happened to know Wang Chuyan, so she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the more familiar Wang Yijiao.

While she was lost in thought, the secondary selection had already begun.

Unlike the preliminary round, the secondary selection was conducted by the man in the Daoist robe himself.

A youth in blue and white Daoist robes stepped forward holding a jade basin. Inside was a silver fish, its belly turned upward, looking as if it were dying.

The man in the Daoist robe snorted coldly. He flicked his whisk with his right hand, draped it over his left arm, formed a seal with his left hand, traced a few runes in the air, and pressed them into the basin.

The silver fish immediately sprang to life, swimming happily in the basin. The man’s beard twitched, and he whispered a reprimand: "Greedy beast." He then gestured to the first child in line. "You, come forward."

The child was no more than eight or nine years old. Having just witnessed the immortal's magic, he was still in a daze. Hearing the Immortal Master call him, he jumped in fright, standing there on the verge of tears, not daring to move.

The youth holding the jade basin saw the man’s face darkening and stepped up to the child, saying softly, "Just put your hand into the water."

The youth was fifteen or sixteen, with a handsome face, and his gentle tone made it easy for others to feel close to him. The child recovered from his shock and carefully raised his hand, daring only to dip his index finger into the water.

The silver fish was startled by the finger and immediately swam away. The youth moved the basin aside, returned to the man’s side, and said, "No reaction."

"Hmm." The man in the Daoist robe remained expressionless, casting a glance at the attendant. "No affinity for the Dao. Take him away."

"Next."

The dazed child was led off the platform by the attendant. The second child hurried forward, fearing being looked down upon. However, affinity for the Dao was clearly not determined by one's attitude. The fish did nothing but avoid the finger, and following the man's command, the second child also left in dejection.

This repeated for over a dozen children, all ending in failure. The man in the Daoist robe gradually lost his patience, his brows furrowed, his face as cold as water.

After two more were led away by the attendant, the seventeenth child produced an anomaly.

This was an older boy, likely twelve, almost past the age limit for the summons. As soon as he dipped his finger in, the fish acted as if it had been fed, leaping up to nibble at his finger. The fish looked small, but it had a mouth full of sharp teeth, instantly biting the boy's fingertip and swallowing a drop of blood.

The man in the Daoist robe placed his hand vaguely over the basin, and the fish recoiled as if electrocuted. The boy hurriedly pulled his finger out and heard the youth say, "Congratulations."

Sure enough, the man in the Daoist robe nodded slightly and asked, "What is your name?"

"This commoner is Liu Ziyi." The boy was dressed in brown, likely from a humble background, and his answer carried a slight local accent.

"You have affinity for the Dao. Go wait to the side." The man didn't care about the boy's background; cultivation was entirely up to the individual. He had once heard of a predecessor who was merely a beggar on the roadside before encountering a stroke of luck, breaking through realms all the way to becoming an Elder. It was clear that worldly status was the least important thing.

Liu Ziyi could no longer contain his joy. He stepped forward to bow and was led by an attendant to sit beside the high platform, surrounded by the powerful and influential figures of the Chu Kingdom, which made him feel quite proud.

After him, as if throwing a brick to attract jade, several more anomalies occurred in succession. The man in the Daoist robe looked satisfied, his expression much more relaxed. He waved his hand, letting the three boys and one girl who had been selected take their seats.

Seeing that he wasn't the only one selected, Liu Ziyi put away his smugness, lowered his gaze, and quietly observed the others around him.

However, affinity for the Dao was rare after all. From then on, until it was Zhao Chun's turn, no one else was selected. When it came to Wang Chuyan, there was a slight change.

The youth gave her a somewhat intimate smile, and the man in the Daoist robe understood, asking, "Is this your relative?"

"She is indeed my younger sister."

No anomaly occurred for Wang Chuyan, but the man in the Daoist robe seemed to hold the youth in high regard. He said, "Junior Brother Wang will be heading to the sect later and would have needed to choose a mortal servant anyway. Since she is your relative, she is more suitable than others. Very well, let her stay and serve."

So this was the one from the Wang family who had been selected in advance. Zhao Chun was surprised; he and the man in the Daoist robe were of the same generation. However, thinking of Wang Yijiao’s dejected expression, and then looking at the undisguised detachment and coldness in the youth's eyes, and hearing the man in the Daoist robe repeatedly use words like "mortal servant" and "serve," Zhao Chun felt a chill in her heart.

Wang Chuyan was kept despite having no affinity for the Dao, and her face immediately lit up with joy. Although others felt it was unfair, they dared not speak out, given the youth's status.

With the person in front of her gone, it was Zhao Chun's turn.

She took a deep breath and slowly lowered her index finger into the water.

(The author is a humble student entering the final exam month. Balancing homework and revision while grinding out the novel, updates are a bit unstable. I hope everyone will forgive me (kowtow).)