Kapitel 88: Chapter 88: Heading Out

Because of his lack of talent for alchemy, Liao Pantou had turned his passion towards growing medicinal herbs and collecting pill recipes. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cultivated such a large medicinal field in the Green Wilderness Secret Realm.

Now, he had encountered a promising disciple like Sun Yi Gao, who possessed a remarkable talent for alchemy. Even though he was only at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, under his guidance, Sun Yi Gao managed to produce a mid-grade antidote pill on just his second attempt. This was no ordinary feat, even if it was just a common antidote pill.

This clearly demonstrated Sun Yi Gao's extraordinary potential in alchemy.

The more Liao Pantou thought about it, the more satisfied he felt with Sun Yi Gao. He was even tempted to take him as his disciple... but unfortunately, Sun Yi Gao was already Lin Xiao's disciple.

As he thought about Lin Xiao, Liao Pantou sighed and shook his head. Ah, that boy…

But then another thought crossed his mind. I wonder… would they be open to the idea of having a second master...?

Meanwhile, the group arrived at Sun Yi Gao's house, where Sun De Zhu and his wife warmly welcomed them. Liao Pantou didn't follow along, as his appearance was too frightening to move freely around the village.

Inside Sun Yi Gao's room, the boys crowded around the bed, chatting enthusiastically with him. Lin Xiao playfully tapped Sun Yi Gao's chest with a fist and said, "Brother, no need for thanks. Once you're fully recovered, let's go up the mountain and roast some meat together!"

Sun Yi Gao smiled weakly and replied, "Sure."

Jiang Youfu gave him a thumbs-up and said, "You're amazing, Yi Gao! Brother Xiao is my big brother, so from now on, you're my second brother!"

Tian Tou, nodding in agreement, added, "Same for me!"

Looking at the crowd gathered around his bed, Sun Yi Gao felt strength returning to his weak body. He smiled at everyone and then turned to Lin Xiao, saying, "Brother Xiao, the imperial exam is next month. I plan to participate."

Everyone was surprised by this and quickly asked, "Why bother with exams now that we're cultivating? What good will it do?"

Now that everyone in the sect had entered the Qi Refinement stage, and the boys in particular had begun to learn various techniques, they were starting to appreciate the benefits of being cultivators. So, they couldn't understand why Sun Yi Gao would spend so much time preparing for the imperial exams when he could be focusing on cultivation.

But Lin Xiao wasn't too surprised by Sun Yi Gao's decision. If he had spent years studying, he would also want to take the exam, if only to see how far his hard work had taken him. It would be a way of honoring the years he had dedicated to his studies.

He nodded in understanding and said, "Alright, just make sure you don't overwork yourself while preparing."

Sun Yi Gao smiled as he explained to everyone, "I've spent so many years studying, and I just want to see how I measure up. Don't worry, as soon as the exam is over, I'll return and continue cultivating with all of you."

Although he spent his days cultivating on the mountain, he still read his books at night. They were like old friends who had accompanied him for ten years.

Qin Jianghe quickly chimed in, "That makes sense! You've studied for so many years, and everyone in the village has seen it. We're all curious to see how well you'll do!"

Then he turned to Lin Xiao and said, "Brother Xiao, I've been thinking of going out to explore. I want to see if I can find some business opportunities to help support our sect!"

Recently, watching Lin Xiao single-handedly take on all the tasks for the sect, Qin Jianghe felt that he couldn't let Brother Xiao shoulder all the burdens alone. He wanted to do his part.

Lin Xiao was surprised and looked at Qin Jianghe. "Do you have something in mind?"

Qin Jianghe scratched his head with a smile and replied, "Not much, really. I just thought I'd start by visiting some of the nearby towns, doing the same tooth-cleaning business you did. Once I've made some money, I'll head to the county or even the prefecture to see if there's anything worth investing in."

Lin Xiao pondered for a moment. Now that the sect was growing, having more people contribute would certainly help. If Qin Jianghe was willing, he saw no reason to object. He said, "That sounds like a good idea. But won't this delay your cultivation? Do you plan to go alone or with others?"

"Ah, sharpening the axe doesn't delay the chopping of wood! I'm planning to take my two cousins with me to help. Once the business is running smoothly, I'll hand it off to them and become a hands-off manager, haha."

Qin Jianghe was confident in his ability to make money.

"But Brother Xiao," he continued, "this means I'll have to tell my cousins about our sect. Don't worry, though—they're both very trustworthy and won't blab."

Lin Xiao nodded, "That's fine. If you think it's appropriate, you can even bring them into our sect as your disciples. Just remember, when you're out there, even though we're far from the world of cultivators, there's always a chance you might run into one—or even some demons or monsters. Make sure you prioritize your safety."

He then turned to both Sun Yi Gao and Qin Jianghe and said, "I'll prepare some items for your journey over the next couple of days."

He planned to create some protective items for them, along with other useful tools for their travels.

Suddenly, a system notification rang in his mind.

[Ding—Host has unlocked the delegation of disciple recruitment authority. You can now modify the recruitment permissions for disciples. Note: Individuals who are not officially recruited into the sect cannot cultivate the sect's techniques.]

Hearing this, Lin Xiao thought the system was quite protective of its intellectual property.

The others, seeing that the conversation was wrapping up, started teasing Qin Jianghe.

"Wow, Jianghe! Not thinking about marriage anymore? Off to make your fortune, eh?"

"And don't forget to bring us some tasty treats when you get back!"

"Yeah, don't forget ours too!"

Though Liu Yu Nan and the others joked around, they all respected Qin Jianghe's dedication to the sect. Each of them began to think about how they might contribute as well.

Sun Yi Gao, of course, had already made significant contributions. Aside from Yang Aunty and Liu Sheng Sheng, he had personally taught almost everyone in the sect how to cultivate.

Though the boys were still laughing and joking, their hearts were already set on finding ways to help the sect thrive.

By the time they left Sun Yi Gao's house, the sun was setting, bathing the village of Xiushui in a warm, reddish glow, as if the entire place were radiating with light.