Chapter 155: The Test
Chapter 155: Chapter 155: The Test
Liu Jianjian asked around, but she didn’t manage to find out anything important.
The most common topics were things like "a wife and three concubines," "the story behind his illegitimate sons and daughters," and "the unforgettable first love versus the one who got away."
Some of the men were fine, but their points of focus weren’t what Liu Jianjian was interested in.
The only three women present were more interested in recent rumors and gossip.
This was exactly the sort of thing Liu Jianjian loved, and she spent a good while grilling them for details.
It looked less like a superior questioning her subordinates and more like sisters gossiping.
Of course, none of the people around dared to say so aloud. They only grumbled internally.
Meanwhile, Liu Jianjian didn’t treat these people unfairly.
She secretly released her Demon Beasts and commanded them to build various earthen and wooden dwellings inside the valley.
The valley’s interior was vast, spacious enough for thousands, even tens of thousands, of people.
If they were to build the skyscrapers Zhu Ge knew about, it could house even more.
However, these were just temporary residences. Liu Jianjian didn’t dare to build anything permanent; she had to wait for Zhu Ge to emerge from his seclusion and follow his instructions.
Time flew by, and soon it was the third day.
Even more people arrived on this day.
However, Zhu Ge still hadn’t emerged.
This made Zhu Sisi and Liu Jianjian deeply worried. Even the Bone Monster Avatar, which was busy devouring bones, started to grow anxious.
’Who stays in a state of epiphany for so long?’
’If my main body starves to death, it means I’ll be the only one left in the world.’
The Bone Monster Avatar immediately had Zhu Sisi and the others prepare various roasted meats and stews. They were all made from the Demon Beast Flesh they’d acquired earlier and were extremely rich in essential energy.
This would ensure Zhu Ge could replenish his energy the moment he emerged.
By now, two hundred people were waiting outside the valley.
There were burly scholars, butchers carrying cleavers, peddlers with their packs, and old farmers in coarse linen.
All of these people were from the lowest rungs of society, frustrated and without prospects.
But they also possessed a certain shrewdness. Thus, after leaving Jianshui City, they had each relied on their own skills to evade the hordes of Demons, Ghosts, Spirits, and Monsters and reach Six Paths Valley.
In truth, Zhu Ge had already cleared out most of the powerful Demon Beasts between Six Paths Valley and Jianshui City.
The only ones left were either cowards hiding for their lives, like Liu Jianjian, or were so weak and bony that Zhu Ge couldn’t be bothered to kill them.
Furthermore, after the Sword and Axe Mantis announced it had joined the Six Paths Palace, the number of nearby Demon Beasts dwindled even more.
Many people still clung to the old notion that the area was teeming with Demon Beasts. So even though some wanted to defy their fate and throw in their lot with Zhu Ge, they could only dream about it, thus missing a golden opportunity.
And this was part of Zhu Ge’s plan.
If a person didn’t even have the courage to take that first step, he had no need for them.
Being a coward who clings to life is different from being cautious and prudent.
The former will abandon many things just to stay alive.
The latter is willing to risk their life for things they value.
Many of the people here were willing to take risks, but being a risk-taker alone wasn’t enough. One also had to be cautious and prudent.
Only then could they have traversed the forests, home to all manner of Demon Beasts and wild animals, to reach Six Paths Valley.
"I have a general understanding of all your situations now."
Liu Jianjian had gathered her information and knew what to do. "Once the Lord of the Six Paths Palace, Zhu Ge, emerges from his seclusion, he will explain the final test to you."
Liu Jianjian pointed to a mound of earth ahead of them that resembled a burial mound.
Hua Liusha had to use the mound to shield themself from direct sunlight.
At first, the crowd hadn’t known what the mound was. Only now did they realize that the powerful Young Master Zhu was in seclusion inside it.
"Amazing! So that red mist was also one of Young Master Zhu’s techniques."
"Such Immortal Techniques... no, wait, such Martial Dao techniques are truly enviable."
"I wonder if I’ll be able to pass the test."
The crowd buzzed with excited discussion, eagerly rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
But some faces in the crowd remained calm.
After all, powerful techniques are not taught lightly.
Back in Jianshan Village, there had only been two Cultivators: the scholar and Yu the Scholar.
Although the scholar had wanted to teach some of the villagers Confucian Dao cultivation methods...
...the villagers were illiterate, and hopelessly dull when it came to learning how to write.
A naturally gifted person could learn basic characters in a year, perhaps even less.
But many of them took seven or eight years just to learn how to write their own names, and even then, they often got the strokes wrong.
Zhu Ge himself had been like that before he transmigrated—his handwriting was chicken scratch, he could only write the character for "person," and couldn’t even write his own name.
This was a matter of natural aptitude.
Some people’s talent lay in the Confucian Dao, some in the Martial Dao, and others in the Immortal Dao.
But regardless of the path, suitability was what mattered most.
If one was unsuited for a path, they would achieve half the results with twice the effort.
If they were suited for it, they could achieve twice the results with half the effort.
Therefore, some of the more experienced people present knew that this final test was what truly mattered.
Still, every single one of them wanted a chance.
To be able to step onto the path of cultivation meant truly escaping one’s social class.
A First Realm Cultivator might only be able to band together with others for survival in a small village.
But a Second Realm Cultivator could already possess their own territory.
They would be like Mr. Chong, the Tiger God, and the scholar, each respecting the other’s domain.
And as for the Third Realm?
You could be a City Lord or a high-ranking official.
Just like the Jianshui City Lord or the Jingzhe Official Raincoat Fisherman.
Thus, the allure of the cultivation path for an ordinary person was unparalleled.
Zhu Ge had the power to take down the Fish Scale Martial Arts Hall, and even the Jianshui City Lord treated him with courtesy. His strength was plain to see.
And that was just his personal strength.
It was common knowledge that Zhu Ge had also subjugated the Sword and Axe Mantis.
Furthermore, Zhu Ge was currently short on manpower, so many people came hoping to join early and reap the rewards later.
The faction was small now, but if it grew into a major power, those who joined at the beginning would become the founding disciples.
By then, getting in wouldn’t be nearly as easy.
It was like a startup company. The founders and initial shareholders could become financially independent after an IPO, whereas anyone wanting to become a shareholder later would have to pay a hundred or a thousand times the price.
Even becoming a regular employee would involve all sorts of hurdles—educational background, university prestige, standardized test scores, and so on—unless you had some exceptional talent.
Of course, every venture had its risks.
A small company might become a powerhouse if it went public, but it could just as easily go bankrupt tomorrow.
Joining an already established major corporation was naturally much safer.
Many had come to join Zhu Ge precisely because they saw how powerful he was at such a young age.
If Zhu Ge’s Six Paths Palace became a major power in the future, they, as founding disciples, would be set for life.
But what if Zhu Ge’s faction collapsed before it even had a chance to grow?
That would be a failed investment.
That was why Zhu Ge felt no sense of indebtedness toward these prospective disciples. He operated on the principle of a fair exchange.
If he led them to become bigger, stronger, and ever-victorious, then they deserved a handsome share of the spoils.
And if they failed to do so?
That was no concern of his.
He would provide the Cultivation Techniques, and the disciples would fight for him.
It was just like a boss paying a salary in exchange for an employee’s labor.
A mutually agreed-upon transaction.
However, as simple as these principles were, not everyone could grasp them.
Many people, upon arriving—before they had even been accepted—acted as if Zhu Ge owed them something for no reason.
Just then, for instance, an arrogant-looking young man spoke up.
"Hmph! We’ve been waiting here for ages, and that Zhu Ge hasn’t even shown his face. He’s meditating right in front of us. How arrogant!"
"Let me be clear: I am a disciple of the Purple Pottery Academy. Having completed my studies, I already possess First Realm Cultivation. Every faction in the city has invited me to join them, offering generous stipends. For me to condescend to join your Six Paths Palace is to show you great respect."
"I demand to speak with Zhu Ge face-to-face! Tell him to come out at once, or I’m taking my talents elsewhere!"