Chapter 162: Testing Talent! All Disciples Take a Master
Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Testing Talent! All Disciples Take a Master
The spring sun hung high in the sky, and the flowers and grass flourished.
The Six Paths Valley, once a chaotic mess of overgrown weeds, was now tidy and well-organized after a period of construction and planning. It possessed a kind of orderly beauty.
And amid this gentle spring breeze, Zhu Ge stood before everyone with a smile, about to give a speech.
Zhu Ge had never given a speech before, so he could only articulate his ideas and state his requirements.
"I know why you have all come here."
Zhu Ge got straight to the point, his gaze sweeping over the so-called first-generation disciples of the Six Paths Palace.
The Six Paths Palace was divided into the Great Six Paths Palace and the Little Six Dao Palace.
The Great Six Paths Palace comprised six palaces: Human, Demon, Ghost, Spirit, Monster, and God.
The Little Six Dao Palace, or the Six Dao Hall, consisted of the six halls within the Human Palace: Martial, Immortal, Confucian, Craftsmanship, Agriculture, and Commerce.
Now, Zhu Ge had selected thirty-six people from the group of applicants and assigned six to each of these six halls.
Of course, if anyone felt they didn’t want to stay in their assigned hall, they were free to switch. Zhu Ge wouldn’t force the matter.
For example, he might have assigned someone who wanted to be an Artisan to the Craftsmanship Hall.
But if that person would rather go to the Martial Arts Hall, that was also perfectly acceptable.
"Each of you joined for your own reasons and with your own aspirations."
Zhu Ge’s voice rang out. "Some of you want to learn a skill to take revenge. Some want to make money in business. Some want to master a craft and return home to the envy of your neighbors..."
To be honest, learning about some of their motivations left Zhu Ge at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.
Most of them wanted to learn martial arts for revenge. They were largely people with little talent, no family connections, and no money, so they couldn’t join other Martial Arts Halls or Sects.
Among them, however, were several who had come to the Six Paths Palace simply seeking a livelihood.
Carpenters, stonemasons, peddlers, and small-time vendors, for instance.
And a few disciples from humble backgrounds had their own unique goals.
The most eccentric of them all was one who thought becoming a Confucian Scholar would make him look cool.
He dreamed of becoming one of those debonair Confucian Scholars, with a feathered fan and silk turban, an extraordinary bearing—a man like jade among common stones—who could crush his enemies with poetry and prose in the midst of casual conversation.
To that end, the man had shown extraordinary perseverance and unwavering dedication to his goal within the illusionary trial, never once faltering.
A hundred years in the illusion was a hundred years of study. It was mind-numbingly dull, but he endured it all for the sake of looking cool.
Even Zhu Ge found such a person a bit odd.
But that didn’t matter. "...We will respect each person’s ambition, goals, and character. However, I must also tell you this."
Zhu Ge met the eyes of each of the thirty-six disciples. "Regardless of who you are, we must all fight for the Human Race."
"If we are to achieve our own goals, the first and most crucial prerequisite is the survival of the Human Race."
"If the Human Race is reduced to little more than livestock, to be slaughtered at will, then all talk of revenge, returning home in glory, or making a fortune is meaningless."
"Only if the Human Race endures can we hope to achieve our personal goals!"
Zhu Ge paused, then continued, "Perhaps you don’t think much of this now. You might think that even though the Holy Emperor of the Da Sheng Dynasty is dead, there are still taller men to hold up the sky."
"But I am telling you now, the Human Race is already in a precarious position. If we do not press forward, all that awaits us is extinction!"
As Zhu Ge’s words fell, a tremor ran through the crowd, and their expressions grew serious.
These people might not have been the most talented individuals, but they possessed a basic understanding of the world.
They didn’t grasp the full gravity of concepts like the fall of a nation or the extinction of a people like Zhu Ge did, but they knew the world had been in chaos for a long time.
They simply hadn’t considered it in such terms before. After all, as Zhu Ge had implied, it felt like a problem for others to worry about.
The taller men would hold up the sky if it fell, and they were the shortest of the short—just common folk.
Zhu Ge smiled. "Before you joined my Six Paths Palace, I naturally wouldn’t have made any demands of you."
"But now, I want you all to know that I founded the Six Paths Palace to create a harmonious and wonderful world."
"I will not interfere with your pursuit of your own life goals and ideals."
"When I ask you to work for the Six Paths Palace, it will always be on the basis of equivalent exchange. Anything beyond that is purely voluntary."
"But I must warn you: your personal goals and ideals cannot run contrary to the fundamental mission of the Six Paths Palace. If they do, I will show no mercy."
Having said that, Zhu Ge began to explain what he meant by "equivalent exchange."
From welfare benefits to stipends.
From weapons and equipment to food and supplies.
Anything could be obtained through equivalent exchange.
Of course, there was one fundamental rule that had to be followed: they must obey the mobilization orders of the Six Paths Palace’s military. He didn’t want to form an army later only to find no one willing to enlist.
Zhu Ge had no intention of turning the Six Paths Palace into a mere trading market.
The most basic requirement was obedience to mobilization orders for external campaigns or defense.
To these thirty-six people, Zhu Ge’s terms were incredibly simple. There was nothing unreasonable about them.
They lived in a chaotic world where they couldn’t even be sure they’d survive the day.
Yet Zhu Ge offered them something called "dignity" and "freedom."
Because of this, not a single one of them had any complaints.
The fact that Zhu Ge didn’t forbid them from seeking their own revenge was especially important.
Zhu Ge, however, paid no mind to their inner thoughts and continued:
"As for cultivation techniques, the only ones I am currently offering for free are Martial Arts Techniques and Confucian Dao Techniques."
"There are several Martial Arts Techniques available. You need only choose one to cultivate."
"The Confucian Dao Technique was passed down to me by a friend. It can only serve as an introduction to the path. It is called *Notes on the Jianshan Terraces*."
"I will gradually perfect other techniques in the future and will offer you all suggestions. Whether you choose to follow my advice is entirely up to you."
In truth, the majority of the techniques Zhu Ge currently possessed were Martial Arts Techniques.
These techniques had all been originally prepared by the Raincoat Fisherman for his own use, so they were of exceptional quality.
However, these techniques could only take a cultivator to the Second Realm at most.
To advance further, one would have to forge their own path.
Fortunately, Zhu Ge was currently lacking neither money nor muscle.
Jianshui City was home to numerous factions, and Zhu Ge was confident he could trade for any kind of cultivation technique he needed.
In such a chaotic world, Zhu Ge couldn’t be bothered with lofty ideals like benevolence and righteousness.
If they were willing to trade, he would trade. If they were unwilling, he would use coercion and temptation. And if they still refused, he would simply take it by force.
Besides, many of those factions had committed their fair share of swindling, abduction, arson, and murder. Zhu Ge felt no psychological burden whatsoever.
Of course, if he encountered someone like Yu the Scholar who possessed a valuable heritage, Zhu Ge wouldn’t act so brazenly, no matter how weak that person was.
Likewise, he wouldn’t forcibly take from any faction that had never committed evil.
"...In short, as long as you all focus on your cultivation and development, we will take care of the rest."
Zhu Ge concluded his speech.
The disciples bowed in unison. "Yes, Palace Master!"
Zhu Ge found the title "Palace Master" a bit strange, though he didn’t really care. They could call him whatever they wanted.
He waved his hand. "Next, I will assess your aptitudes one by one and offer my recommendations."
Assessing their aptitude was actually quite simple.
He just needed to circulate his own "qi" through the subject’s Lower Yuan Palace—also known as their Dantian—to understand everything.
Back then, his teacher and Yu the Scholar had used Literary Energy to assess the aptitude of Zhu Ge and his peers.
Zhu Ge not only possessed Blood Qi but also a faint wisp of Literary Energy, which was perfect for assessing these disciples’ talents and giving them tailored advice.
"First, you come up. I will assess your aptitude."