Chapter 163: A Bizarre Dao-Seeking Heart
Chapter 163: Chapter 163: A Bizarre Dao-Seeking Heart
The first person was a young girl, assigned by Zhu Ge to the Martial Arts Hall.
The girl was petite and clad in thin cloth robes, looking like a little kitten.
However, she was known as the Earth Hook Hand, an assassin who often took on killing jobs in Jianshui City.
However, she only killed those she considered to be bad people.
The contracts she accepted were all for what she considered righteous causes. For instance, if a wealthy tyrant abducted a young woman, she would accept the contract from the woman’s father to kill him. Or if someone offered money to kill a notorious womanizer, she would take that job as well.
Her petite frame allowed her to easily disguise herself as a beggar, from which she could launch herself up from the ground in an instant to kill her target.
The "Earth Hook" part of her name referred to her ability to perform all sorts of swerving maneuvers along the ground before using her hands to snatch away the lives of evildoers.
Zhu Ge was a bit speechless that such a demure-looking girl was known as the Earth Hook Hand. ’Who the hell came up with that title?’
"Bai Chi, come closer." Zhu Ge shook his head, looking at the girl standing blankly a few feet away from him. "First, I’m going to test your aptitude for the Martial Dao."
Bai Chi immediately took two steps sideways toward Zhu Ge.
Zhu Ge immediately reached out to her.
"Palace Master, watch out!" a man suddenly cried out.
’Watch out?’
Zhu Ge raised an eyebrow.
WHOOSH!!!
The next moment, Bai Chi’s right hand formed a claw and shot toward Zhu Ge’s crotch.
The nails on her right hand were about a centimeter long, sharp and keen, each one coated in a pale green substance.
If she made contact, she would undoubtedly rip off... well, everything down there.
Moreover, the poison on her nails would be fatal to her victim.
THUMP.
Moving even faster, Zhu Ge gently caught Bai Chi’s wrist.
When he looked into her eyes, he saw only confusion and a blank stupor.
Clearly, this was an unconscious physical reaction, not a deliberate attack on her part.
"Heavens!"
"What is that woman trying to do?"
"She dares to attack the Palace Master?!"
The surrounding disciples cried out in alarm.
They lacked Zhu Ge’s keen perception, so they couldn’t tell that the girl’s attack was purely instinctual.
Like a knee-jerk reflex, killing had become an instinct for her.
Still, the girl’s reaction sent a chill of terror down the spine of every man present.
Forget them—even Zhu Ge, who had already mastered the Vajra Indestructible Body, felt a surge of belated fear.
In his current state, even if he stood there and let her attack, it would be impossible for her to so much as pierce his cornea.
As a cultivator of the Great Sun Glaze Body, Zhu Ge had, in theory, tempered even the most vulnerable parts of his body through Body Refinement until they were as hard as diamonds.
But what man wouldn’t be scared of that!
"Ah! Palace Master, Palace Master, I... I..." Bai Chi realized her instinctive reaction had nearly robbed him of his lineage and hurriedly tried to apologize.
But Bai Chi seemed to have little experience speaking with others, so she could only stammer, "I... I... I...," unable to form a complete sentence.
"It’s nothing." Zhu Ge shook his head, suddenly feeling weary and beset by a headache.
’This is only the first disciple. There are thirty-five more to go.’
’Although these were the ones who remained after my "careful selection," he had a feeling that the ones he’d been left with were all eccentrics.’
’He couldn’t imagine what other troubles lay in store for him.’
"Just give me your hand."
Zhu Ge decided against touching her stomach again. Even though it would have been through her clothes, he now realized it had been a bit thoughtless of him.
"However, when my Blood Qi flows from your hand to your Lower Yuan Palace, your meridians will feel some pain. You’ll have to endure it," Zhu Ge said.
The girl could only nod quickly.
Then, Zhu Ge drew a wisp of Blood Qi from his Martial Arts Heart and channeled it into Bai Chi’s Lower Yuan Palace.
A moment later, Zhu Ge withdrew his Blood Qi and gave a slight nod.
"Your Lower Yuan Palace reacted fairly well to my Blood Qi. Your aptitude for the Martial Dao is decent. You may choose a Cultivation Technique for yourself, and reaching the Late-First Realm should not be a problem."
"Also, I’m aware of your personal goal. It doesn’t conflict with your training. Focus on your cultivation for now. Once you’ve achieved some success, I can guide you on how to reach that goal."
"Thank... thank you, Palace Master!" Bai Chi hurriedly moved to kneel.
She had probably seen many others express their gratitude by kowtowing.
But Zhu Ge stopped her and said to the others, "In the future, none of you need to kneel. A clasped-fist salute or a simple bow will suffice. All that is required is to show basic mutual respect."
After speaking, he turned back to Bai Chi. "You may step aside for now."
Bai Chi quickly moved to the side, her head bowed, lost in thought.
Zhu Ge then turned his attention to the next person.
’I could have revealed her goal,’ he thought, ’but on second thought, it’s better not to.’
Because Bai Chi’s ambition was to join the Six Paths Palace... and find love.
That’s right. Marriage.
In the illusionary realm, Bai Chi had trained for over six hundred years.
The entire purpose of her training was to find someone at her own cultivation level who could overpower her, so she could marry him.
And he couldn’t just be stronger than her for a moment—he had to *always* be stronger.
So, the illusionary realm adapted to her mindset, constantly making her stronger, yet never allowing her to find this "Mr. Right."
And the result?
The girl spent a staggering six hundred years searching for a husband!
Every day she would find a new candidate, every day she would fight someone at her level. Since she won some and lost some against various opponents, she never completely gave her heart to anyone.
Zhu Ge had heard of people with resolute hearts for pursuing the Dao or achieving immortality, but this was the first time he’d ever seen someone with such a resolute heart for finding love.
Many who initially sought immortality couldn’t even stand a few decades of monotonous meditation.
Yet this girl, for the sake of finding love, had once forced herself into seclusion for two hundred years.
Her persistence left Zhu Ge utterly amazed.
After interacting with her today, however, Zhu Ge felt that if Bai Chi’s future husband hadn’t mastered an indestructible body technique, he was in for a world of pain.
"Next. You."
Zhu Ge looked at the next person.
This was a slender man holding a pair of scissors. He was known as "Double-Bladed Shears," and his name was Zhang Bajian.
But his domineering name was paired with an effeminate personality, somewhat like the eunuch played by the actor Chen Kun that Zhu Ge remembered from his past life.
"Palace Master, I’m here!"
Zhang Bajian hurried forward, bowed at the waist, and presented his lower abdomen to Zhu Ge.
Zhu Ge placed his hand on the man’s Dantian and probed it with his Blood Qi.
"Hmm, your aptitude is rather poor." Zhu Ge’s expression was calm. "It might take you five or six years just to produce Blood Qi. Let me check your aptitude for the Confucian Dao."
Next, he channeled in his Literary Energy.
"Your aptitude for the Confucian Dao is even worse." Zhu Ge shook his head. "For now, just continue with the Martial Dao. Next."
"Yes, Palace Master!" Zhang Bajian didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
After all, he was someone who had passed Zhu Ge’s test of unwavering resolve; he wouldn’t give up easily just because of poor aptitude.
Zhu Ge knew this as well, so he looked to the next person.