Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 519

“Father, this is Master Han…”

Gan Yu immediately rose and paid his respects as his father entered.

“Yes, I’ve already heard. I heard he’s a distant relative, Master Han. Do you have any tokens or letters?” Gan Zhi’s full attention was on Han Li, and he interrupted his son to ask. Han Li, who was getting up from his seat, smiled at those words.

Without a word, he reached into his sleeve and took out a half-piece of jade pendant that shone white, handing it over. The moment Gan Zhi saw the jade pendant, his expression changed. He carefully examined the jade pendant, and then, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, he spoke, “So, you were a member of Brother Han’s household! I want to hear more about my late aunt, so let’s go to my study.”

The old man, with a delighted expression, grabbed Han Li’s hand and led him to the study.

“Aunt? Did we have such a relative in our family?” Gan Yu stood in the main hall, bewildered.

“Greetings, Master Han.” As soon as he entered the study, Gan Zhi carefully closed the door and bowed to Han Li with utmost respect.

“That’s enough, you can rise. There’s nothing much to ask about me. Just know that I’m the one in charge of communication from now on,” Han Li said calmly, waving his hand, and a blue light automatically lifted the old man’s body.

“Yes! Originally, Master Lee, who was in charge of communication, hasn’t been seen for ten years, and we were very worried that something terrible had happened. It’s a relief that you’ve come, Master,” Gan Zhi, having dispelled his last doubts with Han Li’s magic, treated him with even more reverence.

“I’ve come this time because there’s something you need to help with in your secular capacity,” Han Li nodded in satisfaction at his attitude and immediately stated what he wanted.

* * *

The White Dew Academy, located outside Taichang City, was not particularly noticeable among the many academies in Nan Prefecture. If there was anything unique about it, it was that it was not located within the city but on the renowned Jade Field Mountain.

Jade Field Mountain was a famous spiritual mountain of Taichang City, with over ten peaks and a spring-like climate all year round, where all sorts of rare flowers bloomed. Some trees and fruits could only grow when planted here, making it one of the thirteen spiritual mountains of Nan Prefecture.

The White Dew Academy was located on the Illusion Cloud Peak of this mountain, with numerous pavilions from the mountainside to the summit. Its area was large enough to accommodate over a thousand people.

Normally, the White Dew Academy would not have fit on such a mountain. However, strangely, since the establishment of the White Dew Academy over a thousand years ago, neither the surrounding temples nor Taoist temples had ever come to bother them. On the contrary, the Taoists and monks from the Taoist temples and temples paid their respects to the scholars of the academy, which many people did not understand.

Another strange thing was that the identities of the disciples gathered here were very diverse. From the only sons of wealthy families to the children of farmers and small merchants, their backgrounds were varied, and even their ages ranged from sixty-seven-year-old elders to twenty-year-old youths. Moreover, the timing of recruiting disciples was not fixed. Sometimes they would accept a group every three or four years, and other times there would be no news for seven or eight years. And once someone entered this place, it was difficult to see them again, making it a mysterious academy.

Of course, these stories were only shared among a few people living near Jade Field Mountain, so outside, it was considered just one of many academies.

Two people were slowly climbing Illusion Cloud Peak. They were a dignified middle-aged Confucian scholar and a young scholar who looked just over twenty years old. The young scholar, with slightly tanned skin and an ordinary face, was Han Li, who had suddenly appeared at the Gan family’s residence.

“Master Han, the White Dew Academy finished recruiting disciples two months ago, but since you’ve learned some magic and are already aware of the existence of cultivators, let’s go together. Whether you can enter the academy or not depends on your luck. But I have a connection with Teacher Ro of the White Dew Academy, so don’t worry too much,” the middle-aged Confucian scholar said as he walked, his clothes fluttering.

“I will follow all of Master Um’s instructions. My uncle said that whether I can enter the academy or not, he will not forget the help you’ve given this time,” Han Li answered obediently. Right now, he was only revealing the energy of a Qi Refining stage 3rd or 4th level. At the time, Han Li had asked Gan Zhi, the head of the Gan family, to help him infiltrate a local cultivation sect among the Buddhist, Confucian, or Taoist schools.

Gan Zhi was surprised to hear this but did not express much difficulty. He had already been ordered to build smooth relationships with the cultivators mixed in the secular world and had prepared in advance. The only concern was that if Han Li entered another sect and caused harm, the Gan family might suffer. However, all the family’s businesses were actually managed by the Feng family, and Han Li could turn Gan Zhi into a beggar overnight with the documents he possessed. Moreover, those who knew about the matters of the cultivation world had no choice but to be extremely respectful to the Feng family’s cultivators.

Therefore, under the promise that Han Li would not do anything to involve the Gan family, he would simply do as he was told. After a few days of deliberation, Gan Zhi chose a middle-aged Confucian scholar with the surname Um. He asked him to introduce Han Li to the White Dew Academy. The academy had more lenient standards for accepting disciples compared to the Buddhist or Taoist schools, and since Teacher Um had received help from Gan Zhi before, he believed that he would do his best in this matter.

The cultivation sects of the Great Jin were easier to enter than the cultivation sects of the Tiannan region, but even so, not just any low-level cultivator could enter. Han Li, upon hearing the name White Dew Academy, secretly visited Jade Field Mountain on his magical artifact that night and, after examining it, was relatively satisfied. Although it was not as good as his residence in Tiannan, which had many treasures of spiritual eyes [places with high concentrations of spiritual energy], it was a spiritual vein [a path of spiritual energy] that was good enough to use. He could cultivate even with just one poor spiritual vein, so he did not feel the need to put in more effort to infiltrate a large sect.

“Brother Gan is very considerate of you, his nephew. Well, since there are no people with spiritual roots [a person’s innate ability to absorb spiritual energy] in the secular world, he must have high expectations for you. If I had spiritual roots, I would have already entered the White Dew Academy and walked the path of immortality,” Han Li smiled at the Confucian scholar’s words.

*Ding!*

A moment later, a bell rang from another peak, and the serene sound made one’s mind feel clear.

“The Pure Zen Bell of the Boryeong Temple is truly a treasure. They ring the bell three times a day, and it seems like the high monks of Boryeong Temple want to show off,” the Confucian scholar stopped walking and shook his head, looking towards the peak that was much higher than Illusion Cloud Peak. Han Li’s eyes also lit up at the mention of a Buddhist sect there, but the bell sound he had just heard was a treasure of the upper realm.

He reached out and grabbed the long bundle behind his back and followed the middle-aged Confucian scholar. Soon, the two arrived at a flat space on the mountainside. A lush green bamboo forest spread out before them, and between them, red walls and white stone paths could be seen. Several white stone paths led deep into the bamboo forest, and at the end of them, a large red door several feet in size was erected.

“Let’s go. They usually don’t open the main gate, so we have to go through the side gate,” the middle-aged Confucian scholar looked around the bamboo forest and then took one of the stone paths with Han Li. After wandering around, Han Li and the middle-aged Confucian scholar arrived at a pitch-black door. The Confucian scholar took a light breath and knocked on the door.

Soon, the door opened, and a young scholar in a white robe appeared from inside. “Ah, it’s Teacher Um. Have you come to see Teacher Ro?” The young man’s spiritual energy fluctuations indicated a Qi Refining stage 3rd level, but he was being polite to Teacher Um, who had no spiritual power at all. Han Li, watching this, clicked his tongue in amazement.

This was something that could never happen in Tiannan. It seemed that the Confucian sect had strict rules, so even cultivators had to be polite to ordinary people. “This time, I’ve come to see Teacher Bang. Is Teacher Bang available?” The young scholar thought for a moment after the middle-aged Confucian scholar asked.

“We have a distinguished guest visiting the academy, and they are talking in the study. I will inform Teacher Ro.” “Then please do so,” the Confucian scholar knew that the person in front of him was an ordinary person but had a deep connection with Teacher Bang, so he did not treat him carelessly at all. He immediately took out a sound transmission talisman [a magical item for communication] from his pocket and muttered something before sending it flying.

Soon, Han Li felt someone’s consciousness scanning this place from afar. Judging by the strength of the consciousness, it seemed to be a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation [a high level of cultivation]. He had guessed that it was probably a cultivator in the mid or late stage of Foundation Establishment [a mid-level of cultivation], but he was wrong. From his perspective, the lower the opponent’s cultivation, the better, so that he would not be easily discovered. After a while, the air in the space where they were standing trembled, and a man’s voice echoed.

“Is that not Brother Um? You’ve come at a good time. We have a distinguished guest here, and if you don’t mind, please join us. You can bring the young friend with you as well.” At those words, the young man in the white robe guided Han Li and the middle-aged Confucian scholar inside.

* * *

After walking along the corridor for a while, Han Li could hear the sound of reading aloud, which was quite resonant. It was just like an ordinary academy, and Han Li was a little bewildered. Even if it was an academy in name only, were the low-level cultivators really spending their time reading books instead of cultivating?

“The lower-level disciples of the White Dew Academy are reciting. To become an upper-level disciple, spiritual roots and spiritual power alone are not enough. You must first cultivate the Confucian’s ‘Great Righteous Qi’ [a form of moral energy]. The more abundant the Great Righteous Qi, the faster you can learn most of the cultivation methods, and your future becomes limitless,” the young scholar explained with a smile, having read Han Li’s question.

“I see.” At that moment, they passed a large pavilion and arrived in front of an elegant small wall. As they entered, the sound of reading stopped abruptly, indicating that they had entered a soundproof barrier. Teacher Um had been here several times and was used to it, and the young scholar did not enter but bowed and left.

Teacher Um, who had seen the young scholar off with his eyes, straightened his clothes before walking towards the largest room in the building. Before he could even knock on the door, the door opened on its own, and Teacher Ro’s voice echoed, “Brother Um, please come in. I will introduce you to the Immortal Maiden Hwaryeon of the Yellow Clear Temple, who has graced our humble abode with her presence.”

Teacher Ro’s tone was calm and polite, but he did not reveal any emotion at all. “The Yellow Clear Temple?” Teacher Um was a little surprised but entered without hesitation. Han Li naturally followed behind him. A man and a woman were sitting in the reception room. The man was in his forties, with a square face and a long beard, and the woman was in her twenties, with jet-black hair and snow-white skin that contrasted with the man. She was wearing a yellow Taoist robe and holding a silver whisk that scattered silver light, and she exuded elegance and nobility. She seemed to be the Immortal Maiden Hwaryeon of the Yellow Clear Temple.

As Teacher Um and Han Li entered, both of their gazes converged on them. “I have heard much about Teacher Um Yo. Although I am not well-versed in secular matters, I cannot be unaware of the fame of Teacher Um of the Onghwa Academy,” unexpectedly, Hwaryeon smiled first and greeted them. She was a female cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Establishment and was sitting naturally in front of Teacher Ro.

“You flatter me. How can I compare to the fame of the Immortal Maidens of the Yellow Clear Temple? It is an honor to meet Immortal Maiden Hwaryeon,” Teacher Um hurriedly put his hands together and bowed.

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