Chapter 10: Life on the Back Mountain
Most of the people lingering in this bamboo cottage residential area were likely of mediocre aptitude.
Many were in much the same situation as Li Qingyun — idle guest disciples of the temple, their families wealthy and well-connected enough to obtain a "Dao Affinity Token" and secure a foothold here, either for the status and backing it provided or simply to live a comfortable life.
Of course, everyone still harbored a faint hope of making it in cultivation.
What if they managed to cross that threshold and truly step onto the path of cultivation?
Li Qingyun had seen no one here with the commanding presence of Lin Wanjin, which made it clear that those living in the east wing of the back mountain were, for the most part, the dregs of the lot.
Those with decent Dao Bones or Spiritual Roots were either taken on as Personal Disciples by masters like Lu Nanling, or were admitted directly into the true Lingbao Sect behind the temple.
"Junior Brother He, shall we continue our discussions and drinks tonight?"
"This must be the newly arrived Junior Brother Li Qingyun — quite a handsome fellow, though he does look a bit frail!"
"I heard that this afternoon, a remarkably graceful and pretty Junior Sister arrived at the west wing — she's from the main line of the Lin Clan of Fufeng..."
The maple forest glowed a deep crimson, lantern light swaying in the dusk. On the path to the dining hall, the sociable He Xiao frequently stopped to chat with enthusiastic fellow disciples.
He also introduced Li Qingyun to everyone along the way.
Li Qingyun's identity as the Third Young Lord of the Marquis of Qinghe's Manor carried considerable weight — everyone was warm and friendly toward him.
It was his first time at Lingbao Temple, and getting to know more people was a necessity. Having connections would make it far easier to find out whatever he needed.
Night settled over the mountain, and lanterns flickered to life, illuminating a rather lively building ahead.
The back mountain dining hall of Lingbao Temple was nestled in a mountain hollow.
It had been established specifically for disciples who had not yet achieved Inedia.
Through conversation, Li Qingyun also learned that the elite disciples who had made real progress in their cultivation all had their own private, secluded quarters. They rarely showed their faces in public and almost never appeared in the dining hall.
"Those Senior Brothers and Sisters have already formed the Embryonic Treasure Furnace within their Qi Seas — their Dharma Power runs deep. They spend their days holed up in their quarters, cultivating without pause. They're all gunning for the precious few spots to enter the sect at year's end!"
"Ah, isn't that the truth — comparing yourself to others is just asking for heartache. Those of us with limited aptitude can only take things one step at a time..."
Whenever the conversation turned to those accomplished Senior Brothers and Sisters, He Xiao and the newly acquainted Yin Huan and the others couldn't hide the admiration — and faint envy — in their expressions.
The mention of "spots to enter the sect at year's end," however, stirred something in Li Qingyun's heart. He filed it away for later.
It confirmed his earlier suspicion — Lingbao Temple truly did have a powerful sect backing it.
He and He Xiao collected their utensils and went to get their food.
The dining hall offered a remarkably wide variety of dishes — meats and vegetables of every kind filled the counters, fragrant and visually appealing, a feast for the senses.
In Li Qingyun's estimation, many of these qualified as genuine delicacies of the mortal world — the kind that ordinary people could neither afford nor ever hope to encounter.
There were even a small number of truly spiritual foods available, such as Spirit Rice Porridge and Crimson Deer Meat.
The prices, however, were absolutely staggering.
If the cost of living here were just a little more reasonable, Li Qingyun might genuinely have considered this a fine place to settle down and live out his days in comfort.
The ordinary "delicacies" at the counter cost several taels of silver per serving at the very least, and the most expensive items could only be purchased with gold.
As for the two or three spiritual foods, those required Spirit Stones to buy.
Beyond that, Li Qingyun also spotted a counter offering free food — plain grain and vegetables, much like what common folk ate at home, with no meat in sight.
From what he observed, very few people visited that free food counter.
Most of the disciples who came to this dining hall came from wealthy families, having obtained their Lingbao Temple Dao Affinity Tokens through various channels.
Before entering the temple, they had all lived lives of comfort and privilege — why would any of them touch coarse, flavorless free food?
That free food counter existed for those who had fallen on the hardest of times within the temple.
Li Qingyun noticed that occasionally, one or two Daoists in worn, faded robes would shuffle in with heads bowed low, quickly collect their free food, and leave without lingering — all while others laughed and sneered.
From the mocking chatter around him, he gathered that these disciples who took the free food had once spent lavishly too. But their families in the mortal world had suffered misfortune one after another — declining, or in some cases, ceasing to exist entirely — and could no longer support them.
In a world haunted by demons and monsters, anything could happen. Even the Marquis of Qinghe's Manor could fall into ruin in an instant if fate turned against it.
"The world of men is unpredictable, ever-changing. In this world, life is undeniably fragile..."
Li Qingyun turned this thought over in his mind, then spent ten taels of silver to get himself a serving of "delicacies" — following He Xiao's lead and blending in with the crowd.
The few newly acquainted fellow cultivators sat together at a table, speaking in low voices, eating and drinking.
It was his first time in the dining hall, and Li Qingyun wanted to maintain the image of the Third Young Lord of the Marquis's Manor — he didn't want to show any weakness in front of He Xiao and the others.
Inwardly, however, he was calculating how long his privately brought funds could sustain this kind of lifestyle.
"Two thousand silver notes, fifty taels of gold, plus some pearls and jewelry..."
This was the last of his savings, scraped together with great difficulty.
Perhaps Yin Xunshan had noticed the unusual weight of his bundle long ago, but knowing the money-driven nature of Lingbao Temple, he likely hadn't bothered to take it.
Looking at things now, it really wasn't going to be enough.
At his current rate of spending, if he didn't find ways to earn more and cut costs — if he didn't carve out some means of income within Lingbao Temple — this small sum of money would not sustain a comfortable life for more than a few years.
Lingbao Temple lived up to its name in one respect: everything cost money.
Daily life cost money. Cultivation required resources. With money came convenience; without it, everything was a struggle.
Take his roommate He Xiao, for instance — Li Qingyun could tell that the man had already cultivated some Dharma Power and likely intended to specialize in Talisman Arts going forward.
Even if his cultivation couldn't advance much further, a skilled hand at drawing talismans would let him descend the mountain and make a very decent living in the mortal world.
The common folk lived under the shadow of demons and monsters, and there was constant demand for talismans like the House-Ward Talisman and the Evil-Warding Talisman to ward off evil spirits.
But for He Xiao to achieve any real proficiency, his annual expenditure on Talisman Paper, gold powder, Cinnabar, and the like would certainly add up to no small sum.
As He Xiao had boasted, he had also cultivated two spells, though he hadn't truly grasped or mastered them yet. Reaching the point where he could cast them reliably would require continued investment of resources.
Without Spirit Stones or Pills to quickly replenish his reserves, relying solely on seated meditation and breathing exercises to recover, it would take He Xiao an age and a half to hone his spells to true mastery.
In Li Qingyun's estimation, the foundation of the He Clan of Blue Mountain was somewhat weaker than that of the Marquis of Qinghe's Manor.
Even if He Xiao was a direct-line descendant whose family was willing to pour money into his cultivation, without five or six years of sustained investment, He Xiao might still fall short of the minimum threshold of One Furnace of Dharma Power required to officially enter the Qi Refinement Realm.
"Fellow Senior Brothers, now that we've entered the temple to cultivate, we can't rely entirely on our families for support. Do any of you know of good ways to earn a living here? I'd appreciate your guidance."
"Ha! Junior Brother Qingyun just arrived on the mountain and he's already feeling the pressure? With the Marquis of Qinghe's Manor being so powerful and influential, surely the manor will cover your cultivation needs for the first few years, Third Young Lord!"
"Heh, don't worry, Junior Brother. There are all sorts of ways to earn income within the temple — let us tell you about them one by one..."
Li Qingyun had his worries, and over the course of eating and chatting, he cleverly steered the conversation toward the topic of how to make ends meet within the temple.
That was how he learned that the temple did indeed provide disciples with various ways to earn money.
There were miscellaneous chores around the back mountain, as well as various jobs in the front temple, among other options.
For those who had made progress in their cultivation, there was also the option of taking on missions from the temple's External Affairs Hall — descending the mountain to perform rituals, capture ghosts, exorcise demons, and pacify the people — earning rewards of gold, silver, Spirit Stones, and Contribution Points.