IRBTCI CH6

“Don’t even think about fooling me again. We Luoluo birds have dignity too,” said the Luoluo bird, tilting its neck and stubbornly falling silent.

“Why are you playing dead now? Hurry and take me to find more good stuff—but I don’t want to meet your parents,” Bai Lu said, waving the ritual dagger near its neck. He was starting to feel this bird wasn’t particularly smart.

Why doesn’t he want to meet my family?

The Luoluo bird sensed something was off, but didn’t dare ask.

Even though there was no spiritual power on that dagger—and it wasn’t even sharpened—it had seen how quickly this guy could cast spells with it. It gritted its beak for a while, then mumbled, “F-Fine, this way…”

It seemed to have a bit of backbone, but not much.

With the Luoluo bird acting as his guide, Bai Lu’s scavenging went much faster, and the results were delightful. Not only did he gather plants, but also some minerals and spirit stones the bird had stashed away.

Before leaving, Bai Lu used the ritual dagger to gesture lightly around the Luoluo bird’s body.

The bird trembled and asked, “W-What are you doing? Silencing me for good?”

Even though the dagger’s sweep didn’t hurt, it remembered how silently this guy could cast spells. It didn’t dare take him lightly. Its eyes darted around nervously, ready to bolt at any moment.

“How could you think of me like that?” Bai Lu huffed. We wizards are deeply respectful of nature. “I’m letting you go.”

The Luoluo bird: “…”

Somehow, letting go suddenly sounded terrifying.

“But before I let you go, I need to mark you. I don’t know how many of your kind exist—maybe you all look the same. That way, if I catch you again next time, I’ll know it’s you,” Bai Lu said cheerfully. It was basically a wizard’s version of mark-recapture tagging.

The Luoluo bird nearly passed out. “There’s going to be a next time?! Am I that unlucky?!”

Bai Lu didn’t like that tone. “Of course there is—but not because of bad luck. Because I’ll be able to find you again through the mark.”

He needed to keep track of where good materials came from in case he needed more later. Not just the bird—even plants had their coordinates recorded in his notebook.

“You…” The Luoluo bird opened its beak, then shut it again. It couldn’t speak anymore. Its chest felt tight—probably wanted to cough up blood.

After leaving his magical mark, Bai Lu walked off proudly.

The bird stayed frozen in place, searching itself all over but unable to find any sign of the mark, let alone a way to remove it.

If not for the chill in its tail and heart, it might’ve believed this was all just a bad dream. Too scary!

When Manager Dai finally announced the end of the orientation period, Bai Lu felt a little reluctant to leave.

If only I could stay here forever, he thought. Food, lodging, easy access to the mountain—and so many good materials.

For Bai Lu, choice paralysis was a non-issue. He wanted everything! He could use the materials to craft staffs, brooms, magical trinkets… affix them to his ritual blade, notebook, belt—there were endless possibilities.

But he hadn’t finalized his primary material yet. He figured it was best to wait in case he found something better.

Manager Dai, meanwhile, couldn’t help revealing the true hidden purpose of the orientation on Kaiyang Peak. Seeing the looks of sudden realization on everyone’s faces, he sighed. “I’ve never seen a batch like you all. Even if you have other plans, do none of you intend to fast? Especially you, Bai Lu—you set the tone for everyone.”

Bai Lu answered awkwardly, “Senior Brother Dai, how can I start light fasting if I’m not full to begin with?”

Manager Dai: “…”

It took him a moment to even process that answer. What nonsense is this?!

But there was no changing it now. Clearly, Kaiyang Peak just had no karmic connection with this year’s disciples.

The students began chatting about where they would go next. Most had chosen their preferred cultivation branches and were just anxious to know which immortal would take them as a disciple.

The one most troubled was Liang Manggu, who still hadn’t made up his mind. Representatives from many peaks had approached him lately, and he had already filed for an extension.

Meng Caiqing, on the other hand, had long set her heart on Cangyun Platform, so she wasn’t conflicted at all. She quietly glanced at Bai Lu, who was currently daydreaming.

It wasn’t just that Bai Lu was good-looking—they all secretly liked to admire him—but also because when he had first arrived at Xuanshan, he had practically come empty-handed. Yet after just a short time in the sect, he seemed to have more and more things on him every day.

A string of delicate crystal and agate pendants now hung from his waist, along with a belt hook inlaid with cloud-essence gemstones. Bai Lu said the gemstones had been gifted by other candidates, and he had embedded them himself.

Everyone had received identical headbands from Manager Dai, but Bai Lu’s was embroidered with unfamiliar patterns, said to be blessing symbols from his homeland. Rumor had it they brought good luck.

And Ding Douhua, the junior sister who loved headpieces, had worn all kinds of velvet flower pins lately. Bai Lu, curious about the craftsmanship, had taken interest in them. That day, Bai Lu wasn’t wearing his usual accessories, but instead had a strange new chest pin: a fluffy, blue spider with gemstone eyes made from crushed spirit stones.

Although common folk also believed that spiders brought good luck—“when spiders appear, good things are near”—and sometimes made spider ornaments, none had ever seen a spider pin like his. No one knew if he made it up himself, but it was undeniably striking and beautiful.

Meng Caiqing, who had originally developed a bit of a spider phobia from the entrance trial, now found her perspective changing again.

She couldn’t help but wonder—was Senior Brother Bai really embroidering and making accessories every night after class?

No wonder Liang Manggu said he once caught Senior Brother Bai wandering around at night with insomnia.

In reality, Bai Lu had used magic to do it all. At the moment, he was silently reviewing his harvest from the past few nights: Still no final decision on the main material for the broom… and should I use material #23b for the new staff…

“Senior Brother Bai, Senior Brother Bai, are you still deciding where you want to go?” Meng Caiqing called out to him.

I just want to stay here forever as a newcomer…

No wait. Bai Lu suddenly remembered the silken book that hinted at a way home. He had gotten so wrapped up in foraging that he nearly forgot his original purpose. “Of course I’ve made my decision! I’m going to join my Master—I choose Little Plum Peak!”

Meng Caiqing blinked. “Isn’t it Dianmei Peak…?”

Bai Lu groaned. “Right! Dian! Dian! Dianmei Peak!”

Meng Caiqing: “…”

Soon, representatives from each peak came to escort their chosen disciples. Bai Lu bid farewell to his classmates one by one—especially reminding Junior Sister Ding Douhua to take good care of her cooking skills.

Having shared so many meals together, this batch of new disciples had bonded quite well. They all agreed to reunite someday.

When Ning Yantu reappeared, only a few people remained.

Noticing the fluffy blue spider pin on Bai Lu’s chest, she reached out to poke it, amused by how cute it looked—but Bai Lu dodged her hand.

He gave a shy little smile, as if embarrassed, but in truth he’d imbued that spider pin with defensive magic…

After all, spiders were symbols of good luck in both Eastern and Western cultures.

“I wasn’t going to steal it,” Ning Yantu said, shaking her head. She had come to confirm something: “So, have you made your decision about apprenticeship?”

Bai Lu answered without hesitation, “I’m going to Dian! Mei! Peak!”

It was unexpected—but also exactly as expected.

Still unsure why he said it so forcefully, Ning Yantu replied, “If that’s your choice, I’ll take you there. Actually, Elder Huo already agreed to accept you as a disciple long ago—we just wanted to give you time to decide.”

“Then my master and I are truly—” Bai Lu started to say something but faltered midway. He suddenly wasn’t sure how to phrase the rest. He remembered “a match made in heaven” was a phrase for lovers…

Ning Yantu was still watching him, waiting for him to finish. “Hmm?”

Big eyes staring into smaller eyes.

Bai Lu mumbled, “…What do you think is the right word, Senior Sister?”

Ning Yantu: “…”

“Why are you fishing for compliments now?” Ning Yantu said in confusion. “Fine, fine—you’re a perfect match. Happy?”

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Bai Lu: Lesson learned.

Ning Yantu took Bai Lu on a cloud-riding flight to Dianmei Peak. If not for Bai Lu, she likely wouldn’t have had any reason to visit there at all.

The sect leader would personally preside over the apprenticeship ceremony between Huo Xuexiang and Bai Lu. Afterward, Bai Lu would stay at Dianmei Peak permanently.

For most new disciples, even the bravest among them would feel uneasy during their first flight. Cloud-riding was not like riding a large flying artifact—it had no protective barriers and winds rushed in from every direction.

But unexpectedly, Bai Lu showed no discomfort at all. He even looked excitedly down at the scenery.

They landed outside the plum forest of Dianmei Peak. The peak was named after Huo Xuexiang’s famous sword, Jianmei (Sword Plum). In recent years, however, the plum trees hadn’t bloomed. Rumor had it this strange phenomenon began after the Sword Sovereign of Juntian swore not to ascend.

Though these sword plums no longer flowered and had lost their peak vitality, the sword intent lingering in their twisted forms was still palpable.

Even for someone not trained in swordsmanship, there was a sense of resonance.

Ning Yantu glanced at Bai Lu and saw him silently contemplating the sword intent. Coupled with his composure while flying, she thought, Hmph, no wonder he’s meant to be a sword cultivator.

…

Bai Lu, however, had been observing since they landed—thinking about what to chop, what to dig up, and what to pick.

At his ear, Senior Sister was still explaining: “Steward Dai must’ve already walked you through the ceremony. Since this is the first time Uncle Huo is taking a disciple, quite a few elders have come to witness… Even the Three-Not Realm’s reclusive Supreme Elder sent a gift.”

“Didn’t they say my master is really powerful?” Bai Lu asked with curiosity. “Can he beat the elders? How many could he beat?”

This question made Ning Yantu break into a cold sweat.

Mostly because, when she looked up, she saw a group of elders and peak masters standing just ahead, watching the sword intent—she had no idea if they’d heard Bai Lu’s outrageous question. She quickly coughed and said, “Come, greet the elders with me.”

There were so many people in front that Bai Lu couldn’t tell who was who. Judging by their titles, they all seemed like seniors, so he just followed Ning Yantu’s lead and offered a general greeting.

“What a fine young man. Huo Xuexiang knows how to pick a disciple.”

“Ha! Don’t you know it was the disciple who picked the Sword Sovereign?”

Unlike Huo Xuexiang’s austere and plain demeanor, his new disciple was glittering with ornaments. Still, no amount of finery could distract from those striking green eyes—

In the dappled light under the plum branches, the green in his eyes lay somewhere between turquoise and peacock green. His lashes were thick and curled upward at the ends. One glance made people want to reach out and ruffle his hair… But thinking of whose disciple he was, they all restrained themselves.

Suddenly, a young man in the crowd said coldly to Ning Yantu, “Senior Sister Ning, Tianji Peak applied to build a few more storage pavilions. Why haven’t they been approved?”

He wore a jade crown and fine robes, with a haughty demeanor. Clearly not someone easy to deal with. Unlike the others teasing Bai Lu, his gaze barely flicked over the newcomer—he had zero interest in someone whose cultivation was too low to even measure.

“…I’ve been busy. Pei Zhaoting, can’t you tell your family to stop sending you heavenly materials for a bit?” We get it. You’re rich. So annoying.

“Just approve them already. I’ll build them myself,” Pei Zhaoting pressed.

That seemed to open the floodgates. Others joined in:

“Forget his storerooms—I only asked to borrow some help from the next peak to feed my spirit beasts, and you rejected that too!”

“That was me. Why should I help feed your pigs?”

“Because I’m unreasonable.”

“…”

Bai Lu, witnessing this scene for the first time: What an unusual faculty staff meeting.

In the midst of this chatter, someone finally asked a more serious question: “There’s been word that an unknown cultivator has been bullying birds and seizing herbs around the mountain. Have you investigated?”

“Yes,” Ning Yantu replied. “The complaining demon said the perpetrator was of unknown origin, but I found no sign of any intrusion in the mountain protection formation. Still investigating.”

Not only had there been no traces in the formation, but there were also no magic markings to speak of. Was the demon delusional? Or had some bored inner disciple created a new stealth spell? Hopefully, she’d catch them soon.

Using the excuse of preparing Bai Lu, she finally escaped the crowd with him.

Bai Lu felt like he’d just done a whirlwind tour of relatives during New Year’s. He didn’t remember half of them. He turned to his senior sister, who still looked rattled. “Senior Sister, didn’t you say Cangyun Platform was the most peaceful place?”

“…Sometimes we don’t get peace either. Bai Lu, you heard them just now—there are bandits in the mountains. You’re new to the sect, so don’t go wandering around or you’ll get bullied.” Ning Yantu deliberately changed the subject to scare him a little.

Bai Lu nodded obediently. “Mmhm, I’ll wait until law enforcement is stronger.”

…

At that moment, Sect Leader Bo Luan Immortal Lord was already waiting at the Spring-Counting Pavilion atop Dianmei Peak.

Since Huo Xuexiang had never taken a disciple before, Dianmei Peak was always quiet. Many from the sect wanted to witness the rare ceremony. But instead of crowding the pavilion, they had all wandered off to the plum forest to bask in the lingering sword intent and daydream about the glory of the Sword Plums of yore.

This left the actual ceremony site rather deserted.

A puppet servant stood beside them, brewing Long Algae Tea, a specialty of Xuanshan known for enhancing focus and strength.

Bo Luan Immortal Lord took a sip and said idly, “Junior Brother, I recently obtained a new divination tool and performed a reading for you.” Though primarily a spell cultivator, he fancied himself talented in divination too.

“Are you still trying to predict my romantic fate?” Huo Xuexiang asked dryly.

“No, I’ve given up on that,” Bo Luan said, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “But this time… I foresaw your Red Phoenix Star stirring.”

Huo Xuexiang tilted his head. “?”

Bo Luan leaned in with mock mystery. “From my interpretation, the person in question is an outsider—not sure whether that means outside the sect or from another continent. But the key symbol is that the Kui Star accompanies them. I seemed to glimpse them holding a broom. It’s deeply connected to them. Maybe it’s their artifact. You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.”

Every method of divination had its own system. Each diviner had their own style of interpretation, and often, what seemed like nonsense at first would make perfect sense in hindsight.

Huo Xuexiang gave a slight nod. Just when Bo Luan thought he had taken it seriously, Huo said, “Your divination skills have always been lacking.”

Bo Luan: “…”

With a hint of displeasure, he snapped, “That’s not true. When I foresaw a beloved disciple, didn’t I get Tiger-boy?”

Huo Xuexiang remained silent.

Though he didn’t speak, the silence carried its own ruthless truth—

Because the year Bo Luan predicted he’d gain a tiger spirit beast, he declared he’d take in a demon disciple. That almost cost Ning Yantu her apprenticeship.

Bo Luan forced a smile. “In any case, everything is going according to plan. This is just a minor trial. As for you—just wait and see if your divination comes true. If it does, you’ll gain both a disciple and a partner—double happiness!”

Utter nonsense.

Huo Xuexiang set down his teacup and simply said, “I’ve never heard of anyone using a broom as their magical weapon. And I would never go near something meant for sweeping dust.”