Chapter 43: Each Has Their Own Fate, Immortal Sect Shortcut
Fang Shu squinted at Su Qin Gao kneeling before him, momentarily thinking he had misidentified the person.
Seeing him silent, Su Qin Gao’s words became even more urgent. She tried to grab Fang Shu’s hand and place it on her body.
But Fang Shu lightly sidestepped, avoiding her action.
When this woman tried to press closer, Fang Shu’s expression remained unchanged, but the restrained qi and blood in his body suddenly erupted.
A ferocious aura like that of tigers, wolves, and venomous snakes spread out, making Su Qin Gao tremble instantly, not daring to act further.
Bang bang!
Su Qin Gao no longer dared to approach and harass Fang Shu, instead kowtowing on the ground, crying out:
“Brother Fang, please have mercy and take me in.
That old guy is no human, wuwuwu…”
But Fang Shu merely narrowed his eyes, appraising the woman, still saying nothing.
At that moment, the commotion in the house alerted the two neighboring families.
Dou Su Fu and Talisman Master Li Yuan both poked their heads out, looking over.
And outside the door, a cursing voice arose: “Run! You little slut, run again—you’ll still have to come back…”
The cursing came from the old man’s mouth where Su Qin Gao was staying. He had already approached the paper house of the uncle and nephew.
Seeing Su Qin Gao had slipped into their house, the man’s cursing suddenly quieted, then fell silent.
Inside the house.
Second Uncle Yu Le saw Fang Shu pondering silently. Without waiting for Fang Shu’s reaction, he pressed Fang Shu’s shoulder and gathered some clean leftover rice and dishes from the house, wrapping them up.
He then stepped forward proactively, stuffing them into Su Qin Gao’s hands, shaking his head and waving her off, signaling her to leave.
Meanwhile, the old man outside the house, though no longer cursing, had not left and was lurking in the shadows.
Seeing Second Uncle Yu Le’s actions, he suddenly darted to the doorway from outside, then cupped his hands toward the uncle and nephew with a fawning smile:
“This lowly maid offended Master Yu and Young Brother Fang—please don’t take it to heart!”
After speaking, the old man grabbed Su Qin Gao’s hair, dragging her outside while continuing to curse:
“You filthy whore! Don’t embarrass me here. No one would want a broken thing like you—only I would take you in.”
Su Qin Gao struggled on the ground, her voice wailing endlessly, shrieking like a wild cat in heat:
“No! Don’t! Brother Fang, save me.
My body is still clean, with intact primordial yin—save me!!”
Taking advantage of the old man’s momentary lapse, she scrambled back, but no longer sought Fang Shu—instead pouncing directly before Second Uncle Yu Le:
“Uncle Yu, please have mercy!
Your house is short on help—why not let me take care of you? Would that be good!?”
Her hair disheveled, yet her face full of desperate hope.
But what responded was Second Uncle Yu Le’s apologetic bitter smile. He merely cupped his hands to her, then shook his head firmly.
Su Qin Gao’s gaze tried to peer past Second Uncle Yu Le toward Fang Shu in the house, begging once more.
But not only was Fang Shu unmoved.
Even her line of sight was completely blocked by Second Uncle Yu Le, denying her any chance to plead with Fang Shu.
Thus at the doorway, a bout of hysterical wailing and mocking erupted between Su Qin Gao and the old man, the noise waking many paper workshop neighbors who had been about to rest.
Many opened doors or windows, casting gazes toward the uncle and nephew’s paper house.
Second Uncle Yu Le stood at the door, continuing to smile bitterly while cupping his hands to the neighbors on all sides.
Only after the old man and young wife returned to their nest did the commotion in the paper workshop quiet down, though wails and scolding curses still echoed through the paper walls, likely to continue half the night.
At this time, the neighbor Li Yuan sauntered over. Looking in the direction the old man and young wife had gone, he clicked his tongue repeatedly.
Talisman Master Li Yuan gave Second Uncle Yu Le a thumbs up: “You can handle things, old Yu. If your nephew got entangled by that woman, his reputation might get tarnished.”
Neighbor Sister Dou did not come out. Staying in her house, she chimed in with a laugh, raising her voice:
“If Brother Fang Shu is craving women, remember to come find sister… sister will make introductions for you.”
Her words drew a burst of laughter from Talisman Master Li Yuan:
“No need for introductions—old man here thinks Sister Dou is pretty good.”
“Pah! You shameless old pervert.”
Sister Dou had only wanted to tease Fang Shu, not be teased back. She feigned anger with a quiet curse, then slammed her door and window shut.
Talisman Master Li Yuan tsked a few times, cupped his hands to Second Uncle Yu Le, and turned to head back into his house.
But suddenly, Talisman Master Li Yuan turned back, instructing Second Uncle Yu Le beside him:
“By the way, old Yu, don’t block things for your Fang brother, only to trap yourself in the end.”
He said in a low voice: “That girl might still be clean in certain places, but probably only there—be careful.”
Talisman Master Li Yuan even nodded toward Fang Shu in the paper house: “Don’t believe me? Ask your nephew.”
These words left Second Uncle Yu Le momentarily stunned. He looked puzzled toward Fang Shu.
Fang Shu’s expression was also peculiar; he immediately understood what Talisman Master Li Yuan meant.
With the reminder, Fang Shu grew a bit worried that once the family prospered, Second Uncle might be schemed into by that woman.
He did not want to return one day to find an extra aunt in the house—especially if it was Su Qin Gao.
So after the paper door closed, Fang Shu told Second Uncle Yu Le what he had personally overheard about the “soaking dates” incident, as well as the gossip from casual chats with Li Hou Er.
For a moment, Second Uncle also clicked his tongue, quite astonished.
But what Second Uncle Yu Le cared about was not what humiliation Su Qin Gao had suffered or how hateful the old man was.
He cared more why this woman Su Qin Gao had not yet fled the paper workshop—a mere paper contract, how could it bind such a living person?
Second Uncle asked Fang Shu, prompting Fang Shu to ponder as well.
Indeed, as Second Uncle Yu Le said, even if Su Qin Gao had been tricked into marrying into the paper workshop, she was not reduced to a slave or bound by restrictions; nor was the old man some powerful mine digger.
If she truly could not endure the abuse, she could simply leave the paper workshop and sell blood in the marketplace to survive.
Unless she had some leverage gripped by the old man, or the old man had formidable means not to be underestimated, and Su Qin Gao had her own ulterior motives…
In short, this was trouble!
Fang Shu thought it over, planning to discuss it with Second Uncle Yu Le.
But upon looking up, he met Second Uncle Yu Le’s smiling gaze.
Fang Shu understood instantly.
It turned out his Second Uncle Yu Le was not truly curious about the mysteries surrounding Su Qin Gao, but only whether Fang Shu had noticed them.
However, Second Uncle Yu Le had overthought it.
If Second Uncle had not been there today and Fang Shu was alone, he simply would not have opened the door, to avoid disturbing their peace.
After all, everyone in the marketplace was just struggling to survive—no one was nobler or more pitiable than another.
Seeking one’s own blessings and respecting others’ lives was the foundation for standing firm in the marketplace.
But Fang Shu said nothing more. He grinned and honestly cupped his hands to Second Uncle.
This amused Second Uncle Yu Le, who became even more composed and reserved.
After chatting idly a bit longer, the uncle and nephew extinguished the lamp and retired one by one.
……………
The next day at dawn.
After washing up, Fang Shu bid farewell to Second Uncle and hurried to the dojo, looking forward to receiving immortal teachings after entering the Dao!
To his surprise, upon arriving at Du Gu Guan, he felt something rise from his body into the air.
Looking up, it was the blood fleas—Flea Master—granted by Dojo Master Du, crawling out from his hair and flying into the inner courtyard of Du Gu Guan, presumably to find Dojo Master Du.
This inevitably stirred a few threads of regret in Fang Shu’s heart.
When fishing for people at Qian Shan Mine, he had clearly noticed that Mine Owner Cao’s gaze swept only once each over the daoist robe and calling card on him.
But the way the man looked at Fang Shu himself occasionally revealed a hint of gravity.
This gaze was clearly not for a newly entered immortal cultivator; he had likely detected Flea Master on Fang Shu, hence the wariness.
For such a gu worm that could save his life and protect him, Fang Shu naturally hoped to carry it always as a trump card.
Unfortunately, Dojo Master Du had only lent it for use, not given it to him outright.
Suddenly, Fang Shu’s heart stirred: “Rather than rely on others, why not refine my own?”
According to the gu technique fragment passed by Dojo Master Du, once one entered the door with gu worms, a First Calamity Immortal could refine Second Calamity gu worms, a Second Calamity Immortal could refine Third Calamity gu worms, and even essence-refining immortals might refine qi-refining gu worms.
This differed greatly from cultivating magic or magic tools—refined gu worms could exceed the refiner’s cultivation by one step, or even several!
Of course, to refine gu worms surpassing one’s own realm, not only must the refiner be exceptionally talented and skilled, but superior gu materials, blood food, and such were required—it was far from as simple as the book described.
Fang Shu promptly reined in stray thoughts and continued toward the dojo’s inner courtyard.
But the idea of gu refining took root in his heart.
Before long.
Before Fang Shu could seek out Dojo Master Du to give thanks, Senior Sister Yu Er found him first.
“Back? Did everything go well?” Du Yu Er asked with a smile.
Fang Shu cupped his hands: “Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. Everything is settled. I was just about to find Master to express thanks.”
“No rush, no rush. Come with me first. I’ll arrange a place for you in the inner courtyard, and also introduce the front courtyard jobs with vacancies. Grandma mentioned you have relatives who might need placement—select one while you’re at it.”
Du Yu Er said casually.
But her words stirred Fang Shu’s mind, giving him a few more threads of belonging toward Du Gu Guan.
He had not expected Dojo Master Du to even consider his Second Uncle’s livelihood.
Second Uncle Yu Le had only just returned from the minefield. For now, he needed to recuperate at home. But once recovered, he would need to find work to earn money again.
Selling blood could not continue—it harmed the body and shortened life. As for leatherworking, it was not stable either.
Dojo Master Du’s arrangement perfectly solved Second Uncle’s livelihood issue!
And with Second Uncle in Du Gu Guan, it would be convenient for the uncle and nephew to look after each other. Even if the pay was low, it beat ordinary labor in the marketplace.
In Du Gu Guan, Du Yu Er walked while introducing front courtyard jobs to Fang Shu:
“The medicine hall needs a fire-tender for decocting herbs, but you’d have to learn for a while first to avoid accidental poisoning when processing medicinal herbs and harming yourself.
The dining hall also lacks a cook—not handling the wok, but assisting at the cutting board: chopping vegetables, kneading dough, slaughtering pigs and sheep. The perk is occasionally taking some offal, pigskin, pig bristles, etc…. These jobs don’t pay much in wages or grain, so no need to force it if unsatisfied.”
Senior Sister Yu Er hid nothing, explaining the pros and cons of each position, even whether there were perks.
Fang Shu listened carefully. Without hesitation or asking Second Uncle Yu Le for fear he might pick a high-pay but dangerous job or feel too guilty for a low-pay one,
He directly chose in his mind the relatively safe cook position in the dining hall—somewhat dirty and tiring, but with occasional perks.
Perfectly, with Second Uncle helping in Du Gu Guan’s dining hall, leftover hides and such ingredients could be tanned by him for extra income.
After thinking it over, Fang Shu gave Du Yu Er a deep bow:
“The cook position suits my Second Uncle perfectly. Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Du Yu Er waved smilingly:
“No need to be polite. Once in the inner courtyard, we’re all family. Right, this is the single room I picked for you—already hung with your plaque. What do you think?
If not, there are a few empty rooms next door to switch to.”
Fang Shu looked up and saw it was an edge-side wing room.
Stepping in to inspect, it was not particularly nice or large—only about a zhang—but solidly built of fine hardwood, with what seemed like brick between the walls.
Moreover, one side bordered open ground with no rooms, the other an empty room for now—quite quiet.
This consideration was clearly deliberate.
Fang Shu agreed at once: “This one it is. Thank you, Senior Sister.”
With the two small matters settled, Du Yu Er led Fang Shu toward the inner courtyard, presumably to pay respects to Dojo Master Du.
On the way.
Fang Shu suddenly recalled something and asked casually: “Senior Sister is also an entered-Dao immortal cultivator—why still squeeze in the bunk room with female disciples in the front courtyard?”
After entering the Dao, he had discovered that this seemingly soft, gentle, and demure Senior Sister Yu Er actually had astonishing qi and blood, controlled with ease—far more profound than he, a new inner courtyard disciple.
Fang Shu even suspected Senior Sister Yu Er might be a Second Calamity Immortal.
Hearing Fang Shu’s question, Du Yu Er first said: “Grandma can’t mingle freely with the disciples. With the dojo short-staffed, I handle it.”
Then with a sly expression, she beckoned Fang Shu close and whispered:
“As for squeezing in the bunk room with disciples at night, the first half might be me, but the latter half is just a drug-activated puppet.
It helps watch over the dojo’s female disciples and guard against petty thieves.”
Fang Shu half-understood.
Though he did not know how the so-called drug-activated puppet differed from mortal fireworks puppets, it was surely some immortal magic used by Senior Sister Yu Er as a body double and guard.
Amid the chat, they entered the inner courtyard.
After finding Dojo Master Du, she asked Fang Shu nothing extra, merely instructing them: “Old place.”
Then, in a corner of the inner courtyard.
The ground was laid with eight trigrams stone bricks, copper pillar banners at the eight directions—like an altar, like a plaza. Fang Shu saw Li Hou Er, Qin Min, and others arriving one by one.
Those present today were clearly all formal inner courtyard disciples of Du Gu Guan, or formal daoist children.
Not many came—including Fang Shu and Du Yu Er, only six in total. Many had not shown.
Among the newcomers, aside from Li Hou Er winking at Fang Shu, the others appraised him with considerable scrutiny.
Fang Shu ignored these gazes. He had no intent to immediately bond with these senior brothers and sisters, merely lowering his eyes and waiting silently, ears perked.
Dojo Master Du summoning everyone today was clearly to give him Fang Shu his first lesson after paying respects, and impart cultivation methods, experience, rules, and such.
These were what he should value and focus on most upon entering the dojo.
Sure enough, once all arrived, Dojo Master Du spoke:
“Today’s lecture, besides introducing the new inner courtyard disciple and routinely teaching our dojo’s secret insect skill and checking your progress,
Old me will first chat with you about several shortcuts to joining an immortal sect.”
The voice was not loud, with no rises or falls.
But upon sounding, it not only drew Fang Shu’s attention but made the other disciples all snap their gazes up, focusing intently on Dojo Master Du.
Even the dojo’s prodigy—Qin Min—was no exception.
