The newcomersâ three-month period arrived in the blink of an eye.
Early in the morning, the foot of Disciple Peak was quite lively.
"Just give me a few more days, Iâll definitely grasp Qi Sensing. Just two more days, please!"
"Itâs not fair, we all live at the foot of the mountain where the Spiritual Qi is insufficient. Some people get to live halfway up or at the peak, this isnât fair, Iâm not convinced!"
"If I go home like this, my father will beat me to death. Senior Brother Zhuang, can you spare me a life?"
About ten young men, all under twenty years of age, some pleaded, some remained silent with dark looks, while others lay on the ground wailing and crying.
In front of them stood an old man with a ghastly pale face, almost devoid of flesh, dressed in a dark blue Daoist Robe.
Behind the old man were a row of burly men with red bands tied on their heads, each with an indifferent expression and abundant Qi-Blood.
The old man, known as Senior Brother Zhuang, upon seeing this miserable sight, remained unfazed and coldly said, "The state has its laws, and the sect has its rules.
You were given ninety days, if you didnât seize the chance, you canât blame anyone else!"
"Today, you must leave the mountain!
Donât say I didnât take care of you. These warriors, I painstakingly applied for them from the Law Enforcement Hall, can help you carry your luggage.
Otherwise, just hauling your things from Disciple Peak out of our sect would exhaust you to death!"
"Senior Brother Wei, please plead for us!" someone shouted.
Beside them stood Wei Jian, the guide for this batch of disciples, though his expression was unpleasant, he kept his mouth tightly shut and did not utter a word.
In the face of harsh sect laws, he, an ordinary disciple, could do nothing.
They lingered for half a day.
Those who failed to grasp Qi Sensing seemed to accept their fate.
They took off their Corpse-Driving Sect Outer Disciple Daoist Robes and changed back into the clothes they had originally brought, each preparing to leave.
"Brother Wang, take care on the road."
"Young Master Ma, look on the bright side. When I return after mastering my skills, I shall definitely have a drink with you and enjoy ourselves."
"Ah, Brother Liu, I have no hopes left in this life. I can only await your Immortal Technique completion, perhaps you can take care of my future generations, haha."
Even though these failures could not remain in the outer sect,
Over the period of time spent together, each had, more or less, made some friends.
Friends came to see them off, offering kind words and leaving their sincerest blessings.
Only one person was an exception.
Su Yu stood alone in a corner, mourning as if he had lost a loved one.
No one was willing to speak with him, including those so-called acquaintances who came from Jin City Seeking Immortality Hall.
A deep sense of defeat rose in his heart, which then transformed into searing resentment.
"Expelling me from the mountain, misjudging people, Corpse-Driving Sect, youâll regret it one day!"
âLou Yi, itâs all because of him. If he had been willing to help, would I be in this predicament now?â
âWhatâs the harm in letting me use the cave for a few days? To him itâs just a small effort, to me itâs a matter that affects my entire life!â
Su Yuâs incredibly resentful gaze turned towards the mountain top.
What he didnât see was that there was a silhouette there, looking back at the same time.
With Lou Yiâs vision far superior to ordinary people, he naturally took in everything happening at the foot of the mountain.
He could even see Su Yuâs expression clearly enough.
His heart remained unmoved.
If the other knew how to act, and even held a sliver of gratitude, Lou Yi might have remembered the past goodwill and gone to see them off.
Unfortunately, once a farmer is bitten by a snake, they wonât give a second chance.
The Immortal Path is too dangerous; someone like Su Yu should return to the world of ordinary people.
Otherwise, with his temperament, itâs hard to say if one day he might end up dead, with no trace left.
On the mountain, other new disciples watched a group of failures leave, and a slight ripple of emotion stirred in their hearts.
The Immortal Path is cruel.
Although they were not expelled, if they couldnât continue to progress, eventually they would suffer a similar fate.
...
Su Yu and his group of failures, assisted by the warriors with their luggage, soon arrived outside the Corpse-Driving Sect mountain range.
There, several gray and worn-out carriages stood silently.
Shabby coachmen yawned out of boredom, picking their noses.
"Going to Jin City?" Su Yu stepped forward and asked.
The coachman glanced at him sideways, noticing Su Yuâs coarse clothing, a hint of disdain flashing across his face: "Going, but the silver isnât a small sum. Can you afford it?"
"Stop judging others by appearances!" Su Yu was enraged, "You ignorant coachman, how would you know I canât afford the silver?"
"Oh, you seem to know so much." The middle-aged coachman sneered, "Our carriage usually goes to the closest He City, thirty taels of silver per trip.
If you want to go straight to Jin City, youâll have to pass through three more cities. Calculate the price yourself."
Hearing the coachmanâs words, Su Yuâs expression involuntarily changed.
It seemed he really might not be able to afford it.
"If he knew so much, would he have been expelled from the Corpse-Driving Sect?" another coachman jeered.
All the coachmen laughed heartily, making Su Yuâs expression even darker.
At this moment, a young man dressed in blue brocade strode forward to resolve the situation for Su Yu: "Donât you all want to do business?
Although we are disheartened, we donât wish to hear any gossip.
If you continue to kick us when weâre down, we would rather wait longer than take your carriages."
The young man had already changed back into the brocade he wore before entry, paired with the jade hairpin on his bun, exuding an extraordinary demeanor, clearly from a wealthy family.
Seeing his firm tone, people wouldnât clash with money, and the coachmen promptly apologized.
"Hey, young master, donât be angry. Old Niu is a crude man, his mouth never filters."
"Yes, yes, Old Niu, hurry and apologize to the young gentleman."
The first coachman who had verbal conflict with Su Yu.
Though reluctant, he also stepped forward grudgingly and gestured perfunctory apology to Su Yu: "I have a bad mouth, young gentleman, please be magnanimous, donât hold it against a crude person like me."
"Humph!" Su Yu snorted coldly but turned away, unwilling to accept the coachmanâs apology.
A flicker of annoyance passed in the coachmanâs eyes, not expecting the young man to be so unreceptive.
"Alright, alright, todayâs carriage expenses are on me." The blue-robed young man continued to smooth things over.
"Generous young master!" The coachmen were overjoyed.
"Thank you, Young Master Yang."
"Brother Yang, youâre truly righteous!"
Other fellow disciples expelled from the mountain also expressed gratitude.
After a dayâs bad mood, they finally found some solace.
The young man, named Yang Feipeng, was the offspring of a wealthy merchant, and many present had spoken or interacted with him.
"Oh, itâs a minor matter.
Although we are discouraged today, who knows what other encounters await us in the future, you must stay strong!" Yang Feipeng encouraged everyone.
"Though being a cultivator is good, it requires enduring extended periods of loneliness and endless battles, who knows if one day weâll end up dead in the wilderness.
What compares to returning home to beautiful wives and children, living a fast and joyous life?" Yang Feipeng laughed, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, quite optimistic.
"Haha, Brother Yang speaks truth!"
"I have a hundred acres of fertile land at home; going back to be a country gentleman isnât bad either. Raising some chubby sons, maybe one could enter the Immortal sect again."
The others, comforted by the young manâs words, nodded in agreement, finding that their lost feelings dissipated considerably.
Su Yuâs face revealed a trace of disdain, but he was also lazy to refute.
"Brother Su, why not ride with me?" Yang Feipeng proactively invited Su Yu, which surprised him a bit.
...