I have a composite mirror

Chapter 68 Becoming an Apprentice

In late autumn, the provincial capital began to take on a somewhat desolate air.

The sycamore leaves fell to the ground, swept up by the morning breeze and drifted down again.

Gu Shenyan stopped the rickshaw and paid the fare.

After walking through an archway, the destination came into view.

A few days ago, Bai Cailing had given him some instructions over the phone:

"That gentleman's surname is Lu, his given name is Bingwen, and he is known in the martial arts world as 'Lu the Half-Immortal'."

"Speaking of which, the term 'half-immortal' is quite interesting."

"Some say it's because his mastery of talismans is so extraordinary that it rivals the skills of immortals."

"Some people say it's because he's extremely accurate at fortune telling and can predict good or bad fortune."

"Some people say... it's because he has a strange temper, is unpredictable, and is hard to understand."

She chuckled softly:

"But don't be too nervous. He has taken on many apprentices over the years, and you are just one of them."

"After becoming an apprentice, there will be a three-month assessment period."

You'll have to live in that large courtyard, where senior students will guide you through the basics, and you'll have classes every day.

"After the assessment period, there will be a major test. Only those who perform exceptionally well can become disciples and receive the true teachings."

"Others can only be nominal disciples. Although they can do some business using Lu Banxian's name, they are not valued."

Her tone became more serious as she said this:

"By the way, do you still remember Song Qingyuan?"

"That's the one who sold talisman materials at the last exchange fair."

"He is an inner disciple and has a certain say in the assessment."

"Be careful with this person."

Gu Shenyan naturally remembered Song Qingyuan.

During the last demon hunt, I stole a lot of his thunder when he sold the talismans.

Although the other party was polite at the time, the sinister look in their eyes was unmistakable.

It's true that you need to be wary of someone stealing your business.

But more than the potential difficulties he might face, he feared not having the opportunity at all.

The opportunity is right in front of me, and I absolutely cannot miss it.

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the building in front of him.

This is a three-story wooden building with upturned eaves and overlapping brackets.

A plaque hangs under the eaves, bearing the two characters "Listening to the Waves," written in a vigorous and imposing style.

The handwriting exuded a sharp and fierce quality, as if it were about to leap off the plaque.

Gu Shenyan looked up and nodded inwardly.

The person who can write such characters must be a master of talismans.

The brushstrokes express the intention, and the intention expresses the meaning of the symbol.

Although the two characters "Listening to the Waves" are just ordinary ink strokes, they already have a faint charm of talismanic magic.

Two servants in blue robes stood at the entrance.

The two men were not very old, around twenty years old, but they both had an air of being old-fashioned.

As Gu Shenyan approached, one of them merely glanced at him indifferently.

"Gu Shenyan?"

"Yes."

"Go inside, to the waiting room on the second floor."

Gu Shenyan didn't seem to mind, nodded, and stepped inside.

The first floor was an open hall with a few tables and chairs, but no one sat down.

Several rubbings are hanging on the wall; they are all ancient texts rubbed from stone tablets.

Those ancient texts are written with flowing, vigorous strokes, sometimes like a coiled dragon, sometimes like a startled snake, dazzling the reader.

Gu Shenyan paused for a moment, examining the object carefully.

He has now reached the minor mastery of talismans, and looking at these runes is no longer just for entertainment.

The flow of the strokes, the movement of the spirit, the creation of the artistic conception... all subtly reveal a certain flavor.

When he got to the second floor, he pushed open the door and found that someone was already sitting inside.

He was a thin young man, wearing a long blue cloth gown.

He sat upright in the chair, his hands neatly placed on his knees, as if afraid of getting anything dirty.

Upon seeing Gu Shenyan enter, the young man quickly stood up, his face beaming with smiles:

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir!"

He then cupped his hands in a respectful bow:

"My name is Jia Shouren. May I ask how you are addressed, sir?"

Gu Shenyan returned the greeting: "My name is Gu Shenyan."

"Brother Gu..."

Jia Shouren's eyes darted around as he cautiously sized him up:

"Brother Gu has an extraordinary bearing; one look at him reveals that he comes from a distinguished family."

"May I ask who your household is...?"

"Crane-gata Martial Arts School"

Jia Shouren's gaze faltered slightly.

Crane Style Martial Arts School?

He had vaguely heard of this name.

It's a small martial arts school in the west of the city. It's said that the current owner is just an ordinary martial arts master who hasn't even reached the peak of the "Sha" realm.

This kind of portal... is not much different from mine.

Thinking of this, his smile became more sincere.

"So it's Brother Gu."

"I also come from a humble background. My father was just a manager in the Jia family, nothing special."

"We're in the same boat."

Gu Shenyan looked at him and understood.

I can roughly guess what Jia Shouren is thinking.

For those from poor families, the greatest fear is being looked down upon.

"Brother Jia, you're too kind."

Gu Shenyan smiled faintly:

"Heroes come from all walks of life. The fact that we are here means that we each have our own destiny."

"What does it matter what one's background is?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Shouren nodded quickly.

This Brother Gu is quite a magnanimous person.

Just as he was about to say something more, he heard footsteps outside the door.

The door opened, and a richly dressed young woman entered, followed by a maid.

The girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with beautiful features.

She wore a sky-blue embroidered long dress, with several white lotus buds embroidered on the hem, swaying gently with her steps.

A jade ring hung from his waist; the jade was warm and lustrous, clearly not an ordinary item.

The girl's gaze swept over Gu Shenyan and Jia Shouren's faces, she simply nodded slightly, and then walked to the window on her own.

The maid took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped the chair before letting her young mistress sit down.

Jia Shouren watched with envy, but dared not approach her to strike up a conversation. He could sense the noble air emanating from the girl's very being.

Gu Shenyan first cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"My name is Gu Shenyan. May I ask your honorable surname, young lady?"

The girl looked up at him.

"Han Sushuang".

He only said three words, then ignored it and closed his eyes to rest.

Jia Shouren leaned closer to Gu Shenyan and lowered his voice:

"Brother Gu, this Miss Han seems to be someone of great importance..."

"The fabric of that dress and the quality of that jade ring are not ordinary."

"She's probably the daughter of some powerful family."

Gu Shenyan nodded, but was secretly pondering in his heart.

Han Sushuang... He seemed to have heard this name from Princess Bai.

The three of them took their seats, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Han Sushuang closed her eyes to rest, completely ignoring the other two.

After a moment of silence, Jia Shouren couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Brother Gu, how long did it take you to condense your spirit core?"

"More than two months."

This kind of thing can't be made up on the spot; everyone in the school knows it.

"More than two months..."

Jia Shouren's expression was somewhat complicated.

He condensed his spiritual core in just over two months. While not exceptionally talented, he was still far superior to most people.

It took me more than a year to successfully condense it.

"What kind of cultivation technique does Brother Gu practice?"

"Four Elements Breathing Regulation Method"

Upon hearing this, Han Sushuang, who had been seemingly resting with her eyes closed but was actually eavesdropping, couldn't help but open her eyes.