I have a composite mirror

Chapter 73 Grand Courtyard

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Early that morning, Gu Shenyan got up, changed into a gray-blue robe, carefully put away the newly drawn talismans, and went out.

Upon arriving outside Tingtao Pavilion, Jia Shouren was already waiting there.

Upon seeing Gu Shenyan arrive, he hurried forward, a smile plastered on his face:

"Senior Brother Gu is here early!"

"Senior Brother Jia isn't late either," Gu Shenyan said, cupping his hands in greeting.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two walked inside together.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Han Sushuang standing under the eaves.

Each of the three had their own thoughts and waited quietly.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a servant boy strode out of the main hall.

"Three people."

The servant bowed respectfully.

"The master has gone out today and instructed me to take you to the tenement to settle in first."

"Please follow me, all three of you."

Gu Shenyan and Jia Shouren exchanged a glance.

Han Sushuang frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied, but said nothing.

The three of them followed the servant out of Tingtao Pavilion and headed west.

After passing through a long blue stone corridor and around several moon gates, the view suddenly opened up before you.

A secluded courtyard lies quietly deep in the shade of locust trees.

The courtyard occupies a considerable area, measuring seven or eight acres, and is surrounded by mottled white walls.

In the center is an old two-story building, with peeling paint revealing gray wood underneath.

"Are you all the new disciples?"

Gu Shenyan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man leaning against the porch.

It was Song Qingyuan.

In fact, the two are old acquaintances.

Song Qingyuan stood up and bowed slightly to Han Sushuang:

"This must be Miss Han? I've heard so much about you."

"I have long heard of your father, Lord Han's, reputation in the Xuanzheng Division."

Han Sushuang nodded slightly: "Senior Brother Song, you're too kind."

Song Qingyuan didn't take it seriously and turned to Gu Shenyan.

"So it's Junior Brother Gu."

He stepped forward, and like an old friend reuniting, patted Gu Shenyan on the shoulder:

"We meet again."

"My junior brother's talisman last time really opened my eyes. The quality, the flow of spiritual energy... wow, it was truly amazing."

"I never expected you to become my disciple as well. From now on, we'll be fellow disciples."

The words sounded friendly, but the force used was a bit too much.

"You're too kind, Senior Brother Song."

Gu Shenyan turned slightly to the side, subtly shaking off the hand:

"I will need your guidance in the future."

Song Qingyuan's eyes flickered slightly, then he turned to Jia Shouren:

"And this is...?"

"Jia, Jia Shouren."

Jia Shouren immediately bowed and saluted, adopting an extremely humble posture:

"Greetings, Senior Brother Song."

Song Qingyuan glanced at him casually.

"The Jia family?" He said casually, "Yes, I know."

Having said that, she ignored him.

Jia Shouren gave an awkward smile and quietly retreated halfway behind Gu Shenyan.

After getting to know the three of them, Song Qingyuan led them into the courtyard.

A man and a woman were sitting at the stone table inside.

The woman was about twenty years old, dressed in a light purple ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and had a pretty face.

The man was older, probably around thirty years old, and wore a dark blue robe with a square face.

On the other side of the stone table, two other people were standing respectfully, seemingly asking for advice on something.

Song Qingyuan introduced them one by one:

"This is my second senior sister, Shen Qingyi."

Shen Qingyi nodded slightly:

"Sister Su Shuang, it's been a long time."

"Sister Qingyi."

Han Sushuang's attitude softened considerably, and the two were clearly old acquaintances.

"This is Senior Brother Cao Wenjing."

Song Qingyuan pointed at the man in the dark blue robe:

"A master of the Forging Law Realm, and also the one with the highest cultivation level in the tenement."

Forge the Realm of Law!

Gu Shenyan and Jia Shouren exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

There's actually such a young expert at the Forging Realm hidden in this big courtyard?

Cao Wenjing stood up and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the three of them:

"My three junior brothers and sisters, from now on we are all one family."

His voice was deep and resonant, like a great bell, possessing a unique air of authority.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Cao. (×2)"

"These two are Junior Brother Chen An and Junior Brother Zhao Xiaoman."

Song Qingyuan pointed to the two young men who were asking questions:

"They're all elderly people who have lived in this tenement for quite some time. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask them."

The two were easy to tell apart, one fat and one thin.

The gaunt man, Chen An, raised his eyelids slightly upon hearing the voice, nodded to the three of them, and seemed uninterested in anything.

The round-faced man, Zhao Xiaoman, was more enthusiastic: "Welcome, welcome, my three junior brothers and sisters!"

After Song Qingyuan finished his introduction, he clapped his hands:

"Alright, we've met everyone."

"Let me tell you about the rules of this tenement."

He paced a few steps, then sat down on the stone bench, adopting the air of a host:

"New disciples must live in the tenement for three months."

"I have to attend classes every day for the past three months."

"The courses are taught by Senior Brother Cao and Senior Sister Shen, who will take turns teaching the basics of talismans, the use of spiritual energy, material identification, and so on."

"My master is busy with official duties and usually doesn't teach in person, but he will check on the progress every month."

Cao Wenjing added:

"Classes are held daily from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, and students can practice on their own in the afternoon."

"If you have any questions, you can come to me or Junior Sister Shen."

Shen Qingyi nodded:

"Feel free to ask me anything about your studies."

Her gaze swept over Han Sushuang, then landed on Gu Shenyan:

"Those who can enter Master's school are all talented; just study hard."

Song Qingyuan continued the conversation:

"Besides attending classes, there are also some talisman-drawing tasks."

As he said this, his tone became slightly suggestive:

"With so many disciples, Master must have some income."

"The talismans you draw will be collected by the master and resold."

"Completing the task is like paying tuition."

He smiled slightly:

"After all, the entrance fee is only two hundred silver dollars, and thereafter you don't need to pay extra for classes, food and lodging in the courtyard."

"This is Master's kindness."

Upon hearing this, Jia Shouren breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He was initially worried that the subsequent expenses would be too great and would drain his father's savings.

Now that I've heard that all I need to do is complete the talisman drawing task, I feel a little more at ease.

"certainly."

Song Qingyuan then said:

"If you exceed the quota, the extra talismans you draw can also be resold through Master's channels."

"The money can be divided equally, fifty-fifty."

"This is a great opportunity for beginners."

Gu Shenyan secretly made his own plans.

If the target is exceeded, there will be an income.

He needs money to buy elixirs and other spiritual items, so this is a good opportunity.

"Now that we've covered the daily routines, let's talk about the performance evaluation."

Song Qingyuan's expression became more serious:

"During the three-month assessment period, there will be a small test every month, which will be presided over by us disciples in turns."

"The real test comes after the probationary period ends."

"The master himself sets the questions and presides over the major exam."

"Those who pass become disciples and receive the master's true teachings; those who fail..."

He drew out his words, his gaze sweeping over the three of them:

"Then I can only be a nominal disciple."

"Of course, registered disciples can also participate in the annual examination together with the new disciples."

"The competition is just incredibly fierce."

"Some people have taken the exam for three years and are still only registered disciples."