Senior Charles Clark gestured toward Samuel Bennett with his mouth. “Of course it’s for Little Junior Brother. Did you really think you’d get to drink it a second time?”

Robert Clark curled his lips. “Forget it! Back then, it made me throw up so much—no way I’d ever drink it again, not even if you beat me to death.”

Fourth Ethan Clark patted Samuel Bennett on the shoulder, a little schadenfreude in his tone. “Little Junior Brother, your good days are here. Hang in there!”

Samuel Bennett asked in confusion, “Has everyone drunk this medicine?”

Robert Clark brought his big, round face close, blinking his small eyes. “Everyone except Senior Brother. He was already older when he came up the mountain, so it didn’t work for him. The other three of us all drank it, and for three years straight—every single night. That unforgettable taste! I still can’t forget it.”

‘Smack!’

Charles Clark slapped the back of his head, scolding angrily, “That filthy mouth of yours deserves a beating. Only Master can be called ‘the old man.’ If you call me that again, it’s disrespectful to Master.”

“I know! I know!”

Robert Clark grinned and scratched Senior Brother’s back, comforting him, “You’re still young. I’m the one who made you sound old. Next time I’ll just call you David Thompson, satisfied?”

After saying that, he winked at Samuel Bennett. Samuel Bennett scratched the back of his head and burst out laughing. These Senior Brother really were a lot of fun!

……

As night fell, Samuel Bennett sat upright in Edward Wood’s room, feeling a bit puzzled. Why didn’t the Daoists of Qingxu Temple do any rituals? No ceremonies, no chanting scriptures—aside from working, it seemed like the Senior Brothers had nothing else to do.

“What are you thinking about?” Edward Wood asked with a faint smile.

“Master, why don’t we study scriptures? I’ve been at Qingxu Temple for a month now, and except for reciting the morning lesson during meditation, I haven’t come across any other scriptures. Fourth Senior Brother said he doesn’t really understand them either.”

“Do you really want to study scriptures?”

“Not really, Disciple just finds it a bit odd.”

“It’s not odd. The reason the Zixiao Heavenly Palace lineage calls us ‘wild Daoists’ is exactly this. We only practice martial arts, gather herbs, and forage for food. In their eyes, that’s neglecting our proper duties.”

Edward Wood shook his head and continued, “Actually, it’s not that we don’t study scriptures. Your Senior Brother is well-versed in talismanic teachings. He’s mastered the ‘Great Cavern Scripture,’ the ‘Huangting Scripture,’ the ‘Supreme Zhengyi Oath Talisman Scripture,’ and the ‘Shangqing Three Caverns Five Thunders Talisman Scripture.’ He can conduct rituals on his own. Among you five Fellow Disciples, only he is truly devoted to the Dao. The other four just use Daoist study as an excuse to practice martial arts, and I’ve allowed it.”

Samuel Bennett fell silent. He really didn’t have a heart for the Dao. At first, he just wanted a place to eat and survive until eighteen. But after witnessing the martial skills of Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Brother, he began to yearn for the martial path.

“Your three Senior Brother all study the martial arts of knights, but you are learning the martial arts of generals. Your training methods are different, so you’d best not be influenced by them. Outwardly it may look the same, but in reality, there’s a big difference.”

Edward Wood didn’t continue on that topic. He smiled and said, “Starting tonight, you’ll begin taking medicine. You’ll need to take it for five years straight. The medicine will strengthen your muscles, bones, and blood—it’s the foundation of your strength. Almost every martial artist needs medicinal support, though each school has its own formula. The medicine I’ve prepared for you is a recipe left by the Immortal Lady Andrew Wade. It tastes terrible, and it will be a huge test of your willpower. If you can’t stick with it, you’ll accomplish nothing.”

Samuel Bennett’s heart skipped a beat. Master actually mentioned Andrew Wade—could he really have found Lingji Cave?

Samuel Bennett quickly pushed the thought aside, not daring to ask more.

He hesitated, then said, “Both Senior Brother said they took the medicine for three years.”

“I already told you, your martial arts are different, so your medicine formula is different too. Do you understand?”

“Disciple understands!”

Edward Wood continued, “I won’t deliberately teach you hidden weapons or throwing knives, nor will I focus on teaching you lightness skills. For the next five years, I’ll only teach you the Ding Sword Form and body techniques. Once you’ve mastered those, I’ll teach you other things.”

Edward Wood took three swords from a chest—or rather, three iron rods shaped like swords. He smiled self-deprecatingly. “These are probably the ugliest swords in the world. One weighs eight jin, one eighteen, and one twenty-eight. For the first three years, you’ll train with the eight-jin sword. In the fourth year, the eighteen-jin sword. In the fifth year, the twenty-eight-jin sword. That was my own progression back then. But you’re very talented—maybe you’ll advance faster.”

From Master’s words, Samuel Bennett sensed something. He asked cautiously, “The martial path I’m learning—is it the same as Master’s?”

Edward Wood nodded. “All of Kongtong Mountain practices the martial arts of knights. Only I practice the martial arts of generals. Back then, Sun Simiao and my Master Pei Min read my fortune. They both said I’d enter a state of feigned death at forty-five and die at seventy. So far, they’ve been half right. That means I have ten years left. I hope you can inherit my legacy.”

Samuel Bennett nodded silently. He didn’t know if he would disappoint Master.

“Any other questions? It’s getting late. Maybe I can answer one more for you.”

Two questions had always lingered in Samuel Bennett’s mind: Master’s secular identity, and the secret of Lingji Cave. But comparatively, Samuel Bennett was more interested in Master’s secular identity.