David Clark saw that Brian Carter was clever and answered every question, so she probed a bit, asking about the slovenly Daoist. Brian Carter naturally recounted what he had seen—the slovenly Daoist missing with his thrown stone, yet moving with extraordinary speed. After listening for a while, Evan Turner realized that Brian Carter and the Daoist had only met by chance, so she lost interest. Instead, David Clark exchanged a few more words with Brian Carter, revealing a hint of a smile.

Brian Carter brought the two women to the inn in town. David Clark booked two upper rooms, and seeing that Brian Carter was still lingering, she beckoned him over. Brian Carter was overjoyed and followed the two women into the guest room. Evan Turner was a bit puzzled at first, but she trusted David Clark's intelligence and said nothing.

Once inside the room, David Clark smiled and said, “Brother Brian Carter, you are so perceptive that you could see the Daoist was extraordinary, so you must also realize that my sister and I are not ordinary people. My senior sister and I are disciples of the Lijiang Sword Sect, practicing transcendental Daoist arts. We are on an important mission for our sect and cannot reveal our whereabouts. I hope you won’t spread word of our presence.”

At this point, Brian Carter became quite proper. He had read books and knew how hard it was to seek the immortal path—even emperors of the previous dynasty had tried in vain to win the favor of immortals. Now that he had encountered such things twice in one day, how could he let the opportunity slip by? With a thud, Brian Carter knelt to the ground and said resolutely, “I have read a few books and greatly admire the carefree life beyond the world. I wish to ask you two sisters to guide me in cultivation. I can endure hardship and will never give up halfway.”

Evan Turner was about to refuse, but David Clark secretly gestured for her to stop and gently said, “We are still new to the sect and certainly cannot take disciples. However, there are several senior brothers in the Lijiang Sword Sect with profound cultivation, no less than those of the previous generation. If there is a chance, I am willing to put in a word for you, but whether it works out or not will depend on your own fortune.”

Although David Clark spoke gently, Brian Carter was still very disappointed. He thought to himself that it must be because his own aptitude was lacking and he had failed to win the two women’s approval. He felt rather dejected, thinking, “I’ve heard that those who cultivate the Dao, without immortal bones, immortal roots, or a foundation from a previous life, often get only half the results for twice the effort. Those with the Dao always prefer talented disciples. I do pride myself on my intelligence, reading ten lines at a glance and never forgetting what I see, but I don’t know if my aptitude for cultivation is excellent or mediocre.”

David Clark comforted Brian Carter with a few words and then sent him away.

Brian Carter, afraid that lingering would only annoy the two women, could only leave reluctantly.

Back home, he was still somewhat downcast. His parents rarely asked about Brian Carter’s studies; they simply called him to eat early and then told him to go rest.

Normally, Brian Carter would not go to bed early, but would look for some light reading. However, tonight the young man suddenly felt troubled. He read three pages of the half-finished “Records of Yu’s Cauldron” in his hand, but couldn’t take in a word. This “Records of Yu’s Cauldron” was written by a down-and-out scholar of the current dynasty, Wu Cheng’en, and mixed together all sorts of miraculous legends about Yu the Great controlling the floods, making it a collection of strange tales. Though the writing was scattered, it was full of charm and wonder. Usually, Brian Carter was quite fond of it.

Since he was in no mood to read, Brian Carter blew out the oil lamp, hugged his pillow, and let his thoughts wander.

Unlike most boys, Brian Carter was born with an endless curiosity. As a child, he was muddleheaded, but after entering school and broadening his horizons, he found that learning more did not resolve his questions; instead, it brought even more, leaving him with a mind full of doubts.

Chapter One: The Slovenly Daoist (Part Three)

Today, after seeing that slovenly Daoist, why was it that the stones didn’t hit him? Brian Carter was completely baffled.

“I wonder what the background of that Daoist is? It seems from the words of Evan Turner and David Clark that they know him, but their relationship isn’t very harmonious. Could he be a heretic, or even a monster in disguise?” Having read many tales of gods and demons, Brian Carter’s young mind was filled with ever stranger ideas, and his suspicions about the old Daoist grew ever wilder.

That night, Brian Carter didn’t know when he drifted off to sleep amid his muddled thoughts. When he woke, dawn was already breaking. As soon as he opened his eyes, Brian Carter hastily threw on his clothes and ran out the door, not even answering when his mother called him for breakfast.

After a night of restless thinking, Brian Carter suddenly remembered something. “After that old slovenly Daoist left Baishi Town, where would he go to rest in the middle of the night? There isn’t a single household for dozens of miles outside Baishi Town.”

Feeling his reasoning was sound, Brian Carter hurried off to check a long-abandoned temple outside Baishi Town. He had played all over the area countless times, and even with his eyes closed, Brian Carter would never lose his way to that little temple.

“Huh! That place looks really strange—what could have happened?”