Wayfarer

Chapter 847: We're Twins

The next day, Xiao Nanfeng and Yanzhi headed back toward the city.

After their change of clothes, they were so different from the dirty mess they had been before that no one recognized them. On Yanzhi's face was a red birthmark, a stain that Xiao Nanfeng had created with plant dye that morning, making her even less recognizable.

As they entered the city, Yanzhi asked Xiao Nanfeng, "Nanfeng, how are we going to make money?"

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the bustling street. "This street alone is filled with money. I'm just thinking about the safest and easiest way to claim it all."

Yanzhi gaped, then pursed her lips. "You're just bragging!"

Still, she didn't argue. After all, they had been penniless just yesterday, and yet Xiao Nanfeng had managed to make plenty of money just by telling a story.Despite their circumstances, she felt a small flicker of hope.

As they walked past a teahouse, they overheard some patrons speaking excitedly.

"Immortal Qingyang is accepting new disciples again. Let's go have a look—who knows? He might accept us!"

"Immortal Qingyang only accepts children aged eight to fourteen. My son might be eligible..."

Upon overhearing their conversation, Xiao Nanfeng and Yanzhi glanced at each other in surprise.

"An Immortal accepting disciples?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

"Nanfeng, I'd like to take a look," Yanzhi said.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

The two children made their way to the large plaza in the city. Though they were young, now that they had cleaned themselves up and dressed well, no one chased them away.

At the north end of the plaza stood a raised platform, where a man dressed in a cultivator's robes sat with an aura of otherworldly grace. He had to be the one others were addressing as Immortal Qingyang.

Around the plaza, Immortal Qingyang's disciples tested each child in line's talent for cultivation. Those who passed were allowed to approach the Immortal; those that didn't were sent away.

Immortal Qingyang accepted students solely based on talent, regardless of family circumstances or background. The children of officials and beggars alike might well be accepted.

The parents of the successful children beamed with pride, while everyone else turned away, dejected.

"Wonderful! There's going to be an Immortal in my family, too!"

"Why didn't they take my son?"

The plaza was abuzz with excitement.

Xiao Nanfeng and Yanzhi watched from the crowd without stepping forward. They watched for a long time—until Immortal Qingyang had taken almost two hundred children as disciples.

"Something seems off. I overheard some people saying that this Immortal collects disciples every three years, but that few ever return. Those that do quickly leave again. It doesn't feel right. I think we should wait and explore other opportunities before finding a master," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

Yanzhi's eyes reddened. "I heard that becoming an Immortal's disciple will allow you to learn Immortal techniques and grow strong. I need to grow stronger, since..."

She wanted to avenge her family, though she was afraid to say it. She didn't want to wait. As the bystanders had said, such opportunities were rare, and she couldn't let this one pass.

"But..." Xiao Nanfeng still wanted to persuade her to stay.

Yanzhi turned to Xiao Nanfeng and bowed toward him. "Nanfeng, thank you for looking after me, but I'd like to have a try."

Xiao Nanfeng froze. If Yanzhi did so, he would have to join her. Without her, he'd be stuck outside her boundary, a terrifying thought.

"Very well, then. I'll join you, but if we're not both chosen, we'll leave together. What do you think? I don't want us to be separated."

Yanzhi looked at him and nodded, her face slightly red. "Promise!"

The two children pushed through the crowd and joined the line. Soon, they reached the platform.

"Where are your parents?" one of the disciples asked.

"It's just the two of us," Xiao Nanfeng replied. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Come on, then."

The two children stepped onto the platform, and the disciple handed them two crystal orbs.

"Simply clutch the crystal orbs in your hand," the disciple said.

The two children did so as the disciple sent two bursts of qi into the orbs. Xiao Nanfeng's crystal orb emitted a faint green glow.

"Green light? Average talent, and you're not very young at all. I'm afraid you won't do." The disciple frowned.

Meanwhile, Yanzhi's crystal orb emitted a brilliant red glow, so bright it dazzled everyone around her.

"A top-tier talent? Impossible! One hasn't appeared in many years!" Cries rang out from all over.

Even Immortal Qingyang took notice and headed over. "What's going on here?"

"Master, these two siblings are here to test their talent. The brother has a faint green glow, and the sister has a blinding red glow," the disciple replied.

"Oh?" Immortal Qingyang suddenly turned to Yanzhi.

Yanzhi, somewhat nervous, hid behind Xiao Nanfeng.

"My sister is a bit shy, Immortal. Please forgive her," Xiao Nanfeng said at once.

"What are your names and ages?" Immortal Qingyang asked.

"I'm Nanfeng, and I'm ten years old," Xiao Nanfeng said.

He looked like a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old, but upon hearing that his talent was middling at best, he had no choice but to try to fake his age to be selected.

Immortal Qingyang frowned at him. "You call yourself ten years old? Do you know the consequences of lying to me?"

"Actually, my sister and I are twins. I simply grew a bit faster, so I look somewhat more mature," Xiao Nanfeng replied nonchalantly.

"Twins?" Dumbfounded, the crowd looked at the two of them.

They looked nothing alike. How in the world could they be twins?

Even Yanzhi gaped, too shocked to speak. Nanfeng really was thick-skinned, wasn't he?

Immortal Qingyang's face twitched. "And what's your sister's name?"

Xiao Nanfeng hesitated. He still didn't know her real name.

"Sister, we need to show the Immortal our respect. Go ahead and introduce yourself to him. Tell him your name, or even a nickname—it doesn't matter. It's just a label," Xiao Nanfeng urged.

He intended for Yanzhi to pick out a random name at will, but Yanzhi didn't understand his meaning. She began anxiously, "I'm Yan..."

...only to suddenly stop herself mid-sentence, worried that she would reveal herself to her enemies.

"What's your name?" Immortal Qingyang repeated, puzzled.

"Her name is Yan. My sister's a little shy, Immortal, and she's somewhat scared of being in the presence of your divine might. Please forgive her," Xiao Nanfeng said glibly.

"Yan? And Nanfeng?" Immortal Qingyang gave them both an odd look.

"Yes, Immortal. You can just call me Nan," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Where is your family?" the Immortal asked.

Xiao Nanfeng was about to make something up when Immortal Qingyang cut him off. "It doesn't matter, I suppose. Do you wish to become my disciples?"

"Greetings, Master!" Xiao Nanfeng said instantly.

He pulled Yanzhi into a bow alongside him. She echoed, "Greetings, Master."

"Very good. Wait over there," Immortal Qingyang said, satisfied.

He intended to recruit many disciples during his time here, and an extra one or two wouldn't make a difference. However, the mismatched twins had left a deep impression on him.

In three days' time, Immortal Qingyang managed to secure five hundred disciples in all.

Immortal Qingyang summoned a group of spirits to whisk away the disciples, Xiao Nanfeng and Yanzhi among them. They traveled deep into the mountains and finally stopped at the base of a massive bottle-shaped mountain, Mt. Baoping.

At the mountain were numerous buildings, servants, and fierce-looking, cold-faced cultivators.

"The servants will show you to your living quarters. Over the next year, you'll have teachers to guide your cultivation," Immortal Qingyang announced.

"Yes, Master!" The children cheered.

Xiao Nanfeng and Yanzhi received their supplies, settled into their living quarters, and began their training.

Initially, they learned basic cultivation techniques, which Xiao Nanfeng had been anticipating. He focused intently, but Yanzhi was clearly the most talented of the lot of new disciples, though she kept a low profile as per Xiao Nanfeng's advice.

Then, things took a strange turn. They were taught about the weaknesses of the human body, how to use poison to kill others, and basic survival skills.

"Is this some sort of assassin training? Are all Immortal disciples killers...?" Xiao Nanfeng thought, bewildered.

Though he was dubious about what they were learning, he continued to focus on the lessons.

A year passed in that manner. Then, their first trial began.

They were loaded onto large avian spirits and flown to the depths of the mountains.

"Listen up. Your trial is simple: reach Mt. Baoping on foot. If you can make it back, you pass. If not, you'll die out here. Don't think about running off, either—this route is the safest way back. Venture elsewhere, and you're certain to perish given your cultivation," one of their instructors said.

"What? We might die?" a child exclaimed.

The instructor didn't provide any further explanation. He grabbed a child and tossed him out of the sky.

"Ah! No!" the child screamed as he fell.

One by one, the children were thrown down into the forest, each landing far from the others.

Xiao Nanfeng was thrown down from the avian spirit, as was Yanzhi.

They didn't know where they had been tossed. At any rate, despite their year of cultivation, the landing hurt and left them in pain.

Xiao Nanfeng was unlucky enough to be tossed onto the back of a tiger spirit, startling it awake.

The tiger roared in pain as it released an incredible aura.

"I'm done for. Damn it," Xiao Nanfeng cursed.

The next moment, the tiger simply glanced at him before ignoring him entirely. A deer spirit wandered by to check out the commotion. The tiger roared, pounced on the deer, and killed it.

Xiao Nanfeng: ...

He was clearly out of Yanzhi's boundary. Not only would humans ignore him here, so too would spirits, it seemed...

He got up, brushed himself off, and walked away right in front of the tiger. The tiger didn't even glance his way.