The disciples had already gathered by the time Mohei returned with Baiyun in tow.

All around, the children whispered to each other, something about how he had skipped classes for a week.

Baiyun merely smiled and waved at them, much to their confusion.

The two large wolves and the armoured pups were present as well. It seemed he had arrived right as combat training was about to begin.

Guan Qiang turned to Baiyun with his arms crossed.

"Baiyun! Where have you been all week?" he roared.

The children and the wolves quietened.

"Teacher-" Mohei started.

But the elder hushed him with a finger.

"Let him speak for himself."

"O-okay!"

Mohei backed off.

Baiyun took a deep breath and readied himself.

"I have no excuses, elder! I will work hard and never miss another lesson!" he shouted.

Mohei stared at him in confusion. His eyes seemed to ask Baiyun why he didn't tell the truth.

But as a former sect elder, Baiyun understood authority well. Were he to speak of his arrest due to the lack of a disciple seal here, he would be indirectly blaming the elder. Such matters should be discussed in private, away from the prying eyes of other disciples.

And truth be told, it was his fault for not taking the elixir.

Baiyun suddenly had a thought and sweated. Was the real reason why he was given a second elixir because Guan Qiang noticed he still lacked a disciple seal? Only for him to still lack the disciple seal even now.

If he were in Guan Qiang shoes, he'd probably assume he was a naughty disciple selling the elixir, forsaking power merely for a little pocket change. Perhaps that was why those 5 tokens had even been tossed to him. He began to sweat, hoping he wouldn't be questioned.

"Baiyun. I accept your apology for now." Guan Qiang spoke slowly. "But it is easier to make promises than to keep them. The next time you fool around again, you will face severe punishment!"

"Understood!" Baiyun lowered his head.

"You will not be allowed to participate in the spars today. Sit to the side and reflect."

Baiyun was slightly dismayed but he nodded.

Not being able to obtain a pill this week was definitely troubling. With every week, his disadvantage would grow as the other disciples received more resources from their families. But then again, he wasn't sure how he would manage another win, now that the wolves were more wary of mouth attacks.

Guan Qiang suddenly grabbed him by the scuff.

Baiyun dangled motionlessly as the burly man plopped him on the ground a good distance away, where he could only spectate the fights. A small wolf began to growl, but one of the large wolves shushed it with a paw.

The pup… wasn't it the one he fought previously? Seemed like the beast was holding a grudge. Baiyun paid it no heed.

The matches soon began.

With snarls and howls from the wolves and yells from the disciples, the younglings clashed. Baiyun watched disinterestedly, pondering his choices in the coming days.

It ended uneventfully, bruised and crying disciples dotting the ground as Guan Qiang bandaged their wounds.

There were only two winners today, Fei An, the young maiden of wind who swung meteor hammers like a maniac, along with Ying Shi, the muscular boy of the metal attribute who fought with raw strength and endurance.

Sanguang, the lightning boy who had "won" in a ridiculous manner previously did not win this time, having faced a fiercer wolf.

Guan Qiang handed the winners their prizes before raising his voice.

"Training resumes!"

Disgruntled groans echoed from the mass of disciples, but they did not complain this time.

Baiyun walked to one of the weapon racks and took an iron spear. Last week, all he did was physical training, but it was about time he honed his skill with a weapon.

A low swing, to sweep the legs of an enemy.

An unexpected strike from the back of the spear, right to the chin.

A quick parry, followed by a thrust right to the heart.

Baiyun envisioned various situations, wielding his spear accordingly.

Guan Qiang watched as he swung and thrust his weapon. It was hard to tell what the elder was thinking.

Hours passed uninterrupted. Soon, training ended, the disciples dismissed.

Baiyun was wiping the sweat off his face when he heard someone approach. It was the girl who had ranked 1st both times in the combat trials.

"Hi. I'm Fei An!" she smiled and waved.

Baiyun stared at her quizzically. What did this kid want?

"I'm Baiyun, nice to meet you." he said tentatively.

"Ahhh, Baiyun! Sorry, I tend to forget the names of strangers, hehe!" Fei An scratched her head. "But enough of that. I wanna know! Why did you drop out of training for a week? It doesn't seem to me like you're the type to skip out on training. Did something come up?"

In less than 10 seconds, Fei An had rattled out that entire barrage of questions. Baiyun was a little speechless. She certainly spoke as quickly as the wind she harnessed.

"It's nothing important," he said.

Baiyun waved and turned aside. He picked up his spear again, showing he wanted to continue his training without being disturbed.

But Fei An circled around him in an instant and back in front of him.

"Hm? Now I'm even more curious. Tell me! Tell me!"

Tsk! Hyperactive kids were so hard to deal with!

Baiyun tried to turn away again, but she was too fast to look away from, constantly running back into view as if she was anchored to the middle of his vision. He looked up and she flew into the air. He looked down and she squatted down, her head looking straight up.

The remaining disciples laughed at the sight.

Meanwhile, sturdy footsteps approached. Ying Shi, the muscular boy walked over, his face as unmoving as stone.

The other top contestant as well? Baiyun's eyes twitched. Was him disappearing for a week really enough to garner such attention?

"Enough-"

But before Baiyun could finish his words, he widened his eyes and jumped backwards. In the next moment, a blur shot past where his arm previously was.

Ying Shi gazed at the arm he had swung, opening and closing his fingers in a grabbing motion.

"Hm. You have gotten faster in that week." the muscular boy mused.

Were it not for the boons of the Rock Ginseng Pill, Baiyun wouldn't have been fast enough to dodge. Though, his improvements came to a halt after being tossed into the prison cell. After all, training without knowing if his food supply would run out was suicidal.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

But he noticed something. Ying Shi had been holding back against the wolves! If he showed such speed in his fights, he could have dodged many of the wolf attacks and punched much harder, possibly even getting 1st instead of Fei An.

Baiyun stared at the boy, then at his own arm warily. With how frail his body was, it was possible his arm might have been torn off if he had been a little slower.

"Oh, oh, oh! I know now!" Fei An suddenly chimed in, waving her hands. "You've been doing training in secret, haven't you? Trying to hide your growth from the other students to shock them? That sounds fun! But you should follow the rules and attend your lessons, or Teacher will expel you! Hahaha!"

"Thanks for the advice."

With those words, Baiyun resumed his training. Fei An continued to bother him, but after getting ignored for several minutes, she eventually left, bored.

But Ying Shi watched the entire time, his arms crossed.

"What is it?" Baiyun asked.

"Your eyes are sharp and your instincts good. But your body is far too slow to keep up." Ying Shi spoke. "Right now, what you lack most is not skill, but actual strength."

This kid. Baiyun shook his head.

"Easier said than done. A servant like me can't get the resources needed for that on a whim."

Ying Shi let out a low laugh.

"The solution is simple. Join my hired guards as a servant of the Ying clan. I will provide you with what you need."

Baiyun nearly dropped his spear. What in the world was the kid saying?

Who invites someone to work for them after just a few moments of talk? And even if Ying Shi saw his potential, wouldn't an invitation the previous week make more sense? Though, he had to admit the boy had an eye for talent.

But it was far too sudden. Baiyun did not know him well enough and being contracted to a clan would almost certainly make him more restricted than he already was. That limitation was the last thing he needed right now.

"I'm sorry, but I must refuse." he shook his head.

"Hm. A shame, but I commend your approach. You want to rely on yourself alone."

Ying Shi looked pleased, but Baiyun stared at him disdainfully.

What the hell was this kid talking about? Weren't they both relying on the martial elder to train?

Baiyun stabbed his spear towards the air in annoyance. It pierced through a leaf floating in the air, adorning the shaft of the weapon.

"Do not fret. I still have another opportunity for you. I will be hosting a hunting party with some of the disciples here tomorrow, and I offer you an invitation." Ying Shi reached out a hand.

"You can keep the spoils or accept rewards based on your contribution. We will be heading out of sect territory into the Veiled Forest, but an elder will accompany us as a guardian."

"The sect lets you leave freely just for hunting?" Baiyun asked.

"Naturally. Why would it stop us?"

Baiyun thought to himself for a moment.

It seemed the WanLing sect was lenient, at least to those above servants. In his previous life, elders and disciples would only be permitted to exit the sect after signing troublesome permits that detailed the reason, location and duration of the trip.

Baiyun hesitated briefly at the hand offered to him.

His first instinct was that this sounded suspicious. He didn't know Ying Shi's motivations at all.

But he looked at Ying Shi's face to gauge him. The boy's face was nearly emotionless, but his fire eyes had a certain earnesty to them.

Having lived such a long previous life and having taught many young disciples at his sect's request, he trusted his own judgement of people. Still, it was not perfect; an experienced liar could trip him up. And he didn't exactly enjoy Ying Shi's violent introduction earlier.

So Baiyun decided to do one last test.

He reached out and shook Ying Shi's outstretched hand. Divine Touch activated and deactivated in a flash, lasting for a mere 0.01 seconds!

Ying Shi suddenly frowned, seemingly slightly confused. A cultivator's senses were sharp, so even just that was enough for him to feel something was off. But it was nothing more than a strange feeling.

From such a brief activation of Divine Touch, Baiyun gleaned almost nothing about Ying Shi, unlike when he had used it on herbs.

The only information he received: Ying Shi was sincere and without malice. This application of Divine Touch was dubbed "Intention Reading" by Baiyun. With his current strength, he could only use it on Qi Gathering cultivators without exposing himself.

Baiyun smiled.

"Alright. I'll be troubling you then." he said.

The two of them finished their handshake. Baiyun quickly continued to think through the details of the invitation.

Having an elder to follow them was quite reassuring. Though, if any incidents occurred, they would certainly protect the young masters of the sect as top priority. Even if he was the only one in danger, the elder might deem it too much trouble to save him and turn a blind eye.

It was best to assume no one would save him from the dangers of the wilderness.

But right now he was in desperate need of resources.

He did tell himself to be less reckless... but surely, this was much safer than venturing into the caverns alone? Safety came in numbers, after all.

"Excellent. Then, follow me to my residence after training." Ying Shi said.

"So soon?" Baiyun was surprised.

Wasn't the hunting trip tomorrow?

"I despise when people are late. The best solution is to gather them ahead of time."

Baiyun nodded. It was a bit of a heavy-handed way to force punctuality, but he understood Ying Shi's thoughts.

"Alrigh-"

"Wait! Why are you inviting him but not me?" Mohei's shout came from a distance.

The boy ran over, waving his arms in protest.

"I'm at the 9th stage of Qi Gathering now! And he's just a servant!" Mohei pointed at Baiyun. "I wanted to join in the past, but you never let me!"

Baiyun was speechless.

"Invite you? Have you not realised why you were rejected?" Ying Shi spoke with contempt in his eyes.

Mohei was intimidated and took a step back, but he mustered up another shout.

"How would I know if you don't tell me?"

"Then I’ll be blunt. You might have decent cultivation, but what of it? You are childish, reckless and unskilled."

"N-no! I'm not!"

"If that was it, perhaps it would still be acceptable. Sometimes raw strength is enough." Ying Shi said. "But we are hunting. As a fire cultivator, do you plan to damage our spoils by burning them to a char?"

"Ack! Um... I won't use my fire then!"

"A fire cultivator, unable to use his own flames? No one needs a phoenix plucked of its feathers. You'd be nothing more than a useless deadweight."

"But... but..."

Mohei began to babble but was unable to think of anything under the pressure. It didn't help that nosy disciples were watching the show. Tears fell down his cheeks.

"Y-you big bully!" the boy began to bawl uncontrollably.

Ying Shi looked slightly taken aback for a moment, but his expression quickly hardened.

"Hmph. Blame yourself for relying on fire too much."

What else would a fire cultivator rely on? Baiyun shook his head internally.

This Ying Shi kid was too obsessed with acting aloof. Such an act should be reserved for sect elders, rather than children who knew nothing of the world.

Fine. He decided to speak up for Mohei. Some might have called him callous and cruel in his past life, but he was not an ingrate.

"Ying Shi, Mohei, let's discuss elsewhere." he said.

"Fine by me. I don't exactly enjoy nosy onlookers." Ying Shi said.

Mohei looked at Baiyun with a confused look as he led them a slight distance into the forest, away from the temple.

They were now in a serene clearing, surrounded by trees and faint birdsong.

"So?" Ying Shi asked.

Baiyun took a deep breath.

He spent the next few minutes telling Ying Shi about how he ended up in the prison, locked away for nearly a week before Mohei saved him. Naturally, the inconvenient details were excluded.

There was a moment of silence. Ying Shi stared at him speechlessly while Mohei fidgetted.

"You're much stupider than you look, huh?" Ying Shi said finally.

A vein bulged on Baiyun's head.

"I won't make excuses," he huffed.

"Good. I wasn't planning to listen to them anyway." Ying Shi said.

He stared at Mohei, who looked away in a hurry. The tall boy shook his head and sighed.

"I have no idea why you thought this would convince me to accept him. Do you take me as someone soft?"

Could Ying Shi not read between the lines? Baiyun decided to just say it straight.

"You're trying to recruit me, right? Since Mohei saved me, I'd like you to make an exception and take him along too."

He didn't see why else Ying Shi would take him to the hunting trip of all people. Even if Mohei couldn't use his flames, his brute strength was still far above a servant like him.

Also, Mohei coming along would be extra insurance, just in case Intention Reading didn't get the full picture. That would give him a convenient young master to hide behind.

Ying Shi paused for a moment.

"Fine, I'll accept him. Perhaps his spirit of comradery would be of use."

More pretentious words. Baiyun suppressed a smile.

But Mohei was not as pleased, practically fuming as he jumped up and down.

"What! I don't need your pity! I'm not joining your stupid group!" he shouted.

Ying Shi frowned and cracked his knuckles.

"Don't insult my party because of your useless pride. If I were less tolerant, I'd bash your skull in."

"Eeek!"

Mohei squeaked and hid behind Baiyun.

Baiyun's eyes twitched. Mohei had beaten him to the chase faster than he could ever imagine, turning him into the convenient shield instead.

"You wanted to join, didn't you?" he whispered to Mohei. "If he thinks you can't do it, then prove him wrong! Don’t just run away."

"Well... "

Mohei spent a good minute twiddling his thumbs.

"When you put it that way. I guess I'll join..."