Peng An is an Outer sect elder of a prestigious immortal sect. He himself was a powerful 9th layer Qi condensation realm Cultivator. Naturally, such a personage will have similarly larger responsibilities. But today he had been sent on tiresome errands that should be beneath his rank, but alas! The sect had just survived through some dire straits and it could use some new blood to cultivate young talents to strengthen the sect’s foundation.

His task was to bring all mortals with any feasible cultivating talent below the age of 15 back to the sect but if he did that, he would only be wasting his time and the sect’s. Those trash who barely qualify are everywhere. He came across at least 10 such but taking them all back to the sect will require him to make multiple trips and he couldn’t be bothered. Moreover, those normal candidates don’t net any additional rewards from the sect. If only he could find a promising seed, he would be able to secure some rewards for his efforts.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been lucky. He had already covered 2 other Mortal towns, but no promising individuals were found. There are still 2 others remaining but he was starting to consider if he should just take a batch for the low quality plebeians just to finish up his task quickly.

Amidst his musings, he reached the next town. He landed directly within the town walls and went straight to the Market area which should be a good place to start. It was still early in the morning, so it seemed like it was a bit empty.

‘No matter. I might as well try the local delicacies for now.’

He was strolling through the main street to get to a prominent restaurant sign. On the way, he heard a call.

“Mister! Mister! Here! Please take a look at my wares. These exquisite wooden carvings and furniture are sure to bring style to your place.

They’re all reasonably priced too. Please come and take a look!”

A cheerful boy was advertising his goods. There were some crudely made furniture and some surprisingly decent and stylish wood carvings.

‘Shame, if only they were made using better wood. They look pretty decent for such a remote place like this.’

He approached the stall to take a closer look. He decided to be generous to this mortal boy.

“I’ll take these 2.”

He picked 2 randomly and paid a silver. He collected them into his shrinking storage bag and was about to be on his way. He suddenly seemed to remember something and asked the boy with narrowed eyes.

“How old are you, kid?”

“Thank you for your generosity Mister! I’m 14 years old.”

At the cheerful reply, Peng An grabbed his arm to check his cultivation aptitude.

“WHa–? Mister let go!”

The boy panicked from the sudden action and tried to get himself free.

Peng An was already done and he couldn’t help but be stunned, as he stared at the boy.

‘A Medium grade Spiritual root! It’s also towards the higher end too. My luck is pretty good this time!”

“Hey! Who are you? Unhand the boy and step back!”

His pleasant thoughts were interrupted by an idiot with a death wish in what appeared to be a town guard’s uniform. He calmed himself down. Even he couldn't indiscriminately kill or attack town guards, he might get into trouble. He decided to show off a bit of his spiritual aura instead.

There was a glow around Peng An and the suppression of an immortal cultivator fell upon the surrounding people but mostly focused on the brave guardsman.

“Wo-Woah! Cultivator!! Please accept my apologies for the rudeness esteemed immortal. I was at fault but you can’t simply attack mortals here in town.”

Peng An had to give the mortal credit. He kept his wits even under some minor suppression from him, a 9th layer Qi condensate real cultivator.

He was even brave enough to speak up for the boy. He would answer him as a reward.

He let go of the boy’s hand and put on a dignified smile before enlightening the mortals around.

“Foolish mortal, no need to panic. I was merely checking his cultivation aptitude and as luck would have it, he is qualified. I’m here to recruit for the mighty True Sky Immortal sect! Boy, it’s your luck. Your life will have been raised to an entirely different level after today.”

The boy was clearly too stunned to process all of the events. He generously gave him time to gather his thoughts.

“Well, I’m obliged to ask. Are you willing to come with me to join the True Sky Immortal sect as a honorary disciple and set on the path of the Great Dao?”

The boy seemed to come back to his senses at his words. But he was clearly not in his right mind. He only vigorously nodded his head in agreement without using his mouth.

“Hahaha! Wonderful! Why don’t you gather your belongings and inform your family, we shall depart today afternoon. You can meet me at that Restaurant at Noon.”

Once he concluded the meeting time, he turned around to find all the Mortals in the street on their knees and looking up at him with veneration, trepidation and a small amount of curiosity. He stood there silently to experience the moment properly. He suddenly heard the boy’s knees hitting the ground as well. He frowned and turned around.

“Well, it is okay for today but from tomorrow onwards, you do not have to lower yourself to these mortal’s level when showing respect. You would do well to keep it in mind.”

With that last bit of advice, he walked off to his original destination.

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  Finlay was only trying to act but he couldn’t help but genuinely panic when he felt the grip of the cultivator.

‘I guess that's just how unnaturally strong cultivators are. I just didn’t have such a feeling when around the Nine because of their control of their strength. I guess all's well that ends well. I just need to take these things back to the orphanage and say my goodbyes.’

He set off with a sigh from the market area. He was actually very excited to begin his cultivation journey finally. But he couldn’t help but worry about Mother Bai after he left. He was initially trying to distance himself from her but unexpectedly, he started to care for her after all this time.

‘This is just how fate is. I can’t forget what’s at stake here. She will be fine here regardless. She also has the orphanage to keep her occupied.’

Once at the orphanage, Finlay first found mother bai and explained to her the situation. Mother Bai couldn’t help but let out tears of both joy and sorrow.

*Sniffle*

“Little Ming, you need to be good when you go there. Concentrate on yourself and most of all, try to stay out of trouble. I heard some bad stories about new cultivators. Hopefully they’re just exaggerated mortal stories.”

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“I still can’t believe that weak little ming is going to be a cultivator.”

*Sigh*

“Rest assured Mother Bai, Your Little Ming won’t disappoint you. You take care of yourself here. Also, take this, I won’t need them anymore.”

Finlay handed over the money he made the past year hunting, wood carving and foraging herbs. All in all, it amounted to a sizable chunk.

Mother Bai tried to deny him but reluctantly accepted once he explained how mortal money has little worth amongst cultivators.

He also met with the annoying Li’er who would always talk his ear off every time they would meet. She was very quiet this time after learning of his departure. He gave her a set of sturdy and warm clothes he made from the pelts he saved up.

He packed up some long lasting food, a pair of the best clothes he owned, a couple of warm blankets he had made from thick animal skins, put on his sturdy boots, a simple sword tied to his waist, and also a fur coat. He donated all his remaining property to the orphanage. Selling all of them should net a decent money and the pelts would be useful for the cold winters.

After one last look at the place he was reborn in this world at, he made it back to the meeting place of the cultivator.

At noon, under the unblinking gazes of the town’s populace, Finlay was taken onto a flying tool, a leaf shaped glider spiritual tool and flew away with the cultivator towards the sect he was going to start his journey at.

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  Finlay had to marvel at the novel experience of flying on a magical item for the first time. The thing was far from aerodynamic and was clearly made with aesthetics in mind yet it was very stable albeit a bit slow. There was no structure blocking the wind for him but he could only feel it was a bit windy and nowhere near what it should be like. It was all mystical to him.

His sense of wonder never faded as the duo travelled in silence. The cultivator seemed content to remain silent and just operate the flying device and Finlay wasn’t about to address him unless he was talked to. Lest, he say something stupid and bring disaster upon himself. He knew how these types got with minute acts that somehow meant disrespect according to some obscure customs.

After about 3 hours, they landed in a remote region and took a break. Finlay thought it was to give rest to his weak mortal body but soon discovered that it was because the cultivator needed to replenish his energies.

‘I guess it makes sense. Only Foundation establishment cultivators should be able to sustain flight. As a Qi condensation cultivator, he probably needs such a dedicated flying device to even fly for short periods like this.’

Finlay knew his knowledge was sure to come in handy more and more in the near future. At the same time, the knowledge he possesses is only relevant to his current or the immediately next level of cultivation. As he advances in his cultivation, any relevant knowledge will be progressively unlocked over time.

‘Still, according to my information, I was expecting him to bring along a few others like me. I don’t see anyone else nor do I think he is trying to find more candidates. Is there something afoot? Should I be worried about him discovering any of my special talents?’

Finlay couldn’t help but worry a bit. But he soon found that line of thought to be stupid.

‘Nah! Senior Mann himself is responsible for covering up those grades. It’s impossible for a puny cultivator in the Qi condensation realm to see through it.’

They waited for a couple of hours before resuming their journey. Finlay still kept his vigilance up as he was carried along. soon, they reached a village as the sun was setting to rest up for the night.

He was certain that their flight was much slower than a helicopter from his previous world, probably less than 100kmph when they were flying and adding the few hours of rest time, he estimated that they only travelled about 200-300 km through the first day. That certainly wasn't very fast compared to even most ground transportations from his previous world but at the same time, it was entirely under the power of a single person and they Flew along the way. He couldn’t help looking forward to the next day to fly again.

The dinner was the most luxurious he had ever had. The local villagers went above and beyond to accommodate the immortal that visited their remote place.

“Lord immortal, this here is the best delicacy in this surrounding region. The village chief specially sent out all available combatants to procure this with haste when he found out about your arrival. Please have a taste.”

Finlay was also presented with a small amount of said delicacy. Even though it was seasoned with limited spices compared to what he was used to, it was delicious from the very first bite. The Cultivator on the other hand simply made a small acknowledging sound without any change in his expression, as if he was simply eating white rice.

“”Hmmmm……It’s alright. Now, leave me be. I don’t like being disturbed.”

“Of Course Lord! Please give a shout if you need anything else. The maids will be waiting right outside the door.”

Soon the entourage was all gone, leaving the two alone in the big mansion of the Village Chief. The immortal finished his food much faster unsurprisingly.

“Okay once you’re done eating, let the maid know to clean up. You can sleep in that room over there. We still have a long journey ahead so rest well.”

Finlay didn’t speak any nonsense and simply nodded his head obediently. Once he finished eating, he asked them to clean up and went to bed. The belly full of delicious food quickly knocked him out.

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  Early in the morning, he had to hurry to get ready to leave. He felt being pointedly stared at by the cultivator even though he was very quick with his clean up. Of Course the immortal didn’t have to do all these things, he simply cast a couple of spells to not only clean up himself but also his clothes.

Once Finlay was ready and had his breakfast, they walked out to leave. The immortal simply took a walk in the village. He didn’t seem interested in hurrying up anymore and was deep in thought. They eventually reached a resting area.

It had a single stone bench under the shade of a tree by a small stream. Of course, seeing the immortal, everyone else immediately vacated the place. The immortal sat on the bench silently and didn’t say anything for a while. Finlay wasn’t sure what he was thinking.

‘Wasn’t he egging me on earlier about taking too long? Why were they resting here now?’

After a minute of silence, the man locked his gaze on Finlay. It seemed like he made up his mind on something.

“Brat, I have a grand opportunity for you.”

Somethow, Finlay already didn’t like the sound of that.

“Mister Immortal, please tell.”

“.....Why don’t you kowtow to me as your master and become my disciple?......What do you think?”

Finlay was left speechless but he was careful to school his expression.

‘I knew it! This bastard is causing me trouble right from the beginning. I can’t possibly take him as a master who isn’t even in Foundation establishment at this advanced age.’

Finlay knew that even after his talent’s appearance is being suppressed, it is still considered very good in territories of smaller sects such as this. The Immortal clearly knew about this as well and was probably trying to entangle himself with Finlay so as to improve his status in the sect.

“What? You’re not satisfied with my offer?”

The man put on a displeased expression as if Finlay had committed a grave offence.

“Mister Immortal, it’s not that. I- I mean- I just don’t know what that means.”

Finlay put on a confused and embarrassed expression. He decided to play his Mentally challenged person card. He hadn’t had much conversation with the man and so was betting on convincing the man that he was not very bright, thereby diminishing his value for the man’s purpose.

“What? You don’t understand?...”

The man put on a strange expression as he stared at Finlay.

“So-Sorry Mister, Little Ming is a bit slow in the head. But I only need just a little more explanation to understand things. Just 4 or 5 times will do. I swear! Mother Bai always used to say that Little Ming is actually very smart and Mother Bai never lies to Little Ming. Although there was that time about numbers-”

Finlay channelled his best impression of his nemesis, the walking headache and tried to play stupid. His arduous experiences at the orphanage seemed to pay off.

“Okay stop!”

Finlay shut up.

“It doesn’t matter if you understand or not. As long as you can kowtow to me 3 times and accept me as the master, that is enough.”

‘Dammit! This guy is so shameless, trying to scam a seemingly disabled guy like this. How do I get myself out of this??!’

Finlay just tried his best to look confused and delayed for time as he furiously thought of ways to deal with the situation. But clearly, the man was growing suspicious.

“This place is pretty nice and peaceful. They even have pretty decent food….for a rural place anyways. Unfortunately it is very far from any cities and we aren’t even a quarter of the way to the sect.”

‘This Bastard!!!’

How could Finlay not hear the hidden meaning behind his sudden words. He was trying to blackmail Finlay, but fortunately Finlay knew he couldn’t actually afford to leave him. The man would surely get good rewards for just bringing him to the sect. At the same time, he was an Elder and could cause much suffering, if he wanted to, in the future.

As Finlay was pondering how to resolve this with as little damage as possible, he suddenly heard a shout from behind him.

“You! Aren’t you an Immortal??”

There was a wide eyed boy no older than 6, pointing his finger at the cultivator standing right behind Finlay.

Even Finlay was left speechless at the sudden audacity of a little kid. He immediately grew concerned at the reaction of the cultivator. From what he understood, this type of situation always ended in disaster.

‘Stuipid kid, why are you seeking your own death?’

“You dare interrupt this immortal’s conversation?!”

“Why didn’t you go save papa?! He even risked his life just to get you your food. It should be easy for you. Please go! Go and save Papa! It’s just a stupid monster anyway.”

The boy clearly didn’t care about the immortal standing before him. He blurted out what he wanted.

“....you!!”

Finlay saw that the situation was getting out of hand and the cultivator was about to blow off. He couldn’t be a bystander anymore.

Finlay slapped the kid's head a little, to bring him back to his senses and reprimanded him.

“Dumb kid! Are you not afraid of an Immortal? Didn’t your mother ever tell you?!! Immortals twist off the legs of little kids and eat them like chicken feet!”

Both the cultivator and the kid were dumbfounded at his words.

“As expected only Mother Bai is so knowledgeable. She once told me that a little boy who was too loud was made into fried chicken by an immortal master.”

“Wha- that can’t be true. Can it??”

The boy seemed terrified at the prospect of turning into his favourite food.

To be continued.