Yan Liqiang left the registration dejectedly, he did not expect to fail to secure even the right to be enlisted in Soul Mountain Sect. His dream of becoming stronger was shattered by the harsh truth of reality in the blink of an eye.
Before his attempt, Yan Liqiang did not expect Soul Mountain Sect to have such tight regulations when it came to the background of their candidates.
Yan Liqiang grimaced. The Soul Mountain Sect was not the one at fault here, he was the one who took things for granted and overlooked such an important fact.
There were multiple major sects just like Soul Mountain Sect, and it was the norm for them to do a strict background check before recruiting a disciple. Only in r.e.t.a.r.ded dramas that he used to watch in his last life would a situation where a disciple could easily enter a major sect exist.
Despite his change in appearance, it was impossible to fabricate a viable background for himself out of thin air. His deception would easily be exposed once Soul Mountain Sect sent someone to find out the truth and he would definitely not be able to stay in Soul Mountain Sect. He might not even be able to leave the place alive.
Yan Liqiang was presumed dead in the eyes of many. Was he really expected to tell Soul Mountain Sect that he was reborn? And that his hometown was Liuhe Town, situated in Qinghe County that was part of Pingxi Prefecture in Gan Province?
"Brother Yan, how did it go? Did you get the badge?" Lu Wengang ran up to Yan Liqiang with concern written all over his face.
Yan Liqiang shook his head, a smile still remaining on his face. "Liqiang wishes Brother Lu good luck in joining Soul Mountain Sect. May you realize the dreams you have. Go queue up Brother Lu, we"ll meet again."
As Lu Wengang stared agape at Yan Liqiang, the latter cupped his hands in salute and left the Hu Provincial Branch of Soul Mountain Sect alone.
At that moment, the flouris.h.i.+ng Hu Provincial City no longer intrigued Yan Liqiang.
There has to be a way... There must be one…! If he was unable to join the Soul Mountain Sect, there were other sects out there as well…
That was what Yan Liqiang told himself. He could still remember the words of the cart driver the day before. There was another sect within Hu Province: the Longhu Sect, which was situated on the Mount Longhu. He could try his luck with them…
...
Mount Longhu was ten thousand square kilometers wide and was situated eight hundred kilometers away from Hu Provincial City. It extended continuously across the horizon and was one of the largest mountains in Hu Province. It was the only sect in the entire province that could stand toe to toe with the Soul Mountain Sect"s Hu Provincial Branch. If the Soul Mountain Sect was said to be the dragon of Hu Province, then the Longhu Sect was the tiger of Hu Province.
Five days later, Yan Liqiang arrived at the main gate of Longhu Sect.
...
"Longhu Sect will be recruiting disciples during the third lunar month of every year, but disciple candidates are required to have a clear background. Those who are unable to prove their ident.i.ty will be rejected. Such has been the practice of Longhu Sect for hundreds of years, it"s the same for all the other sects. Young man, I think you should just leave…" The words of a receptionist at the main entrance of Longhu Sect was like a bucket of cold water splashed onto Yan Liqiang, snuffing out his spirit.
Such a rule was the same for Soul Mountain Sect, Longhu Sect, as well as all the other prominent sects. The inability to provide a clear origin was a barrier which blocked Yan Liqiang out of all the sects.
With bitterness in his heart, Yan Liqiang left the entrance of Longhu Sect with heavy steps as he headed down the mountain.
Is there really no other way? Yan Liqiang shouted in his heart.
In this world, all the martial arts and secret techniques were mastered by the major sects as well as n.o.ble families. The secret techniques of the n.o.bles were never meant to be learned by outsiders. With his entrance into the martial arts sects denied, where else could he learn martial arts from?
Despite his unwillingness to resign to his fate, the martial arts sects at that time had very strict rules, and the rules of this world were not something Yan Liqiang could challenge or change.
...
The scenery on Mount Longhu was utterly stunning, with trees and rocks doting the face of the mountain. Yan Liqiang was in a daze as he walked down the mountain. In his eyes, the beautiful scenery was as uninteresting as a piece of plain paper.
As he was on his way, a sound caught Yan Liqiang"s attention.
"Aiyo… Aiyo…"
It seemed to be a person moaning in pain, and the person was not far away from him. Blinking quickly, Yan Liqiang made his way in the direction of that person. Right after turning a corner, Yan Liqiang spotted an old man with white hair, dressed in rags carrying a basket on his back. The old man sat at the side of the road, moaning in pain.
Judging from his clothing, the old man was from a poor family and was there to gather herbs.
There was a cliff on the left side of the road, dotted with rocks of various shapes and sizes. Watermelon-sized rocks were scattered all around the mountain road. The part of the old man"s leg, below his left knee, was twisted at an odd angle. His leg must have been broken.
The old man"s face was deathly white and sweat dripped down his forehead profusely. He seemed entirely incapable of standing up.
"Ah! Sir, what happened to you…?"
"I came to Mount Longhu today to gather herbs. A d.a.m.ned rock fell all of a sudden when I just got here and just happened to hit me on my leg. My leg is broken, and I can"t stand anymore.." replied the old man as he took in the cold air. His entire body was trembling.
Mount Longhu was a scenic place. Other than the Longhu Sect that was at the top of the mountain, the beautiful scenery would also often attract visitors. There were herbs and various exotic plants growing on the mountain as well. As Yan Liqiang made his way to the Longhu Sect, he even saw tourists and people who were there to gather herbs. They were not headed in the same direction as him, and went their separate ways, taking different routes. This old man did not appear to be lying at all.
Yan Liqiang knelt and inspected the old man"s injury. His leg was swollen and from the shape of his bones, the injury was very real.
"Sir, are you alone? Do you have any companions nearby? If you have somebody accompanying you, I"ll go get them for you right away…"
"I"m here alone, there"s n.o.body else with me…" the old man shook his head.
"Where is your house, sir?"
"I live in a small town not far away from Mount Longhu. We"ll only need to travel a few miles after descending the mountain. Can you do me a favor, young man? Please carry me down the mountain…"
Despite the roads, it was very hard to traverse the rugged terrain of Mount Longhu. It would be even harder to carry an injured old man down the mountain through a distance that was at least twenty miles long.
"Alright. Please be careful sir, I"ll carry you down the mountain…" Without even giving the matter much of thought, Yan Liqiang offered to carry the old man down the mountain.