Lei Jun read his lot with curiosity.
Going outside the mountain to participate in disaster relief and epidemic control, that was the best lot.
On the other hand, choosing to make ink at the Talisman Ink Workshop was a moderately unlucky fate, perhaps because a fire at the city gate would bring disaster to the bystanders.
*If he wanted to avoid this calamity, he could either take a day off and lie flat in his courtyard, not joining any mission or training today.*
Or he could go out of the mountain for disaster relief.
"Lei, you haven't picked up a mission yet?" Zhang Yuan entered the Hall of Steward at that moment,
He actually had arrived long ago, but hadn't decided on a task, waiting for Lei Jun instead.
*Who would have thought that after waiting and waiting, as others snatched up all the good missions, only two bad tasks were left when Lei Jun finally appeared?*
But when he saw Lei Jun, Zhang Yuan still perked up at once.
Elder Du's last ceremony was when Zhang Yuan had been the most enthusiastic, which ended with him wounded more than anyone else among the Sixth Division Tao Boys and needing Lei Jun's help to heal afterwards.
That time they rounded up thieves, Zhang Yuan learned a hard lesson and didn't dare rush in again, while Lei Jun had charged forward bravely, earning himself and his group the top commendation.
*Thinking back on those events, Zhang Yuan felt half regret, half envy.*
Their usual relations were fine, and Lei Jun had helped him before, so Zhang Yuan didn't resent Lei Jun like he did Chen Yi out of jealousy, he just thought that Lei Jun's luck was really something.
"Lei, have you decided which mission to take? Shall we go together?" Zhang Yuan made up his mind, this time he would stick with Lei's banner, refusing to let go of that lifeline.
Whatever Lei Jun did, he would follow suit!
"Since coming up the mountain, I've never left, I'll choose this one."
Lei Jun chose the disaster relief and training out at Qingyun Shoal Riverside.
Zhang Yuan paused his breath, then took a deeper inhale, "I'll pick that one too!"
After receiving their assignments at the Hall of Steward, the two of them prepared and headed for the outer mountain gate.
There at the gate, the Tao Boys heading to Qingyun Shoal also gathered, not many, but there were more than a dozen.
A disciple in apricot Daoist robe, a true heir from the Celestial Master Mansion, had come down from the mountain to lead the group, he lectured the Tao Boys then sent them off in formation.
Once at Qingyun Shoal, it wasn't as if these followers of the Celestial Master Mansion were used as manual labor, there were stewards and managers from outside the mountain to deploy people and organize porridge, medicine distribution, quarantine, and epidemic control.
The Taoists from the Celestial Master Mansion—Lei Jun and the Tao Boys included—served more as mascots, supervisors, and overseers.
This group of immortal-looking, bright-lipped, white-toothed Taoists and boys constantly soothed people's hearts, making the common folk feel more at peace and even more grateful for the blessings of Daoist immortals descending from above.
*For Lei Jun and the others, even though they didn't have to do much physical labor, getting close to the victims forced them to confront every aspect of the mortal world—a unique tempering of heart amid the red dust.*
*Here, he could see the brilliance of humanity, but also its ugliness.*
Many Tao Boys didn't want to come, mainly because the environment was harsh and noisy.
*And after a few days, not only did they miss morning and evening classes at the Tao Boy Court, but it became hard to find time or environment to train by themselves.*
Lei Jun didn't mind the conditions, keeping his composure, and besides the assigned tasks, spent most of his time observing everything around him.
He found that at Qingyun Shoal, all recruits—workers, porters, physicians—were ordinary folks.
But those stewards and managers usually seemed to have some Qi Refinement cultivation.
"They also attended lectures at the Tao Boy Court."
A young Taoist in an apricot robe stood beside Lei Jun, speaking softly,
"Those fated only are brought to Dragon Tiger Mountain, and most Tao Boys admitted into the Tao Boy Court have certain qualities,
But turmoil of the world and fickle human hearts mean that, as time passes, unexpected things can still happen.
Some people later find that as they get older, their Daoist path is hopeless, so they leave the mountain, and the sect arranges for them to run its businesses outside."
This Taoist in yellow was the true heir from Celestial Master Mansion leading the team.
Lei Jun knew him from before—during the mountain search and siege, Lei Jun's team was led by the late young Taoist and Taoist Luo standing here.
Taoist Luo had advocated holding to original duties, while the young Taoist Gao took people out to actively search and capture.
Although Lei Jun had chosen to follow Taoist Gao at the time, Taoist Luo didn't hold a grudge.
In fact, seeing Lei Jun join the disaster relief, Taoist Luo felt even more approving, thinking Lei Jun was righteous and brave among the youth.
So, looking at the tall and clearly much bigger Lei Jun alongside the other Tao Boys, Taoist Luo offered warm encouragement,
"You may have started learning the Dao late, but your progress has been swift, there is no need for anxiety, the Transcension Ritual is held every three years, and if you miss next year, there will still be more opportunities ahead, just concentrate on your cultivation."
Lei Jun said, "Thank you for the guidance, Taoist."
Two days later, another true heir of the Celestial Master Mansion led some Tao Boys out on assignment to Qingyun Shoal River.
They brought an unexpected piece of news for everyone,
Yesterday afternoon, there had been trouble at the Tao Boy Court.
There had been a brawl among Tao Boys in the Talisman Ink Workshop.
Zhang Yuan groaned, "Luck really sucks this year, so many messes?"
Lei Jun asked, "So what exactly happened?"
The new little Tao Boy spoke, "First it was people from the First Branch fighting with the Eighth Branch, then the more they fought, the more people joined in—even other branches in the Talisman Ink Workshop got involved, we Sixth Division had two…"
"First Branch? But First Branch hardly ever takes jobs in the Talisman Ink Workshop."
Zhang Yuan was surprised, then seemed to remember something, "Wait, Eighth Branch—could that be…"
Lei Jun quietly listened, watching the gossip-spreading Tao Boy.
The boy nodded emphatically, "It was those from the First Branch who first fought with Chen Yi—Chen—of the Eighth Branch, but soon more joined in.
Eventually the Taoist on duty at the Talisman Ink Workshop was alerted, things got out of hand, and everyone involved in the brawl was sent to the Penal Institution."
Lei Jun asked, "All of them?"
He remembered that the current duty Taoist at the Talisman Ink Workshop was of the Li Clan.
"Looks like Chen Yi and those first got sent to the Penal Institution to reflect, but then word went up to the Master Mansion, and First Branch folk got punished with solitary confinement too," recalled the Tao Boy.
Lei Jun asked, "Rumor has it, the Taoist who asked for the Pure Gold Ganoderma from Ganoderma Terrace for alchemy—who is it?"
Zhang Yuan looked left and right, lowered his voice, "Seems like a Taoist Li…"
There were plenty of Taoists and elders called Li on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Generally, "Taoist Li" wasn't a specific person, but referred to any formally recognized Li Clan heir in the Celestial Master Mansion.
After hearing Zhang Yuan's words, Lei Jun didn't speak further, just watched the young Taoists whisper and gossip.
*Looking back now, the forks in fate were stretching farther and farther apart.*
*What was happening to Chen Yi now all traced back to the Pure Gold Ganoderma that sprouted when Ganoderma Terrace revived.*
Or rather, Lei Jun's perfectly neutral lot,
[Avoid seeking excitement, wait quietly for the time, after a startling change visit Ganoderma Terrace, gain Sixth-Rank Opportunity, but the tall tree draws the wind, attracts jealousy, hides trouble, average.]
*So-called hidden trouble continued to this day.*
*While Chen Yi was waylaid and attacked on training missions outside, now Li Clan youths from the First Branch were making trouble for him—the rift kept getting deeper.*
*Still, it wasn't all Chen Yi's fault.*
*Before, the theft at First Branch of the Tao Boys had been instigated by higher-ups—even elders—but the core issue was the tension between Li Clan and outsiders in the Celestial Master Mansion brewing for a long time.*
*After the First Branch theft and arson, conflict only got worse.*
*The thief was dead, some of the First Branch Li Clan had pent up rage with nowhere to go.*
*At this point, Chen Yi—an outsider Tao Boy with prior grudges—beat and killed Tao Boys from the Third Branch who clung to the Li Family, so those Li boys had even more reason to want to make trouble for him.*
*No wonder the latest lot mentioned disaster striking innocent victims when the city gate burned.*
*Both sides got heated, and outsider Tao Boys at the Talisman Ink Workshop could get dragged in too.*
*The whole thing devolved into a giant melee—the core was the eruption of the long-running feud between Li Clan and outsiders in the Tao Boy Court.*
Just like the lot said,
[Moderately unlucky lot, head to the Talisman Ink Workshop to make ink, city gate burns and the innocent suffer, freedom lost for now, hidden dangers planted, ominous.]
*Even those who didn't want to fight—if they were on the scene, the elders from the mansion would have caught them all for punishment: at least a few days of confinement.*
*But all this was no longer Lei Jun's concern.*
*He had already chosen the other fork in fate.*
*Over there, brains got smashed like dogs'; here, time was tranquil and peaceful.*
*The unlucky lot had already come true, now he only waited for his best lot to manifest.*
Lei Jun stopped listening to gossip and patrolled the riverside.
"Boom!"
The sky suddenly darkened.
Lei Jun looked up to see a patch of pitch-black storm clouds overhead, covering the sky.
He recognized them—they looked familiar; he'd seen them once right after he'd crossed over to this world.
Sure enough, just like last time, the storm clouds came quickly and disappeared just as fast, vanishing in a blink.
But a person suddenly appeared in front of Lei Jun.
She was a young woman, dressed in a pale purple Daoist robe, with a black cloak outside, exposing a delicate, bloodless white face—looks youthful.
But Lei Jun's first impression on seeing her was an icy chill, as if he stood naked in a snowy night.
*Still, he felt no discomfort, and smiled instead,* "Senior Sister."