Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 312: Chapter 312: Splitting Up

Broken Blade Peak had numerous disciples.

During the Jade Plate Secret Realm, many had striven hard and successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

While waiting at the foot of the mountain, Bai Mo did a rough count—there were over twenty people.

And that wasn’t even everyone; some were leaving in different batches.

The Inner Sect Disciple who came to pick them up was especially pleased.

"See? I knew it! Disciples of our Broken Blade Peak are always outstanding and never fall behind!"

Bai Mo had already made some inquiries. The reason Broken Blade Peak was in such high spirits was that they had gathered their disciples to plunder an underground palace.

It was an untouched site. The monster slumbering beneath had yet to awaken when the Broken Blade Peak disciples cleaned out its entire hoard.

Although they suffered miserably and faced retaliation afterward, the haul had ultimately made it all worthwhile.

Beast Taming Peak’s business didn’t exactly flourish within the Inner Sect.

For example, the senior brother from Broken Blade Peak used a Flying Ship to pick them up, not beasts. It could ferry over twenty people with room to spare.

As for everyone’s belongings, Outer Sect handymen would deliver them once they were settled in.

The Flying Ship departed, heading toward the center of the sect.

Along the way, other Flying Ships of the same design approached, each one also packed with disciples.

Upon seeing the robust-looking Cultivators from Broken Blade Peak, the eyes of the Inner Sect Disciples on the opposing ship lit up.

"More hands for the mines!"

While the new arrivals were still in a daze, the senior brother who had picked them up shouted back with a laugh.

"Get lost!"

"Everyone knows the disciples of my Broken Blade Peak are brave warriors, daring to fight and risk it all! How could they be sent to do hard labor in some mine?"

They seemed to know each other and chatted for a moment with a laugh.

Soon, more Flying Ships began to draw near.

The Inner Sect Disciples aboard them scanned the new arrivals with smirks on their faces.

"A fine batch of labor."

After a brief discussion, one of them addressed the newcomers in a loud voice:

"I’m sure you’ve all heard things about the Inner Sect, but we don’t spill the sect’s secrets. What you know is just a superficial, one-sided glimpse of the truth."

"Let me tell you, the Inner Sect does not support idlers. You’d best discard the leisurely attitude of the Outer Sect."

Before Bai Mo and the other disciples could figure out what was going on, the man continued.

"All of you who have connections and have already secured a post in the Inner Sect—step forward!"

Bai Mo wasn’t sure if he counted as someone with "connections," but just as he was preparing to step out, he saw many others move ahead of him.

"Me! My senior brother is a smith in Forging Void Valley! We have a joint-refining technique; it’s already been arranged."

"I’m going to Silkworm Valley. I’ve already gotten permission from the manager there."

"I’m going to the War Hall!"

"Me too, the War Hall..."

"The War Hall..."

A string of Cultivators, all from Broken Blade Peak, stepped forward, each one headed for the War Hall.

Bai Mo also stepped out of the line.

"I am going to the Mi Mountain Black Prison, to take over for the senior brother stationed there!"

The Inner Sect Disciple from Broken Blade Peak was proudly looking over the junior brothers headed for the War Hall when Bai Mo’s words caught his ear.

His brow furrowed.

"The Mi Mountain Black Prison? That’s no place to be."

"The resources are scarce, not to mention it’s dreadfully dull and allows for zero mistakes. Junior Brother, make sure you haven’t been swindled!"

Bai Mo hurriedly explained.

"I previously received a great favor from an elder. The senior brother guarding the Black Prison is accompanying him on a journey, so I must go and take his place."

The furrow in the Broken Blade Peak disciple’s brow smoothed out.

"Oh, so you’re repaying a debt of gratitude. In that case, there’s nothing more to say."

He turned and called out in a booming voice.

"Brother Gao, I’m entrusting these disciples from my Broken Blade Peak to you for transport! Please take good care of them!"

A slightly smaller Flying Ship drew near. On it stood a Cultivator with salt-and-pepper hair.

Brother Gao spoke in a leisurely drawl, "All you junior brothers and sisters with assignments, if you please, come aboard my ship."

Bai Mo quickly said his goodbyes to the senior brothers beside him and leaped onto the approaching Flying Ship.

The others with assignments followed suit.

The Cultivator headed to Silkworm Valley was none other than An Caiwei. Making that leap at such a high altitude was enough to break a person out in a cold sweat.

Seeing the look on her face, Bai Mo instinctively reached out and pulled her aboard.

More than ten people jumped across one by one, making the Flying Ship a bit crowded.

Brother Gao waved to his acquaintance, then piloted the Flying Ship away.

After a moment, Bai Mo looked back at the other group receding into the distance and couldn’t help but ask.

"Senior Brother, those who were left..."

Brother Gao’s voice was lazy.

"The new guys? They’ll be dropped off wherever there’s a shortage of hands. There’s no end to the chores in the Inner Sect, and every department is fighting over people."

"Your senior brothers all took a little something on the side to deliver fresh grunts to these places."

As he spoke, he couldn’t suppress a yawn.

The newcomers watched in terror, terrified the Flying Ship would take a nosedive.

Then, they heard Brother Gao speak again.

"As for you lot who already have your posts, you can’t be sold for a good price, so you’re stuck with me to ferry you."

"I’m a lazy man by nature, so you’ll have to learn not to be in a rush."

He thought for a moment, then said:

"We’ll head to Forging Void Valley first. The ones going there are all grunts meant for hard labor."

A disciple from Broken Blade Peak couldn’t help but argue.

"I heard Forging Void Valley is wealthy. Disciples from our Broken Blade Peak frequently have to go and commission work from them."

Brother Gao shook his head.

"Only because you’re paying customers. When they don’t have clients, all the Magical Artifacts they forge are turned over to the sect. It’s unpaid labor."

The disciple headed for Forging Void Valley shrugged.

"My senior brother called for me. I can’t very well refuse."

He then cupped his fist and said, "Since we’re new to the Inner Sect, there is much we don’t understand. We hope Senior Brother will enlighten us..."

"It’s part of my job," Brother Gao said, waving his hand.

"None of the jobs you lot have chosen are any good, but what’s done is done, so I won’t comment on them."

"However, I must say something about your tutelage."

"The thirty-six famed peaks of the Inner Sect are places with true heritage and legacies. If you feel that the path of your Outer Sect lineage doesn’t suit you, now is the time to switch allegiances."

"I don’t get involved with tutelage registration. You can do that whenever. Settle into your posts first."

Someone couldn’t help but ask, confused.

"But I’ve heard there are more than a hundred peaks in the Inner Sect?"

"Hah! A bunch of small hills with no real legacy. They’re not even worth mentioning!" Brother Gao said with a scoff.

"That can’t be right," the disciple who had spoken stepped forward, clearly a stubborn one. "To establish their own peak, they must have some unique skills."

Brother Gao shot him a sidelong glance.

"The thirty-six famed peaks provide a monthly stipend of Pills to aid cultivation. The others do not."

The disciple’s expression faltered.

"If you’re out and about and get bullied or humiliated by a fellow disciple, no one will stand up for you."

The disciple’s face paled further.

Brother Gao stared at him.

"There is one upside, though. If you join one of those peaks, you might end up being their third- or fourth-generation founding ancestor."

"Everyone on the peak, high and low, will be counting on you, hoping you’ll become their new legacy. After you die, they’ll mount your portrait in a nice frame and hang it on the wall."

"But the question is, do you think you’ve got what it takes?"

The disciple shrank back into the crowd and fell silent.

Brother Gao chuckled.

"There is precious little leisure time in the Inner Sect. Slaying monsters, exorcising demons, mining ores, planting herbs—which of these doesn’t require manpower?"

"Resources for cultivation past the Foundation Establishment Realm are hard to come by. A huge portion of what we need to train comes from performing these various services."

"Each of these countless tasks has its own set of rules. You’ll come to understand them in the future."

As he said this, his gaze fell on Bai Mo, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

"The Mi Mountain Black Prison is different. The post is very relaxed, but it’s not simple."

"I remember the ones who guarded the gate before were a pair of stone golems from a non-human race. They were completely incorruptible, perfect for the job..."

"Ah, never mind. It’s hard for me to explain the specifics. You’ll just have to see for yourself."

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