The Disciple Recruitment Ceremony is a grand event in the Taiqing Dynasty. Since it is the last year of the Second Era, the momentum is even greater. All the halls are involved in the preparation and planning. The Shangxuan Hall begins to solicit the intention of all Zi Qi Masters to accept disciples. The Taiqing Sect only has the direct disciples of the headmaster. Only then are he qualified to accept disciples. Among the disciples accepted by the previous headmaster, only Tian Chengzi and three others have not yet been promoted to Jushan. The others have already been promoted to Jushan and have become Ziqi Zhenren. The intention of these headmaster's direct disciples to recruit disciples directly determines the number of disciples recruited this year.
Zhongwei Hall is responsible for preparing for the six-level assessment. The test questions and assessment methods are different every year, but the number of sessions is fixed, and they are all six-level.
Xiahedian is responsible for preparing for the three-question assessment. The three questions, as the name suggests, are three questions. These three questions will change every year and cannot be guessed. There are no fixed answers. As long as the principal of Xiahedian and the two assistants in charge of the examination answer If the answer is satisfactory, you can pass the level.
As the grand ceremony was approaching, there were many guests in the mountain, and the Lucha Hall was dispatched more frequently to prevent disciples from violating regulations and ruining their reputation during the grand ceremony.
The collection hall is responsible for publishing various scriptures for Taoists who are about to start. After Taoism starts, they need to learn a large number of basic scriptures, such as the Tao Te Ching, the Morning and Evening Work Sutra, the Beidou True Sutra, and the Sutra of Savior, etc.
The Ritual and Music Hall was busy preparing various things needed for the ceremony and rehearsing various rituals and music for different occasions.
During the disciple recruitment ceremony, all branches of the Taiqing Sect’s Taoist temples will come to congratulate and watch the ceremony. Officials from the imperial court will also be present, as well as a large number of students who are participating in the election and their families who have sent them here. The Taiqing Sect cannot help but get married, and the leader is also the guardian. Guotian Master, so many parents are willing to send their children here to learn Taoism, not only to learn skills, but also to have a future. The residences of these people are temporarily built by the Suwu Palace, and everyone’s food is also arranged by the Suwu Palace. In addition, the construction of the grand ceremony platform also requires people from the Secular Affairs Hall to assist the Liyue Hall in completing it.
Sun Shishi took great care of Nanfeng. He stopped Nanfeng's errands one month before the apprenticeship ceremony and asked him to stay at his residence. In name, he was helping in the kitchen, but in fact, he asked him to memorize more scriptures and practice writing. Although Nanfeng can write, his writing is ugly. Some questions need to be answered on paper. Good handwriting can also be pleasing to the eye.
Nanfeng was very grateful to Sun Shishi, but he did not study hard. As the apprenticeship ceremony approached, his worries became more and more serious. He was used to being unrestrained and did not like the same routine life. Once he started, he would Not as free as now.
The most important thing is that once you get started, you will be completely involved in the vortex of power struggle, and it will be even harder to get out.
There is still half a month left before the apprenticeship ceremony. The Taiqing Outer Branch sects who came to congratulate have arrived one after another, and hundreds of students who have come to refer to the disciples have gathered. The Outer Branch sects live on the mountain, and the reference students all live at the foot of the mountain. , long wooden houses have been erected on the east and west sides of Yin Yang Square for students to live in.
The food for these people was provided by the Suwu Palace. Nanfeng would go around the mountain every day under the guise of delivering food. He hoped to meet Tian Chengzi and talk to Tian Chengzi about his thoughts. Someone like him In this case, it is completely possible to leave Taiqing Mountain and go to a quiet place to practice Taoism. Then come back when he is old and live in the mountain. He will always be in danger.
The hard work paid off, Nanfeng finally met Tian Chengzi, who sent a middle-aged man who looked like an official and his child down the mountain. Nanfeng stood aside, waiting for Tian Chengzi to see him off, then stepped forward to greet him, and whispered Speak your mind.
"The Taiqing Dharma Seal is in their hands. Without the Dharma Seal, I cannot give it to you. You must stay on the mountain." Tian Chengzi left quickly after saying this.
Nan Feng returned in frustration. Tian Yuanzi once told him about the situation of conferring urn. Taoist priests cannot ask gods to control ghosts without conferring urn. The seal of Taiqing mentioned by Tian Chengzi should be a special seal. Only those with a seal can Only by giving prayers on a urn can one reach heaven to hear them.
"Nan Feng, what are you and Uncle Tiancheng talking about?" Ling Xizi's voice came from behind.
Nanfeng stopped when he heard the sound, turned around and saluted Lingxizi, "He asked me if Lingyanzi would hit me again."
Many people in the Taiqing Sect knew that Lingyanzi was seen by Nanfeng without any clothes. Lingxizi believed it as soon as he heard it and pulled Nanfeng towards a deserted place, "I'm telling you, take the left passage during the three questions , I have already said hello to Assistant Qian to ensure that you pass."
When Nanfeng heard this, he hurriedly thanked him. Lingxizi was a good man. Although he was greedy for money, he was not greedy for nothing. However, he was worried that Tiandezi and others had other plans, so he asked, "I heard that Master Tiancheng also took the exam..."
Lingxizi slapped Nanfeng on the head, "You bad boy, Master Tiancheng is the most harsh person. If you go through the passage on the right, you will definitely be in trouble."
Nanfeng couldn't say anything more, so he could only thank him again and catch up with the food delivery team and return together.
There were still seven days left before the ceremony for accepting disciples. Shangxuan Hall issued a public notice and the number of people to be admitted was decided. There were ninety-six ordinary disciples and three head disciples, for a total of ninety-nine people.
As soon as the list was published, Yamashita immediately went crazy. In previous years, the number of apprentices for each session would not be less than 300, but this year it was less than 100. The most terrible thing is that there are so many students who referenced this year, which is more than usual. Three or four times, there are more than 10,000 people, and it is guaranteed to be one in a hundred.
Few of the students who came for reference came alone. Most of them were accompanied by servants or family members. Seeing that the door was too small, they were worried that their children would not be allowed in, so they all tried to use the back door or the side door.
Taoist priests are also human beings, and they are also humane and sophisticated. Most of those Ziqi Masters have deep or shallow friendships with the officials of the current dynasty. Many officials communicate privately and directly. Some Ziqi Masters will insist on fairness, while others cannot bear the death of the other party. Go hard and tell someone below that I will accept this person. If they say something, the quota will be reduced by one.
There are still three days left before the apprenticeship ceremony. The number of disciples previously set by more than a dozen Master Ziqi has already been reached. And the list has been issued, and they cannot temporarily increase the number of disciples. The ninety-nine places are probably not even half. There is nothing left.
When Kong Yiming and others heard the news, they were as anxious as ants on a hot pot. They were different from Nanfeng. Nanfeng was a beggar and felt very comfortable living here. They all had families and stayed in Taiqing Sect. If you use the toilet for a year, it will probably be in vain in the end.
Tomorrow is the apprenticeship ceremony, and everyone in the secular affairs hall has been busy until late at night. Nanfeng prepared some wine and food in the kitchen. When everyone came back, he called two close friends to have a drink together. One was his roommate Kong Yiming, and he also One of them was Cao Meng, who was also a coachman.
Kong Yiming and Cao Meng were too preoccupied to drink and sighed all the time.
"Are you worried that you won't be able to enter?" Nanfeng asked.
"No one is as heartless as you." Kong Yiming sighed deeply.
"I took the test nine times from twelve to twenty, and my eyes turned yellow again. How should I explain it to my parents?" Cao Meng said with a sad face.
"Ji people have their own destiny, come and drink." Nan Feng held a cup to persuade him to drink.
The two of them took a sip from their wine glasses, then put their glasses down and started sighing again.
"After tomorrow, Taiqing Sect will no longer recruit disciples for twelve years. What are your plans?" Cao Meng looked at Nanfeng.
"What are your plans?" Nanfeng asked.
"At my age, I already have several children, and I have completely given up after failing nine tests. I should go home shamelessly. I can't die outside." Cao Meng said.
"What about you, what are your plans?" Nanfeng looked at Kong Yiming.
"I don't have the shame to go back, and I don't want to stay in the mountains. I want to try my luck with the Shangqing Sect in the Eastern Wei Dynasty." Kong Yiming said.
Nanfeng will not return to the Secular Affairs Hall after tomorrow. He invited the two of them to drink tonight. His original intention was to see them off, but seeing the two of them like this, he felt unbearable in his heart, and the words came to his lips several times. He swallowed again, he couldn't take the two of them with him, otherwise he would put himself in danger.
The two of them didn't drink as often as Nanfeng did. After a few drinks, they lost control of their emotions and started to cry. Nanfeng felt sympathy again, but he still didn't say it clearly. Let's see tomorrow. If you can, give them a hand. .
There were more than a dozen people in the same situation as the two of them in the Suwu Palace. In the early morning, the aunt in the kitchen cooked breakfast for everyone. After everyone had breakfast, they went to the front of the mountain to gather...