I have a high-risk profession in the cultivation world.

Luo Suichen's internal injuries healed quickly after Xiao Yehe refined and took the medicine, and his external injuries healed even faster. Chu Chenmu returned to his carefree life of eating, drinking tea, and reading storybooks every day.

He went down the mountain again and treated himself to a lavish meal at Zuichunlou—lured by the waiter's offer of an 88% discount on membership cards, he got himself a gold card.

It's really delicious.

Then he went to browse the storybook section. The third volume of "The Demon Lord and the Little Taoist Priest" had already been published, and he bought them all with a wave of his hand.

whee.

Good looking, love watching, watch more.

Returning to Chaomu Courtyard to witness the love-hate relationship between the Demon Lord and the young Taoist priest only fueled his anger.

Bah, scumbag.

The story begins with the young Taoist priest making an antidote for the Demon Lord. He thought things would turn out quite sweetly afterward, but the Demon Lord, that scoundrel, tricked the young Taoist priest into being devoted to him and then used him to wipe out the young Taoist priest's entire sect.

The plot is currently stuck at the point where the young Taoist priest is so angry after learning the truth that he vomits blood. Chu Chenmu is so angry that he complains that the young Taoist priest is a scumbag and is also disappointed that he is a love-struck fool.

……

The rosy hues fade away with the flowing water, and the garden gradually becomes cool and shady.

Chu Chenmu lived this kind of life of resting all year round and eating one meal after another for another month or two. After the flowers on the mountain bloomed and withered, he finally realized that he could not let down the original owner's talent for cultivation, so he would cultivate hard and improve every day.

Actually, it was a few days ago...

The system, which usually had a very low profile, suddenly spoke up: [Host, you seem to have gained weight.]

Chu Chenmu: (╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻

[What nonsense are you spouting? After reaching the Golden Core stage, cultivators maintain the physique and appearance of someone around twenty years old. Who would get fat?!]

[...The original owner was a cultivation fanatic.]

Xiaoyuan: If you don't start training soon, you'll be discovered!

Chu Chenmu felt a rare pang of guilt, but his fierce demeanor masked his inner weakness: 【How dare you! Cultivating oneself begins with cultivating the mind. I'm just adjusting my state; once I'm done, I'll go into seclusion.】

Very good, of the original owner's three words about cultivation fanaticism, Chu Chenmu only inherited the "fanaticism".

[Ahem, what other tasks are planned for the future?]

[Replying to the host, I don't know either before the plot point is triggered. Let me ask for you first, please wait patiently, dear.]

Chu Chenmu rolled his eyes at the incompetent system after being bombarded with messages reminiscent of Taobao customer service, and decided to just ignore it.

Chu Chenmu made up his mind to go into seclusion in the original owner's cultivation room. Then he went to Zuichunlou again, bought a few novels, and mentally prepared himself. He went to the cultivation room in a visibly depressed mood and sent a telepathic message to his three disciples, telling them to cultivate diligently.

When Chu Chenmu emerged from seclusion, the ground was covered with fallen leaves, and winter was fast approaching.

[Xiao Yuan, have I been cultivating for more than half a year? In just half a year, I feel like I'm about to reach the threshold of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Even the original owner of this body isn't as powerful as me, hahaha~]

Three and a half years.

【? 】

[Host, you have been in seclusion for three and a half years.]

【…】

After a long silence, Chu Chenmu finally managed to utter, "[Demon Lord and Little Taoist Priest! I'm here!]"

Xiaoyuan: ...Respect and blessings.

Chu Chenmu, who had no concept of time, had to admit that there was no time in cultivation when he saw his three disciples who had come to Chaomu Courtyard to see him after hearing his telepathic message.

Before going into seclusion, Tian Yige was taller than Luo Suichen, but now Luo Suichen is almost half a head taller than Tian Yige. Chu Chenmu also stood up and secretly compared his height. Well, he still couldn't compare to the original owner's height of about 1.85 meters. That's fine, his master's dignity can still be maintained.

"But Luo Suichen is only fifteen or sixteen years old now. I wonder if this kid will be taller than me in a couple of years."

Luo Suichen is now estimated to be almost 1.8 meters tall, and he and Su Chengdian are almost the same height when they stand together.

Chu Chenmu carefully examined the three people he hadn't seen for more than three years. Tian Yige's cultivation in the late stage of Foundation Establishment had not progressed further, but that was normal. Su Chengdian's face had lost its baby fat, and there was always a smile on his lips. Even when he didn't speak, he could make people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze. Moreover, he had already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and his cultivation speed was quite fast.

The biggest change was in Luo Suichen. Chu Chenmu had suspected he was taking hormones because of his rapid growth. Now, wearing his disciple's robes, he was no longer so thin, and the gloom between his brows had completely disappeared. Even though he was only a teenager, he could be described as handsome and dashing. Moreover, he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

At this moment, Tian Yige was telling Chu Chenmu about what had happened in the past three years. Ren Junmo (who was also the original owner's master) had gone into seclusion more than a year ago, and it was said that he was going to break through to the Mahayana stage. Now all the affairs of the sect were being handled by Ren Junmo's senior brother, Li Chenglin.

Hearing this, Chu Chenmu was a little confused. There was no such plot in the book, and the character of Uncle-Master Li Chenglin was not even mentioned in the book.

However, after thinking about it, I realized that I had already taken the next generation of sect leader as my disciple, so it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

He even felt a little guilty.

Maybe the plot changed because he randomly took on apprentices.

whee.

Three and a half years have passed, which means that the sect competition has been held again. This time, all three of them are in the Foundation Establishment group. Su Chengdian originally wanted to redeem himself with his three years of hard work, but he did not expect to draw his own senior sister in the first draw. As a result, Su Chengdian was beaten up while listening to Tian Yige point out the shortcomings of his moves, and tragically stopped in the first round.

Luo Suichen, who was a few years later and had just established his foundation, won a round and was eliminated in the second round.

Hearing this, even Chu Chenmu, who had maintained his composure for two lifetimes, couldn't hold back.

Nothing, I just wanted my teeth to cool down.

All three had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. According to the sect rules, once they reach the Foundation Establishment stage, they can start accepting missions. Of course, the missions given to Foundation Establishment disciples are generally not very difficult; they mostly involve delivering items, running errands, or finding some spiritual herbs.

Chu Chenmu wanted to take three people down the mountain for training.

[Host, this part wasn't in the original storyline.]

[The original storyline didn't even include Uncle-Master Li Chenglin yet, and since it's already gone off track, a little further deviation won't matter.]

Xiaoyuan: ……

It makes no sense, but I don't know how to refute it. I'm in a hurry.

Chu Chenmu shared his idea and received strong support from all three. Excellent, the proposal passed unanimously.

However, he wasn't in a hurry to go down the mountain; he still needed to teach them some ways to protect themselves.

Therefore, Chu Chenmu immediately announced that starting tomorrow, the three of them would come to Chaomu Courtyard, where he would teach them how to draw talismans.

Talismans can be bought, but they're so expensive. Some simple talismans can be made at home, and the money saved could be used to eat at Zuichunlou (a famous brothel).

……

But drawing talismans also requires a certain talent.

Just like cooking.

Chu Chenmu finally understood why, in such a large sect as the Wuji Sect, there were specialists in weapon crafting, alchemy, and even formation studies, but no one specializing in talisman drawing.

This thing is really expensive when it comes to students who can't learn it...