After Master Luo finished speaking, he stood up and took his leave. "Little Mo, I’ll take my leave now. You can think about this matter carefully; there’s no need to rush into a decision," After finishing, he sighed and added, "The path I offer is one I think is quite good, but it may not necessarily be the best. You have many choices, just choose the best among them." Master Luo was indeed considering Mo Hua’s best interests. In the days that followed, Mo Hua also understood what Master Luo meant by "many choices." Major and minor Sects and families within the nearby state boundaries had all extended invitations to Mo Hua. Some invited Mo Hua to become a Formation Instructor; some promised him a position as an Elder outright; some forces, with fervent and impassioned words, invited Mo Hua to "discuss grand undertakings and plot groundbreaking initiatives"; Then there were some families who wanted Mo Hua to marry into their families and attached portraits of young, either innocent or charming, female Cultivators to their invitations… Mo Hua didn’t say much, but Liu Ruhua was particularly angry. She threw all these portraits into the stove and said to Mo Hua: "Families with such crooked ideas, tempting people with beauty, are no decent families. You mustn’t go to them!" "If you’re to find a partner, it should be a proper and chaste lady." Mo Hua replied somewhat helplessly, "Mother, it’s still early for that..." "Better safe than sorry!" Liu Ruhua said earnestly. "Alright…" Mo Hua responded. A few days later, Zhang Lan also came looking for Mo Hua. "There are a few things I want to discuss with you." Zhang Lan sat in their usual spot in the restaurant, ordered a pot of wine and some dishes of meat, and while drinking, he said to Mo Hua, "You’re not trying to rope me in as well, are you?" Mo Hua asked in confusion. Zhang Lan, whose intentions were seen through, choked on a sip of wine, thought for a moment, then nodded, "In a more subtle way, it’s called setting up good karma, to put it bluntly, it’s indeed roping in." "The Zhang Family?" Zhang Lan sighed, "Not just them." He then produced a document, "This is a personal document from the Court Leader. You can join a Sect that is directly under the Taoist Court." "Directly under the Taoist Court?" "Yes, those that are directly affiliated with the Taoist Court and train talents for the Taoist Court. They require internal connections within the Taoist Court to join, and a city Court Leader has a quota for recommendations, though very limited…" "Isn’t that quite valuable?" "Of course," Zhang Lan nodded, "This is also a gesture from the Court Leader. If he ever runs into trouble in the future, you mustn’t stand by and watch." "Don’t worry, I have a good relationship with the Court Leader; I will definitely help him!" Mo Hua assured. Zhang Lan nodded in satisfaction. "After completing studies in the Sect, can I enter the Taoist Court?" Mo Hua asked. "Not necessarily." Mo Hua was slightly taken aback. Zhang Lan explained, "It depends on the situation. Generally speaking, as long as one cultivates earnestly and one’s character isn’t too flawed, and one’s conduct isn’t extreme, after completing studies, they can take a position at the Taoist Court." "And it’s not restricted by status," Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua, "Outsiders, as Loose Cultivators, find it difficult to enter the Taoist Court, but it’s much easier from these Taoist Court-affiliated Sects." "There are so many twists and turns…" Mo Hua couldn’t help but complain. "Naturally," Zhang Lan took a sip of wine, his gaze becoming focused, "Those who set the rules always leave some loopholes to benefit themselves. The Cultivators below don’t know the rules and can’t skirt around the barriers, and can only crash into them, bloody and bruised." "The Cultivators above are familiar with these twists and turns and can easily cross over these barriers." "That’s why the Loose Cultivators at the bottom aren’t informed; even if they have talent, they might not do as well as those mediocre but well-connected Cultivators from noble families." Mo Hua nodded. Without Zhang Lan telling him, he would have had no idea about these things. "What about the not-so-ordinary situations?" Mo Hua asked. "There are two types of those situations," Zhang Lan answered, "One is if one’s aptitude is too poor, and one’s learning is dreadful, to the point of being hopelessly useless." "Such a person can enter a Taoist Court-affiliated Sect solely based on connections. Unless they use their connections again, they shouldn’t even dream of securing a position with the Taoist Court." "The other situation is if one’s aptitude is too good, and their learning is exemplary. Such Cultivators have the potential to enter the Taoist Court directly." "The Taoist Court?" Mo Hua was surprised, "Not the Taoist Court Office?" "Correct," Zhang Lan nodded, "The central Taoist Court, not the local Taoist Court Office." Immediately after, Zhang Lan sighed, "But you shouldn’t dwell on that." "Is my Spiritual Root really that poor?" "Yes," Zhang Lan said regretfully, "Your talent in Formation is actually exceptionally good..." "So good that I don’t even know how to properly praise it..." Zhang Lan thought quietly to himself, then continued: "But your Spiritual Root, as well as your physique, are indeed... less than desirable..." Zhang Lan spoke somewhat euphemistically, but Mo Hua could tell by his expression that when he said "less than desirable," he really meant "much less than desirable." However, Mo Hua didn’t blame him; those who know themselves are wise. He was aware that his Spiritual Root and physique were indeed his weak points. After Zhang Lan finished saying these things, he changed his tone and said: "This is an invitation from the Taoist Court, whether to go or not is up to you. The following is my effort on behalf of the Zhang Family to recruit you..." Zhang Lan was straightforward, listing some conditions: including the status the Zhang Family would give him, what future prospects he would have, what inheritance he would receive in Formation, and so on. "And about marriage, if you choose to stay with the Zhang Family, it’s likely that marriage will be inevitable." "But if it’s a regular marriage, your partner can only be found among the collateral branches, and the children would carry your surname." "However, if you’re willing to marry into the family, you could wed a direct line female disciple. You and your future children would have to change your name, but in return, the family would treat you as one of their own, and you would truly become a person of the Zhang Family..." ... Zhang Lan explained everything about joining a family in great detail to Mo Hua. After speaking, Zhang Lan shifted his tone, "These are the responsibilities I bear as a disciple of the Zhang Family and the words I should say..." "The following words are my personal advice to you." Looking at Mo Hua with a serious expression, Zhang Lan said: "Do not marry into a family. Unless it’s an absolute last resort, do not cling to a clan!" "Marrying into a family is like abandoning your surname and losing your self to expedite your rise to success... Unless it’s absolutely necessary, it’s better not to do so." "If you don’t marry in, relying on your own abilities, the Cultivation World is vast with endless possibilities. But if you wed into a Noble Clan, you’ll be stepping into a stagnant pond with unfathomable depths." "Better to be a wandering crane in the clouds, than a dragon trapped in stagnant waters." "What’s more, in my eyes, there isn’t a family worthy of you marrying in, and that includes my Zhang Family!" Mo Hua was surprised; he hadn’t expected Zhang Lan to value him so highly, and he felt thankful for Zhang Lan’s kindness. As Mo Hua gradually firmed up his decision to never join a Noble Clan or marry into one, who knew Zhang Lan would again change the direction of the conversation: "Of course, if you really want to marry in, it should still be with my Zhang Family..." Mo Hua looked at him with a complex expression. Zhang Lan said helplessly, "Why let the good water flow into someone else’s field..." "Isn’t what you’re saying a bit improper..." Mo Hua responded, somewhat speechless. Zhang Lan waved his hand, "These are trifles, as long as the intention is clear, don’t mind the details." "If it really doesn’t work out, then you can settle for the next best thing... and even further down the line, you can consider the Yang Family..." Zhang Lan’s expression showed a hint of disdain. Mo Hua asked, puzzled, "Is there some kind of feud between the Zhang and Yang Families?" "The Zhang Family and the Yang Family have a very good relationship. It’s just me and that kid Yang Jiyong who don’t get along." Zhang Lan spoke earnestly, "Disciples of the Yang Family are brave and good at fighting, veterans of the battlefield, and they are worthy of respect..." "Except for that kid Yang Jiyong..." "With your mastery of Formation, you could indeed make a name for yourself on the battlefield. Joining the Yang Family and having their support could make you very successful in the Taoist Soldiers Court." "Only, campaigning with the Taoist Soldiers is much harder and far more dangerous." "Think it over on your own..." After saying this, Zhang Lan also advised Mo Hua to consider it carefully, not to rush his decision, and then swiftly finished his meat and drink and stood up to take his leave. He was a Supervisor in the Taoist Court. Although he could usually slack off, now that Feng Xi had appeared in this world and the cultivators were migrating, he had much to attend to. Zhang Lan bid farewell to Mo Hua and left. But as he took his leave, he looked back at the eatery and couldn’t help feeling a bit heavy-hearted. Coming here to eat and drink had become a habit for him. After the migration, he too would have to leave. As a disciple of a Noble Clan, he couldn’t follow the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City; it was very likely he would return to his family or seek another position with brighter prospects. After his departure, he might never experience this simple and noisy atmosphere again. He might never taste this food and drink again, nor might he have another small Cultivator like Mo Hua to share light-hearted banter with...