Chapter 511: Chapter 300_2
You can’t stop a writer’s burning desire to gather material, can you?
Shen Ying suggested, "I want to go too."
Duan Yun said, "No, only two spots are available."
That day, he threatened the lady below, and she could only provide two spots; otherwise, it would be hard to make up an excuse.
After much argument, it was Ziyu who finally accompanied Duan Yun on this chivalrous deed.
Since they had to join in the afternoon, Feng Ling’er reluctantly disguised the two of them.
Duan Yun and Ziyu had to pretend to be siblings, and since both were handsome and beautiful, they fit the sibling image quite well.
They just needed minor changes to not reveal their original appearances.
Not like Brother Murong and his sisters, who had noticeable differences.
That afternoon, the "siblings" took the lady’s letter of recommendation and headed to the Red Tower Mountain’s residence.
Walking through the city, they saw the bright red wooden tower from a distance.
The symbol of Red Tower Mountain was quite striking.
Before they entered, they could smell sweet smoke wafting from the entrance.
Several people with pitch-black eyes and sickly appearances were there, enjoying the escaping smoke with expressions of bliss.
Duan Yun and Ziyu fanned away the sweet thick smoke with their hands and walked inside.
Immediately facing them was an artificial hill, and behind it was the red tower.
At that moment, a middle-aged man emerged from behind the hill.
The man was waving a paper fan, looking like a scholar, and spoke in a scholarly manner.
"For what purpose do the two of you come under the Red Tower?"
Duan Yun took out the token given by the lady and said, "Introduced by Lady Hong, we’re from the same village as her."
Upon hearing this, the man dressed as a scholar couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Elder Hong Mingtian, whose surname is Hong, was connected within the sect, and he had married a pretty wife.
This wife grew up in a village, hence many countryside relatives would occasionally come seeking refuge.
These relatives often shared one trait: like the wife, their rural accents were strong, with frequent "we," "lump" and the likes in their speech.
No matter how respectable Red Tower Mountain was, a bunch of rough country folk was unappealing.
But seeing Duan Yun and Ziyu’s good looks, the man’s inner distaste lessened somewhat.
"The lady should know; the Sect Master ordered a tidy-up of the sect’s atmosphere days ago. If you’re genuinely interested in joining our Red Tower Mountain, this introduction letter is only the start. Acceptance depends on the evaluation result, no deceit allowed."
He was speaking truthfully, as that was indeed what the Sect Master stated days earlier.
Duan Yun and Ziyu could only accept the entry test.
They were led to a wooden house.
Even before they reached it, they saw it was engulfed in smoke, the roof like a sea fog; unaware folks might think it was on fire.
The smoke here was even more potent and complex than before, much stronger.
Sure enough, as Duan Yun imagined, the test involved smoking.
Smoking this "immortal smoke."
Just like a certain great nation in his past life would distribute "smoke" for free to the poor, to give them joy first, addiction later, losing control eventually.
"Business in Red Tower Mountain mostly revolves around our opium. If you wish to join the sect, check if you have affinity with our smoke," the scholar explained.
By this time, the three had entered the room.
In the swirling smoke, two men and two women were puffing away with pipes.
From their expressions, they appeared joyful, almost transcendent.
"So good! So good! I’ve never smoked anything so potent before!"
"I truly have a connection with your sect!"
One man marveled.
At this, a woman panted, "This smoke, it’s so enchanting!"
She said, blowing out two interconnecting smoke rings.
A shopkeeper-looking person saw this and said, "The young lady understands smoke so well, you can join."
The woman rejoiced, took a few more quick puffs, and said, "Master Wang, the smoke is almost gone, can I have more?"
Master Wang shook his head and said, "No more today, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Miss Li, rest assured, in our Red Tower Mountain, there’s no shortage of opium, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to smoke."
Almost at the same time, another woman, seeing her companion had passed, grew anxious and took a big puff.
In the next moment, she burst into severe coughing.
The cough wouldn’t stop, and shockingly, a crackling sound was heard as she coughed up blood.
The shopkeeper-looking Master Wang showed displeasure and said, "It seems Miss Zhao has no fate with our sect, please leave."
"No! I can still smoke!"
"Really!"
"Cough cough cough..."
She coughed up blood while smoking, but was soon dragged out.
Master Wang watched this scene, deep in thought.
Actually, if Miss Zhao had slightly better performance, he would have accepted her as well.
Because the sect was preparing to enter the mountains and was short of people.
Short of "smoke guns!"
So-called "smoke guns" were people who smoked continuously to repel toxic insects and ants.
The smoke capable of driving away toxic creatures was naturally strong, almost a poison.
Being a smoke gun could easily damage the lungs, causing incurable lung disease, and many disciples in the sect were quite resistant to this role.
Thus, he had to recruit as many new disciples as possible.
These disciples didn’t know, but they were excellent cannon fodder.
They might even smoke themselves to death on the way into the mountains, be buried on the spot, and perhaps even have some silver scraped off their corpses.
It was a business guaranteed to be profitable.
But being a smoke gun required some talent; otherwise, they would fall quickly, affecting other smoke guns.
So just now, Miss Zhao was eliminated mercilessly.
Seeing Duan Yun and Ziyu, Master Wang beckoned, "You two can start too."
With that, he took out two pipes, inserted tobacco, lit them, and let the two begin smoking.
Ziyu wanted to get immersed in observing smokers for better writing, and now she could smoke herself, which was great.
But the smoke was so strong that she choked on the first puff.
But being a master, she quickly adjusted her inner breath and began to puff away.
At first, her inhaling and exhaling movements were awkward, but soon became increasingly skillful, enthusiastically exhaling seven or eight interconnecting smoke rings, earning praise from Master Wang.
Master Wang couldn’t help but ask, "Have you been smoking a long time, young lady?"
Ziyu shook her head and said, "In the village, my parents wouldn’t let me smoke, said it was a waste of silver, only now do I get the chance to try a puff."
To be this good on the first try, that’s what it means to be a natural-born smoke gun!
Master Wang was quite satisfied, thinking this girl’s future was promising!
Indeed, as a smoke gun, an expendable recruit, she’d probably last longer even if she smoked herself to death.
Duan Yun was also quite surprised at Ziyu’s talent.
Honestly, he wasn’t used to smoking this, the fragrance was overwhelming, almost cloying.
He hadn’t expected that with his rare cultivation genius, he’d smoke less naturally than Ziyu.
He couldn’t help but want to activate his extraordinary wisdom.
But Duan Yun quickly adjusted his rhythm.
His body could emit Sword Qi at any time; expelling smoke from the mouth should be simple?
Hence, Duan Yun adjusted his breath, using the method of releasing Sword Qi to puff smoke.
Before long, Master Wang and the scholar who led them in were left in awe.
The swirling smoke emitted from Duan Yun’s mouth, forming the character "一," then "人," then an "S" shape, and then a "B" shape, more orderly than autumn geese.
To avoid it appearing too fake, he specifically circulated the smoke in his lungs for a round.
When Duan Yun exhaled "SB," Master Wang couldn’t help but exclaim, "Good! Good! Good!"
He said "good" three times, clearly acknowledging Duan Yun.
He couldn’t help but inquire the scholar about their background, saying, "Not surprising they are siblings, both have promising futures!"
"You both may stay!"
Gaining two more "smoke guns," Master Wang was in a good mood.
These expendable recruits seemed poised to last even if smoked to death, lasting a longer time anyway.
Durable expendable recruits are the best kind!
Red Tower Mountain had its set of rules.
If they could survive as smoke guns without dying, they could genuinely join.
In summary, to enter Red Tower Mountain, one must become a ghost before becoming a person!