3 Little Ones

Liu Jin looked up.

"Several promising talents," Zuo Ruotong said. "Among them is a boy surnamed Lu, who is naturally inclined towards the Dao. Another is surnamed Liu, who has a calm and steady temperament. And yet another is surnamed Li, who is a bit wild, but has good potential."

Lu Jin. Liu Deshui. Li Muxuan.

The three names reached Liu Jin's ears like three pebbles thrown into a deep pool.

His expression remained unchanged, but the Qi within his body trembled slightly. Only for a moment, and Zuo Ruotong seemed to sense something, glancing at him but asking no questions.

Zuo Ruotong turned and left. After taking a few steps, she stopped.

"That boy surnamed Lu," his voice was muffled by the mountain wind, "looks a lot like you." But he didn't mention the Li family coming to find him.

Liu Jin did not answer.

He sat before the stone wall for a long time. The aura emanating from his right index finger had receded, returning it to its ordinary form. He looked at it, clenched his fist, and then released it.

Ten months. The second stage of entry.

But this is just the beginning.

……

After a brief silence, the comments section exploded.

"Ten months! Just past the first level! Is this speed even human?"

"Automatic cultivation devices are truly unsolvable. While other transmigrators are still struggling with cultivation techniques, he's already considering the third level."

"But I noticed a detail—Zuo Ruotong said Lu Jin 'looks a lot like him.' Is she referring to talent, or something else?"

"It should be talent. In the original work, Lu Jin was the most talented disciple of the Sanyi Sect, and Zuo Ruotong had high hopes for him."

"But Liu Jin has already reached the second level. When Lu Jin and the others join the sect, Liu Jin will be the senior brother."

"A senior brother mentoring a junior brother, this relationship is interesting."

"Here they come: Lu Jin, Li Muxuan, and Liu Deshui. With these three names appearing together, the gears of the Trinity Gate arc have begun to turn."

"I'm thinking about something. Liu Jin knows what's going to happen next. He knows Wu Gengsheng will come. What are his feelings right now?"

"It's like watching a movie where you already know the ending, but this time he's sitting inside the screen."

"And he's the only character who can move."

......

At dawn the next day, Liu Jin appeared in the lower courtyard, but did not speak to the three of them.

The somewhat chubby Liu Deshui worked tirelessly, fetching water and chopping wood, sweating profusely, but still managed to complete most of the work. The pretty and charming Lu Jin did her best and didn't rest either. Only Li Muxuan, when tired, sat on the steps and generously told the other two to take a break.

Liu Jin stood there watching, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. His thoughts had long since drifted away, drifting into the future.

......

"To be honest, our Immortal Bu Ran was really cute when she was little, wasn't she? There's a reason why Lu Linglong is so beautiful."

"He's really too cute... But the story is finally starting, otherwise I would have been swept away by a triple attack."

"Is it possible that Li Muxuan and Wugensheng are still many years away from going up the mountain? Given the abnormal capabilities of the automatic cultivation device, they will most likely have swept through the enemy by then?"

"It's hard to say, it's hard to say. Three cheat codes should be about right. However, while automatic cultivation devices are indeed great in the early stages, they will definitely have limitations in the later stages. In the modern timeline, quite a few people who chose the Sound of the Great Dao have become disciples and have even comprehended the Eight Extraordinary Techniques. It's just that they suffer from their own innate talent and cultivate slowly."

"Indeed, this guy is having a great time now, but he's missing out on the Eight Extraordinary Techniques. Those are the most abnormal abilities in the world. Although they have their flaws, aren't the Triple Rebirth Technique also full of flaws?"

"I don't understand, I don't understand. There are already many restrictions on the three-tier system, otherwise there wouldn't be so few candidates."

......

That night, Liu Deshui and Li Muxuan had a heated discussion about what happened that morning. Liu's chubby little face was full of confusion: "Brother Li, what were you thinking? The senior brothers in the sect are right there, and you're just resting there so casually, even calling us..."

Li Muxuan didn't seem to care much: "Brother Liu, what are you saying? If you're tired, just rest. Are you suggesting we secretly rest when the sect leaders aren't around?"

However, he looked down on Liu Deshui, thinking that the sect only made them carry water and chop wood, without specifying how much was enough, but taking everything they had. This was definitely not about finding laborers; the assessment had another reason.

What he thought in his heart was different from what he said aloud. He kindly advised, "Brother Liu, if you want to become a disciple of Sanyi, you should learn from Xiao Lu. Look at him, he only chops a few bundles of firewood and draws only one vat of water a day." Turning to Lu Jin, he asked, "Xiao Lu, why are you like this?"

Lu Jinqing said innocently, "I can only chop a few bundles of firewood and fetch one vat of water. Just do your best; overexertion will hurt your health."

Li Muxuan laughed and said, "Brother Liu, listen to this! Hahaha! You need to take care of yourself, I'm really afraid you'll work yourself to death one day!"

Liu Deshui, however, remained resolute: "Xiao Lu is frail and shouldn't be forced. But my strength and perseverance are my forte, so naturally I won't slack off." He quickly added, "It's not that you two are being lazy... it's just that I..."

Li Muxuan interrupted with a smile, "It's alright, just think it through. The three of us are bound by fate, and I sincerely hope that we can all enter the sect together in the future and become true fellow disciples!"

The two people beside them were greatly encouraged and agreed.

The very next morning, before Liu Jin even descended the mountain, Li Muxuan came and knocked on the door. Liu Jin knew him, so without asking any questions, he opened the door, let him in, and left.

Li Muxuan, however, was smug, believing he had guessed the truth. He even met Zuo Ruotong on the way, bowed, and hoped Zuo Ruotong would take another look at him. However, the meaning in his eyes was unclear.

Half a month later.

Li Muxuan asked Si Chong what he thought of the three children.

Si Chong somewhat liked Liu Deshui's honesty and straightforwardness, and his natural talent was quite good, but he also knew that he was not suitable for the San Yi Sect. The most taboo thing for the Reverse Life Triple Realm was to use brute force, so in the end he let Liu Deshui go to the Yanwu Hall.

Then he asked Liu Jin what he thought of the Lu family's child. Liu Jin thought about it carefully and said: "Good potential, knows how to behave, and it's rare to find someone this age who is so steady."

It was just a normal description, but it sounded like a compliment. Zuo Ruotong smiled and shook her head: "There's no way around it. Born into a family of Qi practitioners, even without being taught, the family tradition will instill a lot of knowledge in them. Their starting point is much higher than Liu Deshui and Li Muxuan."

Then he asked Li Muxuan, and Liu Jin told him the truth: he had sneaked up the mountain for three days to find out what was going on there, and he carried water and chopped wood according to the amount of supplies. He did not tell the other two about his trip up the mountain.

Zuo Ruotong was quite impressed, but unsure if this approach aligned with her own attitude, she remained silent to avoid harming the two. The two, however, dared not follow him; the sect's authority held them back. Li Muxuan, on the other hand, was quite formidable, unafraid even of the sect's members.

Liu Jin nodded, offering no further comment, and simply stated the facts.

Zuo Ruotong didn't press the matter, but simply called Changqing over to explain the situation of the three of them. Changqing emphasized the investigation he had brought back from Li Muxuan's hometown.

"Li Muxuan was the leader of a group of unruly children in his hometown. He didn't commit any major crimes, but he was always up to some minor ones. The villagers gave him a 'good name'—'bad boy'."

Zuo Ruotong laughed and said, "So, Boss Li lied to me? And you still say his character is fine?"

Changqing scratched his head and said, "This child isn't particularly wicked. If we're talking about minor misdeeds, then from what we've heard, he's just mischievous. He's also sincere in apologizing afterward. He's always willing to help anyone who needs it, and some people even miss his mischievousness when he was around."

"He's too smart," Zuo Ruotong said. "He just knows what other people need."