"You made mistakes."
Jiu Xian's heart fell.
"Take a look at this question for instance." She pointed to the first question on the scroll.
"When someone dares to take away your wife, would you let them?" Her head turned toward Yao Qing. "Toad lusting over swan? What if he's more handsome than you? You should beat him to a pulp for daring to interrupt your wedding."
Jiu Xian's suppressed laugher cut through the silent room, earning him a hateful glare from Yao Qing.
"Don't you laugh! You are no good either, all your answers are seeking peace. Remember the world of cultivators is ruled by fist. Whoever has the bigger fist has the bigger say."
"The only good answer you both have is screw the heavens. We should always be the one standing above heavens. Had you answered this question wrong then you both would have failed the test." Granny's voice turned serious.
"To cultivate— is to Defy the Heavens."
Granny continued to ramble about the mistakes in their answers for hours. By the time she was done the duo's head felt heavy.
One look at each other's eyes and they knew their minds were thinking the same thing.
'She's an arrogant lunatic.'
"But," she added, "Your mindset is good."
"Strength without restraint leads to demons. Pride without understanding leads to death."
She handed the scrolls back.
"These questions are foolish only on the surface. Cultivation is not just about power — it is about how you choose when to use it."
Silence spread across the room.
Yao Qing swallowed. "So… we passed?"
"Just the first test," Granny replied. "There are still more."
She reached into her sleeve pulling out two dull grey stones, each the size of a walnut.
"Hold these."
Jiu Xian and Yao Qing obeyed.
The stones felt ordinary. Cold. Rough.
They waited.
Nothing happened.
Yao Qing and Jiu Xian's shoulders drooped.
"These stones must be defective. An Immortal Fairy once told me I have Earth-Grade roots." Jiu Xian stared at Granny.
"Humph! Boy, you dare call someone a fairy in front of me. You must have bad tastes. And! Let me tell you, there is no way my tools are defect—"
CRACKLE
Both stones burst into a fierce crimson glow. Heat spread through Jiu Xian's palms.
CRACK
The stones shattered into dust.
Silence.
Jiu Xian and Yao Qing slowly looked at Granny.
She coughed into her sleeve.
"...Both of you possess Earth-grade roots... With a strong Fire affinity. Not extraordinary, but not poor either. With the right resources I can elevate your roots to the next grade."
"You both have passed. Your talents are passable and your mindset can be steered in the right direction."
A bright smile bloomed on the duo's face.
Granny reached into her sleeve again and produced a stack of thick, dust-covered books, placing them on the table with a soft thud.
'How many things can her sleeve hold?' Their pupils focused at her sleeve, trying to catch a glimpse inside it.
"Start with these. They contain the basics of cultivation… and of the cultivation world itself. Read them carefully. Only then will I take you onto the path of immortality."
Jiu Xian and Yao Qing stared at the towering stack.
"This will take days…" Yao Qing muttered.
"Mm," Jiu Xian agreed.
A dry chuckle drifted from beneath the hood.
"You didn't think cultivation was a matter of a single day, did you?"
"If you did, then you'd better leave."
With that, Granny rose and walked away, opening one of the many doors in the cabin.
ROOAAR!
Thud!
The primal sound shook the floor, almost knocking over Jiu Xian and Yao Qing from the chairs. The books however were not so lucky and fell to the ground.
"Be quiet!" Granny's commanding voice silenced the commotion, bring peace back to the cabin.
The duo watched as granny entered the room then they knelt to pick up the books from the floor.
"What do you think was behind that door?" Yao Qing's eyes glittered.
"Want to sneak in at night and find out?" Jiu Xian chuckled.
"Hikk!— We'd better not." She paused, then stole a glace back at the door. "Maybe?"
Thump!
"Ouch! Why'd you do that?" She rubbed her forehead.
"Focus on the books. Didn't you want to find what's so fun and special about immortality? Then get to reading."
"But there's nothing fun about that. I swear if he left me for this then I'm going to cultivate and beat him to a pulp." She pouted but still went back to collecting the books.
Soon, side by side, the duo began to read the manuals.
For a while the sound of pages turning were the only sounds in the cabin. As the duo read their eyes became droopy and their minds numb.
All their excitement died down. They had thought cultivation would be something fun… but reality proved otherwise.
It was just plain boring. And they had not even began truly cultivating.
Just reading half the book had taken from the sunrise to sunset. They still powered through.
Yawn~
Jiu Xian looked at Yao Qing, who was already fast asleep, her head resting on the book she was supposed to read.
"Haha" He laughed softly.
'Just one more page.'
Yawn!
His closed his eyes to get them some rest. Before he knew it, he lost himself his dreams.
…
"Haha! What cute kids." Her voice was soft.
Granny looked at the sleeping duo, their heads leaning against each other.
"And you still insist there's nothing between you? You can't fool this woman's eyes. Hmph!"
She flicked her hand, a thin green layer enveloped Jiu Xian and Yao Qing's body, gently lifting them in the air.
Granny led them to the guest room and opened the door. She looked at the messy bed. Pillows laying unarranged, the bedside rolled to one side.
"Ugh! What a mess."
She used her qi and fixed the bed, gently placing the duo side by side.
"Good night."
Not knowing what mess her actions would cause among the duo, she smiled contently under her hood, closed the door and left.