'Why did they bring someone back?'
Li Qingqiu was surprised, though his face remained calm.
After taking in seven disciples who had yet to produce even a wisp of spiritual qi, his enthusiasm for expanding the sect had cooled significantly.
The path of cultivation wasn't something everyone could walk.
Those who couldn't cultivate would eventually become a burden to Qingxiao Sect, so future recruitment had to be handled with caution.
Zhang Yuchun put down his shoulder pole and hurried over, panting slightly. "Senior Brother," he said, "there's been a military revolt in Guzhou. We saw a lot of refugees on the road. That child followed us for nearly a hundred li (about fifty kilometers). We couldn't just ignore him. Third Brother said anyone with that kind of endurance has the will to train in martial arts."
'A hundred li?'
Li Qingqiu's eyebrows lifted slightly. That was no small feat—most grown men would collapse after walking that far nonstop, not to mention a frail child who still managed to climb all the way up the mountain.
He glanced at the little beggar and saw the child still standing straight. That alone was impressive.
"How did the rebellion start?" Li Qingqiu asked. "Did you run into any trouble on the road?"
Zhang Yuchun shook his head. "None. With the army moving through the region, even the bandits went into hiding. We didn't learn what was happening until we reached the city. Turns out the empire's in chaos—officials neglecting their duties, famines breaking out everywhere."
Li Qingqiu sighed inwardly. He felt pity for the common folk but knew there was nothing he could do about the state of the world.
"So, in all that turmoil, where did you get the money for so many weapons?" he asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me you robbed someone."
Zhang Yuchun grinned and pointed his thumb at Jiang Zhaoxia, who was standing behind him. "All thanks to Third Brother. His swordsmanship caught the eye of a noble family in town. They wanted to recruit him, but he refused. Instead, their young master gave us a heavy purse as a gift and said he'd visit Qingxiao Sect someday."
"You just accepted it like that?" Li Qingqiu asked, raising a brow.
"Of course not. We promised that if their family ever faces trouble, they can send word to Qingxiao Sect. We'll do everything we can to help."
Li Qingqiu nodded approvingly. "That's better. Favors should go both ways. If they're generous, it's worth keeping ties. For a sect like ours right now, connections are as valuable as gold."
If Lin Xunfeng had left behind a well-established Qingxiao Sect with deep foundations, they wouldn't have needed to go down the mountain at all.
But here, resources were scarce, and disciples hard to come by. Going out into the world was inevitable.
Li Qingqiu also relied on the sect's growth to strengthen himself. He'd already noticed that his own cultivation aptitude was far inferior to Jiang Zhaoxia's.
Even though he visited the Underground Spiritual Lake every two days to cultivate, he still hadn't broken through the second layer of Nurturing Essence.
Still, he wasn't discouraged. He had once replicated a Fate before—and he could do it again. That alone gave him confidence.
While Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia unloaded their baggage, the disciples helped carry everything inside. There were not only weapons but also sacks of seeds and other supplies—plenty of harvest for one trip.
Then Zhang Yuchun brought the little beggar forward and said, "If you want to join Qingxiao Sect, you need the Sect Master's approval. We can't decide for you."
The child looked about eight or nine years old, barely reaching Li Qingqiu's shoulder. With wide, clear eyes, the little one raised their head and said softly, "Please, Sect Master, take me in."
Then, without hesitation, the child knelt down and bowed deeply to the ground.
The surrounding disciples exchanged curious glances. Li Qingqiu shot them a warning glare, and they quickly carried the rest of the luggage back inside, leaving only him, Zhang Yuchun, and the child at the gate.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the stone steps.
Li Qingqiu looked down at the kneeling figure but didn't tell the child to rise. "What's your name?" he asked. "What about your family?"
If the child joined the sect, he'd later verify the information himself—to make sure there were no lies or hidden troubles.
It never hurt to be cautious.
The last thing he needed was for Qingxiao Sect to be dragged into some vendetta or noble feud.
The child pressed their forehead tightly against the ground and answered in a hoarse voice, "My name is Xu Ning. I grew up with my father. He passed away a year ago. Since then, I've survived on my own—barely."
"Any distant relatives?" Li Qingqiu asked.
"None."
Hearing that, Li Qingqiu finally relaxed.
"Then make three vows, and you can enter the sect," he said.
Zhang Yuchun immediately guided the child through the formal oaths, reciting each line word for word.
When Xu Ning finished, Li Qingqiu helped the child up himself. "Qingxiao Sect doesn't raise idle people," he said evenly. "But once you join, you'll never go hungry again—and you'll live with dignity."
Xu Ning looked up at him, eyes dull and unreadable, clearly unmoved by the words. Li Qingqiu didn't mind. Formalities were just part of the process.
"Take him inside," he told Zhang Yuchun. "Let him wash up and change clothes."
Zhang Yuchun nodded and motioned for Xu Ning to follow. He reached out, intending to help, but the child avoided his hand. He smiled faintly and said nothing, assuming she was just shy.
Li Qingqiu followed slowly behind them, opening the Dao Lineage Interface as he walked. Scrolling through the disciple list, he quickly found Xu Ning's profile.
Her portrait startled him. The face was fair and delicate—clear features, pale skin.
'Wait… she's a girl?'
Li Qingqiu froze, stunned for a moment, before tapping her profile to view her detailed information.
[Name: Xu Ning]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 9 years old]
[Loyalty (Sect Master / Sect): 70 / 90 (Max: 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Exceptional]
[Comprehension: Excellent]
[Fate: Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root, Stubborn, Competitive Spirit]
[Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root: A rare single-attribute spiritual root. Possesses extraordinary talent in lightning-based Dao techniques. Lightning tribulations become a source of empowerment rather than harm.]
[Stubborn: Once she decides on something, she will never change it, even if it costs her life.]
[Competitive Spirit: Born strong-willed, unwilling to lose to anyone.]
…
Li Qingqiu's breathing quickened instantly.
Cultivation aptitude: Exceptional!
Comprehension: Excellent!
Completely opposite to Jiang Zhaoxia's traits—if anything, she was on par with him in potential.
Based on what Li Qingqiu had learned so far, aptitude and comprehension were ranked as follows: Extremely Low, Unranked, Mediocre, Fair, Excellent, Exceptional—and so far, he hadn't encountered any grade higher than that.
And that "Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root" Fate? That sounded anything but ordinary.
What truly caught his attention, though, was her Loyalty—a full 90 toward Qingxiao Sect, while her loyalty to him personally was lower at 70.
'Could it be because of her Stubborn Fate?' he thought. 'Maybe she's already decided that Qingxiao Sect is her home.'
Li Qingqiu couldn't help but look forward to her future.
In time, Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning could serve as Qingxiao Sect's twin protectors—the right and left guardians, the sect's blades in the mortal world.
As he entered the courtyard, he saw Zhang Yuchun trying to pull Xu Ning into the room, but she stubbornly refused to move or speak.
"Dongyue," Li Qingqiu called out to Li Dongyue, who was watching from nearby, "take care of Xu Ning. Help her bathe and change into clean clothes."
At his words, both Zhang Yuchun and Xu Ning turned to look at him.
"Senior Brother, wait—" Zhang Yuchun began in confusion.
Li Qingqiu glared at him. "She's a girl. What do you think you're doing?"
"A… girl?"
Zhang Yuchun stumbled back a step, eyes wide as he looked at Xu Ning in disbelief.
Xu Ning turned away and quietly walked toward Li Dongyue, who approached her with a gentle smile.
Zhang Yuchun leaned closer to Li Qingqiu and whispered, "Senior Brother, how do you know she's a girl?"
Li Qingqiu replied calmly, "My eyes are sharper than yours."
"Then why didn't you say something earlier?"
"I thought you already knew."
Zhang Yuchun hesitated, glancing between Li Dongyue and Xu Ning. "Should I follow them, just in case you're mistaken?"
"Fourth Junior Sister knows how to speak," Li Qingqiu said dryly, walking off without looking back.
He joined the group of disciples who were now examining the weapons Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia had brought back. Yang Jueding had come out of his room and was explaining the various weapon types and their uses to the disciples.
To his surprise, the weapons were varied—swords, sabers, spears, even a few rare items—and none of them seemed damaged or low-grade.
Li Qingqiu picked up a long sword, examining the craftsmanship. "Not bad," he said, glancing at Jiang Zhaoxia. "You did well."
Jiang Zhaoxia smirked. "Of course. From now on, you can leave everything to me. You just focus on being Sect Master. I'll handle the rest."
"Oh?" Li Qingqiu raised a brow. "Trying to replace me already?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Am I that kind of person? Besides, you barely do anything these days. At least I'm training the fifth junior brother. You, on the other hand, are doing nothing at all."
"That's why I'm the Sect Master," Li Qingqiu replied solemnly. "I have to think about many things. You wouldn't understand the burden I carry."
Their playful bickering made the others chuckle quietly. Everyone in the sect was used to these exchanges by now—no one dared interrupt.
As they joked, Li Qingqiu's thoughts wandered. 'I wonder if these swords can be used to practice the Supreme Sword Defense Technique?'
…
The day of the Spring Festival arrived. With both Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia back, the whole sect was full of life.
From dawn, Qingxiao Sect was bustling with activity. The older disciples hung lanterns, cooked, and prepared food, while the younger ones crowded around Yang Jueding, listening eagerly as he recounted tales of Jianghu and martial legends.
Li Qingqiu sat quietly at the side, listening. His gaze drifted toward Xu Ning.
She was now clean and dressed in fresh clothes, completely transformed from the filthy, starved child who had climbed the mountain the day before.
Though still thin and pale, with dark circles under her eyes, she looked more like the portrait on her Dao Lineage Interface—delicate and calm.
Xu Ning sat quietly at the back, listening to Yang Jueding's stories but keeping her distance from the others.
Li Qingqiu reached to the small table beside him, picked up a grilled corn cob from a plate, and said, "Xu Ning, come here."
She turned her head, her eyes drawn immediately to the food in his hand. After a moment's hesitation, she stood and walked toward him timidly.
When she stopped in front of him, Li Qingqiu didn't say anything else. He simply handed her the corn.
"Thank you," she murmured softly, taking it carefully. Just as she turned to leave, Li Qingqiu added, "Sit beside me. You'll hear the story better from here."
Xu Ning glanced up at him, saw that he was listening intently to Yang Jueding, and quietly sat down beside him. She began nibbling the corn, small and slow bites.
"Waaah—!"
Before long, the sound of loud crying broke through the peaceful atmosphere.
Everyone turned. Li Qingqiu looked up just in time to see Li Sifeng running into the courtyard in tears.
"Big Senior Brother!" he sobbed. "Third Senior Brother hit me! I almost died!"
He cried so hard it made everyone freeze for a moment.
Li Qingqiu sighed helplessly and stood to go over.
Xu Ning's gaze followed him closely, her wide eyes shining faintly. Compared to the day before, there was now a trace of light and life in them.