"I never said I was going to steal the divine art. I just wanted to trade for it," the woman in black said softly. Her eyes fixed on the old man in gray robes across from her, but he remained unmoved.
She took a deep breath, her tone softening. "Uncle Gu, please come with me one last time. If it doesn't work out, I'll accept my fate and go back to being a pawn in my family's marriage politics. I promise this time I won't drag you into any conflict. If it fails, then it simply means fate has decided so."
The gray-robed elder, addressed as Uncle Gu, sighed helplessly. "Miss," he said, "in my younger days, I was a known name in the martial world. Twenty years ago, when people mentioned Gu Dubao, all who heard trembled in fear. But fame in the jianghu never lasts. New heroes are born every year. Families endure not through fame, but through heritage. Even if you manage to learn some divine art and force your clan to see you differently, how much benefit could your martial skill truly bring them?"
He didn't say the last part aloud—even someone as strong as me still has to serve as a dog for your family.
The woman in black stayed silent.
Her name was Chai Yunshang, from the Chai family of Jiangzhou. She knew her family's roots well—they'd existed for over 300 years, but since the founding of the new dynasty, their fortunes had declined.
The Chai family had long sought to establish influence in Zhongtian Prefecture, currying favor with all kinds of factions. Every daughter of the Chai family was destined to be used in arranged marriages. Not long ago, her father had even planned to marry her off to Lü Taidou of the Seven Peaks Alliance, seeking political advantage through their power. That was why she had gone to the Seven Peaks Alliance alone.
"What if I became as strong as the Martial Legend himself?" Chai Yunshang asked, staring directly at Gu Dubao.
Gu Dubao gave a bitter smile. To become a Martial Legend—how could it be that easy?
Chai Yunshang continued, "My elder sister has already been married off to a military official in Jiangzhou. My father is still scheming to find a suitable husband for my younger sister to strengthen his political ties. I don't want to live that way. Please, Uncle Gu—just help me one last time."
Gu Dubao sighed again. "Alright, one last time," he said reluctantly. "But don't be too pessimistic. Who knows—you might actually find yourself a good husband."
A "good husband"?
Chai Yunshang smiled faintly, full of disdain. She didn't believe such a man existed.
...
Two months had passed since the great battle, and Qingxiao Sect's reputation had finally exploded across the martial world. Every day, countless people came seeking to join the sect.
That afternoon, Li Qingqiu sat inside a quiet room with Zhang Yuchun, discussing the sect's development.
The recruitment of new disciples was now being handled by Zhang Yu, who had officially joined Qingxiao Sect that very morning.
As Zhang Yuchun gave his report, Li Qingqiu opened Zhang Yu's profile through the system interface.
His Cultivation Aptitude and Comprehension were both at the Mediocre level—nothing exceptional, but decent enough.
In Li Qingqiu's eyes, mediocre was already considered talented. After all, there were still two grades below that—unranked and extremely low.
He had invited Zhang Yu to join the sect many times before, but Zhang Yu always refused, claiming he preferred making money and wouldn't last long in Qingxiao Sect.
It wasn't until Zhang Yuchun personally persuaded him again that he finally agreed to stay.
Li Qingqiu was quite satisfied with him. Though Zhang Yu demanded a high monthly wage, he was serious and diligent in his work.
Unfortunately, Zhang Yu had no special Fate.
"Starting next month," Zhang Yuchun said excitedly, "the number of new disciples coming to join us will explode. Thankfully, Third Brother brought back a mountain of wealth from the Qing Sect, but we still need to open up more sources of income."
When Jiang Zhaoxia and the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might conquered the Qing Sect, they seized an enormous amount of treasure—and even carted away the sect's entire collection of martial manuals. Because of this, Li Qingqiu rewarded the twelve swordsmen (other than Jiang Zhaoxia himself) by teaching them the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra.
At present, Qingxiao Sect had already begun constructing its own Scripture Pavilion, expected to be completed next month.
The pavilion represented the sect's foundation and heritage, so it had to be built with utmost care. Li Qingqiu was also thinking about who should be appointed to guard it.
Zhang Yuchun then suggested, "Senior Brother, I've been thinking—what if we build a small town at the foot of the mountain? It could serve as a trade hub, a source of income, and a place to gather intelligence. It might even act as a defensive buffer if war ever comes. But this won't be a short-term project—it'll take at least a few years."
Li Qingqiu immediately thought of the Seven Peaks Town beneath the Seven Peaks Alliance. Such a town was indeed necessary.
"How about we start with Huang Shan's village?" Li Qingqiu proposed. "Help the villagers rebuild their homes and improve their livelihoods. It would be a good way to repay their support from all these years."
Zhang Yuchun frowned slightly. "But if we do that… who will control the village afterward?"
"Us, of course," Li Qingqiu said calmly. "We must have absolute control. It'll be difficult at first, so you'll need to persuade the villagers. Consider it training—you'll need to learn how to balance the sect's interests and personal emotions. That's a lesson every true leader must face."
Zhang Yuchun nodded thoughtfully. He couldn't deny that Li Qingqiu was right.
Li Qingqiu then told him to observe the new disciples more closely in the coming days. If he found anyone promising, he should report their names directly.
Now that they had the spirit mine, Li Qingqiu didn't intend to just sit on it like a hoarder. He planned to begin actively nurturing cultivators for the sect's future.
The mine was more than 300 li from Qingxiao Sect. Even with Jiang Zhaoxia stationed there, accidents could happen. That was why Li Qingqiu wanted to start using its resources as soon as possible. By the time half of it was mined, the sect would already be powerful enough to defend it on its own.
The two continued talking until a knock came at the door, interrupting them.
"Sect Master, Second Elder—someone claiming to be from the Chai family of Jiangzhou wishes to meet the Sect Master," came a voice from outside.
The speaker was Liu Yan, Li Dongyue's disciple.
Zhang Yuchun raised his eyebrows. "The Chai family of Jiangzhou, huh? They're no small name. Jiangzhou is right next to Guzhou—I've heard of them often. They're active in both the orthodox and unorthodox worlds. Senior Brother, I'll go take a look. Not just anyone can see you nowadays."
Ever since the day Li Qingqiu slew the Seven Fiends of the Demonic Sect, the entire sect's attitude toward him had changed drastically.
Both Zhang Yuchun and the disciples truly believed that Li Qingqiu had received guidance from an immortal. None of them considered him an ordinary man anymore.
Everyone in the sect—except for the newly joined disciples of the past two months—now looked upon him with deep, almost religious devotion.
Li Qingqiu nodded and watched as Zhang Yuchun stepped out of the room.
Li Qingqiu thought for a moment. Since he still had to wait for Zhang Yuchun to return, he stood up, walked over to the desk, and began writing with calm focus.
After about half an hour, Zhang Yuchun finally came back.
"Was it that hard to deal with?" Li Qingqiu asked in surprise as he turned from the desk to face him.
Zhang Yuchun sat down with a helpless chuckle. "Senior Brother, you'll never guess this—the Chai family from Jiangzhou wants to form a marriage alliance with Qingxiao Sect. And their target… is you."
Li Qingqiu couldn't help but laugh. Shaking his head, he said, "I've no desire to take a wife. You didn't agree to anything for me, did you?"
"Of course not," Zhang Yuchun replied at once. "Even for our juniors' marriages, I have no right to decide anything for them. But their side was unusually insistent. I'm certain they'll come bothering us again in the next few days."
"Haha, get used to it," Li Qingqiu said lightly. "This sort of thing will only happen more often from now on."
"Let's focus on more important matters—like the treatment system for disciples of every rank. We can't afford to handle that carelessly."
"Agreed," Li Qingqiu said, nodding.
...
Spring passed and summer arrived. The roads on Qingxiao Mountain were now bustling with travelers climbing up and down. In less than six months, the influence of last year's battle had brought Qingxiao Sect an endless stream of benefits.
Wealthy clans began investing, officials and merchants sought alliances, and countless people came up the mountain to apprentice themselves. Even Li Dongyue and her disciples had become swamped with patients, as people came daily seeking medical treatment.
Under Li Qingqiu's strict orders, Li Dongyue had no choice but to restrain her overly compassionate nature and dedicate more time to cultivation. Those who came to see her for healing now had to wait several days—unless their condition was life-threatening.
Given Qingxiao Sect's current fame, no one dared to complain.
That day, as Li Qingqiu returned to Lingxiao Courtyard, Yuan Qi approached him with a report. Someone from the Imperial City had come to deliver a letter. Hearing that, Li Qingqiu immediately instructed Yuan Qi to bring the messenger in.
The courier was a young man dressed like a wandering swordsman, with a sword strapped to his back and a bamboo hat covering part of his stern face. Li Qingqiu led him inside to talk.
Once inside, the young man removed a letter from his cloak and handed it over respectfully.
Li Qingqiu unfolded it and began reading. As expected, it was from Feng Dai. The letter detailed his current situation and the happenings within the Imperial City.
According to the message, under Jia Yi's arrangement, Feng Dai was now working under the local county magistrate, safe and well.
During his one month in the city, many sect masters and gang leaders had entered the capital, making it unusually lively. Duels and challenges took place everywhere. Rumor had it that the emperor planned to hold a banquet to invite representatives from all martial sects—something that had filled the martial world with pride and excitement.
After finishing the letter, Li Qingqiu looked up at the young man. "What's your name, and what's your connection to Feng Dai?"
The young man straightened his back and replied, "My name is Ma Yu. Lord Feng once saved my life. He even bought my freedom. I'll serve him loyally for the rest of my life."
Li Qingqiu nodded. "Then stay in Qingxiao Sect for a few days before heading back. Tell Feng Dai to take good care of himself."
"No need," Ma Yu said firmly. "I must return as soon as possible. The Imperial City is in chaos these days, and I can't leave Lord Feng unguarded. Farewell."
With that, Ma Yu cupped his fists respectfully, then turned and left without hesitation.
Li Qingqiu didn't try to stop him. He walked out of the room, watching Ma Yu disappear down the path.
Li Sijin came walking over from the side, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Senior Brother, who was that man?"
"He's someone sent by Magistrate Feng," Li Qingqiu explained briefly. "He brought me a letter."
Li Sijin nodded, losing interest quickly. Then her expression brightened as she grabbed his arm. "Senior Brother! I finally succeeded in making a talisman. Come on, let me show you in the forest!"
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. "Does it have any offensive power?"
"Of course!" she said proudly. "If it didn't, why would I bother showing you?"
Her smug grin made Li Qingqiu smile in amusement. He was just about to answer when Qin Ye came rushing into the courtyard.
"Master!" Qin Ye called out breathlessly. "Senior Ku Yi and Senior Ku Er have arrived—and they brought a child with them!"
Li Qingqiu's eyes brightened. "A child?"
Qin Ye nodded quickly.
Li Qingqiu turned to Li Sijin. "You rest for now. I'll come find you after meeting them."
Li Sijin pouted but didn't argue, understanding that this was official business.
Li Qingqiu instructed Qin Ye to bring the guests in, then sat at the long table in the courtyard, waiting.
He had been looking forward to meeting Yan Lan's son for quite some time.
"Don't disappoint me," he murmured under his breath. His anticipation came from how highly Yan Lan had praised his child.
Yan Lan was an honest man whose word could be trusted. Just a few days earlier, the new governor of Guzhou had already sent a messenger to deliver warm regards on his behalf.
Before long, Qin Ye entered with the visitors—Ku Yi, Ku Er, and a young boy no more than five or six years old.
Li Qingqiu's gaze immediately fell upon the child. Though small, the boy's bearing was impressive.
He couldn't help wondering if his eyes deceived him, because this boy didn't look much like Yan Lan at all. Yan Lan had a gentle face, while this boy's brows carried a fierce, unyielding sharpness.
The boy stepped forward first and asked boldly, "Are you my master?"
Standing there, he wasn't even as tall as Li Qingqiu sitting down—but his tone brimmed with confidence.
Li Qingqiu smiled warmly. "That's right. Are you willing to take me as your teacher?"
Without hesitation, the boy dropped to his knees and performed a formal bow. "Disciple Zhao Zhen greets Master!"
Li Qingqiu nodded, then immediately opened his Dao Lineage interface and located Zhao Zhen's portrait. With excitement, he tapped it open.
[ Name: Zhao Zhen ]
[ Gender: Male ]
[ Age: 5 years ]
[ Loyalty (Sect Master / Sect): 75 / 21 (Max: 100) ]
[ Cultivation Aptitude: Exceptional ]
[ Comprehension: Excellent ]
[ Fate: Fragile Destiny, True Martial Body ]
[ Fragile Destiny: A life of hardship. Before the age of 16, he will experience constant trials and suffering. After turning 16, this Fate will dissolve, and his Comprehension will increase by one full grade. ]
[ True Martial Body: The path of ascension through pure martial arts. Possesses the potential to transform Martial Dao into the foundation of Immortal Dao itself. ]