by EkkoTheDemon
'Why did they bring someone back?'
Li Qingqiu was surprised, but his expression remained unchanged.
After recruiting seven disciples previously, none had refined even a wisp of essence, which had dampened Li Qingqiu’s desire to expand the ranks.
The path of immortality was not for everyone.
If someone couldn't cultivate, they would likely become a burden to the Clear Firmament Sect, so he had to be cautious with recruitment in the future.
After setting down his shoulder pole, Zhang Yuchun hurried to Li Qingqiu, panting as he said, "Brother, there's a mutiny in the Gu Prefecture. We encountered many refugees on the road. This child followed us for a hundred li; we really couldn't bear it and had to take them in. In Third Brother's words, to follow for such a distance, if that willpower is used in martial arts, they will surely become a talent."
'A hundred li?'
That was indeed impressive. Forget such a small child—even an adult would be exhausted after walking that distance, and they still had to climb the mountain afterward. It was a long journey.
Li Qingqiu looked at the small beggar; seeing that the child could still stand was quite a feat.
He then asked, "How could there be a mutiny? Did you run into trouble on the road?"
Zhang Yuchun answered, "We didn't run into trouble. Because the army was on the move, we rarely saw any bandits. After entering the city, we learned that the world hasn't been peaceful these years; the officials are incompetent, and famines are breaking out everywhere."
Li Qingqiu felt sympathy for such global affairs, but he was powerless to help.
He asked curiously, "With things like that, where did you get the money for all these weapons? You didn't turn to robbery, did you?"
Zhang Yuchun raised his hand and pointed his thumb at Jiang Zhaoxia behind him, laughing, "It's all thanks to Third Brother. His swordplay caught the attention of an aristocratic family in the city. A young master from that family wanted to recruit him, but he refused. So, they gifted him a large bag of money and said they would visit the Clear Firmament Sect later."
"You took it for free?"
"Of course not. We promised that if their family ever runs into trouble, they should send a message to the Clear Firmament Sect, and we will do our best to help."
"That sounds better. Human relationships are like that; they only grow through give and take. The other party was generous, and for us right now, they are worth cultivating as allies."
Li Qingqiu nodded, approving of the promise they made. You couldn't just owe someone for no reason, and this was also a good chance for the Clear Firmament Sect to make a name for itself.
If the Clear Firmament Sect Lin Xunfeng left behind were a major sect with a solid foundation, they wouldn't have needed to descend the mountain.
But resources on this mountain were limited and recruiting disciples was difficult; entering the world was unavoidable.
Li Qingqiu also needed the development of the Clear Firmament Sect to make himself stronger. During this period, he had realized that his cultivation aptitude couldn't be compared to Jiang Zhaoxia's; he went to the Spirit Lake every two days, yet he still hadn't broken through to the second level.
However, he had been able to copy Fate Tokens before, and he would be able to do so again, so his heart was still full of hope and he was not discouraged.
The disciples helped Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia carry the luggage; besides the weapons, they had also brought back many seeds, making for a bountiful harvest.
Zhang Yuchun brought the small beggar before Li Qingqiu, "If you want to join the Clear Firmament Sect, you must have the Sect Leader's permission. Our words don't count."
The beggar looked to be only eight or nine years old, not even reaching Li Qingqiu’s shoulder. She looked up at him with clear eyes and said, "I beg the Sect Leader to take me in."
After saying that, she knelt directly and kowtowed to Li Qingqiu.
The other disciples all cast curious glances, but Li Qingqiu gave them a sharp look, and they immediately took the luggage into the sect.
When only Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, and the small beggar remained at the gate, the setting sun shone on them, lengthening their shadows.
Li Qingqiu looked down at the beggar and did not tell her to get up. Instead, he asked, "What is your name, and what happened to your family?"
Once the child joined the sect, he could verify the information to see if she was lying.
One could not be without a heart for caution.
Li Qingqiu was mainly afraid that she might be tied to some massive grudge, forcing the Clear Firmament Sect into a whirlpool of trouble.
With her forehead pressed firmly against the ground, the beggar answered in a raspy voice, "My name is Xu Ning. I've depended on my father since I was little. A year ago, my father passed away, and I had to survive on my own until now."
"Do you have any distant relatives?" Li Qingqiu pressed.
"No."
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu was completely at ease.
"Swear the three oaths now, and you may enter the sect," Li Qingqiu said.
Zhang Yuchun immediately spoke up, telling Xu Ning to repeat after him.
Once she finished, Li Qingqiu personally helped her up and said, "The Clear Firmament Sect does not house idle people, but once you enter, you are one of our own. We will not let you go hungry again, and we will let you live with dignity."
Xu Ning looked up at him, her eyes numb; she clearly wasn't moved by his words, but he didn't care—it was just a formality.
"Take her inside. Let her bathe and change into new clothes first," Li Qingqiu said to Zhang Yuchun.
Zhang Yuchun nodded and led Xu Ning inside; he wanted to take her hand, but she dodged him. He didn't mind, assuming she was shy around strangers.
Li Qingqiu walked slowly behind, calling up the panel and finding Xu Ning's avatar in the disciple details.
Xu Ning's avatar was actually quite delicate and fair; had it not been the only avatar he hadn't seen before, he would have found it hard to associate it with her.
'She's a girl?'
Li Qingqiu thought in surprise, then clicked on the avatar to check.
[Name: Xu Ning]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 9]
[Loyalty (Leader/Sect): 70 / 90 (Max 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Extraordinary]
[Comprehension: Excellent]
[Fate Tokens: Heaven-Thunder Spiritual Root, Obsessive, Competitive Spirit]
[Heaven-Thunder Spiritual Root: A rare single-attribute spiritual root. Possesses an exceptionally outstanding talent for lightning-attribute arts. Tribulations are not a threat to this root, but a source of power.]
[Obsessive: Once she has set her mind on something, she will not change it even until death.]
[Competitive Spirit: Born strong-willed, unwilling to be weaker than others.]
Li Qingqiu’s breathing suddenly quickened.
'Cultivation Aptitude: Extraordinary!'
'Comprehension: Excellent!'
This was the reverse of Jiang Zhaoxia, but it meant she was no less talented than him.
According to his understanding, the levels of aptitude and comprehension from low to high were: Extremely Low, Unranked, Mediocre, Above Average, Excellent, and Extraordinary. He hadn't encountered any higher terms yet.
Furthermore, the Heaven-Thunder Spiritual Root token seemed anything but simple.
The most valuable thing was that Xu Ning's loyalty to the sect had reached 90 instantly, while her loyalty to him was relatively lower.
'Is it because of the Obsessive token? Has she already decided that the Clear Firmament Sect is her home?'
Li Qingqiu secretly anticipated Xu Ning's future.
In the future, he could have Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning serve as the left and right guardians of the sect, specializing in combat.
Entering the courtyard, he saw Zhang Yuchun trying to pull Xu Ning into a room, but she refused to go in and wouldn't say a word.
"Dongyue, you take care of Xu Ning. Take her to bathe and change her clothes."
Li Qingqiu spoke to Li Dongyue, who was nearby watching the show. At these words, both Zhang Yuchun and Xu Ning turned to look at him.
"Brother, this..." Zhang Yuchun asked in confusion.
Li Qingqiu gave him a sharp look and said huffily, "She's a girl; what are you doing?"
'A girl?'
Zhang Yuchun was startled and immediately stepped back, looking at Xu Ning in shock.
Xu Ning turned and walked toward Li Dongyue, who was approaching her.
Zhang Yuchun came to Li Qingqiu’s side and whispered, "Brother, how can you be sure she's a girl?"
"My eye for detail isn't something you can match."
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
"I thought you knew."
Zhang Yuchun looked at Li Dongyue and hesitated, "Should I go over and check? What if you're mistaken?"
"It's not like your fourth sister doesn't have a tongue."
Li Qingqiu tossed out those words and walked toward the gathering disciples. Yang Jueding had also emerged to introduce the various weapons to the disciples.
Indeed, the variety of weapons Zhang Yuchun and his brother brought back was quite large, and none were of poor quality.
Li Qingqiu picked up a longsword, inspecting it while praising Jiang Zhaoxia beside him, "You did well."
"Of course. From now on, leave things to me; you can just focus on being the Sect Leader. I can handle everything," Jiang Zhaoxia said proudly.
"Oh? You want to usurp my power?"
"What are you saying? Am I that kind of person? Besides, you don't actually do anything day to day; I at least teach Fifth Brother. You really don't do a thing."
"That is exactly why I am the Sect Leader. I have to think about many things; you don't understand my exhaustion."
the brothers began to bicker; the other disciples were already used to it, and no one dared to intervene in their daily routine.
Li Qingqiu wondered in his heart: 'Could these swords be used to practice the Supreme Absolute Sword Art?'
...
The Spring Festival arrived. Since Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia were back, Li Qingqiu was in high spirits. From daybreak, the entire Clear Firmament Sect was full of excitement.
The older disciples helped with the decorations, slaughtered chickens, and washed vegetables, while the younger ones gathered around Yang Jueding to hear stories of the martial world.
Li Qingqiu also sat to the side and listened, his gaze drifting toward Xu Ning.
Xu Ning had already changed into clean clothes. Compared to how she looked when she came up the mountain yesterday, she was like a different person.
However, because of the heavy bags under her eyes and her skeletal frame, she didn't look as good as she did in the panel yet, but one could tell it was the same person.
Xu Ning sat at the very back, listening to Yang Jueding's stories, having not yet integrated with the other disciples.
Li Qingqiu reached for a plate on the steps beside him and picked up a piece of roasted corn. He spoke, "Xu Ning, come here."
Xu Ning turned to look at him, her gaze instantly drawn to the roasted corn in his hand. She hesitated for a moment before standing up and walking toward him timidly.
When she reached him, Li Qingqiu didn't say much, directly handing the corn to her.
"Thank you," Xu Ning said softly as she took the corn. She was about to turn away when she heard Li Qingqiu say, "Just sit beside me. It's closer, so you can hear better."
Xu Ning looked at him; seeing him listening intently to the story, she sat beside him and nibbled on the corn.
"Waaaaah—"
Not long after, Li Qingqiu was distracted by a cry. He saw Li Sifeng running into the courtyard in tears, shouting to Li Qingqiu, "Brother! Third Brother hit me! I nearly died!"
He cried so heartbrokenly that everyone turned to look at him.
Li Qingqiu felt helpless and stood up to walk toward him.
Xu Ning's gaze followed Li Qingqiu, her eyes wide. Compared to yesterday, there were a few more sparks of life in her eyes.