Every day, the elegant music of a zither drifted through the mountains. With such refined melodies accompanying their practice and work, the disciples of Qingxiao Sect found themselves in better spirits. Even Li Qingqiu's impression of Zhu Yan and Su Xiling had changed for the better.
He had to admit, a true scholar was indeed different. Having lived two lifetimes, Li Qingqiu had grown used to the popular tunes of his former world—but this ancient-style guqin music struck his heart in a way that was both calm and captivating. The more he listened, the more he wanted to hear.
The zither's resonance echoed through the valleys, like a gentle breeze brushing through one's heart—soothing, quieting all restlessness.
What caught his attention even more was that Bai Ning'er had grown close to Su Xiling. It even looked like she had taken it upon herself to guide him.
'So this is what a lucky one looks like,' Li Qingqiu thought with amusement. 'Impressive.'
Having a scholar living in the sect didn't hinder its growth in the slightest.
As the mountain road neared completion, more and more visitors began coming up seeking medical help. Li Dongyue, kind by nature, charged wealthy patients directly but allowed poor families to pay as they could—or work around the sect to offset their treatment costs.
This practice quickly spread by word of mouth, and within just a few months, Qingxiao Sect had earned a good reputation among the villagers below.
By autumn, Xu Ning had reached the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence realm. She was the first to report the news to Li Qingqiu, who was resting inside his room. Hearing it made him genuinely pleased.
While master and disciple were still chatting, Zhang Yuchun arrived. Xu Ning saluted and left.
"Senior Brother, it's time to begin preparations for the incense offerings," Zhang Yuchun said excitedly. "I've already hired craftsmen."
They had discussed this matter before. It had been Zhang Yuchun's idea, inspired by Liu Fanzhou's suggestion. Since Qingxiao Sect carried Daoist traditions, why not establish divine statues, draw in visitors, and earn incense money? The idea suited Zhang Yuchun perfectly.
Li Qingqiu said calmly, "You can proceed, but don't make it too public. Let it be something for the destined to find and fulfill their wishes."
"I'll be careful," Zhang Yuchun replied. "But the statues' designs must be decided by you. We should create our own deities—otherwise, we might offend other Daoist temples or monasteries. You come up with the names, and I'll have Zhang Yu write the stories to go with them. Think of a few."
Li Qingqiu rose and walked to his desk. He picked up a brush and wrote five names across a blank page:
"Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, Taiji…"
Zhang Yuchun read the five names aloud softly.
Li Qingqiu explained, "These five shall be revered as Daoist deities. Their faces need not be carved in too much detail."
They were the Five Great Primal Stages—the Innate Five Tai described in the ancient text Liezi from his previous life's civilization, representing the five cosmic phases from nothingness to existence before the universe was born.
Since Qingxiao Sect's Dao Lineage had only just been founded and had yet to attain true enlightenment, Li Qingqiu saw this as a fitting commemoration. Each time he looked upon these Five Tai in the future, he would remember this very moment.
Zhang Yuchun repeated the five divine names a few times, his expression growing increasingly satisfied. Carefully folding the paper, he departed in haste to make arrangements.
Li Qingqiu didn't remain in his room. Xu Ning's breakthrough had put him in such good spirits that he decided to check on the progress of other disciples.
It was still early in the afternoon. Few disciples were in the courtyard. He strolled along the path, exited through the sect gate, and began walking down the mountain.
From the stone steps, he looked downward and saw courtyards scattered amidst the forest. Disciples led horses and carried supplies up the trails. Others chased after chickens and ducks. The mountain was lively everywhere he looked, and a faint smile formed on his lips.
After passing three courtyards, he stopped. Beneath a nearby tree sat a young woman meditating.
It was Liu Fanzhou's daughter, Liu Yan.
Since her loyalty had reached ninety, Li Qingqiu had taught her the first layer of the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra. She had already been cultivating for ten days, yet still hadn't broken through to the first layer of Nurturing Essence.
After a moment of thought, Li Qingqiu walked toward her.
Though Liu Fanzhou was rotund and plain-looking, his daughter was strikingly beautiful. Her long illness had left her delicate and pale, her body frail like a gentle willow—reminding Li Qingqiu of Lin Daiyu from Dream of the Red Chamber.
He stopped before her, reached into his robe, and took out a thumb-sized blue crystal.
"Take this," he said.
Startled, Liu Yan's body trembled slightly. Her eyes opened wide in alarm—then relaxed as she recognized him.
She cast him a reproachful glance before standing and bowing respectfully. "Sect Master, what is this?"
Li Qingqiu spoke with mock mystery. "This is a rare treasure of the world. It'll help you in your cultivation. Though small, it contains vital energy condensed over thousands—no, tens of thousands—of years. Hold it in your palm when you practice. And remember—don't tell anyone. They'll say I'm playing favorites. I don't have enough of these treasures to hand out to everyone."
Liu Yan accepted the crystal carefully, her expression full of wonder.
Li Qingqiu turned to leave.
"Why are you so kind to me, Sect Master?" she asked softly from behind.
Without turning around, Li Qingqiu waved his hand. "Because you have a good father."
…
As the moon set and the sun rose, disciples finished their morning training. Just as they were about to disperse, someone mentioned that the sect was preparing to erect divine statues. The news instantly sparked curiosity.
The rumor spread quickly, and soon many disciples gathered in the first new courtyard beneath the main gate to watch craftsmen carve stone statues.
"Five Tai dwell in the heart, incense flows from all directions; Qingxiao rises like the sun, illuminating heaven and earth."
Seated cross-legged atop a millstone, Zhang Yu fanned himself leisurely with a bamboo fan as he recited the inscription with pride. He was in a great mood—he had participated in the statue's design and felt quite accomplished.
Scanning the crowd, his eyes suddenly fell on two figures approaching.
At once, he straightened up, putting away his lazy demeanor, not daring to act casually anymore.
Zhu Yan and Su Xiling entered the courtyard together. Zhu Yan still wore her veil, her calm grace tinged with mystery, and even that faint air of detachment made Zhang Yu stare, utterly entranced.
Su Xiling gently pulled at Bai Ning'er, who was tiptoeing to peer over the heads of the crowd, and asked curiously, "What kind of gods or immortals does your Qingxiao Sect worship?"
Bai Ning'er turned around proudly. "The Innate Dao Deities—ever heard of them?"
Su Xiling shook her head. "Never. Your Sect Master must've made that up."
"How could that be? Our Sect Master's amazing! He can dream of immortals."
"That kind of story only fools little kids like you."
"Hehe."
Bai Ning'er just chuckled and didn't bother arguing.
Through the crowd, Zhu Yan's gaze fell upon Li Qingqiu, who stood beside the half-carved stone statues, instructing the craftsmen on how to sculpt the Five Innate Tai Deities' forms.
Suddenly, a loud voice broke through the air.
"Bad news! Terrible news!"
A disciple came running into the courtyard, panting hard, drenched in sweat. Once he crossed the gate, he bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
The crowd of disciples turned toward him and instinctively parted, clearing a path so Li Qingqiu could see.
Zhang Yuchun and Yang Jueding were both present, and seeing the disciple so frantic made them frown. He was usually steady—never this reckless.
"What's wrong? Speak slowly," Zhang Yuchun said with a frown.
When the disciple finally caught his breath, he lifted his head and said, "A… a sect has come to the Taikun Mountain Range. They're planning to establish their sect a hundred li away. They sent word saying that from now on, Qingxiao Sect must not cross the Xi River."
The Xi River ran through the entire Taikun Mountain Range. It flowed right past the foot of Qingxiao Sect's mountain. The sect itself wasn't located in the mountain's central region, so this division effectively confined their territory to a remote corner of the range.
"Outrageous! What kind of sect dares to be so arrogant?" Yang Jueding roared.
"They call themselves the Absolute Saint Sect," the messenger disciple quickly answered.
Zhang Yuchun frowned in confusion. "They don't know we're Qingxiao Sect? Or that Jiang Zhaoxia is one of our people?"
"They know," the disciple said carefully, "but they didn't mention Elder Jiang at all."
Yang Jueding snorted coldly. "There's no need to ask—they're probably here because of that brat Jiang. Trying to build fame off his name."
He turned toward Li Qingqiu. "We can't back down. The Taikun Mountains have belonged to Qingxiao Sect since the time of True Person Qingxiao. We won't let anyone take a single inch."
Li Qingqiu nodded. "Elder Yang, take my two disciples and twenty others. Go see what's happening first—don't rush into a fight. If they're reasonable, talk it out. If not—drive them off."
Qin Ye's grip tightened around his iron staff the moment he heard this. Several disciples' eyes lit up with excitement, eager to follow.
Xu Ning, who had been watching silently, vaulted over the courtyard wall the instant she heard the command. She was going to fetch her weapon.
Her swift, graceful movement made Su Xiling raise an eyebrow. She had already heard rumors that this young woman was extraordinary—seeing her agility now proved it true.
"What if we can't drive them off?" Yang Jueding asked, narrowing his eyes.
Li Qingqiu shot him an irritated glance. "Haven't you ever killed anyone before?"
Yang Jueding's words caught in his throat. Without replying, he turned to gather his men.
At the mention of killing, the surrounding disciples grew tense—but as martial artists, none could deny the flicker of anticipation rising within them.
Li Qingqiu's expression shifted again as he turned back to the craftsmen, smiling warmly. "Let's continue."
Su Xiling looked toward Zhu Yan with a pleading smile. "Miss, can I go watch the commotion?"
Zhu Yan's expression remained calm. Her voice was soft, clear, and pleasant—so gentle it made her sound younger than she looked. "Mm. You may, but do not interfere."
Su Xiling nodded cheerfully, stepping closer to her mistress as she waited for Yang Jueding to finish selecting his group.
Then a faint whisper reached her ear.
"If Qingxiao Sect falls into danger, you may save them."
Su Xiling's eyes widened slightly. She turned to look at Zhu Yan in surprise. She hadn't expected her lady to permit her to help Qingxiao Sect. But she didn't question it. After all, she quite liked the atmosphere here herself.
Soon, Yang Jueding had chosen his twenty disciples. They fetched their weapons and gathered at the gate. When Su Xiling asked to accompany them, he laughed heartily and agreed, saying he'd show her the courage and spirit of martial artists.
Meanwhile—
A hundred li away, deep in the mountains beside a waterfall, dozens of people were hard at work building structures.
By the lake stood two figures: Yan Wujin, Sect Master of the Absolute Saint Sect, and Tang Ziqi, his Deputy Sect Master.
Yan Wujin wore a wide black robe and a crown atop his head. His long hair was streaked with black and white, his gaze sharp and cold. Even the grey in his beard couldn't soften his stern face. Without saying a word, he radiated an overwhelming presence.
Tang Ziqi, dressed in blue robes, looked far gentler in comparison—elegant, scholarly, and strikingly handsome, more like a learned man than a fighter.
"By now, the message should've reached Qingxiao Sect," Tang Ziqi said softly. "Elder Brother, do you think Jiang Zhaoxia will come to challenge us?"
Yan Wujin watched his disciples laboring in silence before answering, his tone calm and cold. "If he doesn't come, I'll go up the mountain myself. The Absolute Saint Sect must rise by stepping on Qingxiao Sect's name. It's not honorable to bully a bunch of youngsters, but for the sake of our grand cause, we can only sacrifice them."
Tang Ziqi sighed. "I heard Jiang Zhaoxia once exchanged two hundred moves with Yu Zhiyi and still held his ground. With that kind of talent, give him ten more years and his martial skill would be unimaginable."
Yan Wujin let out a low, dismissive hum. "That was only because Yu Zhiyi held back. He loves playing those childish games."