"Assigning official ranks to martial sects? Is this the court's way of recruiting them—or a trap?"
Zhang Yuchun frowned deeply. Ever since the incident with Wu Baoyu, his distrust toward the emperor had only grown. He didn't believe that the ruler of the Great Li Dynasty was merciful by nature.
The emperor had only acted to quell the chaos across the land because it threatened his throne. Otherwise, why had the wars dragged on for so many years?
Li Qingqiu also sensed that something about this decree was off. Liu Fanzhou clearly didn't know about the emperor's secret obsession with immortality. Li Qingqiu waved his hand and said calmly, "That's the emperor we're talking about. If he truly wanted to control the martial world, would he need to go through all this trouble? He could just send his armies to 'suppress bandits.' Every martial artist has killed before—under strict law, that's enough for a death sentence. And gathering so many martial experts in the imperial palace? That would be dangerous even for His Majesty himself."
He exchanged a glance with Zhang Yuchun. Both knew it would be pointless to reason with Liu Fanzhou about the emperor's motives.
"Is this an enforced summons or voluntary attendance?" Zhang Yuchun asked.
Liu Fanzhou chuckled. "Voluntary, of course. If it were a forced draft, then yes—there'd be real cause for concern. But the capital is far away, and those who want these official titles will race to get there first. It's all about who receives the news early and who sets out sooner."
Li Qingqiu nodded slightly. "Regardless, we owe you thanks, Merchant Liu, for bringing us this news."
"No need for courtesy. We're all on the same side," Liu Fanzhou said with a grin, waving his hand. He could tell that both Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun were wary of the matter, so he wisely didn't press it further.
Instead, he shifted the conversation to other affairs in the martial world—and soon mentioned the Absolute Saint Sect.
"Yan Wujin stormed Iron Peak and defeated eighteen Peak Masters in a row," Liu Fanzhou said in awe. "That single battle made him famous across the land. He has now founded a sect near Guzhou's borders—the Absolute Saint Sect. And rumor says he's gained the backing of the Tang Clan from Linchuan, one of the Four Great Families of Linchuan. Even in Zhongtian Prefecture, they're considered a top-tier noble house. With their support—and Yan Wujin's unmatched martial prowess—it seems Guzhou's Seven Major Sects may soon become Eight."
His tone carried genuine admiration.
Liu Yan sat quietly beside him, glancing at her father with hesitation. She remembered well that the Absolute Saint Sect had attacked their sect not long ago. Everyone in Qingxiao Sect knew what had happened.
The Sect Master of the Absolute Saint Sect had been defeated by Xu Ning in a single duel. That battle had sent Xu Ning's reputation soaring, placing her on equal footing with Jiang Zhaoxia. Ever since then, disciples often debated in secret—who was stronger between those two geniuses?
Liu Fanzhou turned toward Li Qingqiu and said with a hearty laugh, "Sect Master Li, from what I see, Guzhou should now have nine great sects—and the ninth should be your Qingxiao Sect. Why not aim higher? If you ever need help, I, Liu Fanzhou, will give you my full support!"
It was clear that he was amazed by the changes in Qingxiao Sect. The growth in disciples, the new buildings, the atmosphere of strength—all signs pointed to an ambitious future.
Li Qingqiu smiled, his tone half teasing. "Full support? And what exactly does that mean?"
Liu Fanzhou thumped his chest proudly. "It means everything I have—my wealth, my connections, my influence—all at Qingxiao Sect's disposal."
"Oh? Merchant Liu has that much faith in us?" Li Qingqiu asked with an amused smile.
"Heh, of course. Qingxiao Sect has deep roots in history. And now, with the second strongest man in the martial world among your ranks, and a Sect Master like you—young, wise, and kind-hearted—how could I not believe in Qingxiao Sect?"
"And what is it you want in return?"
"What could I possibly want?" Liu Fanzhou laughed, glancing lovingly at his daughter. "What I wanted has already come true. My beloved daughter is part of Qingxiao Sect now. Helping your sect means helping her."
His sincerity was unmistakable, and the warmth in his gaze toward Liu Yan revealed genuine fatherly affection.
Seeing this, Li Qingqiu couldn't help but sigh softly. The bond between father and daughter was a rare and touching thing.
After the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, Liu Fanzhou and Liu Yan took their leave, father and daughter walking away together to share their own private conversation.
Once they were gone, Li Qingqiu lifted a teacup and asked quietly, "Second Junior Brother, what do you think of his proposal?"
Zhang Yuchun pondered a moment before replying. "We shouldn't accept it. First, we know little about Liu Fanzhou's background. I doubt Liu Yan is his only child. Second, we don't need his money. We're a martial sect—wealth matters, yes, but it's not the foundation of our strength. Look at the Qin family. Qin Jue just wrote to me again, asking to send more family disciples to join us. If we let Liu Fanzhou involve himself too deeply, we'll invite endless trouble."
"Well said," Li Qingqiu replied with a chuckle. "I thought you were already close with him. Seems you've resisted his charm after all."
Hearing that, Zhang Yuchun shook his head. "He's a businessman. He treats everyone useful to him with the same warmth. I'd be a fool to mistake that for brotherhood."
Li Qingqiu nodded approvingly, clearly pleased by his answer.
Li Dongyue, who had been quietly sipping her tea, couldn't hold back a laugh.
Zhang Yuchun turned toward her, puzzled. "Fourth Junior Sister, what's so funny?"
She quickly composed herself and coughed lightly. "Nothing. I just remembered when we were kids. Senior Brother hasn't changed much—but you, Second Brother, weren't nearly this clever back then. You used to fall for his pranks all the time."
Zhang Yuchun's face reddened at once. "That was years ago!" he protested.
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly, but a quiet thought stirred within him. His juniors had truly grown up.
He was nearing twenty, Zhang Yuchun would soon turn nineteen, and Li Dongyue was almost eighteen.
They were no longer children. Each was now capable of standing on their own, carrying the responsibilities of a true cultivator.
Yet, for some reason, a faint urgency welled up in Li Qingqiu's heart.
If they never broke through to the Awakening Spirit Realm, Zhang Yuchun and Li Dongyue would only live about one hundred and thirty years at most.
He sought immortality—but he also hoped his junior brothers and sisters could walk that path with him, together into eternity.
The cultivation methods he currently possessed were far from enough to alter their fates.
He needed Qingxiao Sect to rise faster, stronger—so he could obtain more techniques, more divine arts, and more secrets of longevity.
Only then could he truly defy the limits of life and death.
Liu Fanzhou didn't hurry to leave Qingxiao Sect this time as he usually did. He claimed that after years of running trade routes, he was exhausted and wanted to rest for a while.
During that period, he often wandered toward Zhu Yan's courtyard, clearly trying to win her attention. But no matter how hard he tried or how many gifts he brought, Su Xiling never once allowed him to step inside.
And so, Liu Fanzhou stayed for half a year.
In those six months, Li Sifeng went down the mountain twice. Each time, except for Cheng Canghai and Bai Ning'er, he would rotate a new group of disciples to train. Leading these expeditions boosted his prestige immensely. He was no longer the mischievous boy he used to be, but a respected elder in the eyes of the younger disciples.
It wasn't just Li Sifeng who grew in stature. Li Dongyue had taken on more and more apprentices as well, which allowed Qingxiao Sect to treat far more patients than before.
Meanwhile, Li Sijin's mastery over the Earth Talisman Codex had reached impressive levels. She began instructing disciples in talisman crafting and the cultivation of spirit herbs. Most of those disciples didn't even realize what they were truly learning—they simply thought it was a way for the sect to make money.
By autumn, the mountain air had grown crisp.
Li Qingqiu stood atop the peak, hands clasped behind his back, gazing down toward the new courtyard below. There, Zhang Yuchun was personally interviewing those who sought apprenticeship.
Li Sifeng and his team were still traveling across the countryside, upholding justice and helping the poor. Wherever they went, they donated generously, earning admiration far and wide. Within just half a year, Qingxiao Sect's reputation for chivalry and compassion had spread throughout the region, drawing people who now came of their own accord to seek tutelage.
It was a good sign. After all, which great sect personally descended the mountain to recruit disciples?
But despite this progress, Li Qingqiu couldn't feel happy. His thoughts lingered on Jiang Zhaoxia.
By reasoning alone, a cultivator at the fifth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm like Jiang Zhaoxia should easily overpower anyone from the Heavenly Saber Sect. Yet, the martial world was treacherous, and human hearts unpredictable. He couldn't shake off his concern.
Come to think of it, Jiang Zhaoxia, though strong, always seemed to end up wounded after every battle.
Lost in thought, Li Qingqiu suddenly caught sight of movement down the mountain road—a group of government officials was making its way up toward the sect gate.
At their front walked two men. One was Feng Dai, the County Magistrate of Blackstone County. The other wore a brocade robe and carried a saber at his waist. He was tall, imposing, and exuded authority far beyond Feng Dai's. The magistrate turned his head toward him now and then, clearly showing deference—this visitor was someone important.
Seeing this, Li Qingqiu turned and began walking down the mountain at a calm, measured pace.
…
The new courtyard was bustling. Besides more than a dozen curious Qingxiao disciples, there were also many commoners present—parents bringing their sons to apprentice under the sect. A total of ten young candidates stood in line, waiting anxiously.
"Elder Zhang, officials from the court have arrived!"
Yuan Qi rushed into the courtyard and hurried to Zhang Yuchun's side, whispering urgently.
As Qingxiao Sect's chief administrator, Zhang Yuchun was the one everyone turned to when something happened. Hearing that imperial envoys had come, he showed no panic at all. Instead, he calmly instructed, "Yuan Qi, take them to the quarters first. Register them as provisional disciples."
"Yes, Elder!"
Yuan Qi immediately turned around and began leading the crowd out of the courtyard. But just as they stepped through the gate, they ran straight into Feng Dai and his entourage.
The commoners, curious as ever, stopped to watch. Seeing officials approaching, they wanted to find out what was happening—if Qingxiao Sect was in trouble with the government, they certainly wouldn't dare let their children join.
Zhang Yuchun rose from his seat, stepped around the table, and clasped his hands in greeting toward the entering officials.
"I am Zhang Yuchun, administrative elder of Qingxiao Sect," he said with calm politeness. "May I ask what business brings you esteemed officials here?"
Feng Dai smiled courteously and gestured toward the man beside him. "This is Lord Jia of the Heaven-Guardian Division, from the imperial capital. He has come bearing His Majesty's decree."
A decree from the emperor?
Zhang Yuchun's eyes widened slightly. Around him, the disciples murmured curiously—what could be so important that it required imperial involvement?
The brocade-clad man, Jia Yi, rested one hand on the hilt of his saber and placed the other behind his back. He studied Zhang Yuchun and asked, "Where is your Sect Master?"
"My Senior Brother is in secluded cultivation," Zhang Yuchun replied evenly. "Even I don't know his exact location."
Jia Yi gave a cold snort. "Your sect is amusing indeed. The Sect Master shuts himself away to train, leaving a young man like you to handle affairs? Hmph, enough talk. I'll make it brief."
He lifted his chin arrogantly. "By order of His Majesty, all sect masters of the martial world are summoned to the imperial capital to present themselves before the throne. Those who perform outstandingly will be granted rank and title. The Sect Master of Qingxiao Sect must arrive in the capital before the coming spring."
Feng Dai's expression turned uneasy. He noticed Jia Yi hadn't even bothered to take out the written edict—proof enough of his dismissive attitude toward Qingxiao Sect. That was precisely why Feng Dai had insisted on accompanying him—he feared conflict might erupt, as it had with Wu Baoyu's case.
Zhang Yuchun frowned. "Must we attend? I've heard from others that this invitation was not compulsory."
Jia Yi's eyes flashed coldly. "And who told you that?"
"A friend from the martial world," Zhang Yuchun said evenly. "He heard it from someone else."
"I'm telling you personally now—don't you understand plain words?" Jia Yi barked. His voice hardened like iron.
Without warning, he raised his hand and thrust it forward through the air. A surge of internal force burst forth, creating a powerful suction that dragged violently at Zhang Yuchun.
Caught off guard, Zhang Yuchun staggered forward two steps but quickly regained his balance.
The pressure was immense. His robe whipped around him, his hair flew wildly, and the ground itself trembled beneath the force. The disciples scattered, forming a defensive line and blocking the courtyard entrance.
Jia Yi's face darkened. He hadn't expected Zhang Yuchun to withstand the pull of his Demon-Seizing Technique.