Bringing someone back?
Li Qingqiu was surprised, but his expression remained unchanged.
He had recently accepted seven new disciples, not one of whom had managed to cultivate even a thread of spiritual energy. This had tempered his enthusiasm for expanding the sect's numbers.
The path of immortality wasn't for everyone.
Those who couldn't cultivate risked becoming a burden to the Azure Firmament Sect. Future recruitments would have to be handled with care.
Zhang Yuchun set down his shoulder pole and hurried over to Li Qingqiu, breathing heavily. "Senior Brother, there's been a military mutiny in Gu Prefecture. We encountered quite a few refugees on the road. That child back there followed us for over thirty miles. We couldn't just abandon her. As Third Junior Brother put it, anyone with the perseverance to follow us that far is bound to succeed in martial arts."
Over thirty miles?
That was no small feat. Forget a child that young—even an adult walking that distance continuously would be exhausted. And then there was still the mountain path to climb, long and arduous.
Li Qingqiu looked at the little beggar. The fact that she was still standing was impressive.
He continued, "How did this mutiny start? Did you run into any trouble on the road?"
Zhang Yuchun shook his head. "No trouble. With the army on the move, even the bandits kept a low profile. It wasn't until we reached the city that we learned the truth: the empire hasn't been at peace for years. The local officials are useless, and famine is spreading everywhere."
Hearing of such turmoil in the world, Li Qingqiu felt sympathy but knew there was nothing he could do.
He asked curiously, "Given the situation, where did you get the money for all these weapons? You didn't rob anyone, did you?"
Zhang Yuchun raised a hand and pointed his thumb back at Jiang Zhaoxia, grinning. "We have Third Junior Brother to thank. His swordsmanship impressed a powerful family in the city. One of the young masters wanted to recruit him, but he refused. So they rewarded him with a hefty bag of silver instead, saying they'd visit the Azure Firmament Sect someday."
"You just took it?"
"Of course not. We promised that if their family ever faced trouble, they could send word to the Azure Firmament Sect and we'd do everything in our power to help."
"That's more like it. That's how relationships work—give and take, back and forth. They were generous, and for us right now, that's exactly the kind of connection worth cultivating."
Li Qingqiu nodded approvingly. He fully endorsed the promise Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia had made. One shouldn't owe others for nothing, and besides, this was a perfect opportunity for the Azure Firmament Sect to build its reputation.
If the sect Lin Xunfeng had left behind were a major power with deep foundations, they wouldn't need to go down the mountain at all.
But here on this mountain, resources were limited, recruiting disciples was difficult. Engaging with the world was unavoidable.
Li Qingqiu also needed the sect's development to fuel his own growth. Over this period, he'd come to realize his cultivation aptitude simply couldn't compare with Jiang Zhaoxia's. He visited the underground spirit lake every two days, yet he still hadn't broken through to the second layer of the Nourishing Origin stage.
But he had copied a Destiny before, and he could do so again. He still held onto hope; he wasn't discouraged.
The disciples helped Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia carry their luggage. Aside from the weapons, they'd also brought back many seeds—quite a haul.
Zhang Yuchun led the little beggar to Li Qingqiu. "If you want to join the Azure Firmament Sect, you need the Sect Master's approval. We don't have the authority."
The little beggar appeared to be only eight or nine years old, her head not even reaching Li Qingqiu's shoulder. She looked up at him, her gaze clear, and spoke. "Please, Sect Master, take me in."
With that, she knelt directly and kowtowed to Li Qingqiu.
The other disciples cast curious glances their way. Li Qingqiu shot them a glare, and they quickly carried the luggage inside the sect.
When only Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, and the little beggar remained before the mountain gate, the setting sun cast long shadows across them.
Li Qingqiu looked down at her but didn't tell her to rise. "What's your name? What happened to your family?"
Once she joined the Azure Firmament Sect, he could cross-reference her information and judge whether she was lying.
One couldn't be too careful.
His main concern was that she might bring some immense grudge or conflict with her, dragging the Azure Firmament Sect into a whirlpool of trouble.
The little beggar pressed her forehead tightly against the ground. Her voice was hoarse as she answered, "My name is Xu Ning. I lived alone with my father since I was small. A year ago, my father passed away. I've had to fend for myself since then, barely surviving."
"Any distant relatives?" Li Qingqiu pressed.
"No."
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu finally relaxed.
"Swear three vows now, and you may enter the sect." Li Qingqiu continued.
Zhang Yuchun immediately chimed in, instructing Xu Ning to repeat after him.
After she finished reciting, Li Qingqiu personally helped her up. "The Azure Firmament Sect doesn't keep idlers. But once you're in, you're family. You'll never go hungry again, and you'll be able to stand tall with dignity."
Xu Ning looked up at him, her gaze dull and lifeless. Clearly, his words hadn't moved her. He didn't mind; it was just a formality.
"Take her inside. Have her bathe and change into clean clothes." Li Qingqiu told Zhang Yuchun.
Zhang Yuchun nodded and led Xu Ning through the gate. He reached out to take her hand, but she flinched away. He didn't think much of it—probably just shy around strangers.
Li Qingqiu strolled along behind them, summoning the Daoist Legacy panel. From the disciple details, he found Xu Ning's portrait.
Her portrait was actually quite delicate and fair. If he hadn't seen this unfamiliar face, he would never have connected it to the filthy beggar girl.
A girl?
Li Qingqiu was surprised. He tapped on Xu Ning's portrait to view her details.
[Name: Xu Ning]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 9]
[Loyalty (Sect Master/Sect): 70/90 (Max 100)]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Outstanding]
[Comprehension: Excellent]
[Destiny: Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root, Obsessive, Competitive]
[Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root: A rare single-attribute spiritual root. Grants extraordinary talent for thunder-attribute Daoist arts. To one with this root, even lightning tribulation becomes a boon rather than a bane.]
[Obsessive: Once she sets her mind on something, she will never change it, not even unto death.]
[Competitive: Born with a fierce drive, unwilling to be outdone by anyone.]
...
Li Qingqiu's breath caught in his throat.
Cultivation aptitude: Outstanding!
Comprehension: Excellent!
Mirroring Jiang Zhaoxia's stats, but in reverse—at the very least, she was his equal.
Based on Li Qingqiu's understanding, the ranking of cultivation aptitude and comprehension from lowest to highest was: Abysmal, Unremarkable, Mediocre, Fair, Excellent, Outstanding. He hadn't encountered any higher tiers yet.
And the "Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root" Destiny seemed extraordinary as well.
Most remarkable of all was Xu Ning's loyalty to the sect: a staggering 90 upon entry. Her loyalty to him personally was lower.
Was this because of her Obsessive nature—that she had already fixed upon the Azure Firmament Sect as her home?
Li Qingqiu secretly looked forward to Xu Ning's future.
In time, he could make Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning the left and right guardians of the Azure Firmament Sect, specialists in combat.
He reached the courtyard and saw Zhang Yuchun trying to guide Xu Ning into a room. She refused to enter and wouldn't speak.
"Dongyue, you take care of Xu Ning. Bathe her and get her changed."
Li Qingqiu called out to Li Dongyue, who was nearby watching the scene with amusement. At his words, both Zhang Yuchun and Xu Ning turned to look at him.
"Senior Brother, what—" Zhang Yuchun began, confused.
Li Qingqiu shot him a glare. "She's a girl. What are you doing?"
A girl?
Zhang Yuchun stumbled backward in shock, staring dumbfounded at Xu Ning.
Xu Ning turned and walked toward Li Dongyue, who was approaching her.
Zhang Yuchun sidled up to Li Qingqiu and whispered, "Senior Brother, how can you be sure she's a girl?"
"Your senior brother's eyesight is far sharper than yours."
"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?"
"I thought you knew."
Zhang Yuchun looked toward Li Dongyue, hesitating. "Maybe I should go with them, just in case we're wrong?"
"Fourth junior sister has a tongue in her head."
Li Qingqiu tossed this remark over his shoulder as he walked toward the gathered disciples. Yang Jueding had also emerged from his room and was introducing the various weapons to the youngsters.
He had to admit, the weapons Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia had brought back were quite varied, and none of them were cheap junk.
Li Qingqiu picked up a long sword, examining it as he remarked to Jiang Zhaoxia beside him, "Good work."
"Of course. From now on, you can count on me. Just focus on being Sect Master. I can handle everything." Jiang Zhaoxia said proudly.
"Oh? Trying to usurp my authority?"
"What kind of talk is that? Do you really think I'm that sort of person? Besides, you don't actually do anything anyway. At least I teach Fifth Junior Brother. You really do nothing at all."
"That's exactly why I'm fit to be Sect Master. I have to think about many things. You don't understand the weight of my burden."
The senior brothers bickered, and the other disciples were long accustomed to it. No one dared interfere with their daily routine.
Li Qingqiu's mind wandered. He wondered if these swords could be used to practice the Supreme Sword Control Art.
...
New Year's Day arrived. With Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia both back, Li Qingqiu's spirits were high. From dawn onward, the entire Azure Firmament Sect buzzed with activity.
The older disciples helped hang lanterns and decorations, slaughtered chickens, and washed vegetables. The younger ones clustered around Yang Jueding, listening to his tales of the martial world.
Li Qingqiu sat nearby, listening as well. His gaze drifted to Xu Ning.
Xu Ning had changed into clean clothes. Compared to her appearance when she'd first come up the mountain yesterday, she was practically a different person.
But with her dark eye circles and skeletal thinness, she didn't look as pretty as her portrait on the Daoist Legacy panel. Still, it was clearly the same person.
Xu Ning sat at the back, listening to Yang Jueding's stories. She hadn't yet integrated with the other disciples.
Li Qingqiu reached for a plate on the steps beside him and picked up a roasted ear of corn. "Xu Ning, come here."
Xu Ning turned to look at him. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the corn in his hand. She hesitated a moment, then rose and timidly approached.
When she stood before him, Li Qingqiu didn't say much—just handed her the corn.
"Thank you."
Xu Ning murmured softly, taking the corn. She started to turn away, but Li Qingqiu said, "Sit here beside me. Closer, so you can hear better."
Xu Ning glanced at him. Seeing him focused on the story, she sat down next to him and began nibbling at the corn.
"Wahhh—"
Before long, crying drew Li Qingqiu's attention. Li Sifeng came running into the courtyard, tears streaming down his face. "Senior Brother! Third Senior Brother hit me! He almost beat me to death!"
His cries were heart-wrenching. Everyone turned to look at him.
Li Qingqiu sighed and rose, walking toward him.
Xu Ning's eyes followed Li Qingqiu, wide open. Compared to yesterday, there was now a spark of life in her gaze.