Battle Through the Heavens: I Am Han Feng, Respect the Teacher and Value the Dao

Amid the clerks' enthusiastic farewells, Han Feng stepped out of Myriad Medicine Pavilion. By then, the mercenaries had finished buying medicinal powder and were heading toward the town gate.

"The man leading them is Mu She. I heard he recently advanced to a Seven-star Dou Zhe and has already recruited a group of mercenaries to work for him."

People by the street discussed the gossip, their tones seemingly tinged with envy.

Han Feng paid it no mind and returned to the inn at once.

However, when he pushed open the door and entered the bedroom, he saw the girl curled into a ball on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest, her shoulders trembling. Hearing the sound, she suddenly looked up, her eyes blurred with tears.

The moment the girl saw Han Feng, she leaped off the bed and rushed toward him without even putting on her shoes.

Han Feng caught her. With what little strength she had, she tightly hugged his leg, her tears soaking his clothes.

"Why are you crying?"

Han Feng patted the girl's head and asked gently.

"I thought you'd left."

The girl spoke through tears, her voice full of grievance.

She had already come to see Han Feng as the faith keeping her alive. If Han Feng had simply left her behind, she would have broken down.

"I left a note on the table. Didn't you see it?"

Han Feng asked patiently in a gentle voice.

The girl shook her head.

Han Feng carried her over to the desk, where the two of them saw the note on the table that read, "I'll be out for a moment."

The girl froze, and even her crying stopped.

Her face flushed red as she lowered her head, but her grip only tightened.

"I... I didn't see it... I didn't mean to."

Han Feng sensed the unease in her words and comforted her instead.

"All right, stop crying. You need to learn to be strong. If I really weren't by your side, what problem could crying solve?"

Hearing that, the girl hurriedly stopped crying and quickly wiped her face with her dirty little hands, only smearing her little face black.

Han Feng's serious expression instantly broke. Amused, he lightly scratched the girl's nose.

"Go wash your face and hands. I brought you breakfast."

The girl immediately obediently went to wash up.

Having lost her home and family, the Little Girl followed Han Feng's orders as though trying to please him, displaying absolute obedience in every movement.

She was terrified that Han Feng would abandon her, so she completely gave up the right to act spoiled that girls her age should have had, obeying her master like a pet.

Han Feng had no solution for this. He could only hope to slowly change her over time.

After washing up, the girl obediently sat down before the steaming breakfast.

She glanced at Han Feng. Only after seeing him smile and nod did she begin eating cautiously.

Once the girl had finished eating, Han Feng asked:

"What's your name?"

The girl wiped her mouth and answered seriously:

"My name is... Lin Xian'er."

Taking a Disciple

"Good name."

Han Feng thought of Lin Xian'er's mother, Lin Qiao'er.

Her mother had likely given her that name. As for the girl's father, there might have been another secret involved.

"My name is Han Feng."

Han Feng did not ask further and instead gave his own name.

"Lord Han."

Lin Xian'er immediately said respectfully.

Han Feng nodded lightly and asked, "Do you know the secret inside your body?"

Lin Xian'er shook her head. "I don't know, but there must be something strange about me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have killed so many people."

"Lord Han, if I'll kill even more people in the future, then kill me now!"

Lin Xian'er looked into Han Feng's eyes, her gaze firm and unblinking.

It was an innocent yet resolute oath from a little girl.

Han Feng saw the sincerity in Lin Xian'er's eyes, but of course, he could not kill her.

Although Lin Xian'er possessed the Calamity Poison Body, she was kind by nature. That was the true reason Han Feng had decided to take her in.

If she had been an ordinary girl, Han Feng could have entrusted her to a kind family or brought her back to Maple City and settled her there.

But the Calamity Poison Body was different. Ordinary families lacked the ability to raise her, and no one else could save someone with the Calamity Poison Body.

Only he could gradually change Lin Xian'er's tragic fate.

"I won't kill you. I'll take you as my disciple," Han Feng said.

The determination in Lin Xian'er's eyes changed as she stared blankly at Han Feng.

"The secret within your body is the Calamity Poison Body, a powerful innate constitution for poison cultivation. It can continuously devour poisons to grow stronger. The proof is the Seven-colored Poison Line on your lower abdomen."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xian'er directly pulled down her pants in front of Han Feng and found the seven-colored line below her abdomen.

Han Feng averted his eyes and continued, "Once this poison body devours poison, it will automatically awaken. The people in the mountain village died because of the poisonous gas released when your poison body awakened."

Lin Xian'er thought of the poisonous herb she had accidentally eaten that day and immediately understood.

"If left unchecked, you really may bring disaster upon countless people in the future... but I have a way to help you control your poison body."

Han Feng looked at Lin Xian'er and said:

"If you are willing to take me as your master, I will do everything I can to teach you."

Lin Xian'er finally came back to her senses. She immediately knelt before Han Feng and kowtowed three times.

"Master!"

Han Feng nodded with satisfaction.

"Good. Then today, I will accept you as my disciple."

In both his past and present lives, this was Han Feng's first time taking a disciple.

He helped Lin Xian'er up and brushed the dust from her clothes.

"Starting today, I will teach you a qi refinement method. Cultivate diligently and strive to control your poison body as soon as possible. Before then, do not let anyone else learn this secret."

"Yes, Master!"

Lin Xian'er said firmly.

"Then let's not delay. We'll begin now."

Han Feng taught Lin Xian'er the most basic method of gathering qi. On the Dou Qi Continent, the foundation of all cultivation was Dou Qi.

Only after sensing this extraordinary energy could one begin speaking of anything else.

Lin Xian'er had only just encountered cultivation formulas, so she could not begin cultivating immediately. Following the booklet Han Feng gave her, she memorized the routes of the human meridians and several key points of cultivation.

She studied until noon before Han Feng took her out for lunch.

A refined young gentleman in fine clothes holding the hand of a ragged little girl drew many looks from passersby.

Feeling somewhat inferior, the girl edged closer behind Han Feng.

Han Feng realized that he needed to buy the girl some suitable clothes.

The two entered a restaurant and ordered several stir-fried dishes along with two bowls of rice.

The waiter swiftly called out toward the kitchen, then brought them tea to enjoy first.

Qingshan Town's mercenary trade was extremely developed, so nearly every other table in the restaurant was occupied by shirtless burly men drinking and chatting. Piles of weapons lay beside them, while the stench of blood and sweat filled the air, making people reluctant to approach.

Officials and nobles all went to specialized high-end restaurants and would never come to a place like this. Han Feng had only just arrived here, so he was not particularly picky.

As a result, some men who had drunk their fill of horse piss set their eyes on his luxurious attire.

After lunch, Han Feng paid the bill. It came to just ten copper coins, exceedingly cheap.

"Waiter, where is the largest cloth shop in Qingshan Town?"

"Sir, if money isn't a concern, go to Xiuluo Pavilion, two streets east from here. You can't go wrong!"

"Good, thank you."

Han Feng added another three copper coins as a tip and left the restaurant with Lin Xian'er.

Shortly after they walked out the door, a table of reeking mercenaries exchanged smiles.

"Come on, follow them!"

Han Feng and Lin Xian'er arrived near the Xiuluo Pavilion the waiter had mentioned. Its lavishly decorated storefront displayed its nobility amid impoverished Qingshan Town.

The three characters "Xiuluo Pavilion" were painted in gold, bold and flourishing like dancing dragons and soaring phoenixes.

It was a famous cloth shop brand throughout the Jia Ma Empire, and the force behind it was connected to the name Mitel.

As for why Xiuluo Pavilion had opened in Qingshan Town, it was likely because the mercenaries here regularly supplied the freshest beast hides and fur.

The owner bought them from mercenaries at prices above the market rate, processed them through special techniques, then shipped them to major cities, attached expensive labels, and sold them to nobles and wealthy clans.

Thus, few people in Qingshan Town bought finished clothing from Xiuluo Pavilion. Most merely looked at the fabrics, bought a small piece, and brought it home to make something themselves.

Han Feng stepped into this cloth shop that clearly did not lack money. All kinds of high-grade fabrics hung on the walls, and a pleasant fragrance filled the air.

This environment alone was enough to draw most people in to shop.

Yet most people likely did not even have the courage to step inside. They only dared to linger outside the entrance for a moment before leaving with longing in their eyes, turning back every few steps.

"Please recommend some clothes for a little girl."

Han Feng said to the female clerk beside him.

"Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment. We'll need to take her measurements first."

Another clerk had already brought over a measuring tape. The female clerk took it, crouched down, and measured Lin Xian'er.

Throughout the entire process, she did not show the slightest displeasure, even though Lin Xian'er was indeed somewhat dirty.

Professional conduct gave customers a pleasant shopping experience.

Next, the female clerk intended to wash Lin Xian'er up, but Han Feng lightly tapped a finger, and azure droplets of water fell from his fingertip.

Under the female clerk's astonished gaze, a sphere of water wrapped around Lin Xian'er, turning her entire body into a water ball with only her head exposed.

"All right, now you're clean. Go change your clothes."

Han Feng smiled and patted Lin Xian'er's head. In an instant, Dou Qi evaporated all the wetness.

The female clerk respectfully glanced at Han Feng, bowed slightly, and led the obedient Lin Xian'er toward the changing room.

Han Feng wandered around the shop while keeping an eye on Lin Xian'er's situation.

He had overlooked the class of this cloth shop, so he had temporarily washed Lin Xian'er up.

Before long, the female clerk emerged with Lin Xian'er, who had changed into a white dress.

The little girl's features were delicate. Though her frame was somewhat petite, her ethereal temperament could not be concealed.

The name Xian'er truly suited her.

Han Feng nodded slightly, pointed at the clothes he had looked at earlier, and said, "One of every style."

He took out a purple-gold card and handed it to the female clerk.

"This should be enough."