From today onward, I am your master

Dead End Alley.

The baozi shop owner gasped for breath, hands braced on his knees, staring at the little beggar girl before him. "Run! Aren't you good at running? Keep running!"

The little beggar girl knew she couldn't escape. She unwrapped the dirty cloth and wolfed down the steamed buns.

Every bite she could take was one more.

"Still eating, huh? Watch me break your legs."

The baozi shop owner strode forward.

The closer he got, the faster she ate.

Gripping his rolling pin, the baozi shop owner swung it hard toward her head.

The little beggar girl squeezed her eyes shut, curling her body tight.

But to her surprise, the pain never came.

She opened her eyes and saw a well-dressed big brother gripping the baozi shop owner's hand.

Avatar Xiao Mo looked at the trembling, scrawny little beggar girl and asked, "What did she do?"

"Who are you? Why stick your nose in this? She stole my buns! And not just once! I'm gonna teach her a lesson!" the baozi shop owner fumed.

Xiao Mo released the man's hand and tossed a few silver fragments into his arms. "Is this enough?"

The baozi shop owner froze, then quickly nodded. "Enough, enough, it's enough."

"Lucky brat," the baozi shop owner muttered curses as he left the alley.

The little beggar girl stared at the young man standing before her, swallowed hard, and clutched her small hands tightly to her chest.

Xiao Mo crouched down and smiled gently. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. What's your name?"

"Jiang Qingyi," the young girl answered timidly.

"Mm, that's a good name. Do you want to come with me?"

"Come with you?"

"That's right. I want to take on a disciple, and I think you'd be a good fit. If you come with me, you can eat your fill every day. How about it? Want to think it over?"

The young girl looked at the half-eaten bun in her hand, as if considering.

Finally, she lifted her head and met Xiao Mo's eyes seriously. "I... I'll go with you!"

"Good." Xiao Mo nodded with a smile. "My name is Xiao Mo. From now on, I'm your master. Say it for me."

"Master."

"Mm."

After bringing Jiang Qingyi up the mountain, Xiao Mo took her to receive a disciple token and a set of women's clothing from the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.

Back at his own mountain peak, Xiao Mo told Jiang Qingyi to bathe and change into clean clothes.

When Jiang Qingyi stood before him again, Xiao Mo's eyes lit up.

Before, she had looked like a tomboy—short hair, covered in mud and dust.

But once she was clean and dressed in a skirt, she actually had some presence to her.

Xiao Mo tossed a wooden sword to Jiang Qingyi. "Starting today, you'll learn the sword from me. The sword art I'll teach you is called the Grass Character Sword Art. It requires both the sword formula and the sword moves to be cultivated together. Practice the sword moves during the day, and at night I'll teach you to read and memorize the formula. Don't slack off. Understood?"

The Grass Character Sword Art was the sword art cultivated by "Avatar Xiao Mo," and every single move was etched into Xiao Mo's mind.

He even wondered if, after he left, he could cultivate the Grass Character Sword Art in the real world.

Jiang Qingyi hugged the wooden sword tightly. "Yes, Master."

"Follow me. First form."

Over the next half month, Xiao Mo taught Jiang Qingyi swordplay every morning as soon as the sky began to lighten.

Jiang Qingyi studied earnestly and worked hard.

But because she lacked an Innate Sword Bone, she learned very, very slowly. Her talent could only be described as "poor."

Another half month passed, and Jiang Qingyi still hadn't mastered the first form of the Grass Character Sword Art.

"Master... am I stupid?"

One day, Jiang Qingyi hugged her wooden sword and spoke dejectedly.

"Who said you're stupid?" Xiao Mo sat in the courtyard drinking tea.

Jiang Qingyi quickly shook her head. "No... no one told me."

Xiao Mo gazed at Jiang Qingyi and said calmly, "Come here."

Jiang Qingyi swallowed and slowly walked up to her master.

"Qingyi, you're not stupid at all." Xiao Mo gently patted her head. "There's a saying: everything is hard in the beginning. We're not in a rush. Take it slow. Don't overthink anything—just focus on doing your own part. Got it?"

"Mm-hmm!" Jiang Qingyi nodded.

With her master's encouragement, the young girl regained a little confidence.

In the days that followed, Xiao Mo often bought spirit beast flesh for Jiang Qingyi to eat.

Jiang Qingyi's progress remained very slow.

A full month and a half passed, and Jiang Qingyi hadn't even crossed the threshold of immortality into Qi Refining Layer One!

One day, Xiao Mo went down the mountain to buy wine and overheard some outer disciples talking:

"That disciple Elder Xiao took on has no root bone at all. I don't know why Elder Xiao accepted her as his disciple."

"It's been a month and a half, and she still hasn't entered Qi Refining Layer One."

"Damn it, isn't my talent better than that Jiang Qingyi's? And I didn't become an elder's disciple!"

"Haha, Xiao Mo always looks down his nose at people. I can't wait to see how that girl gets beaten up in the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's New Blood Martial Arts Competition next year!"

Just as the group was drinking and talking, Xiao Mo walked up to them.

"Fellow cultivator, what's up? Something you need?" a strong man asked, turning to look at Xiao Mo.

"Nothing much. I just don't like hearing you talk about my disciple like that."

With that, Xiao Mo kicked them in the stomach.

The strong man flew ten meters away.

After teaching these people a lesson, Xiao Mo returned to his Linggan Peak as if nothing had happened.

By the time Xiao Mo reached the mountain peak, it was already late at night.

Under the moonlight, a young girl was still practicing her sword.

Her movements were clumsy, but she was putting in so much effort.

"Qingyi," Xiao Mo called out the young girl's name softly.

"Master," Jiang Qingyi put away her wooden sword and trotted over to her master.

"You haven't slept yet?" Xiao Mo patted her head.

"Master, Qingyi can't sleep. I want to practice a bit more," Jiang Qingyi said softly.

Xiao Mo smiled. "It's good to work hard, but you also need to balance work and rest."

Jiang Qingyi shook her head firmly. "It's fine, Master. I'm not tired."

Looking at the young girl, Xiao Mo's eyes held a hint of complexity, but he didn't stop her. "Alright, at most one more incense stick's worth of practice, then go to sleep, understand?"

"I understand, Master. Master should rest well too," Jiang Qingyi nodded.

Xiao Mo turned and walked back to his wooden house.

Watching her master's back, Jiang Qingyi bit her small mouth and gripped the long sword tightly in her little hand.

Just as her master was about to enter the door, Jiang Qingyi called out softly, "Master."

"Hm?" Xiao Mo turned around.

Under the moonlight, the young girl's eyes were as clear and gentle as ripples in a clear spring. "I won't let Master down in the sect's New Blood Martial Arts Competition!"

Xiao Mo was stunned for a moment, then a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He nodded and said with a grin:

"Good."