Demon Pet

"All right, enough about him. Let's talk about you. Are you really planning to stay at Qingxiao Sect from now on?"

Li Qingqiu turned his head toward Yang Jueding. His expression grew serious, and his tone turned stern.

Yang Jueding froze for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean? Are you trying to drive me down the mountain?"

Li Qingqiu shook his head. "You joined Qingxiao Sect because you were gravely wounded and we saved you. Joining the sect wasn't what you originally wanted. Now that you've recovered and even grown stronger, you can go do what you wanted to do before."

Yang Jueding frowned and pressed him. "You taught me your secret arts. You're willing to let me leave?"

"You've also taught Qingxiao Sect's disciples many martial arts. You even taught Man'er the palm technique passed down by your master. What would I have to begrudge? You owe us nothing, and we owe you nothing. We've spent so much time together that we're friends now. Isn't it only natural to want your friends to have a better life?"

Li Qingqiu replied calmly, his gaze returning to the scene below.

Hearing those words, Yang Jueding fell silent.

Li Qingqiu didn't press him. He watched the disciples sparring below and nodded slightly. These martial artists had made good progress. Give them another ten years of training, and they should be able to stand on their own.

His plan was to wait until Qingxiao Sect became the greatest sect in the martial world, then announce its transformation into a cultivation sect. Until then, he would secretly choose disciples with exceptional talent and great contributions, and train them to become cultivators.

A plan like that would take time, and they were young. They had plenty of it.

Yang Jueding drew a deep breath. "If I go down the mountain, I'll just drift through life aimlessly. Though they call me the Dragon Subduing Great Hero, I can only help the people right in front of me—and I might even leave them with trouble down the road. I'd be better off staying at Qingxiao Sect and watching it grow from a little sprout into a towering tree. That would be meaningful, too. If Qingxiao Sect someday becomes a great martial sect like the Seven Peaks Alliance, I'll be able to help many more people."

His voice was tinged with ruefulness; there was clearly a story behind his words.

Li Qingqiu opened the Legacy System panel and saw that Yang Jueding's loyalty had both broken through ninety. He was immediately satisfied.

Loyalty didn't only ever rise, but when it did, it meant one's sense of belonging had grown stronger.

Li Qingqiu stood up and turned to look down at Yang Jueding with a smile. "Since you've decided to stay, then spread your wings and make your mark. Qingxiao Sect is still in its early stages, and we need people in every area. My goal is for Qingxiao Sect to cover the entire Tai Kun Mountain Range, with disciples' residences and training grounds spread throughout the mountains."

Yang Jueding rose as well and said helplessly, "The Tai Kun Mountain Range is vast. There's never been a sect this large in the martial world. At most, a sect might govern territory that large."

He understood what Li Qingqiu meant. If Qingxiao Sect reached that scale, its number of disciples would be terrifying. Even an army would struggle to use such a vast region as a training ground.

If Li Qingqiu really pulled it off, Qingxiao Sect might one day shake the foundations of the Great Li Dynasty.

It was unrealistic, sure—but why did it sound so thrilling?

"It's just setting a goal," Li Qingqiu said, waving a hand.

Yang Jueding's gaze grew resolute. He answered earnestly, "Then I'll accompany you as you work toward it."

Li Qingqiu smiled, left him with a single line, and walked away:

"Let's wait and see."

He headed into the sect, planning to practice in the woods behind the mountain.

Yang Jueding turned to watch Li Qingqiu disappear around a bend in the mountain path beyond the sect gate. He couldn't help muttering, "Such a little devil, already trying to win me over."

His lips curled upward. He didn't mind Li Qingqiu's little tricks; Li Qingqiu's ambition genuinely interested him.

As the number of disciples at Qingxiao Sect grew, Li Qingqiu had more time to practice. At present, only Jiang Zhaoxia and Wu Man'er enjoyed the same privilege. Even Xu Ning still had work to do.

Autumn deepened, and the temperature began to drop.

Another month passed.

One afternoon, just after noon, Li Qingqiu stood on a hillside, looking down over the fields. Zhang Yuchun and the Qingxiao Seven Sons were plowing alongside two farmers.

The two farmers were the fathers of two disciples. They had come from a village below the mountain at Zhang Yuchun's invitation. Qingxiao Sect was preparing to cultivate its own fields. This plot was halfway up the mountain, less than half an hour's walk from the sect—not too far away.

Zhang Yuchun had also dug a fishpond, but it wasn't easy to bring large numbers of fingerlings up the mountain, so they had to be transported in batches.

Besides fields and fishponds, there was also a stable. When people from the Seven Peaks Alliance had attacked, they'd brought many horses with them. Yang Jueding had taken disciples to retrieve quite a few, and even now, they occasionally came across horses that had wandered off back then.

That wasn't all. Li Qingqiu also encouraged the disciples to keep pets. Besides hunting and practicing martial arts, they could learn other skills as well. Every month, he had Zhang Yuchun invite different craftsmen up from the villages below.

"Caw—"

A cry rang down from the sky. Li Qingqiu raised his arm, and a little black hawk swooped down to land on it.

He turned his head and began to tease the little hawk.

The nest Zhang Yuchun had brought back had held three chicks and two eggs. Two of the chicks had already flown away, leaving only this one. The other two eggs had just hatched, and the hatchlings still couldn't fly.

Li Qingqiu suspected it had stayed because he regularly infused it with Origin Energy, making it dependent on him.

He wanted to see if this method could raise the little hawk into a demon pet. So far, it looked promising.

"I wonder when you'll learn to understand people."

Li Qingqiu gazed at the little hawk, murmuring softly. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

If he could ride it through the skies one day, that would be amazing.

He stood there supporting the little hawk, watching the people work below.

He realized he preferred this peaceful, leisurely life to all the fighting and killing. Watching his sect grow bit by bit gave him a real sense of accomplishment.

"Eldest Senior Brother! Eldest Senior Brother!"

A voice called from nearby, startling the little hawk into flight. Li Qingqiu turned his head, frowning.

Li Sifeng came hurrying over with a bamboo basket on his back. The fellow didn't bother hiding what he could do. He used the Gale Technique to race over, kicking up a trail of dust.

Li Sifeng stopped in front of Li Qingqiu, braced his hands on his knees, and gasped for breath.

Li Qingqiu scolded him. "You're a senior instructor now. Why are you always rushing around in such a fluster? Can't you show a little dignity?"

Li Sifeng looked up. "People from the county yamen have come up the mountain. They're heading straight for Qingxiao Sect."

Li Qingqiu heard him and immediately said, "Go tell Cheng Canghai to hide."

"Okay!"

Li Sifeng immediately ran up the mountain, like a little whirlwind.

Li Qingqiu suddenly realized that every time Li Sifeng ran up to him like this, he brought bad news.

He didn't dwell on it and continued standing where he was, watching Zhang Yuchun and the others work. Qingxiao Sect now had enough strength to handle trouble.

About half an hour later, just as Li Qingqiu was preparing to leave, he saw a group emerge from the distant woods. At their head was a man in a close-fitting official robe, a saber at his waist and an official hat on his head. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and his gaze was sharp as a torch. As he advanced, he scrutinized Zhang Yuchun and the others.

Behind him were nine yamen runners in matching uniforms, all armed with sabers.

The man in the official robe led his people up to Li Qingqiu and said, "I'm Feng Dai, magistrate of Black Stone County. I've come in pursuit of the Thief King, Cheng Canghai. May I ask who you are in Qingxiao Sect?"

Li Qingqiu's sect leader's robe was more imposing than the other disciples' clothing. Feng Dai and his men had encountered several Qingxiao Sect disciples on the way, so at a glance, they could tell Li Qingqiu wasn't an ordinary disciple.

"My name is Li Qingqiu, and I'm the sect master of Qingxiao Sect. I've never heard of the Thief King. If you don't believe me, you can bring your people up the mountain and search. Qingxiao Sect will cooperate fully," Li Qingqiu replied with a smile.

Sect master?

Feng Dai was taken aback. The other yamen runners exchanged glances, too. Li Qingqiu looked far too young at seventeen to be the leader of a sect.

"Has your master, Lin Xunfeng, really retired from the martial world?" Feng Dai couldn't help asking. Though he wasn't part of the martial world, there were plenty of martial artists locked up in the county yamen, so he knew a thing or two about it.

When Li Qingqiu heard that, a rueful look immediately crossed his face. "He didn't retire from the martial world. He's been bewitched and insists on seeking immortality. I'm left with my junior brothers and sisters, struggling to get enough to eat or wear. What choice did I have but to figure things out myself? What sort of martial sect has to grow its own food?"

He spoke so sincerely that Feng Dai couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

"I see. Then we'll go up the mountain and take a look first. We'll try not to cause you any trouble," Feng Dai said, then headed up the mountain.

Li Qingqiu didn't stop him. He walked down the mountain, planning to find somewhere to practice.

When he wasn't going to the underground Spirit Lake, he could practice wherever he pleased. The same went for the other disciples; the vast forests and mountains made one giant training ground.

Near dusk, Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, the Qingxiao Seven Sons, and the two farmers returned up the mountain, planning to hold a banquet to thank them and invite them to stay the night.

They had just passed through the sect gate when Li Qingqiu saw a crowd of disciples gathered in front of the courtyard entrance, packed in so tightly that they blocked the way.

Had something happened?

Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow, but didn't quicken his pace.

As sect master, he had to remain composed!

Zhang Yuchun didn't have such a steady temperament. He shot straight ahead.

"Make way!"

Zhang Yuchun called out. The disciples turned around, saw the sect master, and hurriedly bowed to Li Qingqiu.

Once they parted, Li Qingqiu saw Feng Dai in the middle of the courtyard, sitting cross-legged and circulating his energy. The nine yamen runners stood around him, warily scanning the Qingxiao Sect disciples.

"Master's here!"

Qin Ye spotted Li Qingqiu and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, making everyone in the courtyard turn to look.

Li Qingqiu strolled into the courtyard, leisurely as ever. He swept his gaze around and saw Yang Jueding, Wu Baoyu, and Zhang Yu, but Cheng Canghai was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?"

Zhang Yuchun, walking ahead of Li Qingqiu, asked.

Perched on the roof eaves, Li Sifeng grinned. "This guy didn't know his place and insisted on challenging Grandpa Wu. He was badly injured with a single move, and now his men are claiming it's our fault and want to drag us to the county yamen."

Li Qingqiu looked toward Wu Baoyu. Wu Baoyu was chopping wood by himself and hadn't stopped just because Li Qingqiu had arrived.

Yang Jueding stood nearby, grinning with schadenfreude.

Zhang Yu, on the other hand, was frowning at Wu Baoyu, seemingly lost in thought.

Li Qingqiu walked up to the yamen runners and asked with concern, though a human wall stood between them, "Magistrate Feng, are you all right? I know a little medicine. I can help you."

Feng Dai's face was pale. At Li Qingqiu's words, he opened his eyes, turned his head toward Li Qingqiu, and gritted his teeth. "Sect Master Li, this man is a Demonic Sect enforcer who terrorized the martial world for twenty years. You've been deceived by him. He's committed every crime imaginable and is utterly depraved!"