Every day, with the music of a renowned musician accompanying them, the Qingxiao Sect disciples practiced martial arts, and even their moods while laboring improved. This caused Li Qingqiu to change his impression of the two women, Zhu Yan and Qin Ye.
There was no denying that a renowned musician was a renowned musician. Having lived two lives, Li Qingqiu was accustomed to popular music, but after hearing the sound of this ancient zither, he found it unexpectedly beautiful. Even after it ended, he wanted to hear more.
The zither's music echoed through the wilderness like a gentle breeze entering the heart, calming people and dispelling their restlessness.
It was worth mentioning that Li Qingqiu noticed Bai Ninger and Su Xiling growing quite close. Su Xiling seemed to have the intention of giving Bai Ninger some guidance.
Was this what they called a Lucky person?
Impressive!
The addition of a renowned musician had not affected the Qingxiao Sect's development.
Once the mountain road had basically taken shape, people began constantly coming up the mountain to seek medical treatment. Li Dongyue was kindhearted. When it came to wealthy families, she accepted payment directly, but for impoverished households, she told them to contribute what they could, or do some work within the Qingxiao Sect to offset the cost of treatment.
Such conduct earned them a good reputation at the foot of the mountain in a mere few months.
It was autumn.
Xu Ning reached the fifth layer of the Nurturing Origin Realm. She immediately told the news to Li Qingqiu, who was resting inside his room, making him extremely happy.
The master and disciple were chatting when Zhang Yuchun came over. Xu Ning saluted and took her leave.
"Eldest Senior Brother, it's time to begin the incense offerings. I've already invited craftsmen."
Zhang Yuchun spoke with a smile, his expression fervent.
They had discussed this matter before. Zhang Yuchun had learned the ropes from Liu Fanzhou, saying that since the Qingxiao Sect possessed the bearing of a Daoist sect, why not erect divine statues to attract worshippers and earn some incense money? It suited Zhang Yuchun perfectly.
Li Qingqiu said softly, "This can be done, but don't publicize it on a grand scale. Let's simply wait for those with fate to come and fulfill their wishes."
"I'll exercise discretion. However, you must have the final say on the divine statues. We have to design them ourselves, so we don't offend other Daoist temples or Buddhist monasteries. You choose the names, and I'll have Zhang Yu write the stories. Think of a few first." Zhang Yuchun nodded.
Li Qingqiu rose and walked to the writing desk. He picked up a brush and wrote five names on a sheet of white paper.
"Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, Taiji..."
Zhang Yuchun looked at the five names on the paper and murmured them softly.
Li Qingqiu said, "These five are all Dao Venerables. Their faces need not be carved too clearly."
These were the Five Primordials, the five great stages recorded in the ancient Huaxia text Liezi from his previous life—the five stages from nothingness to existence, before the formation of the universe. His lineage had only just been established, and he had yet to truly attain the Dao. He was commemorating it this way so that, whenever he saw the Five Primordials in the future, he could recall everything happening in the present.
Zhang Yuchun recited the names of the Five Primordials. After repeating them several times, he became increasingly satisfied. He immediately put the paper away, then hurried off.
Li Qingqiu did not remain in the room either. Xu Ning's breakthrough to the fifth layer of the Nurturing Origin Realm had made him very happy, and he decided to inspect the other disciples.
It was still early before dusk. There were not many disciples in the courtyard, so he followed the path out through the mountain gate, then continued down the mountain.
Walking along the steps and looking down, Li Qingqiu could see courtyards flickering in and out of sight among the woods. On the mountain road, disciples led horses and hauled goods, while others chased chickens and ducks. Vitality was everywhere, and a smile appeared on his face.
After passing three courtyards, Li Qingqiu stopped. His gaze fell upon a woman meditating beneath a tree not far away.
The woman was none other than Liu Fanzhou's daughter, Liu Yan.
After her loyalty had risen to ninety points, Li Qingqiu had imparted the first layer of the Taiqing Primordial Scripture to her. She had been cultivating for ten days, yet still had not reached the first layer of the Nurturing Origin Realm.
Li Qingqiu hesitated for a moment before walking toward Liu Yan.
Although Liu Fanzhou was fat and not handsome, Liu Yan was delicate and beautiful. Combined with the fact that she had been ill for years and possessed a frail body, she always reminded Li Qingqiu of Lin Daiyu from Dream of the Red Chamber.
He came before Liu Yan and reached into his robes, taking out a blue crystal the size of his thumb.
"Take this."
Li Qingqiu's voice startled Liu Yan into a tremble. She opened her eyes and, upon seeing him, finally let out a sigh of relief.
She shot Li Qingqiu a reproachful look, hurriedly rose, bowed to him, and asked, "Sect Master, what is this?"
Li Qingqiu said mysteriously, "This is a treasure rarely seen in the world. It can help you practice your cultivation. Don't be fooled by its small size—it was condensed from the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth over a thousand, even ten thousand years. When you cultivate, simply hold it in your palm. Remember, don't tell anyone else, lest they say I'm being unfair. I don't have enough treasures to distribute among everyone else."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yan accepted the Spirit Stone, and Li Qingqiu turned to leave.
She lifted her eyes toward Li Qingqiu and asked, "Sect Master, why are you so good to me?"
Li Qingqiu waved his hand and said without turning his head, "Because you have a good father."
The moon sank and the sun rose. After the disciples finished their morning drills and were about to disperse, one disciple suddenly mentioned that the sect was preparing to erect divine statues, arousing the curiosity of the others.
The news spread quickly. More and more disciples gathered at the First New Courtyard beneath the mountain gate, watching the craftsmen carve the stone statues.
"With the Five Primordials in our hearts, incense from the eight directions gathers; Qingxiao rises like the sun, and Heaven and Earth float above the sun."
Zhang Yu sat on a millstone, holding a bamboo fan as he spoke leisurely. He was in an excellent mood because he had also participated in designing the divine statues, giving him a great sense of accomplishment.
He swept his gaze around and suddenly spotted two people. He immediately stood straight, no longer daring to act carelessly.
Zhu Yan and Su Xiling entered the courtyard. Zhu Yan still wore her veil, gentle and mysterious, and Zhang Yu was enthralled by her.
Su Xiling tugged at Bai Ninger, who was standing on tiptoe and peering inside, then asked curiously, "What god or immortal does your Qingxiao Sect worship?"
Bai Ninger turned her head, saw who it was, and replied with a smug smile, "The Innate Dao Venerables. Have you heard of them?"
Su Xiling shook her head. "Never heard of them. Your sect master made them up, didn't he?"
"How could that be? Our sect master is amazing. He can even dream of immortals."
"Only a child like you would believe that sort of story meant to fool children."
"Heh."
Bai Ninger chuckled, too lazy to argue with her.
Zhu Yan's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on Li Qingqiu, who stood beside the stone statues. Li Qingqiu was instructing the craftsmen on how to carve the forms of the Five Primordials.
"Something's wrong! Something terrible has happened!"
A disciple hurried into the courtyard. He was sweating profusely with anxiety, and as soon as he entered, he bent over, bracing both hands on his knees while gasping heavily.
The disciples turned around one after another, then opened a path so Li Qingqiu could see the disciple.
Zhang Yuchun and Yang Jueding were there as well. Seeing the disciple arrive in such a rush, they were all puzzled. This disciple was usually not so rash.
"What happened? Speak slowly." Zhang Yuchun frowned.
After catching his breath, the disciple raised his head and said, "A... sect has come to the Tai Kun Mountain Range. They intend to establish their sect a hundred li away. They told me to pass on a message: from now on, the Qingxiao Sect must not cross the Xi River."
The Xi River was a great river running through the Tai Kun Mountain Range. The Qingxiao Sect stood at the foot of the mountain beside the Xi River, and it was not located in the very center of the Tai Kun Mountain Range. Dividing the territory this way would effectively reduce their domain to a corner of the Tai Kun Mountain Range.
"Outrageous! What sect are they from, to be so arrogant?" Yang Jueding roared furiously.
The messenger disciple hurriedly answered, "They call themselves the Juesheng Sect."
Zhang Yuchun asked in confusion, "Don't they know we're the Qingxiao Sect? Don't they know that Jiang Zhaoxia is one of our people?"
"They know, but they didn't mention Elder Jiang." The messenger disciple replied cautiously.
Yang Jueding snorted. "Why even ask? They may well have come specifically for that brat Jiang, wanting to use his reputation as a stepping stone to gain momentum."
He turned to Li Qingqiu and said, "We can't yield on this. The Tai Kun Mountain Range was incorporated into the Qingxiao Sect as far back as the era of Qingxiao True Person. No one can divide it up."
Li Qingqiu nodded. "Elder Yang, take my two disciples and twenty other disciples to investigate. Don't rush into combat. Find out the details first. If you can't reason with them, drive them away."
When Qin Ye heard this, he immediately tightened his grip on the iron staff in his hand. The other disciples also grew eager, wanting to follow along and watch the excitement.
Xu Ning, who had been watching the excitement, vaulted over the courtyard wall the moment she heard this. She was going back to retrieve her weapon.
Her movement technique made Su Xiling raise her brows slightly. She had long heard that this girl was no ordinary person, and after witnessing her movement technique today, she saw that the rumors were true.
"What if we can't drive them away?" Yang Jueding looked at Li Qingqiu and pressed him for an answer.
Li Qingqiu glared at him and said irritably, "Have you never killed anyone?"
Yang Jueding was rendered speechless. He immediately turned around and began selecting disciples.
Upon hearing that they might have to kill, the disciples grew tense, but martial artists could hardly avoid feeling anticipation when facing such a situation.
Li Qingqiu changed his expression and smiled gently at the craftsmen. "Let's continue."
Su Xiling turned to Zhu Yan and said ingratiatingly, "Miss, I want to go watch the excitement. May I?"
Zhu Yan's expression did not change. She said softly, "Mm, but you must not interfere."
Her voice was soft and pleasant, gentle and ethereal, and it sounded as though she was quite young.
Su Xiling nodded with a smile, then walked to her side and began waiting for Yang Jueding to finish selecting the disciples.
"If the Qingxiao Sect falls into danger, you may save them."
Su Xiling heard another very soft sentence. She turned her head toward Zhu Yan in surprise, never expecting that Miss would actually ask her to aid the Qingxiao Sect. She did not ask further questions. After all, she quite liked the atmosphere of the Qingxiao Sect.
Before long, Yang Jueding had selected twenty disciples. They first went to choose weapons, then descended the mountain together. As for Su Xiling's request to accompany them, Yang Jueding did not refuse. He threw his head back and laughed, saying that he would let her witness the valor of the martial world.
At the same time.
In the mountains a hundred li away, beside a waterfall, several dozen people were building houses.
Two figures stood beside the lake. They were none other than Yan Wujin, the sect master of the Juesheng Sect, and Tang Ziqi, its vice sect master.
Yan Wujin wore a loose black robe and a hair crown. His long hair was streaked with black and white, his eyes were cold and severe, and his beard was similarly threaded with gray. He merely stood by the lake without speaking, yet radiated an immense sense of oppression.
Tang Ziqi's bearing was clearly inferior to his. Dressed in blue robes, he possessed an elegant temperament and handsome features, with the air of a scholar.
"By my reckoning, the message should have reached the Qingxiao Sect by now. Eldest Brother, do you think Jiang Zhaoxia will come to accept the challenge?" Tang Ziqi asked softly.
Yan Wujin watched his disciples, his face expressionless. "If he doesn't come, I'll climb the mountain myself. The Juesheng Sect must step on the Qingxiao Sect to become famous. Though bullying a group of youths would be dishonorable, for the sake of our great undertaking, we can only sacrifice them."
Tang Ziqi sighed with emotion. "I heard Jiang Zhaoxia endured two hundred moves under Yu Zhiyi. With such talent, if he is given another ten years, his martial prowess will be unimaginable."
Yan Wujin snorted. "That was merely Yu Zhiyi holding back. He enjoys playing these childish games."
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