Zhao Huanjin: Master, trouble! There's a hairy-faced fellow with a thunder god's mouth outside...

The Shining Star Society.

The call ended, leaving only a busy tone in the receiver. Qu Tong leaned back in her chair, Ma Xianhong's words still echoing in her mind as her slender fingers unconsciously tapped the broad desktop.

A member of the Shining Star Society stood quietly before her in a suit and polished shoes, holding a tablet, seemingly waiting for her to finish pondering before giving his report.

"Go ahead."

After frowning in thought for a moment, Qu Tong signaled for the member before her to begin his report.

"Yes, President. Brother Ma seems to have headed toward Miao Territory a few days ago. His precise movements are unknown, but during that time, a criminal from Wild Maoshan wanted by the Company died under mysterious circumstances. These are the photos sent by our inside contact at the Company."

As he spoke, he turned the tablet toward Qu Tong, showing her photos of the scene where Ma Xianhong had reduced Zhao Guizhen to ash with the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, along with the internal files on the incident.

"Sword qi...

Anything else?" Qu Tong's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. Although she could not be certain, she instinctively felt that the swords Ma Xianhong had let her sense in his workshop had caused this scene. Knowing his temperament, if he really had run into that man from Wild Maoshan, the man most likely would not have survived.

"Yes, President. According to our inside contact at the Company, the biggest event of the past two days was the complete eradication of the Medicine Immortal Society, which had risen again from the dead ashes in Miao Territory. During the battle, a Company employee named Duanmu Yan gave an outstanding performance, but after they returned, no one could determine which regional division he belonged to..."

At this point, the man paused. Seeing a flicker in Qu Tong's eyes, he immediately gave a slight nod.

"What we currently know is that Duanmu Yan can put on a special combat suit, soar through the skies and burrow through the earth, and unleash extremely powerful attacks."

"That's definitely Xianhong." Qu Tong nodded, her fingertips tapping a rhythm on the desk. His movements matched perfectly.

"According to our investigation, two children appeared in the village between Brother Ma's departure and his return. That man from Wild Maoshan apparently harmed young boys to further his cultivation.

As for the Medicine Immortal Society, they were rumored to have a Gu-Bound Holy Child, but no trace of that child was found during their eradication. According to our intelligence from Biyou Village, Brother Ma had a little girl with him on the day he returned."

"...All right, you've done well. Next, do as Xianhong asked. Find twenty young boys and girls within the community and send them to him as soon as possible."

Qu Tong waved a hand, then pressed it to her forehead. Although she had more or less pieced together what had happened, Ma Xianhong's current situation still troubled her.

"Yes, President."

Biyou Village.

Rubbing his chin, Ma Xianhong swept his gaze over the twenty young boys and girls delivered by helicopter and grinned. They all looked bright and energetic. A few even seemed to come from respectable backgrounds.

Although these children, all around ten years old, were in an unfamiliar place, none showed any timidity or awkwardness. Instead, their faces were full of curiosity as they gathered in little groups, chattering away and comparing the skills they had learned. Clearly, none of them were ordinary children.

Just then, the smartly dressed man who had brought the children walked up to Ma Xianhong with a slight smile.

"Sect Leader Ma, are these little ones to your liking?"

The visitor chuckled. "Our president went to a mountain of trouble to persuade all their families to let these kids come! When it comes to you, she's truly this!"

He gave a thumbs-up, then turned serious again. "That said, they can only stay for three days at most. Once the time is up, they have to be sent back just as they came."

"Three days? I could make it work, but..." Ma Xianhong raised his brows and grinned under the suited man's bewildered gaze.

A short while later.

"Hello, yes, yes, it's me, Ma Xianhong, sect leader of Jiejiao in Biyou Village.

Yes, that's right. They'll just be helping a child come out of her shell. Once it's done, I'll personally give each of them a custom-made Protective Dharma Artifact.

Yes, yes. You're from the Fire Virtue Sect, aren't you? I'll give him a fire-attribute Protective Dharma Artifact.

Hahaha, it's nothing. No need to thank me. Courtesy calls for reciprocity. Let's be friends.

All right, I just wanted to let you know. Oh, right, when should I send your child...

Whenever I'm done? You'll send more people over if I need them? All right, we'll stay in touch. I'll certainly pay you a visit sometime."

Ending the last of his calls, Ma Xianhong raised his brows at the suited man nearby, who was already staring in stupefaction, his expression teasing.

Wasn't it just keeping these kids around a little longer?

Piece of cake.

In this world, dharma artifacts were still exceedingly precious, especially Protective Dharma Artifacts-the treasures among treasures. An ordinary Artifact Refiner could spend a lifetime without producing many truly high-grade dharma artifacts, whereas he could play with those rare, fiercely coveted artifacts as though they were snap-pops.

Not to mention, the dharma artifacts he made could resonate with their users' own cultivation methods. They were not merely external aids; they could also enhance the users' innate vitality and cultivation.

Ma Xianhong glanced at the Fire Virtue Sect elder's youngest son nearby, a boy of around ten whose head barely reached his waist, and a gleam flashed in his eyes.

The Fire Virtue Sect's Fire Release technique was quite impressive. He did not know whether it involved turning into flames to move at high speed or phasing to a location anchored by fire, but he wanted it either way.

He really did have to thank Qu Tong for bringing him someone from the Fire Virtue Sect this time. Unfortunately, that rotten big sister had not quite delivered enough. It would have been even better if she had brought someone from the Tang Sect. Still, it was no big deal. He could stop by the Tang Sect on his way to visit the Fire Virtue Sect.

Putting those currently irrelevant matters out of his mind, Ma Xianhong had Zhong Xiao Long, Fu Rong, and the others arrange accommodations for the children.

Letting them interact with Chen Duo directly would be a little too rash. They needed to proceed gradually, or the shock would be too much.

Hmm, that boy from the Fire Virtue Sect is a good choice. Lively and cheerful. He'll do.

He beckoned the boy over, gave him a few quiet instructions, then turned and left.

Next, he only needed to give Chen Duo an initial understanding of a normal worldview and shatter her original values, just as in the original story. These children, close to her age and seen by her as "her own kind," would reshape her understanding through actions that contradicted her worldview, slowly turning her from a gu worm into a real person.

The plan proceeded smoothly. Three days later, on the basketball court, Chen Duo cried for the first time, her sobs resembling a newborn's wails, marking the breaking of the behavioral restraints the Medicine Immortal Society had imposed on her.

From that moment onward, Chen Duo was reborn. No-to be precise, she was truly alive for the first time.

Restraining a person's behavior was easy, but restraining their instincts was far too difficult.

As Chen Duo's worldview was reconstructed, Zhong Xiao Long also joined the group of young boys and girls. Who could blame him for being the shortest, no taller than they were?

While everything continued in an orderly fashion, Ma Xianhong left behind a freshly refined duplicate and departed Biyou Village once more. Following the principle of never revealing one's true identity while roaming the martial world, he took out a dharma artifact and transformed into a hairy-faced monk with a thunder god's mouth, then set off eastward.

Noon.

Mount Longhu.

"Master, there's a hairy-faced fellow with a thunder god's mouth outside... ahem, a young man riding an ox has come to visit you." Zhao Huanjin handed over a visiting card and spoke to Zhang Zhiwei with a peculiar expression, recalling how Ma Xianhong had removed his mask before him and returned to his original appearance.

"Biyou Village? Jiejiao? Wait..." Zhang Zhiwei unfolded the visiting card and examined it, his expression growing increasingly grave as he read. If everything this man said was true...

Remembering his two junior brothers, Zhang Zhiwei narrowed his eyes slightly.

His surname is Ma, then.