Finding a Great Path

Jiang Wan's ears were still filled with loud wailing. The three-year-old little girl, dressed in a green skirt, was chubby and squat, clinging tightly to little Lu Zhiyi's waist after he arrived.

"Waaahhh! I want Mother! Waaahhh, I'm scared! Waaahhh! Aaahhh, boohoohoo—"

Jiang Wan walked up to the chubby three-year-old and gave her a muting slap. Smack! Her palm landed on the girl's face, and then she roared:

"No crying! You're too loud!"

In an instant, the world went quiet.

Little Lu Zhiyi, with someone clutching his waist, looked utterly dead inside. He wanted to cry but did not dare to. Then Jiang Wan suddenly came over and hit that child.

He froze for a moment, remembering that she had hit him too when they first met.

A seed called "don't provoke her" was planted in the little boy's heart, because she really did hit people.

Nangong Wanyu, who had been slapped, pursed her little lips. She was scared and wanted to cry, yet did not dare to. Tears and snot hung from her face, and she looked terribly aggrieved.

She sniffled. "Wah... sob..."

Just as she lost control and was about to burst into loud sobs again, Jiang Wan stuffed a Candied Hawthorn into her mouth.

She even thoughtfully took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears and snot.

"Be good. Don't cry, and Big Sister will give you Candied Hawthorn. If you cry again, there'll be no sweet Candied Hawthorn—and you'll get beaten too!"

As Nangong Wanyu ate the Candied Hawthorn, the sweet-and-sour taste in her mouth made her eyes narrow in bliss.

She looked at Jiang Wan with timid suspicion.

"But you just... hit me."

Jiang Wan said, "Cry again and I'll hit you again!"

While she was still little, Jiang Wan ought to beat her a few more times. Once she grew up, she would be harder to beat.

[You successfully stopped the Saintess of the Black Flame Demonic Sect from forcibly seizing a male cultivator and punished her. Mission complete.

Mission reward: Bzzz... Wait... You bestowed spirit medicine upon her, and she unexpectedly developed a heart of submission toward you.

Mission reward being adjusted...

Mission reward: Fire Repelling Bead + Water Repelling Pearl.]

The four beads of different colors were truly beautiful.

Jiang Wan looked at the little child before her, clicked her tongue twice, and patted her chubby shoulder.

"Call me Big Sister. From now on, Big Sister will look after you. Follow Big Sister, and I'll feed you three meals a day!"

Jiang Wan stretched out her little hand, which had put on a bit of flesh, and held up three fingers. Together with her sparkling eyes, she looked extremely convincing.

Nangong Wanyu's chubby round face was likewise full of shock as she stared at those three fingers. Her eyes widened as she confirmed it.

"Really? I can eat three meals a day?!"

Jiang Wan gave her a firm nod, then wrapped an arm around her plump little neck. Like close sisters, they walked along while Jiang Wan counted off her riches.

"I have endless Chicken Legs, endless rabbit legs, spirit fruits, Spirit Peaches, and endless Candied Hawthorn."

"Wow, you're amazing!

"Then let's be friends from now on. I'll follow you, and I want three meals a day."

Nangong Wanyu happily ate her Candied Hawthorn and, just like that, sold herself to Jiang Wan.

Jiang Yao watched from the side, the corner of her mouth twitching as she could not help grumbling inwardly.

Birds of a feather flock together. Those two devil girls had actually found each other.

She turned her gaze toward the future Sword Venerable Dong Chen, who was walking on Jiang Wan's other side.

No. Sword Venerable Dong Chen must have held back when he first fought Jiang Wan back then. This time, she absolutely could not let them grow close again.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, wait for me!"

Liuhuo turned around and stopped to wait for her, only to see her run past him and head toward Dong Chen, who carried a sword taller than his own head.

Little Lu Zhiyi was with Jiang Wan's group too. He wanted to eat three good meals a day as well.

He did not like eating Bigu Pills at all.

From afar, the Great Myriad Sect's Sect Master and several elders watched them. Venerable Yu Yi, whose beard and hair were both black and who wore a black-and-white Daoist robe, stroked his long beard.

"That little girl from the Myriad Talisman Sect is rather interesting."

"Venerable Yu Yi, surely you haven't taken a fancy to her as a disciple?

"Don't blame me for not warning you. According to the information reported by the Myriad Talisman Sect, that little girl has a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root. It won't do!

"On the other hand, the one with her—even though she was switched at birth with the child of the Myriad Talisman Sect's Cold Edge couple—has a Water-Wood Dual Spiritual Root. That is exceedingly good."

Hearing Venerable Wanhe say this, Venerable Yu Yi's hand paused as he stroked his beard. He curled his lip.

"A Mixed Spiritual Root? Who says a Mixed Spiritual Root cannot attain the Great Dao? This old man quite likes that little girl's temperament. A slap followed by a sweet date—excellent.

"If none of you choose her, then this old man will reserve her for myself."

The others shook their heads. Who would dare fight him for her? He had less than a hundred years of lifespan remaining, and whenever he fought, he fought as though his life meant nothing.

Venerable Wanhe, who had spoken earlier and wore a white Daoist robe embroidered with cranes, had contempt flash through his narrow phoenix eyes.

"She is merely someone with a Mixed Spiritual Root. No one will fight you for her. These children are still too young; their temperaments have not stabilized, and nothing can be seen yet. There is no rush. Perhaps they shine in childhood but prove mediocre in adulthood?

"Let us observe them a while longer. The Heavenly Mystery Sect's Grand Elder prophesied that the Child of Destiny would be reincarnated within three to five years. Those now three to five years old are all here, so let us take another look."

Jiang Wan had no idea that someone had already reserved her, this little child who outwardly possessed only a Mixed Spiritual Root.

The group arrived at the back mountain. Some people led them into classrooms, while others were specifically responsible for coaxing them to sleep and providing meals.

It was worth mentioning that there really were only two meals here, and each was only a fist-sized portion of spirit rice wrapped with meat and vegetables, distributed according to age.

Jiang Wan was stunned. No matter how poor things were, they could not let the children suffer. Were they feeding cats?

The morning class merely gave a simple explanation of cultivation realms. Most children were at Qi Refining Layer Two.

There were also those like Liuhuo, who was at Qi Refining Layer Three. They were generally over seven years old.

Liuhuo, this little pretty boy, had reached Qi Refining Layer Three at only five years old. He was already considered a Heavenly Prodigy among this generation of the Cultivation World.

Those at Qi Refining Layer Three could not attend the little class and had to go to the big class. On her first day, Jiang Wan grew drowsy listening to the lessons. They were all basic cultivation knowledge; everyone already knew it, yet they were still teaching it. Naturally, she began nodding off.

"Grrumble~"

"Wanwan, I'm hungry. Didn't you say that if I followed you, I could eat three meals?"

Jiang Wan stared in shock at her deskmate, the chubby Nangong Wanyu. How had someone as food-obsessed as her become the Saintess of the Devil Race in the future?

"Wait a moment and copy me."

After Jiang Wan muttered softly, she raised her hand and stood up from her cushion.

What child could sit on a cushion for an entire hour? Wasn't this making things difficult for children?

"Senior Brother, I need to poop!"

The senior brother who was lecturing on cultivation basics atop the platform was speechless. This was so annoying. Why did they have to bring three-year-olds here? Could they not wait until they were ten?

"Go, go!"

After Jiang Wan left, Nangong Wanyu immediately copied her. The senior brother giving the lesson helplessly turned a blind eye and let her leave. As a result, every little child in the room started saying they needed the toilet.

Jiang Wan only got two meals a day. Who would not be hungry?

When she saw Nangong Wanyu run out, she took out a chicken leg and asked her:

"What do you have to trade me? You can't eat mine for free, can you?"

Nangong Wanyu's eyes lit up. She had something!

Her Storage Bag contained spirit stones prepared for her.

"I have spirit stones. My father said that when traveling outside, no one will blame you for having too much money."

Jiang Wan looked at the two spirit stones in Nangong Wanyu's hand. Heavens, she had found the road to getting rich.