The broom was heavy.
Not because of its weight—it was just a bundle of sticks tied together—but because Lin Xiao could feel his dignity leaking away with every sweep.
Scratch, scrape. The broom rasped against the cracked courtyard stones. Dust puffed up in pathetic little clouds. A nearby crow cawed, as if laughing at him.
"Master, your sweeping technique is… astonishing."
Lin Xiao turned his head slowly. Zhou Fang was kneeling at the edge of the courtyard, eyes wide with awe. "Each stroke… steady yet careless, firm yet yielding… it's like you're brushing away the illusions of the mortal world!"
Lin Xiao blinked. "No, I'm brushing away pigeon droppings."
Zhou Fang gasped, clutching his chest. "So direct! So profound! The Dao of Mediocrity allows no falsehoods!"
Lin Xiao sighed. He was too tired to argue.
And then came the laughter.
"Hahaha! Look at this! A sect leader sweeping like a servant!"
The Flamboyant Flame Pavilion disciple leaned against the gate, arms crossed, his smug face practically glowing with arrogance. Behind him were two more junior disciples, carrying spirit gourds and looking ready to mock at a moment's notice.
"How pitiful," one said. "Even their mighty leader has been reduced to sweeping his own courtyard."
The other snorted. "Maybe he's cultivating a cleaning technique? The Great Dao of Broomsmanship?"
All three burst into cruel laughter.
Lin Xiao froze mid-sweep. The humiliation hit him like a slap—
[Ding! Mission Progress +25%.]
Public mockery detected. Spiritual resonance intensifying.
A faint shimmer rippled through the cracked paving stones. The weeds at the courtyard edges trembled, glowing faintly with suppressed energy.
Of course, the bullies didn't notice. To them, it looked like the wind.
"Master endures their insults without a word," Bai Ming murmured, fists trembling. His eyes burned as though he'd just witnessed the birth of a legend. "To withstand humiliation with such calm… this is no ordinary patience. This is the true courage of a peerless sage."
Wu Meiling poked her head out from the kitchen hut, ladle in hand. "Are those idiots still laughing? Should I throw porridge at them?"
"Not yet," Lin Xiao muttered. "That would waste food."
"Truly wise," Zhou Fang whispered, bowing his head. "Even food is Dao in Master's eyes."
The Flamboyant Flame disciples, growing bolder, strutted into the courtyard. One of them snatched the broom from Lin Xiao's hand.
"Here, let me help you, Sect Leader!" he jeered, pretending to sweep clumsily. "Such noble work for one so esteemed!"
Lin Xiao rubbed his temples. He was about to give up and go back to bed when—
[Ding! Mission Progress +75%.]
Conditions nearly fulfilled. Reward imminent.
Suddenly, the paving stones beneath their feet glowed faintly. Lines of golden light spread outward in a circle, like veins awakening after centuries of slumber. The weeds shimmered, exhaling wisps of spiritual mist.
The Flamboyant Flame disciples stumbled back, startled. "W-What's going on?!"
Bai Ming's voice was solemn, awed. "The heavens respond to Master's sweeping."
Zhou Fang clasped his fists and bowed. "Master… you've swept away karma itself."
Wu Meiling raised her ladle high. "I knew it! Even housework is cultivation when done by Master!"
Lin Xiao stared at the glowing courtyard, then at the broom in his hand, then at the mocking disciples now pale with confusion.
[Ding! Mission Complete.]
Reward: Tranquil Peak Sect Grounds upgraded → Spirit-Gathering Array activated.
All disciples gain +1 cultivation realm.
Lin Xiao gains +2 cultivation realms.
A wave of spiritual energy surged upward, flooding the courtyard. The air grew thick with power, sharp and sweet like lightning after rain.
The three Flamboyant Flame disciples were thrown backward, coughing, their faces pale. "T-This place… this shabby courtyard is… a spirit-gathering holy land?!"
They scrambled to their feet and ran, shrieking like chickens chased by a butcher.
Lin Xiao looked at the broom, then at the shining courtyard, then at his starry-eyed disciples.
"…I hate my life," he muttered.
But his disciples were already kneeling, foreheads pressed to the ground.
"Master, your Dao is unmatched!" Zhou Fang cried.
"Your sweeping has reshaped heaven and earth!" Bai Ming added.
"Please allow me to cook rice from this sacred ground immediately!" Wu Meiling begged.
Lin Xiao covered his face with one hand. He had wanted obscurity, naps, and rice. Instead, he had just "accidentally" humiliated the bullies and triggered another sect upgrade.
The Tranquil Peak Sect had officially begun its rise—by sweeping pigeon droppings.