Sunlight split across the horizon, spilling down onto the mountain's base and over the quiet town of Seven Peaks.
Inside a small inn, a woman dressed in black sat facing an old man in gray robes. Her expression was filled with impatience.
"You really move fast. I had just arrived yesterday, and by the next morning, you already found me."
Her tone was cold, and the old man sighed helplessly.
He looked to be over seventy years old, with dark age spots marking his face. Letting out another sigh, he said, "Miss, please don't act on impulse. With your current strength, storming the Seven Peaks Alliance would only end badly. Besides, I've heard something major happened there. Whoever crosses them now is bound to face a brutal backlash."
"What happened?" the woman asked, though her mind instinctively drifted to Li Qingqiu. She had been curious ever since learning he had gone to the Seven Peaks Alliance—what exactly was he planning to do there?
The old man's face turned solemn. "Last night, the First Alliance Master, Lü Taidou, was assassinated in his own residence. They say another alliance master tried to stop the killer and was beaten to death on the spot."
The woman's eyes widened in shock. Her expression froze as realization struck.
No wonder there had been such chaos at the Seven Peaks Alliance last night.
But… Lü Taidou was killed?
How could that even be possible?
She recalled how Li Qingqiu had flicked her sword away with a single finger and suddenly felt that he might indeed possess such power.
Still, how could someone so young be that strong?
Could he be using some secret technique to disguise his age or alter his appearance?
The more she thought about it, the more unsettled she felt. Lü Taidou's name alone could shake all of Guzhou's martial world—he was a top-tier expert. And yet he had been killed inside his own territory. It was unbelievable.
She looked up sharply at the old man. "Do they know who did it?"
The old man shook his head. "No clue. They say the killer had three heads and six arms, like a demon god incarnate—unstoppable. He even took two children with him. Maybe he came for them."
The woman rolled her eyes. "Three heads and six arms? You believe that nonsense?"
"The Seven Peaks Alliance people said it, not me," the old man shrugged.
After a pause, his tone softened. "Miss, the Seven Peaks Alliance will be thrown into turmoil after this. Internal power struggles, external enemies, you name it. Whatever worries you had—they might resolve themselves soon. There's no need to take risks."
The woman sneered. "Lü Taidou's dead. That means my worries are already gone. Don't fret, I'll go back with you today."
The old man exhaled in relief, stroking his beard and nodding.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Can you send someone to find out who killed Lü Taidou? I just want his name."
"I'll try," the old man replied casually. "But it won't be easy. It was dark that night—tracking the culprit won't be simple."
She nodded faintly, but her mind was elsewhere. Li Qingqiu's face reappeared in her thoughts, stirring her curiosity.
Who exactly was this man? How could he walk right into the Seven Peaks Alliance and kill someone so openly?
What grudge did he have against them?
…
After leaving the Seven Peaks Alliance, Li Qingqiu traveled several hundred li before stopping to rest in the mountains, taking time to recover his vital energy.
He used the Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles to treat little Yuan Li, while Yuan Qi gathered fruit and water nearby.
After a day of recovery, they set out again. Avoiding the main roads, they met no one along the way.
Thanks to his Gale Technique, Li Qingqiu moved swiftly. Though not as fast as a carriage, he wasn't much slower either.
When they finally reached the foot of the Qingxiao Sect's mountain, Li Qingqiu exhaled in relief.
Ahead stood the familiar peaks of his sect, towering and serene. Yuan Qi, however, looked puzzled. 'Why does it feel like we're going farther and farther away?'
In his mind, martial sects were supposed to be close to towns—so they could recruit disciples and control the commoners more easily.
"Once we're up the mountain, don't mention anything about the Seven Peaks Alliance," Li Qingqiu said as he walked ahead, carrying Yuan Li in his arms and a large bundle on his back—something he had bought in a town they passed through the day before. "Just say you're orphans I brought back while passing through. Understand?"
Following behind, Yuan Qi nodded seriously. "Got it, big brother. Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble."
Li Qingqiu began explaining the Qingxiao Sect's situation. Yuan Qi had never heard of the sect before, but when he learned that most of its disciples were children, his curiosity was piqued.
At the Seven Peaks Alliance, he had only ever seen adults—adults who bullied him endlessly. He was afraid of being around grown-ups again.
But the more he listened to Li Qingqiu describe the sect, the more his fear faded. He started asking questions one after another, and Li Qingqiu patiently answered each one.
The path up the mountain was long. It took them half a day to reach the Qingxiao Sect's gate.
It had been ten days since Li Qingqiu killed Lü Taidou.
By now, dusk had fallen.
Looking at the familiar mountain gate, less grand than the Seven Peaks Alliance but filled with warmth, Li Qingqiu felt a deep sense of belonging. The tension that had hung over him for days finally eased.
In the distance, he saw a child crouched by the gate, playing with stones—it was Li Sifeng.
"Sifeng, slacking off again?" Li Qingqiu's voice rang out.
Startled, Li Sifeng jumped to his feet and turned around.
When he saw Li Qingqiu's face, the Sect Master couldn't help but laugh aloud.
Half a month had passed, yet Li Sifeng's face was still mottled with blue and purple bruises. Fortunately, there was no swelling—though when he smiled, the gaps where his missing teeth showed made him look rather ridiculous.
Li Qingqiu almost burst out laughing but quickly forced it back down.
He couldn't laugh. That would be too cruel. After all, Li Sifeng had been injured for the sake of Qingxiao Sect.
"Senior Brother!"
Li Sifeng's excited shout echoed across the courtyard as he bolted down the path like a gust of wind. His voice was so loud it startled the other disciples inside the sect.
Just as he reached Li Qingqiu, Yang Jueding, Jiang Zhaoxia, and Xu Ning leapt gracefully along the cliff walls, landing at the mountain gate in moments. Their lightness skill left Yuan Qi staring in awe.
"Have you been behaving while I was gone?" Li Qingqiu asked, smiling as he ruffled Li Sifeng's hair.
Li Sifeng hugged his waist tightly, voice trembling. "Senior Brother, I missed you so much! You were gone for so long… I thought you didn't want us anymore…"
More and more disciples ran out from inside the sect. When they saw Li Qingqiu, excitement lit up their faces. Among them, he noticed six unfamiliar ones—clearly the six disciples from the Qin family.
Two days earlier, he had seen their names appear on the Dao Lineage panel, but their Cultivation Aptitudes were ordinary, with no special Fates. Because of that, he hadn't paid them much attention and hadn't even memorized their faces.
Jiang Zhaoxia landed beside Li Qingqiu and examined him carefully. When he saw he wasn't injured, he finally relaxed.
Li Sijin threw her arms around him, smiling brightly, while Li Dongyue stood nearby with tears glimmering in her eyes.
Yang Jueding also breathed out in relief. He had been hiding the truth about Li Qingqiu's trip to the Seven Peaks Alliance and had nearly cracked under the pressure. Thank heavens he was finally back.
"Senior Brother, where did you go? Why were you gone so long?" Jiang Zhaoxia asked, his tone tinged with reproach.
Li Qingqiu chuckled. "Didn't I tell Yuchun that I went to patrol the mountains? I just got delayed halfway by some other matters. Right—let me introduce someone. The boy behind me is Yuan Qi, and the little one I'm holding is his younger brother, Yuan Li. From now on, they'll be disciples of the Qingxiao Sect too."
At once, everyone's attention shifted.
Yang Jueding stepped forward, crouching slightly as he studied Yuan Qi. The boy grew visibly uncomfortable under his intense gaze.
Xu Ning's progress had already proven that Li Qingqiu's judgment was unmatched. So not just Yang Jueding, but everyone present was curious—what talent did this boy possess to catch their Sect Master's eye?
Zhang Yuchun furrowed his brow slightly, watching quietly, while Wu Man'er only grinned foolishly, saying nothing.
"All right, enough of that," Li Qingqiu said, waving his hand to cut off the growing chatter. "Let's head inside. Get us some food ready."
The group burst into laughter and chatter as they followed him up the mountain. Since most of the disciples were young and full of energy, once they started talking, it was nearly impossible to stop them.
"Senior Brother, let me carry the child," Li Dongyue offered softly, walking up beside him.
Li Qingqiu didn't refuse and passed Yuan Li into her arms.
Once they returned to the courtyard, Zhang Yuchun took Yuan Qi to bathe, while Li Dongyue and Li Sijin tended to Yuan Li.
Li Qingqiu sat at the table, glancing at the six children from the Qin family standing together. Four boys and two girls—all around eleven years old. Finding six children of the same age really showed how prosperous the Qin family was.
The six of them stood nervously under his gaze. Before they came, Qin Jue had warned them that once they entered Qingxiao Sect, they had to behave. Anyone sent back early would be punished severely.
"Come sit," Li Qingqiu said with a gentle smile. "Introduce yourselves."
Seeing his warm expression, the six relaxed a little and stepped forward one by one, giving their names. Li Qingqiu chatted with them casually, easing the tension and building rapport.
Three of the Seven Sons of Qingxiao were busy preparing food, and they worked quickly. Soon, steaming dishes were brought before Li Qingqiu.
He didn't wait for Yuan Qi to return and began eating right away.
Yang Jueding sat nearby, clearly itching to ask questions but biting his tongue since others were around.
Before long, Zhang Yuchun, Yuan Qi, and Li Dongyue came in, joining the rest. The entire Qingxiao Sect gathered together—all twenty-four of them.
Though far smaller than the Seven Peaks Alliance, the sight filled Li Qingqiu with contentment.
He believed that in another ten years, every one of these disciples would be capable of standing on their own.
Li Dongyue sat beside him, propping her chin on her hand as she said softly, "Senior Brother, when you came back just now, you reminded me of Master. Back then, when Master returned carrying Sijin and with Sifeng following behind, it was the exact same scene."
Her words made Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, and Wu Man'er nod with emotion as they began reminiscing about Lin Xunfeng.
The younger disciples listened intently, curiosity growing in their eyes. What kind of hero had their sect's founder been?
Yang Jueding spoke up. "Lin Xunfeng was indeed righteous and courageous, but honestly, he didn't contribute much to the sect. Ever since its founding, Qingxiao Sect has never tried to recruit many disciples. In truth, the current Qingxiao Sect has nothing to do with the past one."
Li Qingqiu shot him a glance, secretly pleased. In just a few days, Yang Jueding had grown much wiser.
Zhang Yuchun nodded. "That's right. Master abandoned us and left. From now on, there's only one Sect Master of Qingxiao Sect. We're the new Qingxiao Sect. Senior Brother just kept the old name out of sentiment."