Yang Jueding, unnerved by Xu Ning, began arguing with Cheng Canghai. The terrified Cheng Canghai, in the heat of the argument, almost stood up to fight, but a single glare from Xu Ning sent him right back to his knees.
"Alright. Beating him to death now won't help. Let's think about how to make up for it."
Li Qingqiu spoke up. Stealing was despicable, but what Cheng Canghai had taken wasn't particularly valuable. It wasn't a capital offense.
Yang Jueding shot Cheng Canghai another glare, then turned to Li Qingqiu. "This man is Cheng Canghai. His lightness skill is unparalleled—the martial world calls him the King of Thieves. He once stole a priceless treasure from the Prefectural Governor's mansion, sold it to another noble, and used the money to aid famine victims. He's a decent sort, by all accounts. And his promises carry weight—whatever he vows, he fulfills. He's never let anyone down."
In truth, Yang Jueding rather admired Cheng Canghai. In these declining times, martial artists who still upheld a chivalrous spirit were few and far between.
Li Qingqiu looked at Cheng Canghai. "Why did you come to the Azure Firmament Sect?"
Cheng Canghai replied, "The authorities are after me. The new magistrate of Blackstone County is skilled in martial arts and cares for the people, but he's got it in for me specifically—wants to capture the King of Thieves. He chased me all the way to the Taikun Mountain Range. I was starving, and... I stooped to this shameful act."
"That doesn't add up. This world is vast. Why run here of all places?" Li Qingqiu's gaze sharpened, his tone turning displeased.
Cheng Canghai's expression flickered. He gritted his teeth. "To be honest, next New Year, the Crown Prince is coming to hunt in the Taikun Mountain Range. I came ahead to prepare—to steal the Taiping Sword from his waist."
Yang Jueding's eyes widened. He cursed, "You have some nerve! Do that, and the imperial court will send troops to scour these mountains. The Azure Firmament Sect will be caught in the crossfire!"
The surrounding disciples' looks toward Cheng Canghai shifted. They hadn't expected such audacity.
Zhang Yu couldn't help interjecting, "The Taiping Sword—that was bestowed by a sage when the late emperor pacified the realm. It ranks second among the Ten Great Swords of the World. Steal that, and you'll plunge the entire world into bloody turmoil."
Cheng Canghai preened. "Exactly! If I succeed, the King of Thieves' reputation will reach new heights. And I want to slap the imperial family in the face. They prattle on about a golden age, but they refuse to look down and see how the common people actually live. As for involving the Azure Firmament Sect—I thought after Lin Xunfeng retired, this sect would disband. I came up today just to find a place to stay. I never expected you to be roasting chicken..."
"It smelled so good. I couldn't resist—I wanted it too badly!"
By the end, he was practically drooling.
After the beating he'd taken, he was even hungrier.
Li Qingqiu turned to Yang Jueding. "You said his lightness skill is unparalleled?"
Yang Jueding's anger subsided slightly as he nodded. "In all of Gu Prefecture's martial world, his lightness skill ranks among the very top."
A thought struck him. How had Xu Ning managed to catch Cheng Canghai?
He couldn't help glancing at Xu Ning.
Cheng Canghai noticed his look and quickly said, "If I weren't so hungry, no one could have caught me! But... her lightness skill is indeed formidable..."
Xu Ning, at the second layer of the Nourishing Origin stage, had long been practicing Gale Skill. She was already adept at swift travel through the forests.
"Here's the deal: you're sentenced to stay at the Azure Firmament Sect for one year. Teach my disciples lightness skill. That's how you'll atone for your crime. During this time, you won't go hungry. If you refuse, we'll hand you over to Blackstone County."
Li Qingqiu stared at Cheng Canghai, his tone firm.
Cheng Canghai's expression wavered. "Could we shorten the time? I'm afraid I'll miss my grand plan."
"Everyone here heard your grand plan. You think you can still pull it off? Don't waste your breath. Make it quick—agree or not!"
Li Qingqiu was losing patience. He still had dinner waiting.
Cheng Canghai's face cycled through emotions. Under everyone's gaze, he finally nodded in agreement.
"Alright! Time to eat!"
Li Qingqiu clapped his hands and walked toward the long table. The disciples scattered to their tasks, leaving Cheng Canghai alone on his knees.
Cheng Canghai blinked. He hadn't expected the Azure Firmament Sect to be so easygoing, or Li Qingqiu to trust him so readily.
He scrambled up and hurried after Yang Jueding.
He was intensely curious about this place. It was nothing like the Azure Firmament Sect he'd heard of.
When dinner was served, Cheng Canghai shamelessly squeezed in next to Yang Jueding and helped himself.
"Since we've nothing better to do, why not let the King of Thieves regale us with his exploits? Let everyone get to know him better."
Zhang Yu, sensing the subdued atmosphere, smiled and made the suggestion. All eyes turned to Cheng Canghai.
Cheng Canghai glanced at Li Qingqiu. Seeing no objection, he downed his bowl of wine and began his tale.
"Where to start? Let's begin with my martial training. I was born in the first year of the current dynasty. Those were turbulent times. My family fell from grace—the Emperor ordered our entire clan executed. My father managed to sneak me out, but the soldiers spotted us. They chased me to a cliff edge. I steeled myself and jumped!"
Cheng Canghai's voice rose and fell dramatically, quickly capturing everyone's attention. Even Li Qingqiu found himself interested in the story.
That night's dinner stretched on for a full hour. For the Azure Firmament Sect disciples, such storytelling was a rare treat. When it ended, they were all stirred, eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Li Qingqiu didn't question the story's truth. If the disciples enjoyed it, he wouldn't stop them.
He had Cheng Canghai room with Yang Jueding. That night, he faintly heard sounds of a scuffle from their quarters, but it soon quieted down.
The next morning, the disciples noticed Cheng Canghai's bruises had worsened. When asked, he simply said it was nothing.
Though stealing a chicken was contemptible, Cheng Canghai's tales of chivalry won the disciples' goodwill. He quickly integrated with them—though he still made detours whenever he spotted Xu Ning.
In the days that followed, Cheng Canghai, like Zhang Yu and Yang Jueding, grew increasingly curious about the Azure Firmament Sect.
The astonishing strength of Wu Man'er made him feel he'd encountered a monster.
Most absurd of all, Li Sifeng, nearly thirteen, could almost match him in lightness skill. Cheng Canghai still won, but the gap wasn't large.
How did the Azure Firmament Sect possess so many monstrous geniuses?
No—they must have some unimaginable legacy of techniques!
...
Seven days later, Zhang Yuchun and Jiang Zhaoxia finally returned.
Li Qingqiu, informed of their arrival, came back to the sect courtyard. Jiang Zhaoxia saw him and raised three fingers with a smug smile before heading to his room to change into fresh robes.
Third layer of the Nourishing Origin stage!
This kid had caught up again. The advantage Li Qingqiu had gained through his "cheat" was gone.
Li Qingqiu sighed inwardly, but he was genuinely happy. The Azure Firmament Sect was stronger for it.
Zhang Yuchun approached Li Qingqiu and turned to point at an old beggar in the distance. "Senior Brother, that's the master I told you about—Wu Baoyu. Third Senior Brother didn't want me to tell you, but he actually lost to Senior Wu in their first match. He went into secluded cultivation for two days, then challenged him again and won."
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. Jiang Zhaoxia, at the second layer of the Nourishing Origin stage, had lost?
This Wu Baoyu was no ordinary man.
Li Qingqiu sensed the internal energy within the man. It felt like he was seeing another Lü Dou.
"You handle his arrangements. He's your recruit." Li Qingqiu smiled. With a master like this accompanying Zhang Yuchun on his frequent trips down the mountain, Li Qingqiu would worry much less.
Zhang Yuchun was overjoyed and quickly thanked him.
Li Qingqiu patted his shoulder, and they went together to meet Wu Baoyu.
Unfortunately, Wu Baoyu was aloof and showed little interest in Li Qingqiu. Li Qingqiu wasn't one to force a connection. After a few awkward pleasantries, he excused himself.
He had to get back to practicing the Resurrection Ghost Immortal Needle.
...
Summer turned to autumn. The mountains surrounding the Azure Firmament Sect were cloaked in autumn colors. Below the mountain gate, down a hundred-foot stone staircase, stood a new courtyard with five rooms and a simple training ground at its center, where disciples often sparred.
A month had passed since Wu Baoyu joined the Azure Firmament Sect. Four more disciples had been recruited by Zhang Yuchun from down the mountain.
One afternoon, Li Qingqiu sat before the mountain gate, idly examining the small dagger Jiang Kuotian had given him the previous year.
Yang Jueding came and sat beside him, gazing down at Wu Baoyu, who was watching disciples spar in the training ground below.
Dressed in the Azure Firmament Sect's robes, Wu Baoyu had the bearing of a true martial grandmaster. Though gaunt and slightly stooped, with his hands clasped behind his back, just standing there, he exuded an extraordinary presence.
At fifty, his hair was already streaked with gray, but his eyes remained sharp and piercing.
"This Senior Wu is truly remarkable. He might be a supreme expert. Even after cultivating the Chaos Genesis Scripture and reaching the first layer of the Nourishing Origin stage, I'm still not confident I could defeat him."
Yang Jueding spoke softly, a note of awe in his voice. Every time he met Wu Baoyu's gaze, he felt unsettled, so he avoided him when possible.
Wu Baoyu was a man of few words, but occasionally he would offer guidance to the younger disciples. A few casual remarks could illuminate what had previously confused them. Privately, the disciples held him in very high regard.
Li Qingqiu looked up and smiled. "He is indeed remarkable. But that's a good thing, isn't it? How many in the Azure Cult do you think could match him?"
"The Azure Cult's current influence suggests they must have supreme experts of their own—likely their leader. But I still think you should be cautious around Wu Baoyu. Something feels off. Hanging around the forests near the Taikun Mountain Range waiting for experts to challenge him? It sounds far-fetched. I suspect he's here for the Azure Firmament Sect—not because of your master, but because of your grandmaster."
Yang Jueding's expression was serious. He feared Li Qingqiu might trust Wu Baoyu too readily.
Li Qingqiu nodded slightly. Since joining the Azure Firmament Sect, Wu Baoyu's loyalty score wasn't high, but it consistently stayed above sixty, so Li Qingqiu hadn't interfered.
Worth noting: Wu Baoyu had no special Destiny tags. Though a supreme expert in martial arts, his aptitude for immortality cultivation was mediocre.