"Alright, enough about him. Let's talk about you. Do you really intend to stay at the Azure Firmament Sect for good?"
Li Qingqiu turned to look at Yang Jueding, his expression growing serious.
Yang Jueding was taken aback. "What do you mean? Are you trying to kick me down the mountain?"
Li Qingqiu shook his head. "You joined the Azure Firmament Sect because you were gravely wounded and we saved you. Your original intention wasn't to become a disciple. Now your injuries have healed, and your strength has even improved. You could go back to doing whatever you wanted before."
Yang Jueding frowned. "You taught me your ultimate technique. You'd be content to let me leave?"
"You've taught the Azure Firmament Sect disciples plenty of martial arts as well—even the palm techniques passed down from your own master, which you taught to Man'er. Why wouldn't I be content? You owe us nothing, and we owe you nothing. After all this time together, we've become friends, haven't we? Wanting to see a friend do well—that's only natural, isn't it?"
Li Qingqiu's voice was calm. His gaze drifted back down the mountain.
Yang Jueding fell silent at these words.
Li Qingqiu didn't press him. He watched the disciples sparring below and nodded slightly with approval. The progress of these martial arts practitioners was quite good. With another ten years of training, they should be able to stand on their own.
His plan was to wait until the Azure Firmament Sect became the number one martial arts power in the land, then announce its transformation into an immortal cultivation sect. Before that, he would only secretly cultivate those with high talent and contributions as immortal practitioners.
Such a plan required time. And they were young—time was something they had.
Yang Jueding took a deep breath. "If I go down the mountain, I'll just drift aimlessly. I may be called the Dragon Subduing Hero, but I can only help those right in front of me—and even then, I might leave behind more trouble for them. Better to stay at the Azure Firmament Sect and watch it grow from a small sprout into a towering tree. That has meaning too. If the Azure Firmament Sect someday becomes a major martial power like the Seven Peaks Alliance, I'll be able to help even more people."
His tone carried a hint of melancholy. Clearly, there was a story buried there.
Li Qingqiu summoned the Daoist Legacy panel. Seeing that Yang Jueding's loyalty scores had both broken through to over ninety, he felt satisfied.
Loyalty might not only go up—it could also fall—but an increase meant a strengthened sense of belonging.
Li Qingqiu stood and looked down at Yang Jueding with a smile. "Since you've decided to stay, then let's spread our wings. The Azure Firmament Sect is still in its early stages. We need hands in every area. My goal is to have the Azure Firmament Sect cover the entire Taikun Mountain Range—to have disciples' quarters and training grounds scattered across all these peaks."
Hearing this, Yang Jueding rose as well. He sighed helplessly. "The Taikun Mountain Range is enormous. The martial world has never seen a sect that large. At most, a sect might control such a vast territory."
He understood Li Qingqiu's meaning. If the Azure Firmament Sect reached that level, the number of disciples would be terrifying. Even an army couldn't use such a vast area as a training ground.
If Li Qingqiu actually pulled it off... by then, the Azure Firmament Sect might even be able to shake the foundations of the Great Li Dynasty.
Though it sounded far-fetched, why did it feel so exciting?
"It's just setting a goal." Li Qingqiu waved dismissively.
Yang Jueding's gaze grew firm. His expression turned serious as he replied, "Then I'll accompany you toward that goal."
Li Qingqiu smiled and tossed out a parting remark as he left: "Let's wait and see, shall we?"
He headed back into the sect, intending to practice in the back mountain forest.
Yang Jueding watched him disappear around the bend in the path beyond the mountain gate. He couldn't help muttering, "Kid's wise beyond his years, trying to win me over."
But the corner of his mouth lifted. He didn't dislike Li Qingqiu's little maneuvering. The young Sect Master's ambition truly intrigued him.
...
As the number of disciples in the Azure Firmament Sect grew, Li Qingqiu could carve out more time for cultivation. Currently, aside from himself, only Jiang Zhaoxia and Wu Man'er enjoyed such treatment. Even Xu Ning had to take on tasks.
The autumn colors deepened, and the temperature began to drop.
Another month passed.
One afternoon, after the midday meal, Li Qingqiu stood on a slope overlooking the farmland below. Zhang Yuchun and the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament were plowing alongside two farmers.
These two farmers were the fathers of two disciples, from the village at the mountain's foot. Zhang Yuchun had invited them up. The Azure Firmament Sect was preparing to develop its own fields. This spot was halfway down the mountain, about half an hour's walk from the sect—not too far.
Zhang Yuchun had also dug fish ponds, but transporting fish fry up the mountain in large quantities was difficult. They would have to be brought in batches.
Besides fields and fish ponds, there was also a horse paddock. When the Seven Peaks Alliance had attacked, they'd brought many horses. Yang Jueding and the disciples had recovered quite a few, and they still occasionally encountered strays in the forest.
Not only that—Li Qingqiu encouraged the disciples to keep pets and go hunting. Apart from martial arts, they could learn other skills. Every month, he had Zhang Yuchun invite different masters up the mountain to teach.
Scree—
A piercing cry descended from the sky. Li Qingqiu raised his arm, and a small black eagle swooped down, landing on it.
He turned his head and began playing with the little eagle.
Of the three chicks and two eggs Zhang Yuchun had brought back, two chicks had already flown away. Only this one remained. The two eggs had recently hatched, and the newborns couldn't yet fly.
The reason this one stayed, Li Qingqiu suspected, was because he regularly infused it with spiritual energy, fostering a dependency.
He wanted to see if this method could train the eagle into a spirit beast. So far, it seemed promising.
"I wonder when you'll gain sentience."
Li Qingqiu murmured, looking at the little eagle. The more he watched it, the more he liked it.
If one day he could ride it through the skies—that would be incredible.
He stood there, arm outstretched, watching the labor below.
He realized that compared to fighting and killing, he preferred this quiet, leisurely life. Watching his sect grow bit by bit brought a profound sense of accomplishment.
"Senior Brother! Senior Brother!"
A voice rang out from nearby, startling the eagle into flight. Li Qingqiu turned, frowning.
Li Sifeng approached at a rapid pace, a bamboo basket on his back. The kid made no attempt to hide his abilities, using Gale Skill to rush over, kicking up a trail of dust behind him.
He stopped before Li Qingqiu, hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
Li Qingqiu scolded him, "You're a senior disciple now. Why are you always so rushed and reckless? Can't you show some decorum?"
Li Sifeng looked up. "Officials have come up the mountain! They're heading straight for the Azure Firmament Sect!"
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu immediately said, "Go tell Cheng Canghai to hide."
"Got it!"
Li Sifeng ran back up the mountain like a small whirlwind.
Li Qingqiu suddenly realized that every time Li Sifeng came running to him like this, it brought bad news.
He didn't dwell on it. He stayed where he was, watching Zhang Yuchun and the others work. The Azure Firmament Sect now had enough confidence to handle trouble.
About half an hour later, just as Li Qingqiu was about to leave, he spotted a group emerging from the forest in the distance. At their head was a man in a fitted official robe, a blade at his waist, an official's cap on his head. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a piercing gaze that swept over Zhang Yuchun and the others as he advanced.
Behind him followed nine constables in uniform, also armed.
The official led his men to where Li Qingqiu stood. "I am Feng Dai, Magistrate of Blackstone County. I'm here tracking the King of Thieves, Cheng Canghai. What is your position in the Azure Firmament Sect?"
Li Qingqiu's sect robe was different from the other disciples'—more imposing. Feng Dai and his men had encountered several Azure Firmament disciples on their way up, so he immediately sensed Li Qingqiu wasn't an ordinary disciple.
"My name is Li Qingqiu, Sect Master of the Azure Firmament Sect. I've never heard of any King of Thieves. If you don't believe me, Magistrate, you're welcome to search the sect. The Azure Firmament Sect will fully cooperate." Li Qingqiu replied with a smile.
Sect Master?
Feng Dai was surprised. The other constables exchanged glances. At seventeen, Li Qingqiu looked far too young to be the head of a sect.
"Did your master Lin Xunfeng truly retire from the martial world?" Feng Dai couldn't help asking. Though he didn't move in martial circles, the county jail held plenty of martial artists, so he had some understanding of such matters.
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu's face fell into a look of lingering resentment. "Retire? Hardly. He was bewitched, obsessed with seeking immortality. He left me and my junior brothers and sisters with barely enough to eat or wear. We've had to fend for ourselves. When have you ever seen a martial sect planting its own fields?"
His words carried such genuine feeling that Feng Dai couldn't help but sympathize.
"I see. Well, let's go up and have a look. We'll try not to cause you any trouble." With that, Feng Dai headed up the mountain.
Li Qingqiu made no move to stop him. Instead, he walked down the mountain to find a place to cultivate.
When he wasn't visiting the underground spirit lake, he could practice anywhere. The vast forest was full of training spots.
...
Near dusk, Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, and the Seven Sons of Azure Firmament led the two farmers up the mountain. They planned to host a feast in their honor and let them stay the night.
Just past the mountain gate, Li Qingqiu saw many disciples crowded tightly around the courtyard entrance.
Had something happened?
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow but didn't quicken his pace.
A Sect Master must remain composed!
Zhang Yuchun, lacking such patience, dashed straight ahead.
"Make way, everyone!"
At Zhang Yuchun's call, the disciples turned and saw the Sect Master approaching. They quickly parted and saluted.
As they scattered, Li Qingqiu saw Feng Dai sitting in the center of the courtyard, legs crossed, circulating his energy. The nine constables surrounded him, eyeing the Azure Firmament Sect disciples warily.
"The Master is here!"
Qin Ye, spotting Li Qingqiu, shouted at the top of his lungs, drawing everyone's gaze.
Li Qingqiu strolled leisurely into the courtyard, his eyes sweeping across the scene. He spotted Yang Jueding, Wu Baoyu, and Zhang Yu—all present. Cheng Canghai was conspicuously absent.
"What's going on?"
Zhang Yuchun, walking ahead of Li Qingqiu, demanded.
Li Sifeng, crouched on the eaves, grinned. "This guy overestimated himself and insisted on challenging Grandpa Wu. One move and he was crippled! His men claim it's our fault and want to haul us off to the county jail."
Li Qingqiu looked at Wu Baoyu. Wu Baoyu was calmly splitting firewood, not pausing for Li Qingqiu's arrival.
Yang Jueding stood nearby, a gloating smile on his face.
Zhang Yu, brow furrowed, stared at Wu Baoyu, lost in thought.
Li Qingqiu walked up to the constables and, peering through their human wall, asked with concern, "Magistrate Feng, are you alright? I have some medical knowledge—I can help."
Feng Dai, pale-faced, opened his eyes at Li Qingqiu's words. He turned his head and gritted out, "Sect Master Li, this man is a Dharma Protector of a demonic sect that terrorized the martial world twenty years ago! He's deceived you! His crimes are endless—there's no evil he hasn't committed!"