Healing the sick and saving lives!
Many disciples already knew that both the Sect Master and Elder Li Dongyue were skilled in medicine, but this was the first time Qingxiao Sect had actually earned money through medical practice. Naturally, curiosity ran high. Disciples crowded near the new courtyard to watch the scene unfold.
Li Dongyue used her Secret Technique — Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles. With just three precise needles, she cured the merchant's daughter completely. The result left the merchant stunned. Overjoyed, he immediately pulled out a piece of green jade from his robe as thanks, claiming it could fetch one thousand taels of silver. Yang Jueding inspected it and confirmed—it was indeed worth that much.
The merchant's surname was Liu, given name Fanzhou. He wasn't a native of Guzhou but did business there. He was a round, heavyset man who couldn't stop sweating after climbing the mountain. Two bodyguards accompanied him, each armed with blades and carrying his luggage.
His daughter's illness was indeed strange—but not fatal. Some hidden meridians had been blocked by impurities, obstructing her qi flow. After Li Dongyue's three needles cleared the blockages, the girl's energy instantly returned. She began hopping around the room full of life, bringing tears to Liu Fanzhou's eyes.
For such a wealthy patron, Li Qingqiu personally greeted him with full courtesy.
"Master Li," Liu Fanzhou said as they sat drinking tea, "your Qingxiao Sect truly carries the air of an immortal dao sect. I wonder—do you also practice arts of exorcising evil? I know a man tormented by demonic entities. If you could help him, he'd reward you handsomely. He's far richer than I am."
Seated beside Li Qingqiu was Zhang Yuchun, who perked up instantly at the mention of such wealth.
Zhang had heard of Liu Fanzhou before during his travels—a famous name among merchants. This was no common trader; this was a true magnate.
"Richer than you?" Zhang Yuchun blurted out. "Just how rich are we talking?"
Li Qingqiu shot him a glare. This brat—so shamelessly greedy! Couldn't he at least wait until the guest had left?
Liu Fanzhou chuckled. "My fortune doesn't even reach one-tenth of his. But his status is different. He walks the white path—an official."
Ah, so he was a government man.
Both Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun immediately understood. In these times, officials were always the richest people around.
"Tell me," Li Qingqiu said, "what exactly do you mean by 'tormented by demons'?"
As a cultivator, he wasn't afraid of such matters—in fact, he was intrigued.
Liu Fanzhou's smile faded. "His mansion becomes haunted every midnight. Every living thing inside—other than humans—dies before dawn. He's searched the entire place multiple times, found nothing. He even invited experts from the White Emperor Mansion to guard the place, but it made no difference. The moment any nonhuman creature is brought in, whether under guard or not, it dies mysteriously at the hour of the rat."
"Did anyone witness how it happened?" Li Qingqiu asked.
"Of course," Liu said. "He stationed four first-rate experts to keep watch over the chicken coop. But when midnight struck, every chicken dropped dead on the spot. Those experts nearly fainted from fright."
Just recalling it made Liu Fanzhou shiver. Sweat beaded on his forehead again.
"So cursed?" Zhang Yuchun said, frowning. "Sounds like something we shouldn't get involved in."
Liu Fanzhou nodded vigorously. "Exactly! It's far too strange. If that isn't the work of evil spirits, what else could it be? Many experts have tried and failed. The mansion is official property, so they can't demolish it unless lives are lost. The poor man can only endure it—living every night in fear."
Li Qingqiu listened thoughtfully. If it were truly haunted, how could people still live there?
Still, it wasn't worth his personal attention. Sending disciples might drag them into trouble. After a brief consideration, he decided not to take the job.
"Exorcising demons is an immortal art," Li Qingqiu said calmly. "Though Qingxiao Sect pursues the immortal path, we are still within the realm of martial cultivation. I'm afraid this matter is beyond us."
Liu Fanzhou didn't seem disappointed. He had mentioned it casually anyway—it was someone else's problem, not his.
He remained fascinated by Qingxiao Sect. To him, Li Dongyue's three-needle cure bordered on the miraculous. He asked permission to stay for three days on the mountain. Li Qingqiu agreed readily—there were plenty of guest lodgings at the foot of the sect.
After chatting a while longer, Li Qingqiu excused himself and left Zhang Yuchun to accompany the guest.
Zhang, ever curious about trade and commerce, peppered Liu Fanzhou with questions. Over the next three days, the two became quite friendly.
By the third evening, Liu's daughter Liu Yan refused to leave. She insisted on becoming Li Dongyue's disciple. Unable to persuade her, Liu Fanzhou pleaded with Li Qingqiu, who finally agreed.
After Liu Yan's formal apprenticeship, Li Qingqiu immediately opened the Dao Lineage Interface to check her attributes.
Unfortunately, the once-ill girl showed no special Fate. Her Cultivation Aptitude and Comprehension were both Mediocre.
Over time, Li Qingqiu had grown used to this. Mediocrity now seemed a blessing, considering how many others ranked Extremely Low or Unranked in aptitude.
Still, Liu Fanzhou was overjoyed. His daughter had joined a sect—his dream fulfilled. Before leaving, he promised to send back a grand gift as gratitude.
That, at least, was a pleasant surprise.
When night fell, Li Qingqiu made his way alone to the Underground Spiritual Lake. With his current cultivation, descending from the peak took only moments.
He retrieved the small blade once gifted by Jiang Kuatian, and once again channeled his vital energy into it.
Back when he was only at the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, he had failed to subdue it. But even then, he had noticed the backlash force weakening. That convinced him—upon reaching the fifth layer, success was inevitable.
The lake shimmered with faint light, the spirit stones embedded along the cave walls glinting like distant stars. A soft wind hummed through the cavern, adding an eerie stillness to the air.
Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged beside the water, his robes fluttering gently. As he infused the blade with vital energy, the surrounding aura began to stir, streams of qi swirling slowly around him.
Time passed in silence.
The small blade in Li Qingqiu's hand began to glow with a silvery light. He opened his eyes, and joy instantly flashed across his face.
He had succeeded!
He had finally broken through the restrictive seal within the blade and left his own vital energy imprint upon it. As the bond formed, he felt a subtle spiritual link connecting him to the weapon—along with a stream of information flowing into his mind.
The weapon's name was Flying Fish Blade. It carried its own innate spell and could cut through vital energy with unparalleled sharpness.
"No wonder it's a true cultivation weapon. It's filled with endless mysteries."
Li Qingqiu was fascinated by the intricate seals embedded within. These were imprints made from vital energy, capable of storing information and transforming physical mechanisms into intangible forms. It was far beyond the realm of ordinary martial arts.
If I can truly understand these seals, he thought, perhaps I'll uncover the method to forge my own spiritual weapons.
One day, every disciple of Qingxiao Sect must wield a weapon of this caliber—only then would it truly be a sect of cultivation, not merely martial arts.
He began practicing with the Flying Fish Blade. Now that it had recognized him as its master, it moved as smoothly as an extension of his arm. The more he used it, the more he liked it.
Afterward, he left the Underground Spiritual Lake and made his way into the forest. There, he threw the Flying Fish Blade forward, testing the limit of his control.
Even after it flew beyond his sight, he could still sense its position and distance—a strange but exhilarating sensation. The farther it went, the weaker his control became.
After flying about three hundred zhang away—roughly one thousand meters—the link between them faded. He walked forward a few steps and immediately felt the connection return, then raised his hand and called it back.
Three hundred zhang—quite the range!
In modern terms, it was almost like the reach of a sniper rifle.
With a crisp whoosh, the blade sliced through the air. Li Qingqiu lifted his hand and caught the returning weapon. The moment it landed in his palm, its force dispersed perfectly—smooth and silent, without even the slightest shock.
"Utterly beyond science," he murmured with a smile, "only the wonders of cultivation can explain this."
He ran his fingers along the blade's edge, withdrawing the spiritual energy within it. Instantly, it lost its glow and appeared no different from an ordinary weapon. Only then did he relax.
Even if I meet other cultivators in the future, they won't easily recognize the blade's true nature.
"I'll have to forge a fitting sheath for this blade—and hang it at my waist."
Muttering to himself, Li Qingqiu started back up the mountain, walking lightly and leaving no trace of footsteps on the ground.
As he passed through a wooded grove, he caught the faint sound of a sword slicing through the air. He turned his head toward the noise.
Curiosity piqued, he stepped closer and saw a young man practicing sword forms among the trees. Looking carefully, he recognized the youth—it was Xue Jin, one of the Thirteen Swords of Qingxiao's Might.
Xue Jin was one of the few disciples in Qingxiao Sect with Fair Cultivation Aptitude and Fair Comprehension. Li Qingqiu had personally recommended him to join Jiang Zhaoxia's group, so his impression of the boy was deep.
But what was he doing training alone at this hour?
This spot was two or three li away from the Thirteen Swords' quarters. Was he trying to avoid being seen?
Li Qingqiu stayed hidden and watched quietly. Xue Jin's sword movements were fluid but unfamiliar. He realized that this was not the sword technique Jiang Zhaoxia had been teaching. He had attended several of Jiang's lessons—this form was different.
So the boy has secrets.
Li Qingqiu opened the Dao Lineage Interface and confirmed that Xue Jin's loyalty hadn't decreased. Seeing that, he chose not to interfere.
Everyone has secrets. As long as they don't endanger the sect, it doesn't matter.
…
Winter snow melted, and spring winds swept through the mountains.
After about one month, Liu Fanzhou returned—this time leading a group of over one hundred people. The team moved in a long line up the path, carrying tools and lumber. He had come to build a road up the mountain for Qingxiao Sect.
"Your sect is wonderful in every way," Liu Fanzhou said cheerfully as he wiped sweat from his round face, "but getting up here is too hard. The sedan can't make it, and I've had to climb the whole way myself! It's just not convenient. My daughter's a disciple here now, so I'll be visiting often. Without a proper road, this mountain will cost me years of my life."
His tone was half-joking, but his enthusiasm was real.
Li Qingqiu was genuinely moved. He thanked Liu repeatedly and couldn't bring himself to refuse.
First, Qingxiao Sect truly needed the road. Second, Liu had already brought so many workers—refusing now would only offend him, perhaps even turn goodwill into resentment.
Liu Fanzhou went on to promise, "From now on, wherever I go, I'll spread the word about Qingxiao Sect. I'll tell everyone to come here for healing."
Li Qingqiu smiled and said, "We appreciate your kindness, Master Liu. But when you tell others, please don't exaggerate too much. If my junior sister fails to cure someone, it'll hurt both our sect's reputation and your own face."
"Understood, understood!" Liu waved his sleeve and laughed. "Don't worry—I know what I'm doing!"
Li Qingqiu found himself liking this man more and more. He decided that once Liu Yan's loyalty reached a proper level, he would teach her the first-layer heart method of the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra.
After chatting a bit longer, Liu Fanzhou was pulled away by Zhang Yuchun. Though the two men were twenty-three years apart in age, they got along like old friends—kindred spirits with endless stories to share.
Building a mountain road was no easy task, especially across the long stretches of rugged terrain. Liu Fanzhou left one trusted servant behind to oversee the craftsmen while he took his two bodyguards and went back down the mountain for business.
Standing at the peak, Li Qingqiu looked out over the endless ridges. With his sharp eyes, he could faintly make out the tiny figures of the laborers working far below.
To prosper, one must first build roads, he thought.
Everything was slowly moving in the right direction.