Chapter 20: Apprenticeship

Seeing the azure-robed man, who looked like an immortal, slowly appear in the courtyard, Li Xiangping's mouth immediately felt bitter, and he thought to himself: "Damn it, it seems the owner of that artifact has come!"

He instantly became terrified and uneasy, feeling that this person was quite mysterious and unfathomable. He looked up at Li Chijing and Li Tongya; although they appeared calm, their eyes betrayed their unease, likely sharing Li Xiangping's thought.

"I am the Peak Master of Qinghui Peak, Qingchi Sect." Si Yuanbai smiled slightly. Seeing the Li family members' extreme vigilance, unlike the usual prostration of common folk, he became even more convinced of his judgment and replied with a smile: "There's no need to be nervous, everyone. This Gu Li Dao belongs to my Qingchi Sect. Since you've cultivated the immortal path, you naturally fall under the Qingchi Sect's jurisdiction."

Seeing that this person was not looking for the artifact, Li Tongya and the others immediately relaxed, and their hostility towards Si Yuanbai significantly diminished. Li Tongya cupped his fists and respectfully said: "We are humble villagers, ignorant and ill-informed. We inadvertently became Xuanjing cultivators and did not know what a great sect your esteemed sect is. We apologize for our rudeness to the envoy."

Si Yuanbai was taken aback, then immediately understood. Gu Li Dao had not sent anyone to manage it for several hundred years, and these villagers didn't even know the name of the Qingchi Sect. So he performed a hand seal, and a lifelike image of the Yue Kingdom appeared before everyone.

This display immediately stunned the Li family members. Although Li Chijing and the others had learned spells and could summon spiritual power, they struggled to even form a simple shape, let alone intricately control it to create a map.

"This is the Yue Kingdom." With a thought from Si Yuanbai, a patch of azure light immediately appeared on the southern part of the Yue Kingdom in his hand. This patch occupied roughly a quarter of the Yue Kingdom. "This is my Qingchi Sect."

"So it's the Qingchi Immortal Sect." Li Mutian cupped his hands and said: "When I was young, I followed General Yang in attacking the mountain Yue. The talismans used then must have been issued by the Qingchi Immortal Sect."

"By no means can we bear the title 'Immortal Sect'." Si Yuanbai repeatedly waved his hand and said to Li Xiangping and the other two: "Since you have entered the gate of Xuanjing, the villages bordering Gu Li Dao will be under your jurisdiction. You only need to remember to annually provide the resources and supplies required by the sect. There are also several other families in Gu Li Dao. Your family's foundation is shallow, so it's best to yield when possible and avoid excessive disputes. Every five years, the sect will send people to recruit new disciples to the mountain. If an outstanding individual emerges from your clan, it will greatly benefit your family."

Li Tongya's expression subtly changed, and he quietly inquired: "May I ask about these resources and supplies..."

"Ten White Yuan Fruits and two hundred catties of Spirit Rice annually." Si Yuanbai said solemnly: "These resources are absolutely indispensable. It would be best if you had a disciple enter the sect. Otherwise, deductions will be inevitable..."

Si Yuanbai had made his intentions so clear that Li Tongya understood perfectly. The few exchanged glances, and Li Mutian thought to himself: "This person appeared precisely when Jing'er broke through, neither too early nor too late. He most likely wants Jing'er to join the Qingchi Sect. This might not be so bad. Jing'er's talent is exceptional; it's a pity for him to be confined to these deep mountains. It would be better for him to go to that immortal sect and fully utilize his abilities, and our family would also have support."

Thinking this, Li Mutian nodded gently to Li Chijing. Li Chijing immediately understood his father's unspoken message, then bowed deeply to Si Yuanbai and respectfully said: "Though Chijing's talent is dull, he greatly admires the Peak Master's grace and wishes to become a sweeping boy under your tutelage, humbly listening to your immortal teachings."

"Excellent. You should indeed join my Qinghui Peak." Si Yuanbai did not stand on ceremony. He smiled and nodded, then slapped his left hand on his waist. Two bundles, one large and one small, appeared on the ground. Seeing their astonished expressions, he explained: "These are storage pouches. You'll be able to use them once you cultivate the Jade Capital Wheel. The larger bundle contains the Spirit Rice seeds, and the smaller one contains the White Yuan Fruit pits."

Si Yuanbai flipped his left hand, revealing several wooden slips, and continued: "You don't need to be a mere sweeping boy. Since you've become my disciple, you should know my name. Your master's surname is Si, given name Yuanbai. I am also a Peak Master in the Qingchi Sect, so I naturally won't let you be wronged. These three scrolls contain cultivation methods for rogue cultivators in the Yue Kingdom; your family can study and learn from them. The other scroll contains the cultivation methods for Spirit Rice and White Yuan Fruits. You all must study it diligently!"

The few softly acknowledged, and Si Yuanbai said with a smile: "There's no need to be so tense. What cultivation method do you practice?"

Li Xiangping and the others immediately seemed to be facing a formidable enemy. They exchanged glances, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Seeing their hesitant demeanor, Si Yuanbai suddenly understood and waved his hand repeatedly, saying: "I understand, I understand. Presumably, that senior had given some instructions." Si Yuanbai had only successfully established his foundation last year, so he naturally regarded the cultivator who had done so ten years ago as a senior.

Hearing this, Li Mutian coughed, stepped out from behind the others, and softly said: "Over ten years ago, this old man saved a senior. That senior recuperated at my home for a few years, left behind this cultivation method, and instructed me not to reveal it. After speaking, he drifted away..."

"Exactly!" Si Yuanbai nodded gently, feeling secretly pleased with his cleverness, and mused: "It's probably just a Spirit Wheel nurturing method, what else could it be? Surely not some immortal art of absorbing moonlight and gathering yang essence? There's no need to force it and hurt my disciple's feelings." Glancing compassionately at the old man, Si Yuanbai flipped his palm, revealing a light azure jade seal. He gently stroked the seal, and it slowly lit up with a golden glow, revealing several large golden characters: "Under Qingchi Governance."

Si Yuanbai looked at everyone and said: "This is the credential of my Qingchi Sect's jurisdiction. I have imbued it with a magic seal. With this, you can demarcate your territory with the surrounding families and also seek help from the sect. Take good care of it." He held out his left hand, and the jade seal slowly descended into Li Tongya's hand. Watching Li Tongya put the jade seal away, Si Yuanbai smiled and turned to Li Chijing, saying: "My good disciple, say goodbye to your family."

Li Chijing, with teary eyes, hugged his two elder brothers, then knelt and kowtowed several times before Li Mutian, sobbing: "Your unfilial son cannot serve you, parents, by your knees from now on. I hope you both take good care of your health."

Li Mutian coughed a few times, then quickly helped Li Chijing up and instructed him: "Your two brothers will handle family matters; there's no need to worry. Cultivate diligently within the sect and become the pillar of our Li family."

After bidding farewell to his two brothers, Li Chijing reluctantly walked to Si Yuanbai's side and replied: "Master, your disciple has already said goodbye to his family."

Si Yuanbai nodded repeatedly, ignoring Li Tongya and the others who were bowing low. He chuckled to himself and muttered: "Since I've gained an excellent disciple today, I'll let that pig demon off the hook!" With that, he pulled Li Chijing, who was on the ground, to his feet and gently beckoned. A flying shuttle slowly appeared before them. He performed another hand seal, and the shuttle elongated several times over. The two stepped onto the shuttle and departed northward like a shooting star.