From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 24 Returning to Qingxiao Sect

Sunlight pierced the earth, sweeping across Qiyue Town at the foot of the mountain.

Inside an inn, a woman in black looked at an old man in a gray robe sitting opposite her, her face full of impatience.

"You're really quick. I just arrived, and you found me first thing the next morning."

The woman in black spoke coldly, leaving the gray-robed old man feeling helpless.

The gray-robed old man looked to be over seventy years old, with even brown spots on his face. He sighed and said, "Miss, don't act rashly anymore. With your current martial arts skills, you will definitely suffer if you go against the Seven Mountains Alliance. Moreover, I have learned that something big has happened to the Seven Mountains Alliance. Now, anyone who dares to provoke them will definitely face a fierce counterattack."

"what's up?"

The woman in black asked, her mind involuntarily turning to Li Qingqiu. She was very curious about what Li Qingqiu was going to do at the Seven Mountains Alliance.

The gray-robed old man's face was solemn as he said, "Last night, Lu Taidou, the first leader of the Seven Mountains Alliance, was murdered in his own house. It is said that another leader was beaten to death while trying to stop the murderer."

Upon hearing this, the woman in black's expression changed drastically, and she looked astonished. She suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder the Seven Mountains Alliance made such a big commotion last night.

only……

To kill Lü Taidou?
How exactly did he do it?
The woman in black recalled how Li Qingqiu had flicked his finger and knocked her sword away, and she realized that he might indeed have that kind of skill.

How can someone so young be so strong?

Is he an expert in anti-aging and makeup techniques?
The more she thought about it, the more alarmed she became. That was Lu Taidou, a top-tier master whose every stomp could shake the martial arts world of Guzhou.

Moreover, Lü Taidou died within the Seven Mountains Alliance, which is utterly unbelievable.

She looked up at the old man in the gray robe and quickly asked, "Who did this?"

The old man in the gray robe shook his head and said, "I don't know. It is said that the man had three heads and six arms, like a demon god descended to earth, and was unstoppable. He also took two children with him. Maybe he went there for those two children."

The woman in black couldn't help but roll her eyes and said irritably, "What do you mean by three heads and six arms? You actually believe that?"

"That's what the Seven Mountains Alliance said; I'm just relaying it," the gray-robed elder shrugged.

He paused, then said earnestly, "Miss, the Seven Mountains Alliance is about to be plunged into a huge turmoil, with internal power struggles and external enemies attacking. The things that trouble you may dissipate on their own, so why take the risk yourself?"

The woman in black sneered and said, "Now that Lu Taidou is dead, my troubles have naturally disappeared. Don't worry, I will go back with you today."

The old man in the gray robe breathed a sigh of relief, stroked his beard, and nodded.

The woman in black hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Could you have someone investigate who killed Lü Taidou? I just want to know his name."

"I'll do my best. It was dark last night, and finding out his name won't be an easy task." The gray-robed old man didn't think much of it and casually agreed.

The image of Li Qingqiu flashed through the woman's mind again, and curiosity arose in her heart.

Who exactly is this person, that he dares to openly come to the Seven Mountains Alliance and then go up the mountain to kill people?

What grudges did he have with the Seven Mountains Alliance?
……

After leaving the Seven Mountains Alliance, Li Qingqiu traveled hundreds of miles before finally finding refuge in the mountains to rest and recover his strength.

Afterwards, he used the Rejuvenating Ghostly Needle to treat Xiao Yuanli's body, while Yuan Qi collected flowers, fruits, and water on the mountain.

After a day of rest, they continued their journey, taking a route that bypassed official roads and avoiding any encounters with anyone.

With the help of the Gale Technique, Li Qingqiu was very fast on his feet. Although he couldn't keep up with the speed of a carriage, he wasn't much slower either.

Li Qingqiu finally breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived at the foot of Qingxiao Mountain.

Looking at the towering, undulating mountains ahead, Yuan Qi was filled with confusion. Why did it feel like he was getting further and further away?

In his mind, martial arts sects must be located near towns so that it would be convenient to recruit disciples and enslave the people.

"Once we get up the mountain, you must not mention the Seven Mountains Alliance to anyone, and don't say that I've been to the Seven Mountains Alliance. You are just orphans who followed the refugees and were brought back by me, understand?"

Li Qingqiu, carrying Yuanli, walked ahead and said that he was carrying a large bundle, which he had bought yesterday when passing through a town.

Yuan Qi, who was following behind, nodded and replied, "I know, big brother. Don't worry, I will definitely not cause you any trouble."

Li Qingqiu began to introduce the situation of Qingxiao Sect. Yuan Qi had never heard of Qingxiao Sect before, but he heard that the disciples of Qingxiao Sect were all very young, which aroused his anticipation.

In the Seven Mountains Alliance, he only encountered adults and was always bullied by them. Now he is very afraid of entering an environment full of adults.

Hearing about the situation at Qingxiao Sect, Yuan Qi grew bolder and began asking questions incessantly, which Li Qingqiu answered patiently one by one.

The journey from the foot of the mountain to the entrance of Qingxiao Gate was long, and it took them half a day.

Ten days have passed since Li Qingqiu killed Lü Taidou.

It was almost dusk.

Looking at the gate of Qingxiao Sect, Li Qingqiu felt a sense of closeness to it, even though it was not as grand as the Seven Mountains Alliance's. His tense nerves completely relaxed.

He saw a child squatting in front of the mountain gate, playing with pebbles; it was Li Sifeng.

"Sifeng, why are you slacking off again?" Li Qingqiu's voice rang out, startling Li Sifeng so much that he quickly stood up and turned around to look.

Upon seeing his face, Li Qingqiu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Half a month later, Li Sifeng's face was still covered in bruises, but fortunately there was no swelling. However, when Li Sifeng smiled, the sight of him with several missing teeth was truly comical.

Li Qingqiu suppressed her laughter immediately.

Don't laugh, that's too immoral. After all, Li Sifeng was injured for the sake of Qingxiao Sect.

"Big Brother!"

Li Sifeng shouted in surprise, then ran down like a gust of wind. His voice was so loud that it startled the disciples in the sect.

Just as he arrived in front of Li Qingqiu, Yang Jueding, Jiang Zhaoxia, and Xu Ning stepped on the mountain wall and quickly arrived at the mountain gate. Yuan Qi was stunned by their lightness skills.

"You haven't been naughty lately, have you?" Li Qingqiu asked with a smile, patting Li Sifeng's head.

Li Sifeng hugged Li Qingqiu tightly around the waist, choking back tears, "Senior Brother, I was so worried about you! Why were you gone for so long? I thought you didn't want us anymore..."

More and more disciples ran out of the sect. When they saw Li Qingqiu, they were all very excited. Li Qingqiu also saw six unfamiliar faces, which should be the six sons of the Qin family.

Two days ago, Li Qingqiu noticed that six new disciples had appeared on the Daoist panel. Unfortunately, their aptitudes were all ordinary and they did not have any special destinies, so Li Qingqiu did not pay much attention to them and did not even remember their faces.

Jiang Zhaoxia quickly landed beside Li Qingqiu, carefully examined him, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was not injured.

Li Sijin hugged Li Qingqiu, overjoyed, while Li Dongyue stood beside her, her eyes brimming with tears.

Yang Jueding also breathed a sigh of relief. He had concealed the fact that Li Qingqiu had gone to the Seven Mountains Alliance. He was almost overwhelmed by the pressure, but fortunately Li Qingqiu had returned.

"Senior brother, where did you go? Why did you take so long?" Jiang Zhaoxia asked, her tone resentful.

Li Qingqiu smiled and said, "Didn't I tell Yuchun that I went to patrol the mountain? I was just held up by other things along the way. By the way, let me introduce you. The boy behind me is called Yuan Qi, and the one I'm holding in my arms is his younger brother, Yuan Li. They will also be disciples of Qingxiao Sect in the future."

These words immediately diverted everyone's attention.

Yang Jueding moved closer to Yuan Qi and observed him closely, making him very uncomfortable.

Xu Ning's growth proved Li Qingqiu's foresight. Not to mention Yang Jueding, the other disciples were also curious about what kind of talent Yuan Qi had that could attract Li Qingqiu.

Zhang Yuchun looked at Li Qingqiu with a furrowed brow, while Wu Man'er just kept grinning foolishly without saying a word.

"Alright, let's go inside and talk. Prepare our food."

Li Qingqiu interrupted the group's discussion and urged them on. The group continued up the mountain chatting and laughing. Because the disciples were all young and energetic, they couldn't stop talking once they started.

"Senior brother, let me hold the child."

Li Dongyue came to Li Qingqiu's side and said softly.

Li Qingqiu did not refuse and handed the gift to her.

After returning to the courtyard, Zhang Yuchun took Yuan Qi to take a bath, while Li Dongyue and Li Sijin took Yuan Li to take a bath.

Li Qingqiu sat at the table, his gaze falling on the six members of the Qin family standing together. There were four boys and two girls, all eleven years old. The fact that he could find six members of similar age was enough to show that the Qin family was indeed thriving.

Facing the sect leader's gaze, the six sons of the Qin family were all very nervous. Before they came, Qin Jue had instructed them that once they arrived at Qingxiao Sect, they must be obedient, and anyone who was sent back early would be severely punished.

"Come sit down and introduce yourself."

Li Qingqiu smiled gently and waved to the six sons of the Qin family.

Seeing his smile, the six Qin family members relaxed and came over to introduce themselves.

Li Qingqiu chatted casually with them, trying to build rapport.

The cooking was done by three of the Seven Masters of Qingxiao. They were quick and efficient, and the food was heated up and served to Li Qingqiu in no time.

Li Qingqiu didn't wait for Yuan Qi and started eating on her own.

Yang Jueding sat to the side, wanting to ask Li Qingqiu a question, but with others around, he could only hold back.

After a while, Zhang Yuchun, Yuan Qi, and Li Dongyue also arrived in the courtyard. All the members of Qingxiao Sect gathered together, a total of twenty-four people.

Although it was far less grand than the Seven Mountains Alliance, it still made Li Qingqiu feel satisfied.

He believed that in ten years, these disciples would all be able to stand on their own.

Li Dongyue sat on the other side of Li Qingqiu, propping her cheek with one hand, and said with emotion, "Senior brother, the way you came back reminded me of Master. When Master brought Sifeng and Sijin back, he was just like you, holding Sijin in his arms and Sifeng following behind."

These words drew nods from Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, and Wu Man'er, who began to reminisce about Lin Xunfeng.

This made the disciples even more curious about Lin Xunfeng. Just what kind of heroic figure was their grandmaster?
Yang Jueding said, "Lin Xunfeng is indeed chivalrous, but he has not been of much help to Qingxiao Sect. Since its founding, Qingxiao Sect has never recruited disciples on a large scale, so I think the current Qingxiao Sect has no connection with the past."

Li Qingqiu glanced at him, secretly pleased. After not seeing him for a few days, Yang Jueding had become more sensible.

Zhang Yuchun continued, "That's right. Master abandoned us and left. From now on, Qingxiao Sect will only have one sect leader. We are the new Qingxiao Sect. It's just that Senior Brother is nostalgic and is using the old name."

　Thank you to Shattered Shadows Dancing in the Setting Sun for the 500 Qidian Coins donation!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)