From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 49 Ghosts, Five-Year Plan

reward?

Li Qingqiu's first thought was Bai Ning'er; the lucky one had made her move?
He stood up and followed Li Sifeng. Yuan Li, who was holding the Thousand Spirit Fruit, also stood up and followed behind the two of them.

"Tell me about your experience coming down the mountain," Li Qingqiu asked, turning her head to Li Sifeng.

Li Sifeng has now grown taller than his shoulders and is almost up to his earlobes, which makes him feel a little emotional.

This kid can finally stand on his own.

"Smooth sailing, punishing evil and making a name for ourselves, nothing much to say, just bandit suppression, we didn't encounter many masters at all." Li Sifeng said nonchalantly. This trip was far less exciting than the previous martial arts tournament, but unlike before, he was the leader, so he still felt a great sense of accomplishment.

At this moment, a group of disciples carried a large box into the courtyard gate, and Li Qingqiu and his companion stopped in their tracks.

Cheng Canghai followed him in. He looked at Li Qingqiu and said excitedly, "Sect Leader, come and see! There are so many treasures!"

They brought in three large boxes, each requiring two people to lift, making them appear very heavy.

Li Dongyue and Wu Man'er walked behind. Compared to their gains, Li Dongyue was more concerned about whether Wu Man'er was injured.

Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where did these valuables come from? Don't tell me they were a reward from the government; I don't believe it."

Li Sifeng stepped forward, opened a large box, and said with a smug smile, "This is what we got from suppressing bandits. Those mountain bandits were really rich, but they're wanted by the authorities, so they don't dare to spend their money."

Li Qingqiu walked to the large box and looked inside. It was filled with copper coins, gold and silver jewelry, as well as some paintings and books. These things looked very valuable.

He continued walking to the side to check the other two large boxes, which were also filled with valuables. The disciples who had followed Li Sifeng down the mountain to suppress the bandits all looked at Li Qingqiu expectantly, hoping to receive his praise.

Seeing that Li Qingqiu's expression hadn't changed much, Li Sifeng assumed his senior brother was unhappy, so he asked, "Senior Brother, is something wrong?"

“These valuables were obtained by bandits robbing people and families; they are all ill-gotten gains,” Li Qingqiu said.

These words made the disciples' hearts skip a beat, and Li Sifeng became even more anxious.

"What does the evil deeds of the bandits have to do with us? Senior Brother, you don't want us to return them, do you? Although we are highly skilled in martial arts and can kill bandits as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, this is still a life-threatening mission!" Li Sifeng said with wide eyes, speaking for the other disciples.

Li Qingqiu rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "Return it? Where to return it? If we return it to the government, it might get embezzled. Later, have your second senior brother take stock of it and take out two-thirds of the wealth to take down the mountain in batches to exchange for grain and cloth, which will be given to the people around Taikun Mountain to build a good reputation for Qingxiao Sect. This is what we deserve, and it is also your achievement."

“Each of you may choose one item from here as a reward.”

Upon hearing this, the disciples were overjoyed and thanked Li Qingqiu profusely.

The sect leader's words were very straightforward, but they were not offended. They could support the sect in doing good deeds, but they could not do so without expecting anything in return, especially since these assets were obtained at great risk.

Li Qingqiu took out an ancient bronze mirror from one of the large boxes, then stepped aside and gestured for his disciples to begin selecting one.

Li Sifeng didn't participate in the disciples' scramble. He walked to Li Qingqiu's side and whispered, "Senior Brother, isn't two-thirds a bit too much?"

"Two-thirds may seem like a lot, but when distributed to the villages and towns around Taikun Mountain, it is not much. To accomplish great things, one cannot be stingy. Moreover, this wealth was an unexpected gain, taken from the people and returned to the people."

Li Qingqiu said nonchalantly that the Qingxiao Sect was not short of money before, at least enough to cover daily expenses and various construction plans.

Moreover, distributing this wealth will attract a steady stream of disciples to the Qingxiao Sect, so in the long run, it's not a loss.

The more disciples there are, the greater the chance of a genius emerging. In the past six months, the cultivation aptitude of the new disciples has been very low. He had no choice but to follow Zhang Yuchun's advice to expand his reputation and attract more people to join the Qingxiao Sect.

Li Sifeng pursed his lips, having heard his senior brother say it this way, he had no choice but to give up.

Li Qingqiu leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Continue to take Bai Ning'er with you when you go down the mountain. I think that kid is quite talented. When you have time, give him some pointers."

After saying that, Li Qingqiu patted Li Sifeng on the shoulder, then picked up Yuan Li and walked towards the long table not far away.

After hearing this, Li Sifeng looked at Bai Ning'er with a strange expression. Because of her small stature, Bai Ning'er was squeezed between the two disciples, leaving only half of her body visible, which looked quite comical.

He didn't see anything special about this kid, but since it was recommended by his senior brother, he would naturally pay more attention to him in the future.

After putting Yuan Li down, Li Qingqiu went back to her room alone.

Li Sifeng's trip was indeed fruitful, but the real gain was not the wealth, but the mirror that Li Qingqiu had just picked up.

Back inside, Li Qingqiu closed the door, then sat down at the desk and took out the bronze mirror from his pocket.

The mirror exudes a faint aura of ghosts.

If Li Qingqiu hadn't practiced the Soul-Binding Spell, it would have been difficult to detect, let alone Li Sifeng, whose cultivation level was even lower.

The Soul-Binding Spell is no simple spell, and since Li Qingqiu only practices it occasionally and hasn't fully mastered it yet, the benefit of practicing the Soul-Binding Spell is that it makes him more sensitive to the soul.

The bronze mirror looked unremarkable, even somewhat old, and its surface wasn't very clear. He didn't rashly pour his vital energy into the mirror, but instead silently circulated the Soul-Binding Incantation, his gaze fixed intently on the mirror's surface.

In a daze, he saw a disheveled woman in white, barefoot, lying in the darkness in the mirror, which startled him so much that he quickly looked away.

Is there really a ghost?

This was not the first time Li Qingqiu had come into contact with magical artifacts, which indicated that cultivators had once existed on this land. As for why they were no longer seen, he had no idea.

After much deliberation, he decided it was best not to alert the ghost, as he couldn't determine how powerful the ghost in the mirror was; at least she was currently asleep.

He got up and placed the bronze mirror on the windowsill, just in time to avoid the direct sunlight.

After putting the bronze mirror away, Li Qingqiu left the room.

The sunlight outside the window gradually dimmed until night fell, and the bronze mirror was completely plunged into darkness.

……

The Spring Festival has arrived once again, and compared with previous years, Qingxiaomen has some new faces, making the festival more lively year by year.

Chickens and pigs were slaughtered, and firecrackers were set off. This year's festival was much grander than last year's, allowing all the disciples to feel the sincerity of the higher-ups.

After three days of revelry, Jiang Zhaoxia and Li Sifeng each led a group down the mountain: one to seek revenge, and the other to uphold justice.

Once they left, Qingxiao Gate became quiet.

At noon, in a grove of trees, nine disciples stood side by side in front of Li Qingqiu, each with an excited expression and their eyes fixed on him.

These nine disciples were the ones who made the fastest progress in martial arts throughout the past year. Li Qingqiu will fulfill his promise and pass on the first level of the Hunyuan Scripture to them.

"The Hunyuan Scripture is a unique skill of the Qingxiao Sect. Once you have mastered the first level of the Hunyuan Scripture, you can become a true disciple. I will not ask you how long it will take to master it. Even if you only master the first level after thirty years, I will still teach you the second level of the mental cultivation method. There is one thing you must remember: the Hunyuan Scripture must not be passed on to outsiders. Even if you go down the mountain to start a family in the future, you must not pass it on to your descendants. If the Qingxiao Sect discovers that someone not on the register has mastered the Hunyuan Scripture, no matter where they are, the Qingxiao Sect will definitely hunt them down until they die."

Li Qingqiu spoke seriously, and these words calmed down the nine disciples.

"Of course, if your children wish to cultivate the Hunyuan Scripture in the future, you can recommend them to join the Qingxiao Sect and receive the inheritance openly and honestly, understand?"

Li Qingqiu softened his tone and spoke earnestly.

Once more people practice the Hunyuan Scripture, it will inevitably spread sooner or later. All he can do is set rules in advance.

He would only pass on the Hunyuan Scripture layer by layer, ensuring that no one could surpass him without his knowledge.

Seeing that his disciples were somewhat frightened, Li Qingqiu stopped talking and began to teach them the Hunyuan Scripture mental method and how to meditate and absorb qi.

Once you reach the first level of the Nourishing Essence Realm, you will be qualified to roam the martial world.

Once you reach the second level of the Nourishing Essence Realm, you can roam freely like Yang Jueding.

At the third level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm, one can rival anyone in the martial arts world of Guzhou.

Li Qingqiu's current goal is to train one hundred cultivators at the first level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm for the Qingxiao Sect within five years.

This goal is not easy to achieve; for many, the first level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm is an insurmountable barrier.

Li Qingqiu only taught them for two days before sending the nine disciples to cultivate on their own.

The nine disciples have different friends, and they are all asked about this matter in private. They are tight-lipped and have not revealed the Hunyuan Scripture, but they have proven that the sect leader was not lying. As long as they complete their own tasks and practice martial arts diligently, they will have the opportunity to come into contact with the sect's unique skills.

Since Li Sifeng led his men down the mountain, Zhang Yuchun has stayed within the sect and no longer ventured out. He began to strictly manage the sect and cultivate his own management team, which saved Li Qingqiu a lot of trouble.

After the winter snow completely melted, people began to come up the mountain seeking medical treatment, and the reputation of Qingxiaomen had spread around Taikun Mountain.

On this day, Liu Fanzhou, the wealthy man who was repairing the road to Qingxiao Gate, came again.

Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, and Li Dongyue personally received him and also invited his daughter Liu Yan to join them for a chat.

Seeing that Liu Yan was much stronger than before and had a rosy complexion, Liu Fanzhou was even happier. Upon learning that Liu Yan had become Li Dongyue's disciple, Liu Fanzhou immediately took out a jade pendant and gave it to Li Dongyue as a gift for the discipleship ceremony.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Liu Fanzhou finally sat down and began to talk about world affairs.

"Sect Leader Li, I've learned something that your Qingxiao Sect should prepare for as soon as possible," Liu Fanzhou said seriously, his expression turning solemn.

Li Qingqiu asked with a smile, "What is it?"

Liu Fanzhou didn't keep him in suspense and continued, "The rebels across the land have been suppressed, and the prefectures are still actively suppressing bandits. This calamity, which has lasted for several years, has thoroughly awakened His Majesty. The land of Dali is too vast, and there are always places that the court and the prefectures cannot manage. His Majesty is preparing to invite martial arts masters from all over the land to the palace for a discussion. It is said that he will set official positions for the martial arts sects to protect the people in their respective regions on behalf of the court."

(End of this chapter)