chapter 3

Was the paragraph Lan Ling’e recited really the Dao oath for keeping secrets?

When she left the straw hut, Lan Ling’e’s eyes that originally shone like black pearls immediately lost their color. Her body was wobbling as she walked, and her steps were faltering.

“Here.” A hand from beside her was suddenly held out in front of her. There was a light green pill on the palm.

Li Changshou said warmly, “Qi Cultivation and Condensation Pill. It does not contain any poison, and its medicinal effects are very gentle. Those who have not started on their cultivation can use this to restore their energy.”

Lan Ling’e answered timidly, “Thank you, Senior Brother.” She took the pill, turned her body around, and placed the pill into her mouth.

The pill melted immediately when it came into contact with her saliva. It tasted like sweet and clear spring water. A soft ‘mmmh’ slipped out of her mouth. She was energized immediately.

‘This Junior Sister is indeed a little cute.’

Li Changshou’s huge hand reached out from the sides and caressed her head as he spoke warmly.

“In the future, you will be a member of the Little Qiong Peak. I will first bring you around to familiarize yourself with the environment. After the effects of the medicinal scent wear off—cough—after Master has finished a round of Qi circulation, he will teach you the entrance-level cultivation method. If you have any questions regarding your cultivation, feel free to find me.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Lan Ling’e held her hands behind her back and squeaked.

Li Changshou held his hands behind his back and walked towards the lake. “Let us first look at the spiritual fish in the lake. These are all good stuff, and they are also an integral part of our Little Qiong Peak’s capital.”

Lan Ling’e caught up to him hurriedly. She stepped on the soft grass, tiptoed, and looked into the lake.

The lake water was abnormally clear. The fish inside were all playing around without any troubles in their mind.

“Look.” Li Changshou pointed at some spiritual fish with colorful scales. “Aren’t they pretty?”

“Yes!” Lan Ling’e nodded violently. The spiritual fish mesmerized her, and gasps of awe escaped from her mouth.

She heard her senior brother’s gentle voice from beside her.

“Once you have cultivated your first breath of Qi, we will organize a spiritual fish buffet. This species of spiritual fish with colorful scales are called snakeheads. Not only are they delicious, but they could also be served pan-fried, steamed, roasted, or fried. What’s even rarer is its ability to improve the quality of the spiritual energy that cultivators produce for the first time.”

Two parallel black vertical lines hung on Lan Ling’e’s forehead. “Are… are you going to eat them?”

“Otherwise, why would I breed them?”

Li Changshou waved his left hand, and his left sleeve followed his movement. He scattered a handful of rice grains and shouted, “Feeding time!”

Many spiritual fish swarmed from all directions, and the lake was instantly flooded. Lan Ling’e’s eyes lit up.

“Here.” The huge hand handed over a delicate canvas bag. “This is fish feed. If you like it, I’ll hand you the mission of feeding the fish daily.”

“Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother!” Lan Ling’e answered happily and took the canvas bag over. She took some rice grains out and scattered them on the lake.

Ling’e seemed extremely cautious, as though the fish feed could hurt the spiritual fish’s beautiful scales.

Li Changshou smiled calmly beside her.

Now, he had fewer chores to do daily and could spend that time on his cultivation!

From that perspective, having a junior sister sounded like a good idea.

Lan Ling’e waved her hand and scattered the fish feed a handful at a time. The spiritual fish in the water swarmed around her. She was having a great time playing with the fish.

Li Changshou waited for a while beside her. He flicked his finger slightly, and two small streams of water exploded on the lake’s surface. Two snakeheads were thrown out of the water. He summoned them over using telekinesis, wrapped them in a ball of water, and placed them in his sleeve.

Lan Ling’e was dumbfounded by what she saw. “Senior Brother, why did you put the fish in your sleeve?”

“To give them away,” Li Changshou answered nonchalantly. “The Immortal Du Sect might be an immortal cultivation sect, but we still observe the social norms that ordinary humans follow. I will be bringing you for registration later on. I can’t possibly go there empty-handed, can I?”

Lan Ling’e blinked. Although she did not really understand what he said, she nodded obediently and said, “Thank you for your efforts, Senior Brother.”

“It’s no big deal. Come here once you have finished playing with the fish.”

Li Changshou held his hands behind his back and drifted to the herb garden near the lake. Lan Ling’e looked at the school of fish in the lake, waved to them, and followed behind Li Changshou hurriedly.

While they were by the herb garden, Li Changshou briefly described the hundreds of spiritual herbs in the garden and their effects.

Lan Ling’e tried her best to memorize everything he said. She did not know that her senior brother was attempting to assign her the role as the new gardener. As she listened to her senior brother’s warm voice, Lan Ling’e could not help but think of her mother, whose voice was equally warm and gentle.

The scenery at the Little Qiong Peak was beautiful, but there was not much that needed introduction.

Li Changshou circled the surroundings of the straw hut twice with his new junior sister and assigned a region to build her new straw hut. He used his Dharmic power to summon a white cloud and flew to the middle of the mountains with Lan Ling’e.

Lan Ling’e could not contain her question. “Senior Brother, can you fly on the immortal cranes as well?”

“Yes. As long as one knows how to maneuver on objects.” Li Changshou tapped the white cloud with his foot. The white cloud suddenly emitted a soft sheep and transformed into a gigantic immortal crane. The immortal crane extended its wings and flew them forward.

Lan Ling’e’s huge eyes instantly sparkled. She dragged her senior brother’s Daoist robe with her tiny hands and expressed her amazement.

“These are just simple illusion techniques. As compared to this, there are some other things that you have to remember when flying around in the sect.”

“What are those, Senior Brother?”

Li Changshou cleared his throat and sorted through the lessons that he had prepared beforehand in his head. He decided to start teaching his junior sister the little details.

Therefore, he said sincerely, “Firstly, you have to take note of the altitude you are flying at in the sect. You mustn’t fly too high or too low. Many seniors and powerful cultivators fly at a high altitude. It is very easy to offend them if you meet them.

“You must remember this, Junior Sister. If you are noticed by a senior or powerful cultivator, there is a 50% chance of you leaving a good impression, and there is also a 50% chance of you leaving a bad impression.

“You might not receive any benefits if you leave a good impression on them. However, there will definitely be potential risks if you leave a bad impression on them.

“Therefore, the best solution is to prevent them from noticing you. If you meet them, it is enough that you greet them and behave as you are supposed to.”

“Oh! Ling’e will remember this!”

“Furthermore, you cannot fly at an altitude that is too low either. If you fly too low, there is a high possibility of you flying past some buildings on the mountain peaks.

“Although the sect seems peaceful on the surface, there is still a lot of competition beneath that. Many people are concerned about the lame rankings. If you fly too low, you will likely be targeted by them.

“Therefore, after testing it out for 100 years, I have concluded a suitable altitude to fly within the sect—300 to 500 feet above our accommodation. It is very unlikely that you’ll meet other disciples in the sect at this altitude, much fewer seniors or powerful cultivators.”

Lan Ling’e tried her best to ingrain the huge chunk of words that her senior brother said in her heart. While doing so, she could not stop herself from lifting her head and looking at her senior brother’s distinct features.

‘Senior Brother is indeed very handsome. He is very thoughtful, as well.’

…

Even though her senior brother reminded her endlessly while they were moving, Lan Ling’e soon arrived at the main peak in the Immortal Du Sect.

That mountain peak was at the center of all the mountains in the sect. It was also the tallest and straightest mountain. It looked similar to a sword that pointed at the heavens and pierced through the clouds.

Therefore, it was also known as the Heaven-Breaking Peak.

There was an immortal palace at the summit of the Heaven-Breaking Peak. That was where the Sect Leader, Elders, and Peak Leaders held their meetings. It was a region that normally prohibited flying. The disciples and others in the sect were prohibited from going near this place without permission. At the hillside of the Heaven-Breaking Peak, there was a pavilion and palace built on the slope. Many people would go in and out of that place daily.

After hearing her senior brother’s introduction, Ling’e learned that this was the ‘office’ in the Immortal Du Sect where matters within the sect were handled. The disciples from the various peaks would come here every month to receive their monthly allowance and report their cultivation progress every once a while.

As Lan Ling’e was walking on the bluestone path, to her surprise, she found out that she and her senior brother were seemingly ‘invisible’. There were many fellow disciples in the sect, but no one paid attention to them.

Even if people’s gaze swept across them, they would look away without stopping.

Li Changshou’s voice sounded near Ling’e’s ears. He was still teaching her persistently. “Ling’e, you have to remember this. Do not attract attention to yourself. Do your best to reduce your presence. This is the best method to avoid dealing with karma. I have modified a Dao technique to conceal one’s aura. I’ll teach it to you once you start on your cultivation.”

“Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Li Changshou replied with smiling eyes, “No need to thank me. This is what I should be doing as your senior brother.” He brought Li Changshou to the sidewalk and entered a building that had a plaque with ‘Bai Fan Hall’ written on it.

In the building, Lan Ling’e saw her senior brother take the two spiritual fish out and chat passionately with the middle-aged Daoist who was in charge of registration within the sect.

‘Senior Brother seems so mature…’