Chapter 3

Feng Xi bared her small, white teeth: "You say you're willing? Then let’s start by bleeding you and shaving your fur today! I think the hair on top of your head looks quite nice—how about I shave you bald in a little while?" Golden Suanni: "..." *I do not want to be a monk!* Just then, Feng Xi spoke again! "Master, Master, I’ve thought of another great way to make money! The Hunyuan Sect raises quite a few female spirit beasts and is looking for male beasts from the Beast Taming Sect to breed them. Why don’t we snatch up this job? We can let our sect's guardian beast get 'intimate' with those female spirit beasts. We’re sure to make a fortune..." The Golden Suanni could no longer endure this humiliation; it fainted dead away from rage. Feng Xi: "..." *That’s it? This is the sect's guardian beast? Its psychological resilience is pathetic!* Xiao Baidao had not expected the Golden Suanni to be literally frightened into a faint by his little disciple. Seeing the beast lying there like a corpse, the old man felt... quite satisfied. Everyone else present felt equally satisfied. Had it not been for their own sense of decorum, they all would have taken the opportunity to go up and kick it a few times. The key was that this thing was just too infuriating!

When the Golden Suanni woke up, the area in front of the stables was empty. There was only a large sign with a single sentence written on it: *Pick one: want the fruit but lose face, or keep face but lose the fruit. You choose!* Golden Suanni: "..." *Choose my foot! Of course, I want my face! You brat, it is war between us! Just you wait!* Beyond that, a thought had taken root in its mind: *The spirit beasts at the Hunyuan Sect are all nymphomaniacs, all wanting to borrow my seed! I’ll bite every single one of them I see from now on! I am suave, dashing, and invincible—are you little vixens even worthy of dreaming about me? Dream on!*

By this time, Feng Xi had trotted along with the crowd to the Council Hall. Everyone’s attention had been on the Golden Suanni earlier, but now it was all fixed on Feng Xi. *Where did this little girl come from? Why is she calling the Sect Leader 'Master'?* The key was that the girl’s steps were unsteady, her face was pale, and her dantian had clearly been severely damaged. *Isn't this just a useless little thing?* Before anyone could ask, Xiao Baidao chuckled and said, "This is my newly accepted little disciple, Feng Xi. Although her dantian is severely damaged, she is clever and quick-witted—a rare and promising talent." Everyone: "..." *Sect Leader, has the Hunyuan Sect poisoned you? Otherwise, why are you spouting nonsense? Her dantian is severely damaged; she can barely survive, and you call her a promising talent? She might not even live a few years!*

Xiao Baidao guessed their thoughts and smiled. "Although Xiao Xi cannot cultivate for the time being, her insight into cultivation is exceptional. A few words from her gave me an epiphany, and I successfully advanced to Divinity Transformation Level 3." The room erupted! None of them had a cultivation level as high as Xiao Baidao’s, so they hadn't realized his true level until he mentioned it. Everyone offered their congratulations; after all, the Sect Leader’s advancement was a massive boon for the Xuantian Sect. Even so, they still felt that Xiao Baidao had been impulsive in taking Feng Xi as a disciple. There were many ways to reward her; there was no need to make her a core disciple. Not to mention, the Four Sects' core disciple competition was in six months—wouldn't Feng Xi just drag down the Xuantian Sect’s overall strength?! While the Xuantian Sect had always been content with fourth place, they still held ambitions to break into the top three. Now with this thing added, they didn't even have that ambition anymore. However, since she was already accepted, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept it.

Then, Xiao Baidao said to Feng Xi, "Xiao Xi, come here, let me introduce you. This is Peak Master Gu Qiyuan of the East Peak; this is Peak Master Han Wenyuan of the South Peak..." Following the introductions, Feng Xi bowed and greeted them politely. Though the others looked down on Feng Xi, they were people of status and wouldn't go out of their way to make things difficult for a young girl, so they all nodded with smiles. Once the introductions were finished, Xiao Baidao intended for Feng Xi to wait outside the hall, but Feng Xi said, "Master, may I say a few words?" Xiao Baidao nodded. "Go ahead!" Feng Xi bowed to the crowd and said, "Seniors, before coming to the Xuantian Sect, I was prepared for cold words. After all, my aptitude is mediocre, not to mention my severely damaged dantian, which leaves me unqualified to be a core disciple. But I realized I was wrong. I underestimated your magnanimity and the tolerance of the Xuantian Sect. It is no wonder that the Xuantian Sect is recognized as the head of the four sects—'the ocean accepts all rivers.' This is the true foundation of a prestigious sect..." Those in the Council Hall nodded repeatedly. *Well said!* As for whether the Xuantian Sect was the head of the four sects—that... wasn't important. *As long as we think so, that's enough.*

After Feng Xi laid on the flattery, she shifted the tone: "Although I cannot cultivate for now, as a member of the Xuantian Sect, I want to serve the sect at all times. That is why I was a bit rash at the stables earlier; I hope you seniors will not blame me." Elder Mu, who was in charge of the Golden Suanni, quickly said, "If it weren't for you, the Golden Suanni would still be making a scene. We shouldn't blame you for this; we should be rewarding you." The others chimed in. Although Feng Xi’s methods were a bit underhanded, the results were immediate. Feng Xi thought to herself, *Should reward me? Why did you all get amnesia just now and not mention it? I had to show off myself!* Xiao Baidao felt his mouth curling upward uncontrollably as he heard everyone praising his little disciple. "Although this girl is indeed smart, don't praise her too much, or she’ll get arrogant. Xiao Xi, tell everyone about your insights on cultivation..." Feng Xi immediately rattled off a long speech, finally summarizing: "At any time, the only thing you can rely on is yourself; external things are ultimately void! Take the Hunyuan Sect, for example. Their cultivation resources are abundant, and their disciples' levels skyrocket. Is this a good thing? Wrong! They cultivate too smoothly and have never experienced setbacks or hardships. In the future, the slightest disturbance will cause them to develop inner demons, and all their high cultivation will go to waste! Our Xuantian Sect disciples are different. We grow up in harsh environments, taking things one step at a time, with firm resolve. No inner demon can block our path forward! One day, our Xuantian Sect will become the only superpower in the Northern Territory!"

There was dead silence in the Council Hall. Then, it exploded! *Well said! That’s so true! This is exactly how we feel! So what if our Xuantian Sect is poor? Heaven is tempering us; this is a gift! We are poor, and we are proud!!!*

***

**Chapter 7: The Poorest Sect in the Northern Territory**

Originally, the impression the Xuantian Sect’s top brass had of Feng Xi was... a useless little thing with a damaged dantian. After Feng Xi’s speech, everyone had selectively forgotten that she was a "useless little thing." Instead, they were left with the impression that Feng Xi had a strong sense of belonging to the sect and was clever and bright! Most importantly, she had deep insights into cultivation—she was a real talent! They had completely forgotten how they had criticized Xiao Baidao before.

Seeing her goal achieved, Feng Xi tactfully suggested going outside the hall to look around. Xiao Baidao, eyes full of smiles, gave her a few instructions and let her leave. The group then asked about the Hunyuan Sect’s disciple initiation ceremony. Xiao Baidao gave a brief account and added, "That Shen Zhilan may have good aptitude, but her character is flawed—she is nowhere near as good as Xiao Xi!" Everyone: "..." *We think Feng Xi is fine, but you can't just lie through your teeth! In the cultivation world, strength is king; if you can't cultivate, good character is useless!* At this, Peak Master Gu of the East Peak asked curiously, "By the way, Sect Leader, how did you discover this, uh, promising talent, Feng Xi?" Only then did Xiao Baidao remember that he had originally just... wanted to watch the drama, and ended up accidentally taking on a core disciple. It was absurd! Xiao Baidao told them the story. Naturally, he embellished it, saying that he had stood up for justice and later recognized her brilliance. The others thought: *...Why does it feel like our Sect Leader was scammed?* However, they dismissed this as a misconception! *Our Sect Leader has a rock-solid Dao heart; how could he be tricked by a little girl with a damaged dantian?!* They could only conclude that Feng Xi was lucky to have run into their Sect Leader.

Afterward, the group reported other matters, which all boiled down to a lack of Spirit Stones! Although the Ziqiao Exquisite Fruit could bridge part of the deficit, there was still a massive hole. Xiao Baidao was headache-stricken and had no good ideas.

After the meeting, Feng Xi hopped in to find Xiao Baidao. Suppressing his inner frustration, Xiao Baidao smiled and said, "Let’s go, I’ll take you to see your living quarters." In truth, Xiao Baidao could have arranged for someone else to take her, but he was worried! His little disciple was young and docile; what if she got bullied? Thinking of this, he began to curse his other five disciples; they knew he was coming back today and had all disappeared—they were all unfilial scoundrels! If they were here, he could have handed Feng Xi over to them.

There was a residential area halfway up the main peak; only elders and core disciples were eligible to live there. Xiao Baidao told Feng Xi, "Take a look around. Any courtyard without a sect emblem on the door is vacant. Pick whichever one you like." Feng Xi was full of expectations. After all, having an entire courtyard to oneself was a luxury in a cultivation sect. However, her expectations soon vanished with the wind. Could someone tell her why all these houses were leaking air from every side? Xiao Baidao coughed twice. "Well, money was tight a few years ago, so I took apart some of the good wood and stone to sell. Once you choose a courtyard, I’ll have someone go to the back mountain to cut some ordinary wood to help you patch it up." Feng Xi: "..." *The poorest sect in the Northern Territory—they did not deceive me!*

Feng Xi eventually chose a courtyard further inside. Her logic was simple: being surrounded by big shots meant safety! Xiao Baidao immediately arranged for people to patch the house and personally took Feng Xi to the supply department on the central peak to collect her rations. He did this to let everyone in the sect know that he valued Feng Xi, to prevent others from bullying her. Feng Xi naturally understood Xiao Baidao’s good intentions, so even though the cultivation resources she received were not even as good as the allowance for a Hunyuan Sect outer disciple, she felt warm inside.

Within an hour, Feng Xi’s house was patched up, and some necessary furniture was added. Xiao Baidao gave a few more instructions before leaving. By the time the commotion settled, it was already evening. Feng Xi washed up and went to sleep. This was the first peaceful sleep she had had since transmigrating.

The next day, just as the sky began to brighten, Feng Xi woke up. She went to the dining hall to get two portions of breakfast and hauled them to the outside of Xiao Baidao’s courtyard, panting. It was just past 5:00 AM. On the way back to the sect, she had subtly asked Xiao Baidao and learned that the old man woke up at 5:00 AM every day, so this was the perfect time to bring breakfast. She didn't knock but waited respectfully outside the main gate. With Xiao Baidao’s cultivation level, he had sensed her the moment she arrived. "Come in!" Feng Xi trotted into the courtyard, bowed, and said, "Master, I went to the dining hall to get breakfast. Where should I set it?" "Put it on the stone table in the courtyard! You girl, your body is already weak; don’t go running around unnecessarily in the future." Although Xiao Baidao complained, he was quite moved. The central peak’s dining hall was at the foot of the mountain; for others, it wouldn't take long even if they didn't fly on their swords, but Feng Xi was different. With her damaged dantian, she was almost no different from a mortal. This trip back and forth was hard work. This thoughtfulness was enough to bring comfort to his old heart as a master.

Feng Xi smiled and didn't argue, setting the breakfast on the stone table. The Xuantian Sect was a broke sect, so the breakfast was naturally meager—just clear porridge, steamed buns, and small pickles, with almost no spiritual energy. In any of the other three sects, such food would only be given to servants, but in the Xuantian Sect, even the Sect Leader Xiao Baidao had to eat this. They had 'Bigu' (fasting) pills, but... they were too stingy to use them. They had reached a new level of frugality. Xiao Baidao asked Feng Xi to sit down and eat with him, and only then did Feng Xi place her portion on the table. The master and disciple chatted as they ate, eventually talking about the food at the Hunyuan Sect. Xiao Baidao smacked his lips. "The Hunyuan Sect’s food is indeed good. I actually put on weight during the two days I stayed there." Feng Xi blinked. "Then why didn't you pack some to bring back?" Xiao Baidao: "..." *I wanted to, but I couldn't afford to lose face like that!* After breakfast, Feng Xi said, "Master, you mentioned before that our Xuantian Sect has ancient scrolls. May I go see them?" Xiao Baidao paused. He had only mentioned the ancient scrolls as an excuse because ancient characters were nearly extinct and no one could read them, let alone find a way to repair a dantian from them. He wanted to find an excuse to delay, but seeing the expectation in Feng Xi’s eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say it, so he said, "Go find Elder Hai at the Library Pavilion!" *Oh well, it’s going to hurt sooner or later; I have to face this eventually.* Although there was no hope of repairing her dantian, he could try to find her some spiritual medicine to nourish it so she could live a few more years, fulfilling his duty as a master.

***

**Chapter 8: Ancient Scrolls**

Feng Xi knew perfectly well that Xiao Baidao’s words were half-truths, but she decided to give it a try anyway. She wound her way to the Library Pavilion on the central peak and met Elder Hai. As soon as they met, Elder Hai scrutinized her up and down several times. Elder Hai had an eccentric personality and stayed in the Library Pavilion year-round, rarely leaving; he hadn't gone to the Council Hall yesterday. After receiving a message from Xiao Baidao, he thought Xiao Baidao had likely gone insane! Otherwise, why would he take a "useless little thing" as a core disciple? Elder Hai was about to say something stinging—like, *even if you look at the ancient scrolls, it’s useless, just accept your fate!*—but before he could speak, he saw the little girl looking at him with immense admiration: "You must be Elder Hai, right? My Master has often mentioned you, saying you are the 'sky-propping white jade pillar and the sea-supporting purple gold beam' of our Xuantian Sect! You have guarded the Library Pavilion for years, seeking neither fame nor fortune, only for the inheritance and foundation of the Xuantian Sect! If all the disciples of the Xuantian Sect had your spirit of selfless devotion, why would we ever worry about..." Elder Hai, whose back had been somewhat hunched, suddenly straightened up! *Is this just a library I’m guarding? No, this is the inheritance of the Xuantian Sect, the very foundation of the sect!* Oh well, this little girl was pitiful enough with her damaged dantian; he wouldn't rub salt in her wounds.

A quarter of an hour later, Elder Hai said impatiently, "Alright, I don’t have time to listen to your drivel. You want to see the ancient scrolls, right? Follow me!" The Xuantian Sect’s Library Pavilion had nine floors, and the ancient scrolls were kept on the top floor. After Elder Hai brought Feng Xi to the ninth floor, he opened the restrictive barrier. Feng Xi was stunned. She had expected the ancient scrolls to be placed on shelves for people to flip through. Instead, what appeared before her were several flickering points of light, looking like stars in a sealed space. "The ancient scrolls were originally ordinary jade slips, but over the long years, they have gained a modicum of spirituality. You only need to release your divine sense; if a scroll accepts you, it will naturally fall into your hand. Do not attempt to catch them by force, as others have tried, and even if they succeeded by force, they could not read them." Elder Hai thought the last sentence was a waste of breath, as Feng Xi was just a useless little thing; even if she wanted to catch them by force, she couldn't.

Feng Xi nodded and, as Elder Hai instructed, released her divine sense. Her dantian was damaged, which severely limited her divine sense; within moments, cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her head felt like it was splitting. Elder Hai frowned. "It seems you have no affinity. Follow me back down!" Feng Xi was, of course, unwilling. She pleaded, "Elder Hai, I want to rest a moment and try again. Why don’t you go ahead and attend to your business? If I’m not successful after a few more tries, I’ll come find you." Although Elder Hai thought her trying was futile, he saw her pitiful appearance and agreed.

After Elder Hai left, Feng Xi tried three more times, but still, no ancient scroll voluntarily fell into her hand. She squinted, pondering. It seemed conventional methods weren't working; she had to take a different approach! She put her hands behind her back, tilted her head up at the points of light, and said viciously: "Get down here, all of you, and let me read you—don’t be ungrateful! If you provoke me, I’ll burn your turtle nest to the ground! Let’s see how you strut around then!" As she said this, Feng Xi took out a tinder stick; the small flame was brighter than any of the points of light. Even a three-year-old wouldn't be fooled by Feng Xi’s words, as she didn't have the guts to burn down the Library Pavilion! Moreover, the pavilion had defensive arrays that couldn't be burned by ordinary fire. But those ancient scrolls only had superficial divine sense—little more than inanimate objects—and lacked any judgment or logic. So, they believed her. They panicked. *Clatter, clatter!* They all slammed toward Feng Xi. Feng Xi only had time to put away the tinder stick before she was... buried alive by ancient scrolls. The girl burst into tears from the pain. Because those ancient scrolls were all jade slips, they had significant weight; getting hit by them really hurt! Feng Xi finally crawled out from the pile of jade slips, sobbing as she tried to read the scrolls. She opened one, and cried even harder! The reason was simple: she couldn't read those ancient characters at all. She had been pummeled for nothing! She sniffled and prepared to take a handkerchief from her storage bag to wipe her tears, but the ancient scrolls misunderstood.