Chapter 8: Targeted
The Demon Lord was indeed a Demon Lord. Unpredictable and eccentric, her actions were beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. If she didn’t want her and even humiliated her publicly, why bother with this act of kindness?
How strange.
“Hey, what are you thinking about? Don’t worry, Junior Shishu Qu is known for her bad temper. If it were anyone else, she would’ve done much worse. Although she crushed your spirit jade, she didn’t pursue the matter further, did she?” Lu Fanzhi, with her simple mind, thought the matter had ended happily.
Luo Jinxiao forced a smile and asked, “Who did you get as your master?”
“Look, it says Gui Jiu. Sounds like the name of some wine, right? I asked around, it seems to be the senior disciple of Elder He. Not particularly talented, but he’s been diligently cultivating for a hundred years and is now at the second level of the Golden Core stage. This is his first year accepting disciples.” Lu Fanzhi beamed, delighted.
By now, most of the spirit jades had shown no reaction, and many people had already left dejectedly. Luo Jinxiao glanced around and saw that Yan Ying, who had been antagonistic towards her, seemed to have become a disciple of a female elder and was basking in the praise of others.
She looked away. It seemed that Luo Mei, despite all her efforts, still hadn’t been accepted into Wuhui Sect.
“The remaining disciples, take your spirit jades and go meet your masters to perform the disciple initiation ceremony.”
As soon as the order was given, the crowd dispersed, each led by someone towards the mountains.
Lu Fanzhi bid farewell to Luo Jinxiao and hurried off, while Luo Jinxiao was led by a very quiet senior brother down a small path.
The senior brother seemed somewhat shy and didn’t speak a word, only leading the way. Luo Jinxiao, on the other hand, asked him questions from time to time.
“Senior brother, why does Master Liuzhi live in such a remote place?” she asked while kicking away the scattered fallen leaves on the ground.
“Master Liuzhi is actually Elder Xie. It’s just that he has an eccentric personality and rarely leaves his residence. He’s also fond of willow trees, hence the self-proclaimed title, Master Liuzhi.”
Another eccentric personality. Luo Jinxiao felt a twinge of worry upon hearing this.
“Does he have any other disciples?” Luo Jinxiao asked again.
“No, Master Liuzhi, like Junior Shishu Qu, has never taken on a disciple.”
Having nothing more to ask, Luo Jinxiao walked on, taking in the surrounding scenery. The path she was on became increasingly secluded, the vegetation lush and dense, the ground covered in scattered leaves, as if no one had cleaned it for a long time.
The sun was high, but the mountain air was cool. Sunlight dappled through the leaves, and a gentle breeze blew, creating a rather comfortable atmosphere.
“We’re here. You go in by yourself,” the senior brother said, disappearing like he was avoiding a plague.
Luo Jinxiao was momentarily blinded by the dust he kicked up. She frowned, wiping her nose and muttering under her breath before looking up. In front of her stood a circle of fences, lacking the grandeur of a large sect. It looked more like a village, with wooden houses from which smoke curled lazily.
Luo Jinxiao hesitated at the entrance for a while before knocking on the door.
After a moment, the door opened. Luo Jinxiao got a clear look at the person who opened the door and stumbled back in fright. The “person” wore rough coarse clothing, had a vacant expression, and only one eye. Their skin was as rough as bark.
After the initial shock, Luo Jinxiao instantly realized that this was not a person, but a puppet.
The puppet stepped aside, inviting Luo Jinxiao in.
Luo Jinxiao cautiously stepped inside. As soon as she entered, she saw a middle-aged man sitting under a tree. On the stone table in front of him was a bowl of porridge and two dishes. He wasn’t using chopsticks but was smelling each dish one by one. Then, he called the puppet over.
The puppet took the food and turned to dump it into a basin under the tree. A large yellow dog ran over, wagging its tail excitedly as it devoured the meal.
Luo Jinxiao stared blankly at the scene, thinking, He really is eccentric.
“Who’s there?” the man asked without looking up.
“Master, it is your disciple, Luo Jinxiao,” she replied respectfully.
“Disciple? When did this elder ever take a disciple?” The man finally looked up, revealing a tanned face, deep eyes, and a tall stature. His beard was unkempt, giving him a weathered appearance.
Luo Jinxiao presented the spirit jade Qu Weiyin had given her with both hands. The man didn’t take it but glanced at it and snorted. “That girl, always causing trouble for this elder. Where is your original spirit jade?”
“Junior Shishu Qu crushed it,” Luo Jinxiao answered honestly. This was her first time formally acknowledging a master, and although this master seemed unreliable, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.
“She crushed your spirit jade, which means the contract between you is broken. You are no longer qualified to be my disciple. You are not my disciple, so leave.” The man stood up, yawned, and walked towards the house.
Luo Jinxiao’s heart sank. She hurried forward and bowed deeply. “Elder Liu, please accept me as your disciple!”
Her original spiritual root and cultivation were gone. Although she could endure it, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. Moreover, Qu Weiyin was right. In this world, only the strong could survive. Cultivating under the Wuhui Sect was the fastest way to regain her previous life’s cultivation. She couldn’t give up just like that.
The man’s expression was rather impatient. He suddenly flicked his hand, and a pale green light extended from his fingertips and entered Luo Jinxiao’s forehead. His impatience instantly turned to shock, followed by a strange calmness.
“I don’t take disciples. If you really want to stay, you can help clean this courtyard.” With that, the man turned and entered the house.
Before Luo Jinxiao could recover from the shock of suddenly becoming a sweeper, the man poked his head out again and pointed to an inconspicuous small door. “You’ll live there.”
Then, the door slammed shut with a bang, kicking up another cloud of dust that landed on her face.
Luo Jinxiao vigorously rubbed her nose, frowning and sighing. She felt utterly defeated. In her past life, she was a proud prodigy, yet now she had fallen so far.
How tragic.
Meanwhile, in an elegantly decorated room, a white jade table sat by the window. A snow-white arm rested on the table, its red sleeve cascading down and contrasting beautifully with the vibrant hibiscus flowers placed there.
Qu Weiyin’s lips were slightly pursed as her fingers brushed against the Crescent Star Sword on the table.
A burst of golden light, and a tiny girl, dressed in the same red robes as Qu Weiyin, appeared on the table, looking disdainful.
“I’ve told you countless times, stop wearing such flashy clothes. What’s the matter? Upset because you’re not the Demon Lord in this life?” The sword spirit, in the form of a little girl, sat cross-legged on the scabbard and asked with her arms crossed.
“I will become a demon eventually,” Qu Weiyin said softly, taking out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiping her sword.
Because the sword spirit was bound to her soul, it remained unchanged even after her reincarnation. Over thousands of years, this sword spirit was her only companion.
“Is that why you didn’t take that girl as your disciple?” The sword spirit scratched her face. “But you were a bit harsh. You’re no longer the ruthless Demon Lord but a member of a righteous sect. Why bully a little girl?”
“It’s not bullying, I’m just stating the truth.” Qu Weiyin raised her eyes, her long and narrow phoenix eyes seemed almost bewitching as she blinked lightly.
The sword spirit knew better than to argue, so she fell silent and quietly watched her polish the sword.
“There’s something different about her,” Qu Weiyin said suddenly after a while. She put down the handkerchief, her expression hidden behind a curtain of hair that fell over her eyes. “Her spiritual root is very strange, something I’ve never seen before. Many will want it. If she remains this mediocre, she’ll be dead sooner or later.”
“What’s so special about her? She’s just a young girl. You’re old enough to be her great-grandmaster.”
Qu Weiyin frowned at the sword spirit’s words and flicked her hand, sending the miniature girl tumbling off the table.
“Ouch! Qu Weiyin, how dare you!” The little sword spirit landed on her bottom with a thud, her voice muffled as she cursed.
Ignoring her, Qu Weiyin continued meticulously polishing her sword, her gaze drifting towards the window. She resided alone atop a steep cliff, the boundless sea of clouds churning outside her window. It was certainly more pleasing to the eye than the perpetually gloomy Demon Realm.
“An unstable destiny star is a sign of calamity. She’s destined for the demonic path in this life.”
She murmured the words, a faint smile playing on her lips. If it weren’t for that waste, she would have already unleashed a storm of blood and chaos. Perhaps it was the obstacle in this life, or perhaps after countless lifetimes, she had finally found some peace.
But she would still seek her revenge.
Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
True to Elder Liu’s words, Luo Jinxiao spent the next three days sweeping his courtyard. During that time, the elder left the house three times, each time carrying several plates of food, which he would smell before feeding to his dog.
Luo Jinxiao could only make use of her free time to cultivate, drawing upon the knowledge from her previous life. Fortunately, Wuhui Mountain was abundant with spiritual energy, so she made some progress.
Early one morning, she was diligently sweeping the courtyard when she heard the flapping of wings above her head. Looking up, she saw a small, blue bird hovering above her.
The bird opened its beak and spoke in a clear, articulate voice, “There’s a group lesson today. Hurry up and come.”
Luo Jinxiao guessed that Lu Fanzhi had taken pity on her and sent a secret message. Feeling grateful, she tossed aside the broom, informed the puppet, and ran out.
These past few days, she had been cooped up in the small courtyard, talking only to the puppet, which was driving her crazy.
The grandest hall was the Wuhui Palace. With it at the center, buildings of white brick and glazed tiles stretched out in all directions, connected by white jade steps that seemed to gleam blindingly. It was a world of difference from her humble little courtyard.
Luo Jinxiao quickly found the lecture hall. It wasn’t much different from the one in her past life. The lecturer stood to one side, while rows of low tables filled with new disciples faced him.
“You finally made it! This is our first time gathering together. I heard today’s teacher is extremely strict. If you’re late, you’ll be punished by kneeling,” Lu Fanzhi whispered, pulling her down to sit.
“Why aren’t you wearing the uniform? Disciples of different levels in the Wuhui wear different clothes to distinguish themselves. You’re drawing too much attention like this,” Lu Fanzhi muttered.
Luo Jinxiao looked around and saw that everyone was indeed dressed in light blue robes with white cuffs and sashes. The women’s hair was also tied up with blue ribbons, giving them a fresh and elegant look.
She wanted to wear the uniform too, but where could she find one? Luo Jinxiao could only lower her head, hoping not to attract any unwanted attention.
“Greetings to the Master,” everyone rose in unison and bowed. Luo Jinxiao followed suit, keeping her head lowered.
However, things rarely go as planned. Soon, she heard a familiar voice, cold and indifferent. “You, the one without the uniform, raise your head.”
