Night fell, and snow blanketed the mountains.
Inside a newly built courtyard, the eight girls brought to Qingxiao Sect by Bo Zhao and his two companions lay side by side on a long heated bed. Each had her own warm blanket.
Yun Cai lay quietly in the corner. Unaware that she carried two rare Fates, she couldn't stop her heart from trembling. She didn't know what kind of life awaited her in Qingxiao Sect.
"Are you all asleep? Want to chat a bit?"
A girl nearby turned over, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket with only her head exposed.
As soon as she spoke, the others stirred as well.
"Qingxiao Sect is so big," one said softly. "It feels even grander than Panzhou City."
"Yeah, when we climbed the mountain today and saw all those disciples, they looked so graceful and confident. I didn't even dare look any of them in the eye."
"I heard Qingxiao Sect is the number one sect in the world. Now that we've become Outer Disciples, we might really have a future here. We mustn't waste this chance."
"If only Xing'er and the others were still alive… how wonderful that would be."
"Everyone has their fate," another whispered. "Before we set out, we all made peace with that. We said no regrets. Instead of mourning the dead, we should think about how to stand firm here in Qingxiao Sect."
Yun Cai remained silent, listening to the voices around her while her mind drifted to the moment she first met Li Qingqiu.
Back then, she had been tied up in a dark room, the only light seeping through a narrow crack in the window. She could never forget the terror she felt then.
Until the door burst open, and a figure stepped into the light.
"Don't be afraid," that voice had said. "I'll kill everyone here who's guilty and take you out of this place."
She had been terrified, unable to believe him. But before she could react, he had lifted her up effortlessly and carried her out.
When they stepped outside, the sudden sunlight had nearly blinded her. As her vision cleared and she saw his face clearly, she froze.
That face—she would never forget it for the rest of her life.
And today, seeing that face again filled her with warmth. For a brief moment, she even wondered if she was dreaming.
"So many disciples in Qingxiao Sect… the mountains are so vast… will I ever get to see him again?"
That thought brought an unexpected wave of disappointment.
Her companions' quiet whispers faded into the background as Yun Cai drifted into sleep, her heart full of mixed emotions.
When she finally awoke, someone was shaking her.
"Hurry and get up! The morning gong's already sounded! If we're late, we might miss breakfast!" a tall girl urged while pulling on her clothes.
At those words, Yun Cai sat up at once.
The girls quickly dressed in their Qingxiao Sect Outer Disciple robes and, without even washing their faces, rushed outside.
They followed the crowd toward the main courtyard, where rows of disciples were lined up for breakfast. Ahead stood three long tables, each with steaming wooden buckets placed on top.
The girls froze in astonishment as they watched disciples carry wooden trays past the tables. Each tray held a variety of dishes—both meat and vegetables.
"Meat… in the morning?" one of them whispered in disbelief.
A male disciple at the front noticed them and turned around with a grin. "Junior Sisters, you must be new. Don't worry, everyone gets food. Just don't be late."
They quickly came to their senses, joined the line behind him, and began asking about the sect.
With so many bright eyes turned on him, the male disciple nearly floated with pride. He eagerly began explaining everything about Qingxiao Sect.
As he spoke about the sect's structure and life on the mountain, he couldn't help but bring up some of its most famous disciples.
"You should've seen it," he said excitedly. "When Senior Brother Gu Changping carried the head of the Governor of Yuzhou up the mountain, he looked as calm as if he were carrying a chicken!"
The young man held his tray of food, gesturing animatedly as he spoke.
Once the eight girls had their own portions, he led them into the main hall and helped them find a table. The hall was filled with long tables, dozens of them, where Outer Disciples were already eating.
Yun Cai sat down, her eyes wide with curiosity.
'In such troubled times, even grain is scarce… yet Qingxiao Sect lets its Outer Disciples eat this well?' she thought.
And this was only one of the sect's outer courtyards. There were many more like it scattered across Qingxiao Mountain. She couldn't imagine how much food and meat the sect consumed in a single day.
"Is that Senior Brother Gu Changping the strongest disciple in the sect?" one of the girls asked curiously.
The male disciple grinned. "Of course not. In this year's Dao Combat Tournament, he only ranked sixth."
"Then there are five disciples stronger than him?"
"Five? There's more than that!" he said proudly. "And there's even a Senior Sister stronger than all of them—her name's Xu Ning, the Sect Master's eldest disciple. She's only nineteen, but her cultivation is terrifying. A few years ago, she even fought the Sword Saint to a draw. The Sword Saint—you've heard of him, right? Once the number one under heaven!"
The seven girls listened with awe, their faces full of wonder as he went on and on about the legendary disciples of Qingxiao Sect.
Yun Cai, however, lowered her gaze slightly when she heard Xu Ning's name. Her heart felt a little heavy.
Just then, a rustle swept through the hall. The disciples nearby began standing up quickly.
The male disciple looked toward the entrance, his face changing slightly before he too stood up and motioned hurriedly for the girls to rise.
Startled, Yun Cai and the others stood up and turned to look.
They saw Yuan Qi—the same man who had brought them to meet Li Qingqiu yesterday—walking in. Behind him followed several disciples, each looking dignified and composed.
"That's Senior Brother Yuan Qi," the male disciple whispered quickly. "He works directly under the Sect Master and holds authority equal to the hall masters. When you see him, always salute!"
Before he could say more, Yuan Qi started walking toward them, and the male disciple stiffened instantly, standing ramrod straight in panic.
Yuan Qi approached the eight girls led by Yun Cai with a gentle smile.
"Everyone," he said, "once you finish eating, please come with me. The Sect Master wishes to see you."
The girls exchanged glances, and one of them pointed at herself in disbelief. Yuan Qi nodded with an easy grin.
The male disciple sitting across from them was stunned. He hadn't expected these new Outer Disciples to be summoned by the Sect Master himself.
To be personally called by the Sect Master could only mean something good. If it were bad news, it wouldn't be Yuan Qi coming—it would be disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall.
"Take your time," Yuan Qi said with a laugh. His gaze swept casually across the table before resting on the nervous male disciple. The boy immediately stood up, clutching his wooden tray, and scurried off to another seat.
Yuan Qi sat down opposite the eight girls and quietly watched them eat.
Though he was only eighteen, years of handling affairs for Li Qingqiu had given him an unshakable presence. The girls couldn't help but feel nervous under his calm, commanding aura.
When they finally left the main courtyard, the other Outer Disciples immediately began whispering among themselves, curious about who those eight newcomers were.
The male disciple who had talked to them earlier flushed with embarrassment. He wasn't afraid—he had only meant to be friendly—but now it felt as though he had made a fool of himself.
...
Yuan Qi led the eight girls through a forested path. As they walked, the absence of other disciples along the way made the girls uneasy.
After everything they'd endured since leaving Panzhou, they had learned to expect the worst in every situation.
Yuan Qi seemed kind, but what if…?
They didn't realize that, in their anxious minds, they had already cast him as the villain of some imagined trap.
Meanwhile, Yuan Qi himself wasn't thinking of them at all.
'If I have time later today, I should go see her,' he thought.
At that thought, a faint smile crept across his lips.
At eighteen, emotions ran deep and fast—especially for someone of his position. Countless female disciples admired him, and a few had even boldly confessed their affection.
When Li Qingqiu and Yuan Li appeared ahead in the clearing, the eight girls instantly relaxed. Relief washed over their faces, and they smiled unconsciously.
Each one of them had been rescued from the Cui family's mansion by Li Qingqiu himself. Their parents were either dead or had long abandoned them. To them, Li Qingqiu was the one person they trusted completely—someone even Bo Zhao couldn't compare to.
Bo Zhao was a good man, but he didn't have Li Qingqiu's strength or presence. He couldn't make them feel safe the same way.
Li Qingqiu turned to face them with a calm and kind smile.
From the Dao Lineage panel, he already knew what Yun Cai looked like—delicate and sweet—but in reality, even after bathing, she still looked slightly rough, no different from the others. Among the eight, she didn't particularly stand out.
Yuan Qi stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Li Qingqiu, then turned and left.
The girls watched him go, secretly impressed by how crisp and decisive his actions were. No wonder he had earned the Sect Master's trust.
Li Qingqiu's gaze swept over the group evenly, without lingering on Yun Cai.
"According to sect rules," he said calmly, "you must work for a time before you may begin training. However, considering the hardships you've endured on your journey, I know you may still harbor unease toward Qingxiao Sect. To help you adapt more easily, I will teach you the first level of the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra. This is the sect's foundational cultivation method."
His tone was gentle but firm. The eight girls immediately knelt and bowed deeply, their voices trembling with excitement as they thanked him.
He motioned for them to sit opposite Yuan Li. They hurried forward and copied Yuan Li's posture, sitting cross-legged on the snow.
Looking at the ten-year-old boy, they couldn't help but wonder who he was.
"He's Yuan Li," Li Qingqiu said with a small smile. "The younger brother of Yuan Qi—the disciple who brought you here."
Yuan Li gave a slight nod to the girls in greeting.
Li Qingqiu then sat down as well, and began explaining the first level of the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra.
He wasn't teaching all eight of them just to hide his interest in Yun Cai. The other seven also had extremely high loyalty scores, which made him willing to cultivate them together.
It was the same principle he applied to Yuan Qi and Yuan Li.
Even though Yuan Qi's cultivation aptitude was poor, Li Qingqiu had never treated him coldly. The two brothers had joined Qingxiao Sect together, and Li Qingqiu didn't want favoritism to sow discord between them.
Now, he viewed Yun Cai and her companions in the same way.
Even with Ji Ya's five companions, he had arranged for them to join the Sword Hall through Ji Ya's recommendation—again, to preserve their bonds.
Of course, such generosity only applied when loyalty was high.
As long as his own safety was secured, Li Qingqiu was more than willing to extend kindness to others.
For those who had never cultivated before, the Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra was exceedingly complex—especially for these eight girls, who hadn't even practiced basic martial arts.
Still, Li Qingqiu showed no impatience. He repeated the instructions again and again, explaining every detail with clarity.
The morning passed in quiet concentration.
By noon, Yuan Qi returned with several disciples carrying food boxes.
"Take a break for half an hour and eat something," Li Qingqiu said, smiling as he stood up and stretched lazily.
Seeing him relax, the seven girls immediately followed suit, stretching their stiff bodies. They had been sitting motionless for hours, and every muscle ached.
Yun Cai, however, remained still. She looked at Li Qingqiu's back, bit her lip, and suddenly stood up.
"Sect Master," she said softly, "I've already cultivated vital energy!"
The words struck like thunder.
The seven girls turned to her in shock.
Yuan Qi, who had just arrived, froze mid-step, eyes widening in disbelief.
'Already? In this short a time?' he thought. 'Could the Sect Master have discovered another unparalleled genius?'
Even Yuan Li, still seated in meditation, opened his eyes in astonishment.