Chapter 53 Making a Name for Themselves

How strong is this Immortal Emperor?

Li Qingqiu looked at the trembling Jia Yi, and such a thought popped into his mind.

The Immortal Emperor’s destiny must be incredibly exaggerated!

It’s just unclear which generation will give birth to this so-called Immortal Emperor, and even if they are born, this child will have to Cultivate slowly.

Li Qingqiu also had a murderous thought, wondering whether to nip it in the bud, but then he felt it was a pity that the Immortal Emperor’s destiny couldn’t be replicated, and besides, he had already spoken, and he wasn’t the type to go back on his word.

“Do you have any children?” Li Qingqiu asked.

Jia Yi replied numbly: “No.”

“You are so flirtatious, how can you be sure you don’t?”

In Jia Yi’s memories of his time in Black Rock County, he had had three one-night stands, as the reputation of the Heaven Protection Guard was simply too useful.

“If you put it that way, then I’m not sure either. At least for now, no woman has brought anyone to find me…” Jia Yi said helplessly. He dared not meet Li Qingqiu’s gaze, even though Li Qingqiu had already decided not to kill him.

Li Qingqiu continued: “If you have children one day, send them to the Qingxiao Sect. If your children perform well, they will also have the chance to receive my true teachings.”

Jia Yi trembled all over and quickly agreed.

He couldn’t tell if Li Qingqiu wanted to gain more leverage over him, or if he truly wanted to take Disciples, or perhaps both.

Thinking of Li Qingqiu’s methods, his heart again felt a little fervent; those were absolutely Immortal Family methods. If his children could learn them, he would have gained a blessing from misfortune.

“Next, you will take Feng Dai and find a way to help him establish himself in the Imperial City. From now on, you two will support each other. If Feng Dai dies, I will come after you first. No matter what excuse you find, a dignified Heaven Protection Guard who cannot protect one person has no reason to live.”

Li Qingqiu’s words turned cold again, scaring Jia Yi into trembling, unsure how to respond.

Seeing this, Li Qingqiu turned to look at Feng Dai, nodded slightly, and said no more, walking towards the mountain.

After Li Qingqiu applied three needles, Feng Dai’s injuries quickly recovered, at least they didn’t hurt as much. Seeing Li Qingqiu leave, he immediately bowed to his retreating figure.

When only he and Jia Yi were left in the forest, he suddenly felt a little dazed.

Before going up the mountain, he had not expected things to develop this way. He looked at Jia Yi, who was still slumped on the ground, and remained silent for a long time… On the way back to the School, Li Qingqiu’s mood was also difficult to calm. The ancestor of the Immortal Emperor brought him no small shock, and Feng Dai’s late bloomer destiny also seemed to have boundless prospects.

If these two had not met him, the advantages of their destinies might have been difficult to manifest.

Just like Feng Dai, living to sixty in the Great Li Dynasty was not an easy task, especially since he had a rigid temperament and was prone to trouble. If he died before sixty, his so-called late bloomer would merely be an illusory dream.

Jia Yi’s Immortal Emperor ancestor destiny was even more ethereal. Even if the Immortal Emperor was as omnipotent as he imagined, it would be impossible to resurrect all his ancestors; this would also depend on the closeness of the relationship.

Regardless, this matter was temporarily halted, preventing the conflict from escalating. Li Qingqiu tried not to overthink it, not allowing unhappened events to sway his thoughts.

Striving to strengthen oneself is the key!

He went through all these twists and turns precisely because, in front of the behemoth that was the Great Li Dynasty, the current Qingxiao Sect had no absolute self-preservation capability.

Not only did he have to strive to become stronger, but the Qingxiao Sect did too.

In the days that followed, the Qingxiao Sect was not affected by the Heaven Protection Guard incident. On the contrary, the common people who sent their children to apprentice, after witnessing Zhang Yuchun’s prowess, went down the mountain and widely publicized it, boosting the Qingxiao Sect’s reputation.

Currently, for the secular world, the Qingxiao Sect is known more for its chivalry. Jiang Zhaoxia’s reputation as the second strongest in the Martial Forest has not spread among the common folk. Since one wants to Cultivate martial arts, one naturally wants to apprentice under a master. The more masters the Qingxiao Sect has, the more people it will attract.

Half a month later, Jiang Zhaoxia and the Thirteen Sword厉 finally returned. Only a few Disciples knew what they had gone to do.

Li Qingqiu was completely relieved to see that the Thirteen Sword厉 hadn’t lost any limbs. The Thirteen Sword厉 were his elite Disciples in his plan, a group of Disciples who could do great things for the Qingxiao Sect, and it was best if not a single one was missing.

Each of the Thirteen Sword厉 had changed in appearance and temperament, which must have been the influence of their experience.

After Jiang Zhaoxia brought the Disciples to meet Li Qingqiu, he sent them back to rest.

Zhang Yuchun, hearing that Jiang Zhaoxia had returned, quickly rushed over, and the three talked inside the house.

“I crippled Lu Fuhu. I originally wanted to kill him completely, but this fellow curried favor with the prefect, and I never found an opportunity,” Jiang Zhaoxia said after drinking a cup of tea.

This sentence made Zhang Yuchun frown, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Will your action offend the prefect?”

“To the prefect, Lu Fuhu and the Heavenly Saber Sect are just a weapon. If the weapon is gone, and there’s a better one, he’ll only be happy. He’s already seen my prowess and is extremely enthusiastic towards me. In fact, he’s wanted to abandon Lu Fuhu for a long time. Lu Fuhu offended the Li family of Linchuan, and the prefect doesn’t want to go against the Li family. However, Lu Fuhu has been clinging to him, and over the past ten years, he’s received too many benefits from Lu Fuhu to refuse. He asked me to leave him alive, just to repay his debt of favor to Lu Fuhu.”

Jiang Zhaoxia’s tone remained unchanged, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.

After hearing this, Zhang Yuchun’s brows unfurled, and he sighed, “Third Junior Brother, you’ve truly grown up. You’re becoming more and more mature in your actions. You did very well in this matter.”

Jiang Zhaoxia said, “To appease the prefect, I could only befriend him, promising that if he ever needed my help in the future, I would do my best, as long as it didn’t go against the Qingxiao Sect’s Daoist principles.”

Li Qingqiu nodded and said, “As long as we enter the secular world and deal with officials, it’s unavoidable. Befriending the prefect has its pros and cons; it just depends on how we use it. This connection was established by you, Third Junior Brother, so from now on, you will be fully responsible for it.”

He couldn’t possibly grasp all the Qingxiao Sect’s connections in his own hands. He also hoped that his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters could establish their own networks, so that even if Prodigies, Geniuses, or ambitious Disciples emerged in the future, they wouldn’t be able to shake their positions.

The larger the School, the more things need to be considered. Li Qingqiu must pursue the overall positive development of the Qingxiao Sect, so that he can continuously grow stronger through the dao lineage panel.

Jiang Zhaoxia agreed. This half-year trip down the mountain had given him many insights. His way of dealing with people was no longer as rigid as before, and he began to seek better coping strategies.

“Xue Jin, that kid, has a fierce drive and is very loyal. During that time, we encountered Martial Artists from the Qing Cult. I wasn’t there, and they were surrounded by Qing Cult masters. Xue Jin could have escaped himself, but he chose to protect his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. When I arrived, he was the most seriously injured,” Jiang Zhaoxia recalled something and praised.

Li Qingqiu usually paid attention to Xue Jin’s loyalty. After a trip down the mountain, his loyalty did not decrease, but instead both scores rose above 90 points.

“Hmm, in the future, he can be taken to the Thousand Spirit Blessed Land to Cultivate.”

Li Qingqiu’s reply brought a smile to Jiang Zhaoxia’s face. He didn’t say thank you; in his opinion, Xue Jin was not only his apprentice but also half of Li Qingqiu’s apprentice. Without Li Qingqiu’s introduction, he would have missed this bright pearl.

Afterward, Li Qingqiu asked Jiang Zhaoxia to continue recounting his experiences down the mountain.

In half a year, besides seeking revenge on the Heavenly Saber Sect, Jiang Zhaoxia and the others encountered many other things. He spoke casually, but Li Qingqiu felt that he was not so calm inside, especially when Jiang Zhaoxia mentioned a woman.

Jiang Zhaoxia was already eighteen this year, a grown man. Li Qingqiu didn’t want to interfere too much with his choices, so he didn’t ask further.

After discussing the training, Li Qingqiu’s expression became serious, and he said, “Third Junior Brother, there is one more matter that needs to be handled by you. This matter is dangerous, and whether to bring the Thirteen Sword厉 or not is up to your discretion.”

“What is it?”

“I want to destroy the Qing Cult.”

Jiang Zhaoxia and Zhang Yuchun’s faces suddenly changed. The Qing Cult was a newly rising behemoth in the Jianghu, with their Disciples active throughout Guzhou Prefecture.

Jiang Zhaoxia didn’t ask for the reason, and directly replied, “Good, when do I depart?”

“The sooner the better. All high-ranking members of the Qing Cult must die.”

Li Qingqiu’s tone was cold, and his eyes revealed a murderous intent. He then revealed Jia Yi’s dealings with the Qing Cult.

The Qing Cult had always wanted to establish connections with the imperial court. When Jia Yi went to the Qing Cult to deliver the imperial edict, the Qing Cult’s high-ranking members flattered him, and the two sides established a deep relationship of mutual benefit.

Years passed, and Yang Jueding’s whereabouts were still leaked. The Qing Cult learned that the Dragon-Subduing Hero Yang Jueding was in the Qingxiao Sect, and since Luo Lie, who was chasing Yang Jueding, had not returned, they knew Luo Lie was dead.

Later, when Jiang Zhaoxia gained the reputation of being the second strongest in the Martial Forest, they dared not act rashly. They surmised that Jiang Zhaoxia, being so powerful, must have Cultivated the divine martial arts obtained by Yang Jueding.

So they bribed Jia Yi to alter the imperial edict, forcing the Qingxiao Sect Leader to go to the Imperial City. What they intended to do afterward is unknown, but it can be guessed that they would definitely take further action against the Qingxiao Sect.

It’s even possible that they just wanted Jia Yi to clash with the Qingxiao Sect, and then reap the benefits of the conflict.

Regardless of their intentions, the Qing Cult inciting Jia Yi to pressure the Qingxiao Sect meant that the enmity between the two sides could no longer be resolved.

“So that’s how it is. I wondered why that Heaven Protection Guard was so irritable; we clearly didn’t offend him. I overlooked the existence of the Qing Cult. I didn’t expect that after so many years, they are still eyeing us covetously,” Zhang Yuchun sighed.

He looked at Li Qingqiu and asked, “The Qing Cult is affiliated with the Heaven Protection Guard. Won’t destroying them cause trouble?”

Li Qingqiu snorted, “Jianghu matters are settled in the Jianghu. If everyone feared backgrounds, where would there be so many battles in the Jianghu? Just as Third Junior Brother said, if the Qing Cult is destroyed, the high-ranking officials behind them will not seek revenge for them; they will only replace them with another School to continue exploiting. Even if a very few individuals insist on troubling us, we will have to meet them head-on.”

“Normally, we can be low-key and not clash with other Schools, but you must remember that anyone who provokes the Qingxiao Sect must be eliminated. Only dead people won’t speak, and won’t cause more trouble.”

“In this world, clinging to power is not a true foundation for survival. A hard fist is the real truth.”

Zhang Yuchun nodded, frowned, and asked, “That Heaven Protection Guard was let go by me. Did I make a mistake then?”

“No worries, I’ve already dealt with him.”

Li Qingqiu’s words made Zhang Yuchun’s eyes widen, then he smiled. He had almost forgotten his Senior Brother’s decisive methods. For the past two years, he had managed the School’s affairs, big and small, and had overlooked how Li Qingqiu would make decisions.

His Dao cultivation is not deep enough.

Zhang Yuchun secretly reflected, feeling that there were many things about Li Qingqiu that he could learn from.

“I understand. I will take them down the mountain tomorrow. In this battle, I will forge a fearsome reputation for the Qingxiao Sect!”

Jiang Zhaoxia stood up, left these words, and departed, his tone filled with determination.