Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Lan Ling’e had a dream.
In her dream, she was accepted as a disciple by an old immortal. He brought her to the immortals’ abode, where she saw a dashing senior martial brother leaping from the water.
Umm… That seemed to be not just a dream. It was what had just happened.
While she was in a daze, Lan Ling’e heard her master’s voice. Surprisingly, he sounded a little fierce, different from the kind old deity she thought he was.
“Rascal! You don’t listen to me now that you’ve grown up, isn’t it? How dare you scheme against me!?”
Afterward, Lan Ling’e heard a gentle and calm voice.
“Ease your anger, Master. I am only taking precautions. Since I was planning on practicing the Water Escape technique, I set this trap for any possible burglars before going to the lake. I did not know that you would come back today all of a sudden, and hence did not have time to tear down those traps. Please, forgive me, Master.”
Her senior martial brother spoke at a comfortable pace, making people want to lean in to listen on.
Soon after, Lan Ling’e heard her master heave a long sigh.
The old Daoist priest was sitting beside the bamboo bed. He clapped his hands and complained reluctantly, “Changshou, we are in the sect mountains. Is there a need for this kind of trap?
“Guarding against burglars? Our Little Qiong Peak could almost change its name to Little Poor Peak1! Which burglar would choose us as their target?”
‘Changshou? Senior Martial Brother’s name is Changshou?’
It was an ordinary Dao name. At the same time, it showcased his rustic and pure aspirations.
Lan Ling’e suddenly discovered that although she could hear the commotion outside, she could not open her eyes at all. Her eyelids weighed like bricks, and her energy seemed to be sucked out of her body.
Her senior martial brother started talking again. His voice was warm and made her feel as though her mother was there.
“Master, this is not true. There could still be dangers within the sect mountains.
“In recent years, the competition between different peaks has been intensifying, yet the elders in the sect are not concerned about this. I am the only—no, one of the two—disciples in our line of succession. It is a must that I remain vigilant.
“We do not have much presence in the sect, to begin with, and we do not have any backing either. Who knows? Maybe someone could be devising plans to steal our plot of land.”
After her senior martial brother finished speaking, Lan Ling’e heard her old master complain.
“The Immortal Du Sect has strict sect rules. How could that happen?
“Forget it! I am in no position to criticize you! You and your weird logic! Why aren’t you improving on your cultivation instead?
“You will wait here until Ling’e wakes up. This is my identity token. Bring her to the main peak for registration and collect her identity token and monthly allowance as an official disciple!
“This is really getting on my nerves!”
The old Daoist priest waved his sleeve and stood up from the bamboo chair. He staggered a little because of the effects of the medicinal scent—that made his face flush.
“Getting on my nerves!”
“Take it slow, Master.”
“Hmph! I shall be in secluded cultivation to comprehend the miraculous Dao technique!”
The Daoist priest, Qi Yuan, stomped his feet on the ground fiercely and transformed into a wisp of smoke as he vanished from the straw hut.
In the blink of an eye, a string of clanking noises was heard from the opposite straw hut. The Daoist priest had lost his balance again after reversing the Dharma spell.
The young man standing at the door sighed softly.
As he sighed, the little girl, who was lying on the bamboo bed, opened her eyes slightly and saw the silhouette that had his head held low and was in deep thought.
‘Senior Martial Brother looks so tall.’
“Master’s cultivation base is still too weak, and his soul is not powerful enough. I doubt he can make it past the Heavenly Tribulation during Immortal Ascension.”
‘Those words, what do they mean?’
A wave of fatigue swept her, and Lan Ling’e closed her eyes unconsciously. Very soon, she heard footsteps approaching.
Even though she was only nine years old, Lan Ling’e had gained awareness of her surroundings from a young age. Moreover, she had been born in a powerful and wealthy family in the world where ordinary human beings lived. At a young age, she had learned about ceremonial formalities and the laws. She had partial knowledge about all kinds of stuff.
The current situation she was in was considered disregarding ceremonial formalities and the laws to Lan Ling’e. She was alone in a room with a man, and the unfamiliar man was gradually approaching her.
However, if that man was her senior martial brother, she could treat him like a blood-related brother in the future. That seemed… acceptable…
“Junior Sister Lan, I am your Senior Martial Brother Li Changshou. I am going to alleviate the effects of the Immortal Enervating Scent for you now. If you can hear me, please do not treat me as a pervert. I am a morally upright man.
“Umm… what nonsense am I saying? She has just started on her cultivation. How could she withstand the medicinal effects?”
‘Pervert? Morally upright? This cultivation language is so hard to understand. Senior Martial Brother is a cultivator, indeed!’
Lan Ling’e tried her best to respond to avoid being too disrespectful in front of her senior martial brother. However, she did not have a hint of energy left in her. The only thing she could control was her thoughts.
All of a sudden, she felt a huge hand resting gently on her forehead. Wisps of cool and refreshing air entered from her forehead and circulated throughout her entire body. That made her feel especially comfortable.
‘Senior Martial Brother is healing me…’
Lan Ling’e’s head was in a mess. Her thoughts were scattered. The situation she was in felt surreal and real at the same time.
Li Changshou looked at the little girl lying flat on the bed. He creased his eyebrows and thought it through.
Even though his master had said that he wanted to accept another disciple for a long time and he was mentally prepared to welcome a new junior martial sister or brother, Li Changshou was still a little concerned about it.
‘I should take this chance to check her souls and spirits.’
Li Changshou emitted a cooling stream of air and touched Lan Ling’e’s life source gently.
‘Yes. The soul is perfectly compatible with the body. There is nothing inconsistent in her body. It is very unlikely that she had been possessed. She seems to be pretty talented and has a close affinity with the Water and Wood Elements.’
However, Li Changshou did not know how her personality was.
Lan Ling’e’s personality should have been developed at this age. Li Changshou merely hoped that she wasn’t someone who would cause trouble everywhere.
However, Li Changshou could tell from her looks that she would become a beautiful woman when she grew up. Since ancient times, beautiful women had been the reasons for war. This was a potential reason for conflicts, so he had to try his best to avoid it.
‘I should also check if she is hiding any demon seedlings or something of that sort.’
Yes. That was also a vital thing to check. Although there was not a high probability of that happening, he should not leave it to chances. It was always good to take necessary precautionary measures.
At the same time…
‘Ay?’
While Lan Ling’e was unconscious, she felt the huge hand leave her forehead and start sliding all over her body. Her face turned a little red.
‘Senior… Senior Brother… Isn’t this way too… This is way too inappropriate…’
Not long after, Li Changshou nodded his head. After the thorough check that he had conducted, there seemed not to be any problems with his junior martial sister—she was not possessed, there were no demon seedlings planted in her, and she was not under the influence of any Gu poison or curse. Moreover, she indeed had talent in cultivation.
Lan Ling’e had officially passed the entrance check!
After that would be regarding his junior martial sister’s training courses, and Li Changshou had to prepare for that thoroughly.
It would be best if his junior martial sister were not someone who would create troubles. In that case, his chances of being affected by karma, later on, would be similar to how his chances were now.
Li Changshou was in a daze as he sat on the edge of the bed. Afterward, he laughed dryly and muttered, “I can somehow understand why there were so many people who were obsessed with lolitas in his previous life. How could anyone withstand their cuteness?”
‘Obsessed with lolitas? Cute? Previous life?’
Although Lan Ling’e did not understand what he said, she felt that her master’s words were indeed right. Her senior martial brother was a little weird.
Maybe because of the effects of the cooling streams of air, Lan Ling’e felt that she had recovered some of her energy. She could not resist the urge to open her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and a groan was produced from her throat.
Her vision turned from blurry to clear. Lan Ling’e could finally have a good look at her senior martial brother up close. He indeed possessed defined features. The more she looked at him, the more handsome he seemed. He was even more charming than her mother’s personal guards.
However, this senior brother’s expression now—made her a little fearful!
‘Senior Brother’s stare looks so terrifying!’
Gulp!
Lan Ling’e gulped down her saliva. She looked weak, helpless, and pitiful.
She heard the teenage cultivator sitting on the edge of the bed, asking, “Did you hear everything that I said just now?”
Lan Ling’e was instantly a little nervous. Her voice trembled as she replied, “N… no… yeah…”
‘What’s wrong with Senior Brother? Did I do anything to upset him? From Senior Brother’s expression, he seems unsatisfied with me?’
“Senior Brother…”
The teenager on the edge of the bed stood up slowly. He lowered his head and looked down at the beautiful little girl. His gaze had a little hesitation in it. However, very quickly, he spoke with a low-pitched voice.
“Look at me. Do not mention what I had said to anyone.”
“Oh, okay,” Lan Ling’e answered softly. Her face was flushed, and she was at a loss.
Afterward, she saw her senior brother shake his head and walk towards the window. He stared outside the window and seemed to be in a daze.
His name was Li Changshou. When he had been being accepted as a disciple, he had insisted on keeping Changshou as his Dao name.
The reason was similar to Lan Ling’e’s guess. Li Changshou wanted to live longer1. It would be best if his lifespan was as long as heaven and earth.
At that instant, Li Changshou was recalling the information that he had exposed when talking to himself.
‘The biggest slip should be the words ‘previous life.’ F*ck!’
Li Changshou had been extremely cautious these few hundred years. He did not expect that he would expose his secret to this new junior sister of his! He had kept the secret in his heart for too long and could not resist the urge to talk to himself!
Li Changshou rubbed his chin as his gaze swept to the little girl that was attempting to leave the bed.
He must indeed kill her to shut her up. Kill her to shut her up!
Lan Ling’e took a lot of effort to sit up straight on the bed. She saw her senior brother’s cold stare coincidentally and could not help but shiver.
“Senior Brother?”
“Do not tell anyone about what I had just said!”
“Yes! Ling’e will remember this!”
“You must not mention this to anyone, including Master!”
“Okay, Senior Brother…”
“Good. Make an oath in the name of the miraculous Dao!”
“Umm? Umm…”
Under the sunlight, parallel black vertical lines appeared on the forehead of the little girl sitting on the bed. With the technical guidance—or rather, supervision—by the person beside her, she raised her petite hand and started reciting the thousand-word long Dao oath that considered various possible situations and listed the various preconditions.