by EkkoTheDemon
In the courtyard, all the disciples were gathered together. Even Yang Jueding was standing at the back of the crowd, on his tiptoes to look inside.
Li Qingqiu was squatting in the middle of the crowd. A bird's nest was placed on the ground in front of him, containing three eagle chicks and two eagle eggs.
The three young eagles had dark gray down. The shape of their beaks already showed the posture of an eagle. They were still very young and couldn't fly at all. They chirped and bumped into each other in the nest, with leftover eggshells beside them.
Zhang Yuchun was explaining where he had found the nest.
It turned out that when they had gone down the mountain before, Zhang Yuchun had specifically bought a few books on medicinal herbs, wanting to learn a bit of medicine. He had gone up the mountain to search for herbs according to the books and happened to see the eagle's nest on a mountain peak.
He told the story as if it were a life-and-death struggle, making the disciples gasp from time to time.
Looking at these eagle chicks, Li Qingqiu thought of the Guardian Beast mentioned in the Sacred Heritage panel. He wondered if he could lead these chicks onto the path of cultivation.
"Master, did you see their parents?"
Zhang Yuchun’s eldest disciple, Huang Shan, asked. He was the oldest of the seven new disciples, now thirteen. He had already become the leader of the small circle. Although he hadn't been able to refine Spirit Essence, his talent for martial arts was quite good, and his physical skills were the strongest among the seven.
Zhang Yuchun shook his head. "No. If we had met them, it wouldn't have been so easy."
Li Qingqiu stood up and smiled. "You did well. Raise them, especially those two eggs—try your best to hatch them. In the future, let them become the Guardian Beasts of the Clear Firmament Sect. When people in the martial world see eagles, they will know the Clear Firmament Sect has arrived and will get out of the way. Won't that be impressive?"
At these words, the disciples’ eyes lit up. Even Jiang Zhaoxia was the same, his gaze toward the chicks becoming intense.
Yang Jueding couldn't help but dampen their spirits. "Eagles are not dogs; they're not that easy to subdue. Once they're grown, they'll surely fly away."
"So we have to think of more ways. It'll be great if we succeed," Li Qingqiu said nonchalantly.
Life on this mountain offered little entertainment besides cultivation; raising some pets was not a bad idea.
The disciples began to discuss the idea based on Li Qingqiu’s words.
As he listened, Li Qingqiu helped them broaden their thinking.
the Clear Firmament Sect was too monotonous; the disciples needed to be creative, just like Zhang Yuchun taking the initiative to learn medicine and bringing back the eagle's nest.
As they talked, Li Qingqiu suddenly felt that he needed to establish some structure for the Clear Firmament Sect.
For example, every month, he and his six siblings would have a serious meeting to plan the development for the coming month. They couldn't be too relaxed; this would also nurture his siblings' thinking as leaders.
The disciples' martial arts practice should also be divided into different styles so that the sect's martial traditions could branch out in the future.
As for the disciples who could cultivate, they could be seen as the elite of the Clear Firmament Sect; after all, the reward for the entire group becoming cultivators had already been claimed.
The most important thing next was to lay a good foundation for the Clear Firmament Sect.
Internal affairs needed rules, and finance needed a plan!
Resources needed long-term development!
It was time to clear the land!
The more Li Qingqiu thought, the more he felt that time waited for no one; they had been too relaxed before.
That night, Li Qingqiu called his six siblings to his room for a meeting. Although Wu Man’er was simple-minded and Li Sifeng and Li Sijin were young, Li Qingqiu still had them attend.
The seven of them became more excited as they talked. Even Jiang Zhaoxia proposed many constructive ideas.
After the meeting, they returned to their rooms and started smaller meetings with the other disciples. That night, everyone in the Clear Firmament Sect was busy until late. When they got up for morning practice the next day, many people had dark circles under their eyes.
Yang Jueding stood on the mountain peak, stretching his body. He looked down at the vibrant disciples in the courtyard below and felt deeply moved.
He suddenly felt that in ten years, the name of the Clear Firmament Sect would shake the world, and the sect would grow and undergo earth-shattering changes.
Perhaps he should work even harder.
After thinking it through, Yang Jueding decided to seriously nurture the seven disciples from the mountain village; these seven would surely become the backbone of the Clear Firmament Sect in the future. As for Xu Ning, he couldn't teach her even if he wanted to—that girl only listened to Li Qingqiu now.
In the days that followed, the area where the disciples were active began to expand. Practicing in the three courtyards was no longer enough for them, so they began to go to the forest below to practice, and Yang Jueding began to guide them one by one.
Li Qingqiu was satisfied with Yang Jueding’s attitude and began to change his opinion of him.
...
In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. The weather was hot, and the always-mischievous Li Sifeng was lying under a tree to rest, unable to settle his mind.
This was halfway up the mountain, two hundred zhang from the sect at the peak. He was practicing alone, as instructed by his Eldest Brother; when practicing the Stormstride Art, he could not let Yang Jueding or the others see him.
Li Sifeng had been practicing the Stormstride Art for half a month, yet he still hadn't grasped the key to it. He was almost ready to give up.
"It really is better not to practice," the young Li Sifeng sighed from the bottom of his heart as he lay with his hands behind his head. He crossed his legs, and his small feet didn't stop swinging.
He felt that life right now was quite good—carefree, with many things he wanted to do every day.
Today, he wanted to raid a mouse nest; the big mouse he had encountered before had escaped, and he was still thinking about it.
Hearing voices in the distance, Li Sifeng couldn't help but sit up. He looked closely and saw two figures walking toward him from afar—one old and one young, dusty from travel, pushing aside the weeds along the way.
"Huh? There's a kid over there!" the young boy in plain clothes in front pointed at Li Sifeng and exclaimed. The old man following behind him was tall and carried a bundle. Even with his white hair, he gave off a sense of being strong and sturdy.
The white-haired old man looked up and saw Li Sifeng. He couldn't help but frown.
This place was very far from the village at the foot of the mountain; it was not a distance a child could cross.
He seemed to think of something and asked, "Child, are you a disciple of the Clear Firmament Sect?"
Li Sifeng didn't run away. He sat on the ground and answered, "Mhm. Who are you?"
When the boy in plain clothes heard he was a disciple of the Clear Firmament Sect, he immediately quickened his pace and ran all the way over.
"Young master, slow down!" the white-haired old man called out helplessly as he followed.
The boy in plain clothes arrived in front of Li Sifeng and said excitedly, "My name is Jiang Nian, and I am thirteen years old. What about you? What is your name, and how old are you?"
Li Sifeng stood up and answered, "My name is Li Sifeng, and I am also thirteen years old."
He compared their heights and found he was a bit shorter than Jiang Nian, which made him a little frustrated.
At that moment, the white-haired old man walked over and asked, "Little brother, is your master, Lin Xunfeng, here?"
Li Sifeng looked at him and said, "My master left a long time ago. Didn't he announce his retirement at that Unfettered Martial Assembly? Haven't you heard?"
Since Lin Xunfeng had announced his retirement, Li Qingqiu no longer had the disciples hide the fact.
After hearing this, the white-haired old man was not disappointed and instead smiled. "Then is Jiang Zhaoxia still in the sect?"
"You know my third brother?" Li Sifeng asked warily.
They both had the surname Jiang!
Something was wrong!
Although Li Sifeng was usually afraid of Jiang Zhaoxia, the bond between the brothers was deep. They were all orphans, but none of them knew their own backgrounds.
Could it be that the third brother had a home at the foot of the mountain?
If the third brother left, what would happen to the Clear Firmament Sect?
Although Li Sifeng was young and usually carefree, he was actually quite thoughtful. At this moment, he thought of many bad outcomes.
The current Clear Firmament Sect could not afford to lose Jiang Zhaoxia!
"He is my brother. We came specifically to find him and bring him home," Jiang Nian said with a smile. He was quite handsome, with fair skin and a sunny smile that made people like him.
But to Li Sifeng, his smile was loathsome.
"Third Brother went down the mountain with my master earlier. You've come for nothing."
Li Sifeng said with a gesture of his hands, his face feigning helplessness and sympathy.
The white-haired old man frowned and said, "Then can we stay for a night? It's too late to go back down now."
Li Sifeng shook his head. "There are other guests in the sect; there is no room for you to stay."
"We'll just take a look," the old man said, refusing to give up.
Li Sifeng was, after all, too young, and the white-haired old man saw through him.
With that, the old man took Jiang Nian’s hand and started walking up the mountain.
Li Sifeng became anxious and immediately blocked their path. "You are not allowed to go up!"
The white-haired old man looked displeased but still asked patiently, "Little brother, why are you stopping us from looking for the young master?"
Li Sifeng’s eyes widened as he said, "You abandoned Third Brother, and now you want to take him back. What right do you have to control my third brother like this?"
The old man said helplessly, "There were many reasons for what happened back then. You're still young; I can't explain it to you. If your third brother comes back with us now, he can live a good life. It's better than being on this mountain. If you can't bear to leave him, you can come with us too."
Jiang Nian was very interested in Li Sifeng and added, "Yes, why don't you come with us? My father has become a high official, and life is great now."
Li Sifeng was not moved; instead, he became even more terrified, feeling that Jiang Zhaoxia was being taken away from him.
"No! Absolutely not! Don't even think about going up the mountain!"
Li Sifeng clenched his two small fists and shouted. As he spoke, he pulled a dagger from his belt, its blade gleaming.
Seeing Li Sifeng reveal a weapon, the white-haired old man actually laughed. He stroked his beard and chuckled, "Child, do you know who I am? In the martial world, if you dared to show a weapon to me, not even the gods could save you."
"Stop talking through your father's ass!" (TN: A crude dismissal of someone's empty bragging.)
Li Sifeng shouted, sticking out his neck. He had learned this phrase from his Eldest Brother.
The white-haired old man didn't understand the literal meaning, but he could clearly tell the boy was cursing him.
The old man’s face turned cold, and he snorted. "Since that's the case, I'll teach you for Lin Xunfeng how to speak to your elders!"
He reached out to grab Li Sifeng.
Suddenly.
Li Sifeng moved.
His left hand shot out like a bolt of lightning, grabbing the old man’s right wrist and pulling hard. Caught off guard, the old man lost his balance and fell toward him.
Li Sifeng had a follow-up move; while pulling the old man, his right hand gripped the dagger and stabbed toward his chest.
The old man’s pupils dilated, his eyes filled with disbelief.