Hearing this person's name, Little Wei immediately straightened her posture, her expression turning serious.
The surname was Ye, with the character "Tian" in the name.
This was practically the textbook male protagonist setup!
In that case, wouldn’t the demonic cultivator be… Cheng Yuguang?
Not necessarily. Besides, villains as protagonists were trending lately—there was a chance Ye Mingtian was the demonic one, and as for the third…
It was a girl.
The sect leader didn’t introduce her.
The ragged girl stood like a lone winter plum blooming gracefully in a secluded valley, exuding an air of quiet elegance. Even as countless gazes weighed on her shoulders, she seemed untouched, as if standing in an empty wilderness, her delicate features carrying a hint of defiance.
Her face still bore traces of injury, making it clear how difficult it must have been for her to stand in the grand hall.
Meanwhile, Little Wei was stroking her chin.
This one… didn’t seem like a demonic cultivator either. If nothing else, her aura alone set her apart from the other two.
"Little Yi, have you made your choice? It’s time you took on a disciple," the sect leader said with a smile.
"I…"
Truthfully, Little Wei was still hesitating.
All three candidates seemed like they could be the demonic cultivator, yet none gave off any obvious demonic vibes.
Just as she was about to pick Ye Mingtian, she sneezed inexplicably, her hand jerking—and her finger landed on the ragged girl.
The other peak masters seized the opportunity, scrambling to claim Cheng Yuguang and Ye Mingtian.
In the end, the sect leader prevailed, securing Cheng Yuguang, who possessed a heavenly spiritual root, while Ye Mingtian was taken by the alchemy peak master due to his fire spiritual root, suitable for pill refining.
Before Little Wei could even react, the pack of wolves had already devoured the talented disciples.
Savages!
Absolute savages!
Heartbroken, Little Wei watched as the ragged girl walked toward her.
The two stared at each other in silence, eyes locked in mutual bewilderment.
Little Wei rummaged through the original owner’s storage bracelet before finally pulling out a sword.
"Here, take this as your apprenticeship gift," she said with a dazzling smile.
Duan Lingyun gazed at Little Wei, her heart stirring faintly, before kneeling to perform the formal bow. Ancient customs were elaborate, but Little Wei didn’t stop her. Only after Duan Lingyun finished did she lower her eyes and softly call out,
"Master."
"Uncle Sect Leader, I’ll head back now," Little Wei said, handing the sword to Duan Lingyun before bidding farewell.
"Of course," the sect leader nodded hastily.
The Qingdao Sect despised unnecessary formalities—once a disciple bowed respectfully and the master presented a token, the ceremony was complete.
After leaving the grand hall, Little Wei led Duan Lingyun to the teleportation array at the side of the main peak. All they had to do was inscribe the name of their destination with spiritual energy to activate it.
Normally, she would have flown her disciple around on a sword to admire the sect’s scenery, but Little Wei feared one misstep might send her precious new disciple plummeting to her death.
Best not to take such risks.
The girl trailing behind them—Song Huanqing—studied Duan Lingyun with sparkling eyes, beaming brightly.
"Um, senior sister, I’m an outer disciple, Song Huanqing, in charge of attending to Master Zhongling’s daily needs. From now on, I’ll be taking care of you too. If you have any food preferences, just let me know—I’m a great cook! Oh, and what’s your name, senior sister?"
Duan Lingyun seemed slightly uncomfortable before murmuring after a long pause,
"My surname is Duan, given name Lingyun."
As soon as she finished speaking, Little Wei inscribed "Zhong Lingfeng" into the array. A red light flashed, and in the next moment, the three of them had arrived at Zhong Lingfeng.
Zhong Lingfeng was the most secluded peak, far from the main sect, wrapped in serene mist and drifting spiritual energy that wove through the trees and flowers. The fragrance of blossoms permeated the tranquil courtyard.
In the distance, a waterfall cascaded like a white ribbon into a winding ravine, its crystal-clear waters flowing into the courtyard’s lake—a picturesque scene of emerald mountains and pristine waters.
"You’ll stay in this courtyard. Oh, right—Huanqing, take her to freshen up first. The sect leader sent over some clothes earlier, but they’re all too big. She’ll have to make do for now. Tomorrow, I’ll go down the mountain to buy fabric and have proper ones made."
Little Wei couldn’t stand seeing her disciple’s shabby appearance.
This girl would be her face from now on—at the very least, her clothes shouldn’t embarrass her.
"Understood," Song Huanqing replied promptly.
Then Little Wei remembered something important.
"By the way, what’s your spiritual root?"
At this question, Song Huanqing also turned to look at Duan Lingyun.
"I have a fire spiritual root," Duan Lingyun answered, blinking lightly.
She raised her hand, and a small flame flickered to life in her palm—only for a cool breeze to extinguish it instantly.
In the original timeline, the previous owner hadn’t taken this disciple, so Little Wei knew nothing about her.
Watching that pitifully weak flame, Little Wei felt a headache coming on.
This fire spiritual root… had issues.
"Go wash up first. I’ll see if there’s anything that can improve your spiritual root."
As she spoke, Little Wei couldn’t help but grumble internally.
Was this fire spiritual root bought from a bargain bin? It couldn’t possibly be worse.
No wonder the sect leader had fallen silent.
"Thank you, Master." Duan Lingyun bowed before following Song Huanqing away.
Staring at the disciple she’d somehow ended up with, Little Wei wanted to weep.
"Si… how do I even raise a disciple?" She was at her wit’s end—figuratively, since she currently lacked the anatomy for literal prostate troubles.
Damn it, she was still figuring out how to use her own magic properly, and now she had to teach someone else?
What kind of joke was this?
"Well… I’ve never raised one either. Maybe teach what you know?"
Little Wei thought Si’s advice was fantastic—so fantastic that he should never speak again.
Returning to her warm jade bed, Little Wei propped her chin on her hand and meditated for half an incense stick’s time before realizing that, aside from boasting, she had absolutely nothing to teach Duan Lingyun.
Especially with that peculiar constitution of hers.
But…
She could try the archives. The records of the three new disciples were probably already filed there. She could investigate their backgrounds and then verify things in person—that might uncover some clues.
Little Wei’s plan was flawless, and being a woman of action, she set off immediately.
The Qingdao Sect’s archives weren’t hard to access—the original owner’s storage bracelet even had a token for entry.
The Archive Peak wasn’t far from Zhong Lingfeng. Little Wei flew over in a few leaps, spotting the golden barrier enveloping the peak from afar—a protective shield that only allowed entry to token bearers.
There were three archive halls, but the disciple records and cultivation manuals were kept in the main one, so Little Wei headed straight there.
With no one else around, sneaking in was a breeze.
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