Thinking back to the strange expressions his master had shown each time he’d gone to greet him in recent days, Mo Xuanli didn’t even finish his meal before rushing back to Luofeng Pavilion.
As soon as he arrived, he saw a young boy in green sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard.
In Zixiao Sect, there were special child attendants assigned to handle chores. Those who had their own dwellings could request one.
But Luofeng Pavilion had never had one before.
Mo Xuanli frowned and stepped forward to ask.
The child respectfully saluted and explained, “Replying to Young Master, it was Elder Luofeng who instructed me to come. I’m to be responsible for household chores here from now on.”
Mo Xuanli’s expression shifted slightly. “Master doesn’t like too many people around. If there’s anything to be done, I can take care of it.”
This place had always only had Gu Baiqing living in it. With so few chores, a couple of spells could take care of most things. Now that Mo Xuanli was here, it made sense for a disciple to look after his master. But Master had never asked him to do anything—why would he suddenly bring in a child attendant?
The child could faintly sense some hostility and said innocently, “I don’t know. I’m just following orders.”
“I’ll go ask Master,” Mo Xuanli said immediately.
“Elder Luofeng is currently at Chunyang Pavilion and hasn’t returned yet,” the boy helpfully added.
The next moment, he saw Mo Xuanli’s face go completely pale.
“…He went to Chunyang Pavilion.”
The boy looked at the dazed and devastated Mo Xuanli, unsure what he had said wrong. “If Young Master has urgent business, you can go find the Elder at Chunyang Pavilion.”
Mo Xuanli remained silent.
Thinking the matter was settled, the boy resumed sweeping—only to find his broom had vanished in a flash.
“Y-Young Master?” the boy asked in confusion.
“I’ll do it. I’m faster than you,” Mo Xuanli said.
The child stared blankly as Mo Xuanli began sweeping earnestly. “…But this is my job.”
“It’s fine. I can handle it. I’m here now.” Mo Xuanli lowered his gaze and swept meticulously. Thanks to his cultivation, he was indeed faster and more thorough than a typical servant.
“…Then I’ll go to the kitchen. If you need anything, just call me.”
“What are you doing in the kitchen?” Mo Xuanli asked quickly.
The kitchen in Luofeng Pavilion was rarely used. Normally, he ate at the sect’s dining hall. Only when he missed the meal times and got hungry at night would he use it. Master had been living on spiritual fasting for years and didn’t eat normal food, so Mo Xuanli had always avoided using the kitchen out of concern for the smell of cooking.
“Elder said he wants a proper meal tonight and asked me to prepare it.” The boy explained and turned to leave—only to be stopped by Mo Xuanli again.
Mo Xuanli formed a hand seal, and a gust of wind swept across the courtyard, instantly clearing all the fallen leaves.
The boy’s head filled with even more question marks. Using spiritual power to clean was understandable—but directly using a spell? That consumed a lot more energy. No ordinary disciple would waste spiritual energy on chores.
“You don’t need to go. I’m good at cooking. I’ll make something for Master.”
The boy was totally baffled. Why was this young man suddenly stealing all his work? Was it… to please his master? Even so, was it really necessary to show off in this kind of thing?
“But Young Master, I—”
“Did Master give you any other instructions?” Mo Xuanli interrupted coldly.
An inexplicable pressure radiated from Mo Xuanli, who usually seemed so mild and soft. The child froze and replied, “No other orders… but I still need to clean the bath and feed the immortal crane later.”
“I’ll handle all that. If there’s nothing else, you can go back.” Mo Xuanli’s usual gentle face was now tightly drawn. Like a small pup defending its territory, he was desperately trying to drive away the intruder.
The child couldn’t figure out what these disciples were thinking anymore. He wanted to explain his role, but was waved off again and again.
After being repeatedly dismissed, he could only give up and retreat to the side courtyard.
Just as he was heading for the kitchen, Mo Xuanli called out, “Where are you going?”
“Elder has instructed me to live here now. I just arrived and need to unpack my things.”
Mo Xuanli froze, eyes wide as he stared at the boy.
The child hesitated and added, “Oh, right, Young Master—if you’re not particular about it, I can help pack your belongings too. But if you prefer to do it yourself, I’ll take care of the rest once you’re done.”
As soon as those words landed, Mo Xuanli felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
So it was true. Master really did want to send him away… It wasn’t just a rumor.
Then why say he would personally guide him?
Why allow him to enter the sword path?
Why… consider so many things for him?
Did he regret it?
Was it all… a lie?
———
Meanwhile, Gu Baiqing was thoroughly enjoying the thrill of throwing money around like water. After placing all the necessary orders, he headed straight to Chunyang Pavilion.
He had barely set foot on the mountain when he was met with the resounding cries of cultivation slogans. From the foot of the mountain to the very top, disciples had staked out their own little training areas—this was easily the most hardworking and battle-driven area in the entire Zixiao Sect. Hierarchy here was almost nonexistent; everything was determined by martial strength.
Gu Baiqing was quite pleased with the environment. Letting Mo Xuanli train here in the future would definitely accelerate his progress, helping him build combat experience and hone himself through repeated battles. That should make up for the rapid gains in the original plot that came from dual cultivation with the original Gu Baiqing.
Ah… what a clever plan! Perfectly executed!
As soon as Gu Baiqing stepped onto Chunyang Pavilion territory—riding his immortal crane, no less—he looked down to see all the disciples below respectfully saluting him, their expressions filled with awe and fear. After all, Gu Baiqing was a role model among sword cultivators.
Under such fervent and reverent gazes, Gu Baiqing grew a little guilty. He patted the crane awkwardly and sped up toward the pavilion.
But just as he was about to land— Sword light flared so brightly it hurt his eyes.
Two figures—one dark and one in dusky violet-gray—were clashing midair, blades flashing and sparks flying. The fight was intense. But in no time, the violet-gray figure was sent crashing into the ground, leaving a human-shaped crater.
From the pit emerged a woman with her hair tied high in a ponytail and only a simple forehead cord as ornament. She brushed the dust off coldly, hefted a massive sword nearly as wide as herself, and, with an expression like frost, prepared to take off again.
“That’s enough.” A voice called from above. Gu Baiqing looked up to see the black-clad figure descending on an entirely jet-black flying sword, face half-covered by a mask.
The man had strong brows and round eyes. After a quick up-and-down scan of Gu Baiqing, his gaze paused briefly on Morning Snow, then moved to the clunky immortal crane— He frowned slightly.
“So you really can’t fight anymore?”
…What kind of way to ask is that?
“This can’t be. Come on, let’s go a few rounds.” the man persisted, clearly not convinced.
Gu Baiqing hurriedly waved him off. “Junior brother, in my current condition, one slash from you isn’t sparring—it’s murder.”
The man’s expression instantly soured, and he let out a loud, angry huff like a sulking child.
This was none other than the last of the Sect Guardian Elders—Chu Fei, head of Chunyang Pavilion and their youngest martial brother. In terms of combat ability, he was second only to Gu Baiqing in the entire sect. But unlike Gu Baiqing, who was focused and disciplined, Chu Fei had a fiery temper and a love for fighting. He would draw his sword at the slightest provocation.
Outsiders summed him up like this: Short in height, big on temper; always picking fights, never backing down.
He had long viewed Gu Baiqing as a personal rival and would show up every few days to challenge him, swearing he’d defeat him someday. Gu Baiqing used to find him extremely annoying and would frequently go into seclusion just to avoid him. Now that Gu Baiqing had lost his spiritual power and could no longer fight, Chu Fei was probably extremely frustrated.
“Alright, junior brother, I came to see you for something. Let’s talk downstairs?”
Chu Fei huffed again, reluctantly flying down.
The woman who had been sparring with him also knelt toward Gu Baiqing with a serious expression and cold voice, “Greetings, Fourth Senior Uncle. This disciple won’t interrupt Master and Senior Uncle’s meeting any further—I’ll take my leave.”
Gu Baiqing twitched slightly at the sight of her.
Her name was Nan Zhi, Chu Fei’s personal head disciple. When Chu Fei took her in, the event had been just as sensational as when Mo Xuanli became Gu Baiqing’s disciple. Chunyang Pavilion did have female disciples, but they were generally seen as less powerful than the men. Nan Zhi, however, had gained the approval of the sect’s number one battle maniac and was made his personal disciple—no one had expected that. The doubts came pouring in.
Nan Zhi crushed every single one.
After entering the sect, her cultivation and talent quickly outpaced all her peers. She became one of the most feared members of her generation in the entire Zixiao Sect. Though later in the original plot Mo Xuanli would far surpass her in power, during the early and mid stages, Mo Xuanli couldn’t beat her at all.
As for her personality… well, having been raised under Chu Fei, that said enough.
She didn’t seem particularly hot-headed, but she was addicted to fighting and preferred fists to words.
The original Gu Baiqing had no memory of this girl, but Gu Baiqing, having read the script, remembered her quite clearly.
She inherited Chu Fei’s true legacy. In the original, she loved to challenge others to duels—especially Mo Xuanli. In her eyes, if they were of equal cultivation, she’d lose for sure. And since Mo Xuanli was even younger than her, she was already at a disadvantage. That sense of defeat made her constantly seek him out for sparring.
There was one memorable time— At the disciple courtyard adjacent to Luofeng Pavilion, Nan Zhi came to challenge Mo Xuanli. But his door was shut, and strange sounds could be heard from within. It was clear he was inside.
Nan Zhi stated her intent clearly and asked him to come out and fight.
“Senior Sister… I’m currently… in the middle of cultivation. I really can’t come out. How about we just do a verbal duel for now?”
Nan Zhi, hearing his strained voice and sensing he might be at a critical point, agreed. They began calling out move names back and forth.
Inside, however… the scene was something else entirely.
“You’re crazy! Tell her to leave!”
“Master, you don’t understand Senior Sister Nan Zhi. She’s even more persistent than Fifth Senior Uncle. If I say I’m busy, she’ll wait outside until I’m free. Can you promise not to make a single suspicious sound until she’s gone?”
“Then—then just stop.”
“Master, aren’t you making things difficult for your disciple? I’m suffering here.”
“You—!”
“Master, quiet. She’s right outside. One sound, and she’ll hear everything.”
Outside, Nan Zhi’s cold voice continued calling out techniques. Inside, Mo Xuanli responded seriously—but now and then, other sounds slipped out, ones she assumed were just part of intense cultivation.
Eventually, when Mo Xuanli shouted out his final move, the low groan that came from deep in his soul…
With one move, he sealed off all of Nan Zhi’s retreat options.
Nan Zhi stood stunned for a long moment before finally smiling with good cheer. “Junior Brother Xuanli truly has extraordinary talent. As expected of Fourth Senior Uncle’s personal disciple. I admit defeat. When I return, let’s fight again!”
…
Gu Baiqing quickly shoved those images from his mind, unable to resist silently cursing the little pervert again.
Once Nan Zhi withdrew, Gu Baiqing finally explained the reason for his visit.
Chu Fei didn’t seem to have much opinion on the matter and nodded in agreement. “But my place isn’t for playing house. Your disciple has average aptitude and little battle experience. If he gets injured while training with my group, don’t complain to me.”
“Don’t worry. He’s here to be trained hard. If he doesn’t get injured, it wouldn’t be proper.”
Chu Fei raised an eyebrow. “You ignored him before, and now you’re suddenly acting like a strict teacher. But I still don’t get why you took him as your disciple. I’ve got plenty of good seedlings over here.”
As long as a disciple wasn’t personally accepted, they weren’t considered formally taken in. So those cultivating here could still become Gu Baiqing’s disciple.
Some well-connected disciples had even pulled strings to get in front of Chu Fei, hoping to gain Gu Baiqing’s favor. Chu Fei wasn’t jealous. In fact, if someone didn’t want to become Gu Baiqing’s disciple, he’d think they had no brains and didn’t know a good thing when they saw it.
That said, he and Gu Baiqing weren’t close enough to speak personally. Whenever they met, it was either to fight or discuss important sect affairs. Today’s conversation was probably the warmest exchange they’d ever had.
Faced with Chu Fei’s doubt, Gu Baiqing felt a strangely satisfying sense of superiority—like he alone knew the truth.
“I’ll bet you this—without even comparing cultivation levels, within a year Nan Zhi won’t be his match. If we factor in cultivation too, in two years, Mo Xuanli will be unmatched among your Chunyang disciples. In four years… even you will lose to him.”
Chu Fei was shocked at first, then skeptical, and finally, his eyes lit up with excitement. “For real?!”
He had great respect for Gu Baiqing’s strength, so he didn’t think he was bluffing.
Gu Baiqing gave a cool smile. “Of course. Otherwise, why would I take him on? Charity? So train him well—don’t hold back for my sake. Soon enough, even if my spiritual power never returns, you’ll have the best sparring partner around. And since he’s a junior, he’ll come whenever you call.”
Chu Fei instantly jumped to his feet in excitement. “Great, have him move in right now! Hurry up!”
Seeing his junior brother practically bouncing with anticipation, Gu Baiqing couldn’t help but laugh. “Although I want you to train him well, don’t overdo it. Don’t start sparring now. If you end up harming his cultivation, I’ll hold you responsible.”
At that last sentence, Chu Fei suddenly felt a chilling aura of familiarity. He impatiently waved it off. “I have my own disciples—I know how to control myself. Don’t need you to tell me.”
Gu Baiqing chuckled, waved his hand, and took out two small white porcelain bottles from his storage pouch—a little something he’d snagged from Second Senior Brother’s private stash.
“I know you don’t lack anything, but consider this a thank-you gift. I’ll be going now.” He placed the bottles down and cupped his hands in farewell.
Chu Fei looked at the porcelain bottles with slight discomfort, murmuring suspiciously, “Since when did he get so polite? Feels weird. Immortal dew? Alcohol?”
But once he uncorked one and took a sniff—a strong scent of milk hit him. Chu Fei instantly slammed the lid shut, darting his eyes around as if afraid someone might see. The exposed part of his face turned completely red.
“Who—who told him to give me this?! As if I’d drink milk! What a—what a weirdo!”
Grumbling all the while, he waved a hand and made the bottles vanish. The storage pouch on his waist gave a soft flicker.
…
When Gu Baiqing returned to the bamboo house, he found Mo Xuanli sitting blankly on the steps.
The maple forest had been swept clean of fallen leaves. The scent of food drifted from the kitchen. Under the glow of the setting sun, Gu Baiqing suddenly felt a bit sentimental. Living alone before, no one had ever waited at home for him to return. He’d never felt lonely then—but looking at this scene now, he couldn’t help but feel that… maybe this was better.
The moment he saw his master return, Mo Xuanli sprang to his feet. His face was pale. “Master, you’re back.”
Gu Baiqing said, “Good, since you’re here—I have something to tell you.”
Mo Xuanli’s face immediately paled further. His body instinctively shrank back, his head bowed very low. “Master, you must be tired from your trip. Would you like to bathe and eat first? The hot water and food are all ready. Would you prefer to—”
Gu Baiqing blinked, startled by the interruption. “Oh? That little servant works fast. Did you meet him already?”
Mo Xuanli nodded silently, not answering.
Gu Baiqing thought for a moment and said, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let’s dine together.”
Anyway, since they wouldn’t be living together anymore, having one last meal together wasn’t a big deal. It could count as a farewell dinner. After this, this house would only be Mo Xuanli’s daily classroom.
“Yes, Master,” Mo Xuanli answered obediently and followed behind.
After sitting down, Gu Baiqing expected the little servant to bring out the dishes. To his surprise, it was Mo Xuanli himself going in and out of the kitchen, serving the food.
“Where’s the little servant?” Gu Baiqing asked.
“He left,” Mo Xuanli said quietly.
Gu Baiqing didn’t think much of it, assuming the servant had something else to do. He motioned for Mo Xuanli to sit.
But Mo Xuanli insisted on serving him first—placing each dish personally before sitting down. He waited until Gu Baiqing took the first bite before touching his own food. If he noticed that Gu Baiqing liked a particular dish, he wouldn’t touch it again.
“Master, this dish—how is it?”
“Master, do you find it tasty?”
“Master, do you like this flavor?”
Gu Baiqing felt a bit uncomfortable with the attentiveness—it was a bit too eager. He couldn’t help but feel suspicious. But looking at Mo Xuanli’s sincere, devout expression, he didn’t say anything.
After the meal, just as Gu Baiqing was about to bring up the move to Chunyang Pavilion, Mo Xuanli respectfully said: “After Master bathes, you may leave your clothes to me—I’ll clean them.”
Gu Baiqing snapped his head toward him, goosebumps rising all over.
What the heck?!
What’s with this child?!
