The initiation ceremony concluded.
The ergence of two geniuses who ascended the Heavenly Steps to the summit was undoubtedly an unprecedented event in the history of the Qingyuan Sect. The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the sect.
Qingyuan Main Peak, Internal Affairs Hall.
"This year, we’ve gained four new core disciples."
"I heard the Sect Master hasn’t taken a disciple in fifty years. Could it be that he’s finally stirred from his seclusion, intending to groom a successor?"
"You weren’t there to see it—that girl is as beautiful as a celestial maiden... Ahem, that’s beside the point. The main thing is, she reached the summit of the Heavenly Steps in re monts! Truly monstrous talent."
"Wasn’t there another who reached the top as well?"
"Ah, yes... That one was taken in by Elder Shang Wu."
"Tsk!"
The inner disciples in the Internal Affairs Hall chatted animatedly over tea. When they heard that one of the ascendants had been assigned to the Ninth Peak, they all leaned back in unison, their expressions turning peculiar, their eyes faintly tinged with pity.
That poor soul is dood.
"Alas, had he not been in the sa cohort as that girl, he might have been grood as a future Sect Master candidate."
"Great talent, terrible luck."
Soone sighed.
The other inner disciples nodded in solemn agreent.
Just then, they abruptly set down their teacups and straightened up, calling out respectfully:
"Greetings, Elder Qian."
A short, portly elder nodded.
"I’ve brought the newly initiated core disciples to collect their supplies. Also, distribute their first month’s stipend in advance, according to the standards set by their respective peaks."
The elder, nad Qian Bufan, was the Qingyuan Sect’s Internal Affairs Elder. Within the sect, he ranked among the highest of the elders—after all, internal affairs included finances.
‘This is a favor, likely because of Ying Bing...’ Li Mo understood the gesture but still bowed to Qian Bufan.
"Many thanks, Elder."
"Ah, no need for thanks from you."
Qian Bufan sidestepped, refusing to accept the gesture.
Li Mo was puzzled.
But he soon learned the reason.
The initiation supplies were promptly handed out: two sets of finely crafted cloud-patterned robes and a bronze waist token—standard issue for all disciples.
The stipends, however, were another matter entirely.
"Murong Xiao, assigned to the Divine Arms Peak: five hundred taels of silver monthly, one tempered forging hamr, two bottles of Jade Bone Pills."
"Lin Ye, assigned to the Ruyi Peak: three hundred taels of silver monthly, two bottles of Serenity Pills."
The Internal Affairs Hall disciple presented two trays.
Then, turning to Ying Bing, his deanor grew markedly more deferential:
"Ying Bing, assigned to Qingyuan Main Peak: one thousand taels of silver monthly, one superior-grade Frost Iron Sword, two bottles of Pure Yang Pills, ten stalks of ridian-Cleansing Grass..."
The disciple rattled off a lengthy list.
Other passing disciples overheard and couldn’t help but envy her.
The perks of being the Sect Master’s personal disciple were enough to make anyone salivate.
But there was more.
The disciple added:
"By the Sect Master’s decree, you may select an additional private residence for your exclusive use. Take your ti choosing."
A private residence!
This was a privilege reserved for stewards—and not just any stewards, but those who had made significant contributions to the sect.
Beyond offering an exceptional training environnt, it was a symbol of status.
"Autumn Water Pavilion."
Ying Bing answered without hesitation.
"Ah—yes, I’ll record it at once." The Internal Affairs disciple paused briefly before nodding.
"What about ?"
Li Mo pointed at himself, wondering if he’d been forgotten.
"Junior Brother is assigned to Jade Cluster Peak. Well, the resources prepared for core disciples there are..."
The disciple handed him a thick ledger.
‘Could it be a martial arts manual? Why is it so heavy...’
Li Mo flipped it open, only to find it filled with entries like:
"2nd Month, Year 162 of Jingtai: Jade Cluster Peak advanced 3,000 taels of silver."
"3rd Month, Year 162 of Jingtai: Jade Cluster Peak advanced 10 jars of apricot blossom wine."
"9th Month, Year 164 of Jingtai: Demolished Rare Beast Peak’s animal enclosures, resulting in the escape of 52 exotic creatures..."
Page after page was cramd with—debts.
Li Mo: "?"
A flurry of question marks popped up over the young man’s head.
"Is this the right book?"
"It’s correct."
Elder Qian Bufan sighed. "Resources for core disciples are provided by their respective peaks, not the sect as a whole. Jade Cluster Peak... does not supply its core disciples with any resources."
"Worse still, Elder Shang Wu has borrowed extensively from the Internal Affairs Hall. When you have ti, take this ledger to her and urge her to settle these outstanding debts."
"This entire book is just... IOUs?"
Li Mo’s lips twitched.
So while everyone else gets benefits, I’m stuck with liabilities?
Qian Bufan nodded sympathetically. "Also, there likely isn’t any living quarters prepared for you on Jade Cluster Peak. You’d best start planning to build yourself a thatched hut. Materials... can be requested from the Internal Affairs Hall."
"A thatched hut?"
Li Mo fell into deep contemplation.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that joining the Qingyuan Sect as a core disciple would leave him holess.
Am I even a real core disciple?
"You can stay with ."
Suddenly, Ying Bing spoke, her voice cool.
Li Mo stiffened, turning to stare at her—but her aloof expression betrayed nothing.
Since when did this ice block beco so... accommodating?
"Autumn Water Pavilion has excellent surroundings. You two would make a fine immortal couple there." Qian Bufan patted his belly, his face creasing into a knowing, almost gossipy smile.
Turns out Elder Qian is a secret romance enthusiast.
"Ah, Elder Qian, you’ve misunderstood."
Li Mo shook his head.
"Huh? You youngsters aren’t a pair?"
The elder blinked.
Rumors said they were childhood friends, had entered the sect together, and were both core disciples. Ying Bing had even explicitly invited Li Mo to live with her today—practically cohabitation!
In this day and age, no ordinary relationship involved sharing living quarters.
"Well..."
Before Li Mo could explain, Ying Bing’s voice cut in:
"No."
Her tone was casual, yet it carried a chill that made the air seem to freeze.
"It’s a misunderstanding."
Li Mo waved his hands hastily.
Then, silence.
The atmosphere in the hall grew awkward.
"Forgive this old man’s nosiness." Qian Bufan chuckled, though he looked faintly disappointed.
Li Mo smiled wryly, glancing at Ying Bing before looking away.
Was the ice block beautiful?
The phrase "city-toppling beauty" wouldn’t do her justice.
But... she was cold.
In every sense of the word.
At this thought, Li Mo sighed inwardly.
His feelings toward this childhood friend leaned more toward pity than admiration.
In his mories, she hadn’t always been like this. A family tragedy had changed her.
Put in her shoes, Li Mo doubted he could remain warm and optimistic either.
Across from him, Ying Bing gave an imperceptible shake of her head.
The heavens were unfeeling; the path of martial arts was long and arduous.
In her past life, countless prodigies had pursued her.
But had she not severed all mortal attachnts and devoted herself wholly to the martial path, she would never have reached the pinnacle.
This life, her resolve remained unshaken.
......
......
Autumn Water Pavilion stood not far from Jade Cluster Peak.
Nestled between mountain and water, its scenery was breathtaking.
The three-story loft, accompanied by a separate courtyard with a clear stream running through it, stood out among the other buildings with its rustic elegance and natural beauty.
At that mont, the gate of the Autumn Water Pavilion creaked open.
Two figures walked in one after the other, the young man carrying bundles of luggage.
"This residence is quite well-built," Li Mo remarked, pleased with his new living quarters, though a hint of nostalgia tinged his voice.
Once, it had been Ying Bing staying at the Li estate, living under soone else's roof.
Now, the tables had turned.
He glanced back and noticed Ying Bing gazing absently at the courtyard.
"It seems no one has lived here for a long ti. Let's clean it up first," Li Mo suggested, scanning the surroundings.
He searched around but couldn’t find any cleaning tools.
Ying Bing suddenly spoke up, "The broom is under the stone bench by the flower bed."
Li Mo bent down and, sure enough, pulled out a broom.
"Go boil so water," Ying Bing said matter-of-factly, tying up her long black hair with a ribbon.
She slipped effortlessly into the role of the lady of Autumn Water Pavilion, as if she had lived there for years.
It wasn’t intentional.
Yet, even the way she swept the floor carried an air of quiet authority, as if she were accustod to command.
Well, looks like I’m the dutiful little housemaid now.
Li Mo pursed his lips and gave a mock salute. "As you command, Your Highness."
He knew the ice block had always been like this, but a tiny flicker of indignation still stirred in him.
Hmph, perfectly normal for a prideful male creature like himself.
......
Steaming hot water was soon ready, poured by Li Mo into a large redwood tub.
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully invested in a bucket of bathwater, aiding your investnt target in cleansing herself.]
[Investnt reward received: One gold bar.]
The system’s gold bars were always generously weighted.
After a mont of silence, Li Mo called out to the courtyard:
"One bucket of bathwater might not be enough—I’ll boil so more for you!"
......
Night fell.
The next morning.
Li Mo woke as usual and glanced at the frozen-solid room next door before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
His recent wide-net investnts had yielded plenty of odd rewards, including a variety of ready-to-eat foods that only needed reheating.
By the ti the sun had fully risen, Li Mo erged with soy milk and stead buns to find the ice block already seated at the table.
Her lips were still bloodless, her face pale as snow.
"Beautifully frozen" was the perfect way to describe her.
Not long after breakfast, a booming voice echoed from outside:
"Disciple Ying Bing, are you here?"
The door opened.
An elderly man sat atop a stately, antique carriage, its eaves carved with the four celestial beasts—exquisitely crafted yet unpretentious.
"I am the sect master’s coachman," the old man said with a warm smile. "By the sect master’s order, I am to escort you up the mountain. From now on, I’ll be the one fetching you. The Qingyuan Main Peak has many buildings, and we wouldn’t want you getting lost."
Wow, the sect master’s personal carriage.
No wonder it looks so imposing, Li Mo mused.
Now this is what you call elite disciple treatnt.
He’d probably have to hike up on foot.
"Thank you," Ying Bing said with a nod. After boarding the carriage, she lifted the curtain and added:
"Li Mo, before heading to Jade Cluster Peak, you might want to prepare a few jugs of good wine."
With those words, the carriage sped off, leaving a trail of dust behind.
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