The entrance ceremony has concluded.
Two prodigies have climbed the celestial stone stairs, undoubtedly an unprecedented event since the establishment of the Qingyuan Sect.
News of this flew around like it had wings, quickly making its way through the entire sect.
In the Qingyuan Main Peak’s Internal Affairs Hall.
“We gained four new true disciples this year!”
“I heard that the elder hasn’t taken in new students for ten years. Could it be that he’s finally feeling the itch to cultivate some successors?”
“If you weren’t there, you would’ve missed how stunning that girl was… Ahem, I mean, that’s not the point. She climbed to the top in just a few breaths! A true prodigy!”
“Wait, wasn’t there one more who reached the top?”
“Uh, that other one went under Elder Shang Wu.”
“Gasp!”
A few inner disciples in the Internal Affairs Hall, sipping their tea, were animatedly discussing.
Upon hearing that one person had joined the Ninth Peak, they all leaned back in their chairs, their expressions strange, with a hint of sympathy in their eyes.
This kid is doomed.
“Sigh, if he wasn’t in the same generation as that girl, he might have been nurtured as a potential sect leader.”
“His talent is good, but his luck is terrible.”
Someone sighed.
The others nodded in agreement, deeply convinced.
As they were talking, they suddenly all put down their tea bowls and stood up straight, dutifully saying:
“Greetings, Elder Qian.”
The short, plump old man nodded.
“I’m here to bring the new true disciples who just entered to collect their items.”
“Also, let’s distribute the monthly stipend for the first month ahead of time, according to the standards set for each peak.”
This short, plump old man’s name was Qian Bufan, an elder in charge of Internal Affairs in the Qingyuan Sect.
Among the elders, he held one of the highest positions due to his control over sect finances.
‘This is a personal favor, mainly because of Ying Bing…’ Ke Mo understood this in his heart but still bowed to Qian Bufan.
“Thank you, Elder.”
“Sigh, there’s no need to thank me.”
Qian Bufan sidestepped, not accepting the bow.
Ke Mo was puzzled.
Well, he would soon find out the reason.
The entry items were quickly distributed: two sets of fine cloud-patterned robes and a piece of bronze waist support, which were all provided uniformly by the sect.
The monthly stipends, however, had their rules.
“Murong Xiao, assigned to Shenbing Peak, monthly silver of a hundred taels, one forging hammer, and two bottles of jade essence.”
“Lin Ye, assigned to Ruyi Peak, monthly silver of three hundred taels, and two bottles of calming essence.”
The internal disciples brought in two trays.
Then they turned to Ying Bing, and their expressions became significantly more respectful:
“Ying Bing, assigned to Qingyuan Main Peak, monthly silver of a thousand taels, one top-grade cold iron sword, two bottles of pure sun essence, and ten bl**d-cleansing herbs…”
The internal disciple rattled off a long list like a cannon.
The other disciples listening enviously made no effort to hide their salivation.
Ah, the treatment of the true disciples from the sect sounds downright delectable.
But it wasn’t over.
The disciple continued:
“The sect master has given approval, you can choose another villa for your residence, specifically for use by your junior sister. Feel free to pick whichever you like.”
A private villa!
Now that’s a privilege usually reserved for the stewards, and not just any stewards, but those who have made contributions to the sect.
Besides having an excellent training environment, it also symbolizes status.
“Qiushui Pavilion.”
Ying Bing replied without hesitation.
“Uh, okay, I’ll make a note for you.” The internal disciple was momentarily taken aback before nodding.
“What about me?”
Ke Mo pointed at himself, thinking he’d been forgotten.
“Junior brother, you’re at Qunyu Peak, and as for your peak, they’re preparing…”
The internal disciple pulled out a thick ledger and handed it over.
‘Could it be something like a divine skill manual? It’s thick enough…’
With a puzzled expression, Ke Mo opened it, only to see it written inside:
“Year 162 of Jingtai, March: Qunyu Peak advances silver of 3,000 taels.”
“Year 162 of Jingtai, March: Qunyu Peak advances ten jars of apricot blossom wine.”
“Year 164 of Jingtai, September: Demolished the Beast Cage at the Rare Beast Peak, resulting in the escape of 52 various exotic beasts.”
…
It was a long list of bills and debts.
Ke Mo: “?”
Little Ke’s head was filled with question marks.
“Did I get the wrong ledger?”
“Nope.”
Elder Qian Bufan let out a sigh and explained, “The resources for true disciples from each peak are provided by their own peaks and are not uniformly distributed by the sect.”
“Qunyu Peak hasn’t provided any resources to its true disciples.”
“Not only that, but Elder Shang Wu also borrowed many things from the Internal Affairs Hall. When you have the time, bring this ledger over so she can hurry up and settle her debts.”
“All of this… is a ledger of bills?”
Little Ke’s mouth twitched slightly.
So everyone else gets benefits, and I’m left holding the bag?
Qian Bufan nodded, giving a friendly reminder: “By the way, there probably isn’t housing available for you at Qunyu Peak, so you’d better plan early to build yourself a hut or something; materials… you can request from the Internal Affairs Hall.”
“A hut?”
Ke Mo fell into deep thought.
He never imagined that after joining the Qingyuan Sect and becoming a true disciple, he would end up in a position of being homeless.
I must be a fake disciple!
“Why not stay at my place?”
Suddenly, Ying Bing spoke, her red lips parting lightly.
Ke Mo’s sturdy frame jolted, his head spinning around in shock, yet from that icy countenance, he couldn’t read any deviation in her expression.
Is this still the icy girl I know?
“The environment at Qiushui Pavilion is excellent; you two can live together as a couple.” Qian Bufan rubbed his belly, sporting a hint of a bemused smile.
Our Elder Qian turns out to be a real shipper.
“Uh, Elder Qian, you’re thinking too much.”
Ke Mo shook his head.
“Ah? You two little ones aren’t a couple?”
Old Qian paused, looking bewildered.
He heard the two were childhood friends who joined the Qingyuan Sect together, both esteemed true disciples. Ying Bing had even specifically mentioned that Ke Mo should move into her place—that sounds like cohabitating to him.
These days, who else would share a room with someone unless they were in a relationship?
“Uh….”
Ke Mo hadn’t spoken yet.
But Ying Bing interrupted with her cool voice:
“Not at all.”
Her tone was casual, but it sent a chill through the air.
“You misunderstood.”
Ke Mo hurriedly waved his hands.
Then the two fell silent.
The atmosphere in the hall became rather awkward.
“Ah, I’m getting old, loved to chatter. Forgive me.” Qian Bufan chuckled, smacking his lips, looking somewhat expectant.
Ke Mo forced a smile, pulling his gaze away from Ying Bing.
Is the ice girl pretty?
To describe her as stunning wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
But… she’s too cold.
Both in personality and figure.
Thinking this, Ke Mo couldn’t help but sigh.
His feelings toward this childhood friend who was once so warm could be described as pity rather than admiration.
In his memories, she wasn’t like this at first. It changed after some family incident.
In different circumstances, he too would find it hard to stay optimistic and warm.
Across from him, Ying Bing subtly shook her head.
The world doesn’t stay still, and the martial path is long.
In her past life, countless talents pursued her.
But if it weren’t for severing emotional ties and wholeheartedly flowing against the current of the martial river, she wouldn’t have reached her peak.
Even in this life, she remains steadfast on the path.
…
…
Qiushui Pavilion, located not far from Qunyu Peak.
Nestled by the mountains and rivers, the scenery is beautiful.
The three-story pavilion also includes a separate villa, with a clear spring flowing in between, exuding a quaint elegance that stands out among other pavilions.
At this moment, the front door of Qiushui Pavilion swung open.
The two entered one after the other, with the young man carrying a large bag of items.
“This place is nicely built.”
Ke Mo was quite satisfied with the new living environment and felt a bit emotional.
Previously, Ying Bing borrowed a place at the Ke Mansion, living under someone else’s roof.
Now, the roles were reversed.
He turned around, only to see Ying Bing gazing blankly at the courtyard.
“It seems like no one has lived here for a long time. Let’s clean up first.”
Ke Mo surveyed the surroundings but couldn’t find any cleaning tools.
Ying Bing suddenly said: “The broom is under the stone bench in the courtyard.”
Ke Mo bent down and truly found a broom.
“You go heat some water.”
Ying Bing tied her black hair with a ribbon and spoke naturally, as if she had lived here for a long time, seamlessly taking on the role of the mistress of Qiushui Pavilion.
It wasn’t intentional.
But in her every move while sweeping, she exuded the calmness of someone long accustomed to authority.
Great, I’ve turned into the hardworking little maid.
Ke Mo smirked, saluting: “As you command, my lady.”
Though he knew the ice girl was always this way, a small sense of reluctance bubbled in his heart—how did it end up like this?
Mmm, as a man with strong pride, that’s perfectly normal.
…
The steaming hot water was poured into a large wooden tub.
【Congratulations, host. You’ve successfully invested in a tub of bath water to aid in cleansing your body.】
【Investment feedback received: one gold bar.】
The weight of the gold bar returned by the system felt substantial.
After a moment of silence, Ke Mo shouted towards the courtyard:
“One tub of bath water isn’t enough; let me boil you some more!”
…
…
Later that night.
The next day.
Ke Mo woke up as usual, glanced at the frozen solid room next door, and dived into the kitchen to make breakfast.
Lately, his wide net investments provided him with plenty of peculiar returns, including some food items that just needed heating to be ready to eat.
When the sun rose completely, Ke Mo emerged carrying soy milk and buns. Ying Bing was already seated there.
Her lips still lacked color, and her face resembled snow.
Describing her as stunning would have suited her perfectly.
Not long after breakfast, a resounding voice broke the silence outside:
“Ying Bing, dear niece, are you there?”
He opened the door.
An old coachman sat on an elegant, antique carriage, the edges of the carriage adorned with intricate carvings, exuding sophistication.
“I’m the sect master’s coachman.”
The old coachman smiled broadly: “By the sect master’s order, I’m here to escort you up the mountain. I’ll be the one picking you up from now on, as Qingyuan Peak has many buildings, and I wouldn’t want you to get lost.”
Wow, the sect master’s carriage.
Ke Mo thought to himself, no wonder it looked so impressive.
See, this is the real treatment of a true disciple.
He’d best strap himself in for the ride up the mountain.
“Thank you.”
Ying Bing nodded, got into the carriage, then lifted the curtain and said:
“Ke Mo, when you get to Qunyu Peak, have a few jars of wine ready.”
After leaving this remark, the carriage disappeared swiftly.
