The morning fog clung to Broken-Soul Peak like an old blanket, heavy and cold.
Lin Feng stood in the courtyard, holding a small jade bottle in his palm.
Inside it, the Life Essence Pellet shimmered faintly.
The disciple stood before him, clutching his healed wrist, still overwhelmed from the events inside the mountain.
Lin Feng tapped the jade bottle lightly.
"Here."
He tossed it to the disciple.
The man caught it like a man catching his own fate.
"Senior—t-this is…?"
"A cure," Lin Feng said lazily. "Crush it, mix with warm water, and feed it to your daughter. She'll be fine."
The disciple's eyes turned red instantly.
He knelt so fast dust puffed from the ground.
"Senior… I—I don't know how to repay—"
Lin Feng cut him off with a wave.
"I just don't want you crying around the sect again. Very distracting."
The disciple choked out a laugh that was mostly a sob.
Lin Feng continued, voice calm but firm:
"Go. Cure her. And when she grows up…"
He glanced toward the cracked gate of the sect.
"…bring her here. She has the qualification to be my student."
The disciple froze.
Then trembled.
Then bowed so deeply it looked like he tried to bury his head into the earth.
"I—I will! I swear! I will raise her to serve the sect!"
"Good, good." Lin Feng nodded. "Don't raise her too obedient though. Obedient disciples are boring."
The ghost child nodded seriously beside him.
The man wiped his tears and stood, holding the bottle like a sacred treasure.
"I'll return soon, Senior Lin!"
"Remember to come back alive," Lin Feng added.
"I don't train ghosts without employee paperwork."
The disciple bolted down the mountain—running faster than he ever had—determination burning in his eyes.
Lin Feng watched him disappear into the fog.
The Chained Woman shifted slightly behind him, chains swaying like a quiet approval.
The ghost child pointed to the gate.
Lin Feng nodded.
"Yes. Another one will come soon."
Right on cue—
DING!
A cold chime echoed in his mind.
---
[SYSTEM MISSION ISSUED]
Main Mission: Recruit 1 New Disciple
Reward:
• Sect Points +3
• Beginner Combat Manual (Ghost-Compatible)
• Sect Reputation +2
Side Mission: Repair Training Ground (Stage 1)
Reward: Minor Cultivation Boost
---
Lin Feng smiled slowly.
"Good. It begins."
He dusted his robe, stepped toward the gate, and cracked his knuckles.
"A new disciple… rebuilding the sect… a bunch of people underestimating me… Ah, a classic storyline."
The ghost child floated beside him, holding its splinter sword proudly.
The Chained Woman's chains rattled like quiet laughter.
Lin Feng took one long, confident step forward—
"Let's go recruit someone gullible."
He paused.
"…I mean talented."
Broken-Soul Peak hummed softly, as if excited.
The next arc had officially begun.
---