"You need to learn how to dig for talent yourself. You can't always come to me asking for people."
Li Qingqiu shook his head as he spoke. Yun Cai was a disciple he was focusing on cultivating. He could not let her go—and if he did, it would hurt Yun Cai's feelings.
There were now an enormous number of disciples in Qingxiao Sect, and quite a few with Fair-grade cultivation aptitude had yet to be discovered. Only when either cultivation aptitude or Comprehension reached the Excellent grade would Li Qingqiu make an exceptional promotion.
In fact, even if cultivation aptitude only reached the Fair level, one could still rise quickly.
Li Sijin complained, "How would I have the time? The Cultivation Hall is so busy, and I still have to research talismans and spiritual plants. Even my own cultivation has been delayed."
After hearing this, Li Qingqiu advised, "It's time to delegate authority. You've already nurtured so many disciples—you can try trusting them and putting more of your energy into your own cultivation."
Whether it was talismans or spiritual plants, there were already disciples researching them. The Cultivation Hall was no longer at the stage where it could not function without Li Sijin.
"That's true. I really do need to focus more on my cultivation," Li Sijin nodded. Recently, the momentum of the new disciples had been rather fierce, making her feel pressure.
Li Qingqiu asked after the cultivation of the two junior sisters a bit more before taking his leave.
After he left, Li Sijin looked at Li Dongyue and asked, "Senior Sister, what do you think of Yun Cai?"
"What do I think? Of course I admire her. I hope there will be more disciples like her—only then can the sect prosper."
"More and more? Then aren't you jealous?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? I think you're getting more and more rebellious—asking for a beating!"
As soon as Li Dongyue heard this, her pretty face flushed red. She raised her hand to strike Li Sijin, but Li Sijin dodged and ran off. Li Dongyue refused to let it go and immediately chased after her.
…
In mid-October, the three Xiao brothers returned to report their results. They had successfully completed their mission, driving away an army of 60,000 troops.
Speaking of this, all three were extremely excited. Usually, they could only spar with sect disciples and had no idea what their strength amounted to in the martial world. This time, they finally knew.
An army of 60,000 could not stop them at all!
Xiao Wudi recalled how he had seized that general by the throat with one hand, and his blood boiled with excitement.
The gap between cultivation and mundane martial arts was far greater than he had imagined. Precisely because of this, they felt deep gratitude toward Li Qingqiu.
If Li Qingqiu had not personally guided them and given them so many resources, they would never have attained their current strength.
On the way back, the three brothers spoke heart-to-heart more than once, all of them admiring Li Qingqiu's breadth of mind. If it were them, it would be very difficult to place such trust in a disciple whose father had been an enemy of the sect.
Although Li Qingqiu did not know what they discussed in private, he could tell from the rise in their loyalty that he had not chosen wrongly.
After listening to their report, he nodded in satisfaction.
Xiao Wudi and Xiao Wuming were responsible for combat, while Xiao Wuqing formulated strategy. The task had been carried out very well, and no slaughter had been created.
Li Qingqiu also did not wish for Qingxiao Sect to become a bloodthirsty demonic sect. Driving that army away was sufficient.
"Go back and cultivate properly. In the future, you'll have more tasks. I look forward to your performance," Li Qingqiu said.
The three Xiao brothers immediately saluted and took their leave. They chatted and laughed as they went, and the deep bond between the brothers made Li Qingqiu feel gratified.
He hoped the three of them could always remain this way.
Li Qingqiu stood up, stretched his body, and decided to go take a look at the Sword Sect.
He had heard that a genius had recently arrived at the Sword Sect, full of youthful vigor—so much so that even Han Lang was having trouble keeping him in check.
It was not that his strength could not be suppressed, but rather his temperament. That genius was not yet strong enough, but relying on his talent, he was arrogantly overbearing and needed polishing.
Li Qingqiu had also looked at his panel. His cultivation aptitude had reached the Excellent level and was worth tempering.
Geniuses being a bit arrogant was fine—it could be corrected.
Now that Qingxiao Sect was famous throughout the land and its number of disciples continued to grow, the probability of producing geniuses was also increasing.
However, as Qingxiao Sect grew stronger, the threshold for defining a genius was also rising.
When Li Qingqiu personally arrived at the Sword Sect, the entire Sword Sect was shaken. The disciples were astonished to discover that the fearless Jian Du had suddenly become shy and restrained.
Jian Du was the name of that genius. He was only 14 years old. As for mundane sword techniques, he could master them after seeing them once. His talent had even earned praise from Shen Yue. Relying on his extraordinary aptitude, his personality was aloof, and he showed little consideration in his dealings with others, frequently clashing with fellow disciples and even talking back to Han Lang.
Jian Du's reputation as a genius had already spread. Even though he had yet to experience real combat, no one questioned his talent.
The reason Li Qingqiu personally came to see Jian Du was not only because of his high aptitude and special Fate, but also because his personal loyalty toward Li Qingqiu was extremely high. Despite never having met him, it had reached 95.
When Li Qingqiu took the initiative to speak to Jian Du, Jian Du completely broke down and actually knelt before Li Qingqiu while crying.
It turned out that Jian Du had also once been saved by Li Qingqiu. Back then, he and his parents had been imprisoned by the Demonic Sect. At that time, he had still been young. His parents had been unwilling to let him enter Qingxiao Sect, and only this year did they finally send him up the mountain.
With this past connection, it became much easier for Li Qingqiu to temper him.
"A true powerhouse must be able to protect the weak. If you can live in harmony with those who are weaker than you and whose aptitude is inferior to yours, only then can it prove that you don't merely wield great power—your heart is strong as well."
These words deeply moved Jian Du. In front of the Sword Sect disciples, he made a solemn promise to Li Qingqiu that he would definitely change his ways in the future.
This matter later spread throughout the sect and was passed down as a fine story. Many disciples also genuinely came to realize the importance of acting with chivalry.
When they intervened upon seeing injustice, the person they saved might be an entire lifetime.
In truth, stories like this were not rare within Qingxiao Sect. It was simply Jian Du's status as a genius that made this incident more legendary.
Yun Cai and Jian Du were both such cases. If Li Qingqiu had not intervened, the world would have lost 2 peerless geniuses.
Many veteran disciples even began to fantasize—among those they had rescued, might there also be geniuses who would come to repay them in gratitude?
Qingxiao Sect had been established for 13 years. Disciples had begun to take on disciples of their own, and the lineage was now being passed down. More and more disciples began to pursue a chivalrous reputation, taking Li Qingqiu as their life's goal.
Li Qingqiu was growing ever more distant from the vast majority of disciples, yet his position in their hearts was becoming ever more exalted.
His deeds were still being spread throughout the land.
The news of him slaying the Qi Clan demons was only now reaching the peak of its influence.
…
At dusk, Li Qingqiu sat in the Lingxiao Courtyard drinking tea, listening to Xue Jin and Zheng Yunqiao discuss their plans.
After Li Sifeng went down the mountain, the Training Hall came under the joint management of Xue Jin and Zheng Yunqiao. Most of the time, they simply followed the previous rules, so it was rare for them to put forward such constructive ideas today.
"Once we launch a task ranking and a Dao Fate ranking, it can both build momentum for talented disciples and boost the enthusiasm of disciples in carrying out missions," Zheng Yunqiao said excitedly.
The number of missions in the Training Hall was growing, with commissions coming from all across the land. The figures of Qingxiao Sect disciples already spanned the Nine Provinces.
Li Qingqiu thought for a moment and said, "It's a good idea, but there will also be hidden dangers. My suggestion is to only release a monthly ranking and a yearly ranking. As for an overall ranking, you should record it but not make it public."
Where there were people, there was a jianghu. Qingxiao Sect had already become a jianghu of its own. How to stand out among tens of thousands of disciples had become a goal many pursued.
Li Qingqiu did not mind disciples seeking fame; he simply did not want anyone resorting to unscrupulous means for the sake of the rankings.
"You're absolutely right. It really does need to be controlled. Your vision is far-reaching—we still have much to learn," Zheng Yunqiao said with admiration, his eyes lighting up.
Xue Jin shot him a glance, thinking to himself how shameless that was.
They had already considered monthly and yearly rankings before. Xue Jin had simply not expected Zheng Yunqiao to pretend he had not thought of it.
Li Qingqiu felt very comfortable being praised by Zheng Yunqiao. Regardless of the truth, who didn't enjoy hearing kind words?
He encouraged the two of them and told them to boldly proceed. The Training Hall indeed needed some liveliness, lest it become too dull.
After chatting for quite some time, Xue Jin and Zheng Yunqiao finally took their leave.
Li Qingqiu did not leave, because Cheng Canghai of the Beast-Taming Hall arrived again.
He wanted to establish a branch hall in Source Iron Harbor Town. He believed that the sea must conceal demonic beasts, and Qingxiao Sect needed the help of sea-dwelling demonic beasts. That way, future exploration of the ocean would be far more convenient.
Li Qingqiu agreed and told him to first report to the Spirit Management Hall, then go to the Heavenly Works Hall to finalize a construction plan, and finally apply to the Spiritual Treasury Hall for funding.
By the time Cheng Canghai left, night had already fallen.
Li Qingqiu stood up and stretched lazily.
Chu Jing appeared and said with a smile, "Master, Qingxiao Sect is truly becoming more and more prosperous. It feels like the world is already yours to decide."
Li Qingqiu walked toward his cave dwelling, casting a glance at him as he asked, "Do you want to work for me?"
Chu Jing froze and asked in surprise, "I've already become a ghost—how can I work for you?"
"Just like before. Put on a mask. As long as you conceal your soul body well, it'll be fine. I'll create an ability that allows you to act independently. In any case, your range of activity will only be within Qingxiao Sect," Li Qingqiu said casually.
Chu Jing's heart raced. Even though he was already a ghost, he could still feel this sensation.
"If you give me the chance, I will definitely be willing!" Chu Jing said, barely suppressing his excitement.
In truth, he had long held views on Qingxiao Sect's management, but as a ghost with little standing, he had not dared speak freely.
Li Qingqiu glanced at him and said, "If you mess around, be careful—I'll make you dissipate completely."
Chu Jing hurriedly said, "How would I dare? Back then at court, that was plotting against Zhao Zhi."
"Good."
…
The moon shone bright amid sparse stars. Inside a grand hall, Li Sifeng and Pei Miao'er sat on one side, with his generals and strategists seated below.
Opposite them sat the civil and military officials of another feudal lord. That feudal lord himself sat at the head seat, conversing with Li Sifeng with a smile.
This feudal lord was named Zhu Xian. He appeared to be in his forties, with a kindly face that gave off a sense of generosity, honesty, and warm hospitality.
The two spoke very pleasantly, with laughter ringing out from time to time.
After drinking a pot of wine, Li Sifeng looked at Zhu Xian and said, "Lord Zhu, at present the greatest forces in the land are the Cai, Liu, and Pei clans. These 3 clans no longer harbor the ambition of a true hegemon and instead wish to establish their own states. This is not a good thing. The Great Li Dynasty finally unified the Nine Provinces—how can it return to the old Warring States situation where each province governed itself? If that happens, the world will again be mired in endless warfare, and the common people will never know peace."