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"It was a pleasure working with you all, you're quite efficient~"
Su Meiren bid them farewell with a smile. Her smile was sweet and her eyes warm, giving people a comforting feeling.
She had guided the kids through a secret passage that led directly to Qing clan territory. Otherwise, it would have been a real problem trying to smuggle so many children out of the Ink Sword Sect's territory while news of what happened at the underground auction was still fresh.
Su Meiren said a few words to the group before turning to leave.
Qing Xuanling watched her back for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"Thank you!"
Su Meiren's footsteps paused for a second before she continued on her way. She simply raised her hand in farewell.
Qing Xuanling shook her head with a smile. Despite her doubts about Su Meiren, she had been a tremendous help. It was very likely she would have died if she hadn't intervened. She felt quite grateful to her.
"Alright, kids, we're on our way to the Qing clan. Believe me, your lives will only get better from now on!" Qing Tanwei smiled as she addressed the children. "Our clan is quite kind, so you won't have to do anything you don't want to, and you'll even get to go to school!"
The children's eyes lit up when they heard all that. Qing Xuanling smiled and also began telling stories about the clan, what it looked like, and the people they might meet. The children got very excited, even though they were just everyday tales.
The group quickly reached the Qing clan grounds. The familiar, imposing red walls finally allowed Qing Xuanling's tense heart to relax. They were finally safe.
"Hm?" Qing Xuanling tilted her head, noticing someone standing at the entrance. That person was wearing light blue robes. "Young Master?!"
The group quickened their pace, much to the children's confusion, who wondered who that good-looking young man was.
The Young Master inspected the group once he saw everyone had arrived. He counted the number of children and his eyes shone with satisfaction.
"Impressive. Though I had my doubts, you really managed to complete the mission flawlessly." The Young Master stroked his chin. "I even managed to hear about the things you did from here. The Ink Sword Sect people even came asking if we knew anything!"
The Young Master chuckled slightly at the thought. It was quite satisfying to send away all those people with faces red with fury!
Qing Xuanling, as the mastermind behind the plan, laughed as well.
The group, led by the Young Master, entered the clan after greeting the guards on duty. The children were left speechless when they entered the third ring, where the clan's mortals lived.
"Whoa, this is where the mortals live! It's so beautiful!"
"Look, there's a fountain with a dragon on it! A DRAGON!"
"Those kids are dressed so well..."
The children felt like they were entering a whole new world. As far back as they could remember, mortals had always lived in shacks or rundown houses. That belief was deeply ingrained in them even before they were kidnapped.
But here, the mortals not only looked clean and healthy, they also lived in large, beautiful houses while wearing proper cloth garments, not linen or straw.
It was a surreal sight in the children's minds!
The Young Master slowed his pace and walked alongside Qing Xuanling, much to the girl's surprise.
"Doesn't it seem incredible that children have to be amazed just to see others wearing clothes without holes or looking healthy?" The Young Master looked at the children with gentle yet sorrowful eyes. "Doesn't it seem strange that in a world where people can destroy stars and flatten mountains, there are countless children dying simply because they don't have a single bowl of rice to eat?"
Qing Xuanling felt a bit confused when the Young Master started talking to her, but as he spoke, she couldn't help but grow thoughtful.
She agreed with the Young Master. It really was... curious. In the worst way possible. It was quite cruel if you thought about it deeply. But there was another thing that piqued Qing Xuanling's curiosity.
"...Why are you telling me all this?" Qing Xuanling tilted her head, genuinely confused. "Well, I don't dislike it. I like learning about things I don't know or have never thought about. But I don't think this is something you usually say to people."
Qing Xuanling wasn't stupid. She had noticed that the Young Master had created some space between them and the rest of the group. It was clear he wanted to speak with her specifically.
"Because they wouldn't think as deeply about it as you do." The Young Master laughed. "It's not that it's bad, it's just how this society conditions people to think. But you... you're different."
"Not in the grand sense of the words, but you're someone who likes to think and discover new things. I know you've read more than half the books in the library. But above all, you're both compassionate and ruthless at the same time. A living contradiction, but I really like that contradiction."
Qing Xuanling's ears reddened slightly. It was rare for people to praise her so much, and so sincerely. But she didn't let herself be fooled.
"...Thank you, I can tell you're being sincere. But you didn't just come here to praise me, did you?" Qing Xuanling laughed. She wasn't as innocent as before.
After facing demonic cultivators and cultivators capable of causing massacres without remorse, she realized something. No cultivator was innocent. Not even her.
The Young Master laughed. "You really have matured. Yes, you're right. I didn't call you just to praise you. I called you to ask: does the world as it is seem right to you?"
The Young Master's dark eyes shone with a light that seemed capable of swallowing everything.
"In my view, the world is anything but right. Thousands of mortals die at the hands of cultivators, cultivators have to kill each other just to survive, and more than half the life-changing resources are hoarded by a few. I want to change all of that."
Qing Xuanling's eyes widened in disbelief. What the Young Master was saying wasn't just that he wanted to improve the lives of the less fortunate; he was saying he wanted to change the very way the world functioned!
Indirectly, he was saying he would strip cultivators of many of their privileges!
Qing Xuanling smiled awkwardly. "...Young Master, you're not telling me to help you with all this, are you? While I don't entirely disagree with what you're saying, achieving it would be... Well, I don't even know how something like that could be accomplished."
This time it was the Young Master's turn to be stunned.
"Hahaha, oh heavens, I'm sorry, I think I explained myself poorly." The Young Master shook his head. "You don't have to think about how to achieve it, that's my job. What I want to know is whether you'd support me when the time comes."
"Ah..." Qing Xuanling smiled shyly while scratching the back of her neck. "Well, if that's all, yes, I'll support you. The world really does seem to be in a bit too much chaos. Though... how do you plan to change it so drastically?"
The Young Master smiled.
"By conquering it." The Young Master's black eyes were dark and void-like, like a black hole swallowing everything in its path. "Though I don't like it, this is a world where strength dictates everything. If that's the case, I'll play by this world's rules, and when I reach the peak, I'll abolish them and create new ones."
The Young Master looked around with pride. "Just as I did with the clan. Though it wasn't as bad here as in other places, the clan didn't treat mortals as well as it does now either. I had to fight against many opposing voices to create the current Qing clan. That's where you come in, Xuanling. I know you'll become someone far greater than people expect. Your mere presence will be enough to convince others. When that day comes, I want you to stand by my side."
Qing Xuanling felt overwhelmed for a moment. The Young Master's goal was so grand it left her speechless. There was also a flutter in her heart at his words.
No one had ever expected so much from her before.
She smiled bitterly. "...Is this what it means to sweet-talk someone until they agree?"
The Young Master laughed heartily. "It might be, but believe me, I truly think you'll go very far. Much further than you can imagine."
The Young Master's eyes seemed to gleam as he saw something immensely vast surrounding Qing Xuanling's body.
"Alright, I'll believe you for now." Qing Xuanling smiled. "Fine, I'll support you when that time comes, Young Master."
The Young Master smiled happily upon hearing that. "Call me Yenglan. The path I want to take is extremely long, so companions willing to support me are quite special. They are people on my own level."
Qing Xuanling looked at the Young Master in surprise, but smiled as well. "Alright, Yenglan. I'll be waiting for the day you need my support. That day will surely be incredible."
The Young Master smiled. That day was still quite far off for now. If he wanted to achieve his goal, he would have to dive to the very bottom of this sea of blood and climb back out before he could even dream of touching that beautiful blue sky he dreamed of.
The Young Master's eyes were deep. He was willing to endure a thousand hells to achieve what he set out to do. But soon, his gaze softened as he observed Qing Xuanling and the rest of her university companions.
'For now, I'll focus on looking after these little ones. They are destined to become the pillars of the clan if they can finish growing up.'
Things after that grew more mundane. The Young Master called in workers from the clan's Human Welfare Office, which he had apparently recently created, and handed the children over to them.
Though the children were slightly reluctant at first, they complied when Ye Fan, who had been ashen-faced all day, stepped forward. It was clear he was the leader of the young group.
The little brown-haired boy bid Qing Xuanling farewell with the best smile he could muster, but even with his best effort, he couldn't hide how fragile it looked.
Qing Xuanling sighed when she saw him in that state.
"What's wrong with him?" Qing Huayan asked with concern. "He was the most lively and brave before, but his spirits have been low since this morning."
Qing Xuanling smiled bitterly. "Ye Fan asked me if he could cultivate. At first, I didn't tell him anything despite knowing he probably couldn't, hoping Elder Sister Su could examine him and see if she knew something the clandestine auction people didn't. But..."
"He got the same answer, didn't he?" Qing Tanwei smiled helplessly.
"It was worse than that." Qing Xuanling scratched her head. "That boy wasn't just destined to become a cultivator, but a highly talented one. Ye Fan possesses a Celestial Lightning Spiritual Root."
The others' eyes widened in disbelief. It was no wonder; celestial lightning was one of the things cultivators feared most in the world!
"Seriously?! Is there any way to help him recover?! He'd be a tremendous talent for the clan if he could cultivate!" Qing Muyu was stunned and looked at Qing Xuanling urgently.
"Unfortunately, no." Qing Xuanling sighed again. "Ye Fan's spiritual roots matured prematurely. Even giving him heavenly treasures to replenish his natal Qi would be useless. Once spiritual roots mature, they can no longer absorb natal Qi in their lifetime."
The others couldn't help but sigh. Ye Fan's situation made anyone sigh helplessly.
The Young Master, who had been silently listening to the youths' conversation, looked at Ye Fan's distant back and smiled.
'Another protagonist seedling... I wonder if he'll be able to grow in the future. I suppose I could offer him some support through Xuanling...'
The Young Master shook his head and led the children to the Green Breeze University. This wasn't a clan mission, so there was no reason to take them to the Elder Hall.
Soon, they arrived at the auditorium where the Young Master had given them the mission a week ago.
"Tanwei, Muyu, summarize what you did on the mission. Tanwei first." The Young Master sat down in front of Qing Xuanling and the rest. "Although the rewards you'll receive are already determined, it will be good for you to know where you could have done better."
Qing Tanwei and Qing Muyu exchanged glances and nodded. Each recounted the events from the moment they left the clan clearly, leaving nothing out. From how they gathered intelligence to collaborating with Su Meiren to enter the underground auction.
The Young Master's gaze grew serious several times, but he never said anything. It was only at the end of their summaries that he began giving some advice.
"...The most serious mistakes you made were not realizing the power the enemy held in their own territory and not altering your appearances, especially your hair, since you almost all have red hair. Anyone could guess you're from the Qing clan. It's not too severe, especially since it's your first mission away from home, but don't repeat those mistakes."
The Young Master listed several flaws, those two being the most severe in his opinion. Then he touched upon a topic that concerned him slightly.
"And Xuanling... Is that Su Meiren trustworthy?" The Young Master seemed concerned. "The city has been a bit turbulent lately, with people with ulterior motives arriving every day. I understand she might be an acquaintance, but you must be careful."
Qing Xuanling smiled awkwardly. "I don't entirely trust her, but she was our only option to reach the clandestine auction. But during the time I spent with her, I could see she's not exactly someone to be suspicious of. Oh, and by the way, she asked me to give you this letter. It seems to have a message for you."
She handed a piece of paper to the Young Master.
The Young Master took the letter with curiosity but didn't open it immediately. "Alright, we can leave it at that. You may all return to your rooms. The clan will send your rewards to your doors. I think you'll quite like the reward~"
A smile appeared on everyone's faces upon hearing that, and they left with light steps.
The Young Master watched them with a satisfied gaze. He waited until everyone was gone before finally looking at the letter.
He opened it and read it.
[The Ink Sword Sect hasn't controlled the underground auction for two years. Who was controlling it has discovered a way for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to directly intervene inside the Immortal Market. Think more carefully about where you send your geniuses next time~]
The Young Master's pupils contracted when he read all that, but he quickly regained his composure. He even smiled.
"Haha, I suppose it was a bit dangerous, but didn't they return safe and sound? Fate doesn't lie, after all." The Young Master stood up while stretching. "Though I suppose I do owe this Su Meiren a favor. Perhaps we can collaborate further down the line..."