Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Already eager to please those people?

[When a disciple is weak, a master should offer help. Is that really only natural? I only learned that today.]

Li Shuang had joined the sect as a once-in-a-century genius. To reward her, the sect gave her a pile of prizes all at once. Most of those rewards were taken by Immortal Ling Xu. He said she was his disciple, so it was right to honor her master. Li Shuang also thought this was only natural. With her talent, she felt she did not need outside items. Even without them, she advanced by leaps and bounds. Before Sheng Yuan arrived, she buried herself in training every day. Each year, the sect gave her many supplies, and she basically handed them all to Immortal Ling Xu. Later, she did not even see the items. He took them directly.

Li Shuang always believed all master and disciple bonds were like this. In particular, Immortal Ling Xu kept saying she was the First Senior Sister and should shoulder responsibility. As the First Disciple, she should give everything for the sect.

But now, Qing Ling was telling her that a master giving gifts to a disciple was also only natural. Li Shuang’s silence said everything.

Even Lin Qing Ling was a bit stunned. [Ling Xu actually did something like this?] She might be considered one of the poorer Peak Masters, yet when it came to training a few disciples, she was never stingy. What about Ling Xu? Could it be that he never gave Li Shuang anything at all?

Lin Qing Ling suddenly remembered: as a peerless talent, Li Shuang had always enjoyed a heavy tilt of resources from the sect. But other than the Dragon Roar Sword that betrayed her, it seemed Li Shuang never had any other magic tools. Even her clothes were plain white with no helpful effects. Where did the sect’s gifts go?

Lin Qing Ling said: “Li Shuang, today is the day the sect distributes monthly resources. Your realm has dropped to the Qi Refining Stage, but you have a Peerless-grade Ice Spiritual Root, so you will receive matching resources. Go claim them.”

Li Shuang hesitated: “Master, where do I claim the resources?”

Lin Qing Ling fell silent. Luo Ming Yue and the others also fell silent.

Lin Qing Ling asked with a sharp look: “You have never claimed sect resources? How have you practiced all these years?”

Li Shuang answered honestly: “I just trained hard.”

Lin Qing Ling sprang to her feet and slapped the table. The tabletop split down the middle on the spot.

Normally, Liu Jun Cheng would have reminded Lin Qing Ling to keep her composure, but this time he also wore a dark look, cold light gathering in his eyes.

“Ling Xu, you have gone too far,” Lin Qing Ling ground out between her teeth.

Li Shuang had been in the sect for twenty years. Three years to reach Core Formation, ten years to reach Nascent Soul Formation. That speed was shocking, and it was achieved without using any resources at all. When most people meet such a gifted disciple, they hold her in the palm of their hand and dote on her. Ling Xu, however, squeezed Li Shuang dry.

Forcing down her anger, Lin Qing Ling said: “Ming Yue, you three, take Li Shuang to get this month’s resources. Since that old Ling Xu did this, I am going to see the Sect Master and have a proper talk.”

He swallowed her disciple’s things. He would spit out every last bit.

“Understood,” Luo Ming Yue and the others answered loud and clear.

Lin Qing Ling rushed out like a storm. Li Shuang wanted to say something but had no chance.

Luo Ming Yue took a deep breath, held back the urge to curse, then smiled at Li Shuang: “Come on, we will take you to get your sect resources. The sect gives them out every month on the same day the Grand Bazaar opens. People joke that the sect hands out spirit stones on purpose to boost spending.”

Li Shuang nodded.

As the Supreme Emotionless Art moved, her sense for other people’s feelings became very keen. She felt that Luo Ming Yue and the others were forcing down their anger. That anger was not aimed at her. They were angry for her sake. She herself no longer felt trapped by the past, yet they were still upset and indignant for her.

A soft light flashed in Li Shuang’s eyes. Although she had just joined this peak, she already liked these fellow disciples a little. Threads of emotion slowly rose in her heart.

Pushed by these feelings, the Supreme Emotionless Art actually ran faster. Li Shuang’s eyes showed a hint of thought. [The feelings that harm the self can be called evil emotions. The feelings that help the self can be called kind emotions. If I throw away the evil ones and keep the kind ones, they can drive the Passion-Severing Mantra to run even faster. So this is the complete Supreme Emotionless Art, is it not?]

The Supreme Emotionless Art was different from other arts. It ran on its own at all times. Now, its speed rose again. The efficiency was even higher than when she had pushed herself the hardest before.

She had trained in the snowy mountains for a few days and reached Qi Refining level two. After she came back, her power moved on its own while she was unconscious for a few days and reached Qi Refining level three. With this new insight, her realm broke through once more to Qi Refining level four.

Sensing the rise in Li Shuang’s cultivation, Luo Ming Yue glanced at her in surprise: “You advanced again?”

Li Shuang was in a good mood: “Just a small breakthrough.”

Luo Ming Yue could not help tugging her hair: “Just a few days and you are already at Qi Refining level four. You call that a small breakthrough? Are you trying to make everyone jealous?”

She spoke of jealousy, but delight shone in her eyes. She had already taken Li Shuang under her wing. She was waiting for her Junior Sister to return to her peak, then slap those people in the face.

Li Shuang had started to get used to Luo Ming Yue’s warm way of showing care, so she teased: “First Senior Sister, your jealous days may be just beginning.”

Luo Ming Yue glared: “Li Shuang, how long has it been and you already sound like a troublemaker!”

Li Shuang was very modest: “First Senior Sister teaches well.”

“You…” Luo Ming Yue looked at her and finally laughed. The old Li Shuang had seemed like a block of ice. Few could see the very soft heart inside. Now Li Shuang was finally showing a bit of her true self.

“Let’s go get the resources,” Liu Jun Cheng reminded them.

Luo Ming Yue hurried up at once: “Go go go. I spent last month’s already. I am waiting for spirit stones to hit the market.”

She grabbed Li Shuang and rushed out. Liu Jun Cheng and Jiang Yi quickly followed.

“The sect hands out resources each month at the Disciples Hall. You do it like this, hand over your Disciple Token. After they check it, they will give different rewards,” Luo Ming Yue said as she walked through the steps. She stored her items in a pouch, then said: “Little Shuang, your turn.”

Li Shuang nodded and handed over her Sect Token like Luo Ming Yue. The Disciples Hall disciple checked it and gave Li Shuang her resources. As she put them away, she felt a strange freshness. To be honest, since joining the sect, this was the first time she had actually held the sect’s resources herself.

Suddenly, a cold voice sounded: “First Senior Sister, you just joined and you are already eager to please those people over there?”