The Misfits Arrive!
"When life gives you lemons, start a sect and recruit lemons with talent issues." — Li Qingyu
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The next morning…
The Eternal Radiance Divine Sect gate creaked open again.
This time, it wasn't a lone vagabond with bruises.
It was three people.
First: a petite girl in ragged robes with sleeves far too long, nervously clutching a branch.
Second: a boy with thick spectacles, a paper talisman stuck to his forehead, and the words "Do Not Approach – Cursed!" written in charcoal on his shirt.
Third: a scowling scholar with a black eye, carrying a bamboo scroll in one hand and a frying pan in the other.
Li Qingyu narrowed his eyes.
"…This is either a new sect drama or a recruitment jackpot."
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Hu Daniu whispered from behind a tree.
"Master, do we… accept cursed people?"
Li Qingyu sniffed. "As long as their curses don't affect account balances, we accept all kinds."
He walked out, sleeves fluttering like a cheap theatrical cape.
"Welcome, noble wanderers," he said with an air of solemnity. "Have you come seeking the Facial Glow Pill, a new life, or just free food?"
The petite girl stepped forward and bowed. "I'm Lu Xiaomei. My spiritual roots are... broken. I can't cultivate. No sect wants me."
Li Qingyu tilted his head. "Have you tried cultivating with chicken qi?"
"…Is that a real thing?"
"It is now."
He turned to the next one.
"I'm Song Yuan. Everyone I spar with ends up injured… or possessed. They say I'm cursed by the spirit of an ancient frog god."
A frog croaked ominously in the distance.
Li Qingyu gave a thumbs up. "Perfect. Our sect's spirit beast is a chicken. Now we have amphibious backup."
Song Yuan blinked. "Huh?"
"Never mind."
Finally, he faced the scowling scholar.
"Name?"
"Chen Mo. I punched my instructor for saying alchemists don't need muscles."
Li Qingyu's eyes shone. "Say no more. Welcome to the Eternal Radiance Divine Sect, where muscles and madness go hand in hand."
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Inside the Sect Grounds…
Zhou Weiqi watched the newcomers skeptically.
"They look… unreliable."
Lin Ziyan scoffed from the rooftop. "So do you."
"…Fair."
Hu Daniu ran up with excitement. "Master! That's four outer disciples now!"
> [Ding! Recruitment +3: Rewards - 30 Spirit Stones, 1 Spiritual Chicken Egg, 1 Random Item Crate.]
Li Qingyu caught the reward pouch mid-air, inspected the egg, and casually tossed the crate on the ground.
The box popped open with a puff of smoke.
Out came a scroll labeled:
> "Beginner Sect Formation Array – Wobbly Chicken Formation (Version 0.9 Beta)"
"…Beta?" Li Qingyu muttered.
The scroll chirped.
"Warning: Formation may spontaneously cluck under pressure."
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That Night…
The sect was filled with unfamiliar noise—training grunts, mild screaming, and one chicken reciting scripture in the background.
Lu Xiaomei sat by a spiritual herb patch, gently watering weeds.
"I've never been accepted before," she whispered. "Even fake hope feels… warm."
Song Yuan hung a frog talisman on the chicken coop.
Chen Mo was doing push-ups on one hand while mixing pills with the other.
Li Qingyu stood on the rooftop, arms crossed, the wind billowing his tattered cloak.
He smirked.
"The world calls them useless. I call them budget talent with hidden perks."
He took out a new flyer:
> "Come Join the Eternal Radiance Divine Sect! Where Trash Turns Into Treasure (Eventually)!"
And as the moon rose over the half-built Sect, another silhouette appeared at the edge of the woods.
This one carried a flute.
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