Welcome to the Trash Sect — Now Get in Line!"
"Fear spreads faster than flyers. Let's start a fire." — Li Qingyu
---
Eternal Radiance Divine Sect — Main Gate
For the first time in what might have been years, the sect's front gate—still cracked and leaning slightly—had a line.
A line.
Dozens of figures gathered under the morning sun, ragged clothes and hopeful faces. Farmers, wandering martial artists, street urchins with wooden sticks pretending they were swords.
"Is… this the right place?" one man asked nervously.
"I heard the sect master can kill mid-tier disciples with one slap."
"No way, he probably used poison—"
"SHHH! You want him to hear you and slap you into fertilizer?"
A gust of wind blew dust across the line.
Behind the gate, Hu Daniu peeked through the crack. His eyes went wide.
"S-Sect Master! There's a crowd outside! With actual people! And teeth!"
Li Qingyu lay in a reclining chair under a peach tree, sipping chilled tea. He didn't even look up. "Mm. Accept them."
"Really?! No tests? No fighting? No riddles?!"
Li Qingyu lazily waved a hand. "If they came because of the rumors… they're already qualified."
---
Main Hall — An Hour Later
Lin Ziyan stood with arms folded, watching as Ye Wuxia processed recruits one by one.
"Name?"
"Zhou Ping!"
"Cultivation?"
"Body Tempering… stage two!"
"Can you cook?"
"Yes?"
"Accepted."
Next.
"Name?"
"Ah Fei! No cultivation… but I can juggle chickens!"
Ye Wuxia narrowed her eyes.
Li Qingyu called from behind. "Put him on chicken duty."
"...You got it, Sect Master."
Lin Ziyan walked up. "So we're just… letting them in?"
Li Qingyu nodded. "Desperate people make loyal disciples. Let's give them a home—and a terrifying image to protect it."
---
Midday — Outer Courtyard
Dozens of new disciples now wore makeshift robes with hand-painted sun symbols. Some were training with brooms. Others were trying to meditate but snoring.
Su Jian pointed. "Sect Master! That guy's using a chicken as a practice sword!"
"Efficiency," Li Qingyu replied calmly.
"But—"
"Trust the process."
DING!
> System Notification:
[Recruit 20 Outer Disciples] – Complete!
System Feature Unlocked: Sect Shop
> You may now access:
– Sect Uniform (Tier 1)
– Basic Spirit Pill Manual
– Formation Blueprint: Chicken Coop Defense Array
– Random Cultivation Manual (Beginner Tier)
Li Qingyu's eyes flickered. "Oh… a shop, huh? Let's upgrade our trash."
---
Later — Azure Wind Sect Observation Point
The two twin spies crouched in the bushes outside Eternal Radiance, wide-eyed.
"They're… they're growing."
"Fast."
"But they're all nobodies…"
"And yet they're training like a proper sect."
One twin gulped. "We need to report this."
---
Evening — Inner Courtyard
The recruits gathered nervously. Li Qingyu stood before them in plain robes, hands behind his back.
"You all came here for protection. Power. Purpose," he said.
Heads nodded quickly.
"Then understand this: you are now part of a legend."
A pause.
"Not because of me. But because the world thinks you are. That fear? That respect? You didn't earn it yet. But you will."
Hu Daniu whispered, "...He sounds really cool when he's not scolding us."
Ye Wuxia smirked. "That's because you're used to being scolded."
"...Fair."
Li Qingyu finished, "Sleep early. Training starts tomorrow. If you can't survive it, I'll personally feed you to the chickens."
"...Wait, really?"
"Goodnight."
---
DING!
> Mission Chain Unlocked: [Outer Sect Growth Phase]
– Train Outer Disciples to Basic Combat Proficiency
– Install First Sect Formation
– Survive an External Challenge
Reward Preview: Advanced Pavilion Unlock + Hidden Elder Recruitment