Seeing this scene, Chen Fei and his two companions were immediately overjoyed at Bai Xiaochun's misfortune, each of them showing expressions that said "Heaven's justice may be slow, but it never misses." The two outer sect disciples who had been overseeing the trial path also looked quite satisfied, as though a long-standing grievance had finally been resolved. Never before had they felt this way toward a mere servant.
"I don't want to go!" Bai Xiaochun screamed as he landed, howling in misery. The sound of his wailing was so pitiful that it could move anyone to tears.
Meanwhile, Zhang Dapang and Hei Sanpang, who were still on the trial path, shivered when they saw Li Qinghou and quickly lowered their heads, trying to sneak away while he wasn't looking.
"Ninth Junior Brother… it's not that I don't want to save you," Zhang Dapang muttered with deep sorrow, "but the head of Xiangyun Mountain is here. You're on your own in the outer sect now…" As he hunched down to escape, Li Qinghou's voice suddenly echoed in his ears.
"You two as well—come with me."
The moment Zhang Dapang heard that, a massive force swept him and Hei Sanpang up. Before they could even grab onto a tree, they were yanked straight to the mountaintop.
"I don't want to go! I'd rather starve in the Kitchen House than fight for survival in the outer sect!" Zhang Dapang wailed even louder than Bai Xiaochun, his scream so tragically exaggerated that Bai Xiaochun paused his own wailing in surprise.
Hei Sanpang didn't make much noise, but his face was clearly filled with gloom as he pouted and stared longingly down the mountain.
"Silence!" Li Qinghou said sternly.
Instantly, Bai Xiaochun jumped to his feet, standing solemnly and seriously. His face no longer showed the slightest hint of grievance—it was like he'd changed into a different person entirely.
Zhang Dapang was stunned, but quickly straightened up as well. Still, he couldn't help feeling deeply wronged. When Bai Xiaochun had cried earlier, Li Qinghou didn't care—why did he get yelled at?
"Zhang Dahai, you'll go to Ziding Mountain. From today onward, you are an outer sect disciple of Ziding Mountain!"
"Chen Qingrou, you will go to Qingfeng Mountain!"
"Bai Xiaochun, you will remain on Xiangyun Mountain as an outer sect disciple. Follow me." Li Qinghou glanced at Bai Xiaochun, clearly troubled. He had only secluded himself once, and when he came out, the entire sect was talking about the Kitchen House crew. Even the elders knew. But they saw it as a harmless bit of youthful fun—nothing worth punishing.
Still, they didn't want it to continue unchecked, which was why Li Qinghou had come here in person.
After giving his instructions, he flicked his sleeve and began walking toward the higher peaks of Xiangyun Mountain, ignoring Chen Fei and the others entirely.
Bai Xiaochun sighed bitterly, said his goodbyes to Zhang Dapang and Hei Sanpang, then suddenly thought of something. He turned to look at Hei Sanpang with a strange expression and asked uncertainly,
"Third Senior Brother… your name is Chen Qingrou? Haha, sounds like a stunning beauty's name."
Hei Sanpang was already gloomy, and with a snort, turned and walked down the mountain silently.
"What's wrong with him?" Bai Xiaochun asked Zhang Dapang.
Zhang Dapang also gave Bai Xiaochun a strange look, then patted his shoulder and said seriously,
"Ninth Junior Brother… I never told you this, but Hei Sanpang isn't your brother… she's your sister."
Zhang Dapang gave a quick cough and ran away.
Bai Xiaochun stood frozen on the spot like he'd been struck by lightning. The whole world seemed to twist and collapse.
"S-senior sister?!"
After a long time, Bai Xiaochun gasped. Just as he was turning to glance at Hei Sanpang's retreating figure, Li Qinghou's cold voice rang out.
"Enough nonsense. Keep up!"
Bai Xiaochun grimaced again, quickly picked up the pace, and followed Li Qinghou—glancing back every few steps, longingly looking toward the Kitchen House. His heart was filled with sighs and sorrow.
As for Li Qinghou's identity, Bai Xiaochun had long since investigated it. He knew that the Spirit Stream Sect had four peaks on the north bank and three mountains on the south. Li Qinghou was the master of Xiangyun Mountain, one of the three, and held immense power in the sect.
Though Xiangyun Mountain didn't seem large from the outside, once inside, it was like stepping into an immortal's realm—birds chirped, flowers bloomed, and everything was serene and beautiful. In fact, it was many times larger than it appeared from the outside.
The trial path's summit was just a branch mountain of Xiangyun. Compared to the real Xiangyun Mountain, it was merely the foothills.
As they walked deeper, clouds and mist swirled around them, mixed with the fragrance of medicinal herbs. Just taking a breath made one feel refreshed, as if every pore in their body was soaking in warmth. Bai Xiaochun instantly felt that this place was extraordinary. He began taking deep breaths, and even his cultivation, which had stagnated at the third level of Qi Condensation for months, began to stir once more.
Li Qinghou didn't look back, but his eyes held a trace of approval. Bai Xiaochun's cultivation progress over the past year wasn't bad.
"Now that you're an outer sect disciple, no more fooling around. Cultivation is like rowing against the current—either you advance or you're swept back." Li Qinghou said calmly.
Bai Xiaochun didn't dare talk back. He obediently nodded, looking completely well-behaved.
"As an outer sect disciple, the sect provides some resources, but your own effort and luck are even more important. There are many sect tasks to be completed. Go and pick a few to temper yourself."
Bai Xiaochun's heart skipped. He remembered reading the sect rules: outer sect disciples had to complete at least one task periodically, or they'd be demoted back to servant status.
He felt excited, thinking he could use this as an excuse to slack off. But as if Li Qinghou had read his mind, he said flatly,
"Don't bother with the rules. Others may be demoted if they slack off, but if you do, I'll kick you out of the sect and send you back to your village. A hundred years from now, if I remember, I'll light a stick of incense in your memory."
Bai Xiaochun jumped in shock. If he had never seen the cultivation world, it wouldn't have mattered. But now that he'd tasted the path of immortality, being sent home would be like having his dream of eternal life shattered. He quickly slapped his chest and promised to work hard and complete the tasks.
Before long, they arrived halfway up Xiangyun Mountain, where a small, elegant pavilion appeared among the mist. A young man sat inside, quietly reading a book.
When he sensed someone approaching, the youth raised his head, revealing a handsome face. Upon seeing Li Qinghou, he stood up and bowed.
"Disciple greets the Peak Master."
"This is Bai Xiaochun. Take him to register as an outer sect disciple." Li Qinghou gave Bai Xiaochun a glance, then his body transformed into a streak of light and soared to the mountain peak.
Only after Li Qinghou left did Bai Xiaochun finally breathe a sigh of relief. The pressure was gone, and the sky suddenly felt bluer.
The young man looked Bai Xiaochun over and chuckled.
"So you're the one who's been blocking the trial path and selling slots these past few months—Bai Xiaochun?"
"Senior Brother, you flatter me. Just a trivial matter," Bai Xiaochun said with an awkward smile.
The young man laughed even louder and looked at Bai Xiaochun with growing interest. Then he led him through Xiangyun Mountain, introducing buildings as they passed.
"Our Xiangyun Mountain holds a special status in the south bank. Compared to Qingfeng's sword cultivators and Ziding's spellcasters, we specialize in alchemy and spirit herbs."
"Even across the branches of the Tongtian River and the four great sects, our Xiangyun Mountain is famous. The Peak Master is one of the only two recognized alchemists in all of Eastern Linzhou."
"Becoming an outer sect disciple here means becoming a 'spirit child'—you'll learn herbal lore and alchemy techniques."
He gave a detailed explanation and helped Bai Xiaochun receive outer sect robes, items, and even a storage pouch.
Although the pouch had only a small space, it fascinated Bai Xiaochun. After testing it a few times, he treasured it like a priceless heirloom.
What thrilled him most was the reward for becoming an outer sect disciple—twenty spirit stones! That was just enough for him to finally afford the herbs he needed.
By dusk, with a thorough introduction from the young man, Bai Xiaochun had a clear picture of Xiangyun Mountain. He was then brought to a place called the Myriad Herbs Pavilion.
There, he received a jade slip.
"This jade slip contains descriptions of ten thousand herbs. You must memorize them all before you can receive the next one."
"Junior Brother Bai, the path of cultivation is long, and spiritual medicine is essential. If you can become an alchemist, your future will soar."
"Spirit Child, Medicine Disciple, Alchemist… how far you go depends on you." The youth smiled warmly. By evening, he brought Bai Xiaochun to a courtyard arranged by the sect.
"Tomorrow I'll be leaving the mountain, so I won't be able to accompany you to the Scripture Pavilion. Remember to go early and collect the remaining levels of the Purple Qi Overwhelming Cauldron Art. You may also choose one additional cultivation technique—outer sect disciples only get this chance once. After that, you'll need contribution points."
"If you're ever unsure about anything, feel free to find me. I'm Hou Yunfei. Thank you for looking after my younger sister that day."
Hou Yunfei smiled and bowed before turning to leave.
"Hou Yunfei?" Bai Xiaochun returned the gesture and looked at his back. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly remembered a girl's figure.
"Hou Xiaomei!" He blinked in surprise, feeling like he had stumbled into something unexpectedly fortunate.
After a while, he took a deep breath and turned to look at his courtyard. Gradually, his eyes lit up with energy. Under the setting moonlight, his figure stood tall.
"Well… I guess being an outer sect disciple isn't so bad after all!" Bai Xiaochun flicked his sleeve and stepped into the courtyard.