The Cute and Devoted Disciple

Before the discovery of cultivation techniques, the martial arts world was a wild and chaotic place. Humans lived in fear of spirits, demons, and magical beasts. But everything changed after the Great Convergence, when spiritual energy became accessible in the Lower Regions.

A legendary figure, the True Human, Zhen Ren, was the first to uncover the principles of cultivation—methods to harness and refine spiritual energy. He recorded his discoveries on bamboo scrolls, which were the first texts on cultivation techniques.

He named them the Daozang, the Treasury of the Way.

As time went on, Zhen Ren's disciples began recording more complex cultivation methods on jade slips, which were more durable and repository than bamboo scrolls.

Soon, a ranking system for these cultivation techniques was established.

For bamboo scrolls, the ranks were Yellow-rank, Mortal-rank, Earth-rank, and Spirit-rank. The lowest rank was available to sect servants, while the highest were reserved for Inner Sect disciples.

For jade slips, the ranks were Celestial-rank, Immortal-rank, Ancient-rank, and Divine-rank.

Even the lowest rank was rare and highly sought after, granting cultivators powers that could rival deities and immortals!

Divine-rank jade slips were the most revered and guarded techniques, said to hold the secrets of the cosmos and true immortality! They were as rare as a lightless star.

...

In a secluded forest on Ancient Script Mountain, Liu Ming sat comfortably in his home.

He had the second biggest courtyard residence in the area because he didn't want to stay in the Sect Master Hall. He suspected that Sect Master Maomao had done some weird things there.

Whenever he tried to sleep in the Sect Master Hall, the smell of poop would invade his nose. The smell was so bad it made his eyes water.

Since then, he preferred the solitude of his current courtyard residence.

Liu Ming was sitting behind a wooden table, holding a partly rolled-up scroll in one hand. He was reading it while resting his head in the palm of his other hand, looking thoughtful.

The scroll he held was an Earth-rank bamboo scroll called the Sacred Qi Sword Formation Art.

"Hmm, this method doesn't seem too difficult. But Yan Mei says most disciples find it really abstract. I mean, if you practice the Sacred Qi Breath first, everything else becomes easier."

The Sacred Qi Breath was the core breathing technique that supported the Sacred Qi Sword Formation Art. Many disciples struggled with this cultivation method because they were used to other breathing techniques or had too many impurities in their bodies.

'It should be quite easy for me to learn then…' Liu Ming thought confidently.

He believed he could quickly grasp the Sacred Qi Sword Formation Art because he had already mastered two Mortal-rank bamboo slips. In less than a week, he had learned the Nine Heavens Cloud Walk and the Golden Bell Shield. Although wasn't sure why he could comprehend techniques so quickly, he simply attributed it to his spiritual bloodline's immense cultivation potential.

knock! KNOCK!!

Two gentle knocks sounded at the door, and Liu Ming immediately put down his scroll and stood up.

He walked over to the door and slid it open.

"Oh, Meixiang!" he said with a bright smile on his face.

On the other side of the door stood his very cute disciple.

Xiu Meixiang.

Liu Ming always admired her appearance.

Maybe it was because they were the same age, while Yu Lan and Su Yan were a few years older than him.

Looking at her again, she seemed even cuter than before.

Her uniquely tied pigtails gave her a distinctive look. She had a joyful and grateful expression, with her eyes closed and a wide, pretty smile.

She was holding a wooden lunchbox with both hands, lifting it slightly as though offering it to him.

He also loved the liveliness of her robes, a mix of pink, white, and light purple, which matched her cheerful personality.

Xiu Meixiang gently shook the wooden lunchbox to catch his attention.

"Brother Ming, I came specially for you!"

Her voice was high-pitched, bubbly, and also attractively energetic. It was the typical sweet and innocent kind, with a playful and endearing quality.

Liu Ming almost felt like crying tears of joy for having such a cute disciple.

"Brother Ming?" Xiu Meixiang called his name again.

She leaned close to him and blinked several times with her big, beautiful green eyes.

Liu Ming was smiling and looking up at the heavens, appearing very satisfied.

'Thank you, Grandfather…'

If he could cry, he would.

"Brother Ming?" Xiu Meixiang called his name once more.

Finally, her voice reached him, and he looked back at her.

"Oh, sorry, I… got a little carried away," Liu Ming said.

Xiu Meixiang placed a gentle hand over her mouth and chuckled sweetly. "Tee-hee! It's fine."

...

On Liu Ming's table were three containers. The first one had neatly arranged pastries with white exteriors and red flower-like designs on top. The second container held an assortment of yellow fruits, along with some red and green grapes and peaches. The last container had four square desserts with cute flower-like toppings.

Liu Ming was about to start eating after they had talked for a while, but just as he was about to dip his fingers in the food, Xiu Meixiang shifted one of the containers.

"No, Brother Ming!" she exclaimed.

A little startled, Liu Ming lifted his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

Xiu Meixiang folded her thin, cherry-colored lips and pouted.

"Humph! Have you washed your hands?"

It was clear she was a stickler for hygiene, especially considering someone as dirty as Sect Master Maomao existed. She could spend an entire day cleaning up all of Ancient Script Mountain, and because she was so devoted to domestic chores, she rarely focused on her cultivation.

Realizing his mistake, Liu Ming scratched the back of his head and replied, "Ahh, my bad, Meixiang."

The pink-haired beauty's pouty face finally softened, and she looked more like her innocent and kind self.

"Honestly, Brother Ming, if you're going to eat with your hands, at least wash them first. Think about it—so many disciples and who-knows-what from the bookshelves have handled those bamboo scrolls you've been touching!"

She placed a bowl of clean water in front of him.

"Wash!"

Occasionally, when she spoke, her soft cheeks would puff up a little, adding to her irresistible charm.

"Alright, I'm washing, haha…" Liu Ming said as he washed his hands.

────A few minutes later...

Since Liu Ming had finished washing his hands, he was now freely eating the sweets that Xiu Meixiang had made.

Every bite he took made him want more. At some point, he didn't even realize he was just tossing every edible thing in the container into his mouth. He would chew and make sounds like "mmm" or "yum" as he swallowed with a happy face.

Meanwhile, Xiu Meixiang was looking at all the bamboo scrolls he had arranged on a table. She was amazed by his improving hygiene. The last time she visited him, bamboo scrolls were littered everywhere, but now it was clear he was taking her advice.

"Wow~"

Xiu Meixiang's eyes glittered at the number of scrolls.

"Brother Ming, there are quite a lot of scrolls here. It seems you're studying to be like Sect Father, or maybe even better."

She spoke with complete respect.

Liu Ming tossed another pastry into his mouth and smugly responded, "Well, not to brag, but when I was five years old, I already had enough talent to surpass Grandfather. In fact, he says on the day I was born, there was a massive r──!!"

The pastry went down the wrong pipe, and Liu Ming started coughing heavily as he beat his chest. His face even turned bright red.

As soon as Xiu Meixiang heard him coughing, she rushed for her teapot and quickly poured a full cup of tea for him. With utmost etiquette, she handed the teacup to him.

"Here, have some tea!"

Liu Ming gratefully snatched the teacup from her and drank it all, gasping heavily for air afterward.

Hah~ hah~

The young man panted as though he'd escaped drowning.

Xiu Meixiang had a cheerful expression with closed, smiling eyes while resting her chin on her hands as she leaned on her patriarch's table.

"Brother Ming, keep working hard and I'll support you as best as I can. I didn't get to connect with Sect Father as much as my elder sisters did, but now that you're here, I think I have a better chance this time. I hope we can keep having fun together, especially when you become a well-known prodigy in the cultivation world. Tee-hee! I can already imagine their reactions."

All Liu Ming could do was smile at her unwavering faith and support. "Thank you, Meixiang."

She winked at him tenderly. "My pleasure, Big Bro!"