Mount Turtleback was known for many things: wind that slapped you like an angry ex, trees shaped like disapproving aunties, and spiritual energy so thin it might as well be imaginary.
Which is why when a girl in ice-blue robes stood at the broken gate of the Eternal Radiance Divine Sect, the local squirrels held their breath.
Li Qingyu, currently using a stick to chase a squirrel out of the rice pot, didn't notice her at first.
"Get out of there! That's not for you!" he yelled, only to trip over Hu Daniu, who had tied his shoes together "for security reasons."
The pot flew. The squirrel screamed. The rice was lost.
And then — silence.
"Are all your training methods this… chaotic?" came a soft, cold voice.
Li Qingyu looked up, and for a moment, forgot he was covered in sticky rice.
Standing just outside the gate was a young woman. Pale, elegant, and clearly out of place, she carried herself like she belonged on snowy peaks, not among burnt rice and sentient brooms.
> [Ding! Potential disciple detected: Lu Ziyan. Talent Grade: A-]
[Note: Hidden trait detected – Glacial Vein Constitution. High compatibility with Ice-Type Techniques and long-term cultivation stability.]
Li Qingyu's eyes lit up like a hungry man spotting roast duck.
"Fairy! You've descended to this lowly sect just for me?" he said, ignoring the rice stuck to his face.
Lu Ziyan frowned. "I came for shelter. I saw a sign that said Free Housing and Enlightenment. I assumed it was a scam, but I was curious."
Li Qingyu coughed. "A scam? Please! This is a centuries-old sect with deep roots and mysterious legacies!"
Behind him, a board fell off the roof with a thud.
Hu Daniu whispered, "Should I fix that?"
"Don't ruin the ambiance," Li Qingyu hissed.
---
Inside the main hall — which was just a slightly less-broken room with mismatched chairs — Li Qingyu served tea with the solemnity of a grandmaster.
"Fairy Lu," he said, "have you ever wondered why sects chase after talent but fail to recognize destiny?"
Lu Ziyan raised an eyebrow. "Is that your way of saying you'll take anyone?"
Li Qingyu grinned. "No, no! I only accept those with… special qualities. Like your frost aura. I could tell even before the system told me—" He froze. "—I mean, even before my instincts told me."
She sipped the tea. "This is just hot water."
"It's spiritual in nature," he said, pouring more from a cracked teapot. "The spirit of trying very hard despite budget issues."
Lu Ziyan stood. "I'll be honest. I was rejected by every sect in the region. They said my icy temperament disrupted group morale."
"So?" Li Qingyu said, rising as well. "Let them have their loud disciples and flashy robes. I'll take a glacier over a bonfire any day."
> [Ding! System Suggestion: Use Sect Sign Repair Token to enhance your bluffing power.]
[Activating… Visual Enhancement Mode.]
Suddenly, the sect sign at the gate glowed faintly. The broken characters restored themselves, shimmering with golden light.
Lu Ziyan blinked. "That… wasn't glowing before."
Li Qingyu spread his arms. "Behold, the true face of our Eternal Radiance Divine Sect!"
Hu Daniu ran out with a mop. "Master! The broom's fighting the mop again!"
Lu Ziyan stared.
Li Qingyu sighed. "Ignore the tools. They're… temperamental."
---
Later, under the moonlight, Lu Ziyan stood at the courtyard. She looked at the faded walls, the mossy stones, the single lantern held up by sheer hope—and the man yelling at a broom for stealing his slippers.
"…Fine," she muttered.
Li Qingyu froze. "What?"
"I said I'll join. For now," she said. "You're ridiculous. But… persistent."
> [Ding! 2nd Disciple Acquired: Lu Ziyan (Potential Rating: A-)]
[Reward: 1x Ice Technique Manual, 10 Sect Points, 1x Cultivation Room Unlock Token.]
Li Qingyu clasped his hands behind his back and laughed. "Wonderful! You won't regret this! Soon, you'll be bathing in icy spiritual waters, cultivating atop jade peaks!"
"…I'll settle for not slipping on squirrel droppings."
"We're upgrading!" Li Qingyu pointed to the stars. "One day, we'll be a sect the heavens themselves fear!"
Behind him, the broom swept a rat into a bucket.
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