Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao was a bit surprised.
"The Talisman Master's Grand Assembly that happens once every hundred years? It's being held at the end of this year?"
Liu Chun nodded and said, "That's right. I hope the Sect Leader will grant approval."
"Of course, it must be approved. Isn't the Talisman Master's Grand Assembly your dream?" Lin Xiao responded quickly.
Liu Chun was a bit surprised to hear his words. He had never openly expressed his desire to participate in the assembly to anyone, except for the time when he had argued with the Wu family at the Immortal Fragrance Pavilion...
Liu Chun glanced at Lin Xiao, thought for a moment, but said nothing.
"Yes, if I don't attend this Talisman Master's Grand Assembly, I'll have to wait another hundred years," he said, a hint of self-mockery in his smile, a trace of melancholy in his eyes, as he added, "And who knows if I'll still be alive by then."
It wasn't that he doubted his current cultivation speed; rather, the path of cultivation was unpredictable, and no one could foresee the future.
He still needed to find his younger sister and couldn't stay in the sect forever. Once he ventured into the world of immortal cultivation, life and death would be uncertain.
Unaware that his words had unintentionally exposed a moment of carelessness from the past, Lin Xiao patted Liu Chun on the shoulder and said, "What do you mean 'who knows'? Stop saying such disheartening things. While I won't stop you from attending the assembly, and I hope you win it all, no matter what happens, a hundred years from now, you'll still be alive and living well!"
The dark clouds of doubt about the world of immortal cultivation were swept away by Lin Xiao's words, and Liu Chun smiled silently, lowering his head before replying, "The Sect Leader's words are right."
—
In a desolate area thousands of miles away from the southern border of Pusi Nation, mountain ranges stretched endlessly, and dense bushes thrived.
The area was perpetually shrouded in mist, with occasional clear chirps echoing through the air, as if it were a fairyland on earth.
Lush greenery spread across the land as far as the eye could see, and a clean, flowing river occasionally roared and sometimes flowed gently, separating this place from the southern border of Pusi Nation.
A giant bridge spanned the river, and at that moment, a figure was bouncing across it.
The girl, Han Weishu, with her hair tied in a man's style and dressed in men's clothing, swung a bundle of wild vegetables hooked on her finger as she skipped toward the misty area ahead.
Perhaps it had been too long since the wild vegetables had been picked, for they were already a bit wilted. But they had been cleaned thoroughly and bundled neatly, showing the care of the person who tied them.
Suddenly, a man flew over on his sword from afar and landed in front of her.
"Weishu, you've finally returned! Come back with me quickly, or you'll be scolded again."
As he spoke, the man reached out, trying to grab the hand swinging the wild vegetables.
Han Weishu slapped his hand away and said lazily, "Don't pretend to care, as if walking back with you will spare me from getting scolded! You just want to show off in front of my dad, don't you? Do you think no one can see through your little schemes?
Yu Jie, my dad might buy into your act, but I sure don't. Got it?"
The man, Yu Jie, pursed his lips tightly, speaking sternly, "No matter what you think, you're a girl. You should cherish yourself and focus on cultivation. How can you keep hanging around with those mortals outside?"
Hearing this, Han Weishu rolled her eyes and snorted coldly, "Tch, spare me. Save your words for when you're standing in front of my dad. I don't have the patience to listen to your nonsense."
No sooner had she finished speaking than an angry voice roared from the sky, "Han—Wei—Shu!"
Han Weishu shivered internally at the sound, but she controlled herself and didn't let anyone notice. She immediately resumed her lazy demeanor, looking up at the figure speeding through the air.
"Oh, Dad, you're here! What's the matter? Feeling sorry for your 'good disciple'?" she teased.
Seeing her still acting so insolently, Han Shangyi was livid. He landed in front of the two of them and furiously shouted at Han Weishu, "You ungrateful child! You neglect your cultivation day after day, and now you insult your senior brother repeatedly! And you still dare to speak to me like this?"
Hearing the same old speech, Han Weishu carelessly curled her lips and said, "Well, I was born with five spiritual roots, and the worst kind at that. I'm practically no better than a mortal. No matter how hard I cultivate, I'll never make any progress.
Even if I worked myself to death, I'd never build a foundation. So why can't I enjoy life? Why must I waste my time doing useless things, just to satisfy your demands and expectations?
Oh, right, Dad, you're the Sect Master. Having a daughter like me must be really embarrassing for you. I'm so sorry. Why don't you just disown me and make your beloved disciple your son?"
As she said this, she nodded toward Yu Jie.
"Such insolence!" Han Shangyi was so enraged by her behavior that his nose almost crooked.
He glanced at the bundle of wild vegetables she was still swinging and immediately snatched them from her, throwing them into the distance.
The already-wilting wild vegetables disappeared into the sky, tossed by the sect's head.
"Hey! What are you doing!"
Caught off guard, Han Weishu panicked and tried to chase after her lost vegetables.
But Han Shangyi grabbed the back of her collar, lifting her like a chicken, and without any hesitation, he said, "It seems I haven't disciplined you enough lately. No wonder you've become so lazy and unruly. From today onwards, as your father, I'm going to set you straight! Come with me for some solitary reflection!"
With that, he flew off with Han Weishu, heading toward the mist-covered area.
Yu Jie followed closely behind.
Only Han Weishu's shouts of "Let me go!" echoed in the air.
When Han Shangyi returned to the sect and locked his daughter in a small dark room, a disciple came to report, "Sect Master, the Elder from the Yunyan Sect has arrived for a visit. He requests to meet with you."
Hearing this, Han Shangyi frowned and asked, "Where is Elder Wan?"
The disciple respectfully lowered his head and replied, "Elder Wan went into seclusion this morning."
Han Shangyi thought for a moment and then said, "Alright, I understand. You may go."
He then made his way toward the guest hall of the sect.
Meanwhile, in the small dark room, Han Weishu rubbed her sore bottom as she sat up.
After making sure no one was around, she moved to the corner, closed her eyes, and silently chanted something in her mind.
Before long, a translucent, brownish ball appeared on the ground.
It was an earth spirit, a contracted creature left to her by her late mother.
Even Han Shangyi didn't know about it.
"Qiuqiu, my stupid dad threw away the wild vegetables Ah Liang gave me. Hurry and help me get them back."