Chapter 44: An Miaoling Comes Seeking

"None of you are leaving."

A figure in black robes stepped out from the shadows. "You are the ones the young master has set his sights on."

Upon seeing the black-robed man, both young women trembled, their faces turning pale with fear. Several months ago, a young nobleman had taken a fancy to them while they were out. He had ordered their family to present them to him, but their father had refused, choosing instead to secretly help them escape. Later, they heard that their entire family had been slaughtered, and the nobleman had been sending men to hunt them down ever since. They had fled to the remote Qingyun Mountain Range to hide.

Recently, while wandering in the city, they had spotted this man in black. His attire was identical to the henchmen of that nobleman, so they had planned to escape under the cover of night. However, before leaving, Qianxue had insisted on saying goodbye to Qin Tian, feeling indebted for his kindness.

Watching the black-robed man approach step by step, Qianwei glared at Qianxue with resentment. If it weren't for her insistence on this visit, they wouldn't have been caught.

Qin Tian ignored the intruder and looked at Qianxue. "Have you made up your mind?"

This time, Qianxue did not hesitate. Blushing, she replied, "I agree to become your handmaiden, Young Master."

The man in black, feeling ignored, grew furious. After all, he was a master at the Half-Saint realm. He appraised Qin Tian—no spiritual energy? A mere mortal? He snorted coldly. "Ignorance is truly fearless." With that, he prepared to rush forward and strike Qin Tian dead with a single blow.

But before he could even take a step, an old man grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. The old man turned to Qin Tian and asked respectfully, "Young Master, how shall we dispose of him?"

*Young Master?* Seeing this, the two sisters were stunned. The man who had effortlessly captured a Half-Saint in one move called him "Young Master"!

"Kill him."

*Snap!*

The black-robed man died, filled with nothing but regret. Qianxue looked at Qin Tian with delight; the crisis had been resolved so easily. Qianwei hurried to Qin Tian's side, fawning over him. "Young Master, I am also willing to be your handmaiden!"

Qin Tian cast a cold glance at her. "Get lost!"

Qianwei recoiled in fear, eventually turning to her sister for help. But Qianxue, seeing the crisis resolved, ignored her snobbish sister. Since her sister’s life was no longer in danger, she didn't care to intervene further.

Qin Tian led the others inside and closed the door. Looking at the entrance of the Art Studio, Qianwei huffed, "With my beauty, it is only a matter of time before I get ahead. One day, I will settle this score." With that, she departed.

After entering, Qianxue asked in a low voice, "Young Master, where shall I sleep tonight?"

"Follow me." Qin Tian led the way upstairs. Qianxue followed, her face flushed, wondering if he intended to take her to bed tonight. Raised in a noble house, she had heard many stories of handmaidens serving their masters in the bedroom; even her own father had done so.

There were six large rooms on the second floor. Qin Tian stopped in front of an empty one. Just as he was about to speak, Qianxue, lost in her own thoughts, bumped into him. She gasped and stepped back, her face burning. "I am so sorry, Young Master. I was lost in thought and didn't notice you had stopped."

Qin Tian gestured to the room. "You will stay here from now on." With that, he returned to his own room. He had already taken in quite a few people; with time, they would grow strong enough to rival the great powers of the Central Plains.

The next day, as Qin Tian was illustrating the final volume of *The Legend of the White Snake* on the ground floor, Qianxue approached. Seeing his work, she said in surprise, "So, you are the one who drew this?"

Qin Tian nodded slightly and handed her the latter half of the *Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting Immortality*. "Cultivate diligently."

"Yes!" Qianxue took the manual and ran off to study it. A while later, Qin Tian finished the update. Qianxue trotted over and asked softly, "Young Master, may I see it first?"

Qin Tian nodded and walked away. Qianxue picked up the final volume and began reading with gusto, feeling a sense of pride that she was the first to see it.

Three days later, An Miaoling at the Hidden Sword Pavilion finally touched the threshold of the Sword Domain. She rose slowly and looked toward the Central Plains, then set off at high speed. She felt a mix of longing, urgency, and apprehension. She had been in seclusion for over a year, and she feared that her "lecherous" master might have found her a mistress.

After crossing the Two-World Mountain and entering the Central Plains, she began attempting to send a telepathic message to Qin Tian. Finally, as she reached the vicinity of the Qingyun Mountain Range, she succeeded.

At the Art Studio, Qin Tian was busy correcting Zong Yan's mistakes in a huff. Suddenly, a smile broke across his face, and his brow relaxed. Zong Yan froze—why was his master smiling? Was he so stupid that he had made his master laugh? Was his master going to give up on him?

Terrified, Zong Yan said, "Master, please don't give up on me! I will study and practice harder!"

Qin Tian nodded slightly, told him to keep practicing, and left. He was going to meet An Miaoling; he had missed her quite a bit. Seeing him leave, Zong Yan muttered to himself, "Master must be disappointed in me. I must work twice as hard." And just like that, Qin Tian had inadvertently spurred Zong Yan to greater effort.

It didn't take long for Qin Tian to reach the Qingyun Mountain Range and find that familiar, graceful figure. She wore a red phoenix-feather robe, her figure was lithe and elegant, her skin was as white as snow, and her fingers were slender. Even the thin veil over her face could not hide her breathtaking beauty.

Qin Tian hugged her the moment he reached her. An Miaoling squirmed, thinking to herself that he hadn't changed a bit, always taking liberties the moment they met. After a brief, tender reunion, they returned to the Art Studio. Qin Tian mentioned that he wouldn't be returning to the Eastern Plains for a while, as a dragon vein was set to manifest in the Qingyun Mountain Range within the year.

An Miaoling was shocked; a dragon vein was the foundation of a great power. If Kunlun possessed one, everyone's cultivation speed would improve drastically.

Back at the studio, Qin Tian introduced her to the others, then settled her into the room next to his. Downstairs, Zong Yan and Qianxue whispered, "The new senior sister is so powerful; she must be at least a Half-Saint." Qianxue nodded in envy, as they were of similar age but worlds apart in cultivation.

In her room, An Miaoling said with a smile, "That little girl is quite something."

Qin Tian knew exactly what she meant. "She's just a newly acquired handmaiden. Her potential is good, so I thought I'd nurture her. Or, if you prefer, you can take her as your apprentice."

An Miaoling thought for a moment. "Don't get into trouble out here. Even if you want to find me a mistress, you have to let me vet her first."

Qin Tian nodded, thinking to himself, *If I let you vet her, would I ever find anyone?* "How about you introduce one to me yourself?"

As soon as he said this, An Miaoling choked. She promptly shooed Qin Tian out of the room, claiming she was exhausted from her journey and needed to rest.