Chapter 7: The Poorest Sect in the Northern Territory

Originally, the high-ranking members of the Xuantian Sect viewed Feng Xi as nothing more than a useless little girl with a damaged dantian.

However, after a bit of "chatter" from Feng Xi, they selectively forgot her status as a "useless waste." In its place, they became convinced that she possessed a deep sense of belonging to the sect and was remarkably clever and sharp-witted. Most importantly, they decided she had a unique insight into cultivation—she was a budding talent! They completely forgot how they had been complaining about Xiao Baidao just moments before.

Seeing that her goal was achieved, Feng Xi tactfully suggested taking a walk outside the hall. With a smile filling his eyes, Xiao Baidao offered a few words of advice before letting her leave. Only then did the others inquire about the Hunyuan Sect’s disciple recruitment ceremony. Xiao Baidao gave a brief summary and then remarked, "That Shen Zhilan may have decent aptitude, but her character is flawed. She doesn't hold a candle to little Xi!"

The others were speechless. While they also thought Feng Xi was pleasant enough, he didn't have to lie through his teeth! In the cultivation world, strength was everything; if you couldn't cultivate, having a good character was useless.

At this moment, Peak Master Gu of the East Peak asked curiously, "By the way, Sect Leader, how did you discover this, uh, 'budding talent'?"

Xiao Baidao only then remembered that, at the beginning, he had simply... wanted to watch the drama unfold. Somehow, he had ended up taking on a personal disciple. It was absurd! Xiao Baidao recounted the events, though he embellished them significantly, claiming he had initially stepped in to uphold justice and later recognized her brilliance with his discerning eye.

The others thought to themselves: *Why does it feel like our Sect Leader was the one being played?* But they dismissed it as a trick of the mind. Their Sect Leader’s Dao heart was firm; how could he possibly be fooled by a little girl with a broken dantian? They concluded it must just be Feng Xi’s good fortune to have met him.

The meeting continued with reports on various matters, all of which boiled down to a lack of spirit stones. Although the Purple Buckwheat Linglong Fruit could cover some of the deficit, a significant gap remained. Xiao Baidao felt a splitting headache and had no good solutions.

After the meeting adjourned, Feng Xi skipped in to find Xiao Baidao. Suppressing his inner frustration, Xiao Baidao smiled and said, "Come, I will take you to see your living quarters." In truth, he could have easily arranged for someone else to take her, but he was worried. His little apprentice was young and sweet-natured; what if she were bullied? He silently cursed his other five disciples, who had all vanished the moment they knew he was returning today—ungrateful wretches! If they were around, he could have handed her over to them.

There was a residential area on the mountainside of the main peak, reserved only for elders and personal disciples. Xiao Baidao told Feng Xi, "Take a look around. Any courtyard without the sect emblem lit on the door is vacant. Pick whichever you like."

Feng Xi was full of anticipation. After all, having a large courtyard all to herself was a luxury in a cultivation sect. However, her excitement quickly faded with the breeze. Could someone tell her why all these houses were drafty and leaking?

Xiao Baidao coughed twice. "Well, money was tight a few years ago, so I sold off some of the better timber and stone. Once you pick a courtyard, I'll have someone chop some ordinary wood from the back mountain to patch it up for you."

Feng Xi: "..." The poorest sect in the Northern Region—the rumors were true!

Feng Xi ultimately chose a courtyard tucked further back. Her reasoning was simple: being surrounded by big shots meant safety. Xiao Baidao immediately arranged for repairs and personally took Feng Xi to the Middle Peak’s supply department to collect her provisions. He did this to let everyone in the sect know how much he valued her, hoping to prevent anyone from bullying her. Feng Xi understood his good intentions, so even though the supplies she received were worse than those of an outer-sect disciple at the Hunyuan Sect, her heart felt warm.

Within an hour, the repairs were finished, and some necessary furniture was added. After a few more instructions, Xiao Baidao left. By the time the commotion died down, it was already evening. Feng Xi washed up simply and went to sleep. It was the first peaceful night's rest she had enjoyed since her transmigration.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Feng Xi rose. Skipping breakfast, she huffed and puffed her way to the outside of Xiao Baidao’s courtyard. It was just a quarter past the Hour of the Rabbit (5:15 AM). On the way back to the sect, she had subtly asked Xiao Baidao and learned that the old man woke up at the Hour of the Rabbit every day, so this was the perfect time to pay her respects. She didn't knock, but stood respectfully outside the gate. With Xiao Baidao’s cultivation level, he had sensed her arrival the moment she reached the entrance.

"Come in!"

Feng Xi trotted into the courtyard. "Master, I have come to pay my respects!"

"You silly girl, your health is already poor; don't go running around like this in the future." Though he grumbled, Xiao Baidao was deeply moved. His residence was at the peak of the middle mountain, while Feng Xi’s was halfway down. For anyone else, it wouldn't be a big deal, but Feng Xi was different. With her damaged dantian, she was essentially a mortal. The trek up and down was exhausting. This display of devotion was enough to comfort his heart as a master.

Feng Xi smiled demurely. "Master, I know you care for me, but it is only right for a disciple to pay respects to her master. Even if you tried to stop me, I would still come!"

Xiao Baidao shook his head with a smile. "Very well, have it your way! Have you eaten breakfast?"

Feng Xi shook her head. Xiao Baidao was at the Nascent Soul stage and had long since achieved inedia (abstinence from food), so he had no food in his storage ring, only a single Inedia Pill, which he handed to her with a look of visible reluctance. "Well then, apprentice, go to the dining hall and get some food to keep in your storage bag. You are still growing; it's better to eat less of these pills."

Feng Xi: "..." After all that, you were just worried about the price of the pill!

After chatting for a while, Feng Xi asked, "Master, you mentioned before that our Xuantian Sect has ancient scrolls. May I go see them?"

Xiao Baidao paused. He had only mentioned the scrolls to brush her off, as ancient texts were nearly extinct and no one could read them—let alone find a way to repair a dantian within them. He wanted to find an excuse to delay her, but seeing her expectant eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. "Go find Elder Hai at the Library Pavilion," he said.

*So be it,* he thought. *One way or another, this is a bridge I have to cross.* Even if there was no hope of repairing her dantian, he could at least find ways to get her some nourishing herbs to help her live a few years longer, fulfilling his duty as her master.