“Wu Kexin, would you be willing to be my Disciple?” Li Muchen’s question froze Kexin’s brain.

That proposal came out of nowhere. Why would a Peak Master be willing to take in an Outer Sect Disciple? Especially when the disciple in question had Earth Grade Low-Rank Spiritual Root. There had to be a reason for this, otherwise it wouldn’t make sense. This was the famed Second Peak Master of the Azure Sky Sect.

Wait… could it be that? Staying in the sect for a week, Kexin had learned a few things that turned her stomach. Does he want me to be his lover?

According to a few senior sisters, good-looking female/male cultivators who lacked talent used their beauty to entice rich and talented male/female cultivators. That way, they’d get extra resources and use them as a crutch to support their low talent, while the strong cultivators get to have their fun. In some rare cases, high-ranking cultivators would often approach the target themselves. Cultivation was a long and arduous journey, some cultivators sought to enjoy some pleasures of life over the centuries, and it helped the less talented ones too, at least the willing ones.

Was the Second Peak Master such a person? Kexin couldn’t have ever imagined that the man who looked so ethereal and otherworldly would take part in such a practice. This was the Master of her little brother, waiting in front of her with a smile after such a proposal.

Yeah… who am I kidding? However, Kexin knew the real answer. She knew her looks and was proud of them, but they weren’t enough to attract someone like the Second Peak Master. The real reason was something she wanted to run away from, yet there was no helping it.

“Did… Wang Yang ask for this?” She couldn’t even look up.

What else could there be? But, if he did ask this, does that mean he doesn’t believe in her? Although she had known how long it could take for her to reach the Inner Sect on her own, Kexin chose to keep it from Wang Yang so he doesn’t do anything like this, but he found out and did exactly that, at least in her mind.

“He didn’t.” Li Muchen said.

“W-Wait… so is it really that…?” Kexin’s face burned crimson.

“Yes, I do want you to be my disciple.” Li Muchen double-checked the sound restriction and camouflage array around them before continuing. “It is because your spiritual root is a special one.”

“Special?” From what she understood it was average at best in Outer Sect.

“I never expected to see another one in my lifetime, but here we are.” Solitary Plum Tree, although low in rank, it was a rare wood-type spiritual root. “According to ancient texts, this spiritual root is one of the first few to appear, and the first of its element. That is what makes it special.”

Kexin had a lot to process, but even if it was the first of its element, what did it bring to her? It was still a low-ranked root in the end, it was not enough to get Li Muchen’s attention.

“How is it… special?” Yet, she wanted to know more.

“Plum Blossoms can bloom even in the harsh winter, they are associated with resilience and strong will. If the cultivator’s personality matches with the Solitary Plum Tree, their chances of going over their limits increase. It’ll be hard still, but you can climb much higher than you think. And you are the perfect disciple for me.” Li Muchen said.

“Perfect disciple?” Stunned, Kexin couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“Because I’ve faced the same situation as you. So, I have experience with that Spiritual Root.” He didn’t say it outright, but she understood.

She couldn’t find any hint of lies in his words. This was one of the strongest cultivators of the sect, did he really have such a low-ranking Spiritual Root? Although Cultivation was a path full of uncertainties, the slow speed of low-ranking spiritual root was almost certain. The moment a cultivator got his Spiritual root others could guess their limits more or less. For someone like Kexin, that limit was rather low. So, how could someone like that reach such a high position?

“I was very devasted when I first found out about my root, however, someone extended a helping hand to me. So, today I want to do the same for you.” Even if Li Muchen’s spiritual root was trash compared to his fellow disciples, his Master had always been his biggest support. Now, he wanted to do the same for Wu Kexin, but he wasn’t like his Master.

“That…” Kexin felt overwhelmed, everything she could want was before her. With a low-spiritual root, her only chance at reaching the inner sect in the fastest time was to get a master from there, and now it was within arms reach. If she took this hand, it would all work out.

“So, what will it be?” Those words were like the devil’s whisper.

“I…” She clenched her hand. “I am sorry.”

As expected. Li Muchen looked at her trembling figure. It took a lot of willpower to do that.

“… it is not that I don’t want to. But, if I do, Xiao Yang will be in trouble because of the rumors.” Kexin tried to explain, fearing that the rejection would anger him.

“You know about the useless chatter going on in the inner sect?” Li Muchen leaned closer, it had come out finally.

“A friend told me about it that many are questioning his position. If I become Second Peak Master’s Disciple, he’ll get into more trouble.” She had only heard of it last evening, because of Wang Yang’s Spiritual root many inner disciples aren’t happy with his position.

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His connection with Kexin was also clear from his visit to the outer sect and information wouldn’t be hard to find, if she becomes Li Muchen’s disciple at a time like this, many fingers will be pointed at Wang Yang again.

People love to gossip even if they know it has no truth to it. I don’t want to make things harder for him. Kexin gulped facing the silence as his lips parted.

“So, you are willing to give the easy way forward for him?” He said.

“For the first time in his life… Xiao Yang is serious about something. I don’t want to take that away from him.” Kexin was surprised when they talked about it yesterday, that is why she hid the truth from Wang Yang.

“Other cultivators will laugh if they know what you have rejected.” Li Muchen’s tone turned cold.

“They can. If I fail, I will only blame myself and no one else.” But, she didn’t budge.

Kexin already understood the drastic results this could have, if she was lucky, she might be expelled from the sect without anything else. Many cultivators were known to be ruthless, and what Li Muchen did in front of her, although to save them from Demonic cultivators, was very cold-blooded.

Right now, her fate was in his hands. But, of course, if he was anything like the Second Peak Master in her mind, there wouldn’t be any danger for her or Wang Yang.

“That’s good.” He smiled, and it soon turned into a chuckle seeing Kexin’s legs tremble like a newborn chick.

“Cultivators can stab their blood siblings in the back for a stalk of herb, and here you are letting go of a golden opportunity that many would kill for even after what I told you before.” The entire conversation on the way to the caravan, letting her see the hardship of the Outer sect and every word that was spoken in the past few minutes was for this.

Although Li Muchen had heard a lot about Wu Kexin from Wang Yang, a person could change when facing adversity, for better or worse, but Kexin didn’t budge. Even at the risk of her own life, she thought of Wang Yang’s situation first.

“Does it matter now? I have blown the best opportunity I could’ve gotten in my life.” Her words turned more casual since she felt it couldn’t get any worse.

“Will that stop you from moving forward?”

She matched his eyes for the first time, gathering all her courage. “No. Even if no one believes in me, I’ll keep going. I will stand true to my promise.”

“Don’t worry, I believe in you.” Li Muchen stepped forward, his hand reaching out.

“Second Peak Master…… you’ll believe in me?” Kexin bit her lip feeling the hand on her head.

“I will.” Li Muchen had been in that position himself.

A disciple with low talent surrounded by geniuses, the doubt and question about self-worth that ate away at one's mind, the sleepless nights and sweat-filled days without progress, in times like these he never asked for a miracle that could grant him talent, all he needed was someone to believe in him, that pillar of support was all he ever needed.

I believe in you Muchen, even if Heaven abandons you, I will not. For Li Muchen, that pillar was his Master.

“Even if you don’t believe in yourself, I’ll believe in you. That, I promise to you today.” Now, it was his turn to become that pillar for someone in need.

Kexin trembled. Her gaze fixed on the floor, she did her best to hold in the tears, but it didn’t help. Coming from the Second Peak Master, this meant a lot to her, if someone like him believed in her then it didn’t matter how impossible it seemed, she’d never be able to give up.

“From now on, I’ll come to the outer sect and teach you once a week.” He said.

“W-Wait, what?” Kexin’s head snapped upwards.

“Think of it as an investment in a good prospect before they enter the Inner Sect, many Inner sect elders do it, so it isn’t against the rules.” Li Muchen smiled.

“What if someo-”

He pressed her lips shut with his finger. “No one has to know, it’ll be a secret lesson. Since you have rejected being my disciple and entering the inner sect directly, this is the only way I have to support you now, of course, that is if you want to.” Li Muchen gave her some space to think.

“No! I want to! Definitely want to!” Kexin jumped at the chance this time.

If no one knew that Li Muchen was teaching her, then there wasn’t a need to worry about the rumors spreading about Wang Yang, and she can have the benefit of having a proper teacher. No one would raise questions after she proved herself and joined the inner sect the proper way.

“Excellent. You may have this now, but be sure to keep this hidden too.” Li Muchen handed her a storage ring. “It has the new cultivation method you’ll study from now on and Spirit stones for expenditure, so don’t bother with chores any longer.”

“Master… you already knew…” Kexin didn’t know how to feel about this, she felt like a rat in a wheel all of a sudden.

“Being prepared for all possible outcomes is the only way to go.” He smiled.

Kexin gulped, she dared not ask what other outcomes he had planned for regarding her. To distract herself, she formed a connection with the ring as instructed, inside was a single cultivation method Azure Sky Cultivation Method, Variant 1 it had a weird name, but her mind focused on the assortment of swords inside, with a pile of jade bottles, some more books as thick as her head, and most importantly, the piles of spirit stones.

“M-Master… isn’t this a lot.” Kexin felt scared for her life. If someone knew she had this many spirit stones, she wouldn’t make it to sunrise.

“I know a thousand spirit stones are a lot for the Outer sect, but you need not worry. I’ll see that no flies get near you.” He said.

Before she could ask, footsteps approached them, given the time Kexin knew exactly who it was. Her friend has arrived just like every day to chat with her, however, unlike his usual smile, the brown-haired youth stopped dead in his tracks upon meeting the red eyes. Li Muchen allowed him into the Array on purpose.

“A disciple from the Sky Peak, huh?” He stepped closer, and with each step bullets of sweat slid down the dark-skinned youth in black uniform.

“L-Lu Liang, Disciple No 13 from the Fifth Hall of Sky Peak greets Immortal Bian.” His head almost touched the ground when he bowed.

“Greetings to you too.” The name Bian Que was well known, and being associated with it came with many benefits. “I won’t disturb your talk, be sure to give Ning Fan my regards when you go back.”

With a wave of his long sleeves, Li Muchen vanished into thin air. Only after an entire minute did Lu Liang look up, still covered in sweat, his eyes landed on the equally dumbfounded Wu Kexin, but her surprise was different from his.

“S-Sister Wu, I have to complete the task given by Immortal Bian. I’ll see you some other time, goodbye!” Just like that, the only friend Kexin had made from the Inner sect ran away with his tail between his legs. This was when Wu Kexin understood what Li Muchen meant about keeping the flies away.

“If Master does it like this no one will come near me, let alone flies.” Her face twitched, but soon a resolute look appeared in her eyes. Squeezing the ring in her palm, she vowed to keep her promise.

“I won’t make you wait for long Xiao Yang.” She smiled, going back to her dorms wondering if she’d have to pay for the broken broom.