Chapter 6: Mangosteen

Inside the Shen family council hall.

The moment Shen Qingluan and the other two appeared, several Shen family elders broke into smiles.

"Hahaha… looks like the young miss suffered a bit out there and realized having backing is better after—pff—"

Before the Fourth Elder could finish, an ice spike punched through his skull.

"You—"

The Third Elder managed a single word before meeting the same fate.

Right after, the remaining Great Elder and Second Elder were pinned down by a terrifying aura.

They'd been sitting moments ago; now they bled from all seven orifices, sprawled on the ground like dead dogs.

"Qingluan, you—"

Shen Qingluan's father, Shen Yi, was stunned. He was about to tell his daughter to run.

But the scene before him suggested there was no need for that!

"Father, I've made you worry!"

"This is my Sect Master and my Master—both are Great Emperor realm experts!"

Gr… Great Emperor realm experts?

Never mind Shen Yi freezing up—even the two elders on the ground, barely breathing, were scared witless.

"Impossible—"

"Wherever this seat is present, I don't like hearing dogs bark!"

The moment the Second Elder got out the word "impossible," his head burst into a mist of blood, splattering all over the Shen family Great Elder.

"Father, our Lingxiao Sect is really strong! Even the Profound Heaven Sacred Lord begged to become a vassal today!"

"As for the Third Prince, he definitely won't see tomorrow's sun!"

Shen Qingluan beamed with pride. Shen Yi let out a breath of relief and hurriedly bowed to Su Kuang and Xue Weiyang.

"Thank you both for looking after Qingluan. If you don't mind—"

Before Shen Yi could finish, Su Kuang cut him off.

"We came back this time to settle Qingluan's lingering troubles. Execute every clansman belonging to those few elders' bloodlines!"

"Weiyang!"

Su Kuang glanced at Xue Weiyang. She understood instantly, and the Law of Ice spread from her feet across the entire Shen estate.

"Shen Family Head, gather the clansmen loyal to you. Anyone who doesn't show up will be erased!"

"Thank you, Senior! This junior will go personally right away!"

Shen Yi understood the gravity of the situation—and besides, he had never been happy about those elders ganging up on him.

In just half a quarter-hour, Shen Yi appeared outside the council hall with fifty people.

Before Shen Yi could speak, Xue Weiyang gave a soft snap of her fingers.

Everyone in the Shen family besides those inside and outside the council hall turned to ice shards and scattered into the world.

One breath later.

The Shen estate returned to normal, and the bone-chilling cold vanished as well.

"If you two seniors aren't in a hurry to return, could you stay a couple more days?"

Shen Qingluan quickly looked at Su Kuang, her eyes full of hope.

"Then we'll stay two days. This seat happens to want to look around!"

Su Kuang was just about to leave when his divine sense caught a thin, small figure leaning on a cane, wandering near the Shen family gate.

[Ding! A Special Trait Genius detected. Strongly recommend the host recruit them into the sect!]

Hiss!

Special Trait Genius?

This was the first time encountering a Special Trait Genius!

After all, in the system's description panel, Special Trait Genius only had the words "single-mindedly devoted to the Dao" written—anyone searching could only go by that!

Name: Wangshu.

Gender: Female.

Age: Ten.

Spirit Root: Low-grade Water Spirit Root.

Cultivation: None.

Sacred Body: None.

Talent: Zither Heart Reflects the Dao.

"Shen Family Head, do you know that little girl at the gate?"

Little girl?

Hearing this, Shen Yi's divine sense instantly spread out, and he quickly nodded.

"That little girl is named Wangshu. She has no relatives, and she's blind in both eyes. She appeared the day after Qingluan left!"

"If Senior doesn't like her, could you wait until she finishes her meal before driving her off?"

Though Shen Yi knew Su Kuang's strength well, he truly couldn't set his mind at ease about that little girl Wangshu!

"No need! This seat intends to have her join the Lingxiao Sect. Let's go take a look together!"

Join the Lingxiao Sect?

Shen Yi blanked for a moment, then his whole body relaxed.

That little girl was quite pitiful. If she could join the Lingxiao Sect, she wouldn't have to worry about going hungry anymore, much less being bullied.

"Yes!"

Shen Yi bowed respectfully. Xue Weiyang's divine sense spread out, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.

"Strange! She clearly has a waste spirit root and no Sacred Body—how could the Sect Master…"

Xue Weiyang shook her head, but followed behind Su Kuang together with Shen Qingluan.

The Sect Master is so invested—maybe little Wangshu has an unawakened Sacred Body too?

…

At the Shen family gate.

When Su Kuang and the others appeared, a dirty little girl about ten years old was crouching, leaning on a cane worn smooth and shiny.

"Uncle Shen, there's… there's a smell of blood. Are you alright?"

Wangshu's small hands clenched tight, worry written across her face.

"Wangshu, Uncle Shen is fine. Something just came up at home. Your porridge will be ready soon!"

"As long as Uncle Shen is fine!"

Wangshu let out a breath of relief, then skillfully crouched at the corner of the wall ten meters away, as if afraid of disturbing the Shen family's guests.

"Father, this meal arrangement…"

Before Shen Qingluan could finish, Shen Yi let out a soft sigh.

"I arranged a courtyard for her—she won't go. Fine food—she won't take it either!"

"Every day she only wants a bowl of porridge. She comes on time, and drinks it right over there, all proper and orderly!"

"After finishing, she even kowtows before leaving!"

What a pitiful girl!

Su Kuang glanced at Shen Yi, then took the initiative to approach Wangshu.

"Little Wangshu, do you want your eyes cured so you can properly see this world?"

The moment Su Kuang spoke, little Wangshu's tiny body visibly trembled.

She nodded—then shook her head.

"I want to! But nothing good comes for free in this world. I have nothing to trade!"

Oh ho! A little girl with principles!

But to expand the sect, to recruit more Great Emperors to go knock on other people's doors—today, even if he had to tie her up, little Wangshu was coming along!

Shen Yi opened his mouth to say something, but Su Kuang stopped him.

"No! You do have something!"

"I'll cure your eyes, and in return, you'll protect me from now on!"

Protect?

Wangshu tilted her head in confusion. Though Su Kuang hadn't revealed any aura, she somehow felt the big brother speaking to her was very powerful.

The kind of powerful that surpassed even Uncle Shen. Her intuition was never wrong.

"I… I'm willing!"

Though Wangshu wasn't sure what Su Kuang actually wanted, the fact that he appeared at the Shen family meant he must be a good person, just like Uncle Shen!

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully recruiting a disciple: Wangshu. Rewards are now being issued!]

[One drop of Water of Life!]

[Five peak-grade sacred weapons!]

[One Scripture Pavilion Materialization Card!]

[Sect territory expanded to ten li!]

[One golden summon card, two silver summon cards!]

"Good!"

Hearing Wangshu agree, Su Kuang scooped her up without hesitation and flashed into the inner courtyard council hall.

Xue Weiyang and the others followed close behind. By the time they arrived, Su Kuang had already taken out a drop of Water of Life.

"This is the Water of Life—a divine water that can not only regrow severed limbs but even repair a damaged Dao foundation!"

Xue Weiyang covered her red lips. As she spoke, the Water of Life had already dripped onto Wangshu's forehead.

In an instant.

The once-skinny Wangshu not only had her depleted body restored to health—even her tightly shut eyes slowly opened.

They were a pair of big, watery eyes—and the first person she saw upon opening them was Su Kuang!

"Big Brother, it's you—"