"What? Closed disciple?"
Lu Nanfeng froze on the spot. An Ze and Bai Yang stared, wide-eyed with disbelief. Their master hadn't accepted a new disciple in over a decade, and she had once clearly said she never would again. Over the years, her attention had always been on the three of them.
Now, suddenly, a little junior sister appeared out of nowhere. None of them felt good about it.
"Master, didn't you say you weren't going to take on any more disciples?" An Ze stepped forward, eyeing Li Ruo from head to toe, his tone filled with growing displeasure.
"A mere three-spirit root, and she thinks she's worthy of becoming a true disciple of Yunxiao Peak?"
If word got out that his new junior sister had such poor aptitude, what would others think of him?
"Master, maybe you should reconsider. Accepting a disciple isn't something to do lightly," Lu Nanfeng said, trying to be more tactful.
In the cultivation world, taking on a disciple was no small matter.
That saying, "A master for a day, a father for life," was not just for show.
Becoming someone's teacher meant more than passing down cultivation techniques. It meant offering guidance, protection, and support. It meant becoming their anchor in this world. That was why both master and disciple had to choose wisely. The three of them had earned their place through rare talent and proven strength.
But what did this little girl have?
Bai Yang's expression had turned sour as well.
He had knelt outside for days. Song Wanníng hadn't said a single word to him. And now, she returned only to bring home a new disciple. He couldn't help but feel bitter.
"You think I need your permission to accept a disciple?" Song Wanníng scoffed lightly. She took Li Ruo's small hand into her own.
"From today on, she is your junior sister. Her aptitude doesn't matter. I like her, and that's enough."
With that, she walked straight into the main hall, hand in hand with the child. She didn't spare Bai Yang a single glance from beginning to end.
Bai Yang clenched his fists silently, staring hard at their retreating figures. His mind swirled with unanswered questions.
What did she mean by this?
Why was she ignoring him?
"Senior Brother... what's going on with Master?" Lu Nanfeng asked, growing uneasy. For some reason, he really didn't want Song Wanníng to take in this new disciple.
"Hmph. What else could it be?" An Ze sneered. "It's because we upset her lately. She's doing this to get back at us. Look at the one she picked. With that kind of talent? She'll regret it sooner or later."
An Ze had grown increasingly resentful of Song Wanníng. Though he didn't dare speak out to her face, he often complained behind her back. To him, their master had become nothing more than a jealous woman scheming over petty grudges.
Even with her high cultivation and powerful combat abilities, he no longer respected her as he once did. Bai Yang's eyes darkened, and his clenched fists slowly relaxed.
That had to be it.
She was angry with him, so she brought home a disciple just to provoke him. He looked down at his bruised knees. He had knelt for days, and she still hadn't told him to stand.
She must really be furious this time.
But even now, he didn't believe he was in the wrong.
If she wanted to ignore him, fine. He'd ignore her too. Let's see who holds out longer.
Bai Yang, emboldened by the favor he'd received over the years, didn't take it too seriously.
Inside the hall, Song Wanníng was carefully studying the little girl before her. When she first found her, the child was being beaten and kicked, yet her eyes were clear and bright, shining with determination.
In her previous life, Song Wanníng had crossed paths with this girl. At the time, she had already been hunted across the continent, forced into demonic cultivation, wounded during a siege, and driven off a cliff.
She had fallen into a deep valley, and that was where she encountered Li Ruo.
By then, Li Ruo had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. She had been training alone in the wilderness and recognized Song Wanníng at a glance. But instead of turning her in or finishing her off, Li Ruo had quietly hidden her in the valley and given her every last pill she carried.
When Song Wanníng had been cast aside by those she loved most, it was this stranger who saved her. She never understood why, until Li Ruo explained.
She said that long ago, back when she was still a bullied outer sect disciple, Song Wanníng had once stepped in and said a single sentence on her behalf. That simple kindness spared her a brutal beating.
It had only been a passing gesture, something Song Wanníng barely remembered.
But Li Ruo never forgot.
"Master Song... maybe I should go back?" Li Ruo's voice was quiet and hesitant. She clutched the edge of her sleeve, her gaze filled with self-doubt.
She had three spirit roots, and even those weren't strong. In the outer sect, she was the kind of person anyone could push around. With qualifications like hers, she wasn't worthy of being Master Song's disciple. Her little face drooped slightly.
Song Wanníng smiled and reached out, gently patting her head. "I took you in because I see something special in you. Don't look down on yourself. There are those with incredible talent who forget the heavens and repay kindness with betrayal. Not everyone with good roots ends well.
Li Ruo, from this day on, you are my disciple. You have no reason to feel inferior. You're no less than anyone else."
"Really?" Li Ruo looked up in amazement, her large eyes gleaming like black grapes. Her round, chubby cheeks made her look like a plump little peach.
Song Wanníng ruffled her hair with a smile and nodded.
In that moment, admiration and joy burst across the girl's face.
From now on, she had a master too.
Bai Yang's punishment was finally lifted after seven long days.
He stood up and rubbed his knees, expression sour.
Song Wanníng had forbidden him from using spiritual energy to protect himself, so he had knelt with his bare body for the entire punishment. If not for his physique being tempered through body refinement, his legs might have been crippled by now.
"Senior Brother, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Bai Yang pushed away Lu Nanfeng's helping hand and coughed a few times.
"Senior Brother, you haven't recovered yet, and after kneeling for so long... you should rest first."
"I'll go ask Master for some pills. That'll help you heal faster."
Lu Nanfeng signaled An Ze to help Bai Yang back. He himself made for the Cangdan Pavilion. Given how stubborn both An Ze and Bai Yang could be, it was best to keep them out of sight. Otherwise, they might end up angering Master again.
He sighed, feeling completely worn out by the recent days. Master had changed so much. It made his heart feel unsettled.
Inside the main hall, Song Wanníng was still explaining something to Li Ruo. Lu Nanfeng paused at the entrance, hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. "Master, I came to get some pills for Senior Brother from the Cangdan Pavilion."
Each month, their master provided them with a quota of pills. Unlike the common ones distributed in the sect, hers were always top-grade or supreme-grade, nearly free of impurities, with no risk of damaging their foundations.
For that reason, they had never needed to buy pills.
The ones handed out by the sect? They wouldn't even bother keeping them, let alone use them. Most of the time, they gave them away.
Now that Senior Brother was injured, and Third Brother still hadn't recovered, Lu Nanfeng's first thought had naturally been to ask their master for help.
Song Wanníng, mid-conversation with Li Ruo, stopped and glanced at him coolly.