“Was that the great Dao oath about secrecy just now?”

As she walked out of the thatched cottage, Lan Linge’s eyes, which were like black pearls, had somewhat lost their luster. Her whole body was swaying, and her footsteps were unsteady.

“Here,” a hand reached out from beside her, holding a light green medicinal pill in its palm.

Li Changshou said gently, “This is the Yuan Stabilizing Pill. It has no toxicity, and its medicinal properties are very mild. Even ordinary people who haven’t begun cultivation can use it to replenish their vital energy.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother…” Lan Linge responded timidly, taking the pill and placing it in her small mouth.

The pill dissolved instantly upon contact with her saliva, like a mouthful of sweet spring water, causing her to involuntarily let out a soft moan as she immediately became more energetic.

‘This little Junior Sister is quite adorable indeed.’

Li Changshou’s large hand reached over from the side, gently patting her head as he said softly: “From now on, you’re part of Small Qiong Peak too. Let me show you around first to familiarize you with the environment. Later, after Master’s medicine effects wear off… ahem, after Master finishes meditation, he should teach you the entry-level heart cultivation method. If you have any questions about cultivation, you can always come ask me.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Lan Linge responded in a mosquito-like voice, hands behind her back.

Li Changshou walked toward the lakeside with his hands behind his back. “Let’s first look at the spirit fish raised in the lake. These are all precious things, and they’re an important part of our Small Qiong Peak’s assets.”

Lan Linge hurriedly followed, walking on the soft grass and standing on tiptoes to peer into the lake.

The lake water was exceptionally clear, with fish swimming freely and carefreely inside.

“Look,” Li Changshou pointed at several spirit fish with colorful scales, “Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Yes!” Lan Linge nodded vigorously, also captivated by these spirited fish, continuously letting out soft sounds of admiration.

Then she heard her Senior Brother’s gentle voice from beside her:

“Once you’ve cultivated your first breath of qi, we’ll have a spirit fish feast. These colorful-scaled spirit fish are called Li Tun. Not only are they delicious – whether pan-fried, steamed, grilled, or deep-fried, they’re all first-rate delicacies – more precious still, they can improve the quality of a qi cultivator’s first breath of spiritual energy.”

Two black lines immediately appeared on Lan Linge’s forehead. “We… we have to eat them?”

“What else would we raise them for?”

Li Changshou raised his left hand, waving his sleeve to scatter a handful of rice grains while calling out: “Dinner time!”

Spiritfish swam over from all directions, immediately making the lakeside lively, and causing Lan Linge’s eyes to sparkle.

“Here,” that big hand reached over again, this time holding a small cloth package, “This contains fish food. If you like, from now on the mission of feeding the fish daily will be yours.”

“Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother!”

Lan Linge happily responded, taking the package and pouring out some crushed rice, scattering it over the lake’s surface. She was being so careful as if the fish food might damage the beautiful scales of the spirit fish.

Li Changshou smiled calmly beside her.

Ah, one less daily task, which means more time for cultivation…

From this perspective, having a Junior Sister is quite nice.

Lan Linge raised her small hand, scattering handfuls of fish food, while the spirit fish in the water swam back and forth in schools, playing merrily.

Li Changshou waited for a while beside her, then flicked his finger, causing two small water columns to burst from the lake’s surface. Two Li Tun fish were pushed out of the water, which he caught in mid-air, wrapping them in water spheres before storing them in his sleeve.

Lan Linge beside him stared in amazement and asked softly, “Senior Brother, why did you put the fish in your sleeve?”

“For gifts,” Li Changshou said calmly. “Though we’re a cultivation sect at Du Xian Men, social etiquette is similar to the mortal world. We’ll need to register you later, and we can’t go empty-handed.”

Lan Linge blinked, and though she didn’t quite understand, she still obediently said, “Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Senior Brother.”

“It’s nothing, come this way when you’re done playing.”

Li Changshou floated with his hands behind his back toward the nearby herb garden, and Lan Linge, after waving goodbye to the schooling fish by the lake, quickly followed.

In the herb garden, Li Changshou briefly introduced the varieties and effects of the hundreds of spirit herbs growing there. Lan Linge tried hard to memorize everything beside him, unaware that her Senior Brother had already designated her as the new gardener. As she listened to her Senior Brother’s warm voice, she couldn’t help but think of her mother, who always spoke so gently…

Small Qiong Peak had nice scenery, but there wasn’t much else that needed introduction.

After walking two rounds around the thatched cottage with his new Junior Sister, Li Changshou showed her the area designated for building her new thatched cottage. Then he summoned a white cloud and carried Lan Linge flying between the mountains.

Lan Linge couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother, can you also ride celestial cranes to fly?”

“Yes, anything that can be controlled will work,” Li Changshou gently tapped the white cloud beneath them, which suddenly let out a soft cry and transformed into a huge celestial crane with spread wings, carrying the two of them forward slowly.

Lan Linge’s large eyes immediately sparkled as she grabbed her Senior Brother’s robe with her small hand, looking down in admiration.

“These are just simple illusions. More importantly, there are several things you need to remember when flying within the sect in the future.”

“What things, Senior Brother?”

Li Changshou cleared his throat, organized his prepared teaching thoughts, and decided to start with the small details, guiding his Junior Sister from the basics.

So he said earnestly: “First is the flying height within the sect – it can’t be too high or too low. Senior cultivators often pass by at higher altitudes, and directly encountering them could be seen as disrespectful. Remember, when these senior cultivators notice you, there’s a fifty percent chance of leaving a good impression and a fifty percent chance of leaving a bad one. A good impression doesn’t necessarily bring benefits, but a bad impression will leave hidden troubles. So it’s best not to be noticed by them at all – if you encounter them, just pay your respects and focus on your duties.”

“Oh, Linge will remember!”

“Also, you can’t fly too low, because you might pass over areas with buildings on some peaks. Though the sect appears harmonious on the surface, there’s competition underneath, and many people care about pointless rankings. If you fly too low, you’re likely to be targeted by them. So, after a hundred years of experience, your Senior Brother has concluded that the appropriate flying height within the sect is thirty to fifty zhang from our residence. At this height, we rarely encounter fellow disciples, let alone senior cultivators…”

Lan Linge listened to her Senior Brother’s lengthy discourse, trying hard to remember everything in her heart while unable to resist looking up at his defined facial features.

Senior Brother was indeed handsome and considered things very thoroughly…

Accompanied by her Senior Brother’s continuous reminders, Lan Linge was brought to Du Xian Men’s main peak.

This mountain peak was located at the center of Du Xian Men’s mountain range, being the most towering and majestic peak, like a heaven-piercing sword thrust into the clouds.

Hence, it was called Breaking Heaven Peak.

At the peak of Breaking Heaven Peak stood a celestial palace, where the Sect Master, Elders, and Peak Masters held their meetings. It was normally a no-fly zone, and disciples couldn’t approach without special permission. Halfway up Breaking Heaven Peak, there was a collection of buildings and halls built according to the mountain’s terrain, where many figures could be seen moving about daily.

Through her Senior Brother’s introduction, Linge learned that this was Du Xian Men’s “administrative office” for handling internal affairs. Disciples from various peaks came here to receive their monthly allowances and regularly report their cultivation progress.

Walking on the bluestone path, Lan Linge was surprised to discover that she and her Senior Brother seemed invisible – among the various fellow disciples present, not a single gaze fell upon them. Even when someone’s line of sight occasionally turned their way, it would smoothly pass over…

Li Changshou’s voice sounded in Linge’s ears, still patiently teaching: “Linge, remember, not being noticed and reducing your presence is the best way to avoid karmic entanglements. I’ve improved a technique for concealing one’s spiritual presence – I’ll teach it to you once you begin your cultivation.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

“No need, this is what a Senior Brother should do,” Li Changshou responded with a smile, leading Lan Linge along the path to a hall with the plaque “Hundred Mortals Hall.”

Inside the hall, Lan Linge watched as her Senior Brother took out the two-spirit fish and chatted warmly about daily matters with a middle-aged Daoist in charge of sect registration. She couldn’t help but blink.

Her Senior Brother…

He was so mature.