Chapter 41

A rare genius in a thousand years?

The disciples practicing in the martial arts field cast their eyes over and whispered, "Could he be the Xiao Guiji from the Xiao family in Liyang City?"

"A ten-year-old discovered to have a superb spiritual root, a twelve-year-old super genius who opened all twelve meridians?"

"But his brilliance faded five years ago when his spiritual roots and cultivation regressed, reducing him to an ordinary person. Even his fiancée came to break off their engagement."

"The Xiao family expelled him, and there has been no news of him since. I didn't expect him to be reduced to a beggar."

All the disciples shook their heads in sympathy.

At that time, Xiao Guiji was a hero in Qingyang County, even outshining Li Qingyang.

But now?

The once-super genius had become a waste, reduced to this pitiful state. It was truly saddening.

As Xiao Guiji walked step by step towards the door, he heard the crowd's whispers and felt even more dejected. "I'm just a waste now; how can I regain what I lost?"

Li Qingyang wanted to say more.

"Qingyang," Jun Changxiao interrupted, leaning against the doorway where Lu Yan had stood earlier, "He doesn't even believe in himself. Keeping him in the Iron Bone Sect would be useless, no need to comfort him anymore."

Li Qingyang fell silent.

Xiao Guiji continued to walk forward, his back hunched with depression.

He stopped at the stone steps, turned around, and said, "Headmaster Jun, thank you for saving me. I will always remember this great kindness."

Jun Changxiao smiled faintly, "If I had known that the person I saved would lose confidence in himself, I would never have rescued him. I might have even given him a quick death."

Li Qingyang: "..."

Lu Yan flicked the loose strands of hair off her shoulder and said, "That's quite harsh, Headmaster."

Xiao Guiji said bitterly, "Yes, maybe I shouldn't be alive."

Jun Changxiao pointed outside and said lightly, "Go left to the cliff. If you want to die, you can jump off. Maybe you'll have an adventure and reach the pinnacle of life."

"..."

The disciples around them twitched in surprise.

Since when did the headmaster become as harsh as his sister?

Xiao Guiji smiled bitterly, "When I fell from genius to waste, I knew there would be no more adventures or opportunities for me."

"Adventures are for those who are prepared," Jun Changxiao said. "A self-pitying person like you wouldn't benefit even if a pie fell from the sky."

Jun Changxiao continued lightly, "Before you leave, let me tell you this: there are no inherently powerful people in this world, only those who become powerful. Genius or waste, without a strong heart, you are truly just a waste."

Not born strong, but becoming strong?

Xiao Guiji's body shook slightly, and his depressed eyes started to shine.

Jun Changxiao, arms crossed, said, "If you've forgotten the original intention of joining the Iron Bone Sect, then leave."

Xiao Guiji stood still, not leaving.

In the previous Baizong Recruitment, he had seen Jun Changxiao instructing martial arts. It had inspired his depressed spirit.

After some struggle, he had decided to join the Iron Bone Sect, hoping to rebuild his martial arts under Jun Changxiao's guidance.

For this reason, he had gone to Huyang City and stolen the Ai family's elixir.

What elixir?

A brief boost elixir.

Xiao Guiji knew that there were conditions to join the Iron Bone Sect, and with his low-grade qualifications, he would be rejected.

He had stolen the elixir but failed. Fleeing in panic, he was caught and beaten by the Ai family.

Why go through all this?

To become stronger!

Jun Changxiao asked, "Can you endure being jilted by your fiancée?"

Xiao Guiji clenched his fists, biting his lip.

Jun Changxiao continued, "Don't you want to become strong again, to show that short-sighted woman and the world? Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west; don't look down on the young and poor."

"Don't look down on the young and poor..." Xiao Guiji's eyes lit up. It was as if a sharp blade had pierced his heart, shattering his frustration. His clenched fists gradually relaxed, and scarlet blood dripped down his fingers onto the stone.

"Stop right there," Jun Changxiao ordered. "Get out if you must, but get out with determination."

"Thud!"

Xiao Guiji suddenly turned around, falling to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. He cried out, "Headmaster Jun, I want to join the Iron Bone Sect. I want to become stronger and regain everything I lost!"

In that moment, all the pain he had endured and his desire to become stronger were released in his cry.

Li Qingyang, Lu Yan, and all the disciples present watched Xiao Guiji without a trace of mockery for his tears.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations to the host for completing the side mission and gaining 5 contribution points."

"Ding!"

"Martial contribution: 34/100."

"Phew!"

Jun Changxiao breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, this guy has regained his confidence."

It turned out that when Xiao Guiji stepped out of the Medicine Pavilion, the system had issued a side mission: to help the fallen genius regain his martial spirit.

"Qingyang," Jun Changxiao called, "Complete the formalities for him and make sure he cleans up the blood in the outer courtyard."

"Yes, headmaster!" Li Qingyang hurried over.

He was deeply impressed by the headmaster's words.

Jun Changxiao addressed the disciples in the martial arts field, "Remember this: there are no natural geniuses in this world. No one is inherently strong, but one can become stronger through effort."

"Yes!" the disciples shouted in unison.

The headmaster's words about the thirty years east and west, and not looking down on the young and poor, had ignited their spirits.

...

In the hall, Jun Changxiao drank tea and relaxed in his chair. "To restore a deeply depressed person's martial spirit, I must commend my eloquence."

The system interjected: "The martial arts disciples generally have low qualifications, and now receiving another waste will only drag down the development of the sect."

Jun Changxiao, chin resting on his hand, chuckled. "Don't you realize it's fulfilling to train them to become strong?"

The system fell silent.

Jun Changxiao had reestablished Xiao Guiji's martial confidence because of the side mission.

As for accepting him into the sect, it was out of sympathy. After all, a former genius reduced to waste, jilted, and expelled from his family deserved another chance.

"Headmaster," Li Qingyang arrived and handed over the entry form. "Brother Xiao's entry form is complete."

Jun Changxiao casually glanced at it and stamped it with the sect's seal.

"Ding!"

"Sect members: 100/100."

"Is there no contribution reward?"

"Members previously reached the upper limit. Due to death and expulsion, no second contribution reward will be given."

"Okay," Jun Changxiao nodded with a smile.

"Ding!"

"The system detects that the members are full and the disciples are all in the sect, meeting the requirements. The martial mission is now available."

Jun Changxiao almost spat out his tea upon hearing the prompt.

No wonder martial missions had been temporarily unavailable. It was because the sect wasn't full!

"Brush!"

He hurriedly opened the data panel of the strongest martial arts system. It displayed the martial missions available—click for details.

Jun Changxiao clicked for details, and a small data panel appeared with numerous tasks listed.

The content included:

- Help Wang Dazhen of Qingyang Village clean the courtyard [Recommended index: ★]

- Help the granddaughter of Qingyang Village pick manure and water the vegetables [Recommended index: ★]

- Help the villagers of Qingyang Village write letters [Recommended Index: ★]

- Help Qingyang Village find the missing Xiao Huang [Recommendation Index: ★★]

- Help the villagers of Qingyang Village eradicate the dire wolf troubling them [Recommendation Index: ★★★]

And many more tasks, about forty or fifty. Jun Changxiao read only the first few lines before collapsing in his seat, muttering, "What kind of useless martial missions are these!"