Chapter 11: Farewell to Chu Qin Mountain

There were still many things to attend to, including preparing for the move to the Southern Borders and requesting the return of some personal belongings from the three sects. Everyone was busy, needing a moment to rest.

Qi Xiu planned to take the ancestral tablets of the past sect leaders with him. Surprisingly, Elder Qin personally delivered them.

"Properly enshrine them," he said before turning and leaving.

Another night fell, and Qi Xiu felt physically drained with everything mostly arranged. The attack from An Qi had left surface-level injuries, which, while not serious, were extremely uncomfortable.

Burning incense, Qi Xiu carved his master's wooden tablet with the light of an oil lamp.

Watching the flickering flame, with the room filled with sandalwood fragrance, Qi Xiu held the newly carved tablet in his hands, lost in thought. Memories of his fifteen years in his small room flooded his mind. The door-keeper monkey, the few scrolls, and the sense of being a pawn in the sect's grand scheme—he had never questioned his existence or role.

"Was following Master's instructions a mistake? Is the sect's current state merely due to the elders' collusion with outsiders? Are the disciples innately selfish and opportunistic?" Qi Xiu pondered deeply about the future of the sect as its leader. His perspective and thoughts had transformed dramatically.

"Senior Brother Qi—oh no, Sect Leader, I've finished packing." A slightly immature voice came from behind him. Qi Xiu didn't turn around, calmly replying, "Got it. We're leaving for the Southern Borders tomorrow. Rest well tonight."

"Yes, Sect Leader," the youthful voice responded respectfully, then quietly left.

The newfound respect and obedience and being addressed as "Sect Leader" warmed Qi Xiu's heart. "So this is what it feels like to be a sect leader!" he thought, despite reminding himself not to get lost in the allure of power. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed the feeling.

"Sect Leader, Sister Qin is here again," Zhan Yuan reported from outside. Qi Xiu felt a headache coming on but had no choice but to go out and meet her.

Sister Qin came without her usual entourage of female disciples or the child who could make Foundation Establishment cultivators uncomfortable with his crying. Instead, she brought a ten-year-old boy. She looked like she had been crying, had red eyes, and didn't mention anything about the sect leader position. She entrusted the boy to Qi Xiu, asking him to take him to the Southern Borders, and left after a few instructions, leaving Qi Xiu feeling slightly disoriented.

The boy was named Qin Weiyu. He was twelve, yet to start growing taller, and from a distant branch of the Qin family. Initially, he had been an outer disciple at the second level of Qi Refinement with three spiritual roots. Qin Elder forced him to join the three sects, but Sister Qin exchanged her and a few other female disciples' loyalty for his release.

"Is she trying to preserve a glimmer of hope for the Qin family? Why did she choose him?" Qi Xiu pondered as he instructed Zhan Yuan to care for the boy. The boy's roots were mixed, and he seemed dull, not showing much potential.

"I'll treat him equally," Qi Xiu thought. "As for my future... it's too early to think about that."

Just as Qi Xiu lay down, another Qin family member arrived, entering directly without Zhan Yuan outside noticing.

"It's you!"

Qi Xiu was startled to see Qin Siyuan. He had changed out of the Chu Qin Sect's red robe into a lake-blue long robe, his tall and slender figure with his delicate features exuding an ethereal charm.

Qin Siyuan, spoiled by their master, acted impulsively and didn't consider the consequences.

"Boom!"

A large pile of cultivation materials spilled from Qin Siyuan's storage bag, forming a small mountain on the floor.

"These were left to me by Master. I've taken the valuable ones as my dowry for entering the An family. The rest, which isn't worth much, I have decided to give it to you. Consider it repayment for the things you've sent me. As for this..."

Qin Siyuan moved some materials with his foot, revealing a red jade array disk. "This is a central control disk from our mountain's protective array. Without this, the protective array on Chu Qin Mountain can only function at half its strength. Since Elder Qin dared to shut down the array, I dared to dismantle it. Let's see who can be more ruthless!"

"This disk—when you reach the Southern Borders, use it to extort a large sum from the three sects. If they refuse to buy it, destroy it. Either way, you'll disgust them. If they come after you, blame it on me. With the An family backing me, I'm not afraid of them. Hehe..."

He laughed casually, then rambled a few more disjointed sentences before disappearing as quietly as he had arrived.

Qi Xiu looked at the pile of materials, speechless. This nominal fourth-generation sect leader seemed mature in some ways and utterly immature in others.

"No matter."

Qi Xiu put the red jade array disk into his storage bag and then quietly called Zhang Shishi and Zhan Yuan in. The three of them sorted through the materials all night, picking the most valuable items to stuff into Qi Xiu's bag and sealing the rest in wooden boxes.

Most of the items were low-grade pills and talismans, with no valuable artifacts, as Qin Siyuan had taken those. However, these were essential for the sect, such as the Clear Heart Talisman for curing cultivation deviations and the Rejuvenation Pill for elemental damage.

Zhang Shishi and Zhan Yuan were happy to see the sect's resources replenished. Qi Xiu didn't hide his storage bag from them, but he kept the existence of the Foundation Establishment Pill secret. None of the ten people attending the Southern Borders, including himself, had much hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment. Qi Xiu hadn't decided what to do with the pill.

Another sleepless night passed. As the first rays of sunlight hit the glazed tiles of the main hall, a massive snake-headed, bird-bodied spirit beast landed in the square.

"The Chu family is here! It's time to leave..."

Qi Xiu and his nine followers climbed the ladder onto the second-level flying beast, the Wind Lizard Crane.

Chu Youyan waited for everyone to board, then whistled. The Wind Lizard Crane flapped its wings and soared into the sky.

As the new plaque on the main hall grew smaller, Qi Xiu thought, "Flowing Flower Sect... What a strange new name the three sects have chosen..."

With these thoughts, he bid farewell to Chu Qin Mountain, where he had spent over twenty years.