Song Xiaohe sneaked into her master's study, catching a whiff of a sweet fragrance.
It was the familiar scent of the incense her master often used, reminiscent of simmering syrup.
The lingering aroma suggested that her master had just left, prompting Song Xiaohe to quicken her pace.
Earlier that morning, while fetching water, she had overheard some disciples mentioning that the Immortal Alliance had distributed spirit fruits to all the masters. Some masters would reward their favorite disciples with these fruits.
Song Xiaohe slapped her thigh in excitement.
What a coincidence! Wasn’t she her master’s most cherished disciple?
Moreover, she was the only disciple her master had, so naturally, the spirit fruit would be hers. There was nothing wrong with taking a peek at what was rightfully hers.
With this reasoning, Song Xiaohe felt entirely justified as she rummaged through the study, scanning the shelves filled with scrolls. Sure enough, she found a box containing the spirit fruits. They were a vibrant red, each the size of her fist, looking irresistibly delicious.
Grabbing one in each hand, she wiped them on her robe and took a big, eager bite.
The fruit wasn’t soft but rather crisp, bursting with sweet juice that was almost tooth-achingly sweet.
Song Xiaohe sat down by the shelf, nibbling on one fruit and then the other, feeling utterly content.
The spirit fruits were delicious but tough to bite into. As she gnawed away with her sharp teeth, her elbow accidentally knocked something over, causing it to fall to the ground.
It was a scroll, which unfurled as it landed, revealing a portrait of a young, handsome man. He had sharp brows, starry eyes, and long hair tied with a jade crown. His snow-white robes seemed to flutter in the wind, giving him an otherworldly aura.
While chewing on the fruit, Song Xiaohe admired the painting.
She knew who it depicted—her master, Liang Tan.
But that was Liang Tan in his youth. Now in his sixties, he had a bushy beard and eyebrows, resembling a grumpy old man who was always scolding and cursing.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard the old man’s voice outside.
“Song Xiaohe!”
Startled, Song Xiaohe realized her master had come looking for her. She quickly stuffed the fruit into her mouth, rolled up the scroll, and placed it back in its spot. Before leaving, she grabbed two more spirit fruits and climbed out the window.
However, as soon as she landed outside, she found herself face-to-face with her master, who was glaring at her, clearly aware of her antics.
With her mouth still full of fruit, Song Xiaohe hurriedly hid her hands behind her back and mumbled, “Shifu—”
Red juice dribbled from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto her chin, though she remained oblivious.
“Show me your hands,” Liang Tan demanded, glaring at her.
Song Xiaohe shifted both fruits to her left hand behind her back and then extended her right hand.
“The other hand too!”
Seeing no way out, Song Xiaohe resorted to her usual tricks, pretending to be in pain and wailing pitifully, “I was just so hungry…”
Liang Tan was so furious that he nearly exploded. He jumped up and smacked her head twice.
Song Xiaohe sat on the ground, clutching her head and wailing, “Shifu! How could you hit me so hard? I’m your only disciple!”
“You still remember I’m your master! What kind of disciple sneaks into their master’s room to steal food?” Liang Tan’s face turned red, his beard bristling with anger.
He looked as if he might keel over from rage at any moment.
Song Xiaohe, still munching on the spirit fruit with one hand while rubbing her head with the other, said, “I was thinking of you, Shifu! These fruits are so hard to bite. Your old teeth wouldn’t be able to handle them!”
“Who says I can’t bite them?!”
“The people from the front mountain said so,” Song Xiaohe replied. “They said your teeth are bad and you can only eat soft food.”
“You!” Liang Tan was so enraged that he nearly levitated. He took off his shoe and chased after Song Xiaohe, shouting, “You rebellious disciple! I’ll teach you a lesson today!”
Song Xiaohe bolted, running circles around the courtyard. Liang Tan, being in his sixties, couldn’t keep up with the nimble sixteen-year-old.
After a few laps, she had finished the stolen fruits and called out, “Shifu, take a break! Don’t tire yourself out!”
Liang Tan, indeed exhausted, took this as an opportunity to stop. Leaning against the wall, he struggled to catch his breath while putting his shoe back on. Pointing at Song Xiaohe, he said, “I have business at the front mountain. I’ll deal with you when I return.”
Seeing an opportunity, Song Xiaohe quickly flattered him, “Shifu, you’re always busy saving the world from calamities. You’re too magnanimous to bother with such trivial matters. Having a master like you is the greatest fortune of my life!”
Liang Tan shot her a suspicious look. “What are you scheming now?”
“Shifu, can you take me to the front mountain too?” Song Xiaohe grinned. “I’d like to broaden my horizons.”
“You just want to sneak a peek at that Shen Xishan, don’t you?” Liang Tan saw right through her.
Song Xiaohe chuckled sheepishly, not denying it. “It’s been a month since I last saw Junior Brother Shen.”
Liang Tan was furious again, but he was too tired to chase her around anymore. He picked up the fallen items and scolded, “How did I end up with such a foolish disciple? Your brain is only occupied with food and that Shen boy. Whenever I ask you to train, you complain about sore muscles and barely pass the monthly assessments. You’re as dumb as a pig reincarnated!”
Song Xiaohe remained unfazed, her expression as unbothered as a pig being boiled alive.
Canghai Peak’s back mountain was home only to Song Xiaohe and Liang Tan. It was quieter than the other peaks, with no one else visiting.
Liang Tan spent most of his time at Canghai Peak, occasionally visiting Qianhui Peak, where the Immortal Alliance headquarters were located, to spend time with his wife. During those times, Song Xiaohe had free rein over the back mountain, which contributed to her unruly nature.
In truth, Song Xiaohe was quite diligent in her training. She desperately wanted to join the Immortal Alliance so she could see Shen Xishan every day.
However, the Immortal Alliance’s exams were too difficult for her. Despite three years of effort, she still hadn’t passed the basic entry test.
Undeterred, Song Xiaohe loudly defended herself whenever her master called her stupid: “It’s because Shifu doesn’t teach well!”
In the 99,700th year of the New Celestial Calendar.
It had been over 7,000 years since a mortal had ascended to immortality. The mortal realm was entirely governed by the celestial realm, which had established the Immortal Alliance to protect mortals and oversee the various sects.
The Immortal Alliance consisted of three main divisions: the Hunt Division, the Judgment Division, and the Supervision Division.
The Hunt Division gathered all the combat forces of the Immortal Alliance, tasked with capturing demons, ghosts, and criminals who violated the Alliance’s rules. They maintained strict order and were feared by all sects in the mortal realm.
Song Xiaohe wanted to join the Hunt Division because Shen Xishan was part of it.
Shen Xishan hailed from the prestigious Shen family of Jiangnan, a renowned clan in the cultivation world.
Blessed with exceptional talent, he had been a prodigy since childhood. Five years ago, he made a name for himself by slaying a demon with a single sword strike, earning him a special admission into the Immortal Alliance. Now, he was a top-tier hunter in the Hunt Division, commanding great respect.
Song Xiaohe could only hope to catch a glimpse of him during sword training classes at the front mountain, though Shen Xishan rarely attended.
Liang Tan agreed to take her to the front mountain, so Song Xiaohe quickly changed her clothes.
Her robes were hand-sewn by her master’s wife. While not as luxurious as those worn by noble ladies, they were still finely made, with unique designs that stood out from common market attire.
Song Xiaohe donned a black outer robe embroidered with lotus patterns, its collar outlined in silver thread. Her hair was styled into two small buns, with four thin braids hanging over her shoulders, each tipped with tiny copper coins.
As she walked, the coins jingled softly, adding a playful charm to her movements.
Both master and disciple knew that a trip to the front mountain required some effort in appearance.
Liang Tan had also transformed into a youthful appearance, taking on the look of someone in their twenties, identical to the figure Song Xiaohe had just seen in the painting. In fact, the real person was even more handsome.
He summoned a flying boat and took Song Xiaohe to the front mountains.
She sat on the small flying boat, tidying up the stray hairs on her forehead in front of a mirror. As she looked at her face, she felt something was missing. She then crawled over to her master and asked in a low voice, "Master, do you have any lip rouge?"
Liang Tan glared at her in annoyance. "Do I look like someone who carries that kind of thing?"
Song Xiaohe, undeterred, said, "Master truly doesn’t need it. Your face turns red so easily, you don’t need rouge."
"That’s all because of you, my foolish disciple," Liang Tan retorted, knocking her on the head. Song Xiaohe yelped in pain, clutching her head as she retreated to the back of the boat, finally quieting down.
The master and disciple flew from Canghai Peak to Shuangyang Peak in their small flying boat.
These peaks were collectively referred to as the "front mountains" by the master and disciple. They were the primary locations where the Immortal Alliance taught its inner disciples. Seven peaks were connected by the Ling Stone Steps, with Shuangyang Peak being the entrance peak to the inner sect, located at the outermost layer and closest to the outer sect.
At that moment, a crowd had gathered around the pillar gate of the inner sect.
The Immortal Alliance had a strict hierarchy, and every level and rank had its own distinctive sect robes. The lowest rank, the Ding-level, consisted mostly of newly admitted inner disciples, who all wore plain white training robes.
Now, the area around the pillar gate was a sea of white, looking like a field of flourishing cotton.
There was also a group of people wearing bamboo-green sect robes standing outside the pillar gate.
The Immortal Alliance did not have robes of this color, and with just one glance, Song Xiaohe could tell that these people were outsiders, likely here to cause trouble for the Immortal Alliance.
It was then that Song Xiaohe understood what her master had meant by "having serious business at the front mountains"—it was just an excuse to come and watch the commotion.
The leader of the group in bamboo-green robes was a burly man who appeared to be in his thirties or forties. Beside him stood several young men and women, all holding swords and looking fierce, clearly not people to be trifled with.
"Has everyone in the Immortal Alliance died? Why hasn’t anyone come out yet?" the burly man shouted in a deep, booming voice.
"Fengyang Spirit Lord, our masters are all in an Immortal Alliance council meeting at the moment. I’m afraid they won’t be able to come out to greet you," one of the Immortal Alliance disciples reluctantly stepped forward to respond, as if being forced into the role.
However, the white-robed disciples were all newly admitted and couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the burly man. Without a strong figure to lead them, a few harsh words from him were enough to make their legs tremble.
"I think they’re just too scared to come out! My sect’s disciple was drained of spiritual energy and died right outside the Immortal Alliance. You think you can just brush this off? If you don’t come out with an explanation today, I’ll smash your gates!" Fengyang Spirit Lord roared at the disciple, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
Song Xiaohe’s heart raced as she tugged on Liang Tan’s sleeve. "Master, these people look like they’re about to kill someone. Shouldn’t we leave? Let’s not get involved in this mess."
Liang Tan, exasperated, slapped the side of the flying boat and scolded, "Why are you so cowardly? There are so many people in front of us. Even if they start fighting, they won’t reach us."
"But..." Song Xiaohe tried to persuade him further when suddenly the flying boat shook violently, losing control and hurtling toward the ground. She instinctively screamed, "Ah—!"
Her scream immediately caused a stir. Everyone turned to look, watching in panic as the flying boat plummeted to the ground.
With a loud crash, the boat hit the ground, and Song Xiaohe was thrown out, landing in an ungraceful position. She turned to see her master had been flung out as well, landing right at the feet of Fengyang Spirit Lord, startling him.
The embarrassed master and disciple quickly got up and vented their frustration by kicking and punching the flying boat.
At that moment, all the senior masters were in the Immortal Alliance council meeting, and with the Flying Phoenix Sect causing trouble, there was no elder to step forward and handle the situation. Liang Tan’s sudden appearance became a lifeline, and he was quickly recognized.
"This is Respected Master Liang!" someone shouted.
Soon, many disciples, whether they knew him or not, began calling out "Respected Master Liang." Under the chorus of hopeful cries, Liang Tan reluctantly stepped forward to face Fengyang Spirit Lord.
"Hiding and skulking around, this is what passes for a master in the Immortal Alliance? All show and no substance," the burly man sneered, casting a disdainful glance at Liang Tan. He clearly didn’t take him seriously and arrogantly declared, "It seems the Immortal Alliance is on the verge of collapse."
Liang Tan coughed awkwardly and said, "I’ve just learned about the situation. Regarding the incident of the sect disciple being drained of spiritual energy, there have been similar cases in the past six months. The Immortal Alliance has been investigating diligently. Please trust that we will find the culprit and bring justice to the victims."
"What good is justice when the person is already dead?!"
Fengyang Spirit Lord had been itching to take action. Earlier, he hadn’t wanted to bully the younger disciples, but now that a master had appeared—and in such a humiliating manner—he wasn’t about to miss the chance to put the Immortal Alliance in its place.
Liang Tan couldn’t dodge in time and was sent flying with a single palm strike, tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground.
"Master!" Song Xiaohe screamed, rushing over to Liang Tan. She turned him over and saw blood streaming from his mouth, his eyes closed as if he were on the verge of death.
Seeing this, Song Xiaohe burst into tears, wailing and calling out for her master.
Fengyang Spirit Lord was also taken aback, not expecting that a casual strike would nearly kill someone from the Immortal Alliance. He stood there, momentarily stunned.
The Immortal Alliance disciples, seeing this, were furious and began shouting at the man, accusing him of acting without honor and hurting someone unjustly.
Soon, the two sides were embroiled in a heated argument, the noise reaching a fever pitch.
Amidst the chaos, Liang Tan, who had been lying with his eyes closed, quietly opened them a crack and whispered to Song Xiaohe, "Quick, pull me to the side, away from here."
Song Xiaohe wiped her tears and glanced back at the two groups, who were now fully engaged in their shouting match. She then dragged Liang Tan into a nearby thicket.
The grass was tall enough to conceal Liang Tan’s figure. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth, then realized with a pang of anger that two of his teeth had been knocked out. "What kind of mess is this, making a sixty-year-old man take a beating like this!"
"Xiaohe, hurry and find where my teeth fell."
Song Xiaohe had already noticed the gap in his teeth when he spoke and was now on her hands and knees, searching through the grass.
"Oh no, Master, they were right after all. Your teeth are weak—just one strike and two are gone. Now you really can only eat soft food..."
"If you truly cared for your master, you should have charged at that villain and fought to the death, to restore some of my dignity!" Liang Tan said sarcastically.
"What are you talking about? That would be suicide! You only have me as your disciple. If I die, who will take care of your teeth? Master, stop thinking about such nonsense," Song Xiaohe replied. "I don’t have high expectations for you. I just hope your teeth can stay strong!"
Song Xiaohe was the most incompetent disciple in the entire Immortal Alliance, barely passing her monthly assessments.
And Liang Tan was the most incompetent master in the entire Immortal Alliance, not even qualified to attend the council meetings for senior masters.
As Song Xiaohe was searching through the grass for her master’s lost teeth, her eyes nearly going blind from the effort, she suddenly heard a shout approaching from afar.
"Senior Brother Shen from the Hunt Division is here!"
Song Xiaohe’s ears perked up immediately, her bright eyes shining as she craned her neck to look in the direction of the voice.
Senior Brother Shen from the Hunt Division—that could only be Shen Xishan.
