Chapter 80

When people are embarrassed, they tend to cling to anything that can change the subject, especially when it comes to significant matters that should be addressed.

Lin Du’s mind never forgets the important details. She asked again, “Senior Sister, you mentioned that Shao Fei is too scheming. Did something happen?”

When this was brought up, Feng Zhao slightly frowned, “Shao Fei’s background is indeed pitiful. Given her upbringing and experiences, without such scheming, she probably wouldn’t have survived to this day.”

“The selfishness and scheming within her are a result of the cruelty and absurdity of the world. It’s just… it’s hard to like her.”

“Pity often comes with its own faults,” Lin Du said. She wasn’t surprised. She had only checked recent memories from the past day and hadn’t looked further back. She was rather tired, but she could glean something from Qi Zhun’s account of Shao Fei’s experiences.

Feng Zhao then described the situation of questioning at Jun Ding Mansion.

Shao Fei’s story is quite pitiful. Born with a severed pulse and unable to absorb spiritual energy, she was abandoned by her family. After being picked up by a group of bandits, she was used as a tool to attract and manipulate travelers in the forest, luring them with her appearance and then drugging them to steal their money.

The day Mo Lin encountered her in the forest, Shao Fei had grown into a poised young woman, and the bandits continued to use her to set up traps. Lin Du’s copy of the book wasn’t wasted; it helped Mo Lin avoid one such trap, which was the only time Shao Fei failed to succeed. Consequently, she was beaten and humiliated by the enraged bandits. During her desperate struggle, Qi Zhun saved her.

Not only did Qi Zhun rescue her, but he also provided her with a method to practice by absorbing spiritual energy through a false method involving insects. When they passed by the Fei Xing Sect recruiting outer disciples, Shao Fei successfully became an outer disciple.

They came to this place because they took on a sect mission to search for a rare medicinal herb found in the northern lands. It is rare in Yunnan but a specialty of the northern region, with more harvests in winter.

Shao Fei’s life has been filled with deception, violence, and hypocrisy from the start. She has encountered various passersby and learned to play the role of a pitiful, weak woman, to survive by being servile and seizing every opportunity to escape.

During her years in the forest, she truly hoped to find someone who could save her from her plight, but she missed Mo Lin and ended up meeting Qi Zhun, falling into another predicament.

Lin Du felt the weight of the narrative. In the original story, Mo Lin saved Shao Fei, took her back to the sect to heal, and she later found a method to practice using the insects in an ancient text she discovered. Now, Shao Fei directly encountered a Gu Master.

It seems people are bound by fate.

Lin Du tilted her head listening to Feng Zhao and suddenly heard a deeply reflective remark.

“Her environment of survival is such that her scheming cannot be entirely blamed on her. So, I’ve arranged for her to be taught reading and writing, and prepared over twenty books on basic education and morality. I believe once she finishes and memorizes them, she will gain something from it.”

Lin Du thought, “As expected of a major sect. They’re already starting to provide basic education.”

Feng Zhao paused, “But, junior sister, you didn’t have any education when you were young, yet you didn’t turn out badly, did you?”

“I remember, although you initially struggled with strokes and had poor handwriting, you could still recognize some characters and quickly grasped the basics. Not to mention, you were naturally adept at the Taoist way, understanding human relations well, with kindness, loyalty, and respect. You were almost self-guided.”

Lin Du felt a bit embarrassed by the praise. It was all thanks to nine years of compulsory education and hard work in college.

“Reading more and seeing more people naturally helps one understand.”

“Indeed. Previously, I assigned you ten large characters each day. Let me see them. How is your calligraphy practice coming along?”

Lin Du sat up straight, seeing Feng Zhao was about to continue the lecture. She quickly replied with sincere eyes, “My hands are cold in winter, but in spring, I will definitely do twenty characters daily.”

“You’re a top-grade ice spirit root, what’s there to be afraid of the cold!” Feng Zhao raised her eyebrows. “Even in the icy lake of Luo Ze or practicing on the millennium ice bed, you never complained about the cold!”

She seemed to have found another educational oversight and scrutinized her junior sister. “From tomorrow, bring your practice to show me at mealtime. If you can’t control the brush properly now, how will you manage when drawing talismans?”

“I have to learn talisman drawing?” Lin Du instinctively asked.

“Your master didn’t push you to draw talismans because his characters were also not well-formed. He was busy with formations and swordsmanship. The sect ancestor saw him as having innate talent, so he wasn’t forced. Also, by the time your master was taken in by the sect ancestor, he was close to ascending, and he was raised by senior brothers and sisters who couldn’t cover everything.”

Lin Du was surprised to learn that even the genius master had areas he wasn’t skilled in.

“You mustn’t be like your master, whose talismans looked worse than scribbles.”

“Our Supreme Sect’s disciples, though each has their own unique skills, must all learn the basics of medicine, alchemy, profound texts, body techniques, and talisman drawing. Everyone must have a general understanding, though they can specialize in one area.”

Lin Du had a moment of enlightenment. It’s no wonder the Supreme Sect is the top sect in the Zhongzhou; they cultivate well-rounded, high-quality talent.

This is similar to her college education where, despite studying chemistry, she still had to take political theory, advanced math, and English exams.

Cultivating people to be well-rounded and upright, it’s not surprising that some might assume everyone has received sect discipline education.

Lin Du asked, “Senior Sister, who will teach me talisman drawing?”

Feng Zhao sighed, showing a hint of bitterness. “Who else but me? Your master entrusted this to me. As the eldest sister, I take on this responsibility. This is how the former sect master taught your master.”

Lin Du understood, “Uncle Lin Tuan said it’s a sect tradition.”

Feng Zhao hesitated, swallowing her words about the master’s lack of teaching skills, and continued with the topic that wasn’t finished.

“That Shao Fei, during the interrogation, claimed she could suppress the Gu poison using secret techniques from the Gu Sect and redeem herself by taking us to the Black Gu Village where Qi Zhun once joined to seek the antidote. We felt it was suspicious and didn’t believe her easily.”

“This woman is determined, able to scheme in dire straits, and use her limited power to secure a way out. She is indeed talented, but it would be better if she could walk the right path.”

Lin Du nodded at Feng Zhao’s evaluation but also shook her head, “It’s probably difficult.”

“Thus, education is necessary. If it doesn’t work, then confinement and proper reformation are required.”

“Speaking of which, Mo Lin’s reaction was… when he heard she claimed she could suppress the Gu poison, he immediately jumped up, loudly declaring his disbelief, and then told his master she was after his golden core, showing a bit of a ‘once bitten, twice shy’ attitude.”

Lin Du chose her words carefully, “Nephew Mo Lin should be more cautious. Perhaps, Senior Sister, you could add another mandatory reading book for the children of our Supreme Sect?”

Feng Chao leaned forward slightly and asked, “What books?”

“‘The Art of War’ and ‘The Book of Changes’,” Lin Du replied sincerely, and Feng Chao seemed to be deep in thought.

As she spoke, a system notification popped up:

[Current Mo Lin mission progress: 60%. Reward: Ascending Yuan Heart Pill ×1, which can be used for emergency repair of a heart under excessive strain. Please treasure this item and do not use it lightly.]

Lin Du pondered, is this a life-saving item for emergencies?

——————————

Because characters don’t appear according to their generational age, following the serialized story might be a bit confusing. Here is the order of appearance for the disciples of the Supreme Sect that have already appeared:

98th Generation Disciples: Lin Tuan (Master who sacrificed for the Heavenly Dao script) – Senior Sister, former Sect Leader; Yan Ye (the youngest, Lin Du’s master)

99th Generation Disciples: Senior Sister Feng Chao (Sect Leader), Second Elder Cang Li (Master of Yan Qing and Yuan Ye), Third Elder Ju Yuan (Master of Mo Lin and Jin Xuan), Fourth Elder Hou Cang (Lin Tuan’s ill-fated disciple), Fifth Elder Jiang Liang (Master of Tian Wu, entered the sect at the same time as Yan Ye), Sixth Elder He Gui, and a few others traveling outside. Lin Du is the youngest among the 99th generation.

100th Generation: Senior Brother Mo Lin (with a fateful connection to Shao Fei), Second Sister Xia Tian Wu (with a fateful connection to Wu Xi), Yan Qing, Yuan Ye, and Ni Jin Xuan (with a fateful connection to the Demon Lord) are new entrants. There are also disciples from earlier generations who haven’t appeared yet and are either traveling or in seclusion.