Three years later.
"...The mountain demon, with its ferocious face and sharp fangs, opened its bloodthirsty maw, ready to bite down on Xu Da's head. The foul stench from the monster's mouth was so overpowering that Xu Da felt dizzy, paralyzed with fear, unable to move even an inch as he stared death in the face."
"Xu Da thought his life was over and shut his eyes tightly, clenching his teeth in resignation. But just as the creature was about to devour him, a voice rang out from a hundred miles away: 'Vile beast, how dare you!' The voice was clear and resonant, like the sound of jade, filled with righteous energy!"
"At the same time, a gleaming sword, wrapped in dazzling light, flew through the air from a hundred miles away. With a 'swoosh,' it pierced through the demon's skull!"
"Xu Da, who had narrowly escaped death, opened his eyes and saw a figure dressed in a silver-gray Daoist robe, adorned with intricate patterns, descending from the sky and landing gracefully before him..."
In Liaoju Prefecture, a bustling teahouse on the main street was packed with people.
A middle-aged storyteller was surrounded by patrons, eagerly hanging on his every word as he animatedly recounted a new tale he had prepared recently.
At this moment, he paused, taking his time to sip some tea while stroking his well-groomed beard.
The tea drinkers couldn't contain their curiosity and quickly tossed copper coins in front of him, the clinks of metal filling the room. The crowd urged him on:
"What happened next? What happened?"
"Who was the mysterious figure?"
"A silver-gray Daoist robe... Could it be someone from Lingxian Sect?"
The storyteller, satisfied with the sound of clinking coins, finally set down his teacup, snapped open his folding fan, and with a shake of his head, continued:
"Xu Da looked towards the figure and saw a being cloaked in a radiant glow, like an immortal descended from the heavens, making it impossible to see his true face. However, that silver-gray Daoist robe, though unfamiliar to Xu Da, was well-known in stories. Realizing this, Xu Da exclaimed in joy, 'Are you a celestial from Lingxian Sect?'..."
...
This tale was something the storyteller had heard during a recent trip to the surrounding villages, which he then embellished and adapted into his narrative.
Over the past three years, Lingxian Sect had rarely appeared in front of mortals, but whenever there was a major crisis in the mortal world, they would always intervene to help, especially after being notified by the local authorities.
Just last year, during the droughts and locust plagues that ravaged many parts of Hufang Province, it was members of Lingxian Sect who traveled far and wide to resolve the disasters.
As a result, within a short span of three years, the name of Lingxian Sect had spread far and wide across Hufang Province. Even three-year-olds could recognize the name "Lingxian" as a household legend.
Although long-distance travel was rare during these times, word-of-mouth alone had carried Lingxian Sect's fame throughout all of Pusi Kingdom, making it a name known to many.
This was in stark contrast to the previous three major sects.
The names of those sects were only familiar to the upper echelons of Pusi Kingdom's society. Ordinary people had little knowledge of them.
But now, stories of Lingxian Sect helping the common folk had become the main topic of conversation in teahouses across Hufang Province.
As dusk fell, the number of people on Liaoju Prefecture's main street dwindled. Many shopkeepers began hanging lanterns outside their doors.
"Clap!"
"If you want to know what happens next, come back for the next installment!"
With the storyteller's wooden clapper signaling the end of his third tale for the day, he stood, but instead of packing up as usual, he looked at the crowd with a mysterious gleam in his eyes.
"I heard some recent news about Lingxian Sect..."
The patrons, many of whom were about to head home for dinner, immediately sat back down. Some even gathered closer to the storyteller:
"What news? What's the news? Don't keep us hanging like in your stories, just tell us!"
The storyteller frowned slightly at the man who spoke and replied, "Yang Da, who are you calling 'old brother'? I was born just a day after you, and yet you try to act younger than me by not even growing a beard!"
Laughter erupted from the crowd, causing Yang Da's face to flush red. Fortunately, he was used to bantering with the storyteller, and after a brief moment of embarrassment, he waved it off with a grin.
"I'm just trying to flatter you so you'll spill the news quickly!"
With a tug at his long beard, the storyteller relented and spoke, "I've heard that Lingxian Sect is about to start recruiting disciples!"
This news hit the crowd like a bolt of lightning. Gasps echoed through the teahouse, and some patrons even cried out in shock.
"Is this true?!"
"Can this news be trusted?"
Expecting such reactions, the storyteller calmly nodded. "I don't believe it's false. The news came from the people of Xiushui Village. You've all heard of Xiushui Village, haven't you?"
Of course, they had.
With Lingxian Sect's growing fame, the once obscure and poverty-stricken village of Xiushui, located at the foot of the sect's mountain, had also become widely known.
These days, people in Hufang Province saw Xiushui Village as a symbol of fortune and happiness.
After all, while many had heard of Lingxian Sect, few had actually seen or interacted with its members. The villagers of Xiushui, however, lived right under the noses of the immortals. On any given day, they might catch a glimpse of these celestials coming and going.
There were even rumors that children from Xiushui Village were studying under the immortals themselves.
Upon learning that the news came from the people of Xiushui Village, the crowd, though still skeptical, believed most of it. They began chattering among themselves, eager to discuss the implications.
While the patrons debated, a boy of about eight or nine slipped out of the teahouse, eyes sparkling with excitement. He dashed out of the main street, turned into an alley, and zigzagged through a series of narrow paths before arriving at a quiet residential lane.
As he passed one house, he paused briefly when he heard a familiar voice scolding inside:
"That little brat, who knows where he's run off to now! It's almost dinnertime, and he's still nowhere to be seen! Hey, you, go and find that troublemaker and drag him home!"
The boy shivered slightly at the sound, but after a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and slipped further into the alley.
After mimicking a few frog calls outside some of the houses, he finally reached a stack of hay at the end of the alley and crouched down to wait.
Before long, two other boys, about his age, appeared. One of them still had a strand of sweet potato hanging from his mouth.
They ran over and squatted down next to the first boy. One of them asked, "What's up, Brother Rong? We were just eating when you called us out."
The other boy chimed in, "My mom gave me an earful again."
Brother Rong ignored their complaints. After glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby, he whispered, "It looks like Sister Xiao Si couldn't make it."
The boy with the sweet potato strand nodded, "Sister Xiao Si's father came home today. I heard he lost money in his last trade, and he's been furious ever since. No way she could sneak out."
Brother Rong beckoned them closer and lowered his voice, "I've got some big news!"
The three boys huddled together in the corner, whispering excitedly.