Summer days grow dark late. Baishu and the other disciples moved swiftly. Although the crowd was large, they managed to distribute the lamp oil to everyone before the sky completely darkened.
Afterward, Baishu informed the crowd that they would return the next day at noon to continue distributing lamp oil. He asked them to spread the word in the village to those who hadn't been able to collect theirs today, so they could come tomorrow.
Upon hearing this, the crowd expressed their gratitude once more before dispersing.
On the way back to the new disciples' living quarters, the eleven disciples were filled with excitement. The older ones managed to keep their composure, but the younger ones couldn't contain their joy, skipping along the path with visible elation.
Once they returned to their quarters, a few of the younger disciples rushed into the crowd of their peers, excitedly sharing their experiences:
"I helped people today!"
"It was so much fun! Haha!"
"Today, an auntie told me her child had been crying endlessly, bitten so badly by mosquitoes."
Xie Rong, out of breath, sprinted up to Yin Xiaoxiao, his face beaming with excitement, and said, "Fourth Sister! I saw your parents today! They came with mine in a rented carriage! Haha, my dad praised me, said I'm capable!"
Yin Xiaoxiao glanced at him and handed him the meal she had prepared for him, casually asking, "Oh? What did my parents come here for?"
Hearing this, Xie Rong suddenly remembered something, and he pulled a large bundle from his storage bag, handing it over to her.
"They brought some things for you! It's such a big bundle! Unlike my parents, who only brought me a couple of changes of clothes and a few steamed buns..."
As he spoke, Xie Rong's mind seemed to wander again, and he added with a mischievous grin, "Oh, by the way, did you hear? Hua Xiaoyi, who didn't get selected that day, got a beating from his dad after they heard you and I were chosen!"
Yin Xiaoxiao, holding the bundle, responded half-heartedly with a nod while unwrapping it.
Inside were clothes made of fine, brightly-colored materials she had never worn before, along with a few popular decorative hairpins and two pairs of shoes.
Feeling uninterested, she rewrapped the bundle and placed it into her storage bag.
Seeing her indifferent mood, Xie Rong tried to continue entertaining her with stories about what he had seen in the village today. However, Yin Xiaoxiao wasn't amused. She glanced at him sharply and said, "If you're so free, have you reviewed Elder Yang's lessons from today?"
Of course, Xie Rong hadn't. He had been too busy rushing to snatch up tasks and then spent the rest of the day cutting bamboo to make containers and lamp wicks. The thought of studying his cultivation method had completely slipped his mind.
Now that Yin Xiaoxiao had brought it up, and remembering how far ahead she was in her cultivation progress, he quickly forgot what he had wanted to say, turned around, and hurried off to review his lessons.
Meanwhile, Baishu, though happy, felt a bit melancholic knowing that he and the other disciples wouldn't be going down the mountain tomorrow, as a new group would be taking their place.
Being busy on the mountain had distracted him, but after going down and seeing that elderly man today, Baishu couldn't help but think of the old beggar he once knew.
He wondered how the old beggar was doing. Had the food he sent been stolen?
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, he saw Elder Liu walking toward him.
"Baishu, I won't be going down the mountain tomorrow or the day after. You'll lead the disciples tomorrow. Do you have time for that?"
Baishu was startled but quickly nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, Elder Liu, I have time!"
Liu Yunan nodded and handed him a talisman, "This is a communication talisman. If anything happens, use it to contact me. Also, if you encounter any danger, don't hesitate to retreat to the Heart-Testing Path. Understood?"
After giving a few more instructions, Liu Yunan left. Baishu eagerly accepted the talisman, committing all of Elder Liu's words to heart.
The next day at noon, it was time for Lingxian Sect to distribute more mosquito-repellent lamp oil.
As Baishu stepped out of the Heart-Testing Path, he spotted the familiar hunched figure standing far off at the edge of the crowd, squinting toward him.
The old beggar, upon recognizing Baishu, smiled warmly. He then took a coarse grain bun from the bundle slung over his back, found a stone to sit on, and slowly began eating.
Baishu felt a wave of relief.
After all the villagers had received their lamp oil, Baishu took a portion in a bamboo container and brought it to the old beggar.
By the third day, the crowd had dwindled, and there weren't many people left to collect lamp oil. However, there was still plenty of the oil remaining.
None of it would go to waste, though. Liu Yunan stored the leftover oil in the sect's warehouse, where it would be kept for distribution the following year.
The people of Xiushui Village and the surrounding areas finally breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since they had started burning the mosquito-repellent lamp oil, their homes had been free from the torment of mosquito bites at night.
The only downside was waking up each morning to find the floors littered with mosquito corpses, which sent shivers down their spines. But compared to the nightly suffering they had endured, this was a small inconvenience.
Once again, Lingxian Sect's reputation soared in the region.
While the events of the village unfolded, life on the mountain continued as usual. After the lamp oil distribution, everyone remained busy with their daily tasks. However, the new disciples, inspired by the experience, became even more excited about their cultivation journeys.
During their days in the village, they had received countless expressions of gratitude. Not just for the recent lamp oil, but for the many good deeds the sect had done over the years. Some had even traveled long distances to offer their thanks, not even to receive lamp oil but to express their appreciation for the immortals.
The new disciples now harbored a deep sense of anticipation, eager to grow in their cultivation and follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, helping more people in the future.
A day after the lamp oil distribution had ended, the people of Xiushui Village noticed something new near the entrance of the Peach Blossom Path, by the mosquito-repelling lamp. At some point, a small stone shrine had been erected there.
However, the shrine didn't contain any statues. Inside hung a small bronze bell, accompanied by a small hammer for striking it.
Outside the shrine, a small plaque hung, with two words inscribed: "Sect Bell."
On either side of the shrine, two small wooden plaques hung, each bearing the inscription: If the people are troubled, ring the bell.
Soon, word of the shrine spread throughout the village.
This little shrine was something Liu Yunan had put together in his spare time over the past few days.
Although Lin Xiao had locked himself away in the artifact refining hall, he wasn't completely cut off from the outside world. Liu Yunan had kept him informed of any significant happenings within the sect.
Upon hearing about the mosquito problem, Lin Xiao had come up with the idea for the Sect Bell and asked Liu Yunan to place it at the foot of the mountain.