Collecting Disciples for a Hundred Years [Transmigration] - Chapter 1

“Fairy Song, you’ve been working for hours. Why not take a break? Come to my house for a meal, and you can resume the acupuncture later?”

Village Chief Li pushed open the door just as Song Junyu was about to insert the final needle into Li Daniu’s head.

She exhaled slowly, barely registering the chief’s words. Her gaze remained fixed on Li Daniu’s face, now tinged with a ghastly blue-black hue and marred by sinister demonic markings. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

This was Song Junyu’s first attempt at purging demonic poison from a human. For a brief moment, hesitation flickered in her hand holding the needle. But with the arrow already nocked, she steeled herself. Mimicking the method she’d read about in ancient texts, she narrowed her eyes, focused on the acupoint, channeled spiritual energy into her palm, and swiftly drove the needle down!

The unconscious Li Daniu’s eyes flew open, and he let out a bestial roar. His bloodshot, bulging eyes locked onto Song Junyu as he lunged at her with terrifying ferocity.

Song Junyu stepped back and flicked out a talisman, which struck squarely between Li Daniu’s brows.

As if bound by invisible shackles, the frenzied Li Daniu collapsed onto the bed. He writhed in agony as the demonic markings on his face seemed to come alive, writhing and slithering across his skin, raising grotesque black ridges. Thin wisps of black smoke began to rise from the spot where the needle pierced his skull.

Song Junyu didn’t dare relax. She focused intently on the Frost Jade Needle embedded in Li Daniu’s head.

The needle shimmered with a cold glow, faint spiritual energy swirling around it. Despite Li Daniu’s violent thrashing, the needle remained steadfast, one of the few remaining treasures the Qingping Sect could still boast of.

Had Li Daniu’s condition not been critical, Song Junyu would never have risked using such a precious artifact. The Frost Jade Needle was delicate; once tainted by demonic energy, it required special cinnabar from an apothecary to cleanse it. Yet this village was remote, with the nearest apothecary over a hundred miles away.

Fortunately, Song Junyu’s gamble paid off.

Before long, the demonic markings on Li Daniu’s face began to fade. As a sudden clap of thunder split the sky, Li Daniu’s body jerked violently. He coughed up a mouthful of black blood, and clarity gradually returned to his eyes.

“The demonic energy has been expelled.”

Seeing fresh red blood seep from the puncture site, Song Junyu finally relaxed. She handed a pouch of medicinal pills to Li Xuan, who stood nearby. “Your father’s vitality is depleted, but he’ll recover. Administer these pills on schedule and ensure he rests in bed for half a month.”

“Thank you, Sister Song.”

Li Xuan bowed her head and accepted the medicine.

This ten-year-old girl, who had remained composed and diligent in caring for her father and managing household chores ever since Li Daniu was bitten by the demonic beast, finally shed her facade of maturity. Ignoring Song Junyu’s attempts to stop her, she knelt on the ground, tears streaming as she kowtowed repeatedly, her voice choked with emotion.

“Thank you, Fairy Song, for saving my father’s life!”

Li Daniu’s pale face twisted with guilt as he looked at his daughter. “Xuan’er, this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone hunting in the mountains that day…”

“How could it be your fault?” Village Chief Li interjected, relieved to see Li Daniu improving. “Blame this wretched world instead! Since ancient times, demonic beasts have never appeared in our Li Family Village. Especially this year with the drought, even ordinary beasts are scarce in the mountains. Who could’ve imagined several demonic beasts would suddenly emerge?”

Li Family Village was located in a remote area with sparse spiritual energy. Magical beasts, which relied on spiritual energy to survive and preferred places rich in it, usually never ventured into such barren lands. No one expected that a few magical beasts would suddenly appear in the mountains a few days ago. Fortunately, Li Daniu was agile and narrowly escaped their clutches.

“When I left, Elder Qian from our sect had already entered the mountains,” Song Junyu reassured the villagers, knowing what they feared. “Once Elder Qian eliminates those beasts, he will set up protective formations around the mountains. Everyone will still be able to enter the mountains in the future.”

“That’s wonderful news!”

The village chief smiled gratefully and bowed deeply to Song Junyu. “We owe so much to the Qingping Sect over the years. Without the care of you immortals, our Li Family Village would have likely met the same fate as Wang Family Village long ago.”

In the decades since Song Junyu transmigrated into this world, demonic sects had invaded, the immortal realm was embroiled in internal strife, and natural disasters were frequent. Life for the common people had grown increasingly difficult, with countless cities and villages perishing in the chaos. The Wang Family Village the chief mentioned had been destroyed in a sudden wildfire, scattering its people to the winds.

“It’s no trouble at all. You flatter me,” Song Junyu said, sidestepping the chief’s bow. She couldn’t help but recall the original novel’s plot: the story had already progressed to its latter half. In a few years, the male and female protagonists would gradually begin to quell the internal conflicts, vanquish the Demon King, and restore peace to the world.

As a nameless extra in the original novel, Song Junyu, who had secluded herself in the deep mountains, couldn’t reveal future events. Nor did she possess the grand abilities of the protagonists to cleanse the world. But now, temporarily holding the position of Qingping Sect’s leader, she couldn’t tarnish the reputation of her father, who was in seclusion and known for his righteousness and benevolence. After a moment’s thought, she quietly added, “Until peace is restored, our Qingping Sect will do everything in our power to protect everyone.”

“We trust you completely.”

Though Song Junyu lacked confidence, the village chief’s relieved smile deepened as he glanced at the darkening sky outside. “You are a blessed one. The drought has lasted so long, yet rain comes as soon as you arrive. You must visit the village more often in the future.”

In mere moments, thunder rumbled repeatedly outside. The sky was densely packed with storm clouds, and lightning as thick as a child’s arm tore through the night, its jagged fingers clawing at the world as if to rend it apart.

Soon, heavy rain began to fall.

Fearing the downpour would ruin their crops, villagers called out to one another and hurried into the fields with hoes. Not wanting to disturb their work, Song Junyu declined the chief’s offer to stay for a meal. Instead, she activated a water-repelling talisman and rode her sword back to the Qingping Sect.

As she soared through the air, the storm clouds seemed close enough to touch. The rain did nothing to diminish them; instead, they grew darker and more turbulent, spreading endlessly across the horizon. Countless thin purple lightning bolts weaved through the sea of clouds, forming a vast net that bore down with the boundless might of the heavens, sending shivers down one’s spine.

This didn’t seem like an ordinary thunderstorm.

Staring at the terrifying lightning that made her scalp prickle, Song Junyu frowned slightly. The scene resembled the heavenly tribulation lightning described in the books, the kind that appeared when a mighty cultivator ascended.

Yet the cultivation world had been spiritually impoverished for centuries, and no one had ascended in hundreds of years.

Song Junyu shook her head, feeling she was overthinking things, and quickened her pace, hoping to return to Qingping Sect before the heavier rain arrived.

Lijia Village was already a remote mountain hamlet, but Qingping Sect was nestled even deeper within the layered peaks. The entire sect consisted of just a few courtyards constructed with magical techniques, without any grand protective formations. At first glance, it hardly resembled a proper immortal cultivation sect.

Centuries ago, Qingping Sect had once been a prominent and illustrious major sect. However, internal strife among its elders led to a split into two factions. One faction retained the ancient name of Qingping Sect, dedicating itself to upholding righteousness in the mortal world and aiding the common people. Over time, amidst the chaos of war, it gradually declined into its current dilapidated state. The other faction renamed itself Qingping Sect and retreated to a land rich in spiritual energy, preserving its strength in seclusion. Over the years, it ironically became revered as one of the great hidden sects in the eyes of the world.

The original novel naturally didn’t delve into the intricacies of these sect conflicts. It merely mentioned that when the male and female protagonists later rose to prominence in the cultivation world, even the reclusive Qingping Sect was drawn into their alliance to vanquish demons, and the story concluded after their victory in the great demon-slaying war.

At the end of the novel, to recruit talents from the three realms, the protagonists organized an Immortal Sect Grand Competition. Qingping Sect made a brief appearance in their dialogue:

“Those people over there carry an extraordinary aura, which sect do they belong to?”
“It seems they’re from Qingping Sect.”
“Qingping? A fine name indeed ‘seas and rivers serene, all lands at peace.'”
“Isn’t that the very ideal we’ve pursued all our lives?”

…

Qingping Sect appeared only this once in the entire book, but for Song Junyu, that was enough. After all, it meant the sect had successfully survived until the story’s conclusion and seemed to be doing well enough to participate in the Immortal Sect Grand Competition.

In the years since transmigrating into this world, though she had secluded herself in the mountains, Song Junyu hadn’t closed herself off from the outside. She had kept a close watch on events unfolding beyond the peaks.

Everything happening in the outside world aligned perfectly with the novel’s plot. Counting the days, there were now less than forty years until the Immortal Sect Grand Competition would take place.

The thought of this filled Song Junyu with a sense of urgency.

Though she was merely a background character in the novel, she had a mission in this world.

“In this world, you must—” Song Junyu still remembered the cold, mechanical electronic voice she heard upon waking after transmigrating: “Strive to survive and revive your sect!”

At first, she hadn’t thought the task too difficult. After all, Qingping Sect was located in such a remote place that even birds avoided it. While hiding in the mountains ensured survival, the isolation and extreme poverty had led to a dwindling number of disciples. Now, the entire sect had fewer than ten members.

It wasn’t that no one wanted to join Qingping Sect. But since it was a sect that had caught the protagonists’ attention at the novel’s end, they couldn’t just accept anyone. And those with exceptional talent were unlikely to stay in such a small, obscure sect buried deep in the mountains.

If things continued this way, how could they possibly qualify to participate in the Immortal Sect Grand Competition forty years later and earn the protagonists’ notice?

Thinking of their current predicament, Song Junyu sighed and couldn’t help but recall Li Xuan from Lijia Village. The girl was intelligent, meticulous, and had excellent bone structure making her a promising candidate for cultivation. However, Li Xuan’s father was still alive, and immortal cultivation was a long and time-consuming path. Song Junyu didn’t want to subject the father and daughter to the pain of separation, so she had never brought it up.

Besides, compared to the two prodigious disciples Song Junyu had previously taken in, Li Xuan’s talent could only be considered passable at best.

Recalling her two previous disciples, Song Junyu’s brow furrowed slightly. It wasn’t until she heard a measured call of “Young Sect Leader” from ahead that she snapped out of her reverie, realizing she had already returned to Qingping Sect.

Standing beneath the heavy curtain of rain was a stern-faced middle-aged man dressed in black. Tall and lean, he would have gone entirely unnoticed had he not spoken.

“Uncle Qian, I’ve troubled you again!”

Song Junyu flashed a smile, unfazed by Qian Ping’s intimidating aura, and pulled out a Qiankun pouch. “The farmers from the foot of the mountain gave me some dried bamboo shoots. Knowing you like them, I brought a few bundles back—”

Qian Ping was one of the sect’s elders, the most powerful figure in Qingping Sect aside from the secluded sect leader, having reached the late-stage Golden Core realm.

At his feet lay the corpses of several demonic beasts, evidence that he had already eradicated the stragglers lurking in the mountains.

“Mundane ingredients are tainted with impurities and hinder cultivation,” Qian Ping said, refusing the bamboo shoots and frowning at Song Junyu. “The Young Sect Leader is no longer a child. You should no longer mingle so freely with the mortal world and must focus on your cultivation. As for those farmers below the mountain, life and death are fated. There’s no need for the Young Sect Leader to concern yourself with them.”

“I know, I know!”

Song Junyu covered her ears, agreeing readily but not truly listening. Elder Qian was impeccable in every way, but the decline of Qingping Sect seemed to have convinced him that mortals were to blame. He constantly discouraged her from interacting with them, whether overtly or subtly.

“These demonic beasts have many useful materials. The Young Sect Leader may try dismantling them,” Qian Ping said, aware that his words had fallen on deaf ears. Song Junyu’s evasive demeanor left him no choice but to relent. His gaze hardened as he glanced at the thunderclouds gathering on the horizon and changed the subject. “I have matters to attend to down the mountain. During this time, I must trouble the Young Sect Leader to oversee the sect.”

Unlike Song Junyu, who preferred to stay secluded and avoid leaving the mountain whenever possible, Qian Ping often descended to handle worldly affairs.

Song Junyu nodded in agreement, stored the demonic beasts in her Qiankun pouch, and returned to her courtyard.

Most members of Qingping Sect had long since transcended the need for food, but Song Junyu believed that life was meant to be enjoyed; eating, drinking, and indulging in simple pleasures. She had built a small kitchen for herself and occasionally treated herself to a meal.

After stir-frying the bamboo shoots and leaving a portion at Elder Qian’s door, she ate her fill before delving into ancient texts and dismantling the demonic beasts.

She had stumbled upon a method to dispel demonic energy in an old book. When treating Li Danui, she had tried it as a last resort never expecting it to actually work. Now, she intended to study more such techniques, just in case.

Once immersed in her work, she lost track of time, staying up nearly the entire night.

And for many, that night was indeed sleepless.

The lingering thunderclouds in the sky had yet to disperse, stirring unrest in the cultivation world. Countless powerful figures extended their divine senses to investigate, even sweeping over Qingping Sect, a desolate backwater several times.

At her current level of cultivation, Song Junyu couldn’t detect these probing senses, nor did she know whether these grandmasters had uncovered anything after such exhaustive efforts. As she pored over the ancient texts, a faint epiphany stirred within her. After finishing the book, she sat in meditation, emptying her mind. By the time she awoke, three days had passed.

The lingering storm clouds finally dispersed after several days. A clean vegetable plate and some spirit stones were placed at Song Junyu’s doorstep, as Elder Qian Ping had already descended the mountain.

Song Junyu spent another two days processing the demon beast carcass, refining it into medicinal pills. Carrying the frost jade needles tainted with demonic energy, she took advantage of the night to ride her sword into the city.

–

Song Junyu entered the city without incident. The pills made from the demon beast carcass fetched a good price at the medicinal herb shop, and the residual demonic energy on the frost jade needles was completely purged with cinnabar. Relieved, Song Junyu had no intention of lingering in the city. She walked to a secluded spot, preparing to ride her sword back to the mountain sect overnight. Before she could even draw her sword, a commotion erupted from the alley behind her.

Alert, Song Junyu turned around just in time to see an arrow whiz through the air, striking the calf of a fleeing young girl. As fate would have it, the girl stumbled and fell to the ground, her slender, bloodstained fingers reaching out to clutch tightly at the hem of Song Junyu’s robe.