"O… Okay." Sumin was certain that I was trying to help her save face and preserve what little dignity she had left. Without suspicion, she took my hand, not wanting to waste my kindness.
My grip was gentle, giving her a sense of security she hadn't felt in ages.
And I radiated a refreshing coolness that swept away all her exhaustion and foul mood.
If only I could truly become his junior disciple, how wonderful that would be.
Sumin decided to stop indulging in impossible dreams, yet couldn't help but tuck this moment away in the deepest corner of her heart.
…
Only after I led Sumin away did the townspeople return to their previous liveliness.
"So that's Celestial Gate's senior disciple? Decisive action, no hesitation…. Kyaaah I'm in love!" A girl from some minor sect had hearts in her eyes, trying to imagine herself in Sumin's position. If Senior Brother were holding my hand... At the thought, her body trembled and her cheeks flushed red.
" Those who've never ventured beyond their small world cannot understand greater truths. Their opinions matter little —truly profound wisdom. I must record this in Senior Brother's quote collection and bring it back for our club members to study together." A junior disciple from Celestial Gate pulled out paper and brush, carefully recording every word. As a core member of the Senior Sulan's Fan Club, encountering him at the Immortal Selection Assembly was an opportunity she couldn't waste.
The middle-aged man's legs went weak with terror, cold sweat pouring down his face, though no one was paying attention to this pathetic clown anymore.
...
I walked with Sumin along the small path back to Heavenly Jade Peak.
Unfortunately, I hadn't reached Level 2 yet, so I couldn't fly on my sword.
If my junior disciple asked about it, I had my excuse ready: "First time up the mountain, one step at a time, it's more ceremonial that way."
But I seemed to be overthinking it. Throughout the journey, my little junior disciple was in low spirits, head down the entire time like a mute gourd.
I could vaguely guess she'd had some rough experiences before, so I didn't ask about her past. Instead, I brought up broad topics like "What are your hobbies?" and "Any dietary restrictions?"
I was skilled at this, no point charging straight in. That would be too crude and make my junior uncomfortable... when it came to healthy communication between senior and junior disciples, of course.
"Junior, on Heavenly Jade Peak there's just you, me, and our master. You've probably heard about our master, she's arguably one of the strongest cultivator, capable of beating down multiple sect leaders. Starting today, you've got a legendary powerhouse backing you! Though here on our Heavenly Jade Peak, I still advocate for keeping a low profile..."
The more I talked, the more cheerful I felt.
Mainly because having this Junior to draw master's attention meant I should be safe.
Sumin suddenly stopped walking.
She'd originally planned to thank me and say goodbye, but I seemed to genuinely consider her part of Heavenly Jade Peak.
This left her at a complete loss.
I turned back, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"Senior brother, are you... being serious about all this?"
Sumin's formal address left me completely confused. Why were we suddenly using such distant titles between senior and junior disciples?
"What else? Taking you as my junior disciple, where did I seem like I was joking?"
I was genuinely baffled.
"Your kindness touches my heart, but..."
The lower Sumin's head drooped, the more she looked ready to cry.
I wasn't slow on the uptake. Seeing this, I immediately understood.
"I told you not to mind what they said. I chose you on behalf of our master, and that decision won't change. From now on, Heavenly Jade Peak is your home, and I'm your senior brother."
As a man, when you need to be firm, you absolutely cannot waver. If my attitude seemed uncertain, what if my soon to be junior disciple ran away?
If I screwed up something as simple as recruiting one person, my master might not even bother with the find a new disciple process, she'd just fire me directly.
Just thinking about it made my scalp tingle.
So I decided: even if it meant deceiving her, I had to bring her back to Heavenly Jade Peak!
My words deeply moved Sumin. Ever since being cast out of the Xiao family, she'd had no place to call home. That simple word home struck right at her heart.
"But I'm useless..."
As she spoke, tears she couldn't hold back rolled down her beautiful face, part grievance, part resentment.
Not wanting to show her weakness in front of me, she bit her lower lip, but couldn't stop the flood of tears.
As someone personally afflicted by damaged spiritual roots, she understood better than any bystander just how troublesome this condition was.
When her parents were still alive, they'd searched the entire dynasty for miraculous healers, but no one could do anything about repairing damaged spiritual roots.
"Mm, I know."
I gently patted her head, thinking to myself: Otherwise I wouldn't have chosen you.
I looked directly at Sumin, meeting her beautiful dark green eyes, and comforted her: "Solutions are what people come up with. Let's head back up the mountain to meet our master first. She is... pretty capable."
Seeing that I didn't seem to be joking, doubt crept into Sumin's heart. In a voice choked with sobs, she asked: "Then Senior, may I ask why you chose me?"
Sumin was already fifteen. Having lived in the Xiao Family, she'd witnessed too much human warmth and coldness, the fickleness of fate. At the Immortal Selection Assembly just now, countless people had better qualifications than her, yet I had chosen her specifically.
Such abnormal behavior couldn't help but make her suspicious. If she didn't get to the bottom of this, she wouldn't feel at ease.
It wasn't that she doubted my character, with my status and looks, I could beckon casually and countless female cultivators would throw themselves at me. There was no need to deceive a fallen girl like herself.
After all, besides her pure body, she had nothing left.
What virtue or ability did she possess to catch my eye?
Surely I wasn't deliberately recruiting a waste to keep around as a foil? That would be too ridiculous and made no sense at all! Even wild speculation had its limits!
I put on a serious expression, gazing at the sky at a 45degree angle, and slowly spoke: "The moment I saw you, I felt an unusual sense of kinship. Perhaps it's because we share many similarities. Looking at you always reminds me of my former self."
Exactly! One cursed by Heaven's Will with an abnormal condition, unable to break through to Level 2 for eight years; the other bearing damaged spiritual roots and cast out by her family. Two perfect failures brought together, what a pair of kindred spirits!
Huh?
What her ears heard left Sumin feeling incredulous.
Kinship? Similarities? How could that be!
Everyone knew Sulan possessed supreme-grade spiritual roots and was heaven's chosen! The difference between him and someone worthless like herself was like clouds and mud!
But his eyes held such sincerity, he didn't seem to be lying at all.
Could it be that the path he'd walked wasn't as smooth as the outside world believed?
Sumin didn't know, but she understood that he was trying to comfort her with kind words.