Over a hundred years ago, after the Ghost Sword Immortal stormed into the Demon Realm and slaughtered countless monsters, the rumors of the Ghost Sword Immortal colluding with the demon race collapsed without a fight.
The rebels and sects that opposed the Ghost Sword Immortal were all besieged by the Immortal’s supporters because of this incident.
After years of struggle, the rebellion in the Ghost Sword Sect was finally suppressed, and the already famous Ghost Sword Immortal became the idol of cultivators. His exploits—slaying demons and cutting down traitors—were sung about, written into books, and passed on by word of mouth.
Naturally, the Ghost Sword Sect, once a small and obscure sect lesser known than its founder, slowly rose to become a giant in the world of cultivation, attracting countless followers.
This rise was not only due to the Ghost Sword Sect’s strength, but also because of a unique rule set by the Ghost Sword Immortal.
After quelling the rebellion, the Ghost Sword Immortal announced the future policy of the Ghost Sword Sect: Demon Hunting.
All who joined the Ghost Sword Sect made demon hunting their aim and aspiration.
A blood feud with one’s kin is irreconcilable; the hatred of a dying race is intolerable.
The demon race would never simply wait to be destroyed.
In this hundred years, the struggle—both open and hidden—between humans and demons played out across the land. Blood and violence surged and ebbed like a tide, the enmity between the two races spreading like autumn wildfire.
On a certain day, several immortals, exuding an ethereal and dignified aura, arrived at a poor village at the edge of the continent. They claimed to be from the Ghost Sword Sect, looking to see if there were any children with a destiny for immortality.
The village chief was eager to please. Hearing that the immortals would not take the children away without payment, he became even more obsequious, urging every family with children to come out and stand in the village square, waiting for the immortals to choose.
The parents displayed various expressions: some excited, some greedy, others filled with reluctance and unease.
“You, you come over here.”
“And you.”
“This one!”
With just a pointed finger from the immortals, children born after ten months in the womb were about to be taken from their parents, possibly never to meet again. When the immortals opened their mouths, money bags fell into pairs of withered hands.
Some were overjoyed, others in tears. One of the immortals swept his gaze over the crowd in the square and suddenly focused on a particular child. Unlike the others, this one stood alone, dirty and without any parents by his side.
“What’s the story with that child?”
“To answer the immortal, he’s an orphan, picked up by the village when he was young, eats at all our homes.”
The immortal nodded and beckoned to the boy, “Come here!”
The boy stood there, unmoving. The village chief, anxious, shouted at him, “The immortal told you to come over, don’t dawdle.”
Urged by the chief, the boy scratched his head and shuffled over. The chief immediately kicked him on the backside, “Kneel! Kneel to the immortal!”
The boy seemed quick-witted. He dodged the chief’s kick in a flash and stepped back, looking calmly at the immortal. He did not crawl forward to grovel like the other children, but simply said, “Immortal, please touch my head.”
Black hair, black eyes, more handsome than any child here, looking about eleven or twelve years old. The immortal sized him up.
“You, what’s your name?”
“To answer the immortal, this child has no name.”
“I’m asking you!”
The immortal shot a sidelong glance at the chief and snorted, “What’s your name?”
“No name.”
The boy replied calmly.
“Oh? Would you like to follow me and attain immortality?”
“Have you attained immortality?”
The boy’s sudden question caught the immortal off guard. The companions exchanged glances, all at a loss.
The boy was right—they had not attained immortality. They were just ordinary disciples of the Ghost Sword Sect, nothing more.
Come to think of it, even if the Ghost Sword Sect’s cook came here, he’d probably be called an immortal too.
“You’re right, I haven’t become an immortal. I’m just an ordinary disciple of the Ghost Sword Sect, as are they.”
The disciple shot a glare at the village chief, forcing him back with his eyes. “But to you, I am an immortal who can move mountains and fill seas. So, do you want to leave here with me?”
“Why?”
The boy asked.
“Because you have a destiny for immortality, so you should come with us.”
The disciple replied.
“All of us?”
The boy glanced around. Nearly all the village’s children had been chosen, the occasional sound of parents crying and wailing drifting over.
Wanting to cry, yet not daring to.
“All of you, yes.”
The disciple nodded, “There’s more talent here than I expected. You children are more gifted than I thought.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
After a moment’s thought, the boy nodded. The disciple laughed heartily, praising him as a teachable youth.
Soon after, the disciples of the Ghost Sword Sect summoned their flying spirit beast and herded the children onto its back. After they all climbed on, the beast flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
The children seemed anxious, huddled together in fright, all except the boy, who sat at the edge gazing at the sky.
“See that child? There’s something special about his constitution.”
“Special?”
“If we refine him into medicine, we could cure the Demon King’s stubborn illness.”
“Who would’ve thought we’d gain such a prize on this trip?”
The “Ghost Sword Sect disciples” whispered quietly atop the spirit beast’s head.
But the boy, alone in the corner, was perfectly calm. His gaze at these so-called immortals was full of disdain.
Actually, even before they arrived, he’d already guessed that these so-called immortals were not disciples of the Ghost Sword Sect, but rather demons from the Demon Realm.
As for why they pretended to be disciples of the Ghost Sword Sect to abduct children, he didn’t yet know the reason. But based on past experience, by the rules, he knew he would meet a certain someone.
A fox who had eaten him for the second time.
Nearly a hundred years had passed—what do you look like now?
Qingmu closed his eyes, recalling Nongli.
Everything was still vivid before his eyes; to him, it truly felt like it had happened just yesterday.
That pain to the bone, and Nongli’s attachment to him, were experienced together…
“What? You say people from the Ghost Sword Sect came and took all the children?”
Back in that village, several members of the Ghost Sword Sect looked in confusion at the chief. “Are you sure they were wearing the Ghost Sword Sect’s robes?”
“Absolutely certain!”
The chief nodded.
“Damn! We’re still a step too late!”
“Elder Qin Feng, what should we do?”
A disciple hurried to Qin Feng’s side and asked.
“What else? Chase them!”
After asking which direction those people went, Qin Feng quickly summoned his own spirit beast and set off in pursuit.
A few months earlier, the Ghost Sword Sect had caught wind of rumors that someone, claiming to be from their sect, was going around recruiting children from common families as disciples. Once the children were taken away, there was no trace of them. They had been investigating for a long time; this was the closest they had ever gotten to the real culprits.
“Everyone, hurry up and get on. We’re going to intercept those people!”
Qin Feng called his companions to mount the spirit beast, while the village chief shouted frantically, “Immortals! We still have children you haven’t seen yet. Take them to become immortals too, please? Don’t leave them behind in these mountains!”