SWDnovel Chapter 19 Safeguarding Her Phoenix Grace, Her Phoenix Shines in the Azure Sky
Chapter 19 Safeguarding Her Phoenix Grace, Her Phoenix Shines in the Azure Sky
No one answered.
Wang Shouzhou clenched his fists, wanting to say something, yet unsure of what to say.
Shen Qing smiled slightly.
"I have already sent Uncle Zhou down the mountain to buy grain, so you won't go hungry in half a month. But I want you to remember how you felt today, to remember this feeling of being at your wit's end."
"Qingyun Sect is not supported by me alone, but by each and every one of you. The more acre of land you cultivate, the more grain you will harvest in the fall. In the future, the more new members you recruit, the stronger the sect will become."
"I will give you new names, new clothes, and teach you to read and cultivate. I have given you everything I can; the rest is up to you."
The training ground fell silent for a moment.
Then Wang Shouzhou was the first to stand up.
"Sect Master! This disciple will descend the mountain tomorrow! This disciple will go to the docks to find more people to bring up the mountain! This disciple knows many people, I can gather a large group!"
"This disciple will go too!"
"I'm going too!"
The crowd was in a frenzy, and Shen Qing was somewhat speechless, feeling that they hadn't understood what he meant at all.
"Nonsense!"
"Going down the mountain to recruit people? You can't even read properly, and you haven't even mastered the basics of martial arts. What can you say when you go down the mountain? Say 'Qingyun Sect is good,' but what makes it good? You can't even give a clear explanation. Why should anyone believe you?"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Shen Qing looked at them, her tone softening slightly: "Wang Shouzhou was able to persuade so many people to sign up because he spent two months at Qingyun Sect, truly learned something, and truly became a different person. Every word he said was the truth. Go, only the truth has power."
"Now that you've come down the mountain, what truth can you tell? You yourselves haven't changed, how can you expect others to believe that the Qingyun Sect can change them?"
"Therefore, starting tomorrow, regardless of whether you are a new disciple, a senior disciple, an inner disciple, or an outer disciple, you will all have extra training. Morning lessons will be moved up by half an hour, literacy lessons will be extended by half an hour, and martial arts lessons will be extended by half an hour."
"I will personally keep an eye on you. When you are as good as Wang Shouzhou, able to read, write, speak eloquently, and have real skills, then I will take you down the mountain to take on disciples."
"Now, that's it."
The disciples dispersed in twos and threes, but the chatter continued for a long time.
Shen Qing stood there, looking at them.
Shen Qing had meticulously crafted a figure that made Wang Shouzhuo stand ramrod straight, exuding a sense of dynamism as he moved.
Su Shoujing and Zhong Xiu were both girls and were selected as inner disciples together, so their relationship was quite good.
At this moment, Su Shoujing, with a smile on her face, and Zhong Xiu, who was sullen, walked side by side, talking to each other in hushed tones.
Zhao Shoucheng was walking with several new disciples, explaining the extra training arrangements for tomorrow.
Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.
However, Shen Qing felt that relying on selling things could only solve the immediate problem, not a long-term solution.
Even if the first season's harvest is successful, the 73 people can barely support themselves.
To truly escape this predicament, we must open source again.
But Shen Qing felt that all of this was for later; the most urgent task at hand was to appease Zhong Xiu.
If her loyalty drops any further, the system will unbind her, which would be terrible for Shen Qing.
After all, the spiritual energy contributed by Zhong Xiu alone was equivalent to that of thirty Wang Shouzhuo.
That night, Shen Qing arrived outside the room where Zhong Xiu and Su Shoujing were. By listening to their breathing, Shen Qing knew that the two had entered a meditative state.
Shen Qing used his spiritual power to gather sound into a thread and awaken Zhong Xiu. Zhong Xiu was somewhat surprised to hear Shen Qing's summons, but she quickly tidied herself up and left the room.
"Disciple Zhong Xiu greets Sect Master."
Zhong Xiu emphasized the word "Zhong Xiu," clearly indicating that she was still quite upset that Shen Qing hadn't given her a name.
Shen Qing immediately understood his meaning, but he didn't rush to explain. "No need for formalities, Zhong Xiu. I've been down the mountain for almost half a month now. Is there anything you don't understand about your cultivation?"
Zhong Xiu raised his head, glanced at Shen Qing, and shook his head, saying, "Reporting to the Sect Master, this disciple has no questions at the moment."
Shen Qing raised an eyebrow, deciding to take the initiative: "Oh? Then what do you think of my bestowing names upon them today?"
Ultimately, she was still a young girl at heart; Zhong Xiu's composure had not yet fully developed. Upon hearing this, a look of grievance appeared on the girl's beautiful face.
"Sect Master, all of us disciples and fellow disciples are inner disciples. You changed their names, but you forgot to mention me and the Huang brothers."
"We all know that these two have come with ill intentions, but my heart is with Qingyun Sect. Why has the Sect Master forgotten me?"
Shen Qing breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. It was a good thing that his precious child was emotional; what he feared most was that this child would get stuck in a rut.
"Zhong Xiu, you should be aware of your own abilities. Among all the disciples, you are the most outstanding and the future hope of my Qingyun Sect. I have two concerns about not changing your name."
"Firstly, your name is already a top choice, unlike those of your senior brothers and sisters. It is a name that is both elegant and beautiful."
"Secondly, I have also prepared a name for you, called Shouhuang, which means guarding the phoenix's majesty and the phoenix shining in the blue sky."
"I hope that one day you can fly out of this small Qinghe County, Fenglin Prefecture, and even Chuzhou, like a phoenix soaring through the heavens, and see the world outside for me."
Zhong Xiu was completely stunned. Did the sect leader really think that way?
"Born with exceptional talent and outstanding character"—what a beautiful phrase! So the sect leader hadn't overlooked me and still held such high expectations for me? Was it all just wishful thinking on my part?
For a moment, the girl was filled with deep self-reproach, her face turning bright red.
Several prompts suddenly appeared on Shen Qing's system panel:
[Jung Soo's Loyalty +5]
[Jung Soo's Loyalty +6]
[Jung Soo's Loyalty +10]
Shen Qing was somewhat puzzled as he looked at the girl's loyalty level, which had skyrocketed to 86.
He had no idea what the girl in front of him was imagining, but it was always a good thing that the lost loyalty could be regained.
Looking at the still confused girl in front of him, Shen Qing said softly, "Zhong Xiu, you are the first disciple I have chosen for the future, but you still need to lie low for a while."
"Many people are interested in Qingyun right now. If you rashly reveal your talent, it will bring you a lot of danger. Remember that."
Zhong Xiu finally came to her senses and gracefully bowed, saying, "I was overthinking things before. I will work harder in the future."
Shen Qing nodded upon hearing this: "It's good that you know. It's late, go back and rest. Cultivation requires a balance of activity and rest. If you have any questions, you can ask me privately at any time."
After saying that, Shen Qing turned and left.
But before he could take a few steps, a girl's weak voice came from behind: "Sect Master, your disciple is aware of your painstaking efforts. From now on, may you address me as 'Guardian Phoenix' in private?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qing turned around and smiled, "Shouhuang, go back and rest!"
After saying this, Shen Qing left the west wing. He didn't need to look at the girl's expression to know her current mood.
Because the system has already provided the answer:
[Jung Soo's Loyalty +5]
Shen Qing hadn't expected to gain so much; it was like a joke.
The usually quiet girl, watching the sect leader depart, couldn't help but raise her fist to encourage herself: "Shouhuang! Do your best! Don't let the sect leader down."
The new disciple is on his fifth day of training.
The main construction of the academy was finally completed. Although the lecture hall, scripture library, martial arts training ground, and dormitories were rather simple, they were complete in every way.
Shen Qing stood in front of the academy gate, looking at the building that had taken nearly two months to build and had consumed the efforts of countless disciples. His feelings were quite complicated. This was the biggest thing he had done since he transmigrated.
The academy was established not only for our own cultivation, but also to leave behind something truly that can be passed down to the Qingyun Sect.
"metropolitan."
Uncle Zhou walked to his side, holding a booklet in his hands.
"The wages of the academy's craftsmen have been settled. Here are the accounts."
Shen Qing took the booklet and flipped through it.
The craftsmen's wages, the cost of materials, and miscellaneous expenses were all recorded in detail.
This account book was jointly kept by Huang An, Zhong Xiu, and Zhou Bo, and every entry bears their signature and seal.
"Thanks a lot."
Shen Qing closed the booklet and looked at the academy's gate. The lintel was empty, without any inscription.
"Uncle Zhou, go down the mountain tomorrow and post notices in the county town."
"A notice?"