Yu Di jogged back out into the fortress. He knew that this would be the only chance he’d ever get in escaping this sect. Such a shame, but he was in too deep now.

  It took him a few more minutes of jogging before he reached the welcome hall.

  “...is why we need to attack them before they attack us!” Elder Li yelled. “We need revenge for all the brothers and sisters they have killed.”

  Elder Li stood in front of a crowd of gathered outer sect disciples dressed in blue tunics along with Elders in green tunics. Every disciple had some injury on their body, dressed hastily in bandages. Meanwhile, Elder Li’s green tunic was pristine. The only evidence to show he had been in battle was a few stray hairs out of place from his otherwise immaculate beard.

  Yu Di figured he changed his clothes after the fight or worse, he never fought in the first place. Cowards rarely did.

  “Who would protect our sect if they were to attack again?” another Elder called out.

  “If we hit them so hard they will never dare to assault our sect again.” Elder Li walked over to a tied up man. He punched the man in the face.

  The man spat blood on the floor and glared up first at Elder Li then at the rest of the gathered disciples.

  “You demonic cultivators are despicable,” he said. “We righteous sects will wipe you out before the end of the year.”

  Elder Li kicked the man in the ribs, bowling him over.

  “You see, they think we are demonic cultivators. They have been accusing us of that for years in order to steal our resources and claim our holy blue diamond.” Elder Li pointed at the gleaming blue diamond in the sky. “If we don’t show them that we are not to be messed with, then bullies like their sect will only continue to haunt us.”

  Yu Di had heard enough. He wanted to laugh so hard until he cried. If a child like Elder Li understood what bullying is, then he wouldn't mind what Yu Di had planned for him. It was going to involve a heavy dose of humility in the form of his daughter.

  Speaking of, Yu Di ran into the welcome hall looking for Yu Lin. He knew that with the enemy sects gone, she should be safe under Bai Feng’s care. But there’s always what the head thinks versus how the heart feels where children are concerned.

  When he got inside, he saw Yu Lin with a large bandage wrapped around her head and much of her body. His heart dropped.

  “Yu Lin, what happened?” Yu Di ran over.

  “Baba!” Yu Lin rolled out of bed and flopped hard onto the ground. She had too many bandages wrapped around her.

  “No, stay where you are. Are you okay?” Yu Di picked up his little girl and sat her onto the bed. He felt around her body with a gentle touch, looking for any injuries.

  “Oh she’s okay,” Bai Feng said. The newest Inner Sect Elder walked over with more bandages and laid them on the bed. “She was helping me wrap a few of the disciples up, but she was doing it too hard. So I had her help me fix the bandages.”

  Yu Di snorted.

  “Instead of helping, she wrapped them around herself?” He unwrapped the bandage from Yu Lin’s body, twirling her on the bed in the process. “You naughty girl. You were supposed to help Senior Bai.”

  “I am! Look.” Yu Lin poked at a pile of bandages.

  It moved.

  “Woah, who’s under there?” Yu Di asked.

  “Help me,” a woman’s voice called out.

  With Bai Feng’s help, they unwrapped multiple layers of bandages from the woman. They kept the first layer that wrapped up her injury. The woman was the same one that brought them into the sect. The one that didn’t bother telling Yu Di her name because she was too important for him to know.

  Now she looked like a zongzi. Instead of a savory treat of sticky rice and bamboo leaves, she was Yu Lin’s plaything. Unlike Yu Lin though, her injuries were real. She along with many other disciples were wrapped up in heavier bandages than the ones outside of the welcome hall.

  “Yu Lin, go help the others,” Yu Di said. “Make sure to only wrap what is needed.”

  “Yes Baba.” Yu Lin dashed off to the very end of the welcome hall.

  Yu Di hoped that his daughter knew what he meant, but maybe he was expecting too much from a four year old. Still, he can’t be there with her all the time. Might as well get her to learn.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Senior Bai, where are the doctors?” Yu Di asked.

  “They left for other sects,” Bai Feng said. She helped unwrap a few of the other disciples from Yu Lin’s overzealous wrapping. “I think I’m the only one in the sect that knows the basics.”

  Yu Di knew that was a disaster waiting to happen.

  “Elder Li is trying to rally the disciples to attack the sects in revenge.”

  “That old fool will get more people killed.” Bai Feng took out a jug of water and fed it to a disciple.

  “How about we do something about that?” Yu Di reached into his storage ring and passed out a few jugs of water to the disciples as well. “Let’s gather and recruit everyone we can so that they can’t go and get themselves killed.”

  “I can’t do that,” Bai Feng said.

  “You’re an Inner Sect Elder now. You can do anything.”

  “That would mean I’d have to recruit them from their current Elders. It would upend the entire sect, causing chaos and a lot of resentment.”

  “Or you could think of it as, saving them from incompetent Elders that should be protecting their juniors. I know I would feel more safe if Yu Lin followed you instead of any of the other Elders.”

  “Baba, I’m done.” Yu Lin said.

  Yu Di picked up his daughter.

  “Look at this cute little goldfish. She wouldn’t be alive if you weren’t around. You’ve watched many of the other disciples grow up. Don’t you want to protect them?”

  Bai Feng looked down at the ground. There was blood everywhere on her tunic, most of it from the injured. She bit her lip.

  “I don’t want to see them die,” she whispered.

  “Then let’s recruit them all and create—”

  “No. I tried. They all left me in the end.” Bai Feng rubbed her arms.

  Yu Di had no clue how she felt. He had never cared about anyone else enough to mourn their deaths. At least until now.

  Yu Lin twisted in his arms, breaking free from his hug. She walked over and hugged Bai Feng, despite her being covered in blood.

  “Auntie Bai, I won’t leave you,” Yu Lin said. “I promise.”

  Bai Feng hugged her.

  “That’s what you all say when you’re so young and cute.”

  Yu Di couldn’t comfort her. He didn’t know how. That was another thing he never did until Yu Lin. So he’d have to do it the only way he knew how.

  “Senior Bai, what if I can promise you that all these disciples won’t leave you?” Yu Di reached into his storage ring. He made sure no one was looking before he pulled out an advanced cultivation manual. He got close to Bai Feng and lowered his voice. “This is my personal manual that helped me reach the realm of demigod.”

  Bai Feng shook her head.

  “I don’t want that. That would make me no better than those selfish cultivators who only chased power.”

  An arrow to Yu Di’s heart.

  He put away the manual before anyone else got a glimpse of it.

  “Then how can I help?” Yu Di asked.

  “I don’t know. I never wanted to be an Elder.” Bai Feng released Yu Lin.

  “Baba, I’m going to help more aunties and uncles.” Yu Lin ran off with a batch of bandages.

  “I know where you can start,” Elder Gao said. She walked past the sick disciples on the ground. She walked with an easy grace, but also in a hurry as if being near all the injuries here would stain her perfect jade tunic. Her youthful appearance was only marred by a small scar on her chin.

  “Greetings Elder Gao,” Yu Di said with cupped hands and a bow.

  “You’re still with this useless servant?” Elder Gao glared at him.

  Yu Di knew that at present he was an ant to her, but if he spent a month or two cultivating, he would blow her mind. He remembered that he now had about ten percent of his curse unlocked. There was no telling how far he would rise.

  “Greetings Elder Gao,” Bai Feng cupped her hands and bowed.

  “No need for that anymore,” Elder Gao said. “You’re my colleague now. The only time you should bow now is when you’re in front of the Grand Elder or the Sect Leader.”

  “Yes, of course. Thank you for the reminder.”

  “Anyway, the first thing you should do is rid yourself of useless disciples and begin recruiting Inner Sect disciples.” Elder Gao pointed at a few of the injured further down wearing the same purple tunic as Bai Feng. “Those few lost their useless Elder. They’d be perfect to start with. With a few of those disciples in your faction, you will easily attract outer disciples. And then you can…”

  Yu Di wanted to excuse himself so badly. He knew that these children could be such windbags, but this one might not be much younger than he was. She was in the later stages of core formation like the Grand Elder. Despite the age, she still hadn’t learned to be more circumspect. No wonder she can’t reach the next realm.

  “Furthermore, tell your servant to stop leering at me or I’ll cut out his eyes,” Elder Gao said.

  Yu Di stifled a laugh. The last thing he wanted was to have anything to do with this woman. Instead, he bowed his head and took a few steps back.

  “No, starting today, I’m taking Yu Di and his daughter Yu Lin as my personal disciples,” Bai Feng said. “They will henceforth be elevated to Inner Sect disciples.”

  “What? You can’t do that. They haven’t even reached the second realm yet. You will tarnish your reputation by recruiting trash.”

  An idea hit Yu Di.

  “That’s right,” he said. “Elder Bai is the recruiter of the weak and the lost. She is the Guan Yin of the ‘Forgotten Spirit Sect.’ She will make sure no one is ever forgotten no matter if they want to stay with her for a day or for years. She will take care of you as she has taken care of me.”

  “Is that what you truly want?” Elder Gao asked Bai Feng.

  Bai Feng locked her eyes on Yu Di before nodding.

  “Then fine. You have my support but there is only so much I can do for you.” Elder Gao turned and left.

  Yu Di beamed at Elder Gao’s back.

  “Are you okay? Did you hurt your head?” Bai Feng asked.

  “No, I just found a way to protect myself, Yu Lin, and make sure you will always be surrounded by people who never leave you.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’m going to make you the next sect leader.”

  “What?”