Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Just as he was about to announce the end of today's registration, another figure appeared late at the mountain intersection.

She was a girl who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. She wore a coarse cloth dress that was patched and faded from washing. She was thin and her face was sallow and malnourished.

Unlike the others, she wasn't timid or excited; she simply stood there quietly, head slightly bowed, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, her eyes quickly and meticulously scanning everything in front of the mountain gate—

Shen Mo's demeanor, Shi Tie's honesty, Su Xiao's gentleness, A Yuan's kindness, and even the rough tables and chairs and the marks on the ground soaked with Zhang Dani's sweat, were all taken in by her without missing a single detail.

Her eyes were clear and calm, carrying a caution beyond her years, but without cunning or calculation; rather, they were more like an instinctive, meticulous observation and assessment of her environment.

Just as Su Xiao was about to step forward to ask, Shen Mo had a sudden thought and gave her a look, signaling her to calm down. He wanted to see what this girl would do next.

The girl did not step forward immediately, but stood there for a while, as if weighing something.

Then, she gently straightened the already neat hem of her clothes and brushed away non-existent dust from her shoes before taking small, delicate steps to the table. She addressed Su Xiao in a soft yet clear voice, "Immortal Master... Sister, my name is Zhao Ya, and I've come to register."

She spoke with her head slightly lowered, but her back was straight, making her appear neither humble nor arrogant.

Following procedure, Su Xiao gently inquired about her situation. Zhao Ya's answer was simple and direct: she lived in Zhao Family Village, dozens of miles away at the foot of the mountain; her parents had died early, and she lived with her uncle and aunt in poverty.

When asked why she wanted to cultivate immortality, she paused for a moment before replying in a low voice, "I want to... find a place to settle down and learn some skills so I won't cause trouble for others."

Her words and actions revealed a cautious maturity and a strong sense of self-respect.

At this moment, a somewhat slick-looking young man who had registered earlier approached Zhao Ya with a grin, seemingly trying to ingratiate himself:

"Hey girl, you came here because you were fooled by those guys who don't even look at qualifications, right? I think the Qingyun Sect is dirt poor. You might as well come with me to the Lin family and try your luck. Maybe..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Ya frowned slightly, subtly taking a small step to the side to create distance between them. She didn't reply, but simply continued to quietly watch Su Xiao.

This subtle movement was noticed by Shen Mo and Su Xiao.

Su Xiao already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on. She continued chatting with Zhao Ya for a bit, asking what she did on a daily basis. Zhao Ya replied that she mainly helped her aunt and uncle with housework, took care of the livestock, and did embroidery to supplement the family income.

Su Xiao noticed that when she mentioned "embroidery," a very faint glint flashed in her eyes, and her fingers, which were twisting the hem of her clothes, were unusually nimble, despite their roughness.

After registration, Su Xiao asked Zhao Ya to stand aside and wait. She walked to Shen Mo's side, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of excitement, "Sect Leader Brother, this Zhao Ya... is quite extraordinary."

"Oh? How so?" Shen Mo asked with interest.

"This woman is calm and has a very strong ability to observe," Su Xiao analyzed. "When she arrived, she did not rush forward but first observed the environment, which shows that she is meticulous and knows how to assess the situation."

"When faced with the flirtatious young man's advances, she did not rebuke him, but her subtle avoidance showed that she was sensible and disliked frivolity."

"During the conversation, she tried her best to downplay her own suffering and emphasized 'not wanting to cause trouble,' which shows her self-respect and self-reliance. Most importantly, her eyes lit up and her fingers moved nimbly when she mentioned embroidery, which shows that she is patient and has excellent dexterity."

"With such a temperament, one might possess unexpected talent if cultivating techniques requiring meticulous control, such as formations, talismans, or even alchemy!"

Su Xiao's observations were meticulous and her analysis was logical, which made Shen Mo nod in approval.

"Moreover," Su Xiao continued, her tone certain, "I observed that her eyes were clear, and although she lived a difficult life, she showed no sign of resentment or bitterness. Instead, she possessed a kind of resilient acceptance of adversity and a desire to change her situation. She is definitely not a person with malicious intentions."

Shen Mo smiled with satisfaction: "It seems you have discovered another gem for my Qingyun Sect."

He immediately made the decision, "This woman is acceptable."

However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred.

The slick young man who had previously tried to flirt with Zhao Ya, seeing that everyone's attention was on her, suddenly clutched his stomach and groaned loudly:

"Ouch! Ouch! My stomach... my stomach hurts so much! Immortal Master! Immortal Master, save me!"

He shouted while his eyes darted around, secretly observing Shen Mo and Su Xiao's reactions, his acting was extremely exaggerated.

Shi Tie and Zhang Daniu were about to go forward to check when they heard the noise, but Shen Mo stopped them with a look.

Su Xiao frowned slightly, stepped forward, and asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong?"

"I...I think I ate something bad...It hurts so much! Immortal Master, could you take a look at me first, or...give me a magic pill?" The boy shouted even louder and tried to grab Su Xiao's skirt.

Su Xiao nimbly took a step back, avoiding his hand, and her gaze suddenly sharpened.

She stared intently into the boy's eyes, her voice turning cold: "You have a stomachache? When did it start? Where exactly does it hurt?"

"Just... just now! It hurts here, it hurts here!" The boy pointed haphazardly to his abdomen.

"Really?" Su Xiao sneered. "But I see your breathing is steady, your complexion is rosy, and there's not a drop of sweat on your forehead. Your stomachache is quite strange indeed!"

The boy's expression changed, and he stammered, "I...I can't handle the pain..."

"Is he good at enduring pain?" Su Xiao stopped wasting words with him and said directly to Shen Mo, "Sect Leader, this person was evasive when he registered. He claimed to be a rogue cultivator, but he knows nothing about the common knowledge of cultivation."

"He's feigning illness to gain sympathy again, his eyes are darting around, and his intentions are malicious! I suggest we disqualify him from registering!"

Shen Mo had already observed everything and admired Su Xiao's decisive judgment. He looked at the young man expressionlessly and said calmly:

"Did you hear what Su Xiao said? Although my Qingyun Sect is short-handed, we would rather have none than have bad ones. You, please leave."

When the boy realized his trick had been exposed, he became enraged and jumped up, pointing at Su Xiao and cursing:

"Bah! What a load of crap, the Qingyun Sect! All they do is play tricks! They won't accept me? I don't care! A penniless nobody like that, acting like some kind of prestigious sect!"

With that, he cursed and swaggered down the mountain amidst the scornful stares of the crowd.

This little incident only served to highlight Zhao Ya's precious composure.

Shen Mo walked up to Zhao Ya and saw that although she was shocked by the farce just now and her face was pale, she still stood there calmly. Although there was lingering fear in her eyes, there was no panic.

"Zhao Ya," Shen Mo said gently, "would you like to join my Qingyun Sect? It may be poor, but I can teach you the skills to make a living."

Zhao Ya raised her head, looked at Shen Mo, then at Su Xiao beside her with gentle eyes. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she nodded firmly, her voice choked with emotion but clear, saying, "I do! Thank you... thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you, Sister!"

"Alright." Shen Mo nodded in response. "From today onwards, you will be an outer disciple of my Qingyun Sect. Your name 'Ya' is a bit too casual, so I'll give you a new name. I hope you have a clear mind and a beautiful appearance, so I'll call you 'Zhao Qingyan,' how does that sound?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya—no, Zhao Qingyan—shook up, tears instantly welling in her eyes. This name, for her, was not only respect and recognition, but also a completely new beginning.

She knelt down with a thud, choking back tears, and said, "Zhao Qingyan... Thank you, Sect Leader, for bestowing this name upon me!"