Xiao Yu followed behind Zhang Ziling, keeping his head down and eyes straight ahead the entire time.
Once they reached a study, Zhang Ziling sat on a wooden chair and said, "You sure are bold, daring to act so high-profile just after reaching the Qi Refining Stage. Aren't you afraid of causing trouble?"
Xiao Yu respectfully stepped forward, "I just couldn't stand those two bullying Senior Sister Lu. Master, your discerning eyes surely saw through it!"
Zhang Ziling softly replied, "You certainly know how to make a first impression. I haven't even accepted you as a disciple yet, and you're so sure I will?"
Xiao Yu quickly knelt on one knee, "If the senior doesn't accept me because of what happened earlier, I have no complaints. We cultivators pursue a clear conscience. Even if I had to do it again, I wouldn't let Senior Sister Lu be bullied!"
"Because she stood up for me first, I must repay her!"
Zhang Ziling picked up a cup of cold tea beside her and smiled, "You're quite the loyal and righteous young man. My tea has gone cold."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu was overjoyed. He quickly used his magical power to heat the teacup, then knelt on both knees to present the hot tea, "Disciple Xiao Yu, thanks Master for accepting me as your disciple!"
"Disciple Xiao Yu, from a humble background, has long admired Master’s great name and wishes to learn supreme spells under your tutelage!"
"I also vow to follow Master’s teachings, to promote the path of Harmonious Union, and to solve any troubles for Master!"
Zhang Ziling smiled slightly, not interrupting.
Xiao Yu bowed his head again, "Disciple wishes to perform the disciple's rites, to always stay by Master’s side, and to follow only Master’s orders, never failing your expectations!"
Zhang Ziling slowly accepted the tea offered by Xiao Yu, "Not bad, you have a way with words and are quite clever!"
Xiao Yu remained kneeling, kowtowing three times.
He understood the rules of the cultivation world; one must kowtow when apprenticing.
Otherwise, the other party would not drink the tea.
"Disciple Xiao Yu!!! Thanks Master for your great kindness!"
Zhang Ziling nodded, took the tea, and drank it.
Then she gestured for Xiao Yu to rise, "Tell me, what do you want as a protective item?"
Xiao Yu bowed his head and clasped his hands, "Disciple already has the Puppet Eagle given by Master, I dare not ask for more!"
Zhang Ziling waved her hand, "No matter, that was your due as an Alchemist. How about this, you can choose one among a cultivation method, a magical artifact, or a talisman."
After some thought, Xiao Yu clasped his hands, "Thank you for your generosity, Master. Disciple... chooses a magical artifact!"
Zhang Ziling chuckled, "Oh? So you already have a cultivation method? Is it the Harmonious Union Technique of our sect?"
Xiao Yu subconsciously swallowed; it seemed Zhang Ziling was probing him.
He had been careless.
"Uh... Disciple is indeed cultivating the Harmonious Union Technique..."
Zhang Ziling slowly placed the teacup on the table, "I noticed there are more maids in your Alchemy Room. You seem quite busy, but let me remind you, do not bring mortals up here!"
Xiao Yu: "Disciple... Disciple merely released those four women from Elder Wu's Jade Maiden Gourd by chance, they were not brought up from the mortal world by me. Moreover, I observed that they all have Spirit Roots, so I thought of recruiting them as disciples of our Sect of Harmonious Union!"
"And I have promised them, if they wish to leave, I will send them back after the war ends..."
"The most important thing is that the war is intense right now. If I send them back now, and those self-righteous factions find them, they will surely capture and soul-search them. Those factions wouldn't hesitate to kill a few mortals to destroy us!" Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Zhang Ziling nodded slightly, "Indeed... Previously, the Profound Spirit Sect besieged our sect members on Riverflow Mountain to seize it, and the mortals on the mountain were not spared..."
Xiao Yu looked around solemnly, "By the way, Master... Disciple has something to report!"
Zhang Ziling raised her hand and cast a soundproof barrier, "Speak freely!"
Xiao Yu quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Before Master arrived at the branch hall, I heard some people talking about the Jade Maiden Sect!"
"The chief disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect, Hua Lian, has a secret lifelong commitment with the chief disciple of the Profound Spirit Sect, Lin Ce. The large-scale attack on Riverflow Mountain by the Profound Spirit Sect might be related to this!"
"Moreover, the junior sister of the Jade Maiden Sect's leader, Bai Yue, seems to have arrived near Riverflow City. She should be a powerful cultivator at the Golden Core Stage. If our branch hall encounters her, it could be disastrous..."
"Master should plan ahead... This place is on the frontline, defend if we can, but do not force it if we cannot. Those in the sect are eager to see us fail."
Zhang Ziling frowned upon hearing this. No wonder the Sect of Harmonious Union's leader had not returned from the eastern frontline.
It seemed they were entangled.
However, she was unaware of the secret commitment between Lin Ce of the Profound Spirit Sect and Hua Lian.
"I see... No wonder Elder Wu died on Riverflow Mountain, it must have been the work of Lin Ce's master!"
"Recently, there have been rumors that Bai Yue, the leader of the Jade Maiden Sect, is not dead, spread by three disciples of the Profound Spirit Sect. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but you are quite attentive."
Zhang Ziling said this as she took out a low-grade short bow and placed it in front of Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu thanked her again and put the short bow away.
Zhang Ziling rested her chin on one hand, looking charmingly at Xiao Yu, who couldn't help but be captivated.
Zhang Ziling glanced at him sideways, then said softly, "You should go back and continue helping me with alchemy. The month is not yet over, it might delay your cultivation."
"Afterwards, I will reward you with some hundred-year-old Spirit Herbs. Although your cultivation base is lacking, you have been in this branch hall for some time. What do you think of this battle?"
Xiao Yu pondered, though he hadn't been to the frontline much, he mostly did odd jobs and slacked off here.
But since she asked, he had to say something.
Besides, he felt that Zhang Ziling was probing his intentions.
Or perhaps testing his sincerity?
After some thought, Xiao Yu looked at the map in the study and said, "Reporting to Master, currently, our Sect of Harmonious Union's leader has joined forces with the Thousand Poisons Sect and Blood Refinement Hall, engaging in battle with the Profound Spirit Sect at Wind Valley for several months!"
"The Demon-Taming Sect and Spirit Beast Sect are fighting fiercely in the east for the title of the strongest beast-taming sect, with no intention of joining the main battle!"
"And the main force of the Profound Spirit Sect is also at the Wind Valley frontline, leaving only a portion to guard Riverflow City and Riverflow Mountain."
"Our location is essentially a marginal area, with scarce supplies, few high-grade disciples, and only two large defensive formations."
"I've always felt that this place is meant for cannon fodder, without even a single Golden Core Stage cultivator. So I dare say many disciples in our branch hall have already prepared escape routes!"
"Some have probably already contacted the lackeys of the righteous factions, planning to defect. Master must be cautious!"
Zhang Ziling was well aware of her role here.
She was sent to hold back the Profound Spirit Sect's forces and relieve pressure on the frontline.
But she was the only Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator here.
Even if the other side had one more Golden Core Stage cultivator, or even just another Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, the balance of power would be disrupted.
And just this morning, she received a secret order from the sect, instructing her to lead the branch hall's three hundred disciples to attack Riverflow City by a roundabout route. This story is hosted at NovelPing.
Once Riverflow City was taken, using the lives of the city's mortals as a shield, the Profound Spirit Sect would surely retreat.
Then, a gap would appear on the frontline.
She was certain that the righteous factions wouldn't care about the lives of Riverflow City's people.
Moreover, she didn't want to involve mortals.
At this moment, Xiao Yu stepped forward with a small flag, "Master, we can take a different approach!"
"Those people want us to be cannon fodder, we must think for ourselves. The area we occupy is perpetually foggy, and there is a bay to the west, quite hidden!"
"We can send dozens of disciples to build an underwater base in that bay. If the enemy launches a major attack, we can have those disciples raid the Jade Maiden Sect!!!"
"The enemy will surely retreat! We can just keep pulling them back and forth, dragging it out!"
"If they don't attack, we won't raid. If they attack, we'll hit the Jade Maiden Sect! Then set up a teleportation formation, if they send Golden Core Stage cultivators, we can just run..."
Zhang Ziling looked puzzled at the coordinates of the Jade Maiden Sect, "But now the Jade Maiden Sect is occupied by Lin Ce's master, Huang Lin. He's at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, equal in strength to me. Although the Jade Maiden Sect is destroyed, it's easy to defend and hard to attack..."
Xiao Yu quickly said, "Our branch hall previously captured some disciples of the Jade Maiden Sect. Master can gather them for me to interrogate!"
"Within three days, I will extract the strategic map of the Jade Maiden Sect! Once we know the layout, we can find a breakthrough!"
"The Profound Spirit Sect has only occupied it for a few days, they surely aren't familiar with the Jade Maiden Sect's layout. What if there's a hidden passage inside..."
Zhang Ziling's eyes lit up, "You mean to shift the battlefield to the Jade Maiden Sect's location? To buy time?"
Xiao Yu: "Yes... Those above don't care about our lives. By doing this, we can both hold them back and be ready to flee at any time. We just need to set up the teleportation formation in advance, in a hidden place..."
"Then we can use those female cultivators of the Jade Maiden Sect as hostages!"
Zhang Ziling hesitated for a moment, and Xiao Yu quickly added, "Disciple is merely offering a suggestion. Whether to adopt it is entirely up to Master! Disciple only wishes to protect Master, with no ulterior motives, even if it means doing something against heaven and earth, I will not regret it!"
"If those Jade Maiden Sect disciples have a chance to get a magical artifact, they will surely strike us down!!!"
Zhang Ziling nodded, "Alright! I will entrust all the female cultivators of the Jade Maiden Sect in the branch hall to you. Within three days, you must draw a map of the Jade Maiden Sect! I want every corner clearly depicted!"
"You are quite good! I was right about you. If we take the old site of the Jade Maiden Sect, you will have the first merit!"
Xiao Yu quickly clasped his hands, "It's all thanks to Master's guidance!"
Then Xiao Yu returned to the Alchemy Room.
All the way, he kept thinking about Zhang Ziling's beautiful figure.
If she was truly sincere with him, he would naturally do everything he could to help her.
Thinking about soon having all the Jade Maiden Sect captives brought to the Alchemy Room, he couldn't help but swallow in excitement.
Just as he was lost in thought, a Fireball Talisman suddenly shot from afar!
It almost knocked him off the Jade Maiden Gourd.
Mei Chunlan's expression was sinister, "You actually dodged it! Just a few days and you're at the first level of Qi Refining? You really have a big secret! I'm growing more fond of you, Junior Brother Xiao!"
Beside her, Ma Cuihong raised her hand and took out three Fireball Talismans, "What are you talking for! Let's finish him off quickly!"