Chapter 83 - A Gift
The place where the sects recruited their disciples was in the northeast corner of the town. There were significantly fewer people in the area, with no performances and noise. In fact, there was a kind of solemnity in the air.
When they reached the area, Li Nianfan was quite surprised to find that there were more people than he expected there to be. There were some renowned cultivators as well as children with their parents.
Some of them had big grins on their faces while some looked disappointed. Of course, there were more frowns than grins!
The so-called recruitment was a test of Spiritual Root. Unfortunately, most of the people present did not possess much Spiritual Root.
“Mr. Li, you came!” Auntie Zhang saw Li Nianfan and instantly walked over to greet him. One could tell that she seemed rather upset.
Li Nianfan asked, “Auntie Zhang, what happened?”
“Sigh, it’s because of Nanan,” Auntie Zhang sighed and said in a distressed tone. “Nanan only has an Inferior Spiritual Root, yet she insists on cultivating. She won’t listen to me!”
Li Nianfan frowned, “Where’s she?”
“There!” Auntie Zhang pointed to a little girl who was standing in line, her eyes red but determined. The other children beside her had the same looks on their faces as well, and at the front of the line was an old woman who also wore a sad look on her face.
Normally, there was a hierarchy between the sects. The queue led by the old woman was located at a secluded corner, making it apparent that they were an inferior sect. The children with Superior Spiritual Root would be recruited by the bigger sects while the smaller sects could only recruit those with Inferior Spiritual Root.
“Mr. Li, Nanan listens to you the most. You have to help me convince her,” Auntie Zhang said worriedly. “I’ve heard that those with Inferior Spiritual Root don’t have a bright future and usually end up being cannon fodder. On top of that, the sect she was recruited into is located in a secluded area. She’d be better off as an ordinary person!”
“Auntie Zhang, I’ll try to convince her. If Nanan doesn’t agree, perhaps you could let her have a try. It’s better than her regretting it in the future,” Li Nianfan said. He thought about it for a moment before walking toward Nanan.
“Nanan.”
“Brother Nianfan!” Nanan’s eyes reddened. “I only have Inferior Spiritual Root.”
“That’s not so bad. This is a very rare gift.” Li Nianfan smiled.
Nanan looked up at him with a sparkle in her eyes. “You’re not asking me to give up?”
Li Nianfan ruffled her hair. “Of course not. I’m here to give you a gift.”
He knew that Nanan was determined to cultivate and there was no way to talk her out of it.
The old woman of the sect turned to see the Holy Emperor! She jolted and walked toward them. “Greetings to the Holy Emperor, Princess Luo.”
The Holy Emperor nodded.
The old woman looked at Li Nianfan with a look of disbelief. She wondered who this ordinary man was that he could be accompanied by the Holy Emperor!
She then took another look at Nanan and her heart sank. It seemed that the disciple she recruited was not ordinary at all!
As for the Holy Emperor, he seemed calm on the surface but in reality, his heart was bleeding. He wanted to slap himself!
‘I’m a fool! I’m a pig!’ The Holy Emperor jeered at himself.
He knew that Li Nianfan was incredibly fond of Nanan. Why did he not recruit Nanan earlier? He missed out on a great opportunity!
Was the expert’s hint not clear enough? Why did he not think of it earlier?
The more he thought about it, the more upset he was! Now, he really wanted to recruit Nanan, but he did not want to risk offending Li Nianfan. The Holy Emperor’s brows tightened into a straight line.
“A gift?”
Nanan looked at Li Nianfan with excitement. “What gift?”
“Wait.” Li Nianfan smiled gently. He had prepared this earlier. He reached into his System Space and brought out his writing tools.
He glanced around and walked to a nearby stone table. He then rolled out the paper gradually.
The Holy Emperor’s heart throbbed. He had goosebumps all over his skin and he started feeling overwhelmed with anxiousness and excitement!
Was the expert about to…
If so, he could not begin to fathom how big this opportunity was going to be!
Under the bewildered gaze of the Holy Emperor, Li Nianfan asked Daji to help him prepare some ink while he closed his eyes to get into the mood.
If Nanan insisted on cultivating, then he might as well write her some blessings. Since cultivating was all about longevity, he hoped that Nanan could achieve that.
Gradually, Li Nianfan opened his eyes. They were filled with Insights.
He picked up his brush.
Instantly, ethereal Insights burst out like tidal waves! On the outside, it looked like he had blended in with nature, becoming one seamless entity.
The cultivators of the sects did not notice this corner earlier. Suddenly, they felt their hearts sinking. The Spiritual Qi in their bodies halted for a second as a shapeless pressure weighed down on them, making them breathless.
They all turned to Li Nianfan with terror and fear in their eyes.
Was he really an ordinary man?
“Insights Circulation! It’s the Insights Circulation!”
The slender elderly man who was watching from the hidden corner stared at the scene with his dilated pupils. He almost let out a scream!
No wonder the Holy Emperor would follow behind this ordinary man. He was not an ordinary man at all! He was a hidden expert!
The elderly man stared at the paper with a deadly gaze. He changed his mind.
‘He’s starting! He’s starting!’ The Holy Emperor stared at Li Nianfan, wide-eyed and holding his breath. He did not dare to move as he did not want to distract Li Nianfan.
Li Nianfan’s brush landed on the paper. The movement of his brush was like a dragon, writing the words all in one go.
[I am not ordinary. I leadeth an immortal life.]
Once the two short sentences were written, a strong wind blew, causing everyone’s clothes to blow in the wind. The wind seemed strong but also gentle, giving the people an indescribable comfort.
The ordinary men thought it was just the wind, but every cultivator present felt a huge swarm of Insights. The Insights came in the form of a wave that almost engulfed the entire land!
The swarm of Insights was merely a fraction of the Insights coming from the words!
The cultivators felt their hearts throbbing. They did not dare to breathe nor speak.
Where did this bigshot come from?
Nobody dared to ask nor to speak. They all trembled in silence.
The Holy Emperor stood the closest to Li Nianfan. Upon reading the words, he instantly heard ringing in his ears. It was as if he could see through a thin mist and into where the Immortals lived. There were Immortal buildings within a city ringing with Immortal music in the air. He was caught up with this view and unable to come back out.
Li Nianfan rolled up the paper and smiled. “Nanan, this is for you.”
“Thank you, Brother Nianfan.” Nanan accepted the gift happily.
She was not yet able to appreciate its deeper meaning. All she could feel was that Brother Nianfan’s writing was very beautiful, so beautiful they could fly off the paper.
He…he gave this…to an ordinary girl?
The cultivators were perplexed. Their brains were unable to process it. They did not know what this was all about!
The old woman’s mind went blank. She was unable to make sense of it at all. She felt like a puppet, transfixed in her spot.
A precious treasure!
That was beyond precious!
And he gave it to a disciple she had just recruited?
She felt as if she had just been knocked over by a delicious biscuit that had fallen from heaven! It felt like a dream!
“As long as you like it. Remember to work hard,” Li Nianfan said.
Nanan nodded vigorously as she promised, “Yes! I will!”
“Alright, it’s getting late. I should head home soon,” Li Nianfan said.
Nanan said suddenly, “Brother Nianfan, wait for me. When I grow up, I’ll gather all of the best things in the world and give them to you!”
“Hahaha! Alright, I’ll wait for you, then!”