Senior Brother Qiao said, "Yes!" His stature was tall, his voice full of vigor. He smiled kindly at Li Xian.
Li Xian responded with a composed salute, though inwardly he criticized, "These thieves are rather particular." At least there was so arrangent. As the ship docked, he imdiately escaped. He was in the Martial Arts Second Realm, sinking as soon as he entered the water. His agility was far inferior to a First Realm Martial Artist.
Senior Brother Qiao laughed, "Brother Hua, we disciples of the Flower Cage Sect often endure pursuits; it’s quite normal. No need to be sad."
Li Xian replied, "I’ve cald down. Heaven watched over , allowing to et you." Senior Brother Qiao laughed heartily, patting Li Xian’s shoulder, "Indeed, enduring a great calamity ans future blessings. Don’t think too much about it."
As they spoke, they arrived at a ship cabin. The door was low, with an oil lamp flickering. The mottled wooden walls were growing mold, extrely damp and suffocating.
Li Xian, being tall, had to bow his head to enter. Inside the room was a wooden bed and wooden desk. As the river flowed and beat against it, the ship swayed left and right, and the bed and desk emitted odd sounds like "creak" "creak".
Li Xian attempted to lie on the bed. He had to curl up, the bed board was very hard. No different from sleeping on the ground.
Senior Brother Qiao laughed, "Register disciple treatnt is like this. When you beco an Order Holding Disciple, you’ll move to a bigger room."
Li Xian said, "Senior Brother Qiao, I was pursued as soon as I entered the Flower Cage Sect. I haven’t had a chance to understand the sect’s details, may I ask you to explain?"
Senior Brother Qiao said, "Easy, easy. Hmm... Brother Hua... you seem rather handso." Using the candlelight for illumination, he clearly saw Li Xian’s face.
Li Xian was wet all over, hair disheveled. Difficult to see his features, but now having escaped danger, he combed his long hair back, revealing his facial features. Senior Brother Qiao gradually noticed.
Li Xian said, "Just a shell." Senior Brother Qiao clicked his tongue in amazent, saying, "Our Flower Cage Sect, well... truly echoes through the Great Wu as a super sect!"
Li Xian thought, "Perhaps infamously." Senior Brother Qiao said, "Look at ordinary sects’ disciples, aren’t they all from prestigious backgrounds? Ordinary poor families seldom reach the Food Essence Realm. Not due to lack of ability, but because there’s no path."
"Our Flower Cage Sect, on the contrary, advocates teaching regardless of class. Whoever enters our sect, regardless of origin or status. We from humble beginnings, seeking advancent, can only walk this path. Therefore... Brother Hua, you should cherish it."
Li Xian, with a weak body, sought Martial Arts, enduring countless dangers. He slightly agreed with this. The Flower Cage Sect was indeed shaful, but for ordinary clay embryos seeking advancent, paths were rare. This path, though crooked and evil, was nonetheless a "path."
Senior Brother Qiao said again, "I understand you’ve just joined the Flower Cage Sect. Knowing our deeds, you might feel extrely disliked. But, let tell you a secret, and you’ll understand... within Jianghu, there’s no such thing as righteous or evil."
Li Xian curiously asked, "Senior Brother Qiao, please tell."
Senior Brother Qiao sat on the bed, lightly patting Li Xian’s shoulder, the cramped room holding the two just barely. He said, "You know why our Flower Cage Sect frequently evades encirclent? Naturally, we’re skilled at escaping. But... there’s another reason."
"Sotis, those who commission us outwardly pursue us. Their chase seems strict, yet intentionally leaves gaps. We always slip through, thus the Flower Cage Sect never ceases."
"Those righteous sects, seemingly dignified but truly disgusting. We, born of poverty, inherently petty individuals. Might as well be consistent, small as small can be, so what’s the harm!"
Li Xian said, "Senior Brother Qiao makes a point." He thought, "Jianghu resembles this great river, splendid on the surface, yet mud accumulates below. Stir the water with a move, and it’s muddied... how can one distinguish good from evil, clean from dirty. All I can do is uphold my principles, relentlessly move forward."
"As for being a good person... I’m afraid I can’t claim that either."
Senior Brother Qiao said, "I suppose Brother Hua isn’t familiar with our Flower Cage Sect rules. Let tell you, rember them well."
He imdiately detailed the sect’s rules and order, rank arrangents... Li Xian, thinking he wouldn’t stay long, feigned compliance while seriously noting them down.
The Flower Cage Sect has four levels: "Miscellaneous," "Register," "Token," "Seal Flower."
Li Xian belonged below "Register," a very low status. Senior Brother Qiao said, "Brother Hua, no need to rush. Perform well, and soon you’ll be recorded, becoming a Register disciple. As for Token disciples, that’s not difficult. But becoming ’Seal Flower’ is slightly challenging."
...
After a brief conversation, Senior Brother Qiao had other business and left. Two maidservants ca, delivering clothes to change into. Li Xian laughed, "Thank you!" and took the clothing.
The maidservants stood aside, guarding the door.
Li Xian closed the door tightly. He lightly patted the clothes, they were ordinary cloth clothes, quite coarse in material, not much craft to speak of. To be cautious, fearing poison hidden in the clothes, he focused his energy, opened his mouth, and exhaled.
Clear Qi washed away impurities, the clothes very new. Determining no poison chanism, he then changed into them. Attending to his belongings one by one.
Li Xian cald himself, looked around. Pondering the current situation. Wen Caishang was seeking vengeance from afar, yet he was trapped in the Flower Cage Sect. The situation was terrible.
The ship room had no windows, Li Xian opened his Heavy Pupils. Through the wooden wall, he saw the surging river surface. Knowing the flower boat had lifted anchor and was sailing again.
"If the ti is right, I will dive into the river to escape, leaving this ship. But this can’t be rushed, and must be concealed. Otherwise, skilled individuals on the ship may jump in to catch . Escaping would be difficult."
Li Xian furrowed his brow, staring at the flickering oil lamp. After half an hour, Li Xian opened the door to go outside for fresh air under the pretense of resting, waiting for the right mont to escape.
The two maidservants reached out, blocking his way. In unison, they said, "Go back. Without Elder Ye’s orders, you’re not allowed outside."
Li Xian said, "Why other disciples..." One maidservant said, "Though you have a token, you don’t understand our sect’s Martial Arts. That’s suspicious, Elder Ye hasn’t fully trusted you."
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