Chapter Thirty: The Chief of the Outer Sect Disciples

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Li Tianjun, it turned out, had lived for generations in the Li Family Village, several hundred miles from the city. Despite his imposing stature, his natural aptitude was exceptional. At around ten years of age, by a stroke of fortune, he caught the eye of a traveling elder from a sect, who accepted him as an outer disciple of the Infinite Sect.

He once believed that this would mark his ascent—departing from the mundane world, stepping into the gates of cultivation. But upon entering the sect, he realized its depths were unfathomable. The Infinite Sect was one of the eight great sects in Wuzhou, founded a millennium ago when its first patriarch discovered a treasure-laden place in the deep mountains, rich in spiritual energy, and established the sect there. Over a thousand years, the sect grew immensely powerful. The outer disciples numbered in the tens of thousands, and inner disciples counted in the thousands.

The Infinite Sect comprised five great peaks: Wind Peak, Cloud Peak, Water Peak, Fire Peak, and Mist Peak, each occupied by a branch of the sect. Li Tianjun was merely an outer disciple of the second peak, Cloud Peak. Outer disciples had little access to resources, their positions akin to menial servants of the sect. For the sake of advancement, he devoted himself to years of arduous cultivation.

Li Tianjun was a filial son, but the sect lay a thousand miles from his home, and outer disciples were not permitted to leave the sect at will. For over a decade, he was unable to return home to visit his parents. Only by entering the inner sect could he gain the opportunity to travel outside for training, and thereby hope to visit his aged parents whom he could not let go of.

In his twenties, through remarkable talent, he became a master in the Integration stage. During the outer disciple assessment, he rose to first place, becoming the most prominent figure among the five peaks, and smoothly entered the inner sect.

He thought that once he entered the inner sect, with better methods and resources, he would thrive. Yet the inner sect valued lineage and background; the best resources and opportunities were reserved for the direct descendants of the elders. His mentor in the inner sect, Qi Honghai, treated him well but was himself a struggler from the outer sect, without any foundation or means to secure resources. Both, coming from humble origins, were isolated within the sect.

By relying on his own insight and working several times harder than others, Li Tianjun reached the late Integration stage at thirty, becoming a leading figure among inner disciples, but this only attracted the jealousy and suppression of the elders’ protégés.

All the major sects’ headquarters were in the wilderness, with little ties to city-states, and for the sake of cultivation resources, they often clashed, beyond royal control. The Infinite Sect and the Cloud Heaven Sect, both among the eight great sects, had a longstanding rivalry, with frequent conflicts. Because Li Tianjun was highly regarded among the outer disciples, the sect assigned him to lead a squad of several hundred outer disciples in a major sect war.

Sects prized individual cultivation over collective warfare. Li Tianjun, eager to learn, often delved into ancient sect tomes, studying battle formations others ignored. With his keen sense for warfare and quick adaptability, his squad repeatedly achieved victories, causing significant losses to the Cloud Heaven Sect.

Over time, his reputation soared, with hints he might become the foremost inner disciple. Yet a tree that stands out in the forest is easily toppled, and he found himself ensnared in internal sect strife.

The sect master, the vice masters of the five peaks, and a number of influential, ambitious elders, all wished their own descendants to inherit the position of sect master. The sect was rife with hidden currents and complex factions. The arrival of an outsider stirring up the situation made Li Tianjun the target of collective hostility and constant obstacles.

During a major battle for a secret realm treasure against the Cloud Heaven Sect, his squad happened to pass near Li Family Village. Seizing the opportunity, he secretly returned home to visit the family he had long yearned for.

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He entered his home at night and saw that his once youthful mother, her hair now streaked with white, shriveled on her bed, her form gaunt and withered. Mother and son questioned each other, confirming the return of their kin, before embracing and weeping bitterly. Upon inquiry, he learned his father had passed away years ago. His elderly mother was frail and plagued by illness, barely able to care for herself, relying solely on the help of friends and relatives in the village, despairing of ever seeing her son again.

Li Tianjun was overcome with grief. Having left home young to pursue cultivation, he had hoped to achieve greatness, yet failed even to see his father one last time—a lifelong regret. Now his mother too had little time left. Resolutely, he planned to request leave from the sect after the battle, to return home for some time and treat his mother’s illness.

But unexpectedly, his squad was deliberately used as cannon fodder. Once encircled, it was clear to him that the sect’s upper echelons intended to eliminate him, luring him to the Cloud Heaven Sect’s heavily fortified territory.

After fighting fiercely and being captured, the Cloud Heaven Sect tried to entice him by revealing evidence of his betrayal, confirming his suspicions. With his temperament, even in defeat, he would have fought to the death, unlikely to be captured. But with his mother needing him, he could only swallow his anger and await ransom.

He waited for two months. Other captured inner disciples were gradually ransomed or exchanged. Then he learned he was truly abandoned—not merely to taste defeat and diminish his prestige, but to ensure he never returned to the sect.

The Cloud Heaven Sect, seeing they could not win him over and resenting the damage he had caused, subjected him to torment, wishing him a fate worse than death. They locked his shoulder bones and sold him as a war slave in the market.

He was sold to several families, tormented with anxiety and impatience, desperate to return home, having tried both escape and defiance. Each time, he was beaten half to death and sent back to the labor market. By now, half a year had passed, and he did not know if his mother yet lived.

At this point, Li Tianjun’s eyes brimmed with sorrow and rage. Yang Cheng and Lu Baichuan, too, fell silent, sighing deeply. People say the Great Path is indifferent, but the sects are even colder; what chance does a mere disciple have to resist?

“So you’ve been constantly worried for your mother’s safety?” Yang Cheng asked.

Li Tianjun clasped his hands in salute. “That is so, young master. Please forgive me.”

“Your filial devotion is admirable. There is no fault in it,” Yang Cheng mused briefly. “This way—rest tonight, and tomorrow morning you may return home to visit your mother.”

Li Tianjun was stunned, tears welling in his tiger eyes. Was he truly being allowed to go home?

Realizing it, he bowed deeply, choking out, “Thank you, young master, for your great kindness. I shall remember this favor all my life.”

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With that, he turned to leave.

“Wait. Are you planning to go just like this?”

Li Tianjun was startled—was he worried that I might not return, that I might escape once home?

“With your current status, you likely cannot leave the city. Besides, do you wish to visit your mother as a slave? Would you not only increase her sorrow? I’ll have Steward Yang go to the officials to arrange your restoration to freedom. Rest for the night, and wait until the process is complete.”

“Well done, Brother Yang. I, Lu, am impressed.” Lu Baichuan, beside them, clapped his hands. He was naturally chivalrous and righteous, unable to bear the sight of suffering.

“This...” Li Tianjun was utterly shaken, unable to express his gratitude.

Li Tianjun said, “Young master, are you not afraid that once I leave, I will disappear forever and never return?”

Yang Cheng looked at him earnestly. “First, I cannot bear the thought of your elderly mother waiting in vain for her son in her last days. Second, I respect your pure-hearted devotion. Whether you return or not, I do not mind. Let us be friends, and if fate allows, we shall meet again on the road of life.”

“Of course, as you can see, I am sorely lacking in manpower. If you wish to help me, I would welcome it!” Yang Cheng added.

Li Tianjun lowered his head and clasped his hands. “After I have visited and settled my mother, I shall return within half a month.”

Yang Cheng smiled and waved his hand. Just as he said, he truly could not bear it. As for releasing a slave, it mattered little—such wealth was insignificant to him.