"Then... what does Uncle want us to do?"
Li Yuan said, "Just to pass down my Cultivation Skill. And... just live your own lives well. How you do it, I won’t ask or interfere."
"Thank you, Uncle," Xu Lan said, hesitating slightly, her large eyes lowering slightly, her pretty face gently restrained. She then opened her lips to ask, "But... can I know why Uncle chose me? Is it because... I’m pretty?"
Li Yuan laughed, "Of course not. It’s because... you’re special."
"I’m... special?" Xu Lan asked with a complex expression.
Li Yuan nodded, "Your face shows nobility. Despite the hardships, you’ll become a great person."
"I..."
Xu Lan’s expression changed a few times and then asked, "Did Uncle hear from my brother about the fortune-telling?"
Li Yuan exclaimed in surprise, "What fortune-telling?"
Xu Lan then recounted the fortune-telling event their family encountered when she was young.
Li Yuan laughed, "Isn’t that a coincidence? I never expected that fortune-teller to share my view."
At this moment, a great wave had already stirred in Xu Lan’s heart, and a newfound confidence began to grow.
She... was destined to become a great figure.
She... was born extraordinary.
But in fact, this was all a lie by Li Yuan, and the effect Li Yuan desired.
If one believes oneself to be a "child of destiny," their achievements will often far surpass those who think of themselves as a "little beggar."
He heard about the fortune-telling from Xu Sheng in the great prison, and now he just went along with it, further reinforcing Xu Lan’s confidence.
However, he wasn’t certain that Xu Lan could comprehend his [South Mountain Ghost Rain Visualization] and master that one form of the Demon Blade. This was merely an additional gamble.
He held hope for every child here and every one who would come in the future...
But as for which seed would sprout and grow into a great tree, he could not know.
...
Li Yuan stayed here for nearly two months.
Among the twelve beggars, eight successfully practiced Shadow Blood and broke through to the Ninth Grade, including Xu Lan and Xu Sheng.
Li Yuan left them some weapons and money, and also left Ninth Grade Demon Beast Meat sufficient for three months of training, then decided to leave.
The Xu siblings had always known he would leave, and at this moment, they were somewhat reluctant.
"Uncle, we’ll guard this mansion!" Xu Sheng said.
And Xu Lan said, "Uncle, this mansion doesn’t have a name yet, give it one."
Li Yuan thought for a moment, took pen and ink, and with a flourish wrote two words: She Xiang.
Another nearby little beggar asked, "Uncle, what does this mean?"
Li Yuan said, "She, meaning luxury, Xiang, meaning hometown.
She, is Uncle’s expectation of you. Uncle hopes you can rely on strength to grow stronger, thereby gaining a luxurious life.
But... never forget, this is where you came from."
Xu Lan had the words "She Xiang" placed onto a plaque, hung above the inner hall door, and she said, "Uncle, this isn’t She Xiang yet, so... I won’t hang it on the outer door. When it is, I will."
Li Yuan looked at these young boys and girls.
To be honest, he just wanted to use these kids, and he was encouraging them to fall into the Demon Path, so he wrote "She Xiang" to add a chip named "Desire" to their hearts.
However, if some of these kids could walk the path of the [Thousand-Mile Knight Visualization], he wouldn’t be stingy.
After all, whether a hero or a demon, they all make trouble.
He felt tired and unable to take care of nurturing a "Righteous Path" force.
Xu Sheng suddenly said, "Uncle, if... other little beggars want to learn your Cultivation Skill, can we teach them?"
As soon as he finished speaking, silence fell around him.
Li Yuan slowly turned his head and asked, "Do you know the etiquette of master and disciple?"
Xu Sheng lowered his head and said, "I was wrong..."
But in fact, he didn’t understand because they once wanted to acknowledge Uncle as their master, but Uncle didn’t agree, only allowing them to call him Uncle.
Li Yuan said, "Xiao Sheng, I mean if they want to learn this Cultivation Skill, they need to know how to apprentice, how to respect a master. When they’ve done that, you can take them under your wing."
With that, he took out a letter he had prepared in advance from his bosom and handed it to Xu Lan: "After I leave, you can take this letter to the Songhe Restaurant, and then you can go hunting, fishing, or gathering mountain goods. As long as the goods are good, the Songhe Restaurant will buy them from you."
Songhe Restaurant is the largest restaurant in Cyan Pool County.
But few know that the restaurant has actually been quietly acquired by the Hengwu Restaurant, and the current restaurant owner is a trusted aide sent by Xue Ning.
Seeing the letter, the owner would surely recognize the secret text on it to know what to do and what not to do.
This was also the path he left for these young boys and girls.
"Uncle, won’t you come back?" Xu Lan asked.
Li Yuan said, "After some time, when you’ve made progress, I’ll naturally come back and teach you the subsequent Dharma Gate."
With that, he smiled faintly, placed his hands behind his back, and walked away, disappearing without a trace in an instant.
All the disciples in She Xiang watched, and then one by one, they knelt in the direction he left, kowtowed, and in unison said to this mysterious man who changed their destinies, "Take care, Uncle."
Immediately, they each stood up, each gripping their blades, their eyes flashing with a dangerous gleam.
The black bird quietly watched from the branches above.
Li Yuan, however, had already bought a horse in the county, mounted it, and headed north.
In his mind, his thoughts drifted away.