Chapter 227: Kindness

Lin Xueru glanced at him, lowered her head, and said, "Yes!"

Feng Du, before leaving, carefully reminded her twice, "Your father is the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Evolution Sect; even if he doesn't like you, there's no reason to let others bully you."

"No matter who comes to trouble you, just strike back; if everything is already prepared for you, you shouldn't still let anyone bully you. That would be your own problem—understood?"

Got it.

This time Lin Xueru truly remembered.

The worst-case scenario she had imagined didn't occur; although her father didn't appear to directly back her up,

from Feng Ling's attitude it seemed that even if her father disliked her, he still wouldn't let others freely harass her.

Unless… she can't stand up for herself.

And that's enough.

Lin Xueru gauged her situation and no longer felt the same uneasy anxiety as when she arrived.

She sat on a stone bench, idly rubbed the black bag for a while, then took off a green sachet from her waist.

The sachet was also a storage pouch, a gift from Elder Lu, and looked far prettier than the black bag the servant disciples had brought.

Lin Xueru took a dagger out of the sachet, then made a tiny incision on her fingertip and pressed it onto the black bag.

The black bag sucked up the drop of blood from her fingertip, and soon Lin Xueru saw a mountain of items piled inside.

Honestly, it's no exaggeration to say that even the dowry she saved over ten years in the mortal world wasn't this much.

Lin Xueru considered herself someone who had seen the Crown Prince in a few grand events, yet this time she was truly stunned.

It wasn't until the Steward of Mount Changbai arrived with more than twenty outer disciples that she gradually came to her senses.

Looking at those outer disciples behind the Steward, whose spiritual aura far surpassed that of ordinary mortal youths, Lin Xueru once again realized the difference between the cultivation world and the mortal world.

She took a deep breath, forced down the rising panic in her heart, fixed a calm expression, looked at the Steward, and asked:

"How many of these people can I keep?"

The Steward wore a perfectly timed smile, "It depends on Senior Uncle's needs; if Senior Uncle thinks all twenty‑three of them are suitable, then keep them all."

Lin Xueru furrowed her brows slightly; Mount Changbai had its own servant disciples, so tasks like menial work or errands didn't require these outer disciples.

Moreover, according to Elder Lu, only outer disciples, compared with servant disciples, can be called formal disciples of the Heavenly Extreme Sect.

In plain terms, servant disciples have an employment relationship with the Heavenly Extreme Sect and are protected by its regulations.

But once they leave the sect, unless they are on official business, hardly anyone pays attention to their lives or deaths.

Outer disciples are different; once they join the sect and receive the sect's Fish Talisman, their births and deaths are recorded in the register.

After death the sect may even investigate whether they died unjustly and grant generous compensation to the outer disciple's relatives.

Of course, Lin Xueru remained skeptical about that part.

Because there are so many outer disciples, the Heavenly Extreme Sect has over four hundred thousand members, with outer disciples making up eighty percent.

Each year a considerable number of them die from various accidents.

How could the Law Hall of the Heavenly Extreme Sect investigate the cause of death for every outer disciple daily, and still afford generous compensation for each?

Nevertheless, none of this concerned Lin Xueru; she scanned the twenty‑three outer disciples behind the Steward.

In her mind she quickly selected the seven she deemed keepable—those whose eyes showed a hint of obsession and whose faces bore a yearning to stay.

Having some desire and request toward her made them easier to manipulate.

"Just those seven, Steward—any other suggestions?"

Lin Xueru listed the seven she chose to the Steward in one breath; seeing a hint of hesitation on his face, she pressed her lips subtly and added, "I'm new here, feel free to speak openly."

The Steward finally relaxed, pointed to a green‑skirted girl beside him and said, "She was sent by Lord Yunfu's family; they said they want her to accompany Senior Uncle."

Her father has a family behind him?

He hadn't heard Elder Lu mention that.

Curiosity flickered in Lin Xueru's mind; looking at the nervous green‑skirted girl, she gave a faint smile and said, "Since that's the case, let her stay as well."

And so the green‑skirted girl, who hadn't been chosen, stayed.

After the Steward left, Lin Xueru began asking each of them their names and specialties.

The green‑skirted girl was the only one of the eight not selected by Lin Xueru, so she acted very proactively, probably hoping to make a good impression before Lin Xueru.

"Senior Uncle, I'm Lin Yunyan, fourteen this year, at the seventh layer of the Energy‑refining stage, with Water‑Wood Dual Spiritual Roots, proficient in water alchemy and talisman crafting."

After speaking, the green‑skirted girl stared nervously at Lin Xueru.

The Lin family was just a small clan; thanks to Lord Yunfu they had reached this point, so once the rumor spread that Lord Yunfu had a daughter, the Lin family hurriedly sent her over to curry favor with Lord Yunfu's daughter.

She was just too nervous; when Lin Xueru looked at her, she lowered her head, which Lin Xueru took as a sign she didn't want to stay.

Since she wasn't sincere about staying, Lin Xueru wouldn't force her, to avoid future trouble.

"Alright, next."

Actually, hearing that Lin Yunyan could refine elixirs and craft talismans, Lin Xueru was genuinely pleased.

She just didn't like her overly meek temperament, which made it seem as if she were bullying her.

"Senior Uncle, I'm Lu Feiyu, fifteen years old, with Gold‑Wood‑Fire‑Earth Four Spiritual Roots, just graduated from the Silk‑Body Hall, and plan to develop toward the Artificer disciple path."

After speaking, the blue‑robed youth pressed his lips together, looking at Lin Xueru with some nervousness.

He was probably afraid his Four Spiritual Roots would disappoint the delicate and beautiful Senior Uncle.

Yet Lin Xueru merely gave him a gentle smile; whatever she thought inside, at least she didn't show her true feelings on her face.

Consequently, the blue‑robed youth's gaze toward Lin Xueru grew even more admiring.

……

When all eight outer disciples finished their introductions, Lin Xueru finally kept only Lin Yunyan and Lu Feiyu; the others were told to find servant disciples and a place to stay.

"Senior Uncle"

Lin Yunyan hadn't expected to be kept, and two pink flushes instantly rose on her face.

Lu Feiyu, who was beside her, also wouldn't give way; he clenched both hands tightly and stared at Lin Xuerou without letting go.

It wasn't until Lin Xuerou frowned uncomfortably and looked over that Lu Feiyu realized his rudeness; his complexion went pale, and he quickly lowered his head to apologize, "Senior Uncle, forgive me, it is Feiyu who was rude."

Lin Xuerou gave a light "Hmm" and said, "I want to go see other places tomorrow; do you have any recommendations?"

Cultivation matters must be taken seriously, but the environment should also be investigated in advance; otherwise, when you set out later you won't even know where the places you intend to go are, and that would be fun.

Lin Xuerou doesn't like that feeling of being out of her control.