Along the way, Li Guanqi saw many fellow disciples from across the sect.
People lingered in numerous spots, and some had even set up small stalls along the path winding up Tianzhu Peak.
The wares laid out on these ground stalls were bizarre and varied, covering just about everything.
Halfway up the mountain, he also saw the bustling, surging crowd outside the Mission Pavilion.
He had heard this was where all sect disciples would accept sect missions in the future.
The rewards for completing missions varied—some offered spirit stones, while others gave miscellaneous items or medicinal pills.
However, the vast majority of missions rewarded sect contribution points.
At the pavilion, points could be exchanged for low-grade spirit stones at a ten-to-one ratio.
At the same time, points served as the sect's hard currency for internal trade, capable of purchasing more things than one could ever imagine.
Continuing upward, he caught sight of the imposing Artifact Hall and the towering Pill Pagoda, which rose proud as an alpine pine at the summit.
Yet he did not linger. His purpose for this journey was crystal clear.
He needed to reach the Scripture Pavilion as quickly as possible and choose a cultivation method suited to him.
Half an hour later, dripping with sweat, Li Guanqi finally reached the summit.
While every spot along the mountain had been teeming with people, only a handful of disciples were heading toward the Scripture Pavilion, despite its immense value.
Stepping onto the mountain peak, he saw a vast stone plaza and, right beyond it, a quaint three-story hall.
The redwood doors, standing a full ten zhang high, looked imposing and heavy.
Hanging above them was a blue-backed plaque bearing three large, gold-lacquered characters written with sweeping dragon-like strokes: "Scripture Pavilion."
The strokes were as sharp as sword blades, radiating a bone-chilling aura straight through the plaque.
*Swish! Swish!*
The rhythmic sound of sweeping drifted over.
A disheveled, middle-aged man leaning on a crutch was sweeping away the loose dust atop the peak, bit by bit.
Before long, he reached Li Guanqi's side, as if completely blind to the youth's presence.
Li Guanqi bowed slightly and cupped his fists in greeting, but without warning, the man's broom swept right across his instep.
The man straightened up and barked fiercely, "Are you blind?! Can't you see I'm sweeping here?!"
The youth took half a step back, his expression completely blank as he replied, "Yes, I am blind."
The man looked up into the youth's face and saw a black cloth band tied over his eyes.
Yet beneath the cloth, the high bridge of his nose and thin lips lent him a striking, handsome grace that the covering could not hide.
The man's voice caught in his throat. He had not expected the boy to truly be blind.
Feeling a twinge of guilt for being overly harsh, his stubborn pride nevertheless refused to let him back down.
"Blind is blind, so why bother wrapping a ragged strip of cloth over them?!"
"Covering them up just because you're scared people will stare... I limp on my leg, and I never bother hiding it!"
Li Guanqi felt a sudden jolt in his chest, finding himself oddly agreeing with the man's words.
Right before the man's eyes, he slowly reached up and untied the band of cloth, revealing a pair of pure white eyes.
He fixed his gaze straight on the man and smiled.
Stared down like that, the man felt his skin crawl. He hastily sidestepped and scurried off, muttering under his breath as he went, "Damn it all... nearly gave me a heart attack."
Still, the man could not help admitting that Li Guanqi's eyes were genuinely handsome.
They were captivating, fox-like peach-blossom eyes; if not for the blank white pupil-less gaze, who knew how many women in the world they might have charmed.
Meanwhile, a subtle shift took place in Li Guanqi's state of mind.
He felt that although the right-lame man spoke crudely, there was truth in his words.
After a long silence, the youth bowed toward the man's retreating back. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior."
Yet the man acted as if he had heard nothing, scoffing loudly, "Senior my foot! I'm just a useless wreck."
"Read too many local gazettes from down the mountain, have you? You think every old sweeper you run into is an unworldly master?"
"Not only are you blind, but you're a bit slow in the head too!"
Li Guanqi merely smiled. Whether the man was truly a senior did not matter to him in the slightest.
He was only expressing gratitude for that casual remark, which had helped untangle a knot in his heart.
Just then, someone behind him watched the man's back and let out a sigh of relief.
"That Old Gao... what a foul, eccentric temper!"
Li Guanqi's ears twitched. Turning toward the disciple, he asked softly, "Senior Brother, do you know who that man is?"
"Ah!"
The young man let out a startled gasp, then promptly bowed in apology. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mock you, it was just... a bit startling."
Li Guanqi smiled and shrugged. "No offense taken. You are being overly courteous, Senior Brother."
The young man offered a faint smile, a look of realization dawning as he noted the sect robe Li Guanqi was wearing.
"You're Li Guanqi, the disciple from Tianlei Peak, aren't you?"
Seeing the youth offer no denial, the young man continued, "That man is named Gao Qiwen. Once upon a time... ah, forget it, best left unsaid."
"Just don't provoke him. Otherwise, he'll chase you around the sect grounds for three full laps!"
After the young man walked away, Li Guanqi shook his head, putting the lame man out of his mind.
He merely muttered under his breath, *Had I known, I would have cursed him back a few times. I really thought he was some reclusive master hiding in the sect.*
*I took a scolding for nothing and didn't even talk back! What a loss!!*
*Hiss... maybe I should go snap his broom in half?*
Turning these thoughts over in his head, he looked up and found himself inside the Scripture Pavilion.
Just as he was about to step further in, he suddenly felt someone grab hold of his sword coffin from behind.
Almost by pure instinct, Li Guanqi's right leg lashed out like a spear!
*Smack!*
A crisp sound cracked through the air.
Li Guanqi felt as if a heavy hammer had smashed into the sole of his foot, forcing his leg downward violently!
Enduring the sharp throb in his sole, he used the momentum to pivot his hips and instantly flip his body upside down!
His left leg chopped down like a massive battle-axe!
As he spun in midair, Li Guanqi finally saw who was behind him.
It was a white-haired elder with a youthful complexion, smiling at him with one hand resting casually behind his back.
Li Guanqi did not pull back his thunderous left kick; instead, he brought it crashing down with even fiercer momentum!
*Bang!*
The old man merely raised his right hand slightly, dissolving Li Guanqi's ferocious strike with effortless ease and gently sending him floating more than a zhang away.
Li Guanqi twisted his body midair, planted one hand on the floor, and executed a clean backflip to land steadily on his feet.
The old man wore a wrinkled white hemp robe. He was slightly plump, with small eyes and a bulbous nose, and an antique yellow wine gourd hung from his waist.
With both hands tucked behind his back, he looked at Li Guanqi with a faint smile, saying nothing.
Suddenly, Li Guanqi pointed at the crumpled white hemp robe the old man wore and remarked softly, "Clothes like that are the most comfortable."
The white-haired elder's eyes lit up. He slung an arm around Li Guanqi's shoulders and said, "Boy, you think so too?"
Li Guanqi rubbed his nose and said, "Back when I was a beggar, I always felt worn, crumpled clothes were the softest. Too bad I only ever had one set."
Saying this, Li Guanqi looked down at the brand-new sect robe he was wearing and added, "I have no idea how long it'll take to break this one in until it feels like my old clothes."
The old man blinked. "Then just wear your own clothes and be done with it."
A moment later, the old man chuckled softly. "Boy, your foundation in Body Tempering is truly solid!"
"Even I'm curious how a kid like you managed to train like this."
"This old man is Ling Daoyan. You can just call me Elder Ling."
Li Guanqi bowed with impeccable manners. "Disciple Li Guanqi greets Elder Ling."
Ling Daoyan was clearly quite taken with the youth before him. Moreover, that kick the boy had thrown earlier hadn't held back in the slightest; his strength was genuinely impressive.
The elder said softly, "You must be the kid who awakened a saint-grade spiritual root recently, right?"
"You've been making quite a splash in the sect lately."
Li Guanqi shrugged. "I don't care much for such hollow fame. A tall tree catches the wind. The higher they put me on a pedestal now, the harder I might fall to my death later."
Ling Daoyan nodded approvingly, pleased to see that the boy kept a level head.
Pointing toward the staircase to the side, he said, "Don't bother searching on the first floor."
"Lu Kangnian already gave me word. As a special exception, you are granted permission to enter the third floor!"
Li Guanqi's face lit up with delight. He bowed in thanks and headed straight for the third floor.
Ling Daoyan settled into a rocking chair by the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion, closing his eyes with a faint smile. "The Great Xia Sword Sect has found itself a fine seedling."
Chapter 24