The small thatched cottage was crowded with people.
Three factions each occupied one side of the table, while Jiu Yue sat on the opposite end, flanked by Sima Qing and Nangong Xun standing behind her left and right.
"Then let’s go with majority rule," Jiu Yue clapped her hands and pushed two pieces of paper forward.
These were the final two names that had survived the fierce competition among the candidates.
One was "Dog Head Gang," the other "Shadowless Sect."
Jiu Yue cast a profound gaze at the crowd and declared solemnly, "Everyone, cast your precious votes! This is a matter of lifelong importance for our faction—choose wisely!"
The crowd: "..."
Their eyes all lingered on the words "Shadowless Sect," but under the weight of Jiu Yue’s intense, expectant stare, their hands involuntarily drifted toward the left option.
Nangong Xun couldn’t take it anymore.
"Senior Sister... how about an anonymous vote?" he voiced the collective plea of the gathered heroes.
"Of course!" Jiu Yue was brimming with confidence in her proposal.
Surely everyone else was also awestruck by the sheer dominance of the name "Dog Head Gang"! How else could it have triumphed over all the other options?
She turned around confidently, locking eyes with Sima Qing, arms crossed and eyebrows raised—her entire expression screaming one word: In the bag.
Sima Qing: "..."
Sima Qing looked up just in time to see someone at the table swiftly shove the paper labeled "Dog Head Gang" into Bai Mian’s mouth.
Bai Mian choked, his eyes rolling back as he gulped frantically, yet still managed to slap his hand down on "Shadowless Sect" to cast his precious vote.
Nangong Xun pressed a hand to his twitching eyelid and announced as seriously as possible, "Very well. The name of our new faction is hereby decided!"
Jiu Yue spun around eagerly.
Nangong Xun declared, "We shall be called the Shadowless Sect!"
Jiu Yue: "..."
Her face fell instantly. She glared at the crowd, who were now busy studying the ceiling, the floor, or the air, and slammed the table. "You people have no taste!"
The group scattered in panic, though Bai Mian still found time to curry favor. "Leader, I call dibs on being the Grand Protector!"
At those words, the fleeing crowd turned on their heels and rushed back in an instant.
Yu Linglong humbly offered, "Yours truly is but a modest talent, but I suppose I could reluctantly serve as Second Protector."
A brawny man with a hammer shoved Bai Mian aside and grinned obsequiously at Jiu Yue. "Leader, I was totally going to vote for Dog Head Gang! But Bai Mian shoved that paper down his throat—how is he fit to be Grand Protector? Hah! That title should be mine!"
Bai Mian’s eyes bulged. "You fat oaf, how dare you frame me! Leader, don’t listen to his lies—he was the one who stuffed the paper into my mouth! Him, a Protector? Pah! At best, he’s fit to be a gatekeeper!"
"You bookworm, wanna fight?"
"Bring it on! Who’s scared of—OW! Did you just step on me?"
"Nonsense! When did I—ouch! Who the hell just hit me?!"
Chaos erupted among the heroes.
The trainees, never ones to miss out on drama, eagerly crowded closer.
Feng Qi shyly squeezed his way to Jiu Yue, eyes shining. "Sister, what do you think of me?"
"Not much," Fei Tong shoved him aside and bashfully addressed Jiu Yue. "Senior, may I recommend myself? You can test my skills."
"Right, a test!" The others immediately quieted down, their gazes burning with anticipation.
"Leader! You decide! Rank us by strength—let the Protector titles be earned by merit!" they chorused.
Jiu Yue stroked her chin, then suddenly grinned.
"Now that’s a good idea," she said.
With the Shadowless Sect officially established, the group dispersed, each now striving to claim a Protector title.
Spring arrived, melting the ice and snow, renewing all things.
Jiu Yue followed Doctor Tang down the mountain.
Staring at the cracked bowl in her hand and her tattered clothes, she fell silent for a moment before turning to Doctor Tang. "So this is what you call the martial world?"
This wasn’t what she’d imagined.
She was supposed to roam freely, blade in hand, not beg on the streets with a bowl!
Doctor Tang gave her a disapproving look.
"Shallow," he grunted, plopping down. "The martial world isn’t just about bloodshed."
Jiu Yue sat beside him—only for her bowl to be kicked away before her rear even touched the ground.
Jiu Yue: "?"
Doctor Tang glanced at her meaningfully and added, "It’s also about endurance."
Jiu Yue: "..."
She understood his intentions—he wanted her to curb her impulsiveness, to learn patience.
So she closed her eyes, suppressing her irritation.
Then came another clatter.
She opened her eyes to see Doctor Tang’s bowl sent flying as well.
Jiu Yue: "..."
She turned just in time to watch Doctor Tang brandish silver needles and charge into the crowd of beggars, cursing.
"Bunch of brats, daring to kick my bowl! Rudeness is a disease—let this old man administer some free acupuncture!"
Despite his age, he moved like the wind, though he still found time to yell back at Jiu Yue to stay put.
Jiu Yue’s eye twitched as she stood to retrieve their bowls.
Hers was shattered beyond repair, but Doctor Tang’s had miraculously survived.
Now that she was a faction leader, Jiu Yue had come to appreciate the hardships of leadership. In the martial world, one often shed their identity—though she was still the wealthy Yan Zhaoning in the capital, within the Shadowless Sect, she was merely the unremarkable Dao Yu.
Every penny counted.
Sighing, she reached for the bowl—only for a large foot to descend from above, crushing the already fragile clay into pieces.
Jiu Yue: "..."
She shot to her feet, tilting her chin up as she glared at the rude middle-aged man before her.
Muttering a curse under her breath, she demanded, "Who the hell are you?"
Instead of answering, the man picked up a shard of the bowl, examining it before fixing her with a deep, probing stare.
"And who are you?" he frowned. "Where is the owner of this bowl?"
Jiu Yue smiled sweetly. "Fascinating. Ever considered donating your eyes to someone who’d actually use them?"
The man: "..."
His expression turned odd. "You own this bowl?"
"Of course it’s not mine. How could it be mine? I stole it from you—so technically, it’s yours, right?" Jiu Yue deadpanned.
The man: "..."
He was momentarily speechless.
Jiu Yue rolled her eyes, done with the conversation. "Just pay up."
The man took a deep breath, scanning their surroundings as if wary of drawing attention. "How much?"
Jiu Yue sized him up. "Ten taels of gold."
The man: "...You might as well rob me."
Jiu Yue shrugged. "If you already know the answer, why ask?"
His face contorted briefly before he resignedly reached for his purse.
Well, he had kicked first...
By the time Doctor Tang returned, having dealt with the beggars, he spotted the middle-aged man handing a money pouch to Jiu Yue.
His eyes lit up, and he hurried over with a grin.
"Third Brother!" Doctor Tang looked at the two with a hint of warmth in his eyes. "I didn’t expect you two to have already met! Ah, you’re both family—no need for such formal gifts!"
The middle-aged man: "…" Family?
Despite his words, Doctor Tang helped Jiu Yue tuck away the money pouch.
"Ah, just this little? Well, Jiu Yue, your Third Uncle has always been poor. Just take it for now."
Jiu Yue: "…" Third Uncle?
The two exchanged a glance, sharing the same silent resignation in their eyes.
