Second Time

Chapter 57 - Problem Child

"Finally!" Liezhu let out an exasperated sigh. "How can it take you this long to comprehend something so simple when you understand the Dao of Time and Stars?"

"This is a very unnatural thing for a human to do," Shao Yue complained. "You can't blame me."

Liezhu sighed again. "Well, now you know how to excavate your bloodline. Have fun."

Liezhu got up and headed to the door leading out of the bedroom, but Ren Meili opened it first. "Yue, Jiao has a message for you."

"Good timing, we just finished."

"Finished..." Ren Meili glanced at Liezhu, then gave Shao Yue a strange look.

Shao Yue went down to the bottom floor and sat across from Zhu Jiao at a table. "What's going on?"

"Are you interested in taking another disciple?"

"We still have an empty pavilion, so it's not out of the question," Shao Yue replied with a shrug. "But, I'm not actively looking."

"The sect has captured a girl, fourteen years old at the peak of Core Formation, with a Sword Body. The sect master thought of you and instructed me to ask if you wanted to take her in."

"Those achievements are impressive, but what do you mean by captured?"

"I'm sure you can guess."

Shao Yue nodded. "She's a devil's path cultivator?"

"Precisely. To be specific, she's from the Blood Dao."

"Blood Dao, huh?" Shao Yue stroked her chin. "If it was anything else I don't think I'd agree, but that might be workable. How's her attitude? Is she against reformation, does she want revenge?"

Zhu Jiao slid a jade slip across the table. "This is a transcript of the conversation that was had with her. Her point of view seems to be, 'I don't care, I just want to use a sword.'"

Shao Yue read through the contents. "Well, she's interesting, certainly." She took a white jade bottle from her storage ring. It was cool to the touch. "Give her this and tell her to drink it. Don't open it. If she likes it, you can bring her here."

Shao Yue was curious whether her abnormal blood would have any special effect for a Blood Dao cultivator. If so, she didn't mind experimenting with it a bit, and a disciple with a Sword Body did have some use for her. All of her disciples used the sword, so the girl could give them guidance on techniques in lieu of Shao Yue.

Zhu Jiao didn't know about Shao Yue's blood, and so, couldn't guess what was in the bottle. "Then, I'll deliver it."

"Thank you."

The captives were kept on the central peak. Zhu Jiao flew over on a flying sword and went straight to the cells.

The girl's name was Xiao Shi'er. She wore simple robes and had handcuffs around her wrists that impeded her qi circulation. She held a wooden sword which she'd been practising with ever since Lai Qiao had given it to her five hours prior.

Zhu Jiao opened the cell and stepped inside. Xiao Shi'er lowered her sword and wiped the sweat from her brow, regarding Zhu Jiao with her red eyes. "Is there anything else you have to ask? I've told you everything I know."

"My master is open to taking you in as a disciple," Zhu Jiao explained. "Are you interested?"

"As long as I can keep practising the sword."

Zhu Jiao held out the bottle. "She told me to get you to drink this, and to only bring you back if you liked it."

Xiao Shi'er took it and examined it with some confusion. She'd heard of and seen many strange tests during her time with the devil's path cultivators, but drinking an unknown thing and liking it was one of the stranger ones.