After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

"Found it!"

Xie Xingran's languid expression vanished instantly, her eyes lit up, and her small body, which had been leaning against Jiang Huaijin's chest, suddenly struggled to her feet and stood steadily on Jiang Huaijin's long legs.

He tilted his chubby little face up, his voice brimming with barely concealed surprise and eagerness: "Then what are we waiting for? Quickly bring them up!"

Ever since Xie Xingran could speak, she had been fixated on Jiang Huaijin, specifically instructing him to find disciples with low talent, difficult backgrounds, but outstanding appearances.

After all, he had read such novels in his previous life and knew that there must be a chosen one among these people.

After all, Jiang Huaijin, this good-for-nothing, can't be squeezed out of any villain value anymore. If he wants to unlock more rewards, he must discover a new chosen one as soon as possible.

The thought of only getting a single, shabby reward chest after three whole years made Xie Xingran puff out her cheeks and furrow her brows.

I'm not reconciled, I'm so not reconciled!

But he also knew that with the war raging for the past two years, the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land was no longer as peaceful as it used to be.

Many core disciples were sent to the front lines to provide support, which greatly reduced the sect's manpower. The remaining disciples were forced to take on the work of several people and were extremely busy.

Sect affairs came flooding in like a tide, and even with He Anyao and the elders working together to share the burden, everyone was still overwhelmed.

Fortunately, he had the foresight to recognize Jiang Huaijin as the chosen one, so he relentlessly kept him by his side, forbidding him from going to the front lines or handling complicated official duties.

Otherwise, Jiang Huaijin would probably be buried in mountains of documents right now, not even having time to look up.

Even so, Jiang Huaijin was still overwhelmed with trivial matters every day and had no time to spare.

He wasn't unwilling to meet Xie Xingran's request for disciples; he simply lacked the means to do so.

Throughout the entire Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land, apart from Xie Xingran, the little ancestor who was pampered by everyone, everyone from elders to servants was extremely busy.

The alchemists in the alchemy room worked day and night to refine healing pills, the disciples in the medicinal fields went to the fields before dawn to tend to the spiritual herbs, and the patrol team at the mountain gate took turns on duty, even the time to drink a cup of hot tea had to be counted.

It's not advisable to recruit disciples in large numbers during times of war. He Anyao couldn't bear to see the sect in such dire straits, so she went back to her maternal home and brought back a group of younger members of her clan, which barely alleviated the immediate crisis.

With more people available, everyone's time was no longer as tight as before, and Jiang Huaijin was able to find the time to gather the people Xie Xingran needed.

Jiang Huaijin, worried that Xie Xingran might lose his balance, gently wrapped his long, slender fingers around Xie Xingran's chubby waist, his palm steadily supporting him: "Well, do you want to meet them?"

"Yes! Of course I want to see him!"

Xie Xingran nodded immediately, her little body swaying excitedly, her chubby little hands rubbing together, her eyes full of anticipation. "Gather them all at the Saintess's Residence!"

Finally, we can start searching for the chosen one again!

He was secretly pleased with himself, wondering if the person he found this time would bring him a steady stream of villain points, and hopefully not be as stingy as Jiang Huaijin had been before.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, twenty-three figures stood neatly in the courtyard of the Saintess's Residence. Each of them was tall and handsome, but their brows inevitably carried a hint of unease and inferiority due to their low talent.

They were all nominal disciples of the outer sect, with mediocre talent. They had been in the sect for many years but had not been able to break through to the Qi Refining stage. They could only do some menial tasks on weekdays.

Xie Xingran, with her short legs, swaggered into the middle of the crowd, her round eyes scanning everyone like a scanner, a satisfied smile creeping onto her lips.

With so many people meeting the criteria, he refused to believe that he couldn't find a chosen one!

He waved his chubby little hand, eager to start the test, but when he caught a glimpse of Jiang Huaijin beside him, his little brows furrowed again.

What he was about to do would most likely be thwarted by Jiang Huaijin, who always went along with him but also held firm to his principles. He needed to find a way to get rid of him first.

With a quick glance, Xie Xingran turned around, tugged at Jiang Huaijin's sleeve, and softened her voice:

"Brother, I'm hungry. Go to the kitchen and see if the shrimp dumplings I ordered are ready? I want to eat them now."

Jiang Huaijin was incredibly perceptive; he saw right through Xie Xingran's thoughts—she was trying to get him out of the way.

He smiled helplessly. Although he was curious about what the boy was going to do, he couldn't bear to refuse him when he saw the boy's innocent face.

What kind of trouble can a three-year-old child cause?

"Okay, I'll go take a look right away."

Jiang Huaijin rubbed his head, then turned to the guards and maids standing by and instructed them, "Take good care of the young master, and do not allow any mistakes to happen."

"Yes!" the guards and maids replied in unison.

Only after Jiang Huaijin's figure disappeared behind the courtyard gate did Xie Xingran turn around and face the twenty-three disciples again.

He stood with his hands on his hips, head held high, his childish voice carrying an undeniable air of dominance that echoed through the quiet courtyard: "You, all of you, kneel down!"

Upon hearing this, all twenty-three disciples were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.

They simply couldn't understand why this noble young master would order them to kneel down the moment he opened his mouth.

Wu Hao mingled in the crowd, his mind filled with confusion.

He entered the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land at the age of six and is now twenty-six years old. However, for the past twenty years, he has been stuck at the third level of Qi Refining and has not even touched the threshold of the inner sect. He can only do odd jobs such as tending spiritual herbs in the outer sect.

He thought he would just drift through life aimlessly, but he never expected Jiang Huaijin to suddenly gather them together and take them to the core area of ​​the Holy Maiden's Residence, where they met the legendary Holy Maiden's son, Xie Xingran.

Wu Hao was quick-witted and recognized Xie Xingran's identity at a glance.

Although he was of lowly status and had never seen this young master, the news had already spread throughout the Holy Land that the child born to the Holy Maiden was of noble status and was the joint heir of the Thousand Machines Pavilion and the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land.

This is truly a prodigy!

Although he didn't understand Xie Xingran's purpose in gathering them, Wu Hao knew in his heart that this might be his only chance in this life.

If one can seize this opportunity to win the favor of the young master, one might be able to escape the status of a servant, and even receive guidance and elixirs, and perhaps even break through a bottleneck.

Without the slightest hesitation, Wu Hao knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the bluestone slab with a dull thud.

With him taking the lead, the other disciples, though still harboring doubts, quickly came to their senses. The cultivation world was inherently a dog-eat-dog world, where status and position determined everything.

Xie Xingran may have a low level of cultivation now, but his background alone is enough to make them bow down and submit.

In a short while, all twenty-three people knelt down on the ground, and only the sound of orderly kowtows filled the courtyard.

"Ding—Villain Value +50!"

The moment the system notification sounded in her mind, Xie Xingran's eyes lit up, and a bright smile immediately bloomed on her face.

Sure enough! There really is a chosen one among them!

Only the Chosen One, when experiencing emotional fluctuations while enduring humiliation, can generate villainous value for him.

But then he touched his chin and pouted somewhat displeased.

This chosen one is so useless!

According to the tropes in novels, shouldn't he have stood his ground and resisted at this point, shouting "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated"? Why did he just obediently kneel down?

He was completely lost in the crowd and couldn't tell which one was the real person!

"So inconsiderate..." Xie Xingran muttered under her breath, her tone full of disdain, "I have to find them one by one."

Having said that, he put his hands behind his back, and, imitating an adult, took small, measured steps, calmly walking to the first disciple who knelt down.

Meeting the other person's confused yet somewhat fearful gaze, Xie Xingran suddenly raised her hand and slapped her across the face with lightning speed.