Sword Sect Little Demon Child, Three and a Half Years Old and Extremely Fierce

There is no gloomy blood moon here.

Instead, there was a clear blue sky and bright sunshine.

But it was so bright that I had to squint for a while to get used to it.

Then I took out the map my dad gave me and fell silent.

The map was drawn extremely abstractly; in my brother's words:

"My father's painting skills, like the man himself, were imbued with an artistic sensibility born of poverty."

"Is this ink blot a mountain? Is this wave a river? And what are these circles and crosses?"

After studying it for a long time, I decided to give up.

—On the first day, I ate all the food I had on me.

The main problem was the exhaustion of the journey. My three-year-old son walked thirty miles on foot. If this were in the mortal world, he could brag about it for a lifetime.

—On the third day, the map showed that I should go left, but after walking to the left for a long time, I found that there was a cliff in front of me.

I stood on the edge of the cliff contemplating life, and finally decided to trust my intuition: turn back.

—On the fifth day, my shoes wore out and I developed several blisters on my feet.

I sat by the roadside, looking at my worn-out shoes, and suddenly remembered my brother's boots that were almost worn through.

It turns out that poverty really can be inherited.

—On the tenth day, I picked grass and ate it by the roadside.

It is a low-grade spiritual herb unique to the cultivation world, which can stave off hunger.

Just as I was digging with great enthusiasm, a snake demon emerged from the grass, flicking its tongue, probably wanting to eat me as a snack.

I looked up and stared at it.

The snake demon approached me, sniffed me, and then... the whole snake froze.

Three breaths later, it curled its tail and scurried away.

I rolled my eyes at it disdainfully: "Ugly thing."

Then I put away my dad's map because I was completely lost.

The only use for this map now is as toilet paper.

In the days that followed, I relied entirely on asking for directions and my intuition to move forward.

"Uncle, how do I get to Qingyun Sect?"

"Three hundred li to the east... Hey kid, are you all alone?"

"Sister, how far is it to Qingyun Sect?"

"—Two hundred miles to go... Where are your family?"

"Grandpa, do you know the Sect Master Qingmeng?"

"—I know her, she's the number one beauty in the cultivation world! You're a fangirl, little one?"

I asked questions as I walked.

When they were hungry, they picked wild fruits; when they were thirsty, they drank from mountain springs; and when they were sleepy, they slept in tree hollows.

Occasionally, I'll meet kind people who will give me some food, mostly because they think I'm cute, and a few because they think I'm pitiful.

……

Twenty days later, I finally arrived at the foot of Qingyun Sect Mountain.

Looking up, the mountains are majestic, shrouded in mist, and cranes fly gracefully; the spiritual energy is so rich that it can condense into water.

The mountain gate was tall and magnificent, with the three golden characters "Qingyun Sect" shining brightly above it, clearly indicating that the sect was very wealthy.

I told the disciples guarding the mountain, "I've come to find my mother, who is your sect leader, Qing Meng."

Then they politely "invited" me out.

One disciple gave a forced smile:

"Our sect leader, Fairy Qingmeng, is the most beautiful woman in the cultivation world. Her suitors can stretch from the Qingyun Sect's mountain gate to the Netherworld Rift in the Demon Realm."

"Every day, there are at least eighty or a hundred people coming to claim kinship, all saying they are her long-lost daughter/son/nephew/niece/aunt/auntie/auntie..."

He added slowly and deliberately, "The last person who did this is still shoveling poop for spirit beasts in the back mountains. He's been doing it for three years now."

I tried to produce evidence: "I have a letter! A letter my father wrote to my mother!"

I took the letter out of my bag.

The disciple guarding the mountain took it and read it aloud: "My dear Mengmeng, the Demon Realm's harvest is poor this year, please lend me some spirit stones..."

Upon reading this, the two disciples suddenly burst into laughter.

"This scam is way too blatant!"

"'Pin'er is very well-behaved, she doesn't eat much, just three meals of porridge a day is enough...' Porridge? Our sect leader's child eats porridge? Hahaha!"

Seeing them laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight, I emphasized again, "I really am her daughter!"

The disciple waved his hand impatiently: "Go away, go away, make up a better story next time! I'll let it slide this time because you're young."

I could only leave dejectedly.

Okay, fine, a mother not seeing her own daughter, I know this plot all too well.

Because my father told me many stories about the cultivation world, which often included the plot of "blood relatives meeting but not recognizing each other".

I never expected that the story would become reality, leaving me utterly disillusioned.

------

I wandered around Qingyun Town at the foot of Qingyun Mountain for a few days.

It is said that at the foot of each major sect's mountain, there is a town, inhabited mainly by ordinary people who do not cultivate.

Many disciples from various sects also bring back relatives from the mortal realm, who are then settled in villages and towns at the foot of the mountain.

I'm thinking of waiting there to see if I can run into my mother coming down the mountain, although the odds are about as high as if my father suddenly became a cultured person.

My regular spot is the entrance to the largest inn in Qingyun Town, "Xiankelai".

The innkeeper was a chubby uncle surnamed Wang. He was kind-hearted and, seeing that I was pitiful, would always pack some leftovers for me.

When Boss Wang handed me the steamed bun for the third time, he couldn't help but ask, "Little one, where are your family?"

I mumbled through my steamed bun, "My dad can't afford to raise me, so he told me to come to my mom, but she doesn't want me."

Boss Wang sighed and shoved another steamed bun into my hand: "What a waste... Eat more, you'll grow taller."

I spent three days like this at the entrance of the inn, eating steamed buns and observing the people coming and going.

The disciples of Qingyun Sect wear moon-blue robes, which flutter gracefully, giving them an ethereal air.

I stared at everyone dressed in blue, hoping one of them would be my mother.

On the fourth day, I overheard two guests chatting:

"I heard that Sect Master Qingmeng has gone into seclusion for three years!"

"Three years? Does that mean she won't be participating in this month's sect's major event?"

"Of course I'm not participating. I can't just come out of seclusion..."

The steamed bun in my hand fell to the ground.

Seclusion?

three years?

What should I do then?

Begging for food outside the inn for three years?

I squatted on the ground, looking at the dirty steamed bun, and suddenly felt like crying.

But I didn't cry.

Because my father said that the Demon Lord's daughter must not cry.

If you cry, people will laugh at you.

Although Dad himself often cries.

For example, he would often hug my brother and cry about being poor, saying that my brother was unfilial and couldn't help him share the debt.

Just when I felt hopeless about life, I heard another piece of news:

In Dongxia City, on the 15th of this month, there will be a once-in-a-decade sect grand event!

All the major sects will go there to recruit disciples!

I stopped an adult passing by and asked, "Will the Qingyun Sect be going too?"

The adult said, "Of course. But it's a long way to Dongxia City, and there are many wild beasts, even monsters, along the way. Don't even think about it, you little bean."

I didn't hear it.

When Boss Wang heard that I was going to Dongxia City, his eyes widened: "To Dongxia City? Do you know how far that is? 500 li!"

I nodded: "I know."

"You knew that, why did you still go? What if you got carried off by a wild animal on the way?"

"The wild animal might not necessarily bite me," I said honestly, "it might be afraid I'll bite it."

Boss Wang: "..."

In the end, he couldn't resist my pleas and stuffed two steamed buns into my mouth.

There was also a pair of old shoes that his son wore when he was a child. Although they were two sizes too big, they were still better than going barefoot.

"Be careful on the road! If you encounter danger, run to a crowded place!" Boss Wang shouted as he chased after them.

I waved goodbye and set off on my way to Dongxia City.

We did encounter quite a few monsters along the way.

Low-ranking Gale Wolves, in packs, their eyes turned green when they saw me, then they all braked as I approached, tucked their tails between their legs, and ran away.

The mid-level Flame Tiger was majestic and awe-inspiring. Its roar shook the mountains and forests. Then it sniffed me, sneezed, and ran away.

• I haven't encountered any high-level ones... they're probably too busy.

I know that demonic beasts have a natural fear of me, after all, the aura of the Demon Lord's royal family is right there on my body.

But unexpectedly, there were exceptions.

For example, the one I'm encountering now is an armored porcupine, a low-level demonic beast with thick skin and tough flesh. Most cultivators are too lazy to fight it because it's a waste of effort.

But it blocked my way and bared its teeth at me.

I've been starving for three days, and looking at it, I suddenly had a bold idea.

Half an incense stick later, I squatted in front of the fire, roasting porcupine meat.

The meat was indeed tough, and it made my jaw hurt from chewing, but at least it was meat.

Having eaten and drunk my fill, I continued on my journey.

Ten days later, I finally arrived in Dongxia City.