It took a while before Deng Chao could collect himself to give a proper response to Sect master Han Qingling's request. The Yellow lotus sect's circumstances hit a little too close to home for him.
The crystal palm jade sect may have been destroyed 400 years ago but to him, it was still fresh just like something that happened yesterday. His weakened soul left him unconscious for over 380 years with fragmented memories that left him not knowing who he even was. He only started gaining clarity some twenty-odd years ago and with it the wounds from his sect's destruction. To others, all this happened 400 years ago but to him, it happened 20 years with details getting more vivid with every passing year that for some time he had to lock some of those memories away for his sanity.
"Could I have been born as an unlucky star where I invite calamities everywhere I go? One time can be called an accident, the second time an unlucky coincidence but now a third…?" Deng Chao silently muttered as he had a complicated look.
"I was too weak when my clan got destroyed and was unlucky or lucky that I wasn't in the clan grounds at the time. The second time I thought I was powerful but even then I still fell a little too short maybe this time even in this state I may be able to do something I couldn't do the previous two times," Deng Chao said as his despondent look was replaced by the look of someone determined.
"I'll help you sect master Han Qingling but not with the protection of your disciples but before that…" Deng Chao paused as he turned to face Zhao Qi who was still thrown from all the revelation.
"Little Zhao you have always done everything I've told you but for this, I will hand over the total reign to you for you to decide what our next move will be. Whatever you decide I will support you with all of my abilities. So little Zhao, what do you want to do?" Deng Chao asked the dumbfounded Zhao Qi with a genial smile.
"Grandpa but….." Zhao Qi was a little tongue-tied and confused. All his life all the major decisions had been under Deng Chao's suggestion. The only time he ever made a huge decision for himself was when he was choosing his master, Wei Peng and even then he only did so because Deng Chao adamantly refused to give his opinion on the matter.
"Zhao Qi it's okay to be obedient but don't use it as a crutch for your free will. Cultivators need independent thinking. Disciples are given guidance by their masters on their cultivation journey but at the end of the day, it is they who decide which road suits them best.
It's my fault that I always made the decisions for you never giving you a chance to think and decide on your own. I let my own fears guide my actions which also influenced you and your fears.
It's okay little Zhao, whatever you decide I WILL ALWAYS be there with you to the very end. You have the strength and courage to do it so don't sell yourself short. You survived in a place filled with strangers and even learned to make friends despite being deathly afraid but you still did it.
So don't hold back on fear of what I might think. It's my joy to see you step out," Deng Chao said with a smile as he ruffled Zhao Qi's hair who seemed to be fighting back his tears as he uttered what he wanted to say but was too afraid to admit to himself and Deng Chao.
"I want to protect the sect grandpa," Zhao Qi solemnly said as his voice boomed in the courtroom.
He wasn't sure if what sect master Han Qingling had said was the complete truth but he knew if he left at this moment he would be no worse than the parents he never knew who abandoned him in an old shack to die.
"Good," Deng Chao firmly said as he smiled in pride and appreciation. Yang Qing and the rest couldn't help but admire Zhao Qi's character. Making that choice with everything that he had gone through couldn't have been easy.
Sect master Han Qingling's eyes were wide open as he was surprised by Zhao Qi's choice which further deepened his guilt.
"I appreciate your resolve Zhao Qi, but you don't have to die with us. You have barely even started living your life. It would be a waste to risk it now. You should strive on ahead and pursue the endless dao and see where it will take you and when you reach heights where you can confidently keep the things you love safe I hope you can revive the sect and make it into a sect that doesn't need to destroy their disciple's reputation to keep them safe," Sect Han Qingling said in a self-deprecating smile.
"I'm sorry sect master but I've decided to stay in the sect to the bitter end no matter what that end may be. I should be dead but someone who didn't even know me decided to take a chance and raised me. If the sect is in a certain doom as you say, then all the more reason for me to stay. I have to help just as I was helped when I needed it. Besides my grandfather is powerful. All the achievements I have today are because of him. I'm not as talented as you sect master and it was only thanks to my grandfather's careful guidance that I even made it this far," said Zhao Qi as he smiled in pride as he spoke of Deng Chao's brilliance.
"There you have it, Zhao Qi and I will be staying. Besides your situation isn't as unsalvageable as you think. As long as you don't face a bunch of peak-stage domain experts I have ways to ensure your survival. I can't exert my full abilities yet but I have arts that you can use to preserve your sect atleast for ten years as long as you have the resources.
I can tell you only need half that time or even less to breakthrough into the palace realm and once you are at that stage I doubt your opponents have someone that can face a palace stage expert who had a gold core in their core formation stage," Deng Chao said as an interested glint flashed through his eyes.
He couldn't help but admire Han Qingling's talent. His martial brothers were called geniuses but even he thought they still fell a little short of Sect master Han Qingling for a few reasons one of them being despite the sect master growing up in a rank 4 sect with a cultivation art that was a grade lower than theirs he still managed to have a gold core with foundations so firm that rivaled even his. He couldn't help but wonder if his circumstances were better and was instead found by a rank 1 sect or even holy lands if he would have ended up with the fabled purple core.
"Maybe I'll offer some pointers to this little kid so little Zhao can cultivate safely with a tall tree to shelter him before I am able to reform my body again," Deng Chao silently thought to himself.
"This.." Sect master Han Qingling didn't know what to say. He couldn't help but reevaluate Deng Chao even further, who seemed more and more unfathomable by the second.
"Just who is Zhao Qi's grandfather? He must not be a simple character seeing the casualness he has when speaking of peak domain experts. Could he be…?" He shook his head free of the frightening thought that had just built up as he had impending matters to address the most important one ensuring the survival of his sect.
He had just been given a straw and he would be a fool not to clutch at it with both hands.
"On behalf of the sect, I humbly offer our deepest gratitude for your assistance which I will have to shamelessly accept. If you or Zhao Qi need anything, if it's within the sect's means we will be more than happy to accommodate any and all requests," Sect master Han Qingling said as he bowed in gratitude.
"Well it's good that you have offered as a matter of fact there are a few things I need,"
"Grandpa.." Zhao Qi hurriedly interjected as he eyed Deng Chao.
"Little Zhao this is for their benefit as well as mine. I'm not a member of the sect so me helping them and you helping them is different. If I helped without asking anything in return there will always be a strain like I own them which will extend to you and your relationship with the sect. But by asking for payment, the sect will feel like an equal partner in this on some level," Deng Chao patiently explained.
Zhao Qi nodded perfunctorily though he didn't look like he understood much of what Deng Chao was saying.
Deng Chao could only smile as he shook his head at this. Zhao Qi had little interaction with people and even in the sect, he had few friends as most of his time was spent cultivating so these subtle social intricacies that those at the top engaged in were a foreign line of thought to him.
"We would be happy to fulfill any requests you have senior," Sect master Han Qingling said as he smiled in gratitude at Deng Chao's thoughtfulness in giving the sect some leg to stand on.
"First you can't reveal my existence to others within the sect without my approval. I would have preferred to remain completely anonymous but considering my next two requests a few of the high-ranking elders will have to know of my existence for the smooth fulfillment of those requests.
The elders who know my identity will all have to have a soul restriction seal placed on them to prevent any slip-up. This is as much a safety guarantee for me as it is for your sect considering my background. As for my background, I will reveal it only to you and no one else not even the elders with the soul restriction spell on them. As the sect master, it's only fair you know just in case.
As for the next two requests. One is for me and the other is for Zhao Qi.
My request will have to wait until you are atleast in the middle stages of the palace realm before you can fulfill it and the sect will also need to be in one piece and fully operational. There are resources I need which at your current and the sect's level will be hard for you to procure. At the bare minimum, you need to at least be in the middle stages of the palace realm to get the least of the resources I need. The only reason the requirement is even this low is because you have a gold core otherwise getting those resources would have required someone at the late stages of the palace realm.
As for Zhao Qi's request, it's not that difficult. Other than ensuring his name is cleared, I'll need the sect to let him learn your core art, The 36 leaves of the yellow lotus. I know it's restricted only to legacy disciples and they need to be at the late stages of the foundation stage to start learning but I want you to make an exception. I know he said it's because of me that he made his achievements but he sells himself short. He has the talent for cultivation and an art like that would really help him soar to greater heights the earlier he starts on it.
In exchange, I'm even willing to offer my guidance and insights to some of the elders whom you will deem trustworthy to know of my existence.
That is all. As long as you agree to these three requests I will be willing to lend a hand," said Deng Chao.
"Agreed," Sect master Han Qingling didn't take even a second to think it over. To him, those requests were more than generous. If Deng Chao had even asked for him to abdicate his seat to Zhao Qi he would have agreed. Though partly his agreement would have been to help the sect and the other was he REALLY DISLIKED being the sect master.
