“I am in need of a servant, are you willing?” Li Qiye glanced at the prostrating man.

“I agree.” The old man respectfully said without thinking twice. He had dominated his entire life but he was completely convinced and ready to submit to this supreme existence today.

“Rise.” Li Qiye nodded.

“How should I address you, Immortal?” The old man stood up and said softly.

“Call me Young Master and I shall call you Attendant.” Li Qiye responded.

“Yes, Young Master.” The old man agreed with haste. From now on, his previous prestige no longer mattered. He shall be known as Attendant.

Just like that, the old temple in the wilderness had another person living there.

Of course, his arrival didn’t add to the liveliness of the place. He was old and rarely spoke. Nonetheless, each word that came out of his mouth was of value.

Life continued on in a rather boring manner. Li Qiye still continued to chop wood and burn them down into charcoal.

The old man found this puzzling but never asked Li Qiye. 

As for the boar and dog, they simply ignored him, treating him as air. He didn’t seem to mind either.

Today, the temple welcomed its third person. The moment the gate was open, there was a girl lying there.

Upon closer inspection, she was around fifteen or sixteen. She wore an expensive dress embroidered with flowers. It was tattered now with numerous stitches and patches.

Dirt and grass covered her face. Her hair used to be bound but after crossing the forest, it was just a mess with leaves on top. She looked like a fugitive who ran here and didn’t know the way.

She had some bloody marks too, nothing serious. They seemed to be from sharp thorns and branches.

Her lips were pale and her yellow complexion indicated a lack of nutrition. She seemed to be abandoned and had to cross the wilderness.

She had a small bundle wrapped in cloth consisting of damaged clothes, nothing valuable. However, she was still hugging the cloth bundle before fainting. It seemed to be extremely important to her.

The boar was sitting next to her and letting out small groans. Once Li Qiye opened the door, it immediately shouted at Li Qiye before pushing its head into the girl. Its intention was clear.

Meanwhile, the dog nearby looked up and stared at the boar with disdain.

“Since when are you so nice?” Li Qiye glanced at the girl and the boar before chuckling.

The dog then opened its mouth to reveal its fang, seemingly wanting to eat the girl.

The boar naturally didn’t like this and roared back. It was nice to the girl but not to the dog - ready to go all-out.

“Enough.” Li Qiye waved his hand.

The two animals played nice in Li Qiye’s presence. Lil’ Black came closer and pushed its head on Li Qiye’s leg, clearly begging for help.

“You want me to save her?” Li Qiye smiled.

Lil’ Black nodded repeatedly with its eyes wide open, trying to garner some sympathy.

“A vicious beast trying to do good, I see.” Li Qiye shook his head.

By this point, the old attendant came out and noticed the girl. He checked her appearance, bones, then veins before exclaiming: “Foredoomed Star!”

The old man immediately knew that this girl had a terrible fate - one destined for destruction.

“It’s nothing like that, just born in the wrong period.” Li Qiye smiled and shook his head.

“I see…” The old man said with astonishment.

“Others mistake this for something unsalvageable. However, there’s no lack of splendid steeds, just not enough Bo Le.” Li Qiye continued: “It’s just a matter of fate and the right meetings.” [1]

The old man thought that only Li Qiye would say something like this given the circumstances.

“Bring her in and wake her up.” Li Qiye ordered.

The old man immediately obeyed. Lil’ Black looked excited and ran into the temple. As for Lil’ Yellow, it still stared at the boar with contempt while laying on the ground. It occasionally revealed its fangs. Perhaps the girl was nothing more than food in its eyes.

***

The girl woke up after getting help from the attendant. She slowly sat up while Lil’ Black roared quietly in excitement.

“Ahh!” She saw the boar and bellowed with fear, immediately retreating while tightly clutching her cloth bundle.

“Don’t worry, it wouldn’t have dragged you back here if it wanted to eat you. You would be nothing more than bones in that case.” A leisure voice consoled her.

It was none other than Li Qiye who was sitting nearby with the attendant next to him.

The frightened girl couldn’t help moving closer towards Li Qiye.

“Okay, go outside.” Li Qiye waved his hand at the boar. It grumbled twice before leaving the hall.

The girl found this astonishing - a wild boar actually listening to a man’s order.

She heaved a sigh of relief, still slightly afraid. She felt a little better after looking around and realizing that this was a temple.

After all, she carelessly entered this area. It was truly dreadful with beasts everywhere. She remembered seeing the white fangs of a beast before fainting.

“Where, where is this place?” She stared at Li Qiye and the old attendant with fear in her eyes.

“A safe place.” Li Qiye answered.

The girl lowered her head, not daring to speak. She didn’t know what to say either due to her current state of mind.

“What’s your name?” Li Qiye inquired.

The old man became surprised once more. This was rare because Li Qiye rarely showed interest in anything.

“Fan, Fan Bai.” She hesitated before revealing her name. She was still lost, not knowing what to do.

“I see that you have cultivated a little bit.” Li Qiye continued.

“Yes, just, just a little bit.” She said softly, still not daring to meet his eyes. Her expression was one of sadness.

“Still want to learn?” 

“Yes!” She blurted out without hesitation before realizing that she was being impetuous. She took one step back while gripping the cloth bundle. She thought that she was asking too much. Just being alive was already good enough.

Alas, deep inside, she still didn’t want to give up on cultivation. It was a matter of inability.

She had a hard time filling her stomach while wandering about in a desperate plight. The one or two lines of mantra didn’t come easily. She tried to understand them to no avail.

Whenever she had time, she still tried to comprehend them despite the cold winds and empty stomach.

“Why do you wish to cultivate?” Li Qiye smiled.

The girl opened her mouth but no words came out. She lowered her head, not daring to respond.

“Tell the young master, perhaps he can help you.” The old attendant cheered her on. He knew that meeting Li Qiye was the greatest fortune in her life. Missing this could fill someone with lifelong regrets.

1. Bo Le is a famous horse tamer back in the Spring and Autumn Period. This idiom is talking about being able to recognize talents ☜