Jing stood over the nearly dead body of Hu Tao. His neck was snapped but he was still alive and breathing. He just couldn’t move an inch and probably was in terrible pain right now. Jing locked eyes with Hu Tao before gently wrapping her hands around his bent neck and head. 

CRACK! 

“YOU FUCKING CRAZY BITCH! THAT HURTS LIKE HELL!” Hu Tao screamed as he shot up. 

  Jing casually whipped her foot into Hu Tao’s face, causing him to fall to the ground. 

“Mind explaining what happened to you?” Jing asked, not caring for his complaints or woes in the slightest. 

“I got fucking snuck up on by a siscon at the 9th stage.” Hu Tao whined while rubbing his cheek. 

“Qi Consolidator?” 

“Yea.” 

“Hmm. I’ll forgive you for nearly dying on me. You aren’t powerful enough yet to take on someone of that level right now. Did you catch his name or any important information about him besides his cultivation stage?” 

“I know he’s Pigtail’s brother.” 

“Pigtails?” 

“Some weak bitch.” 

“You’re literally useless.” Jing facepalmed. 

“Hey, what do I care about the names of a few fucking weaklings?! If they can’t satisfy me in a fight then they aren’t worth remembering!” 

“I will need you to change that mindset from this day going forth. Information is power and willful ignorance is a curse. After all the work I put in taking you in, don’t make me get rid of you just as soon.” Jing’s qi briefly burst out and hung over Hu Tao’s neck like an executioner’s blade. 

  Hu Tao understood just how serious she was and couldn’t help himself from smiling in the face of death. That mysterious strength that doesn’t match her physique or looks at all. Hu Tao normally doesn’t give a shit about the backgrounds of people but Jing was just too much of a fucking strange thing! Behind that mask of hers she looked like a fucking baby but can twist that face into a wicked immortal queen on the flip of a dime! Just who the hell is she and where has she been all his life?! 

“I love you.” Hu Tao blurted out. 

“I'm only interested in those equal to me. Now don’t disappoint me again.” Jing disappeared from Hu Tao’s sights and left him on the forest’s floor. 

[Hu Tao’s loyalty has reached 100%] 

[He is now able to receive a SCP from the Host as a gift for his loyalty. Host has also received 1 epic ticket for their first follower reaching 100%] 

  Jing’s eyebrows raised at this notice. She didn’t think she’d see this so soon. She would have to work on increasing the loyalty percentage for her other followers as well. Maybe she should gift them rewards from time to time after they do a good job for her. She’ll need to think of missions for them to do first beforehand though. Hu Tao already has a gift coming to him for being the first to fully submit to her. After he completes an important task given by her, she’ll give him that worthy gift. 

[Mission available for host!] 

[Hu Tao has been thoroughly embarrassed and humiliated by someone far stronger than him. Help him grow strong enough to destroy everyone that was involved in the event that nearly killed him! One of those persons involved was also a Person of Fate! A blessed individual whose rise to the heavens is something fixed by one of the immortals above.] 

[Reminder! Hu Tao must kill Bo Fai, Yanyu, and Teng Yu with his own hands. No help is allowed during his revenge or the host will be penalized severely. Hu Tao must be gifted an SCP before killing Bo Fai.] 

[Rewards: 5 epic tickets, Infant Heavenly Steel Tree seed] 

  Oh, so it seems the system wasn’t just focused on her alone. Most of the missions so far had to do with Jing or some other character but never her allies. Hu Tao had quite the fight ahead of him.  

‘A person blessed by the gods above huh? That sounds pretty interesting. I wonder what other kind of characters are blessed and what could I stand to gain from not killing them?’ 

  Jing started to travel along the tops of the trees within the Immortal Forest once more. She heard the roar of the mutant Golden Panda. Things were about the reach the end soon. Jing hopped her way on towards the roar of the panda and managed to spot two cultivators fighting. Normally she would’ve just ignored the two small fries and focused on the main prize of this but one of the cultivators fighting had a familiar face. 

  It was that girl who was next to the talented boy that got rid of the Stone Koala earlier. Did they split up? Was that why she was alone right now? Why was this pretty boy fighting her? 

  Jing focused her eyes and saw that one of the cubs of the golden panda was over here somehow. Was that why the Mama Panda screaming her head off up ahead? How did these two sneak this little guy over here without anyone else finding out? They aren’t as strong as the other disciples fighting the Mama Panda either. One of them must be good at hiding themselves. Jing let her curiosity win over her. She decided to see who gets to become the new owner of the baby mutant golden panda. 

---

  Wan Qing pointed her sword at the female disciple. 

“Give up on taking this spirit beast cub. If you refuse, I will be forced to kill you here.” Wan Qing warned. 

“I won’t give up so easily. Even if you are 4 stages ahead of me.” Dai Yu spoke as she pointed her own blade at Qing. 

“Idiot.” Wan Qing muttered before disappearing from her previous spot and appearing above Dai Yu with her blade posed to cleave Dai Yu’s head off. 

  Dai Yu could barely react! She somehow managed to put her blade up before Qing could kill her and was sent flying off her feet backwards! The strength in that sword was not negligible! She didn’t even have time to strengthen her arms with qi to defend against that blow because of how fast it was. If it wasn’t for her spirit weapon then she would’ve died right there. 

  Wan Qing looked at that blade. It had to be earth rank or stellar rank to take one of her attacks and not be damaged at all. Hmph, no matter. Even if it takes a hundred strikes, she will get her hands on this mutant cub. No one will stop her from claiming what she wants unless they kill her and take it from her hands. Qing no longer held back against the dumb beauty. 

  She grew four butterfly wings made of qi from her back. Now luck would no longer be a factor. Qing flew towards Dai Yu as if she was a streak of light. Her blade clanged against the bubble spell Dai Yu put up in fear. 

“Ohohoho. Did I scare you that badly? That you needed to hide inside a bubble so that you wouldn’t die? Honestly, you look so cute in there. You should stay in there for the rest of your life!” Wan Qing laughed in her deep manly voice. 

  She turned around and headed towards the wrapped-up panda cub. It was tied up by qi chains from a talisman and unconscious. Qing reached out to pick up the sleeping spirit beast but before she could, a blade was thrown at her! She swiped at the incoming sword with her own and sent it flying into the distance.  

“Nice try but not good enough.” Qing sneered. 

“Or is it?!” Dai Yu’s blade suddenly stopped mid-air and came flying back towards her as if it had a will of its own! 

  The blade started flying around her as she took out another blade from a storage ring? Now that was interesting to find out. Not just anyone could afford a storage ring. Not even she owned a storage ring despite being one of the most talented disciples in the Inner Court. Either her background was not as simple as Wan Qing thought or she stole it somehow. 

“Who are you?!” Qing cautiously asked. Offending someone for this mutant golden panda cub wasn’t worth her life in the long run. Clans that can afford storage rings for their children are not an existence Wan Qing can afford to go against right now. 

“I’m Dai Yu!” 

“Where did you get that storage ring from?” Qing asked after not knowing about a Yu clan. 

“None of your business!”  

“If you hand that ring over to me, you could still leave here with your life intact.” Qing proposed. 

“Like I would give this ring to anyone! Brother Kun Lao gave me this as a ring! I’d rather die than betray the trust he’s given me!” 

“Isn’t that just so romantic?” Qing cooed. 

“S-Shut up! It’s not like that at all!” Dai Yu fiercely argued despite blushing heavily. 

“Sure, it isn’t Yu. That’s what we all say when we’re in love, you know?” Wan Qing calmly walked up to the distracted Dai Yu. 

“Lo-Love?! No no no no. You’re looking too into it! There’s no way it's something like that...” She said unconfidently. 

“I was an innocent virgin just like you before I made something of myself in the sect. I know exactly how you feel. It wasn’t until my talent for cultivation showed that any men would actually take me up on my advances. That still didn’t stop me from pursuing them though.”  

“Men...?” She asked confused. 

“That’s right. I’m interested in men just like any other girl. Is there something strange about that?” Wan Qing questioned as she stood in front of Dai Yu. 

“But you’re a...” 

“I’m a what?” Wan Qing hid her killing intent behind an innocent smile. 

“You’re a man Senior! How can you be interested in men?! That’s wrong!” 

“I’m a lady. Not a man.” 

“No, you’re not Senior! Just look at you! Anyone can tell you’re a man!” 

“I guess that’s what I get for trying to make friends with ignorant peasants.” Qing slowly stabbed her sword into Dai Yu’s stomach. “Hah... One day I'll get to have a girl talk with someone that won’t judge me negatively for what I am.” 

“Senior...Why....?” Dai Yu questioned with a look of sadness on her face. 

“Hush up now sweetie. Our chance for friendship ended the moment you decided to be so thick headed.” Wan Qing took her sword out of Dai Yu and flicked the blood off the blade onto the dirt. 

  She started to walk away and as she turned around, she noticed the sudden appearance of someone else. 

“DAI YU!!!” The boy screamed as he moved extremely quickly and appeared over the dying body of Dai Yu. 

  Wan Qing shrugged her shoulders and lifted the wrapped-up panda cub on her shoulder. She walked away without any lingering emotions and a frightful amount of killing intent hit her from the back. It dared her to make a single step out of this clearing and her head would be rolling the same time her foot hits the ground. Now that was a scary amount of killing intent, did she just kill his girlfriend or something? Oh! That might’ve been the guy she was in love with. Hah... Now that’s embarrassing, being caught up by the lover of someone you just killed. 

  Qing safely placed the golden panda baby next to a tree as she got ready to fight the lover boy. He had two strange bronze bracelets hanging off his arm. Cute fashion statement but too bad he’s going to be dying soon. The least Qing could do for him was to send him off with his lover. Wouldn’t it be more torturous to have the lovers split apart with one in life and the other in death? Even she wasn’t that cruel. 

“Why...? Why did you try to kill Dai Yu...?” He asked while shaking angrily. 

“I suppose you deserve an answer... She was your lover after all. And I'm a sucker for love. I guess it was a difference in principles.” Wan Qing calmly answered. 

“I see... Then prepare to die because of a difference in our principles.” He stood up and pulled out his blade. 

“Hah. Cute in looks and personality.” Qing giggled, clearly looking down on the 2nd stage Qi Consolidator. 

  She blinked and that’s all it took for Kun Lao to appear in front of her with his sword aimed directly at her heart. This kind of speed wasn’t the speed of a normal 2nd stage Qi Consolidator! Qing blocked his attack and had to defend herself against his rage-filled sword strikes. Love is truly amazing isn’t it? Someone at his stage is capable of sending a cultivator at her level on the defensive through the power of love! Well, it wasn’t just love, that would be silly if someone could become stronger just with emotions alone. He had a bloodline that most likely just awakened after seeing his girlfriend dead on the floor. A very powerful bloodline that was strong enough to make them equal in strength despite being four small stages away from each other. 

  Wan Qing wasn’t worried too much. As long as she kept a cool head and let him tire himself out, she should get away from this without much trouble. The awakening of a bloodline is not something anyone can just master right out of the gate. It takes careful practice and experience to get used to the effects of a bloodline, unless you’re one of those super prodigies who were born with their bloodlines active right out of the womb. Then you’re just a monster. 

  Kun Lao’s bloodline was putting a heavy tax on his body and Qing could tell that he wasn’t going to leave this fight without any permanent injuries to his body. It looks like his body was too weak to use his bloodline to its maximum limit. It didn’t seem like it bothered him at all though. They’ve been fighting for about 5 or so minutes now and he’s still going as strong as he was from the beginning. Isn’t he afraid of dying before being able to kill her? He won’t be able to avenge his girlfriend if he kills himself first. 

“YOU BASTARD!!!!!!” His qi exploded in a light red explosion. 

  Wan Qing was sent tumbling off into the air from the force of that qi alone. It was a good thing she had wings because she was knocked pretty far up. If she didn’t, the fall would not have been pretty. Even for someone at her stage. Wan Qing shook her head before spotting Kun Lao suddenly holding a bow in his hands. Did he have a storage ring as well? Where did he pull out that bow from? That bow is way too big to be have hidden anywhere on his body. Oh wait, the girl did say that she was given her storage ring by lover boy so, it makes sense that he has his own as well. 

  He let go of the bowstring and Qing’s eyes bulged in complete shock! She barely had enough time to react to the ‘arrow’ sent at her! Her sword protected her from whatever he sent at her drilling a hole through her skull. She slashed at the thing and it looked like bone shards? What the hell did he just fire at her with that bow? 

“Puc!” 

  She got distracted... He fired another arrow that pierced right through the left of her abdomen and a third one that shot a hole through her shoulder. She started falling out of the sky. Her concentration was messed up and she couldn’t focus on stabilizing her breathing to keep her wings formed. Wan Qing fell and broke multiple branches on her way down to the ground. This was the first time she’s ever been in this bad of a situation. 

  Kun Lao stood over her. She could see the painful grimace on his face as his arm quickly regenerated. That bow... It fired his own bones at his enemies? What kind of lunatic would use such a crazy weapon!? She could barely take any air into her lungs right now. Trying to speak right now would probably kill her. What an ugly ending... Not beautiful in the slightest... 

  Wan Qing did the only thing she could do as a disciple of the Golden Serpent Sect. She glared at Kun Lao with all her soul. He glared back with a death glare of his own and turned away from her before grabbing Dai Yu’s body, bridal style and vanished into the forest. So, this is it for her huh... So much for talent when bullshit bloodlines and spirit weapons like that exist.  

‘I’m sorry sisters... I wasn’t able to accomplish my dreams of becoming a respected and accepted cultivator throughout the lands. I wasn’t able to change the world into one that would allow people like me to fit in with the rest... I wasn’t even able to find a single friend in the world that truly accepted me for who I am... Haha... What a waste of a life...’ Tears flowed from Wan Qing’s nearly dead body. 

---

  Jing stood over the almost dead body of Wan Qing. She was interested in her. Yes, she said her. She may have the genitals of a male but if she herself wants to be referred to as a woman, Jing has no problem with that. It may be a bit unusual but it isn’t as if it personally affects her. What did she care if he wanted to become a woman? All she cared about was how useful she could be and seeing the situation she was in... Her loyalty wouldn’t be that hard to gain after being brought back from the brink of death. But her main reason for approaching this soon-to-be corpse was this... 

[Mission available for host!] 

[Take in Wan Qing and allow her the chance to get revenge on her killer! Her killer, Kun Lao, was no simple disciple! He was a Person of Fate! One blessed by the heavens themselves to rise to the top of this world! You will now be tasked with taking their blessings or killing them before they can become someone unstoppable!] 

[Reminder! Only Wan Qing is allowed to kill Kun Lao for the rewards of this mission! Wan Qing must be gifted an SCP before being able to take on Kun Lao!] 

[Rewards: 5 epic tickets, Sky ranked blacksmith manual] 

  Jing took out a refined recovery pill and forced Qing to swallow it. The injuries to her body were being healed at a quick rate similar to the boy who managed to snatch SCP-154 while the lackies of the top rankers were dealing with the Mutant Golden Panda. Qing soon awakened and Jing stood over her with her mask on. 

“What is it that you desire?” She asked. 

“Did you save me...?” Qing asked. 

“When you were about to depart from this world, what did you wish you could accomplish before passing on?” She asked. 

“I...joined this sect in hopes of becoming the sect leader and reforming it into the most beautiful sect in the world...” 

“What else?” Jing knew she had more ambitions than that. 

“To make a real friend... To find love... to be treated with respect and dignity like any other human. To show the Blossoming Flower sect that they should’ve never rejected me. To show everyone who ever looked down on me that I am not to be underestimated! To bring honor and peace to my many sisters that supported me for who I chose to be! To kill Kun Lao as payback for killing me!” 

‘Uh. That was a lot more than I needed but that’s fine.’ Jing held her hand out. 

“I have the resources and power to make your ambitions come true. Join me and I'll give you everything you ever wanted and more.” Jing’s aura towered over the confused Wan Qing.  

“Why me?” Qing hesitated before taking her hand. 

“I see a powerful drive in you... I need people like you. People who want to bring about a change. People who will set out to accomplish their goals at any cost. People who need a helping hand...” 

  Qing took Jing’s hand. 

“You’ve made a wise choice Wan Qing. You won’t regret choosing to become one of mine.” Jing removed her mask and smiled. 

“Who are you...?” 

“My name is Jing. Follow me. I have some things to give you as a gift for joining me, as well as some things to tell you about my group.” 

---