Once seated, Zhao Wanting had the servants brew a pot of chrysanthemum tea. Anji, eager to ask Yan Ping about her mysterious past, held back, sensing that the moment was not right. Her mother's face was a mask of unease, a sign that something significant was about to unfold.
After the pot of chrysanthemum tea was ready, Wanting poured and served it to Yan Ping, who left it untouched. Instead, she turned her head slightly towards the servants still in the room. Taking the hint, Wanting dismissed the servants so they could have some privacy. Although she did not hear much from her husband about what he discussed with Yan Ping yesterday because she stayed by Anji's side the whole time, Wanting was aware of her intention to take Anji as a student.
"Let's get straight to the point," Yan Ping declared, setting her staff aside and removing her hat. "Anji's power is a threat to her life."
Although Wanting was already aware of the possibility, she was still unprepared to hear it directly. Holding onto Anji's hand tightly, Wanting held back tears. Although raising Anji was a road full of obstacles, there was not a single day she regretted bringing her youngest daughter into this world. Anji was the pride and joy of their family and was irreplaceable. Everyone tried their best not to think of the day when Anji would vanish from their lives, even if that reality might come sooner than later. Each day Anji woke up was a blessing for the Celestial Dragon Sect and nobody could deny it.
Although Yan Ping was not a mother, she could understand the heartache such news would bring. However, there was a need to choose between the lesser of two evils and gamble for a chance of happiness. The Celestial Dragon Sect could shelter and protect their cultivation inept princess, but they could not hope to win against the God of Death. Unless Anji successfully escapes the realm of mortals, it would be difficult for her to live until adulthood.
"Mingfeng told me about how powerful Anji's cultivation core was at birth. However, his estimation was wrong. Even with such a seal that would have crippled you, Anji's powers are still burdening her. She's much stronger than anyone could imagine. If she survives this ordeal, she would surpass even me easily."
Hearing how powerful their cute toddler was, Wanting became speechless. On one hand, she was a proud parent. On the other hand, she feared the thorny path ahead of Anji. With great power came great responsibility. Any good mother would wish to shoulder the burdens of this world and protect their child for as long as possible. However, Anji's potential posed a danger to everyone, including herself. This was not something Wanting could protect her sweet child from.
"It's heaven's will," she sobbed, looking at her cherubic child. "How difficult is the path ahead of her?"
Yan Ping thought hard. She had no idea. Even with all her knowledge and experience, she had never encountered someone like Anji before.
"I don't know much," the blind cultivator admitted. "I've only heard myths about spiritual children. However, there are no records about them because spiritual children usually die before they turn one. I've only heard of their existence when my teacher mentioned it once many years ago."
Yan Ping's teacher was a sage rumoured to have lived for a thousand years before finally attaining enlightenment and leaving the mortal world behind to ascend to heaven. Yan Ping was her last disciple during her time in the mortal realm. Hence, many murim pugilists respected the Mystical Qilin Sect for its wisdom. There was an unspoken rule in the murim world that anyone who makes an enemy out of the Mystical Qilin Sect would become a public enemy of the entire murim world. Their neutrality made them a credible mediator for many conflicts, and nobody doubted their judgment. Hence, there was a profound sense of helplessness when Wanting heard how Yan Ping had no solutions for her daughter's special condition.
Anji looked back and forth between her mother and the blind lady. She had no idea what they were discussing, but it sounded like serious business regarding her strange dream yesterday.
Even without seeing Anji through her spiritual eyes, Yan Ping could sense the child's restlessness and endless curiosity by hearing her clothes rustling when she fidgeted. Although Anji was small and physically weak, she possessed a strong will to survive.
"There is a sacred technique that my teacher passed down to me before she ascended. Of all the seals, spells and arrays I learned from her, this sacred technique can only be used once in my life. It is meant to be passed down to my successor," Yan Ping touched the cup of chrysanthemum tea, feeling sentimental as she spoke. "However, as my skills and knowledge are limited, it is the only technique I can think of that might save your daughter's life. It is not a matter we can decide easily."
It took Anji a while to understand what Yan Ping was talking about. Although only three years old, she understood the seriousness of the bond between a master and a disciple. Unlike normal students who enrolled in a martial school to improve their technique, a successor disciple differed from the rest. They had to vow their entire lives to master only one technique from their teacher and could not afford to learn from anyone else. The burden of mastering their master's technique fell solely on a successor's shoulders as they had to continue that legacy. For an important sect like the Mystical Qilin, they needed to choose the right successor candidate. Yan Ping refused to take anyone as her successor because there wasn't anyone good enough. However, to help Anji learn how to control the overwhelming powers sealed inside of her, Yan Ping had to use and teach Anji a technique that could only be passed down to the future successor of the Mystical Qilin Sect.
In other words, Anji had to decide between shouldering a heavy responsibility to live a healthier life for many years to come with her family or being happy with her current happiness and succumbing to the threat within her at any moment. For a girl who wished to see the vast world someday, Anji did not mind going through any hardships for her dream to come true. She wanted to stay with her family and see everyone smile for a long time.
Hopping off the chair with her short legs, Anji toddled up to Yan Ping and dropped to her knees before the white skirt. Alarmed by Anji's sudden reckless behaviour, Wanting was about to stop her, but she was too slow. Anji curled up like a ball and placed her forehead on the ground, prostrating before Yan Ping.
"Zhao Anji pays her respect to Shifu!"
Shocked by Anji's behaviour, Wanting was about to kneel and beg for forgiveness for her daughter's rudeness when Yan Ping told Anji to lift her head.
After Anji lifted her head off the ground, she felt a hand pat the top of her head. However, Yan Ping never removed her hand even after a while. Instead, she kept it firmly on top of Anji's head, like pressing on a watermelon.
"Do you know what it means to call me 'shifu'?" She asked the quick-witted child.
Unlike her overthinking parents, Anji made decisions quickly with a confidence that could sometimes be mistaken as recklessness.
"Anji doesn't know all the difficult responsibilities of becoming the successor of the Mystical Qilin sect," the young princess admitted. "However, to live many happy days with my family in the future, I am willing to work hard and meet your expectations!"
Shocked by her daughter's overly mature answer and unwavering resolution, Zhao Wanting had no heart to counsel her daughter otherwise.
"Anji…" she wiped her tears silently and looked at Yan Ping, who had a neutral expression.
Even if Zhao Anji was weak as a candle in the wind, she was definitely the daughter of the legendary hero Zhao Mingfeng. Her unwavering resolution and courage to take on challenges greater than her resembled him. Her kindhearted nature and desire to support others definitely resembled Zhao Wanting more. Although she wasn't quite the successor Yan Ping expected, the blind cultivator was satisfied with the answer.
"Will you not regret your decision today?" she asked the determined princess seriously. "The Mystical Qilin Sect is very strict. Until you fully master all my teachings, you may not leave the mountain or meet with your family. There will be no servants or friends at the Qilin Shrine, unlike the Celestial Dragon Sect. You'd have to learn how to cook, clean and sew in addition to cultivating. Our diet is also very strict. We can only drink dew or spring water and bitter herbs collected from the mountain. You cannot complain at all once you're there, or you'd be punished harshly to fill a well without help. Even after knowing all these, are you still willing to become my disciple?"
Everyone knew just how strict Yan Ping was with her students. For many years, the disciples of Mount Qilin ate worse than a nun at a monastery and worked harder than a slave. Even after training for many years, only a few would be able to graduate and gain permission from her to leave the mountain. Anji heard stories about it. Previously, she would prefer to live out the rest of her mortal-like life happily with the rest of her family quietly. However, after learning that there might not be many days to live happily with her family, Anji's resolve changed.
"If I endure all these hardships and overcome them, will I be able to live with my family until I become an old lady?"
Yan Ping smiled slightly. Most people cultivated to seek immortality and power. Anji was the first person who had a different motive for wanting to learn cultivation.
"How old do you want to become?" she asked.
Anji looked at her mother and frowned. Although Wanting looked young, she was no spring chicken. Anji knew that powerful cultivators could live for several centuries, and her father was very powerful. She might know how to read, but Mingshen had not taught her any arithmetic yet. So with her child-like estimation, Anji held up all the fingers she had.
"This much!" she uttered confidently with all the seriousness she had. "I want to live for a very long time with everyone in the Celestial Dragon Sect."
After figuring out what Anji did with the help of her embarrassed mother, Yang Ping burst out in laughter and conceded. Anji was still a three-year-old who lacked a lot of knowledge. However, she fully conveyed her sincerity and desire with her actions. Although it might not be entirely possible for Anji to live in the Celestial Dragon Sect as the successor who had obligations to oversee the Mystical Qilin Sect, other arrangements could be made.
"Very well," Yan Ping nodded. "When my teacher selected me as her successor, she gave me the courtesy name 'Bu Yi Mu', which meant unwavering sight. Today, I shall confer you a courtesy name as well, even if you're not yet an adult."
Traditionally, courtesy names were given by a child's parents on the day they turn twenty. However, there were special occasions when a child would earn their courtesy name earlier. The bond between a master and a disciple was the same as the bond between a parent and child. Zhao Wanting quickly poured a fresh cup of tea and pushed it into Anji's hands, whispering at her to offer the cup to Yan Ping.
"Anji offers this cup of tea to shifu," the young princess bowed, her hands trembling from effort a little at upholding the difficult posture she was taught to do at important tea ceremonies like this.
Part of her could hardly believe how she was going to become one of the most powerful cultivator's disciple. However, she could not pass up the opportunity to become stronger for her family and future happiness. If anything, she thanked the heavens for the opportunity.
Accepting the cup of tea, Yan Ping took a sip. This child was pure and bright. In the future, she would become a figure similar to the goddess Guan Yin the bodhisattva of mercy and compassion.
"From today onwards, your courtesy name will be Ci Wang. Like the goddess Guan Yin, you will uphold this name with kindness and become the beacon of hope for humanity in the future, illuminating the path for lost souls."
Thanking her teacher for the beautiful courtesy name, Anji kotowed three times and vowed to dedicate herself to learning everything from Yan Ping and taking on the responsibilities expected of a successor.