Xia He was seriously injured during an operation to hunt down a demon beast.
The near-fatal injury unexpectedly awakened her, revealing the course of her fate. Xia He immediately packed her things and left the immortal sect, putting distance between herself and the deranged male lead so she wouldn't become the cannon-fodder junior sister who died unjustly on his path to ascension and enlightenment.
She cultivated tirelessly, day and night, as if she had developed a fear of not being strong enough. Using her ability to "read minds," she amassed a fortune and worked diligently for three hundred years until she finally founded her own little immortal sect.
She chose a site where the human and demon realms met, a place teeming with all sorts of people. Every disciple Xia He took in was the son or daughter of a notorious little menace...
A group of teenage boys and girls, newly initiated into the Dao, played and made a racket in class. When the bell rang, they looked up at the neat wall of handwritten talismans and saw her lonely figure walking away. Overcome with shame, they thought, I really am the worst...
Only one young man followed her. He found her crouched among the flowers outside the moon gate, peeking around. "I refuse to believe I can't get these little devils under control!"
Hearing footsteps behind her, Xia He called out without looking back, "A Cheng, you must take on the responsibility of the senior disciple. Don't disappoint your master!"
Xue Cheng had been by her side through every struggle and was the disciple she trusted most. He stopped and respectfully replied, "Yes, Master!"
*
Later, her enemies came knocking.
This time Xia He was as steady as a rock, not the least bit flustered. As she watched her disciples form a sword array against the completely deranged male lead, she leisurely peeled an orange.
A Cheng, you know what? I've hated that lunatic for ages! Go on, kill him for your master...
Yes, Master!
Xue Cheng joined the fight. His tall, elegant figure was leagues ahead of the original male lead in every way.
Xia He: "Wonderful, wonderful! There's nothing like a villain face-slapping the male lead. Saving him when I went into the tiger's den back then was worth it!"
After the battle, Xue Cheng wiped the blood from his hands. Looking at his master, who was smiling as she offered him an orange, he shook his head. "Master, only children want that kind of reward. What I want is..."
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
This.
At that moment, for the first time, Xia He read the unspeakable thoughts of her eldest disciple.
They were rich in content, intense in conviction, and... quite colorful.
Xia He: "...What do I do if I've raised my disciple all wrong?"
No, wait. He was a villain to begin with. ╮(￣⊿￣")╭
Theme: At this level, I no longer need to act. My disciples will show anyone who dares challenge me just how powerful I am.
