The young girl, her name still unknown, stared at Li Xuan with those wide, wary green eyes. Her small, thin body trembled, partly from pain, partly from fear. She clutched her injured arm tighter, drawing herself further into the gnarled roots of the ancient tree. His offer hung in the air, audacious and frankly, unbelievable. A "Sect Leader" in tattered robes, covered in dirt, promising food and training. It sounded like the fever dream of a starving child.
"Sect... Leader?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "You... you're a Sect Leader? Of what sect?" Disbelief was etched onto her grimy face.
Li Xuan knew he didn't look the part. Not even close. He looked like he'd just wrestled a badger in a dust cloud. He needed to sell this, and quickly. He was a gamer; he knew how to spin a narrative, how to make a hopeless situation sound like a grand adventure.
"The Falling Leaf Sect," he stated, trying to infuse his voice with a confidence he didn't quite feel. "It's a very... ancient sect. A powerful one, once. And it will be powerful again. I'm rebuilding it. From the ground up." He gestured vaguely back towards the ruin, hoping she hadn't seen it yet. "You see this place?" He gestured to the surrounding wilderness. "It's dangerous. You're hurt. And alone. I can help you. I have... methods. Unique methods."
He remembered the Verdant Qi Pill in his inventory. While it was a cultivation pill, perhaps a tiny bit of its power, combined with the innate understanding granted by his Lesser Qi Gathering Manual, could help with her injury. He couldn't heal it instantly, but he could potentially alleviate some pain, and more importantly, show her something tangible.
"My methods," Li Xuan continued, a plan forming, "allow for accelerated recovery, among other things." He willed one of the Verdant Qi Pills to materialize in his palm. It appeared with a faint, almost magical shimmer, glowing softly with its jade-green light and releasing its refreshing, earthy aroma. The girl's eyes, previously dull with misery, widened even further, fixated on the glowing pill.
"What is that?" she breathed, a hint of awe in her voice.
"This," Li Xuan said, holding it out carefully, "is a Verdant Qi Pill. It's a special elixir from my sect. It can help heal you, and help you cultivate." He knew he couldn't just give it to her without explaining, and more importantly, without demonstrating. He popped one of the pills into his mouth, the cool sensation spreading across his tongue, followed by a rush of pure, vibrant energy that flowed through his meridians. It wasn't healing a physical injury, but it felt incredibly invigorating, subtly enhancing the Qi he had managed to gather. He subtly circulated a tiny amount of this enhanced Qi to his scraped forearm, focusing the refreshing sensation. The dull ache subsided, a faint greenish glow momentarily visible to his own eyes, before fading.
"See?" he said, gesturing to his arm. "It helps. And you're just what the Falling Leaf Sect needs. Someone with spirit. Someone willing to work hard." He saw the hunger in her eyes, not just for food, but for hope. She was young, likely abandoned, with nothing to cling to. His absurd offer might be her only chance.
"My name is Qing'er," she finally whispered, her voice a little stronger, her gaze still fixed on the glowing pill. "My arm... it hurts. I fell."
"Qing'er," Li Xuan repeated, a genuine smile forming. "I can help your arm. I promise. And if you come with me, you'll never go hungry again. You'll learn how to get strong, how to protect yourself." He knew this was the hook. In a world like this, strength and self-sufficiency were everything.
Her gaze shifted between the pill, his earnest (if somewhat desperate) face, and her painfully bent arm. The fear was still there, but a flicker of desperate hope was growing in its place. She was weighing the known pain and despair against an unknown, unbelievable promise.
"Food?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Real food? Every day?"
"Every day," Li Xuan affirmed, pushing aside his own gnawing hunger to project absolute certainty. "And training. To make you powerful. To make you truly strong."
She looked at the pill again, then back at him. Her lower lip trembled. "Will it... will it hurt?"
"The pill won't," Li Xuan said, a small lie for the cultivation part, but the immediate effect would be beneficial. "And I'll be careful with your arm. I promise." He held out his hand, palm up, in an offer of trust.
Slowly, hesitantly, Qing'er extended her uninjured hand, her small, cold fingers touching his. He gently helped her up. She winced, but didn't cry out. He noticed now how thin she was, how fragile she seemed.
[Disciple Recruitment Objective Complete!]
[Reward: Basic Food & Water Provisions (Daily Supply for 1 week), Basic Farming & Gathering Manual (Common Grade) acquired!]
A triumphant chime echoed in Li Xuan's mind, and the blue system box flickered brightly. A wave of relief washed over him. He had done it! He had his first disciple, and the promise of food and water was a sweet reward.
Instantly, his Sect Inventory updated. Not only did the food and water appear, but a new scroll, radiating a faint earthy glow, materialized in his mind: the Basic Farming & Gathering Manual.
"Alright, Qing'er," Li Xuan said, a new energy coursing through him. "Let's get you back to the sect. We'll get your arm sorted, and then... we eat."
He carefully guided her back through the thicket. He explained to her, as simply as he could, that the sect was currently... under renovation. He didn't use words like "ruin" or "dilapidated," instead focusing on its "ancient history" and "grand potential." Qing'er, clutching her arm, seemed too focused on the promise of food and relief from pain to question him too deeply.
As they emerged from the forest and the crumbling facade of the Falling Leaf Sect came into view, Li Xuan braced himself for her reaction. The main gate was a sorry sight, the courtyard still a work in progress despite his earlier efforts.
Qing'er, however, simply stared. Her eyes weren't filled with disappointment, but with a strange, quiet understanding. Perhaps she had expected worse, or perhaps her own past had prepared her for hardship. "It's... quiet," she murmured.
"It won't be for long," Li Xuan declared, a genuine determination in his voice. "We're going to change that. You and me. The Falling Leaf Sect." He led her directly to the small, dark passage he had discovered earlier. The system's food and water provisions were stored in his inventory, ready to be summoned.
He reached the secret vault entrance, mentally retrieving a bottle of clean water and a small, surprisingly dense loaf of bread from his Sect Inventory. The items shimmered into existence in his hands, fresh and inviting. Qing'er's eyes widened at the sight of the food, and a hungry whimper escaped her lips.
"Here," Li Xuan said, handing her the water bottle. "Drink this first. Then we'll get you some bread. After that, we'll deal with your arm."
He carefully helped her sit down, her small hand trembling as she took the bottle. The immediate relief of the cool water seemed to wash away some of her fear. As she drank, Li Xuan mentally retrieved a second Verdant Qi Pill. He knelt before her, gently taking her injured arm. It was clearly dislocated, perhaps even fractured, but he wasn't a doctor. He didn't have healing skills.
He remembered the pill's description: "aids in accelerating Qi gathering and purification... or provide a burst of purified Qi for immediate use." Perhaps the Qi could aid the body's natural healing processes, even if he couldn't directly fix the bone.
"This might feel a little strange," he warned her softly. "But it will help the pain, and help your body heal faster." He gently placed the pill in her other hand. "Chew it slowly."
Qing'er nodded, her green eyes fixed on him, a nascent trust beginning to form. She chewed the pill, a faint, sweet taste spreading in her mouth. Almost immediately, a soft jade-green glow enveloped her injured arm, a warmth spreading through her body. Her eyes fluttered, and a sigh of profound relief escaped her lips. The pain, though not gone, dulled noticeably.
Li Xuan felt a surge of satisfaction. First disciple recruited. First tangible benefit of the system's power shown. This game was officially underway. He wasn't just surviving anymore; he was building. And with Qing'er by his side, even in this crumbling ruin, the Falling Leaf Sect felt a little less dead.