Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

"Ever since then, my father carried that treasure with him at all times, and it worked just as the old beggar said. No matter how many fights he got into, he was never seriously harmed! But this time, he lost his life! I can't believe that a few mere bandits could have killed him unless the ones who did it weren't ordinary people!"

Fang Mancang thought for a moment before saying, "That explains it. The only survivor, Da Li, said that your father held off the attackers for a long time to give them a chance to escape…"

Fang Manliang, still confused, asked, "Why didn't you tell Jianghe about this earlier?"

Gu Yuxiao, frustrated, replied, "When my father died, I was overwhelmed with grief and busy with the funeral. Besides, my father only mentioned it briefly a few years ago, so it didn't come to mind immediately. I only remembered it now because of the recent bandit attacks. I planned to tell him today, but he tricked me and went off on his own!"

She was furious, her words filled with bitterness. "If the enemies are cultivators and stronger than Brother Qin, what will we do then?"

From their conversation, Lin Xiao quickly grasped the situation. He immediately asked, "Do you know the general location where the bandits might be?"

Fang Manliang stepped forward and said, "I know!"

Lin Xiao nodded at him. "Alright, lead the way."

"I want to go too!" Gu Yuxiao insisted. Over the past month, she had reached the second level of Qi Refining, though it was clear her foundation wasn't entirely stable yet.

Lin Xiao thought for a moment and asked, "Have you mastered Concealment Technique?"

Gu Yuxiao nodded firmly. "Yes! And I can use Immobilization Technique too!" Although she could only immobilize an adult for a single breath, she kept that part to herself.

Considering that the bandits could be handled by Gu Yuxiao's father, a mortal, Lin Xiao surmised that their cultivation levels shouldn't be too high. He decided to allow her to join them, planning to have her and Fang Manliang stay on the flying vessel in case of danger. And if things went south, he still had the newly acquired teleportation array.

Thus, Lin Xiao agreed to let Gu Yuxiao come along.

Fang Mancang was left behind to manage the escort agency while Lin Xiao, with Fang Manliang and Gu Yuxiao, left the county and headed to a secluded forest. Once there, Lin Xiao took out the flying vessel he had refined earlier.

Walking wouldn't be fast enough, especially with two Qi Refining cultivators at such low levels.

As Lin Xiao tossed the small, palm-sized flying vessel to the ground, it instantly expanded, growing large enough to accommodate six or seven people.

The vessel could adjust its size as needed, and Lin Xiao kept it relatively small to conserve spiritual energy.

Unlike the others, Jiang Youfu was no longer surprised by such displays. He watched Gu Yuxiao and Fang Manliang's astonished reactions with a sense of pride, thinking, See? My Brother Xiao is amazing.

Lin Xiao had used the same vessel to carry him here earlier that morning.

With Fang Manliang guiding the way, Lin Xiao steered the flying vessel swiftly through the air.

Though Lin Xiao hadn't yet reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, his cultivation had solidified and deepened significantly. If he focused on his cultivation, he'd reach the next level in no time.

Now, controlling the vessel and flying hundreds of miles with three passengers required barely one percent of his spiritual energy.

As they flew, Lin Xiao extended his divine sense, ensuring no one else spotted the flying vessel to avoid causing panic.

Half an hour later, they had covered nearly two hundred miles. When they reached the area where the bandits were said to frequent, Lin Xiao brought the vessel down and let everyone disembark.

Gu Yuxiao immediately ran to a tree and began to vomit.

Lin Xiao felt a bit awkward. Earlier, she had seemed composed, sitting with a serious expression that Lin Xiao had admired for her determination. But now, it was clear she had been trying not to move for fear of getting sick.

It seemed she hadn't yet learned to channel spiritual energy through her body to prevent airsickness. Lin Xiao recalled that while she had reached the second level of Qi Refining, she had likely spent more time mastering spells than refining her control.

Jiang Youfu, feeling sympathetic, offered her a green fruit from his pouch. "Here, this fruit is juicy and sweet. It might help settle your stomach."

Gu Yuxiao used a cleaning spell on herself before accepting the fruit with thanks.

Meanwhile, Fang Manliang scouted the area, while Lin Xiao extended his divine sense to search for any trace of Qin Jianghe.

However, his initial scan revealed nothing.

Could Jianghe be using Concealment Technique? Lin Xiao wondered. Combined with the Peach Leaf Pendant that could hide spiritual energy, this made things tricky.

Lin Xiao expanded his search, meticulously checking every corner. Although Concealment Technique was effective, it wasn't foolproof against its creator if Lin Xiao took the time to look closely.

Yet, after several sweeps, he found no sign of Qin Jianghe—or any bandits.

According to Fang Manliang, Jianghe had left the previous night. Given the distance of fewer than two hundred miles, he should have arrived by now.

Could the bandits have moved? Did Fang Manliang lead us to the wrong place? Lin Xiao wondered.