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

Wei Dagui, who had believed he was about to lose his life, was astonished to find himself saved by a graceful young man. In his shock, he momentarily forgot that he was still suspended in mid-air, not far from the river's surface.

Sun Yigao, who had rushed over to catch the falling laborer, breathed a sigh of relief as he carefully carried Wei Dagui to a secluded corner on the riverbank using his air-walking technique, ensuring they were out of sight from others.

It wasn't until Wei Dagui felt the solid ground beneath his feet that he truly believed he had survived. Then it hit him—this young man had saved him from mid-air!

"Are you... an immortal?" Wei Dagui asked, his voice trembling with emotion. He immediately tried to kneel in gratitude, "Thank you, Immortal, for saving my life!"

Seeing Wei Dagui about to kneel, Sun Yigao quickly stopped him, holding him up.

"Uncle, there's no need for that! I'm not an immortal, just a cultivator. The dam is dangerous—please be extremely careful."

With that, Sun Yigao swiftly departed, returning to the vicinity of the dam to keep an eye on any potential dangers.

Before Wei Dagui could ask for his savior's name, he looked up and found that the elegant young man had already disappeared. The deafening roar of the massive river echoed behind him, leaving him in a daze. For a moment, he wondered if he had already died and that the encounter was merely a dream before his death.

But the distant sounds of laborers chanting as they hauled materials brought him back to reality. No, it wasn't a dream—he had truly been saved by an immortal!

Suppressing his excitement, Wei Dagui quickly rejoined the laborers. However, he didn't mention his miraculous rescue to anyone.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao continued placing reinforcement formations with great focus. The entire Gu Chuan Dam spanned more than 5,000 meters, and although he had brought 50 large reinforcement formations, they still seemed somewhat insufficient.

Just as Lin Xiao finished placing the formations along the dam, he sensed a familiar aura of spiritual energy nearby. A moment later, it vanished. Puzzled, Lin Xiao wondered if another member of his sect had come to assist. He immediately headed in the direction of the spiritual energy.

From a distance, he spotted a tall, slender figure standing on the riverbank. Who else could it be but Sun Yigao?

Under the cover of darkness, Lin Xiao sprinted through the night sky. The workers on the dam, engrossed in their tasks, were oblivious to the young figure gliding through the dense mist over the Moon River.

Sun Yigao, diligently monitoring the dam, suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him.

"As expected, you would show up at a time like this."

Sun Yigao turned and smiled warmly when he saw Lin Xiao.

"And so did you, Sect Master."

Lin Xiao smiled softly, lowering his gaze. "It's been a while. How did your exams go?"

"I just finished the provincial exams yesterday," Sun Yigao replied. "But with the urgency of the dam repairs, the governor has no time to grade the papers. The exam scripts have been sealed, and it will take some time before the results are released."

"I see," Lin Xiao nodded.

Given the distance between Liaoju Prefecture and the Gu Chuan Dam, it must have taken Sun Yigao over two hours to get here, even with his cultivation level. He likely set out at dawn.

Sun Yigao glanced at the ongoing repair work on the dam and said to Lin Xiao, "When I heard that the repairs would begin today, I felt uneasy, so I came here. Is that why you're here as well?"

Lin Xiao nodded and replied, "Recently, I've been studying formation engraving. While I don't possess the power to change the world, I thought I could at least make some reinforcement formations to aid in the dam repairs. So, I brought some along."

Noticing Sun Yigao's determined stance as he kept watch over the dam, Lin Xiao asked, "Are you planning to stay here and keep an eye on things every day?"

Sun Yigao nodded. "I'm worried that too many people might get hurt. Although I don't have any special methods for repairing the dam, I'll be satisfied if I can save even one more life."

Hearing this, Lin Xiao sighed inwardly and said, "Yigao, you know, in the world of cultivation, as I learned from the old immortal who gave me my opportunity, the lives of mortals are often regarded as insignificant, like blades of grass."

He shook his head and continued, "No, it's not just mortals—all lives are seen this way. For many cultivators, nothing is more important than their own cultivation. Killing and plundering are as common as daily meals, and self-preservation is their ultimate goal."

Sun Yigao was silent for a moment before he gently shook his head and sighed, "Perhaps that's true, but I can't live like that."

He looked at the bustling figures on the dam, and his voice softly resonated with the roar of the river.

"I can't harden my heart towards these people, whom I've never even met. I always find myself thinking about their situations. I don't consider myself particularly compassionate or kind; I just want to see a little less suffering in the world within the limits of my abilities."

He paused, then added, "I believe you're the same, Sect Master."

Following his gaze, Lin Xiao looked at the people working hard on the dam and smiled faintly.

"Seeing these people striving to live makes me feel content. Whether it's cultivating or living a simple life, life should be something to cherish, something that gives us the will to keep going. I don't consider myself a great benefactor, but I will always respect those who work hard to survive."

Hearing this, Sun Yigao felt a sense of joy in his heart. He lowered his gaze and smiled as he replied, "My purpose aligns with yours."

While the two conversed in the shadows, Wei Dagui, who had been saved by Sun Yigao, returned to the laborers. When the supervising constable saw him, he was furious, thinking Wei Dagui had tried to flee. However, after hearing Wei Dagui's explanation that he had fallen off the dam due to a companion's mistake, the constable was skeptical.

"Falling from such a height, and you...," the constable hesitated to say, "survived?" He didn't want to imply that Wei Dagui should have died, as it would seem like he was wishing for it.

Wei Dagui didn't mention being saved by an immortal, only saying that he was skilled at swimming and was lucky enough to be washed ashore. The constable then called over Wei Dagui's companion.

When the companion saw Wei Dagui, whom he had seen fall and assumed to be dead, standing before him, he was shocked.

"You're not a ghost, are you?" he asked fearfully.

Although Wei Dagui was angry that the man's carelessness had nearly cost him his life, he knew the man wasn't in good health and had been working without rest all day. So, he only huffed, "Of course I'm not a ghost! If you hadn't slipped up, I wouldn't have fallen!"

The constable intervened, calming both men down. He now believed that Wei Dagui hadn't tried to escape but had indeed fallen. It was a strange day—earlier, another worker had fallen when his rope snapped, yet he, too, had returned unharmed. That worker had claimed to be saved by an immortal, but the constable found it hard to believe. After all, if an immortal had really appeared, there would have been a commotion, like the last time when the governor had sought help from an immortal. But today, there had been no such news.

Still, the constable decided to let Wei Dagui rest. After all, falling from such a height could have hidden consequences. The governor had instructed them that if too many laborers were injured or killed, the supervising constables would also be punished. On the other hand, if they completed the task with minimal casualties, they would be handsomely rewarded.

With that in mind, the constable hurriedly urged Wei Dagui to rest and return to work the next day.