Today was a joyous day for the sect master of the Axe Mountain Sect, Immortal Drifting Axe Han Baohu. His two wives were about to give birth. The entirety of the mountain was a buzz of activity. Disciples dashed here and there, making sure everything was prepared.
On the mountain peak, within the sect master's manor, Han Baohu stood in a large room that was filled with famous doctors and midwives from across the province. They were gathered around two beds placed side-by-side in the middle of room.
His two wives, A'zhu and A'zhi were already in labor. As twins, their monthly cycles had always been in sync. They got pregnant at the same time. They were also about to give birth together.
He stared feverishly at these two women he obtained from the Martial Brilliance Continent. He had traded his beloved disciple, Zhao Linmei, for them. He had abandoned his pride for them, for this moment, for his lineage.
After a long, difficult birth, his wives gave birth to two boys and the room erupted in cheers.
Han Baohu laughed spiritedly as he laid eyes on his two babies. They would grow up to be talented cultivators. They would become immortals in the future and he would leave this sect to them.
"Good, very good!" He pinched their buttocks and they began to wail, "Hahaha! Such strong and healthy babies! Hahaha!"
The people around him showered him with praise and congratulations.
Soon, the babies were moved to another room where nursemaids were already waiting. Most everyone left the birthing room, leaving only a few to look after the exhausted mothers.
The two women were sweating profusely and breathing heavily. They looked thin and exhausted like they had lost half their lifespan from the ordeal. What used to be a pair of beautiful twins who had cultivated to the Lesser Realm of Spiritual Awakening had turned into two pale and sickly old women.
"My baby…" One of them whispered hoarsely, "I want… to see… my baby…"
The other didn't say anything but the hot tears she shed told of her sorrow.
They had lived their whole lives for today, cultivated the secret art of the Silver Luan for this purpose. Now that it was over, they had no other use to their so-called husband.
It wasn't until a few days later that Han Baohu asked about A'zhu and A'zhi. When he heard about their condition, he didn't ask about them anymore and focused solely on his sons.
"Doctor Ming, how is their cultivation talent, are you able to tell yet?"
The venerable medicinal daoist Ming stroked his beard and shook his head, "My lord immortal, they are still babies. Those that say they can judge a person's cultivation talent through examining veins and bones are all liars and cheats. We won't know until they are older."
"Ah? Really…"
"My lord immortal, given the origin of their mothers, I do not see any reason to worry. They will surely grow up to be like their father."
But how could Han Baohu not worry? He only had these two sons. Even if they were guaranteed to be geniuses, could he guarantee that they would grow up to become immortals?
He recalled his cultivation journey until now, the countless dangers he faced, the countless life-or-death situations that he overcame through sheer will and desire to survive. He had been the lucky one out of a sea of mortals, countless souls struggling to climb to the sky.
"Is two enough?" He muttered.
"My lord?" Doctor Ming asked in confusion.
Han Baohu waved his hand and walked away, still lost in thought. He thought about it throughout the night, for three whole days without rest. In the end, he decided on a course of action.
"Pass down this sect decree!" He declared as he addressed the elders, "From this day onward, Axe Mountain Sect will only accept female disciples who are pure and virtuous! All male disciples without blood relations to myself or the elder council will be expelled within a month! All female disciples without blood relations to myself or the elder council, who have lost their virginity, are also expelled!"
"Sect master!"
"Sect master!"
"Quiet!" He shouted over the protests, "Female disciples are also not allowed to get married, have relations with men, or otherwise lose their virginity without my permission!"
"Sect master!"
"What is going on?"
"Why are you doing this?"
Han Baohu didn't care about their opinions. His mind was already made up. His purpose for these decisions was quite simple. He wanted to find more sacred daughters for the Virtuous Order. If he can find another talented disciple like Zhao Linmei and sell her to the Order, he could obtain more women like A'zhu and A'zhi. He could then have more sons who had the potential to succeed him. It was the perfect plan!
Just like that, the Axe Mountain Sect was transformed into a recruitment center for the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen.
In a month, the immortal sect recruited one thousand maidens with cultivation talent from across the province. In the following months, Immortal Drifting Axe Han Baohu became known as the maiden robber across the land. He kidnapped, coerced, or simply bought virgin girls and women from all over the Western Wumu Subcontinent to join his sect. In addition to standard cultivation training, he made sure these disciples were instructed on the Four Classics from the beginning so that any potential recruit for the Order would be prepared.
Of course, not all of these women had the potential to join the Order but they could still warm the sect master's bed. Every so often, Han Baohu would grant some disciples the privilege of individual training with the sect master. Such training always involved countless depraved acts that could never be revealed to others. Those lucky disciples were only allowed to leave when he was completely satisfied.
Such a life became Han Baohu's joy and obsession. The future was bright. He now fully understood and appreciated the rumors and stories of that infamous immortal named Chen Wentian.
Accepting only female disciples… that man was a true genius!
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