PDLP Chapter 18 Bestowing a Name
Chapter 18 Bestowing a Name
"The first thing."
Shen Qing's gaze swept across the entire room, finally landing on Wang Ergou.
"Wang Ergou, step forward."
Wang Ergou was stunned for a moment, then strode forward, bowed, and said:
"Disciple is here!"
"You have been with my Qingyun Sect for two months now. From being illiterate to being able to read and write, although your cultivation is limited by your aptitude, you are currently only at the initial stage of sensing spiritual energy. However, because of your diligence, your immortal affinity value is currently ranked first in the entire sect. I have seen everything you have done."
Wang Ergou, with his head down, had his shoulders trembling slightly, clearly indicating that he was very unsettled.
"Wang Ergou, as an inner disciple of my Qingyun Sect, your name is utterly inappropriate."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ergou looked up blankly, wondering what the sect leader meant. Why was his name so inappropriate?
Looking at his bewildered expression, Shen Qing said softly, "You are an inner disciple of my Qingyun Sect, the senior brother of my junior brothers and sisters. In the future, you will descend the mountain and represent the Qingyun Sect in dealings with outsiders. Tell me, is the name 'Wang Ergou' acceptable?"
Wang Ergou opened his mouth, and his face immediately turned bright red.
Suppressed laughter rang out in the training ground, but many people couldn't laugh anymore after a while.
Because their names are not much better than Wang Ergou's.
After Shen Qing and the others calmed down, he continued, "Most of you come from poor backgrounds. Your parents were illiterate, so they gave you rather casual names. You were called Stone, Dog Egg, or Er Ya—this is not your fault."
"But now, you are disciples of my Qingyun Sect. Disciples of the Qingyun Sect cannot be without proper names."
Shen Qing looked at Wang Ergou.
"Wang Ergou, I hereby bestow upon you a new name today."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ergou trembled and clenched his fists.
"Your original surname was Wang. Although you are not particularly gifted, you have been diligent and loyal since joining the Qingyun Sect. I hereby bestow upon you the name 'Shouzhuo,' which means to guard one's original heart and to be simple-minded but not foolish. From this day forward, you will be called Wang Shouzhuo."
Wang Ergou—no, Wang Shouzhou—immediately knelt down, his whole body trembling slightly.
He opened his mouth several times, but didn't know how to speak, because he could no longer make a sound.
In the end, he just slammed his head down hard, his forehead hitting the bluestone ground with a series of thuds.
After a long while, Wang Shouzhuo, who had gradually recovered, choked out, "Disciple...disciple Wang Shouzhuo, kowtows to thank the sect master for bestowing this name!"
Shen Qing nodded, gesturing for him to stand up, then turned his gaze to Zhao Shitou.
"Zhao Shitou, step forward."
Zhao Shitou strode forward and knelt on one knee.
"You are my senior brother of Qingyun Sect. For eight years, you have remained steadfast and never slackened. I bestow upon you the name 'Shoucheng,' which means to uphold one's original aspirations and treat others with sincerity."
Zhao Shoucheng kowtowed deeply: "Disciple Zhao Shoucheng thanks the Sect Master for bestowing upon me this name!"
"Lin Xiaoyue, step forward. The name 'Shouwei' is bestowed upon her, taken from the phrase: 'Gathering ferns to guard one's heart, maintaining tranquility and self-control.'"
"Chen Gou Dan, step forward. He is hereby given the name 'Shou Xin,' which means to keep one's promises and to treat others with integrity."
"Su Xiaomei, step forward. You are given the name 'Shoujing' (守静), meaning to guard your mind and cultivate yourself through tranquility."
One after another. As Shen Qing called out each name, a person stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and received the bestowed name.
After being given names, their eyes were all red. Some kowtowed until their foreheads bled, and some wept uncontrollably.
Finally, Shen Qing's gaze fell on Huang An and Huang Ning.
The two stood in the ranks of inner disciples, their expressions complex.
They were members of the Huang family and had proper names, but at this moment, as they looked at their fellow disciples who had been given new names, an indescribable emotion was clearly revealed in their eyes.
Shen Qing glanced at them but did not call their names.
"The names bestowed today are only for the first batch."
Shen Qing's voice echoed throughout the training ground, "From this day forward, all who enter my Qingyun Sect, regardless of their background or aptitude, may be given a name by me. This is the rule of the Qingyun Sect."
He paused.
"A name is a person's root. With your new names, you have new roots. From this day forward, you are no longer peasants from the north of the city, no longer laborers on the docks, no longer beggars on the streets. You are disciples of the Qingyun Sect. Your names, along with the Qingyun Sect, will be remembered by future generations."
The training ground was completely silent.
Then, someone knelt down first, though it's unclear who it was.
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
The sounds rose and fell. Seventy-three people, a dark mass, knelt down.
On the system panel, the loyalty levels of all disciples jumped up simultaneously.
The average number of new disciples increased by ten points, and seven people directly broke through the sixty binding threshold.
老弟子也各有上涨，王守拙的忠诚度从90跳到了95，苏守静从88跳到了93，赵守诚从92跳到了96。
Huang An's loyalty jumped from 58 to 67, and Huang Ning's from 59 to 68.
System notification sounds rang out one after another:
[Disciple Huang An's loyalty has reached 67; binding successful]
[Disciple Huang Ning's loyalty has reached 68, binding successful]
[Current number of bound disciples: 42]
However, there was a glaring notification that made Shen Qing involuntarily grimace: his disciple Zhong Xiu's loyalty had dropped from 80 to 65.
What's wrong with this little girl? Shen Qing was speechless.
He did not give Zhongxiu a name, firstly because the name Zhongxiu was already very good, and secondly because Shen Qing wanted to keep Zhongxiu hidden and not let her be too dazzling.
But now, the little girl seems to be resentful because he didn't give her a name.
Moreover, this resentment was quite strong, causing loyalty to drop by fifteen points.
But with so many people around and so much gossip, Shen Qing couldn't offer her any advice and could only pretend not to know.
As for the inspiration for today's actions, it comes from a previous life. The name he was given was something he discovered after reading history books in his previous life—a method that could easily win people's hearts.
Changing someone's name is essentially about reshaping their identity. When a person accepts a new name, it means that they have accepted a new identity.
No longer being yourself as you used to be, but a member of an organization—this tactic is frequently used in pyramid schemes, the military, and religious groups, and it's surprisingly effective.
However, Shen Qing did not expect the effect to be so good.
Perhaps it's because these disciples really need a new identity.
They lived too bitterly and too humbly in their old identities. Wang Ergou, Zhao Shitou, Chen Gou Dan—these names themselves are marks of humiliation, constantly reminding them of their humble origins.
When Shen Qing personally removed the brand and replaced it with a new name containing the character "Shou," he gave her more than just a name; he gave her dignity, a sense of belonging, and a brand new identity to be proud of.
The word "guard" itself implies Shen Qing's expectation: to guard Qingyun Sect and the home that gave them new identities.
Shen Qing raised his head and looked at the seventy-two and a half people kneeling on the ground. As for why there was a half person, he didn't know.
That's because Zhong Xiu, the proud girl on the edge of the crowd, was kneeling, but her pouting lips and a face full of grievances told Shen Qing that she was angry.
"Get up, all of you."
The disciples got up one after another, some still wiping away tears, some repeatedly murmuring their new names.
"The second thing."
Shen Qing's voice drew everyone's attention back.
"I will not hide the current situation of the Qingyun Sect from you."
Shen Qingju picked up the rough account book: "This is our sect's account book. The sect's surplus grain is only enough to last for half a month."
Upon hearing this, a commotion arose below. The newly initiated disciples looked at each other in bewilderment, and even the senior disciples frowned.
"I'm telling you this not to make you worry, but to let you know that Qingyun Sect is not some wealthy sect, we don't have mountains of gold and silver. All we have is this mountain and these seventy-three of you."
Shen Qing put down the account book and glanced at each face.
"What will we do when the food runs out in half a month?"